A two-disc collection of B-sides and unreleased tracks from Pearl Jam [ tickets ] is sort of like a litter of puppies: the idea sounds great, but one can get a bit annoyed when dealing with the dogs. Hence, "Lost Dogs."

This set of tunes, representing the leftovers and one-shots from the Seattle band's career so far, features plenty of songs that make you wonder, "Why didn't this make the album?" and plenty of songs that make you say, "Jeez, it's a good thing this didn't make the album."

Of course, "Lost Dogs" includes some ready-made hits. Among them, "Yellow Ledbetter" and "Last Kiss," two surprising radio hits for Pearl Jam. If you think of "Lost Dogs" as a double album of fresh material, it can be quite good. Still, the material from the band's early days is the strongest.

Die-hard PJ fans will have a field day with this package. The CD's booklet includes notes on each song from one or two of the musicians. For "Drifting," a 1999 fan-club single, Eddie Vedder reveals, "I sometimes wonder why there isn't a Tee-Pees-R-Us."

Casual Pearl Jam fans may be happier with "Vs." or "Vitalogy," the band's second and third albums, respectively. But if you've got those, you might be in the market to adopt some of these lost dogs.

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