Popular opinion on Pearl Jam has fluctuated wildly over the 20 years of the band's existence. Its second album, "Vs.," set a record for most copies sold in its first week of release; but a pervasive fear of the spotlight, coupled with the band's tendency to take itself too seriously, turned some people off, and the huge proliferation of hunger dunger dang imitators that came up in Pearl Jam's wake led others to deem Eddie Vedder and crew guilty by association.

Still, through it all, Pearl Jam persevered, and now the band's taking a much-deserved, season-long victory lap. At the forefront is the Cameron Crowe-helmed documentary "Pearl Jam Twenty," which gives us a chance to reflect, to celebrate, and to enjoy what has made Pearl Jam such a lasting part of the rock landscape: the music.

To that end, we have the "Pearl Jam Twenty" soundtrack, stocked with material spanning the band's entire career. It might seem like it'd be impossible to put together a Pearl Jam collection with any surprises; after all, we're talking about a group that released SEVENTY-TWO official live recordings between 2000 and 2001. What could possibly be new? Taken as a whole, however, this is a power-packed collection of cuts that effectively and potently encapsulates an expansive catalog.

The "Twenty" soundtrack is split into two discs. The first is made up of 14 fantastic live recordings, a full third of which are from the explosive debut album "Ten," including a raw-as-hell recording of "Alive" from a 1990 show at Seattle's Moore Theatre and the gut-wrenching acoustic take on "Black" performed on MTV's "Unplugged." The real treat for fans appears nearer the end of the disc: a cover of "Crown of Thorns" by Mother Love Bone, the band in which Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament were members before the drug-related death of frontman Andy Wood.

Also Check Out: Watch the "Pearl Jam Twenty" Trailer

Disc Two is entitled "Rarities and Inspiration," and while it also includes some excellent live recordings (the version of "Betterman" contained here features a chill-inducing crowd sing-along), the true attractions are the demos and unreleased bits that show what's going on under the hood. Things kick off with two Temple of the Dog demos before veering into more esoteric territory with "Acoustic #1" and some Mike McCready instrumental guitar work ("Be Like Wind" and "Given to Fly").

The "Pearl Jam Twenty" soundtrack may, ultimately, best serve fans who exist somewhere between the casual and the die-hard. If you don't care for the band, there may not be much here to convince you to take the plunge, and if you've got a portrait of Vedder tattooed on your arm, you'll likely already have collected most of this stuff. But for everyone in between, it's a great chance to look back and experience the reasons Pearl Jam has been able to stick around as long as it has -- a great live show, an unending passion, and a continued dedication to great music.