Vital Pearl Jam

The first time I saw Pearl Jam was in 1992 in NYC with my best friend. We had no idea what to think. They shared the bill with Red Hot Chili Peppers and Smashing Pumpkins. Each band had a personal impact to me. This was the second time I saw the Chili Peppers and they were great. The Smashing Pumpkins were good too and I would see them two more times in the future. Pearl Jam though was a band that came out of nowhere. When they took the stage and played about an hour and half I was struck on how much energy that had. I heard their first CD and was in awe on how well these songs came off live. They had a lot to show off and I was hooked. I wanted to see them again. Well, during that tour I got my wish. I saw them one other time and it took four years to see them again.

Pearl Jam has many things going for them. There music is raw and full of energy. Even better is the fact that they mixed it up with really great fast songs and then some slow songs. They even did one cover of Neil Young. The way they played that made people think they wrote that one too. In the four years I did not see them they became the hottest ticket item. I had friends who went to later shows telling me how great they were. I kept on telling them that I already saw them and hope (with luck) to see them again. Even my father thought they were good. What he liked was Eddie Vedder's voice. He thought it was fresh and original. Something you don't hear is a good voice he told me. All these singers, you can barely make out what they are saying or screaming. He had a maturity about him my father said later on.



In the time that I did not see them for four years I picked up the albums and would closely listen to them. Each had expanded on the album before it. The song writing got better and the band really gelled. It was excitement every time they put something out. I would hear it on the radio and just love what they were doing. My friend told me one day that he liked the band because of Jeff Ament. Since my friend was a bass player he thought Jeff's playing was very good and above average for a rock bass player. I could not agree more. I liked the two guitar sounds and as a whole they were great.

I saw them a few more times and I have to say they were getting better every time I saw them. The music was getting better and more mature like a seasoned piece of meat. I liked the progress of of even the older songs. When they debuted a song from their early catalog they played it well, but later on that same song took a new life. It sounded like they re-arranged or even added a fuller sound to it. Songs that sounded simple, now sounded a bit more complex. Eddie's voice got stronger and the rest of the band got better and better. I was in awe with how they pulled it all off and made some new people Pearl Jam fans.



Now the hard part of all this was to pick a Pearl Jam album. The first three are very well done. They have a top notch quality of them. They keep Rock and Roll alive. I always have been a fan of personal growth in any band. My music love is a band that actually can show personal progress in anything they do. Pearl Jam is good at that. The music from Ten sounds wonderful and fresh, but they build on that fresh sound. The words of Eddie Vedder are clear and wonderful he makes it direct and to the point. My favorite part of him.

Restless soul, enjoy your youth
Like muhammad hits the truth
Can't escape from the common rule
If you hate something, don't you do it too...too...
Small my table, a sits just two
Got so crowded, i can't make room
Oh, where did they come from? stormed my room!
And you dare say it belongs to you...to you...
This is not for you
This is not for you
This is not for you
Oh, not for you...ah, you...
...scream...my friends...don't call me...
...friends, no they don't scream...
...my friends don't call...my friends don't...
All that's sacred comes from youth
Dedication, naive and true
With no power, nothing to do
I still remember, why don't you...don't you...
This is not for you
This is not for you
This is not for you
Oh, never was for you...fuck you...
This is not for you...
Oh, this is not for you...yeah, you...
This is not for you...
Oh, not for you...
Oh, you...



My choice was Vitalogy because of those great qualities. There is growth, and personal reflection and most of all a classic Pearl Jam. The music one minute could be great at rocking out or there could be moments of just wonderful controlled chaos. There darkness works great and should be listed to with great intent. I like that they show this kind of vulnerability and the fact they can now with this album not be put in a specific area. Thanks to its stripped-down, lean production, Vitalogy stands as Pearl Jam's most original and uncompromising album. Pearl Jam are at their best when they're fighting, whether it's Ticketmaster, fame, or their own personal demons.

I would recommend this album for the music and words. Every song has some kind of wonderful yarn that not many great bands can pull of. Sure songs like "Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me." and "Pry To" could be throwaways, but the rest of the album is just so great and fun. Take a listen to an artist who is beyond words a great band and when you have time even listen to the lyrics. Eddie tells the best stories. Enjoy!