There's been a lot of reviews recently for the reissues of Pearl Jam albums Vs and Vitalogy, and to my surprise even the more hipster end of the online press (hello, Pitchfork) have been rather kind in their reviews. I'll happily admit to being partial to a bit of Pearl Jam, and see those aforementioned records as the high points in a career that's still continuing.
I always thought it a bit harsh that you either had to like Nirvana or Pearl Jam - never both! - in the grunge wars of the early 1990s, and PJ were always seen as the commercial, money-grabbers to Kurt Cobain's more "real" band. Sure, Eddie Vedder was often prone to daft statements but I truly believe he was utterly sincere in his motives for forcing whatever direction his band went in - just look at their admirable attempts to hold the appalling Ticketmaster to account in the way they priced their ticket sales.
Vedder, I think, wanted Pearl Jam to be like The Who, Led Zeppelin and The Grateful Dead, all bands who had a desire for independence whilst being part of the music machine. Vs and Vitalogy, 18 and 17 years on, stand the test of time and are a testament to a band that was sticking two fingers up to both the media and, to an extent, some of their fans, refusing to buy into the commercialisation of a scene that would ultimately spawn the likes of the hateful Puddle Of Mudd, Staind and Limp Bizkit, albeit through genre offshoots.
Ok, so Pearl Jam aren't as good as they used to be, but from 1993 to 1996 they were a great band, and I remember staying up til 2am to listen to a live concert of theirs being broadcast on BBC Radio 1 and being exhilarated by the passion of the band. Below are two of my favourite Pearl Jam moments: first 'I Got Id', and then 'Corduroy'.
No comments:
Post a Comment