Lost Dogs - Disc 1

Hi Son,

As I mentioned before, my journey with Pearl Jam didn’t begin until 2003. It was a little bit after they released their seventh studio album Riot Act. I was getting myself immersed in their catalog that year. The first album drop of theirs I got to experience, wasn’t a newly recorded release. It was a compilation of “B-sides and rarities.” Some of their rarities I mentioned last Christmas came in the form of special singles that were released during the holiday season. Some of those were included on this release. Most of the rest were B-sides of singles they released from their inception (ca. 1991) to 2003. A B-sides is exactly as it sounds. It has more to do with records (and cassette tapes) than it does with CDs. The A-side is typically the single itself (see “I Am Mine” below). The opposite side, the B-side, is another song that it typically not included on the album (see “Undone” below). I’ll be honest. I did not know this until recently. Your dad did not start buying vinyl until 2019 and whenever he bought a single back in the day, it was on CD. There are several outtakes as well, which were recorded for an album but not included.

“I Am Mine single”

A-side “I Am Mine”

B-side “Undone”

The name of the compilation album is “Lost Dogs.” The album comprises of 30 tracks that total almost 2 hours of music and was split into 2 discs/records. Given this release has so many tracks on it, I am going to write you about disc 1 right now and then disc 2 at a later time. This will be a track-by-track breakdown, because I want to present the origin of each track and share some of the liner notes in the album’s booklet. There is a story behind every song from the band in the booklet.

Track 1: “All Night” Origin: Outtake from “No Code” Lyrics by: Eddie

Eddie and Stone tell their recollections about the summer heat in Chicago in 1995. Both of them mention several casualties from the intense heat throughout the city. The song itself is cool and pretty straightforward. However, I can’t picture it on “No Code.” It’s probably a good idea they left it off. The choruses have vocals added by at least Stone and maybe others of the band. I kind of get this 60s type of feel when I hear the song.

Track 2: “Sad” Origin: Outtake from “Binaural” Lyrics by: Eddie

This is one of the more puzzling outtakes in “Lost Dogs.” The reason being when I go through and listen to the entire tracklist of “Binaural” there are at least two tracks I could do without and replace with “Sad.” When I do listen to it, I don’t get the binaural sound that Tchad Blake infused into the record. Maybe that’s why it was left off. Honestly, hell if I know. It’s easily one of their best outtakes and does not make much sense as to why it was left off the album it was recorded for.

Track 3: “Down” Origin: Outtake from “Riot Act” Lyrics by: Eddie

The notes on this song are pretty interesting. Mike describes this song as something they wrote after him, Stone and Eddie saw Social Distortion play in LA. Eddie says that this song was one of his favorites during the recording of “Riot Act” however it “suffered from the “one thing is not like the others” syndrome.” I agree that I cannot picture this song on Riot Act. It’s pretty folksy and something I enjoy hearing when they play it live.

Track 4: Hitchhiker Origin: Outtake from “Binaural” Lyrics by: Eddie

I’m actually good that they left this off of “Binaural.” Unlike “Sad,” this really does not fit on the record. It’s kind of a weird sounding track, mainly because of Eddie’s vocals. The “hitchhiker” in the song is not what you think it is. Eddie describes the “hitchhiker” as “plants along the trails that attach spiny seeds onto the legs of anything passing.” This happened one time when him and his brother was taking a hike in the woods. Honestly, I can’t imagine this song on any of the studio albums.

Track 5: Don’t Gimmie No Lip Origin: Outtake from “No Code” Lyrics by: Stone

What’s fun about this song is the fact that Stone does the vocals. If you remember from my breakdown of “No Code” is that Stone sang lead on “Mankind.” It’s one of the aspect of “No Code” that I love so much. When I hear this song, it would slot in quite nicely into “No Code.” Maybe the band only wanted to cap the number of “Stone-sung” tracks to one. It’s a pretty fun and somewhat punky sounding song where “Don’t gimmie no lip. Don’t gimmie no lip. Don’t gimmie no.” is repeated a lot. I really enjoy this song.

Track 6: Alone Origin: B-side to the “Go” single Lyrics by: Eddie

I love this song. It’s also mentioned having been recorded during the “Ten” sessions. Mike says in the liner notes, “I always loved it. I don’t know why it never made it.” It could have slotted into “Ten” or “Vs.” pretty easily. Why it was left off of either really puzzles me. If you could have expanded the number of tracks on “Ten” then “Alone” would be the track I would add.

Track 7: In The Moonlight Origin: Outtake from “Binaural” Lyrics by: Matt

I believe Eddie had a serious man crush on Matt Cameron. Let’s be real. Who could blame him?!?! In the liner notes he calls Matt “the greatest drummer on the planet” which I am not sure he said about any of the previous drummers. This track is fine. I’m glad it didn’t make the cut for “Binaural” or any other record. Matt would go on to write better songs than this. Especially in “Riot Act” and “Gigaton.”

Track 8: Education Origin: Outtake from “Binaural” Lyrics by: Eddie

I feel like there are a lot of outtakes from “Binaural” on disc 1 of “Lost Dogs.” It probably could have fit over a couple of other tracks. I want to go ahead and tell you what tracks I am pertaining to. Those would be “Sleight of Hand” and “Soon Forget.” This track is fine, but not one that I would hope to hear on a set list if I see the band live.

Track 9: Black, Red, Yellow Origin: B-side on “Hail, Hail” Lyrics by: Eddie

I used to listen to this track on “Lost Dogs” repeatedly. It’s a really cool and punk sounding. Ed’s vocals are monotone for the most part, but I love it. The inspiration for the song? That would be one of the more infamous professional athletes of the 1990s, Dennis Rodman. The song title pertains to the color of his hair while playing for the Chicago Bulls. The song also mentions “Freud walking the sidelines” which Eddie admits in the liner notes is Phil Jackson (head coach of the Bulls). It’s one of my favorite B-sides and really songs they’ve ever written. I mean shit, your old man was even gushing about it on a podcast once.

Track 10: U Origin: B-side in “Wishlist” Lyrics by: Eddie

I really enjoy this song. It does not fit on “Yield” whatsoever, but it’s a really cool jam. Eddie says he wrote the song “in a car on a ten minute drive.” I mean damn. That makes me like this song even more. He also said had the “trip would have been any longer I’m sure the song would have been more complex.” I’m not sure how much more complex “U” could have been. It’s fine where it’s at.

Track 11: Leavin’ Here Origin: Home Alive: The Art of Self Defense Compilation Lyrics by: Brian Holland, Edward Holland Jr., Lamont Dozier)

A cover that’s done well. The record it was included on was the “Home Alive: The Art of Self Defense Compilation” where Home Alive is a non-profit organization in Seattle. This is where one of the areas I believe in, the band also believes in. Your mother, grandmother (my mother) and aunt are three of the strongest people I have ever known. It breaks my heart to know many women are victimized because they are not viewed as strong or even equals. Knowing the band championed a cause to help those women would were wronged is why I love Pearl Jam so much.

Track 12: Gremmie Out of Control Origin: For Mother Ocean Vol 1. Lyrics by: Jimmy Haskell

This is a really fun cover. The origin ties back to the Surfrider Foundation. The foundation lobbies for the protections of oceans and beaches. It has all of the feels of an early 60s surfer song. It’s really cool to know this was made in support of a non-profit.

Track 13: Whale Song Origin: For Mother Ocean Vol 3. Lyrics by: Jack

I want to go on record saying my favorite drummer in the history or music is Jack Irons. Nothing against Matt, but if Jack could have endured the demanding touring schedule of Pearl Jam then it would have been udder worldly. Jack sings vocals on this song and does so very well. The older I have gotten, the more I love this song. Eddie says in the liner notes that “Jack Irons had heard that the heart of a whale was as big as a Volkswagen.” Your dad drives a VW, so cool. It’s awesome to know I drive a car as big as the heart of a whale.

Track 14: Undone Origin: B-side on “I Am Mine” Lyrics by: Eddie

If you were paying attention, I mentioned “Undone” at the beginning of my gibberish. It’s a good song, which honestly has no part on “Riot Act.” When I hear it, it would have had a chance on either “Ten” or “Vs.” The sound is just that dated. Eddie mentions in the liner notes that Matt had written a song called “Undone” that later became “You Are.” That song, “You Are” would become one of my favorites and a song I would dedicate to your mother.

Track 15: Hold On Origin: Ten outtake Lyrics by: Eddie

This song could easily slot into “Ten.” I think that “Hold On” is one of their better known outtakes. I love this song. Eddie says in the liner notes “if you love somebody, set them free…if someone loves you, don’t fuck it up.” This song to me just seems like someone who is just not able to hold onto anything good in their life. It’s a heart breaking song and also something I turn to when I fuck up being an adult. I really hope I don’t fuck up being an adult in crucial parts of your life.

Track 16: Yellow Ledbetter Origin: B-side on “Jeremy” Lyrics by: Eddie

Now we come to the consummate song as the set list closer for almost every live show the band has ever put on. This song more than any that I can remember gets a lot of shit for not being able to understand the words. So much there is a really funny YouTube video making fun of it. The words to the song, as I have understood, were made on the spot during a jam session. The main riff has a very Jimi Hendrix “Little Wing” sound to it. Mike describes it as “a riff loosely based on…something I had during the Ten sessions. I thought it was pretty. Eddie started making up words on the spot and we kept them. I still don’t know what it’s about and I don’t want to! I love it! Fans like it too!” This is probably one of the top two songs off of the entire “Lost Dogs” tracklist. I’ll cover the other on disc 2. It’s also been featured on the finale of “Friends” when Ross and Phoebe realize they went to the wrong airport to stop Rachel from leaving. This is a very iconic song of the bands, for better or worse. I can take it or leave it at this point, but whenever you hear it at a show it likely means the night is coming to a close.

So there is disc 1. A lot of outtakes that did not make their respective albums. I am really stoked to talk about disc 2, because there are a lot of track that I believe cut even deeper than disc 1. Back in the day, when I had a Discman, I would put in disc 2 more than disc 1. I look forward to sharing that experience with you.

Love,

Dad

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