I remember taping Vitalogy to cassette off the radio late one night during my junior year of high school. The local rock station out of Utica, N.Y., played the entire album a week or so in advance of the release date. (As perhaps many others stations did, too.) After Stupid Mop finished, the DJ came on the air and said something about how that track reminded him, and I'm paraphrasing here, of "being bleary eyed."
The same station broadcast the epic Atlanta 1994 show, which I also committed to tape (and still have somewhere).
It's hard to describe the level of anticipation that met new material by Pearl Jam (and some other bands) in the 1990s. Does that still exist for artists today, with leaked material and instant access to everything, all the time?
08.06.2000 • Greensboro
06.26.2006 • St. Paul
11.30.2012 • Fort Lauderdale [EV]
10.29.2013 • Charlottesville
Vitalogy was what really sucked me into Pearl Jam! When I was 13-14 or so, my dad had Ten, Vs., Vitalogy and No Code in his collection. At the time I liked Ten and Vs. a lot, but the booklet for Vitalogy was so intriguing and different, and I'd spend hours listening to the album and flipping through the booklet. I just loved all the weirdness (Pry To, Stupid Mop), and Corduroy quickly became my favorite song. That's definitely where my obsession with Pearl Jam started. It's still my favorite album of all time!
"This is for Manchester, this is for Ellington, for New Britain, for Danbury... and all the liquor store owners in Colchester." --- Hartford 2006 | Hartford 2008 | Philly 4 2009 | Hartford 2010 | Boston 2010 | Hartford 2011 (EV) | Philly 2012 | Worcester 2013 | Hartford 2013 | Philly 1 2016 | Philly 2 2016 | Fenway 1 2016 | Barcelona 2018 | Fenway 1 2018 | MSG 2020 | MSG 2022 | Camden 2022 | Chicago 1 2023 | Chicago 2 2023 | London 2024 | MSG 2 2024 | Fenway 1 2024 | Fenway 2 2024
I had a one of a kind Vitalogy clock that I found at some random mom and pop store that was made from the vinyl cover and the numbers were actually letters that spelled pearl jam and they had a battery in the back of the vinyl that allowed it to work...when moving throughout the years it got beatup
Man, I remember this like it was yesterday! My mom let me spend the night at a friend's house on a "school night" and her mom took us to the midnight sale at Magic Platter here in Birmingham. Vitalogy blew me away. And continues to be my favorite PJ album. Here's to a new album soon! Still love the anticipation.
An extraordinary album. I was initially hooked by Tremor Christ (It still amazes me when I listen to it..) and came to love the whole album with the exception of "Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me" which still gives me the creeps to this day. Which, by the way, is what I think they wanted that one to do. And I get goosebumps each and every time I hear Ed's layered vocals on the chorus of Nothingman.
That album felt like a musical reset on Ten & Vs. Listening to those opening tracks I felt like they painstakingly stripped away the flesh to expose all the bone, muscle and sinew beneath. Such raw power with cracking drums, buzzing guitars, gnarly bass and that wrecking voice. Hats off to a band for doing what THEY wanted! A defining moment for sure.
On November 22, 1994 Vitalogy was released on vinyl. Cd and cassettes were released on Dec. 06.
Oh man how fresh was Jack to the band at this point?
Love this version - love that they're playing at (what looks like) some random house / studio in the middle of nowhere. Back when Corduroy had some depth to it and wasn't just a "feel good" song at the live shows.
DC '03 - Reading '04 - Philly '05 - Camden 1 '06 - DC '06 - E. Rutherford '06 - The Vic '07 - Lollapalooza '07 - DC '08 - EV DC 1 & 2 '08 (Met Ed!!) - EV Baltimore 1 & 2 '09 - EV NYC 1 '11 (Met Ed!) - Hartford '13 - GCF '15 - MSG 2 '16 - TOTD MSG '16 - Boston 1 & 2 '18 - SHN '21 - EV NYC 1 & 2 '22 - MSG '22
Got the CD for Christmas in 94, the only PJ album besides Ten that I didn’t get on release day. Also got Donkey Kong Country for SNES that year. Spent soooo many hour playing DKC with the volume down on the tv while Vitalogy blared from the stereo!
Comments
The same station broadcast the epic Atlanta 1994 show, which I also committed to tape (and still have somewhere).
It's hard to describe the level of anticipation that met new material by Pearl Jam (and some other bands) in the 1990s. Does that still exist for artists today, with leaked material and instant access to everything, all the time?
06.26.2006 • St. Paul
11.30.2012 • Fort Lauderdale [EV]
10.29.2013 • Charlottesville
What an album...Last Exit, Immortality, StBC, Tremor Christ, Satans Bed!!!!
Melbourne #2 '03
Melbourne #3 '03
Melbourne #1 '06
Melbourne #3 '06
Melbourne '09
Melbourne '14
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Hartford 2006 | Hartford 2008 | Philly 4 2009 | Hartford 2010 | Boston 2010 | Hartford 2011 (EV) | Philly 2012 | Worcester 2013 | Hartford 2013 | Philly 1 2016 | Philly 2 2016 | Fenway 1 2016 | Barcelona 2018 | Fenway 1 2018 | MSG 2020 | MSG 2022 | Camden 2022 | Chicago 1 2023 | Chicago 2 2023 | London 2024 | MSG 2 2024 | Fenway 1 2024 | Fenway 2 2024
Happy 21st Vitalogy, now go have a beer
Prague Krakow Berlin 2018. Berlin 2022
EV, Taormina 1+2 2017.
I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
Melbourne #2 '03
Melbourne #3 '03
Melbourne #1 '06
Melbourne #3 '06
Melbourne '09
Melbourne '14
Raleigh, NC., 4/20/16, Columbia, SC., 4/21/16, Boston, MA., 8/5/16, Boston 9/2/18 & 9/4/18., Nashville, TN., 4/2/20., Nashville, TN., 9/16/22.EV Solo - Washington, D.C., 8/17/08, Atlanta, GA., 6/24/09, Orlando, FL., 11/27/12.
That album felt like a musical reset on Ten & Vs.
Listening to those opening tracks I felt like they painstakingly stripped away the flesh to expose all the bone, muscle and sinew beneath.
Such raw power with cracking drums, buzzing guitars, gnarly bass and that wrecking voice.
Hats off to a band for doing what THEY wanted! A defining moment for sure.
I agree with Freecandy, it's a beautiful album, even with its experimental additions.
Love this version - love that they're playing at (what looks like) some random house / studio in the middle of nowhere. Back when Corduroy had some depth to it and wasn't just a "feel good" song at the live shows.
Melbourne #2 '03
Melbourne #3 '03
Melbourne #1 '06
Melbourne #3 '06
Melbourne '09
Melbourne '14
Prague Krakow Berlin 2018. Berlin 2022
EV, Taormina 1+2 2017.
I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
i wish i wish i wish i wish, i guess it never stops