My girlfriend and I would drive around in her car playing her cassette. She would skip around to the songs she liked. Took me years to hear the whole thing. Great times. Now she’s my wife of 27 years. Still hitting as many Pearl Jam shows as we can.
Happy bday to this monster - released the day before I was born. I've always felt a special kind of bond with this album because of that. One of my all time favs. With that being said, I've always felt that the curation of the track list was a little weird (for eg, Glorified G, while yes it is a banger, feels more like a b-side, same with WMA as it breaks up the flow of the album). But damn the first 5 tracks hit you hard...ripping it as we speak.
Happy bday to this monster - released the day before I was born. I've always felt a special kind of bond with this album because of that. One of my all time favs. With that being said, I've always felt that the curation of the track list was a little weird (for eg, Glorified G, while yes it is a banger, feels more like a b-side, same with WMA as it breaks up the flow of the album). But damn the first 5 tracks hit you hard...ripping it as we speak.
Wma and glorified g aren’t b sides. Wrong.
And the b-side “Alone” should have been on the album. I actually bought the Go single as my first CD -for the b-side.
Bridge Benefit 1994, San Francisco 1995, San Diego 1995 1 & 2, Missoula 1998, Los Angeles 2000, San Diego 2000, Eddie Vedder/Beck 2/26/2002, Santa Barbara 2003, Irvine 2003, San Diego 2003, Vancouver 2005, Gorge 2005, San Diego 2006, Los Angeles 2006 1 & 2, Santa Barbara 2006, Eddie Vedder 4/10/08, Eddie Vedder 4/12/08, Eddie Vedder 4/15/08, 7/12/2008, SF 8/28/09, LA 9/30/09, LA 10/1/09, LA 10/06/09, LA 10/07/09, San Diego 10/09/09, Eddie Vedder 7/6/2011, Eddie Vedder 7/8/2011, PJ20 9/3/2011, PJ20 9/4/2011, Vancouver 9/25/2011, San Diego 11/21/13, LA 11/24/13, Ohana 9/25/21, Ohana 9/26/21, Ohana 10/1/21, EV 2/17/22, LA Forum 5/6/22, LA Forum 5/7/22, EV 10/1/22, EV 9/30/23
My girlfriend and I would drive around in her car playing her cassette. She would skip around to the songs she liked. Took me years to hear the whole thing. Great times. Now she’s my wife of 27 years. Still hitting as many Pearl Jam shows as we can.
My earliest memories of Vs. was that one of my friends in high school, who was one of the first to get a drivers license, had a green VW bug. The first time I ever remember listening to the album was in that car. Good memories
Up until spring or summer '93, I had never listened to "Ten" before and wasn't feeling the "Alive" and "Evenflow" videos and wasn't drawn into the music of those 2 songs. Then that Spin came out with Ed on the cover by the fence, and I read that article about them recording what would become Vs. and I was super impressed and fascinated with his world views and perspective on Pearl Jam's rise, the music, and the struggles with the fame.
Then completely unrelated my boyfriend at the time wanted to see Fugazi so we went, and in the middle of the show my little sister gasped and pointed to the sound board and said "That's Stone!!!" (her favorite member of PJ by a longshot!). She went and said hi, he was totally nice & cool. She stayed cool then went to the bathroom and completely freaked out. Then she said Stone said Ed was there, but he was nowhere to be seen from where we were.
We waited after the show, I spied Ed, and the conversation we had which was immediately engaged (I immediately asked him about the recording process for Vs.) and we talked way longer than I imagined, and he told me about a secret show PJ would play and the name they'd go under. He was patient, soft-spoken but very clear in what he said, and he was awesome. My boyfriend was not excited about how impressed I was LOL! The secret show he told me about was at Slims and word leaked from venue staff so it wasn't a secret by show time. I never got to go because boyfriend and I got into a fight about me going and we were still fighting by showtime, even though I'd had a couple of people confirm it was happening. Still sorry I missed it.
October '93 would turn out to be my first ever PJ show, and I was front row center in a GA pit. My little sister was further back standing front row on a raised section and the guys behind her were scanning the front row, making bets on who'd have to be lifted out/evacuated the fastet. They both said "Look at that tiny chick in the front center, she's not going to last a song!" and my sis turned to them and said "That's my sister. She'll last longer than anyone up there." And I did Even when Ed came right in front of me and put his hand out and I found out what it feels like to be the centerpoint of pressure from all sides from like 4,000 people. But it was an incredible first show.
What a journey it's been! Super happy my last 2 shows were the Apollo & MSG last year. 30 yrs it's been an incredible run. Thanks PJ!
Why 45rpm pressings excel, by one of the great vinyl master masters:
Why 45 rpm? by Kevin Gray, AcousTech Mastering
"After 60 years the good ol’ analog LP is still one of the highest resolution sources of music distribution available. It has a solid, palpable, satisfying sound that no digital format has yet equaled, let alone surpassed. The most unfortunate thing about the LP is that it was really starting to flourish back in the mid 80s, just as the record companies tried to kill it.
Advances in cutterheads (the device that etches the groove in the master lacquer disk) and cutting electronics reached a pinnacle in the early 80s. Digital computers arrived on the scene in their best role: Out of the audio chain, but doing machine-control to adjust the groove spacing on the record for maximum playing time and recorded volume. 180 gram virgin vinyl pressings were the next development, and last but not least, around the late 70s, 45 rpm 12” LPs started to appear.
Why 45, you ask? Because it sounds better! In record mastering, the higher the recorded level and frequency, the greater the groove curvature. Curvature isn’t usually a problem, per se, on the outside of a 12” 33 1/3 record, but as the groove moves toward the center, its relative speed slows down and curvature increases. Yes, it is still turning at 33 1/3 revolutions per minute, but consider: one revolution takes 1.8 seconds. That 1.8 seconds at a 12” diameter is covering a lot more territory than at the minimum 4.75” diameter. The result is actually a loss in high frequencies, and increase in distortion as the groove moves to the center. The problems start when the curvature of the groove equals or exceeds the diameter of the playback stylus. What can be done about it? Many things have been tried, but there is no “magic bullet”. Keep the recorded volume to a reasonable level (read: On scale on the meters) is the first thing. Play the record back with an elliptical or line-contact stylus that has a smaller tip radius. And, if possible, make the record short enough to keep the music away from the very end of the disk. This isn’t always possible, of course.
BUT, if we spin the disk at 45rpm we now have a 35% increase in groove velocity at any point on the disk. This is a huge advantage! Yes, the groove still slows down as it moves inward, but the effects are greatly reduced. The only problem is that the amount of recorded time is now also reduced by 35%. What do you do about that? (Hint: split up the LP into 4 sides on 2 records.) Now you’re cookin’ doc! Yep, twice the mastering cost, plating cost, pressing cost, label and jacket costs. It’s enough to make the bean-counters break down and cry. But the sound! Oooooh, yeah! This isn’t sales hype, it’s physics. Listen for yourself. You tell me if it’s worth it. A lot of music lovers think so…and they are right!"
My Pearl Jam Road: 10/22/90 Seattle | 12/22/90 Seattle, Moore Theater | 9/29/92 Seattle, Magnusson Park, Drop in the Park | 9/5/93 The Gorge, with Neil Young and Blind Melon | 7/20/06 Portland, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall with Sleater-Kinney | 7/22/06 The Gorge, 10/21/06 Mountain View, Shoreline Ampitheatre, Bridge School Benefit | 9/21/09 Seattle | 9/22/09 Seattle | 9/26/09 Portland, OR | 7/14/2011 Eddie Vedder, Portland, OR | 11/29/13 Portland, OR
You don't know many days I checked for an update. Finally another platinum single. That's 2 now
To be honest since digital I don't know how they figure what song is gold or platinum anymore. Jeremy was certified Gold the old way. It has more streams and more youtube views than Daughter and Elderly Woman combined. But it's still gold.
Comments
My earliest memories of Vs. was that one of my friends in high school, who was one of the first to get a drivers license, had a green VW bug. The first time I ever remember listening to the album was in that car. Good memories
Then completely unrelated my boyfriend at the time wanted to see Fugazi so we went, and in the middle of the show my little sister gasped and pointed to the sound board and said "That's Stone!!!" (her favorite member of PJ by a longshot!). She went and said hi, he was totally nice & cool. She stayed cool then went to the bathroom and completely freaked out. Then she said Stone said Ed was there, but he was nowhere to be seen from where we were.
We waited after the show, I spied Ed, and the conversation we had which was immediately engaged (I immediately asked him about the recording process for Vs.) and we talked way longer than I imagined, and he told me about a secret show PJ would play and the name they'd go under. He was patient, soft-spoken but very clear in what he said, and he was awesome. My boyfriend was not excited about how impressed I was LOL! The secret show he told me about was at Slims and word leaked from venue staff so it wasn't a secret by show time. I never got to go because boyfriend and I got into a fight about me going and we were still fighting by showtime, even though I'd had a couple of people confirm it was happening. Still sorry I missed it.
October '93 would turn out to be my first ever PJ show, and I was front row center in a GA pit. My little sister was further back standing front row on a raised section and the guys behind her were scanning the front row, making bets on who'd have to be lifted out/evacuated the fastet. They both said "Look at that tiny chick in the front center, she's not going to last a song!" and my sis turned to them and said "That's my sister. She'll last longer than anyone up there." And I did
What a journey it's been! Super happy my last 2 shows were the Apollo & MSG last year. 30 yrs it's been an incredible run. Thanks PJ!
It's great but shocking to see 4 Taylor Swift albums in the top 10. https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200
Why 45 rpm? by Kevin Gray, AcousTech Mastering
"After 60 years the good ol’ analog LP is still one of the highest resolution sources of music distribution available. It has a solid, palpable, satisfying sound that no digital format has yet equaled, let alone surpassed. The most unfortunate thing about the LP is that it was really starting to flourish back in the mid 80s, just as the record companies tried to kill it.
Advances in cutterheads (the device that etches the groove in the master lacquer disk) and cutting electronics reached a pinnacle in the early 80s. Digital computers arrived on the scene in their best role: Out of the audio chain, but doing machine-control to adjust the groove spacing on the record for maximum playing time and recorded volume. 180 gram virgin vinyl pressings were the next development, and last but not least, around the late 70s, 45 rpm 12” LPs started to appear.
Why 45, you ask? Because it sounds better! In record mastering, the higher the recorded level and frequency, the greater the groove curvature. Curvature isn’t usually a problem, per se, on the outside of a 12” 33 1/3 record, but as the groove moves toward the center, its relative speed slows down and curvature increases. Yes, it is still turning at 33 1/3 revolutions per minute, but consider: one revolution takes 1.8 seconds. That 1.8 seconds at a 12” diameter is covering a lot more territory than at the minimum 4.75” diameter. The result is actually a loss in high frequencies, and increase in distortion as the groove moves to the center. The problems start when the curvature of the groove equals or exceeds the diameter of the playback stylus. What can be done about it? Many things have been tried, but there is no “magic bullet”. Keep the recorded volume to a reasonable level (read: On scale on the meters) is the first thing. Play the record back with an elliptical or line-contact stylus that has a smaller tip radius. And, if possible, make the record short enough to keep the music away from the very end of the disk. This isn’t always possible, of course.
BUT, if we spin the disk at 45rpm we now have a 35% increase in groove velocity at any point on the disk. This is a huge advantage! Yes, the groove still slows down as it moves inward, but the effects are greatly reduced. The only problem is that the amount of recorded time is now also reduced by 35%. What do you do about that? (Hint: split up the LP into 4 sides on 2 records.) Now you’re cookin’ doc! Yep, twice the mastering cost, plating cost, pressing cost, label and jacket costs. It’s enough to make the bean-counters break down and cry. But the sound! Oooooh, yeah! This isn’t sales hype, it’s physics. Listen for yourself. You tell me if it’s worth it. A lot of music lovers think so…and they are right!"
Sold 9,055 copies
You don't know many days I checked for an update. Finally another platinum single. That's 2 now