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Introduction
14.04.2008

Here in the present tense, where the dollar is devaluing and some predict the euro will become the world's principal currency, "Pearl Jam" is a global brand. Since 2000, fans have become accustomed to globetrotting 70 date tours from the band from Seattle, Washington. In off years, they still all play 10+ dates and now even offer travel packages to fans which include prime concert tickets, airfare, and accommodations. Pearl Jam came to fame in the early 90's as a part of the "grunge movement," but felt almost instantly mischaracterized by what that movement was reported to represent. Persistently refiguring what "Pearl Jam" meant to him, as Eddie Vedder struggled with the type of band he wanted to be in, so Pearl Jam changed. The years between 1995 and 1998 represent the most drastic changes in and to Pearl Jam's core, changes which are not readily apparent but which are visible. Welcome to Ike's tours of the albums Pearl Jam toured for during that time.

double post...

I'm looking forward to this, Ike.

yah this should be fun.

hi ike.

LET'S DO IT!

About the Vitalogy era
15.04.2008

Possibly due to Vedder’s charisma or perhaps from efforts to gloss over part of the band’s past, there has been relatively minimal attention given to the story about how Stone and Jeff transformed an 80s hair glam band into Pearl Jam.

Interestingly, Stone and Kurt Cobain were born only 7 months apart. Soon after Andy Wood’s overdose, Nirvana was touring with and opening for Sonic Youth, while Stone and Jeff were recruiting and assembling members for their next band. The only way to repay their debt to the record label for the Mother Love Bone album was to make a record that sold well, which by default meant they’d be given more studio time to record another album with major label promotion and distribution as soon as they had enough songs for an album, which they would have in a very short time. All of the time and energy that Stone and Jeff invested into Mother Love Bone and all of the experience they gained from it gave them –the band’s core (at that time)- a baptism by fire into the record business. Andy’s unfortunate death gave them a clean slate to start afresh and incorporate and apply all they had learned. They picked up a studio-professional quality lead guitarist, and an ambitious lead singer who was two years older than Stone and had spent the last several years in San Diego peddling the band he fronted while learning everything he could about how to make it into and in the music industry.

Within 6 months of releasing their debut album, Pearl Jam was catapulted to a level of fame few acts ever achieve. With this came intense interest, scrutiny, and commentary about the band and everything slightly related to them.

The band reacted quickly by fortifying themselves and sealing off the press’s access. Pearl Jam used their albums to address the public, and what they said often intoned hostility. On Versus the band’s resentments were focused only towards the music machinery (a frequent enough target anyways), whereas on Vitalogy, their abject frustrations boiled over and were spewed out against the people buying their albums-- an uncommon tactic in the business of selling records, and in lieu of Kurt's death, essentially an indictment upon those who were only listening to their music in the first place because it was introduced to them as a product of music television and corporate economic interests.


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Though Vitalogy was released after Kurt’s suicide, Immortality was the only track whose lyrics had not been completed before his death. The music for the track had been recorded in Atlanta a few days before the first reports of Kurt’s death surfaced. Kurt's death dealt a blow to the Seattle community. Pearl Jam waivered and considered cancelling the remaining dates on their tour. They found the strength however to soldier on for 12 more days, which included 7 shows, Vedder’s meeting with Bill Clinton in the Oval Office, and to top it off, a 3-song billing on Saturday Night Live, for all of the mourning fans in America who liked both Pearl Jam and Nirvana.

After all this, due to their escalating conflict with Ticketmaster, the band cancelled their summer tour dates and in the next 9 months only played one venue for two dates back-to-back at an acoustic festival. Also in this time, the band fired their drummer, who had recorded their next album before he was dismissed, and, they hired Jack Irons, the drummer they had originally wanted at the beginning.

I like the way you write Ike. This is looking good.

:rubshands:

I really like your approach. It's going to be an interesting discussion.

Ike... you should get paid for this stuff!

Is there such thing as 'turning pro' on RM?
I guess that means that Ike can't participate in the next RM olympics?!

can you say more about that vs. comment?

I'm glad you are reading this though I could have sworn you purported being on some honeymoon or something! I write only with you in mind...


On Versus, Pearl Jam teetered between additional character songs like those found on Ten, and industry resistance songs:

Character: Go, Daughter, Glorified G, Dissident, RVM, Elderly Woman

Protest: Animal, WMA, Blood, Rats, Leash, Indifference

Really looking forward to this. *straps self in*

And, 'Magical Mystery Tours'? Are we going to be treated to a few of these?

that's the plan:

and I'm actually having to hold off posting more until I figure out how to get Vitalogy's liner notes in web form... don't have a scanner and wanted to have each page of the book in a jpg I could post... working on that... not sure what I'm going to do

Psh, i don't waste time with last sentences in paragraphs.

You've definitely chose the time frame that interests me the most with Pearl Jam, this should be a great read.

those last lines were like my thesis man!

well when Hil is taking her siesta's (and i'm a bit of an insomniac) I need something to do...

But with those protest songs only one (blood) is clearly about the music industry. I suppose a decent case can be made for rats, although hardly an exclusive one. Protest songs, sure--but industry protest. I'm not sure i buy that. But reading your paragraph again it sounds like you might just be saying that there is the begining of an 'anti music industry' stance that will flower with vitalogy. If I understood that correctly than that makes sense.

It's not that I disbelieve Indifference is a protest song, but what exactly is it protesting?

Indifference is defiant in a quiet way.
Animal poises the band against the world, and assumedly the record industry. The album was almost named "5 Against 1" but Versus was opted for.
Leash is rally for youth and a "fuck you" to anything that chains you.
Artwork for the album also includes notes Ed took from a business meeting at the label, decrying his presence for the business meeting with Epic bigwigs.
The whole push by the label to release "Black" is probably what scathed Ed the most for the Versus sessions.
The anti-industry sentiment is very present on Vs., it's quite a motivating factor for a good deal of the songs.