Do Pearl Jam use session-guitarists?

Jackieboy

The title says it all! Personally I'm very much against using session-guitarists...

Brisk.

no they use Stone, Jeff, Mike and maybe Ed?

xtremehardy388

Yes, Ed plays his tracks.

xtremehardy388

And Matt...he played on You Are for the Riot Act album.

keeponrockin

Ask Ian.

Oh, Jimmy

Didnt Brendan Obrien add some keys when he worked with them.

A session guitarist wouldnt be that bad a thing if for some reason there was a guy that was really proficient at a certain style.

For instance, John Paul Jones could play piano, but Boogie with Stu was played and inspired by Rolling Stones studio manager Ian Stewart, who was a boogie-woogie piano virtuoso. I dont think somethin like that is a big deal really. Somethin like that is much less likely to happen with guitar though.

SomethingCreative

I think brendan o'brien did some guitar tracks on No Code...present tense I believe was one

YkantItouchit

IIRC, Brenden O'Brien played "surf guitar" on Gremmie Out Of Control.

seanw1010

Jackieboy wrote:

The title says it all! Personally I'm very much against using session-guitarists...

why are you against session guitarists?

ianvomsaal

I recorded a tune with them in "96, so I guess the answer is yup.
Doesn't mean anything though - tons of people use session players for this or that.
It doesn't mean that the artist using a session artist can't play.
Maybe the artist just wants a different sound, feeling, or perspective.
Maybe they just want someone with fresh ears to hit the tune.
Or maybe they want to do a live room recording, and need another pair of hands to get the sound they want.
And it doesn't mean that they won't be able to play it live later on (like on tour).
Think about all the sounds you hear on albums that aren't there live - a lot of little things aren't there.
It's really rare to span 8 albums and not hear something done by someone other than a band member.

- Ian

MichaelMcKevin

ianvomsaal wrote:

I recorded a tune with them in "96, so I guess the answer is yup.
Doesn't mean anything though - tons of people use session players for this or that.
It doesn't mean that the artist using a session artist can't play.
Maybe the artist just wants a different sound, feeling, or perspective.
Maybe they just want someone with fresh ears to hit the tune.
Or maybe they want to do a live room recording, and need another pair of hands to get the sound they want.
And it doesn't mean that they won't be able to play it live later on (like on tour).
Think about all the sounds you hear on albums that aren't there live - a lot of little things aren't there.
It's really rare to span 8 albums and not hear something done by someone other than a band member.

- Ian

Hey Ian,

Just wondering what song it was.

elstongunn

GivenToCarve wrote:

Hey Ian,

Just wondering what song it was.

yea you got my interest too

puremagic

ianvomsaal wrote:

Maybe the artist just wants a different sound, feeling, or perspective.
Maybe they just want someone with fresh ears to hit the tune.
Or maybe they want to do a live room recording, and need another pair of hands to get the sound they want.

- Ian

Or maybe they were always too wasted and facing a recording deadline

amit

did i just hear that right? You recorded with pearl jam?

ianvomsaal

GivenToCarve wrote:

Hey Ian,
Just wondering what song it was.

elstongunn wrote:

yea you got my interest too

amit wrote:

did i just hear that right? You recorded with pearl jam?

Okay, I've been in the studio all day, and I'm tired (it's 4:45am). Soo, instead of going over this
again and again I'll just give you a link to where I answered the same question (for the ? time).
I think it's #10 http://forums.pearljam.com/showthread.php?t=250409
Cheers . . .

- Ian C.T. vom Saal

DiRtyFranK38

ianvomsaal wrote:

Okay, I've been in the studio all day, and I'm tired (it's 4:45am). Soo, instead of going over this
again and again I'll just give you a link to where I answered the same question (for the ? time).
I think it's #10 http://forums.pearljam.com/showthread.php?t=250409
Cheers . . .

- Ian C.T. vom Saal

that's nuts!!

i'd love to hear the entire in-depth story, but i'm sure you are sick of telling it. but besides, brendon obrien on present tense, i don't think they used seession guitarists during any studio albums. and the obrien thing was more of a "guest" guitar, because mike, stone, and ed still played, just with the addition of brendon.

ianvomsaal

DiRtyFranK38 wrote:

that's nuts!!
i'd love to hear the entire in-depth story, but i'm sure you are sick of telling it. but besides, brendon obrien on present tense, i don't think they used seession guitarists during any studio albums. and the obrien thing was more of a "guest" guitar, because mike, stone, and ed still played, just with the addition of brendon.

I still don't think I have all of their albums, so I couldn't tell you. Maybe that's something I should get around to
(they all played in our session), though I think Mike was a bit wasted at the time - he kinda looked like crap, and
he didn't really seem like he was completely with us (disconnected) - or maybe he was just going through some shit.

- Ian

ianvomsaal

or maybe it was just some odd tune that they never released - don't know.

elstongunn

ianvomsaal wrote:

Okay, I've been in the studio all day, and I'm tired (it's 4:45am). Soo, instead of going over this
again and again I'll just give you a link to where I answered the same question (for the ? time).
I think it's #10 http://forums.pearljam.com/showthread.php?t=250409
Cheers . . .

- Ian C.T. vom Saal

this is like a riddle.. the link gives a partial story and then suggests "searching" for the rest. lol

cheers

ianvomsaal

elstongunn wrote:

this is like a riddle.. the link gives a partial story and then suggests "searching" for the rest. lol
cheers

Sorry, don't mean it to be a riddle.
I've just recounted my experience a bunch of times already, and I'm tired of re-typing it over and over every time it gets brought up.

- Ian

Guitarhero27

has it been asked what gear you actually used when you did record? and what gear they were using? If so, you don't have to answer, I will search, if not, would you mind recounting just the gear part of it?

Thanks

-Seth

ianvomsaal

Guitarhero27 wrote:

has it been asked what gear you actually used when you did record? and what gear they were using? If so, you don't have to answer, I will search, if not, would you mind recounting just the gear part of it?

Thanks

-Seth

guitars - mike was using a well worn sunburst strat, ed had a newer tele, stone used a lp standard, and i think jeff had a natural musicman.

amps - i believe mike was using an old marshall plexi and some other marshall, stone had an old brown fender combo and a matchless. i remember jeff having a big swr cab, and i think ed was playing through some kind of blackface combo.

effects - from what i remember mike had a crybaby, ts9, boss delay, and maybe i'm wrong but i think he had a phase100. stone had a wah, ts9, some kind of signal booster, and a volume pedal. i didn't really remember ed or jeff using pedals (as i think about it jeff might have been using some rack gear, and as i think more maybe a boss chorus pedal).

keep in mind that this was back in 1996, so i don't remember everything, but it really seemed like the band didn't want to be there (like they were burned out or just didn't give a shit) - they didn't talk much, jeff left the room a few times like he was pissed off (he was moody), and mike was flaky to say the least. stone was really the only one to seem like he gave a shit that he was there - to be completely honest it was all kind of a downer. i was thrilled to be working with them (because i liked ten), but that energy died fast once the session started.
anyhow, hope this answers some of your questions.

- Ian

Spencer

ianvomsaal wrote:

guitars - mike was using a well worn sunburst strat, ed had a newer tele, stone used a lp standard, and i think jeff had a natural musicman.

amps - i believe mike was using an old marshall plexi and some other marshall, stone had an old brown fender combo and a matchless. i remember jeff having a big swr cab, and i think ed was playing through some kind of blackface combo.

effects - from what i remember mike had a crybaby, ts9, boss delay, and maybe i'm wrong but i think he had a phase100. stone had a wah, ts9, some kind of signal booster, and a volume pedal. i didn't really remember ed or jeff using pedals (as i think about it jeff might have been using some rack gear, and as i think more maybe a boss chorus pedal).

keep in mind that this was back in 1996, so i don't remember everything, but it really seemed like the band didn't want to be there (like they were burned out or just didn't give a shit) - they didn't talk much, jeff left the room a few times like he was pissed off (he was moody), and mike was flaky to say the least. stone was really the only one to seem like he gave a shit that he was there - to be completely honest it was all kind of a downer. i was thrilled to be working with them (because i liked ten), but that energy died fast once the session started.
anyhow, hope this answers some of your questions.

- Ian

I dunno, please don't take this in the wrong way, but I can't help but take this with a gigantic grain of salt. This IS the internet, after all...

I guess the question in the back of mind is why would a band with three talented guitarists need to hire the services of a session guitarist? They're a band that pride themselves on being down to earth and not being "industry". I wouldn't blink twice at Nickelback using session musicians...but I don't quite buy that PJ would (unless it was just some kind of all-in jam session for kicks).

Gardenparty

ianvomsaal wrote:

Sorry, don't mean it to be a riddle.
I've just recounted my experience a bunch of times already, and I'm tired of re-typing it over and over every time it gets brought up.

- Ian

Then don't bring it up;)

cool stuff though. I do recall seeing you mention this before

ianvomsaal

Gardenparty wrote:

Then don't bring it up;)
cool stuff though. I do recall seeing you mention this before

You guys are funny . . .
I actually didn't bring it up - this was originally posted by "Jackieboy".
Then "keeponrockin" said "ASK IAN" .
I just answered the question at hand - Yes they sometimes do.

keeponrockin wrote:

Ask Ian.

Then more questions were asked, then more, and more.
I'm certainly not looking for anyone's approval on how I make a living.
Spencer, conclusively, this is how I make my living - okay? cool?
Cheers . . .

- Ian C.T. vom Saal

keeponrockin

ianvomsaal wrote:

You guys are funny . . .
I actually didn't bring it up - this was originally posted by "Jackieboy".
Then "keeponrockin" said "ASK IAN" .
I just answered the question at hand - Yes they sometimes do.

Then more questions were asked, then more, and more.
I'm certainly not looking for anyone's approval on how I make a living.
Spencer, conclusively, this is how I make my living - okay? cool?
Cheers . . .

- Ian C.T. vom Saal

Sorry man, honestly didn't mean to annoy you in any way.

ianvomsaal

keeponrockin wrote:

Sorry man, honestly didn't mean to annoy you in any way.

No worries, you didn't - try not to read anything into it.

- Ian

Anon

spencer wrote:

I dunno, please don't take this in the wrong way, but I can't help but take this with a gigantic grain of salt. This IS the internet, after all...

i'm not sure if you come into the gear forum much and read whats being posted, so please don't take this the wrong way .

you are dead right about it being the internet. no doubt some things should be taken with a grain of salt. you won't find too much convo in here about what color undies mike wears, which picture eddie looks hot in, which is the best PJ album for the 100th time this week, whether or not someone should do the neighbor :rolleyes: or how much the yankees suck.

those of us that post and who are musicians, don't find it too hard to work out who is genuine and who is not. i have absolutely no doubt that anything that ianvomsaal posts is on the money and straight up. there are tons of posts here where he has provided valuable help and assistance.

personally i think this forum is one lucky place to have someone with his talents and knowledge.

check out his myspace. he has done session work for plenty of good bands, not just pearl jam. click on the link and listen to 'for the love of vai.'

kinda hard to take talent like that with 'a grain of salt'.

http://www.myspace.com/ianvomsaal

scot88

so, are you his new publicist or what?:)

xtremehardy388

scot88 wrote:

so, are you his new publicist or what?:)

Uh oh...

*Heads for cover*

Anon

scot88 wrote:

so, are you his new publicist or what?:)

This is the worst kind of discrimination. The kind against me.

i get you. point taken.