Pearl Jam has not been shy about digging into its archives in the years running up to its current 20th anniversary bonanza. The elaborate reissue of its classic 1991 debut, heavy on extras, came in 2009, and earlier this year the Seattle group released a similarly value-added dual rerelease of 1993's 'Vs.' and 1994's 'Vitalogy.' But with Cameron Crowe's career-spanning documentary 'Pearl Jam Twenty' in theaters worldwide today (Sept. 20) along with a massive companion book of the same name, for the soundtrack, the famously rock-friendly director did what any fan with such unprecedented access to the bands vaults would: he made an epic mix tape.

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The two-disc, 29-song effort, also out today, takes key live musical moments from the film ("Alive" from the band's third show ever, in 1990 Seattle;  a stirring 2010 "Better Man" singalong from New York's Madison Square Garden) and rolls them up with previously unreleased demos and instrumentals (1991's sweet "Acoustic #1";  Mike McCready's guitar-only take on 1998's "Given To Fly") that capture the veteran band's songwriting process through the years. For hardcore Pearl Jam fans, there is much here to love and dissect. For the more casual listener, this is an engaging musical portrait of the first 20 years of a great American rock band.

Crowe also personally wrote the extensive liner notes (also packed with photos he chose). So here with, a track-by-track look at the "Pearl Jam Twenty" soundtrack, complete with quotes from his notes.

"Release" (from Sept. 16, 2006 Verona, Italy)

"Written shortly after Eddie Vedder's arrival in Seattle, 'Release' always felt like a personal epiphany as well as an invitation to write from the heart," Crowe writes. And the version of this slow-burn "Ten" ballad documents a loving Italian crowd.

"Alive" (from Dec. 22, 1990 Seattle)

Says Crowe, "This is when many of the group's friends and family first heard the band and by the time they played 'Alive' heads were turning." The song that became the band's earliest signature song shows its power even here only two months after the band formed. Still a bit shy at this point, Eddie Vedder's powerful baritone shines through clearly.

"Garden" (from Feb. 19, 1992 Zurich Switzerland)

"Their first trip to Europe and the casual idea to play an acoustic show… a recipe for chaos turned into a beautiful chaos indeed," writes Crowe. This show paved the way for the band's memorable MTV Unplugged performance the next month.

"Why Go" (from March 10, 1992 Hamburg Germany)

Crowe: "A real-time document of the band finding their voice and an early crowd discovering  it right along with them."

"Black" (from March 16, 1992 MTV Unplugged)

Crowe: "Vedder shuts his eyes, forgetting the cameras, and provides a truly galvanizing moment… singing one of this most personal songs." And rock fans all over the country saw it, complete with inspired additions, his voice booming over the acoustic guitars.

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