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Came across an article from March of '94

mookeywrenchmookeywrench Posts: 5,960
in The Porch
https://m.chicagoreader.com/chicago/shame-and-fortune-why-pearl-jam-gets-no-respect/Content?oid=883956

Thank god there's no longer so many damn  social rules about what people are allowed to like. How the hell did people enjoy anything back then?
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Comments

  • KN219077KN219077 Montana Posts: 1,164
    I feel like people still feel this way towards pearl jam. At least if I mention I’m going to a show. Either that or the “they’re still around?” response.
  • CROJAM95CROJAM95 Posts: 10,061
    I feel like every band gets their share of shit from know it all suedo journalists like this one

    I think a bunch of negativity at this time  towards PJ/ Ed was that he is considered a good looking guy, how can someone like him be so tortured yada yada

    everyone has some sort of litmus test to what’s cool or worthy of being the next big thing 
  • PJammer4lifePJammer4life Los Angeles Posts: 2,657
    Little did they know, one month later everything would change forever.
    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
  • TheLuckyOnesTheLuckyOnes Posts: 472
    Very "of its times".
    Yes, that's the way people thought back then.
    Yes, it's great that it's not really that way now.
    Wasn't actually very damning of PJ, if you get to the end.
    Also, was a sprawling mess of an article.

  • F Me In The BrainF Me In The Brain this knows everybody from other commets Posts: 31,602
    Agree, that writer did a shit job, regardless of his opinions.
    The love he receives is the love that is saved
  • mcgruff10mcgruff10 New Jersey Posts: 28,757
    What lyrics were too painful to be included in the album?
    I'll ride the wave where it takes me......
  • JammalamboJammalambo Posts: 1,321
    edited September 2019
    mcgruff10 said:
    What lyrics were too painful to be included in the album?
    Release lyrics were not included.
    "Now the beaches have all been washed in black", poor beaches.
    Post edited by Jammalambo on
  • mcgruff10mcgruff10 New Jersey Posts: 28,757
    Jammalambo said:
    mcgruff10 said:
    What lyrics were too painful to be included in the album?
    Release lyrics were not included.
    "Now the beaches have all been washed in black", poor beaches.
    Great call.  I forgot about that.  
    I'll ride the wave where it takes me......
  • NM70698NM70698 Posts: 76
    Whether accurate or not, I think the writer was talking about him only including fragments of lyrics for certain songs.  Black is actually an example of that in the Ten liner notes.  Ed has explained Release in interviews and it was a different situation.  He described the writing of that song as a spiritual experience, a burst of inspiration with the words just flowing out of him, and the experience was so special and powerful that he never wanted to put the words on paper.  I don't think he's ever said it was because the lyrics were too painful.
  • KN219077KN219077 Montana Posts: 1,164
    Any source for the lost release lyrics?
  • NM70698NM70698 Posts: 76

    https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/7751635/pearl-jam-eddie-vedder-1991-interview-vintage

    At the end of this interview Eddie starts explaining the story, remarking that the song was "never written."  I think the back story might be explained in the PJ20 book.  I know in the movie Jeff notes the song started as a "drone jam" and the words just poured out of him.  It's been discussed in various interviews over the years.   

  • mrussel1mrussel1 Posts: 30,256
    F Me In The Brain said:
    Agree, that writer did a shit job, regardless of his opinions.
    Interesting.  I thought this was a pretty spot on analysis of the environment of 1994.  I think the whole article was very sympathetic to PJ, recognizing the ironic predicament they were in from a cultural perspective.  I don't even think of this as an opinion piece, I see this as true rock analysis, particularly of the origins of their music.  This was dead on for 94, pretty early in their career.  The criticisms were directed at the music consumers, if anyone.  
  • HughFreakingDillonHughFreakingDillon Winnipeg Posts: 38,259
    if this writer thought that Nirvana "hated aerosmith", he knows not of what he speaks/writes. 
    "Oh Canada...you're beautiful when you're drunk"
    -EV  8/14/93




  • mrussel1mrussel1 Posts: 30,256
    HughFreakingDillon said:
    if this writer thought that Nirvana "hated aerosmith", he knows not of what he speaks/writes. 
    I read all of this as being about the fans, not the bands themselves.  
  • HughFreakingDillonHughFreakingDillon Winnipeg Posts: 38,259
    mrussel1 said:
    HughFreakingDillon said:
    if this writer thought that Nirvana "hated aerosmith", he knows not of what he speaks/writes. 
    I read all of this as being about the fans, not the bands themselves.  
    either way, this entire statement is BS:

    Nirvana's appealing disarray reinforces the perception that they're less commercial than Pearl Jam, that they are purposefully rejecting the mainstream rock sound. They hate bands like Aerosmith. They don't care if they're popular or not.

    however, I'll give the writer the benefit since it was written in the height of all of it, without the benefit of hindsight. 
    "Oh Canada...you're beautiful when you're drunk"
    -EV  8/14/93




  • mrussel1mrussel1 Posts: 30,256
    HughFreakingDillon said:
    mrussel1 said:
    HughFreakingDillon said:
    if this writer thought that Nirvana "hated aerosmith", he knows not of what he speaks/writes. 
    I read all of this as being about the fans, not the bands themselves.  
    either way, this entire statement is BS:

    Nirvana's appealing disarray reinforces the perception that they're less commercial than Pearl Jam, that they are purposefully rejecting the mainstream rock sound. They hate bands like Aerosmith. They don't care if they're popular or not.

    however, I'll give the writer the benefit since it was written in the height of all of it, without the benefit of hindsight. 
    Right, exactly.  This is precisely the narrative that was forming at this time.  PJ was too polished, commercial, where Nirvana was more authentic.  It's absolutely the criticism that was levied against them back in 94-96, when they went off the grid basically.  Where I appreciate this writer's perception is that he accurately pinned it to the fact that PJ was drawing so much of its inspiration (and let's be honest, it was Stone's writing) from the the arena rock bands of the 70's.  Now I wasn't a rock critic in 94 but by the late 90's, particularly after Yield, you could really see the connection from the 70's.  I give the writer credit for connecting the criticism of the band in 94 to their musical influences.  I think that's pretty good for early in their career.  I dont' know, maybe that's what all rock critics said back then, but I didn't hear it.  
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