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The 25th Anniversary of Perhaps the Greatest Pearl Jam Album of All Time - Vs.

YourDirtisMyfoodYourDirtisMyfood Boston Posts: 4,657
in The Porch
Well, unbelievably, it's been 25 years since this album came out.  I was away at college and remember it well.  This may be my favorite Pearl Jam album of all time and possibly in my top 10 of any album of all time.

It was the debut for Brendan O'Brien and Dave Abbruzzese with the band.  It was the follow-up to the mega success of Ten.  Ed reportedly had trouble getting comfortable making the album.  Yet, it's in its own way, it's a masterpiece.  Interesting to note that Whipping and Better Man were reportedly rejected from the album and would make it on to Vitalogy, while Hard to Imagine was also recorded around this time.

It was an fascinating time for music with the grunge movement, Kurt Cobain's death and the impending battle with Ticketmaster.

What are your memories and thoughts on the album known as Vs. that was released on 10/19/1993?
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Comments

  • cp3iversoncp3iverson Posts: 8,702
    Animal was the one we blasted the most right off the bat—-because of the VMAs.  

    Such a good album.  Expanded on TEN in so many directions.  
  • Thirty Bills UnpaidThirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    Sheer awesomeness.

    I bought it the day it was released not hearing it beforehand. I listened to it immediately knowing right away the album was an instant classic.

    It's their best.
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  • CDEANSEATTLECDEANSEATTLE Seattle Posts: 33
    Go!
  • helplessdancerhelplessdancer Posts: 5,281
    i hate being old. thanks for the reminder!
  • YourDirtisMyfoodYourDirtisMyfood Boston Posts: 4,657
    I'd say my top 5 from the album are:


    Indifference
    WMA
    Dissident
    Daughter
    Rearviewmirror

    But it changes and Go and Leash could go in there at any point.  Least favorite would be Blood for sure.  
  • MedozKMedozK Tennessee Posts: 9,212
    One of the great parts about being at the 2016 Greenville show.
  • DM282158DM282158 Beverly, MA Posts: 593
    The opening to Go will always give me chills. 
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  • Caught-A-Bolt-Of-LightningCaught-A-Bolt-Of-Lightning Posts: 1,335
    Great freakin' album...

    I miss Dave A's drumming. In my opinion this album is what it is because of Dave A.
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  • RS65573RS65573 Posts: 2,497
    Caught-A-Bolt-Of-Lightning said:
    Great freakin' album...

    I miss Dave A's drumming. In my opinion this album is what it is because of Dave A.
    Agreed. But I think Eddie was done with that heavy WHAP snare sound and quits if they keep Dave....so...
  • PoncierPoncier Posts: 17,424
    I remember buying it on cassette (remember those) the day it came out and popping it I the car stereo driving off from Tower Records (remember those), and when the cassette clicked over to side 2, the opening of Blood crashes in so loud its startling...so damn good.
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  • rummyrummy British Columbia, Canada Posts: 4,458
    YourDirtisMyfood said:
    I'd say my top 5 from the album are:


    Indifference
    WMA
    Dissident
    Daughter
    Rearviewmirror

    But it changes and Go and Leash could go in there at any point.  Least favorite would be Blood for sure.  
    I used to dislike Blood but then I started listening to bootlegs and really started to like the live versions. I don't think it'll ever reach the heights of songs like RVM/Go/Animal/Daughter for me, but it is a solid tune.
  • rummyrummy British Columbia, Canada Posts: 4,458
    Still think Go/Animal is their best opening one-two punch - and they've had many stellar opening duos.
  • mcgruff10mcgruff10 New Jersey Posts: 28,762
    Bought it the day it came out, I was a sophomore in high school. I taped animal off the mtv music awards that year so I played the shit out of that song. 
    I'll ride the wave where it takes me......
  • Gtilley8Gtilley8 Detroit Posts: 985
    mcgruff10 said:
    Bought it the day it came out, I was a sophomore in high school. I taped animal off the mtv music awards that year so I played the shit out of that song. 
    I was 13 - still have the vhs tape of the VMA performance.  I remember my dad saying "this is Pearl Jam, and they're playing with Neil Young?" 25 years later..... Took him to his first PJ show for Wrigley 2.  He loved it.  Leash - probably my favorite song.  
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  • YourDirtisMyfoodYourDirtisMyfood Boston Posts: 4,657
    I think my favorite Daughter tag was the one on SNL 1994....where I come from nothin's given, yeah yeah yeah I resent nepotism, now I paint with turpentine, I, I give such good paradigm.  Hey Hey My My.  Rock n Roll will never die.  There's more to the picture....then meet's the eye.  Hey Hey My My.
  • KK257911KK257911 Indiana Posts: 27
    I was a sophomore in college and Vs. was my first “midnight sale” for much anticipated records. Got in line around 11:00 and I think I was just 3-4 people deep. Ah...the great old days! Glorified G struck me in a special way then and still does to this day. Have yet to hear it live, so I guess I’ll keep attending shows.
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  • mace1229mace1229 Posts: 9,581
    KK257911 said:
    I was a sophomore in college and Vs. was my first “midnight sale” for much anticipated records. Got in line around 11:00 and I think I was just 3-4 people deep. Ah...the great old days! Glorified G struck me in a special way then and still does to this day. Have yet to hear it live, so I guess I’ll keep attending shows.
    I live Glorified G too. Fun song. that and WMA are all I still have yet to get live.
  • silvosilvo Posts: 294
    DM282158 said:
    The opening to Go will always give me chills. 


    This^....what an opening then followed by Animal just killed it. That intro to Go had the same effect when it crashed in on the opening of the PJ20 movie too, in full cinema sound, brought back the goosebumps of the first time hearing it.

    Vs for me was extra special as it was the first PJ album I bought on release day having come to the Ten party a little late and really got into them after that to the point they had by far become my favourite band. 14 years old cycling to the local record shop after school to buy the only cassette copy they had. Good times!

  • JbarkerJbarker Alberta Posts: 560
    edited October 2018
    Hands down, best example of what a follow-up album should be.
  • mace1229mace1229 Posts: 9,581
    OP needs to fix the title:

    The 25th Anniversary of Perhaps the Greatest Pearl Jam Album of All Time - Vs.

  • pjhawkspjhawks Posts: 12,692
    VS. is what  moved me fully to PJ over Nirvana. I fucking loved both Nevermind and Ten and beat the shit out of both cassettes. VS. was amazing from the 1st listen. I remember repeating Daughter and RVM as much as i could.  And i have one of the cassettes labeled Five Against One. 
  • Gern BlanstenGern Blansten Mar-A-Lago Posts: 21,393
    I wish I could relive that initial listen.
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  • Thirty Bills UnpaidThirty Bills Unpaid Posts: 16,881
    Bragging: I've seen all of Vs live (according to PJ Stattracker)!
    "My brain's a good brain!"
  • mace1229mace1229 Posts: 9,581
    Thirty Bills Unpaid said:
    Bragging: I've seen all of Vs live (according to PJ Stattracker)!
    Missing Glorified G and WMA.
    Not sad about WMA (other than to just complete VS) but I really love G!
  • MedozKMedozK Tennessee Posts: 9,212
    Thirty Bills Unpaid said:
    Bragging: I've seen all of Vs live (according to PJ Stattracker)!
    Bragging also, saw it played in Greenville.
  • BIGDaddyWilBIGDaddyWil Michigan Posts: 3,070
    Gern Blansten said:
    I wish I could relive that initial listen.
    .....as do I.
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  • TWHoltTWHolt Moncton, NB Posts: 407
    edited October 2018
    I remember orange....
    Then I remember goosebumps as the intro to Go began through my parents loud af over-ear headphones, without any noise limiting.  Then it kicked in....holy shit.
    Post edited by TWHolt on
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  • darthvedderdarthvedder Posts: 2,605
    I remember hating it because it was not Ten. What an idiot I was.
  • 2-feign-reluctance2-feign-reluctance TigerTown, USA Posts: 23,345
    No perhaps. Greatest LP of all time, by anyone.
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  • MedozKMedozK Tennessee Posts: 9,212
    2-feign-reluctance said:
    No perhaps. Greatest LP of all time, by anyone.
    Wondering when you were going to make your presence known in this thread.
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