Record Rack

This album (due Tuesday) should begin rather than end with Pearl Jam’s ragged, live version of Arthur Alexander’s “Soldier of Love” instead of starting with the band’s even more ragged take on the ‘60s teen melodrama “Last Kiss.” With its first line, “Lay down your arms,” “Soldier” could have set a “make love, not war” tone for a collection of cast-off live, unused and remix tracks benefiting Kosovo refugee relief. But then, this is not about sending a message. It’s about sending money, pure and simple, with Epic guaranteeing a $1-million contribution.

Only Neil Young’s live, acoustic “War of Man” directly addresses the topic, though Peter Gabriel’s eerie “Fourteen Black Paintings” (from his 1992 “Us” album) is built on a Balkan-like modal figure, and Tori Amos’ previously unreleased “Merman” is an appropriately disturbing lullaby. Of the rest, Alanis Morissette’s live, raw “Baba,” the Indigo Girls’ surprisingly tough “Go” and Ben Folds Five’s tinnily nostalgic “Leather Jacket” are highlights.

Of course, the big attraction is “Last Kiss,” the current radio hit that was previously released only as a fan-club single. But it’s just part of a jumble ranging from sweetness (Sarah McLachlan) to bluster (Rage Against the Machine, Korn). The charity of the project can’t be faulted. But compared to the 1995 Yugoslav benefit album “Help!,” “Boundaries” lacks that sense of concept and effort reflecting the cause.

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* Excerpts from albums reviewed and other recent releases are available on The Times’ World Wide Web site. Point your browser to: https://www.calendarlive.com/soundclips