Mirror Ball Album Review

by Erik Flannigan

Mirror Ball, the highly anticipated collaboration between Neil Young and Pearl Jam, is neither particularly disappointing nor especially surprising. It's a uniquely informal recording: the album was cut in four days in Seattle, and more than half the songs were written in the studio. It isn't hard to tell — with studio chitchat and false starts left intact, Mirror Ball sounds like a rehearsal jam session still in progress.

Despite the obvious limitations of this strategy, Mirror Ball's impromptu feeling is its greatest strength. The performances couldn't be fresher, and each artist's musical instincts are clearly exposed. For Young, those instincts lead to the same series of classic chords and riffs he's been working and reworking for three decades. But in the hands of Pearl Jam, these familiar elements are attacked from a completely different angle. Drummer Jack Irons and bassist Jeff Ament bring a driving, snapping rhythm to "I'm the Ocean," "Big Green Country," and "Act of Love" that would turn to molasses in the hands of Crazy Horse. Guitarists Mike McCready and Stone Gossard also avoid sludge-slinging, while recognizing that backing Neil Young allows any guitarist a tremendous amount of freedom. Eddie Vedder even appears briefly, adding vocals and additional lyrics to the end of "Peace & Love."

Young hits his finest groove with his new band on "Throw Your Hatred Down," delivering an impassioned vocal and some equally commanding guitar work as drummer Irons pounds mightily to match Young's intensity. But while for the most part Pearl Jam gives Young and this quickly written batch of songs a vigorous workout, Mirror Ball can't stand up next to Young's finest work. His recent albums with Crazy Horse will doubtless resonate longer. That's not a knock against the refreshing nature of Mirror Ball – it's a worthy record of a fascinating four-day collaboration that stands very well on its own merits.