Inside the gatefold of No Code is a large photo of the band rehearsing. A mannequin dummy overlooks (without a head) on a shelf full of guitar cases. The CD package cuts off the torso but those lucky enough to have the LP get a complete view of the dummy's shirt that depicts the 'Alive' stickman in shackles with the word Ticketmonster written across. If it were up to me, everybody would have No Code vinyl so they can check for themselves (the shirt is too wrinkled for a clear view anyway) but instead all I can offer is the alternate shot below. I hope the metaphoric imagery of the ticketing monopoly looming over them is not lost on you, or me.
Eddie Vedder whispers "father" 8.5 seconds into Release (headphones recommended).
Note: Strangely, this can only be heard on the original Tim Palmer mix and has subsequently been erased in the Brendan O'Brien version.
For the Lightning Bolt video interviews, the guys chose some of their good friends to throw questions at them. Carrie Brownstein, Steve Gleason, and Judd Apatow all have personal ties with the band members that go back years. None of them, however, go further back then Mark Richards. When Eddie was 14 or 15, he bumped into Richards at an airport and recognized him from a surfing magazine. Awestruck, Eddie asked for his autograph. And here is what Richards wrote down; "Life is short. Don't waste it. Go to the beach. Happy surfing, Mark Richards." Safe to say, Eddie took that advice to heart!
In case you're ever in the neighborhood, here is the address to the PJ warehouse:
225 Terry Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109
Now, it would be irresponsible of me if I didn't mention 2 things. First off, this is their old warehouse; the one forever immortalized in 'Single Video Theory.' Secondly, it was demolished 6-7 years ago to make way for an office building after Pearl Jam was ordered to vacate the premises!
At least some floor decking was salvaged from the legendary rehearsal space to use as decoration behind the reception desk at the new office building.
Before the Ten Club, there was Love Bone Earth Affair. From a Jeff and Stone conversation, this is what they had to say about its existence:
SG: So was there a fanzine?
JA: No I just sent out... I just had a little postcard thing.
-A rare glimpse into the great customer service, provided by Jeff, that came with your LBEA membership.
A product of punk rock ethos, Ament lived and breathed DIY.
Speaking of the early days, here is something far less DIY, and a bit more Epic marketing strategy.
If it were up to me, everybody would have No Code vinyl
So true that it hurts.
Keep it going Pleath! I had to dig out my Bridges bootleg box from '95 to search thru, your thread got me out of Lightning Bolt mode and feeling sentimental for some early '90's PJ.
Also, there is probably no place on earth i'd rather spend a day at than the PJ warehouse. You posting that (old) address is just evil!
“And they all bailed, every one of them. A lot of big-name bands bailed on us. We were out there twisting in the wind by ourselves.”-Mike McCready
So who were those big name acts that ditched them in the Ticketmaster dispute? The guys are too polite to name names, good for them
"I was 100 percent behind Pearl Jam in their efforts."-Mike Mills of R.E.M.
"Mussolini may have made trains run on time but not everyone could get a seat on those trains."- Steven Tyler's statement about Ticketmaster's role in the music industry
"What Pearl Jam is doing is precedent setting."- Garth Brooks
Looking back at the summer of 1994, instead of "Pearl Jam vs. Ticketmaster," the tagline had the potential to turn into "Top Concert Acts in the Music Industry vs. A Ticket Sales Company Dependent on Those Acts for Success (but it would sound way more catchy than that)."
"We're real excited that other artists and managers are coming forward now."- Stone '94.
During that whole Congressional sub-committee circus show, Stone and Jeff were not the only ones speaking out against unfair practices of ticket gouging; Aerosmith and R.E.M. each had their own respective managers testify, as well. Outside of Capitol Hill, the vocal support extended to such powerhouse acts as Grateful Dead and Neil Young. Too bad none of them took that opposition very far, their combined strength could have affected some real change :(
The longest span of time Eddie has gone without writing music happened in 1995 for a six-month duration. He attributed writer's block to the weirdness of being in Seattle at that time. All it took to reawaken his creative spirit was a phone call. An hour-long conversation with Tim Robbins, the first time they ever talked to one another (awww), about the film Dead Man Walking among other things, inspired Eddie to compose music again! Working on a movie soundtrack tends to have a positive effect on his writing output. Anyways, this revitalization occurred right before the making of No Code, so next time you listen to it, you know who to thank...
This guy
Quote from Lou Reed in 2000, about playing basketball
"Whenever Eddie Vedder's in town we go one-on-one. He's got a murderous jump shot that he throws like a football. He's really accurate.''
R.I.P.
Stone wrote a few songs for Mother Love Bone that eventually belonged to Pearl Jam (e.g. Breath). But he wasn't the only one. Mike McCready's first Pearl Jam song, 'Let me Sleep' was written during his days in Shadow.
Quote from Lou Reed in 2000, about playing basketball
"Whenever Eddie Vedder's in town we go one-on-one. He's got a murderous jump shot that he throws like a football. He's really accurate.''
R.I.P.
is this what you mean about Eddie being really accurate? watch from 7:00 minutes
Stone wrote a few songs for Mother Love Bone that eventually belonged to Pearl Jam (e.g. Breath). But he wasn't the only one. Mike McCready's first Pearl Jam song, 'Let me Sleep' was written during his days in Shadow.
Really? I heard a different story something about Eddie being drunk and locked out in the cold one christmas and the song was written from a homeless persons point of view. Im not doubting you its just interesting to see and hear all the varying stories out there
Stone wrote a few songs for Mother Love Bone that eventually belonged to Pearl Jam (e.g. Breath). But he wasn't the only one. Mike McCready's first Pearl Jam song, 'Let me Sleep' was written during his days in Shadow.
Really? I heard a different story something about Eddie being drunk and locked out in the cold one christmas and the song was written from a homeless persons point of view. Im not doubting you its just interesting to see and hear all the varying stories out there
You're right, too. Eddie wrote those lyrics after being locked out of Jeff's apartment. I was just referring to the main riff provided by Mike. When I type out "written by" I should specify whether it is lyrics or music. Otherwise, it can be plenty confusing.
Quote from Lou Reed in 2000, about playing basketball
"Whenever Eddie Vedder's in town we go one-on-one. He's got a murderous jump shot that he throws like a football. He's really accurate.''
R.I.P.
is this what you mean about Eddie being really accurate? watch from 7:00 minutes
Stone wrote a few songs for Mother Love Bone that eventually belonged to Pearl Jam (e.g. Breath). But he wasn't the only one. Mike McCready's first Pearl Jam song, 'Let me Sleep' was written during his days in Shadow.
Really? I heard a different story something about Eddie being drunk and locked out in the cold one christmas and the song was written from a homeless persons point of view. Im not doubting you its just interesting to see and hear all the varying stories out there
You're right, too. Eddie wrote those lyrics after being locked out of Jeff's apartment. I was just referring to the main riff provided by Mike. When I type out "written by" I should specify whether it is lyrics or music. Otherwise, it can be plenty confusing.
A portable waterproof listening device suitable for surfing is an invention Eddie dreamt of ever since he first saw a Walkman in 1982, worn by Mark Richards when they happened to meet at an airport. Eddie's wish came true with the specialized waterproof iPod shuffle.
Nowadays, it has become an integral component to his writing process. Embryonic songs reach another level as they play thru his headphones out in the water. So next time you hear a soaring chorus while listening to 'Lightning Bolt' you know Eddie caught a good wave that day!
Blink-182 wrote a song called 'When you Fucked Hitler' for an album back in '01. Before it was released, Mike and Stone advised them not to have a song about Hitler on the record. Blink took their advise and changed it to 'When you Fucked Grandpa.'
Pearl Jam's unique open-marriage relationship has spawned countless side-projects, collaborations, music for film+TV, and solo work. It's the kind of thing that drives Brendan O'Brien crazy when all he wants to do is hoard the best material for PJ.
However, the band did not always operate that way and there was an adjustment period beforehand. The first Pearl Jam side-project spearheaded by Stone shortly after Lollapalooza in '92 with Shawn Smith, Regan Hagar, and Jeremy Toback led to the creation of Brad. Some of the guys in PJ did not know what to make of Stone's new venture and were not completely receptive to it. Internally, Sony decided not to promote Brad's first album 'Shame', or put out any of the videos they spent tens of thousands of dollars on. During that period, according to Regan, "the reason Brad never did anything was because Pearl Jam didn't want Stone to do it."
Of course, it was a stressful, imploding time for Pearl Jam and the Seattle scene in general. It did not take long for the concept of outside projects to take hold (e.g. Mad Season, Three Fish). Fast forward 10 years after 'Shame' and Brad are opening up for Pearl Jam at Key arena. Several years later, Brad's fourth album was even released on Pearl Jam's Monkeywrench label.
-It's hard not to notice The Who logo on Eddie's telecaster.
But those aren't the only musical heroes he pays homage to. A closer look reveals a Johnny Ramone sticker. Gabba-Gabba Hey!
-It is commonly understood why Pearl Jam hasn't performed 'Angel' since 1994. But for those needing confirmation, back in 2003 Eddie gave an interview to an underground radio station in Chicago when the DJs posed that very question. In probably the only occurrence the singer has mentioned Dave in an interview after his departure, Eddie indeed revealed they do not perform 'Angel' because the drummer who played guitar on the song is not in the band anymore. Then after they both stammered in pronouncing "Abbruzzese," Eddie joked that was a reason he was no longer part of the group, followed by a heartfelt "sorry Dave."
-If any long-time fans want to feel old, here is an interesting update on what Kelly Curtis' daughter, pictured below, has been up to.
Jessica Curtis has followed in her father's footsteps and now manages the band "The Young Evils." And the lead singer of the group happens to be Lance Mercer's (PJ's official photographer from the early days) daughter, Mackenzie Mercer. Mackenzie also participated in Fat Kid Rules the World soundtrack with Mike McCready. Oh, and just to tie things up in a nice bow, Lance Mercer took that picture of Jessica for the Jeremy single.
-Speaking of Lance Mercer, I always imagined the photo from the inside cover of Vs. with the band sitting in a circle by the campfire was taken at "The Site," an idyllic studio/living area in San Rafael, California where the album was recorded.
Turns out the picture was taken later while staying at some cabin in Olympic Peninsula for the sole purpose of a photo shoot, along with many other promotional pictures that have circulated around that time.
Warning: There are some facts in this post, mixed in with a healthy dose of conspiracy.
In the film, Immagine in Cornice, Eddie is introduced to Francesca- an Italian translator. We watch as he learns to prepare a speech in the country's native tongue from Francesca. But what if they hadn't met that day? What if Eddie and Francesca had been friends for years? Then that scene would have been entirely staged!
So what would even compel me to have such thoughts? Okay, here goes...
Eddie already has an Italian friend by the name of Francesca Bonanome, who also happens to be a translator. In fact, she was personally handed the task to translate the lyrics printed in the Italian version of Yield, with this intro by Ed:
"Last year [1996], between October and December, when I
was in Italy, I was excited in discovering a book with a com-
plete translation of all of the songs I wrote for Pearl Jam. That
same evening, I showed the book to my friends, and I had
them translate the Italian into English... I was horrified. It was
a book full of lies. If anything I had written had a positive
sense, it had been interpreted in a negative way, and so on.
Those were not my songs, but my name was on the cover, and
my face was there too. What's a boy to do? Now I know there
are 8,354,986 problems in this world that are bigger than this
one. Anyway, for those concerned with this issue, I tried to
consider the meaning of the songs and I tried to include ade-
quate translations for this album. So here they are. If you find
some discordance, get angry with me, not with Francesca: I'm
well known for changing a line or two at the last minute."
Is it all just a coincidence? Who cares. All I know is Francesca says "Merry Cucumber" in Italian at the beginning of 'Happy When I'm Crying.' And that is a fact!
Warning: There are some facts in this post, mixed in with a healthy dose of conspiracy.
In the film, Immagine in Cornice, Eddie is introduced to Francesca- an Italian translator. We watch as he learns to prepare a speech in the country's native tongue from Francesca. But what if they hadn't met that day? What if Eddie and Francesca had been friends for years? Then that scene would have been entirely staged!
So what would even compel me to have such thoughts? Okay, here goes...
Eddie already has an Italian friend by the name of Francesca Bonanome, who also happens to be a translator. In fact, she was personally handed the task to translate the lyrics printed in the Italian version of Yield, with this intro by Ed:
"Last year [1996], between October and December, when I
was in Italy, I was excited in discovering a book with a com-
plete translation of all of the songs I wrote for Pearl Jam. That
same evening, I showed the book to my friends, and I had
them translate the Italian into English... I was horrified. It was
a book full of lies. If anything I had written had a positive
sense, it had been interpreted in a negative way, and so on.
Those were not my songs, but my name was on the cover, and
my face was there too. What's a boy to do? Now I know there
are 8,354,986 problems in this world that are bigger than this
one. Anyway, for those concerned with this issue, I tried to
consider the meaning of the songs and I tried to include ade-
quate translations for this album. So here they are. If you find
some discordance, get angry with me, not with Francesca: I'm
well known for changing a line or two at the last minute."
Is it all just a coincidence? Who cares. All I know is Francesca says "Merry Cucumber" in Italian at the beginning of 'Happy When I'm Crying.' And that is a fact!
She's even credited on the REM fan club version.
Good find! I remember the split single with R.E.M. as a nice surprise. Pearl Jam resurrected that idea with Devo for the 2009 X-mas single but were turned down. Here is what Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh had to say about declining PJ's offer:
"About six months ago I had dinner with a couple of the guys, and we talked about doing a Christmas '45,' because I guess they do one every year. They said, 'Hey, what if we put a Pearl Jam Christmas song on one side and a Devo Christmas song on the other side?' I don't know. I'm scared of the Nativity, so I've kind of pushed it out of my mind."
In 1995:
While surfing with Tim Finn in New Zealand on March 25, 1995, Vedder was carried 250 feet (76 m) off the coast and had to be rescued by lifeguards.
In 2005:
Vedder was rescued from a drowning death when Hawaiian fishermen spotted the rocker bobbing about in the waves.
Vedder was paddling an outrigger canoe between the islands of Oahu and Molokai with local singer/songwriter Jack Johnson's dad when the vessel overturned in rough seas, leaving Vedder trying to stay afloat miles away from land.
Johnson tells Rolling Stone magazine, "It was a big-wave day and they lost him in the swells. There was no way we could get back to him." Johnson reveals Vedder was only lost at sea for a few minutes before island fishermen rescued him.
In 2015:
STAY OUT OF THE WATER!
In case you missed it / weren't following the tour ... from Seattle ...
(Ed tells a story about being rescued in some big waves by a 7 year old Ashley Baxter and her father Keith. He dedicates Future Days to them.)
24. Future Days -(from the new album “Lightning Bolt”
The original post-Dave Abbruzzese plans included a less formal arrangement for drumming duties.
The drummer story is something every fan must know if expecting to gain Ten Club citizenship. The oft-told tale of inviting the guy (name: Jack Irons) responsible for bringing Eddie in contact with Stone and Jeff almost sounds preordained. The PJ20 book offers a few more details from that period, even mentioning other drummers who auditioned (e.g. Richard Stuverud, Josh Freese). Delving even further reveals a chain of events that were taking a different turn from the eventual decision of Jack Irons officially filling the drummer's seat.
First, let's get a better understanding about the circumstances following Dave A.'s departure. Back then, the band's drumming position seemed to be continuously going through a revolving door. But also, much had changed since Dave was hired in 1991. In the latter half of '94, Pearl Jam was not an unknown band trying to convince a drummer to join. And in the subsequent months ahead, they took advantage of that luxury.
Meanwhile, unlike other times the band needed a drummer, Jack Irons was not on their radar. And judging from the excerpt below, the feeling was mutual:
'And, in 1994, Irons was too steeped in depression to pay much notice when Pearl Jam fired its latest drummer, Dave Abbruzzese. "I was just starting to put my life back together at that point,"'
But in a few months his situation changed: "I phoned Eddie and asked if I could play with them."
And he did play the Bridge School Benefit with them later that year, but was referred to as temporary, or in the case of the Spin cover story dated Jan. '95, a "fill-in drummer." That role stuck even when they booked the Far East/Australian Vitalogy tour:
"So when I first joined, they were like, 'Let's do this first tour together and see how it goes over three or four months.'"
So what took so long until he was finally dubbed Pearl Jam's "official" drummer? Well, I believe it all ties together with Pearl Jam's official statement in the Ten Club newsletter #7 regarding the drumming vacancy: "They've spent the last couple of months rehearsing with friends with whom they'll eventually record and tour."
Keep in mind, that statement was made after Bridge School. The same newsletter even contained a picture of the band playing at the benefit without any announcement regarding Jack's presence. A few pages later, Chris Friel was pictured with the band recording "Catholic Boy," fronted by Jim Carroll. Maybe Pearl Jam decided on a different approach to avoid the pattern of another drummer quitting or getting fired. So, as far as that Ten Club statement is concerned, the band initially wanted to collaborate with a few different drummers to write, record, and play live. In hindsight, their first instinct may have been right all along . But, of course, they changed their mind by the tail end of '94. The runner-up, Josh Freese, relayed his side of the story after Stone contacted him to try-out and they jammed with him for a bit.
'Freese says he phoned Gossard at that point to ask about his standing with Pearl Jam. The answer, he said, was not definite: Gossard told him that Pearl Jam planned to work with another drummer, but it was possible that things could change and Freese would still be under consideration if they did.'
By the way, did you actually just read this entire thing??!!
By the way, did you actually just read this entire thing??!!
Damn right I did!
I come on here every day hoping to see this thread bumped with more tidbits!
Cool. I don't know what got into me with that last one. Next time, it will be much shorter. And perhaps, in my mind, the biggest obscure fact ever!! How's that for hype
Comments
Source: Tickle my Nausea fanzine
Note: Strangely, this can only be heard on the original Tim Palmer mix and has subsequently been erased in the Brendan O'Brien version.
225 Terry Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109
Now, it would be irresponsible of me if I didn't mention 2 things. First off, this is their old warehouse; the one forever immortalized in 'Single Video Theory.' Secondly, it was demolished 6-7 years ago to make way for an office building after Pearl Jam was ordered to vacate the premises!
At least some floor decking was salvaged from the legendary rehearsal space to use as decoration behind the reception desk at the new office building.
SG: So was there a fanzine?
JA: No I just sent out... I just had a little postcard thing.
-A rare glimpse into the great customer service, provided by Jeff, that came with your LBEA membership.
A product of punk rock ethos, Ament lived and breathed DIY.
Speaking of the early days, here is something far less DIY, and a bit more Epic marketing strategy.
This is your future on toast??!
So true that it hurts.
Keep it going Pleath! I had to dig out my Bridges bootleg box from '95 to search thru, your thread got me out of Lightning Bolt mode and feeling sentimental for some early '90's PJ.
Also, there is probably no place on earth i'd rather spend a day at than the PJ warehouse. You posting that (old) address is just evil!
cheers!
So who were those big name acts that ditched them in the Ticketmaster dispute? The guys are too polite to name names, good for them
"I was 100 percent behind Pearl Jam in their efforts."-Mike Mills of R.E.M.
"Mussolini may have made trains run on time but not everyone could get a seat on those trains."- Steven Tyler's statement about Ticketmaster's role in the music industry
"What Pearl Jam is doing is precedent setting."- Garth Brooks
Looking back at the summer of 1994, instead of "Pearl Jam vs. Ticketmaster," the tagline had the potential to turn into "Top Concert Acts in the Music Industry vs. A Ticket Sales Company Dependent on Those Acts for Success (but it would sound way more catchy than that)."
"We're real excited that other artists and managers are coming forward now."- Stone '94.
During that whole Congressional sub-committee circus show, Stone and Jeff were not the only ones speaking out against unfair practices of ticket gouging; Aerosmith and R.E.M. each had their own respective managers testify, as well. Outside of Capitol Hill, the vocal support extended to such powerhouse acts as Grateful Dead and Neil Young. Too bad none of them took that opposition very far, their combined strength could have affected some real change :(
This guy
"Whenever Eddie Vedder's in town we go one-on-one. He's got a murderous jump shot that he throws like a football. He's really accurate.''
R.I.P.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBQYJf_ZesA
Obscure fact: They used CGI to create that shot.
Just kidding
Nowadays, it has become an integral component to his writing process. Embryonic songs reach another level as they play thru his headphones out in the water. So next time you hear a soaring chorus while listening to 'Lightning Bolt' you know Eddie caught a good wave that day!
However, the band did not always operate that way and there was an adjustment period beforehand. The first Pearl Jam side-project spearheaded by Stone shortly after Lollapalooza in '92 with Shawn Smith, Regan Hagar, and Jeremy Toback led to the creation of Brad. Some of the guys in PJ did not know what to make of Stone's new venture and were not completely receptive to it. Internally, Sony decided not to promote Brad's first album 'Shame', or put out any of the videos they spent tens of thousands of dollars on. During that period, according to Regan, "the reason Brad never did anything was because Pearl Jam didn't want Stone to do it."
Of course, it was a stressful, imploding time for Pearl Jam and the Seattle scene in general. It did not take long for the concept of outside projects to take hold (e.g. Mad Season, Three Fish). Fast forward 10 years after 'Shame' and Brad are opening up for Pearl Jam at Key arena. Several years later, Brad's fourth album was even released on Pearl Jam's Monkeywrench label.
The kid who played Jeremy became the "cool kid" in school for a while after the video was made famous.
But those aren't the only musical heroes he pays homage to. A closer look reveals a Johnny Ramone sticker. Gabba-Gabba Hey!
-It is commonly understood why Pearl Jam hasn't performed 'Angel' since 1994. But for those needing confirmation, back in 2003 Eddie gave an interview to an underground radio station in Chicago when the DJs posed that very question. In probably the only occurrence the singer has mentioned Dave in an interview after his departure, Eddie indeed revealed they do not perform 'Angel' because the drummer who played guitar on the song is not in the band anymore. Then after they both stammered in pronouncing "Abbruzzese," Eddie joked that was a reason he was no longer part of the group, followed by a heartfelt "sorry Dave."
-If any long-time fans want to feel old, here is an interesting update on what Kelly Curtis' daughter, pictured below, has been up to.
Jessica Curtis has followed in her father's footsteps and now manages the band "The Young Evils." And the lead singer of the group happens to be Lance Mercer's (PJ's official photographer from the early days) daughter, Mackenzie Mercer. Mackenzie also participated in Fat Kid Rules the World soundtrack with Mike McCready. Oh, and just to tie things up in a nice bow, Lance Mercer took that picture of Jessica for the Jeremy single.
-Speaking of Lance Mercer, I always imagined the photo from the inside cover of Vs. with the band sitting in a circle by the campfire was taken at "The Site," an idyllic studio/living area in San Rafael, California where the album was recorded.
Turns out the picture was taken later while staying at some cabin in Olympic Peninsula for the sole purpose of a photo shoot, along with many other promotional pictures that have circulated around that time.
7 entries beating their previous record of 5 entering the U.S top 200 chart in the one week . this occured on 17 march 2001
the entries were apart of their bootlegs released at that time
Good find! I remember the split single with R.E.M. as a nice surprise. Pearl Jam resurrected that idea with Devo for the 2009 X-mas single but were turned down. Here is what Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh had to say about declining PJ's offer:
"About six months ago I had dinner with a couple of the guys, and we talked about doing a Christmas '45,' because I guess they do one every year. They said, 'Hey, what if we put a Pearl Jam Christmas song on one side and a Devo Christmas song on the other side?' I don't know. I'm scared of the Nativity, so I've kind of pushed it out of my mind."
In case you missed it / weren't following the tour ... from Seattle ...
Not mentioned, EV brought her on stage ...
Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw436hXbeK4
"I don't believe in damn curses. Wake up the damn Bambino and have me face him. Maybe I'll drill him in the ass." --- Pedro Martinez
Seeing as they released all those shows at once, it might be a long time until that record is broken!
The drummer story is something every fan must know if expecting to gain Ten Club citizenship. The oft-told tale of inviting the guy (name: Jack Irons) responsible for bringing Eddie in contact with Stone and Jeff almost sounds preordained. The PJ20 book offers a few more details from that period, even mentioning other drummers who auditioned (e.g. Richard Stuverud, Josh Freese). Delving even further reveals a chain of events that were taking a different turn from the eventual decision of Jack Irons officially filling the drummer's seat.
First, let's get a better understanding about the circumstances following Dave A.'s departure. Back then, the band's drumming position seemed to be continuously going through a revolving door. But also, much had changed since Dave was hired in 1991. In the latter half of '94, Pearl Jam was not an unknown band trying to convince a drummer to join. And in the subsequent months ahead, they took advantage of that luxury.
Meanwhile, unlike other times the band needed a drummer, Jack Irons was not on their radar. And judging from the excerpt below, the feeling was mutual:
'And, in 1994, Irons was too steeped in depression to pay much notice when Pearl Jam fired its latest drummer, Dave Abbruzzese. "I was just starting to put my life back together at that point,"'
But in a few months his situation changed: "I phoned Eddie and asked if I could play with them."
And he did play the Bridge School Benefit with them later that year, but was referred to as temporary, or in the case of the Spin cover story dated Jan. '95, a "fill-in drummer." That role stuck even when they booked the Far East/Australian Vitalogy tour:
"So when I first joined, they were like, 'Let's do this first tour together and see how it goes over three or four months.'"
So what took so long until he was finally dubbed Pearl Jam's "official" drummer? Well, I believe it all ties together with Pearl Jam's official statement in the Ten Club newsletter #7 regarding the drumming vacancy:
"They've spent the last couple of months rehearsing with friends with whom they'll eventually record and tour."
Keep in mind, that statement was made after Bridge School. The same newsletter even contained a picture of the band playing at the benefit without any announcement regarding Jack's presence. A few pages later, Chris Friel was pictured with the band recording "Catholic Boy," fronted by Jim Carroll. Maybe Pearl Jam decided on a different approach to avoid the pattern of another drummer quitting or getting fired. So, as far as that Ten Club statement is concerned, the band initially wanted to collaborate with a few different drummers to write, record, and play live. In hindsight, their first instinct may have been right all along
'Freese says he phoned Gossard at that point to ask about his standing with Pearl Jam. The answer, he said, was not definite: Gossard told him that Pearl Jam planned to work with another drummer, but it was possible that things could change and Freese would still be under consideration if they did.'
By the way, did you actually just read this entire thing??!!
Damn right I did!
I come on here every day hoping to see this thread bumped with more tidbits!