Pearl Jam's I Am Mine: Good Song, but Average Single
Written: Jun 28 '04
Product Rating:
Pros: I Am Mine is a decent song...
Cons: Just two songs, not the best Pearl Jam material...
The Bottom Line: Pearl Jam is already known as one of the best bands of the last twelve (or so years). I Am Mine is not their best work, but it is okay.
lambchops's Full Review: I Am Mine [Single] by Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam has given to this world dozens of singles in the past twelve or so years. These songs will forever be remembered and the mere mention of the titles elicits feeling and memories. Jeremy, Daughter, Yellow Ledbetter, Better Man, Even Flow, Corduroy, and the list goes on and on and on.
In any case, as the 1990’s came to a close and the new millennium arrived; Pearl Jam continued to churn out hits—and often in a very non-traditional manner. There were various singles, live albums, and so much more for fans of the band to munch on. There was never a shortage of new material. Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, Jeff Ament, and Matt Cameron returned in 2002 with Riot Act and in support of that album released the single for I Am Mine.
While I’m not usually one to buy singles of any kind, much less singles from Pearl Jam, I did pick this one up. Why? Well, the reason is simple—the song is a keen blend of the rock Pearl Jam is known for a pop goodness. It’s richly emotional at the same time it oozes a pop quality that undoubtedly appeals to many people on many varied levels.
I Am Mine begins with a slow burning melody—just guitars at first followed by drums. Vedder’s low and tense vocals soon kick it only to be joined by the whole band. What makes the song something special (though not up to par to the likes of the aforementioned “top tier” of songs) is the impeccable melody. It was radio-ready and a good choice for the lead-off single. The only things about I Am Mine that bother me at all is that it isn’t particularly dynamic nor is it creatively exciting. All in all, the song sounds good and the band sounds good.
The b-side to I Am Mine is the non-album selection Down. I appreciate the band’s slight turn to southern rock, but it doesn’t entirely mesh with what I generally like about Pearl Jam. It’s a meek, understated sort of song. Not great, but not bad either. I guess that’s why it didn’t make the cut for an album.
Anyway, this is a fine enough rock single. I can’t say I’d recommend that anybody seek it out aside from the most rabid of Pearl Jam fans (we’re talking the ones that own every single and every live release here) but if you stumble upon it for $1 in a used store some place it might be worth the money and effort. Otherwise, just stick to the band’s seven studio albums.
Rating: 3/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. I Am Mine
02. Down
___________________________
Related Reviews:
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
![I Am Mine [Single] by Pearl Jam](http://di1.shopping.com/images1/pi/fb/db/55/2002233401-177x150-0-0.jpg)
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.