DVD Review: Immagine in Cornice - Pearl Jam

by Ignacio Gonzalez.

While Pearl Jam’s newest live concert film/DVD, Immagine in Cornice, (Monkeywrench Records, distributed by Rhino Entertainment) is a worthy piece of film and rock music, don’t expect the level of depth featured in previous Pearl Jam DVDs. Directed by Danny Clinch (Bruce Springsteen’s Devil and Dust, Foo Fighters’ Skin and Bones), Immagine follows the band over five concerts in Italy during the group's 2006 European tour promoting their recent album Pearl Jam. Thirteen tracks chronicling Pearl Jam’s career are featured in the DVD, with behind-the-scenes vignettes between tracks that juxtapose classic Italian imagery with a lively Pearl Jam having a really great time playing music. A bonus section includes three additional tracks, and the DVD comes packaged with a 22-page photography booklet.

I say Immagine lacks depth only as a warning to fans used to being treated with binges of music and introspection from the typical Pearl Jam video product. The band’s first DVD, Single Video Theory, which documented the making of the album Yield, featured an amazing and inspiring amount of insight from the band members about what it means to make music under the Pearl Jam sky. If you’re expecting an equally insightful follow-up into the band’s state-of-mind, you won’t get it in Immagine. Maybe part of growing up is forgetting about music-talk for a while and just having fun, as each Immagine vignette documents through a great use of visual abstraction.

In one vignette, you see bassist Jeff Ament hop a fence at an Italian skate park and partake in his favorite extreme sport. Eddie Vedder goes around learning Italian in order to be understood as he greets the fans from stage; at one point he asks an interpreter to read out loud his Italian-language greeting to ensure the proper pronunciation.

Guitarist Mike McCready tells the stories behind his tattoos, and I’ll let you in one of them. He has the number 59 tattooed on his arm because 1959s are his favorite kind of guitars – ’59 Les Pauls and Fender Stratocasters. Also, a surprise encounter with fans asking him for autographs prompts McCready to recount how, during his early teens, he snuck under a Scorpions’ limo and came out from underneath as the Scorpions were approaching the limo after a show. He ended up scaring the bass player and snatching an autograph from Scorpions’ singer Klaus Meine.

Although guitar riff master Stone Gossard appers in some vignettes, there are no interviews with him. Neither does drummer Matt Cameron say much of anything, which is a shame. It would’ve been great to get his thoughts on what it’s like for a Soundgarden alumnus to work with another grunge rock stalwart band. Oh yes, and there’s also the keyboard player on tour, Kenneth “Boom” Gaspar. You see him play a cathedral organ during the band’s stay in Pistoia, Italy, and that’s it. No words from “Boom” on what it’s like to play with one of the best rock and roll bands in the world today.

There’s also the track list featured in Immagine. You get thirteen tracks, plus three bonus tracks, and that’s it. Five are from the recent Pearl Jam album. So, again, fans will get less than previous Pearl Jam DVD product, which averages about 20 plus tracks each. But, there are a few delightful musical surprises in the vignettes. One has Vedder doing the intro to “Immortality” (from the album Vitalogy) during a soundcheck. There’s also a brief vignette with Vedder and McCready hanging out in an empty old Italian arena, acoustic guitars in hand, doing a high-speed acoustic version of “Lukin” (from the album No Code).

Nevertheless, the film serves as an exciting, highly-energetic, grainy-film-looking collection of live performances of some of the best Pearl Jam tunes ever. Sure, fans have seen “Even Flow” lead into “Better Man” and proceed to “Alive” before, but it’s great to see these classic tunes alongside the honest-to-goodness rocking tracks from the recent Pearl Jam. Bottom line is, Pearl Jam is an astounding band to see and experience live – great rock anthems performed with conviction, spontaneity and professional skill. Director Danny Clinch’s artful and imaginative treatment of the Pearl Jam magic as experienced by devoted Italian fans is a sharp way to keep the legend alive.

Pearl Jam – Immagine in Cornice DVD Tracklisting

Severed Hand (Milan)
World Wide Suicide (Featured clips from all Italian show dates)
Life Wasted (Torino)
Corduroy (Verona)
State of Love and Trust (Milan)
Porch (Verona)
Even Flow (Torine)
Better Man (Verona)
Alive (Milan)
Blood (Verona)
Comatose (Pistoia)
Come Back (Pistoia)
Rockin’ in the Free World (Pistoia)

Bonus Tracks

A Quick One While He’s Away (Eddie Vedder with My Morning Jacket, Torino)
Throw Your Arms Around Me (Pistoia)
Yellow Leadbetter (Milan)

Related Links
Pearl Jam Ten Club
Rhino Records

[Editor's note: We recommend a visit to Ignacio Gonzalez's IG blog, which provides guitarists with inspiration, education, insights and ideas through the eyes of an everyday guitar player, teacher and writer.]

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