Mother Love Bone without Pearl Jam = Any Good?

erocshifty

i remember being 14 (pre-grunge) & reading a lot about this band. they weren't like any of the other bands around at the time. i thought that they had more of 70's aerosmith/queen vibe to them. stone wrote most of the riffs on the record, so there's the comparable sound to ten. i enjoy the record a lot. especially the 1st half, but chloe dancer/crown of thorns has always floored me. i remember hearing that on the singles soundtrack & felt moved. it still moves me. i was ecstatic when pj covered it for the 10th anniversary show. now it's become a semi regular thing. the icing in the cake is that pj have finally started doing chloe dancer with it. for the record i would love to see pj start doing stardog champion & am really jealous of everybody that got to see temple of the dog cover it at alpine. i'm anxiously awaiting the boots from the festival just for the temple reunion.

deserteddotse

SeaTut73 wrote:

i actually liked them BEFORE there was Pearl Jam

Me too, bought the album early 91 while I was working at a cargoship between US and Europe and was hooked immediatly... First album I bought when I got back home was Ten.

And here's my confession: I did not like Eddies voice at first...

Well, I apparently changed my mind...

EdsonNascimento

I think "any good" is a subjective term that is to each his own.

But, would they be nearly as popular..... As Stone would say - No Way.

Just listen to Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns with Andy vs. Ed. Ed makes that song 100 times better. Great songs that needed a better singer which they found.

No offense to anyone, but Andy's reedy almost whiny voice would have worn out it's welcome over time (sorry, but listen to the above - Andy was great, but he does not have Ed's voice). You can say all you want about Andy, Stone and Jeff, but without Eddie and Mike, there's 2 very critical cogs missing in the talent level of the band. This is not to say Eddie and Mike are more important or talented than Stone or Jeff. They are not. But MLB does not have them, and at the end of the day (funny for NY football fans), that is the difference in product.

There is no question MLB would not be as good, popular or well known as Pearl Jam. Andy may have liked to play MSG, but he would not have.

EdsonNascimento

LeatherMosquitoMan wrote:

Eddie Vedder pays tribute to them in concert because he knows plain and fucking simple that if Andy Wood is still alive to this day, there is a 99% chance he's not the lead singer of one of the most influential rock bands of our time for the last 20 years.

I disagree with that. He pays tribute because it's the right thing to do. Honor those that came before.

Would his band have been most influential (which is subjective as well)? Maybe not. But, talent finds its level. There's a better chance he is where PJ is today than Stone or Jeff are. Sorry, vocalists that can write well will always find their way to the top (whatever that may be) more than good bassists who could wind up session players. There's a million talented bassists/rhythm guitarists that play background on numerous bands' albums. There aren't many truly talented singers that can also write that are sitting in on other folks' albums (solely). Paul Simon was fairly influential. Bob Dylan was, too. Not comparing Ed to them, but Dylan can't even sing. Ed had a greater chance of being influential.

Which makes his ability to put aside his own ego and let Chris stand center stage at PJ20 even more incredible.

JimmyV

I enjoyed them a bit before PJ. WAAF in Boston used to have Stardog Champion in rotation pretty regular around that time. And then when the Singles soundtrack was released I wasn't aware of Jeff and Stone's connection but still fell in love with Crown Of Thorns.

I don't think I ever would have grown to like them as much as PJ but they were an enjoyable band.

In the movie, right after Cameron Crowe says that everyone in town was talking about Andy there is a quick cut to MLB on stage and a FANTASTIC song is playing. Anyone know what it is?

TunnelThroughDenial

I grew up in Seattle and we were all really into MLB before Andy died. I suppose this supports the point of the OP that they were big in their hometown but we sure liked them.

I think it's important to put any band or artist in the context of their time when you consider their signifigance. Like some people mentioned previously, before PJ, Nirvana, etc the music scene was quite different. MLB was only around from 1988 to 1990. The top acts of 1988?: Taylor Dayne, George Michael, INXS, Rick Astley, Whitney Houston, Belinda Carlisle, and thankfully - Guns N Roses.

In the context of those acts, excepting Guns N Roses, MLB are positively HEAVY.

Also - if you were to remix their records and take away all of the massive London Bridge reverb and effects (like PJ did with Ten) I'll bet you'd have a way different sound that is less pop sounding.

LeatherMosquitoMan

EdsonNascimento wrote:

LeatherMosquitoMan wrote:

Eddie Vedder pays tribute to them in concert because he knows plain and fucking simple that if Andy Wood is still alive to this day, there is a 99% chance he's not the lead singer of one of the most influential rock bands of our time for the last 20 years.

I disagree with that. He pays tribute because it's the right thing to do. Honor those that came before.

Would his band have been most influential (which is subjective as well)? Maybe not. But, talent finds its level. There's a better chance he is where PJ is today than Stone or Jeff are. Sorry, vocalists that can write well will always find their way to the top (whatever that may be) more than good bassists who could wind up session players. There's a million talented bassists/rhythm guitarists that play background on numerous bands' albums. There aren't many truly talented singers that can also write that are sitting in on other folks' albums (solely). Paul Simon was fairly influential. Bob Dylan was, too. Not comparing Ed to them, but Dylan can't even sing. Ed had a greater chance of being influential.

Which makes his ability to put aside his own ego and let Chris stand center stage at PJ20 even more incredible.

Touche.

Horos

LeatherMosquitoMan wrote:

Eddie Vedder pays tribute to them in concert because he knows plain and fucking simple that if Andy Wood is still alive to this day, there is a 99% chance he's not the lead singer of one of the most influential rock bands of our time for the last 20 years.

Agree 100%

I got into Pearl Jam because I heard they had former members of MLB. I bought Apple after reading about them in a magazine. With Andy they would have been even bigger than they are now, probably IMO because they would have embraced the attention rather than shun it. Andy was 1000% times better singer and songwriter than Eddie.

GratefulJam

Which makes his ability to put aside his own ego and let Chris stand center stage at PJ20 even more incredible.

No Doubt!

EdsonNascimento wrote:

LeatherMosquitoMan wrote:

Eddie Vedder pays tribute to them in concert because he knows plain and fucking simple that if Andy Wood is still alive to this day, there is a 99% chance he's not the lead singer of one of the most influential rock bands of our time for the last 20 years.

I disagree with that. He pays tribute because it's the right thing to do. Honor those that came before.

Would his band have been most influential (which is subjective as well)? Maybe not. But, talent finds its level. There's a better chance he is where PJ is today than Stone or Jeff are. Sorry, vocalists that can write well will always find their way to the top (whatever that may be) more than good bassists who could wind up session players. There's a million talented bassists/rhythm guitarists that play background on numerous bands' albums. There aren't many truly talented singers that can also write that are sitting in on other folks' albums (solely). Paul Simon was fairly influential. Bob Dylan was, too. Not comparing Ed to them, but Dylan can't even sing. Ed had a greater chance of being influential.

Which makes his ability to put aside his own ego and let Chris stand center stage at PJ20 even more incredible.

goodbarron

One of the things that doesn't come across well when you listen to Apple or Shine is that MLB in concert were HEAVY. Their live show was a different feel than their albums. I certainly wouldn't worry about comparing Eddie Vedder and Andrew Wood - those are two different animals. And both of those bands built off of the word poems that their lead singers brought to the table. (Although only an idiot discounts Stone and Jeff as potential session musicians without Eddie. Those guys built three successful bands in a row around themselves. Eddie's surf rock band was called what again?) If Andy Wood had died would Mother Love Bone be as big a deal as Pearl Jam? I doubt it. Andy Wood was a very volatile personality. He would have self destructed eventually. But trust me when I tell you this - if you saw that band live and stood in that crowd you would still be a fan 22 years later. Andy Wood was THERE.

Mamasan23

I didn't read this whole thread, so not sure if this has been mentioned, but I'm currently reading a book called The Strangest Tribe by Stephen Tow. It details the Seattle music scene beginning in the 70's working up to what we all know about the explosion of the 90's. It's a very interesting read and I recommend it to everyone here - there's a lot of quotes from Stone in it. The author talks about how, up until Nirvana exploded, the most well-known bands were Mudhoney, Soundgarden, and Mother Love Bone. No I don't think that they would be anywhere near as well known today if it weren't for Pearl Jam, but they did have quite a large following for such a small music scene at the time. Also interesting was the dichotomy between MLB and Mudhoney after Green River split!

DevyMetal

EdsonNascimento wrote:

Just listen to Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns with Andy vs. Ed. Ed makes that song 100 times better. Great songs that needed a better singer which they found.

Uh, what? Now don't get me wrong, Ed sings the song well and I think it's very cool that he pays tribute to MLB by singing it now and then, but Andy has THE voice for that song. Ed can barely reach the high notes, whereas Andy simply owns the song. I can understand if you just prefer Ed's voice, but to say he out sings Andy Wood on that song is ludicrous.

Bandog

Horos wrote:

Andy was 1000% times better singer and songwriter than Eddie.

[/quote]

Um,
NO

TwistedThoughts

JimmyV wrote:

In the movie, right after Cameron Crowe says that everyone in town was talking about Andy there is a quick cut to MLB on stage and a FANTASTIC song is playing. Anyone know what it is?

"This is Shangri-La"

JimmyV

TwistedThoughts wrote:

JimmyV wrote:

In the movie, right after Cameron Crowe says that everyone in town was talking about Andy there is a quick cut to MLB on stage and a FANTASTIC song is playing. Anyone know what it is?

"This is Shangri-La"

Thanks! That is the one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9AjYfGMZaA

LeatherMosquitoMan

DevyMetal wrote:

EdsonNascimento wrote:

Just listen to Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns with Andy vs. Ed. Ed makes that song 100 times better. Great songs that needed a better singer which they found.

Uh, what? Now don't get me wrong, Ed sings the song well and I think it's very cool that he pays tribute to MLB by singing it now and then, but Andy has THE voice for that song. Ed can barely reach the high notes, whereas Andy simply owns the song. I can understand if you just prefer Ed's voice, but to say he out sings Andy Wood on that song is ludicrous.

Yeah... I'll always, always love Ed's voice... but this song belongs to Andy

BinauralJam

I remember there being a transition period after hair bands but before grunge really took off, i thought they sound very much of that time period, kind of like, Fishbone or Infectious Grooves or Faith No More-ish, Hard to say if they would have Made It or what they would have turned into had they made it.

GR8Dane

Mother Love Bone was what the Seattle scene needed. A jump start of things to come. Andrew would was an amazing entertainer, and a frontman of a band that led the scene. Without them.... it would be a lot different today. You may not like the music.... but without them, things would be a lot different today. (including this message board!)

I love their music, and still listen to it all the time. It still sounds as good to me as it did when I first listened to it way back when.

EdsonNascimento

Never mind.

Clark Kent

Bandog wrote:

Horos wrote:

Andy was 1000% times better singer and songwriter than Eddie.

Um,
NO [/quote]that is the funniest thing i've ever heard and seen on this board. REALLY!!!!!!!!!