Who knew that these guys could still rock? 

Pearl Jam began life as one of the umpteen "Seattle bands" of the early 1990s. They rose from the ashes of Mother Love Bone and saw their debut album, Ten, sell somewhere around a gajillion copies, propelling them to the top of the music world. Their follow-up, Vs., was just as big, making them one of rock's biggest acts. Top-of-the-world success wouldn't last, however. The experimental Vitalogy left some fans scratching their heads and seeking more familiar fare. No Code was quietly excellent but failed to burn up the charts; the follow-up, Yield, was solid but a step down from previous efforts. By the time they released the unmemorable Binaural and downright poor Riot Act, the days of big success were clearly over. The band had carved out a small but comfortable niche, their fanbase smaller than ever, yet also more fiercely loyal than ever. 

Enter their self-titled eighth album, Pearl Jam, the band's best effort since Vs. Hey, turns out the boys still have it. 

And as Immagine In Cornice shows, they can still drag it onto the stage, too, delivering to an audience with more passion and energy than you'd expect from a band that has been kicking around for some 16 years. 

Compiled from four shows in Italy, Immagine In Cornice is a lovingly shot, high-energy concert film that may not scale the lofty heights of The Last Waltz, but neither does it sink into the depths of pretension of, say, Rattle And Hum. The packaging gives the appearance of a film aspiring to be more - the gorgeous photo book and overall presentation screams "this is a serious film" - but thankfully, save for brief between-song segments, this is all about the music. 

And what swell music it is. The band hasn't lost a step. The tunes from the excellent self-titled record the focal point of this disc, but even the older cuts sound great. While the wild-eyed, reckless days of their youth were left behind years ago, the confident, finely-tuned machine the band now is manages to crank out tune after tune with a swagger and vigor that still manages to impress. No, they're no longer moving an entire generation of young people with angst-ridden anthems, but that's okay. They don't need to. Now they're a rock band; that's it; and it works. Certainly it hasn't chased away their core followers. Their fans are exceedingly loyal, and the band has rewarded them by remaining as free-roaming, unpredictable and approachable as they were back in 1992. 

Good for them. 

The set list spans their entire career (longtime fans know that Pearl Jam has always been known for wide-ranging setlists). Though more recent tunes dominate the proceedings, they still drag out favored non-album cuts like State of Love And Trust (from the soundtrack to Singles) and fan-favorite B-side Yellow Ledbetter (presented here with the bonus materials), not to mention classics like Evenflow and Alive, and a ripping cover of Neil Young's Keep On Rockin' In The Free World. 

In other words, exactly what the longtime fan would expect. 

Immagine In Corniceis beautifully shot, full of lovely color and dynamic imagery and, of course, the gorgeous scenery of Italy. Director Danny Clinch manages to avoid MTV cliches and sticks to presenting the band as a band; five guys (well, technically six now) just playing music. The between-song segments are mercifully brief, empty little diversions that don't say much and avoid being intrusive because of it. 

Some want to paint this as a documentary film, but don't be fooled. It's not. It's a concert film, nothing more, nothing less. And there is nothing wrong with that. Immagine In Cornice serves as a good reminder that these guys can still rock. 

Disc Presentation
Looks and sounds fantastic. The widescreen presentation feels big and bold, the stark colors warm and cold, all looking quite wonderful. Looks sharp as hell when it needs to, and when it doesn't it's clearly because that's how the Super 8 source looks. 

More importantly, the sound is big, clear and robust. Both the stereo and surround tracks have a nice, full sound without the reverb washout that mars many concert recordings. At one of the shows Vedder's vocals are a bit low in the mix, but that's a minor gripe. This thing filled up my living room with raw, rich sound. Nice stuff. 

Disc Extras
Just a few extras songs. First Eddie sits in with a bunch o' music all-stars for a rendition of A Quick One (While He's Away), the slammin' medley from The Who's A Quick One. Really cool stuff. Next we've got Throw Your Arms Around Me, a song by Australian band Hunters & Collectors, covered by Eddie solo. And finally is  fan-favorite Yellow Ledbetter; this is an upbeat rendition with lots of crowd singing and some anti-war lyrics thrown in for good measure. 

The Bottom Line
If Pearl Jam has never been your thing, this disc isn't going to change your mind. Lapsed fans (like myself), however, may be surprised to discover that the band who had seemingly faded into the woodwork is very quietly kicking ass like it's 1992 all over again. Loyal fans already have this, but for everyone else, if you haven't checked into Pearl Jam in a while and are wondering what they're up to these days, Immagine In Cornice might be worth your time.