Bunch of Articles, Reviews
Veddernarian
Posts: 1,924
I have a bunch of articles, reviews to post. i'll use this thread instead of making multiple threads. Some will be in foreign languages. Sorry for that; I can't translate. Sorry if something I include here was already posted elsewhere. I'll try my best but the board is moving pretty fast and I don't have much time to search. If I post something that you posted, I didn't mean to.
Up here so high I start to shake, Up here so high the sky I scrape, I've no fear but for falling down, So look out below I am falling now, Falling down,...not staying down, Could’ve held me up, rather tear me down, Drown in the river
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
A TURN FOR THE VEDDER
JOSEPH BARRACATO
19 September 2009
New York Post
NYPO
30
PEARL Jam keeps it short and sweet on "Backspacer," their ninth studio album, out tomorrow. Clocking in at a mere 37 minutes, it's easily their shortest effort by a solid 20 minutes.
"We've made our excessive records," says Eddie Vedder before pausing and laughing.
"We'll probably make another one next time."
The 20-year veterans rip through the first three tracks - "Gonna See My Friend," "Got Some" and "The Fixer" - with more adrenaline than any band half their age could possibly muster.
In the past, playing hard and fast only meant the group was angry.
But with the absence of a hovering record label - and George Bush - the mood is totally optimistic.
That the group has loosened up is evident in the marketing scheme behind their first independent release.
Snippets of songs from "Backspacer" - which will be available through Target, as well as Pearl Jam's Web site (tenclub.net) and iTunes - have surfaced on unexpected platforms.
The first single, "The Fixer," debuted during the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, and several tracks were sampled during ABC's "Monday Night Football." The album will also be added to the Rock Band Store for video-game consoles Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3, within a week of its release. (A "Pearl Jam: Rock Band" game is in early development and is expected by the spring.)
If you want to catch Pearl Jam live, a little bit of commuting will be necessary - the closest shows this year are at a four-night stint at the Wachovia Spectrum in Philadelphia (Oct. 28-31) as part of a short fall jaunt.
An official world tour - which guarantees local visits - is being planned for 2010.
21 September 2009
Canwest News Service
CWNS
Pearl Jam
Backspacer
Monkeywrench
Four stars out of five
By Randy Shore
Canwest News Service
Backspacer delivers a Pearl Jam that the band's prior albums have only hinted at, with a healthy injection of sweaty pace and punk energy.
Ironic that it should come within months of the remastered version of Ten, the album that - together with Nirvana's Nevermind - ignited the grunge movement of the early 90s.
While Ten is all slow builds, dramatic chords and cathartic climax underpinning Vedder's soulful wailing and free-form story telling, Backspacer is literally a blast from the past. Seventies punk to be exact.
In the video for the album's single The Fixer, Eddie Vedder, Mike McCready, Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament and Matt Cameron wring thunderous beats and angular riffs from their instruments like the second coming of the Sex Pistols with the blue-eyed soul of The Jam.
We've always known it was there. Every one of the Pearl Jam's nine studio albums contains a teasing lick of fist-pumping punk rock, such as Vitalogy's Spin The Black Circle, Yield's Do The Evolution and World Wide Suicide from the band's eponymous 2006 album Pearl Jam.
Backspacer's first four tracks rip forth with no hint of the introspective poet who raised Pearl Jam from the ashes of Mother Love Bone 20 years ago. Each is a radio-friendly three minutes or less, perhaps hinting that the band's real agenda - together with a U.S. marketing deal with Target stores - is to return to their rightful place of the top of the charts. The original release of Ten went 13 times platinum and produced anthemic hit after hit with Jeremy, Even Flow and Alive. The Fixer has been a fixture in Billboard's top ten rock songs for several weeks already.
Track five is the aptly named Just Breathe. Lucky thing too, since you won't have done much of that while listening to the opening tracks. Just Breathe is a folky picker that might well have been leftover from Vedder's work on the soundtrack for the feature film Into The Wild.
Fans of the "Pearl Jam sound" won't be disappointed by Backspacer. Amongst the Waves is a melody-driven rocker complete with the extensive guitar wank required of arena bands and will blend in seamlessly with Pearl Jam's catalogue of haunting hurtin' tunes.
Vedder's manic marionette show returns on the back half of the disc with the relentless Supersonic, which is strangely plunked in with a string of slow ballads in Unknown Thought, The End and Force of Nature.
With Backspacer Pearl Jam has altered the alt-punk to anthem rock balance maintained through two decades of studio work with a more generous than usual serving of rabid rockers, but rest assured longtime fans will find satisfaction here.
Vancouver Sun
Mike Devlin
21 September 2009
Canwest News Service
CWNS
To date, Pearl Jam has issued 263 official bootleg concert recordings.
Crazy? Perhaps a little bit.
However, these fully sanctioned live documents - each a double-disc or triple-disc release, bringing the total to nearly 600 albums of live material - say something significant about the Seattle band, a fans-before-fame outfit whose eternally restless spirit is to the benefit of its ardent supporters.
The group's ninth studio album, Backspacer, is in stores Tuesday, and with that arises a longtime debate.
Diehards will undoubtedly love it, but far outnumbering those are fans from years ago who no longer identify with Pearl Jam in the modern era.
Here's an easy way to please both camps, if you will: Dig into the band's immense catalogue and track down the below list of cover songs.
You'll be glad you did. Among these are some of the best singles of the band's career - old, new or otherwise.
1. Crazy Mary (from 1993's Sweet Relief: A Benefit for Victoria Williams). www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqrXfklUarY
At the time of its release, Pearl Jam's laconic version of Crazy Mary was equal to an alt-rock earthquake. The rock 'n' roll thoroughbreds were still high from the success of their smash debut, Ten, when this countryish duet struck fans in the solar plexus. The song, though heartfelt and beautifully rendered, was a tremendously polarizing document for a brief spell. Mind you, when the band's second album, 1993's Vs., arrived two months later - and set the single-week sales record with 950,378 copies sold - all perceived sins were forgiven.
2. Leaving Here (from 1996's Home Alive: The Art of Self-defence). www. youtube.com/watch?v=dUq23BtpsaI
Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder is huge fan/student of Pete Townshend, so it wasn't a surprise Pearl Jam paid tribute to one of the Who's older singles, which itself is a spirited version of a 1963 Motown classic. Pearl Jam unearthed a high-octane blast of Bill Haley-styled rock 'n' roll, proving once again why the Seattle quintet is such a sonic revelation. Less than a year earlier the band topped the charts with an acoustic stunner, Better Man.
Talk about range.
3. Last Kiss (from 1999's No Boundaries: A Benefit for the Kosovar Refugees). www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0B-hJ_gotc
The band's most successful single to date (which reportedly raised $10 million in aid for Kosovo refugees) is their on-the-fly rendition of the J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers chestnut, Last Kiss. The tragic tale, sung over a spare-sounding backdrop, is unlike anything else in the Pearl Jam catalogue.
4. Timeless Melody (from Manchester, England, June 4, 2000, official bootleg). www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9bJlr-FNcw
Pearl Jam's tour of 2000 was a memorable one, as dates often featured the group's take on Timeless Melody, a standout single by a criminally under- appreciated Liverpool act, the La's. It has since disappeared from Pearl Jam's setlist, which is a shame. Vedder revisited the song, with almost awe-inspiring results, during a 2004 concert with Death Cab for Cutie, but the jingle-jangle gem hasn't been played since. It's way overdue for a comeback.
5. Rocking in the Free World (from 2007's Immagine in Cornice: Live In Italy). www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-7MyOUeVd0
Neil Young and Pearl Jam are like brothers in arms artistically, philosophically, ethically - hence the strong bond between the Canadian legend and his Seattle brethren. The union makes the most sense, however, when Vedder and Co., are ripping through Young's ferocious Rocking in the Free World. Young isn't present on the band's live concert DVD, Immagine in Cornice: Live in Italy, but it's an epic moment nonetheless.
6. Throw Your Arms Around Me (from Perth, Australia, Feb. 23, 2003, official bootleg). www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkRNz0tR7tc
To hear Pearl Jam do a duet with Hunters & Collectors frontman Mark Seymour - in his native Australia, no less - on a stirring version of Throw Your Arms Around Me is a divine treat. Though the song is covered occasionally by Crowded House, Pearl Jam pay a pretty fine tribute. Vedder said during the concert he has played the tune ``at every campfire I've ever been to,'' which is fitting. This one's an acoustic beauty.
7. Love, Reign o'er Me (from 2006 fan club single).www.youtube.com/ watch?v=wjB1r77JljM
A faithful version of the Who classic appeared during the closing credits of Reign Over Me, the Adam Sandler film from 2007. Sandler approached Vedder about covering the single. It was initially a release reserved for the Pearl Jam fan club, but due to demand, was eventually released as an iTunes-only download in conjunction with the film. It's well worth seeking out.
8. It's OK (from 2001's Touring Band). www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-6xV0uAVpk
As far as covers go, this one is mighty obscure, but in Pearl Jam's infinite wisdom it flies high and mighty. When this cover of the Dead Moon original appeared on Pearl Jam's Touring Band DVD it was at the tail-end of Daughter, and though it has an impromptu air to it - Vedder is singing the lyrics from a sheet of paper - it brings the crowd to a boil.
9. Masters of War (from 2004's Benaroya Hall).www.youtube.com/ watch?v=a1CgReS1e0U
The band's most recognizable version of the Bob Dylan classic came during a 1992 tribute to oil' Bob that featured only Vedder and guitarist Mike McCready. The lineup for the song has always been the same since, but later versions are far more effective, at least in terms of Vedder's tortured vox.
He has become a better singer as time passes, evidence of which can be heard during Pearl Jam's homecoming concert at Benaroya Hall.
10. Sonic Reducer (from 2006's Live in NYC 12/31/92). www.youtube.com/ watch?v=TE3NR04X30c
During the band's early concerts, rambunctious versions of the Dead Boys' punk classic, Sonic Reducer, were bankers. It only appears about once a year these days, on account of, we're guessing, the emotional and physical toll Sonic Reducer inflicts upon the band. Versions have been floating around for years on unofficial bootlegs, which the band corrected in 2006 when it offered limited edition copies of a 1992 concert recording to those who pre-ordered Pearl Jam's self-titled effort.
Times Colonist
Get ready for a coming sonic boom ; FALL MUSIC
Steve Jones; Edna Gundersen; Jerry Shriver; Brian Mansfield; Elysa Gardner
18 September 2009
USA Today
D.1
Fall's musical pipeline promises the usual assortment of sure hits, hidden treasures, disappointments and delays. Without having heard a single note, many fans profess unshakable faith in impending albums, but even trained skeptics approach the coming work of certain artists with gleeful anticipation. USA TODAY's music critics reveal the faves they crave this season.
USA TODAY's critics pick one album they're awaiting with interest, along with a few others you might like, too.
Pearl Jam
Backspacer (Sunday)
Preview: "In some ways, it feels like our first grunge song," bassist Jeff Ament says of Gonna See My Friend, the opening tune on Pearl Jam's ninth studio album, in the band's press material. Yes, in some ways, the band, still steeped in a punk aesthetic and gritty, cathartic rock, hasn't changed. Yet the pride of Seattle's music scene, back with producer Brendan O'Brien, has grown more concise and optimistic, which singer Eddie Vedder credits to the election of President Obama. Eschewing the label system and embracing the times, Backspacer will be sold through Target, iTunes and the Rock Band video game. It's also available at the band's own Ten Club website and indie retailers.
Precursor: A critical and commercial giant in the '90s, Pearl Jam no longer commands pop's center stage, but the band that stood up to Ticketmaster, defied industry convention and crafted indelible rock anthems retains its artistic authority in rock circles. Sales and visibility have softened. The band's influence hasn't.
Prejudgment: Opening volleys The Fixer and Got Some reveal the same defiance and muscular punk audible on 2002's Riot Act and 2006's self-titled release. Nearly two decades after recording breakthrough Ten, Pearl Jam betrays no decay, instead displaying sharpened skills and the commitment and vitality typical of hungry garage bands. -- Edna Gundersen
Agenda
Pearl Jam
Willy Theobald
21 September 2009
Financial Times Deutschland
28
German
CD Backspacer
Island/Universal
Pop Wo um Gottes willen soll das hinführen, wenn jetzt auch schon Grunge-Bands fröhliche Musik machen? Das neunte Studioalbum der Seattle-Pioniere Pearl Jam strotzt nur so vor guter Laune und überschäumender Spielfreude. Musikalisch setzt die Band auf eine Art Happy Metal - irgendwo zwischen Rock, Punk und Wave. Stone Gossards und Mike McCreadys nostalgischer Gitarrensound klingt bei einigen Soli sogar nach Prog-Rock. Dabei macht die Band um Eddie Vedder ihrem Namen alle Ehre und schmeißt vom Opener "Gonna See My Friend" bis zum fast schon genialen "Supersonic" mit Songperlen nur so um sich. Auf dem vielleicht etwas zu kitschig geratenen "Just Breathe" versucht Vedder im Neil-Diamond-Ähnlichkeitssingen gar dem Vater aller Schmalztiegel Konkurrenz zu machen - inklusive elektronischer Streicher. 60 Millionen Tonträger hat die Band trotz regelmäßiger Fehden mit Ticketagenturen, Plattenfirmen und Politikern verkauft. Wer nach 20 Jahren in der Hölle des Musikgeschäfts immer noch so viel unverbrauchtes Songmaterial und Energie raushauen kann - dem gebührt im Pophimmel ein Platz ganz weit weg von Typen wie Dieter Bohlen oder Mariah Carey.
The Arts/Cultural Desk; SECTC
Thumping The Basics, With Amp Cranked Up
By JON PARELES
21 September 2009
The New York Times
Late Edition - Final
1
PEARL JAM
''Backspacer''
(Monkeywrench)
Heading into a new career phase can make a band reassess itself and try to rev up. That's what Pearl Jam does on ''Backspacer,'' its first studio album outside the major-label system. (Merging pragmatism and conscience, Pearl Jam is selling the album nationwide exclusively through Target, but also at small independent record stores and on iTunes and pearljam.com.) ''Are you on the rise? Are you falling down?'' Eddie Vedder hollers in ''Got Some,'' then whoops, ''Got some if you need it!''
''Backspacer'' looks toward rock basics that predate Pearl Jam's beginnings. It's a set of 11 concise songs in 37 minutes that are mostly fast, loud, sinewy and live sounding. ''I wanna live my life with the volume full,'' Mr. Vedder declares in ''Supersonic.'' Like R.E.M. on its 2008 album, ''Accelerate,'' Pearl Jam leans on the throttle and cranks up its guitar riffs, refusing -- mostly -- to equate maturity with slowing down.
The band isn't revisiting its early years, when inventing grunge meant battling depression in heaving midtempos. It's looking back decades earlier: to the late 1960s and particularly to the Rolling Stones. Pearl Jam's two full-time guitarists, Stone Gossard and Mike McCready, often chord in tandem like Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood in the Stones; there are also hints of the Ramones, the Police and even the Beach Boys. The core of Pearl Jam, which also includes Jeff Ament on bass, has been together since 1990, with Matt Cameron on drums since 1998. And in Brendan O'Brien's production they mesh like a jam band, even when they're navigating tricky meter shifts.
While the music hurtles along, Pearl Jam's new songs don't try to fake youthful attitudes or troubles. Mr. Vedder no longer sings about surviving traumas, as he did on Pearl Jam's first albums, or vents political anger as he did on the band's previous studio album, ''Pearl Jam,'' in 2006. Now his lyrics reflect -- sometimes raucously, sometimes pensively -- on a fulfilled life.
He flaunts his earnestness in songs like ''The Fixer'' -- cataloging his do-gooder impulses while someone socks a cowbell -- and in the inspirational crescendos of ''Amongst the Waves'' and ''Unthought Known.'' Between bursts of adrenaline Pearl Jam eases back the tempos and considers its age, and mortality, in the folky ''Just Breathe,'' and in ''The End,'' a dying man's farewell to his wife, with acoustic guitar backed by an orchestra.
Pearl Jam's quandary is that with fewer outside targets or frustrations to rail against, it risks turning sanctimonious. No doubt Mr. Vedder means it when he sings, ''Fill the air up with love,'' or ''I'm still holding tight to this dream of distant light.'' But Pearl Jam's music doesn't align well with satisfaction.
Det er det bedste liv, jeg har haft... indtil videre
ERIK JENSEN MUSIKREDAKTØR, SEATTLE
19 September 2009
Politiken
Danish
INTERVIEW: Sangeren i rockgruppen Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedder, har passeret de 40 år, er blevet direktør og har lært at affinde sig med sin rolle som fikser af ting, der slet ikke er gået i stykker.
Planen var egentlig fuldstændig klar. At gå i detaljer med sangeren i Pearl Jam, Eddie Vedder, om loyalitet i kærlighed, over for sit band og sin by i en omskiftelig og rastløs verden ud fra hans position midt i tilværelsen. Måske ikke ligefrem en strategi, der ville bringe sensationer frem i et interview, men i hvert fald en måde at håndtere grungegenerationens største ikon på, et ikon med alt andet end lyst til at dele sine inderste tanker med medierne.
Der var bare lige det ved det, at Eddie Vedder ikke rigtig kunne se det geniale i den møjsommeligt konstruerede disposition.
»Hvis du virkelig mener, at det har nogen som helst interesse for nogen, kan jeg da godt forsøge med en slags svar«, lød den dødbringende sætning, Eddie Vedder hvislede ud gennem sit fuldskæg.
Ikke bare til mit første spørgsmål, heller ikke kun til de to første, men til alle de tre første. Mens hans blågrå øjne borede sig ind i mine og ansigtets træk stivnede fuldkommen i kulde. Planen hang ikke bare i laser, den var gennemhullet og så stendød, at jeg afmægtigt lagde min journalistblok fra mig og gik over til fri improvisation.
Det startede ellers så formidabelt. Efter den timelange forsinkelse, der åbenbart hører enhver form for kommunikation med store, etablerede rockgrupper til, blev jeg ført ned gennem det allerhelligste i Pearl Jam-hovedkvarteret, en tidligere industribygning i udkanten af Seattle.
Gennem kælderen med sine hundredvis af guitarer, gigantiske posters, bagscenetæpper og andet memorabilia fra den karriere, Pearl Jam indledte i 1990, gik turen frem mod den lejlighed, komplekset også rummer.
På vej op ad trappen til køkkenetkunne vi høre den sprøde lyd af en akustisk guitar begynde at tage form. I køkkenet sad en storsmilende Eddie Vedder i en sky af cigaretrøg og klimprede på guitaren. I slidt, tysk militærskjorte, let plettede jeans og et par store brune støvler lignede sangeren en mellemting mellem Fanøs Johnny Madsen, en bjørn fra skovene omkring Seattle og en bamset pædagog i frokostpausen.
»Jeg har det godt. Bortset fra at jeg er ude af form, kan jeg ikke huske, hvornår i mit liv jeg har haft det så godt. Jeg er glad for min familie, og den her plade føles virkelig på alle måder som en ny begyndelse for os som band. Det gamle vrag har fået ny maling, tjekket motoren og først og fremmest nye bremser - det var virkelig nødvendigt, hvis vi skulle bevare værdigheden og ikke spille hurtigere, end de gamle drenge kan holde til«, siger Eddie Vedder til mit nærmest desperate forsøg på at få en form for svar ud af manden ved at spørge til hans velbefindende.
Pyha. Vi er i gang med vores tre kvarter sammen. Vedder lægger sin guitar ned på gulvet, tænder en af sine talrige smøger og slapper af i sin stol. En moden mand, der kan se tilbage på en hovedrolle i rockhistoriens sidste store revolution, den grungerock, som sønnerne af generation 68 sparkede i gang fra Seattle i begyndelsen af halvfemserne.
»Som alle den slags kollektive bevægelser føltes det mere tilfældigt end sammenhængende at befinde sig i. Okay, selvfølgelig var der ligheder mellem os, Nirvana, Soundgarden, The Melvins, Mudhoney, Green River, Alice In Chains og alle de andre bands. Men ligheden bestod mest i, at vi alle havde elektriske guitarer, trommesæt og tog et brusebad hver 14. dag. Vi hang på de samme barer og drak af den samme kande - helt bogstaveligt. Men ud over det var der flere forskelle end ligheder på de bands, der udgjorde grungebevægelsen«, siger Eddie Vedder.
Musik mod ensomhed
Selv om opvæksten for Edward Louis Severson den Tredje, som sangeren er døbt, ikke forekommer usædvanlig for en borger i det rodløse amerikanske samfund, er der dog særlige omstændigheder i Eddie Vedders barndom. Han blev født i staten Illinois, men familien flyttede senere til San Diego i Californien, hvor teenageren Eddie blev en del af det lokale musikmiljø og en ivrig surfer på Stillehavets bølger.
Forældrene blev skilt, da drengen kun var 1 år gammel, og Eddie Vedder voksede op i sikker forvisning om, at hans stedfar var hans rigtige, biologiske far.
Først da også moderen og stedfaderen blev skilt, fandt teenageren Eddie Vedder ud af den rette sammenhæng.
»Jeg husker det, som om livet var fuldt af bedrag. I forvejen havde jeg en stor følelse af ensomhed i de år, som kun musik kunne tage mig væk fra. Jeg opdagede vel på en hård måde musikkens magi og opløftende kraft. Men usikkerheden påvirkede mig meget, og jeg blev sådan en fyr, der gerne ville ordne alting for at gøre folk glade. Hvis der var noget galt med radioen derhjemme, prøvede jeg at lave den. Og sådan var det med alt. Også da jeg kom med i bands, ville jeg gerne hjælpe de andre, og jeg tror, at den rolle som ' the fixer' hænger ved mig endnu. Også selv om der egentlig ikke er noget at reparere«, siger han.
Netop sangen ' The Fixer' er et blandt flere eksempler fra det nye album ' Backspacer' på, at den 44-årige Eddie Vedder har skrevet langt mere personlige tekster end tidligere til Pearl Jam. Selv tilskriver han ændringen sin musik til Sean Penns film ' Into the Wild', der fik ham til at skrive enkel og mere ærlig musik, og sit forhold til fotomodellen Jill McCormick, som han har to døtre med.
»At leve sammen med kvinder er jo en livslang læreproces. Når man kommer hjem efter en lang dag og sidder og snakker med the lady, siger hun, hvad der er sket, og et eller andet er i stykker. Man svarer: »Okay, bare rolig, det fikser jeg«. Men det er slet ikke det svar, hun vil have. Så hun fortsætter med at nævne et par andre ting, som også er galt. Du prøver igen: »Jamen okay, det ordner jeg også. Det er stadig en smuk aften, og du ser godt ud. Her er et glas vin mere«. Det hjælper stadig ikke.
For i virkeligheden vil de jo slet ikke have forsikringen om, at du fikser det. De vil bare tale om det. Og du skal lytte opmærksomt til det. Jeg er blevet meget overrasket over, at det er helt normalt i et parforhold«, siger han og hakker cigaretrøgen om til røgsignaler med en hæs latter.
At besøge Pearl Jams hovedkvarter på en varm og løfterig dag i forsommeren er også som at stå midt i det historiske vadested, USA befinder sig i rent politisk. Overalt hænger plakater for Barack Obama og imod George Bush, hvis ansigt sågar pryder en urinalkugle på gruppens toilet.
»My God - er det sandt? Det anede jeg slet ikke. Jeg nøjes ikke bare med at pisse på ham. Jeg plejer at skide på ham«, griner Eddie Vedder, der under valgkampen var en af mange rockmusikere, som aktivt støttede Barack Obama.
»Det gør jeg stadig, selv om realiteterne bider. Men mange af problemerne, vi står i, har deres udspring hos den gamle regering.
Og finanskrisen var en realitet, inden han blev præsident. Så vi må ikke lade os æde op af negativitet, men støtte Obama i erkendelse af, at han er så meget bedre end alternativet. Det er let nok for mig at sige, for vi er ikke berørt af finanskrisen.
Mens andre firmaer fyrer folk, har vi ansat nogle og givet dem sygesikring.
Men vi har ikke haft indtægter i Pearl Jam i et års tid, fordi vi ikke har turneret. Så vores ansatte må finde sig i, at lønnen er proportional med indtjeningen. En model, jeg egentlig ikke kan se, hvorfor andre selskaber ikke kan bruge«. Eddie Vedder - den gamle rebel taler som en sand kapitalist? »Jamen, det er jeg jo også på en måde.
Det gik op for mig, da vi indviede stedet her med at holde en lille fest med øl og musik for nogle venner. Mens jeg drak den første øl, var jeg simpelthen så stolt og glad. Jeg sad og tænkte på, hvordan Jeff (Ament, guitarist, red.) serverede på en café, og jeg selv arbejdede om natten på en tankstation for mange år siden. Og nu er vi her. Men efter 5-6 øl kunne jeg pludselig mærke vægten af det hele. Da slog det mig pludselig, at det her betyder, at vi ikke kan stoppe. Vi skylder penge for bygningen, og vi har ansat folk, som er afhængige af os. Sådan er det åbenbart at være chef«. Virksomheden i udkanten af Seattle er ikke det eneste ansvar, Vedder har fået i sit liv. I moden alder er han blevet far til to døtre.
En oplevelse, der sammen med dødsulykken ved Roskilde Festival har ændret livsstil og livssyn for sangeren, der tidligere var ivrig surfer og bjergklatrer.
»Som ung føler man ikke, at man har noget at tabe. Det er en ret fed måde at leve på. Men når man bliver ældre og især i det sekund, man bliver forælder, ændrer det hele sig, og man bliver klar over det ansvar, man har. Jeg kan mærke, at mine sange mere og mere er kommet til at handle om at påskønne livet. Hvis det er dårligt nu, bliver det nok bedre om lidt.
Hvis det går godt, så lad være med at tage det for givet. Det er ikke, fordi jeg vil fortælle folk, hvordan de skal leve livet. Det er mere små påmindelser til mig selv«, siger Eddie Vedder, lader sin lighter klikke liv i endnu en cigaret og synker så tilbage i både stolen og sig selv med halvt lukkede øjne.
Nogle sekunder efter læner han sig frem gennem røgsløret mellem os og siger: »Jeg hørte lige i morges, at en af mine venner kom hjem fra arbejde i går og fandt sin kone død på gulvet. Bare sådan lige pludselig. De har tre børn, og jeg har selv lige fået min anden datter. Det får dig til at tænke, ikke? Jeg burde jo heller ikke ryge cigaretter eller gå igennem natten i en ordentlig brandert en gang imellem.
Men det har jeg behov for. Og ved du hvad? Jeg er begyndt at undskylde det for mig selv med, at det var en form for jagt på inspiration, og det er o. k., hvis der kommer en sang ud af det næste formiddag med tømmermænd. Er det for meget eller hvad?«.
Eddie og Roskilde
Fredag 30. juni 2000. Klokken har lige passeret halv tolv, og Pearl Jam spiller ' Daughter' på Orange Scene, Roskilde Festival.
Pludselig kommer en person op på scenen, og musikken stopper. Eddie Vedder begynder at trygle sit talstærke publikum om at tage nogle skridt bagud. Til sidst sætter han sig ned på scenen og siger fortvivlet: »Hvis I ikke går tilbage, er der nogen, som dør heroppe«. Men det er allerede for sent. 9 unge mænd mister livet af iltmangel under publikumsmassen i mørket lige foran scenen.
De værste øjeblikke i Vedders liv.
»Som forælder kan jeg kun sige, at jeg føler med de forældre, der mistede deres sønner, med hver eneste fiber i min krop.
Det er scener, jeg aldrig vil glemme. De er uvirkelige - som et filmet mareridt, men jeg ser dem stadig for mig. I lang tid efter at ulykken var sket, havde vi det dårligt med overhovedet at tænke på musik - hvordan skrive sange og spille koncerter, når det kan have denne frygtelige virkning? Jeg tænkte, at hele verden opfattede mig som det størst tænkelige røvhul.
Selv om det selvfølgelig på ingen måde kan sammenlignes med, hvad de forældre måtte gå igennem, har det været en traumatisk oplevelse for os alle. Men når det er sagt, er det sådan noget, livet giver en, og som man ikke kan gøre noget ved.
Der er sår, som ikke kan heles, uanset hvad man gør«, siger sangeren.
Og samler kort efter sin guitar op fra gulvet igen for at slå nogle akkorder an som signal til, at vores samtale er slut. Og måske også som indgang til Eddie Vedders helbredende verden inde i musikken.
I hvert fald smiler han fornøjet og siger nærmest henvendt til guitaren: »Oh man, det har været et godt liv. Det bedste, jeg har haft... indtil videre«.
Pearl Jam udgiver mandag gruppens studiealbum nr. 9. ' Backspacer', der anmeldes side 5.
Rejsen til Seattle for Politiken var sponsoreret af pladeselskabet Universal Music.
<!-- e --><a href="mailto:erik.jensen@pol.dk">erik.jensen@pol.dk</a><!-- e -->
Jeg burde jo heller ikke ryge cigaretter eller gå igennem natten i en ordentlig brandert en gang imellem. Men det har jeg behov for.
Fakta: BLÅ BOG EDDIE VEDDER
Født 1964 i Illinois og vokset op i San Diego, Californien.
Sanger i rockgruppen Pearl Jam siden 1990.
Lever sammen med fotomodellen Jill McCormick og parrets to døtre, Olivia og Harper Moon.
Har som solist udgivet soundtracket til Sean Penns film ' Into the Wild'.
Aldrig mere Roskilde
Til sommer er det ti år, siden ni unge mænd mistede livet foran Orange Scene på Roskilde Festival, mens Pearl Jam gav koncert.
Mengruppens sanger, Eddie Vedder, glemmer aldrig de traumatiske minutter og vil aldrig mere spille på festivalen, hverken som markering af 10-året for tragedien eller senere.
»Vi har kun spillet i Danmark en gang siden ulykken (i Forum på Frederiksberg i 2006, red.). Vi havde inviteret forældre og pårørende til de døde ind, og allerede dengang var min mave lige så lille som en mønt. Det var frygteligt, så jeg kan slet ikke forestille mig at se Roskilde Festival igen. Det er udelukket«. Selv om Eddie Vedder ikke vil konkretisere sit synspunkt - »jeg er bange for at blive misforstået« - mener han ikke, at Roskilde Festival helt har påtaget sig ansvaret for ulykken.
Bebrejder Roskilde »Jeg bebrejder Roskilde Festival, at vi skulle opleve det her og leve med det så mange år efter.
Man kunne have gjort mere for at forhindre ulykken og bagefter for at stå ved sit ansvar«. Talsmand en for Roskilde Festival, Esben Danielsen, forstår slet ikke Eddie Vedders kritik.
»Jeg er ked af, at han har det sådan. Men jeg mener, at vi har taget det fulde ansvar for ulykken hele vejen igennem. Det eneste, vi ikke har villet blande os i, er spørgsmålet om skyld eller ikke-skyld. Det må være op til myndighederne. Vi så selvfølgelig gerne Pearl Jam tilbage på Roskilde, men kun, hvis de har lyst«, siger Esben Danielsen.
Festivalen agter at markere 10-året for dødsulykken ved at sætte endnu mere fokus på publikums sikkerhed næste år.
Derudover er der ingen konkrete planer, men Esben Danielsen vil ikke udelukke en form for mindehøjtidelighed.
Alle retssager om ansvar og erstatning for ulykken er ifølge Esben Danielsen færdigafviklet.
Men en gruppe af de berørte forældre overvejer dog stadig et civilt søgsmål mod Roskilde Festival.
Anm: Uden svinkeærinder, fedt og flomme
KIM SKOTTE
19 September 2009
Politiken
Danish
Som unge lød de gammelkloge. Som halvgamle lyder Pearl Jam mere vitale end nogensinde.
Pearl Jam: Back Spacer. Producer: Brendan O'Brien. Monkeywrench/Universal. Fem stjerner.
Det virker tit mere end en anelse krampagtigt, når et aldrende rockband griber tilbage til sin ungdoms rødder for at genrejse sig ved sin egen tågede fortid. Men Pearl Jam gør det på sin helt egen måde. Pearl Jam anno 2009 lyder bemærkelsesværdig ungdommeligt, men da de debuterede magtfuldt med ' Ten' i 1991, var de paradoksalt nok på en måde det mest gammelkloge blandt grungebølgens store navne.
Mange af gruppens plader siden da har været tynget under vægten af deres egen ansvarsfølelse for at få rockmusikken til at fremstå som en sværvægter. Pearl Jam blev kritiseret for ikke at være den ægte grungevare. Så Pearl Jam har agiteret og eksperimenteret. Eddie Vedder er blevet så stor som de største, men har næsten frygtet sin egen stadionrockskygge. Pearl Jam har kæmpet benhårdt for at holde flammen ren og stærk. Indimellem har man følt, at gruppens sympatisk indædte bestræbelser på en måde næsten kom til at overskygge deres musikalske resultater.
Men der er sket noget med gruppen de senere år. De tager sig bedre tid. Nu går der tre og ikke to år mellem udgivelserne.
Samtidig er det, som om de har fundet nøglen til at gøre det mere enkelt for sig selv. Af begge grunde fremstår Pearl Jam nu stærkere og klarere i profilen, end de gjorde i mange år, hvor de kæmpede så hårdt for at være det forbilledlige rockfyrtårn Pearl Jam.
Albummet ' Pearl Jam' var i 2006 et veloplagt, aggressivt album skabt i trods og reaktion mod Bush-æraen. Tre år senere er der stadig fuld skrue på musikken. Men tonefaldet er et helt andet. Arketypisk rock med en ny naturlig skarphed, som lægger afstand til tungt agerende repræsentanter for classic rock. ' Back Spacer' er ikke et forsøg på at genoplive grungerocken.
Så på ' The Fixer' lyder Pearl Jam ikke så meget som gamle grungerockere, som de lyder som Kings Of Leons' overraskende vitale onkler. Lidt for gamle til at synes, at det er evigsaliggørende at synge om sex, men unge nok til stadig at synes, at det er livgivende at rocke med rullestenene.
Guitaristerne Stone Gossard og Mike McCready er denne gang ligefrem legesyge, når de haler riffs op af godteposen. På numre som ' Got Some' og ' The Fixer' smelter bandets rutine og genvundne spilleglæde uimodståeligt sammen. Med 11 numre på godt 36 minutter bliver der ikke fedtet med lommeuld og svinkeærinder undervejs. Men det er der heller ingen grund til. For melodisk er ' Back Spacer' det mest homogent veloplagte album, Pearl Jam har lavet siden ' Ten'. ' Back Spacer' er slet og ret et par håndfulde svært velskabte rocknumre uden fedt og flomme.
Væk er de mange eksperimenter, der i perioder har gjort Pearl Jam til et på én gang inspirerende og frustrerende bekendtskab.
Væk er det rugende. Heldigvis er der ikke tale om en pseudoungdommelig tilbagespoling, hvor man lige inden lukketid springer ud som glad i låget med for stramme læderbukser. Musikken lyder nok mere frisk og ligefrem end længe - ja, har Pearl Jam egentlig nogensinde lydt mere ukompliceret godt? - men den fremadrettede vitalitet er knyttet intimt til Eddie Vedders vokale kropsfylde. Teksterne balancerer sikkert mellem ro og uro, og den samme blanding af urolig nerve og modent overblik stråler ud af Eddie Vedders stemme.
' Back Spacer' understreger, at Eddie Vedder er en af rockens store flammekastere.
Der skal også uddeles roser til gruppens tilbagevendte producer Brendan O'Brien, der virkelig har formået at indramme Vedder, både når han er mest ildfuld og mest sårbar. Det sættes der en tyk streg under på det ukarakteristisk langsomme afslutningsnummer ' The End', hvor Vedder fremstiller en mand, der kun har lyst til at blive gammel i gyngestolen, men er tvunget til at tage afsked før tid.
Ringere sangere ville have ramt af en overdosis patos på halvvejen, men Eddie Vedder, der selv tidligere havde problemer med at dosere sin patos, bærer den rent og stærkt hjem. At det sker, er på en måde det klareste vidnesbyrd om, at Pearl Jam som rockgruppe har fundet sin egen vej hjem. Sådan holder man sig ung ved at blive ældre uden at kny - og så ellers gi' den gas med både krop og sjæl.
Pearl Jam's gem; Backspacer portrays the band in a sunny and grateful mood
Nick Krewen
Special To The Star
20 September 2009
The Toronto Star
ONT
E06
Backspacer, the new album out today from Seattle rock icons Pearl Jam, finds the band in a dramatically different headspace.
Oh, the aggressive energy crackling of the speakers from such fist-pumping sonic blasters as "The Fixer," "Got Some" and "Supersonic," is vintage Pearl Jam, all right; a blazing scramble of electric guitars and driving beats fuelled by the high-octane chemistry of Eddie Vedder, Mike McCready, Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament and Matt Cameron fused as one.
But if you're expecting the socio-political punch of a "World Wide Suicide" or an "Even Flow," those types of topics are conspicuously absent on the 11-song, 36-minute Backspacer.
Instead, singer Vedder - perhaps inspired by his recent soundtrack solo foray for the Sean Penn film Into the Wild - has dialed back the lyrical politics, favouring words that are big-picture philosophical, personally romantic ("I'm a lucky man to count on both hands/ the ones I love") and, in songs such as "Just Breathe" and "Force of Nature" - dare we say it - optimistic.
In fact, the band's ninth studio effort (or 94th overall album, if you include compilations and officially released live CDs) portrays Pearl Jam in a surprisingly sunny and grateful mood, according to bass player Ament and drummer Cameron. Life - the music, the shows, band relationships and time spent with family - is peachy.
"I really think so," says Cameron, 46, relaxing on a Molson Amphitheatre green-room couch with Ament before last month's sold-out concert. "Most of us have families, and that's been a godsend for a lot of us, because a lot of times when you're in a successful group, you can get kind of narcissistic and just think about yourself all the time.
"It's nice to let that go and think about your kids. And I think it can have a really positive effect on your overall outlook on life, you know?"
Adds Ament: "We can still bring it live the way that we did when we were young to some degree, so we're in that sweet spot right now."
Since they're no longer on a U.S. label, the band also enjoys artistic and marketing carte blanche. This has led to a controversial retail agreement to stock physical copies of Backspacer exclusively in the U.S. with Target. (In Canada, Backspacer is on Universal Music Canada with no retail exclusions.)
Creatively, this sense of freedom was further invigorated by the return to the production chair of the Grammy-winning Brendan O'Brien for the first time since 1998's Yield.
It was O'Brien who helped Pearl Jam engage in a practice apparently absent from previous releases: preparation.
"We've always known what Brendan's strengths were, how he likes to make records, and in talking to him early on, we decided we wanted to have the songs together before we went into the studio this time," says Ament, 46, one of Pearl Jam's co-founding members with Vedder and guitarists Gossard and McCready.
"So consequently we made the record really, really fast. We had the basic tracks down the first 10 or 11 days. Then it was up to Brendan and Ed to work their magic and kind of finish the songs off - and they did that really quick, too.
"It made for a more concise, less fatty record - a great way to make records," Ament says, beaming. Ament said that O'Brien's objective was simple. "He said he wanted to make the best Pearl Jam record that we'd made up to that point." Cameron said O'Brien also served as the catalyst for gathering band instrumentalists at Ament's Montana homestead prior to Vedder setting foot in the studio.
"One of his ideas was to get together in the writing stage a bit before Ed was brought into the fold. We wrote a lot of instrumental music we eventually finished up with Ed.
"It was a really great way to work. On the last record (2006's Pearl Jam), we had a lot of music that Ed tried to write lyrics for, and I think that might have overtaxed him to a certain degree. This time, everything was super focused."
The quick and confident execution on Backspacer spurred Vedder's own spontaneity, notably on "The Fixer," the rousing single that both fans and radio stations have embraced.
"I think he really trusted his first instinct," says Cameron. "If Ed came in and we were working on a song, he would go right up to the mic and I remember, with both 'The Fixer' and 'Got Some,' those lyrics came instantly ...
"I think that's probably a lot of the reason the record's so positive. When he started singing 'The Fixer,' we thought, 'Man, this is going to be something special.' You just knew."
Ament says Pearl Jam, which has sold more than 30 million records, started to build toward this artistic crescendo with the arrival of Cameron as a full-time contributor for 2000's Binaural. "When Matt started to make a lot of the songs his own, he loosened up and we started to trust each other more.
"That to me was the first time, maybe even ever, that it really felt great on stage. And I think this is the first record we've made where I felt like everybody was really pumped. So, in some ways, it really has all come together right now - live, making records.
"We're already talking about making the next record, and how stoked we are. And we're making it with Brendan obviously - although he doesn't know it yet."
MAKE SPACE ON THE SHELF ... | ... for `Backspacer,' Pearl Jam's appealing, crisp new CD
George Varga
POP MUSIC CRITIC
17 September 2009
The San Diego Union-Tribune
FINAL
9
The members of Pearl Jam don't reinvent rock 'n' roll on their triumphant new album, "Backspacer." But they reinvigorate the music, and themselves, with so much infectious joy and galvanizing force that they seem to have achieved a welcome new lease on life.
Not that this five-man band was gasping for breath or grasping for new ideas before making "Backspacer," the band's ninth studio album. But this is such a vital, uplifting work -- even in its more introspective moments -- that it signals a fresh new chapter in a 19- year career.
Moreover, for a group that helped write the template for angst- fueled songs that were embraced by a brooding young generation of grunge-rock fans in the 1990s, Pearl Jam's members now seem to be at a palpably happy place in life. Of course, if you'd spent so much of the past eight years (on stage and off) railing against the Bush administration, you'd also be feeling a lot less bleak.
Or, as ex-San Diegan Eddie Vedder exultantly sings on "The Fixer": If something's old I want to put a little bit of shine on it / When something's gone, I want to fight to get it back again.
One of the album's most infectious and upbeat selections, "The Fixer," was composed primarily by Chula Vista-bred drum dynamo Matt Cameron. His charged, Keith Moon-ish fills add to the song's celebratory feel and Who-like flavor, which is enhanced by Vedder's Roger Daltrey-like yowl and the booming power chords by guitarists Mike McCready and Stone Gossard.
"The Fixer" is preceded by two similarly glorious rockers, "Gonna See My Friend" and The Police-inspired "Got Some." Together, these three songs provide an opening salvo unmatched by any other Pearl Jam album.
The band soars just as high with such graceful, understated ballads as "Unthought Known," "The End" and the country-tinged "Speed of Sound," on which Vedder sings: I'm still holding tight to this dream.
That this veteran quintet sounds so optimistic and inspiring, without seeming remotely complacent, is one of "Backspacer's most appealing qualities. Another is how crisp and lean the music is on this 11-song album, which clocks in at just 36 minutes -- the most compact Pearl Jam album ever -- and how the musicians makes every note count.
This focus and sense of purpose is matched by how finely honed and played each selection sounds. The band attributes this to the fact that, for the first time since its 1991 debut album, "Ten," Pearl Jam rehearsed all of the songs intently before recording. They are aided by producer and keyboardist Brendan O'Brien, who hadn't overseen a Pearl Jam album since 1998's "Yield."
"Backspacer" is the first album Pearl Jam has released on its own label, the first to be sold semi-exclusively at Target stores and through Rock Band and iTunes, as well as at indie stores. It's a new business model from a veteran band that is clearly having way too much fun making music to even consider resting on its laurels.
Pearl Jam's `Backspacer' is short and sharp
James Reed
James Reed, Globe Staff
19 September 2009
The Boston Globe
G.8
The skeptics can take a deep breath and exhale. Early buzz on Pearl Jam's new album, courtesy of an interview lead guitarist Mike McCready gave this summer, was that "Backspacer" had pop and new- wave accents. No doubt visions of Eddie Vedder with a Flock of Seagulls haircut began haunting the dreams of Pearl Jam diehards.
Turns out those new-wave flourishes are . . . well, pretty much undetectable on "Backspacer," the band's ninth studio album and one of its most cohesive and satisfying in terms of brevity, crisp production, and a sharp focus.
Bucking the usual Tuesday release day, the record is out tomorrow on Monkeywrench, the band's own label, marking the first time Pearl Jam has self-released an album after nearly 20 years on major labels. The band also partnered with Target, which will be the exclusive big-box retailer to carry "Backspacer" in the United States, in addition to independent stores, iTunes, and the band's website (www.pearljam.com).
But even with limited distribution, "Backspacer" stands to do big business, as much for its high quality as the music's accessibility. Long removed from its '90s-grunge roots, Pearl Jam has grown into a straight-ahead rock outfit, especially on its last two albums, 2002's "Riot Act" and 2006's self-titled release.
"Backspacer" picks up where "Pearl Jam" left off, but the new album is notable for its dexterity and conciseness. It's too early to tell if this terser direction marks a sea change for Pearl Jam, but for "Backspacer" at least, it puts a welcome spotlight on one of the group's overlooked assets: Vedder's songwriting. And the arrangements pack as much punch to the gut as the subjects he's exploring.
With George W. Bush out of office, Vedder's politics aren't prominent on "Backspacer." Instead, he writes from a more introspective angle, zooming in on loneliness with "Speed of Sound," and addiction with "Gonna See My Friend."
Perhaps because it's so brisk - 11 songs in 37 minutes - the record has an easy charm that extends to Vedder's vocals and the nimble guitarwork by McCready and Stone Gossard.
Brendan O'Brien, who last worked with the band on 1998's "Yield," has brought a streamlined sonic palette that keeps the rockers ("The Fixer," "Got Some") heavy and taut, the slower songs ("Speed of Sound") spare and affecting.
"Just Breathe," an acoustic lament with a simple finger-picked delicacy, sounds like a hybrid of Kansas's "Dust in the Wind" and the Beatles' "Blackbird," but it's much better than that description suggests.
Vedder, not known for his nuanced vocals, turns in one of his most intimate performances on the closing "The End," a guitar ballad that ebbs and flows with lush strings. He comes closer than ever to sounding like a bona fide singer-songwriter: "More than friends, I always pledge/ 'Cause friends they come and go/ People change, as does everything/ I wanted to grow old/ I just want to grow old."
Nice...
We'll see if this happens...Ed said in Chicago 1 that it was gonna be a while before they would be back. 2010 is sooner then I'd expect...
But good news this may be!
The Salt Lake Tribune
21 September 2009
The Salt Lake Tribune
CD -
Pearl Jam's new album "Backspacer" is as short as "Meet the Beatles" -- just kidding. But at 37 minutes, the 11-song collection - - available at Target and independent record stores -- is punchy and the most Casey Kasem-friendly the notoriously irritable band has ever sounded. The classic rock-inspired quintet, led by the gruff but soulful baritone of Eddie Vedder, actually sounds like it's enjoying itself after two albums that were dominated with anti-war diatribes against the Bush administration. Once positioned as The Only Band That Matters, now Pearl Jam has lost some of the power and immediacy it once commanded. But these juicy, largely optimistic nuggets, including two of the prettiest love ballads ever written by the band, prove that sometimes Seattle guys just wanna have fun. - - David Burger
Blogs
Targeting Pearl Jam
Jeff Miers
18 September 2009
Buffalo News
Slate.com has posted a piece entitled "The Last Sellouts," written by someone calling him/herself Jonah Weiner. The gist of the piece suggests that Pearl Jam has betrayed all of the principles it has long claimed to adhere to in order to forge some sort of Satanic alliance with Target .
That chain of stores will be selling the band's new album, "Backspacer," beginning on Sunday, a fact that Weiner posits as proof-positive that Eddie Vedder is a flannel-clad fake who claims to be a liberal while freely frolicking with massive capitalist corporations.
This is so bogus that it boggles the mind. Here are only a few of the reasons why Weiner is being a bit of a weenie:
- "Backspacer" is the first Pearl Jam album to come out minus a record label. The Monkeywrench imprint is Pearl Jam's own indie boutique. All of the previous Pearl Jam albums came out beneath the Sony umbrella. Isn't Sony a much bigger corporate behemoth than Target?
- Target has an "exclusive" on "Backspacer." But not really. iTunes will have the record on Sunday as well. And Pearl Jam is indeed doing trade with independent record stores across the country. The folks at Buffalo's own Record Theater told this writer earlier today that they will be offering "Backspacer" for sale on Sunday.
- The idea that somehow innocent Pear Jam fans will be lured into Target and find it necessary to make a whole buncha "impulse buys" on Sunday is laughable. It's incredibly easy to walk in, grab the disc, pay for it, and leave. I did just that when AC/DC "forced" me to brave entry into WalMart to buy their recent "Black Ice" album. I emerged unscathed, with nothing but "Black Ice" in my bag.
- "Backspacer" is an absolutely incredible record. That fact trumps concern over the mode of dissemination, rather handily.
ALBUMS
Edna Gundersen, Elysa Gardner, Jerry Shriver
22 September 2009
USA Today
FINAL
D.4
Pearl Jam, Backspacer
*** 1/2 FRONT-LOADED ROCK VITALITY
-- Backspacer backtracks to the taut punk attack of 1998's Yield and the atom-collider G-force of 1994's Spin the Black Circle. The band's twin-guitar aneurysms and drum fusillades flood the grooves with fist-pumping joy in Got Some, The Fixer and Johnny Guitar while Eddie Vedder's commanding vocals, whether revving up to a rebel holler or simmering on a vulnerable croon, hold the mayhem in check. -- Edna Gundersen
-- Download: Got Some, Gonna See My Friend, The End, Amongst the Waves, Supersonic