Lost Dogs

The success of hard-to-find Pearl Jam tracks like “Yellow Ledbetter” and “Last Kiss” has led some to postulate that the band had a treasure trove of obscurities they were withholding from the general public. This two-disc set of B-sides and rarities should go a long way toward dispelling that notion. Not that there isn’t some first-rate material here, but there are also plenty of lost dogs that could’ve continued straying. Beyond the aforementioned “Ledbetter” and “Kiss,” other winners include the “Jeremy” B-side “Footsteps,” a brooding ballad in the tradition of “Black”; “Drifting,” a guitar-and-harmonica country-blues lament; and “Brother Instrumental,” a taut rocker that’s probably the best thing the band never finished. Their missteps usually come when PJ try to be something they’re not. With the awkward funk of “Sweet Lew,” that something is Primus; on “Dirty Frank,” it’s the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But then again, if you can’t play dress-up on your B-sides, when can you?