Merkin Ball. Why?

13

Comments

  • 12345AGNST1
    12345AGNST1 Posts: 4,906
    encompassing trip wrote:
    I can't comprehend that. You're joking right? Probably the most poetic emotional song written. And the guitar....I love the whammy bend.

    Yea apperently that song is a hit or miss.. i honestly cannot comprehend how ANY pj fan cannot like it. that song is just incredible. live, it doesn't sound as good as others, but still, that song is easily my top 10 fav pj songs.
    5/28/06, 6/27/08, 10/28/09, 5/18/10, 5/21/10
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  • Alessiana
    Alessiana Posts: 329
    12345AGNST1 wrote:
    Yea apperently that song is a hit or miss.. i honestly cannot comprehend how ANY pj fan cannot like it. that song is just incredible. live, it doesn't sound as good as others, but still, that song is easily my top 10 fav pj songs.

    lol

    there aren't any of consequence. it's not hit or miss. this was a joke.

    .
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  • YoullseeDragons
    YoullseeDragons Posts: 2,144
    I remember an interview or something on WMMR in Philly where this question was asked. The response was that it refered to the wad of hair left in the shower drain. It was so strange that I remembered it. Take it for what it is worth.
  • restlesssoul
    restlesssoul Posts: 6,952
    wad of hair in the shower drain. hmmm.

    i got id and long road are great songs....neil plays the organ right>?
    Van '98, Sea I+II '00, Sea '01, Sea II '02, Van '03, Gorge, Van, Cal, Edm '05, Bos I+II, Phi I+II, DC, SF II+III, Port, Gorge I+II '06, DC, NY I+II '08, Sea I+II, Van, Ridge , LA III+IV' 09, Indy '10, Cal, Van '11, Lond, Van, Sea '13, Memphis '14, RRHOF '17, Sea I+II '18, Van I+II, Vegas I+II, Sea I+II '24
  • this is not for you
    this is not for you Posts: 240
    i read somewhere that they were not allowed to be named or something to do with promotion on neil youngs mirror ball, so they did their own called merkin ball
    ... aint got a clue with the merkin thing tho
  • restlesssoul
    restlesssoul Posts: 6,952
    this is not for you wrote:
    i read somewhere that they were not allowed to be named or something to do with promotion on neil youngs mirror ball, so they did their own called merkin ball
    ... aint got a clue with the merkin thing tho


    yeah epic didnt want reprise to make money off their artist so it had to be seperate
    Van '98, Sea I+II '00, Sea '01, Sea II '02, Van '03, Gorge, Van, Cal, Edm '05, Bos I+II, Phi I+II, DC, SF II+III, Port, Gorge I+II '06, DC, NY I+II '08, Sea I+II, Van, Ridge , LA III+IV' 09, Indy '10, Cal, Van '11, Lond, Van, Sea '13, Memphis '14, RRHOF '17, Sea I+II '18, Van I+II, Vegas I+II, Sea I+II '24
  • Stone Irons
    Stone Irons Posts: 430
    restlesssoul wrote:
    i got id and long road are great songs....neil plays the organ right>?

    Yeah, he plays the organ on Long Road and lead guitar on I Got Id.
    Can't escape from the common rule...
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  • Got Some If You Need It
    Got Some If You Need It Posts: 435
    is merkin ball worth buying? i know pearl jam collaborates with Neil but does it sound like pearl jam? does eddie sing at all? i'm hesitant to buy it then not like it.
    PJ: Hartford 6/27/08 Mansfield 6/30/08 Philly 3 Oct. 30 2009
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  • broloco
    broloco Posts: 1,237
    is it me or does that heart shape that is in between where it says pearl jam and merkin ball on the cover kinda look like what a "merkin" (as defined in wikipedia) looks like? sorta like vagina shaped.
  • restlesssoul
    restlesssoul Posts: 6,952
    broloco wrote:
    is it me or does that heart shape that is in between where it says pearl jam and merkin ball on the cover kinda look like what a "merkin" (as defined in wikipedia) looks like? sorta like vagina shaped.


    thats what i thought too!

    wilmack88 wrote:
    is merkin ball worth buying? i know pearl jam collaborates with Neil but does it sound like pearl jam? does eddie sing at all? i'm hesitant to buy it then not like it.


    well you've heard long road and i got id right. if you like those two songs then you might like merkin ball.
    Van '98, Sea I+II '00, Sea '01, Sea II '02, Van '03, Gorge, Van, Cal, Edm '05, Bos I+II, Phi I+II, DC, SF II+III, Port, Gorge I+II '06, DC, NY I+II '08, Sea I+II, Van, Ridge , LA III+IV' 09, Indy '10, Cal, Van '11, Lond, Van, Sea '13, Memphis '14, RRHOF '17, Sea I+II '18, Van I+II, Vegas I+II, Sea I+II '24
  • Alessiana
    Alessiana Posts: 329
    wilmack88 wrote:
    is merkin ball worth buying? i know pearl jam collaborates with Neil but does it sound like pearl jam? does eddie sing at all? i'm hesitant to buy it then not like it.

    Is Merkinball worth buying? You don't mean Mirrorball, you mean Merkinball?

    YES

    This CD single has Long Road and I Got Shit, two of the best songs on their catalog. All of Pearl Jam's members aren't on it, but it hardly matters. Neil plays instruments but he didn't write the music. Edited to add --> Yes Eddie sings. These are his songs.

    .
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    Tell them you love them. Never let the mundane, the unimportant, or worse, the misunderstood, be the final words of parting.

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  • Cosmo
    Cosmo Posts: 12,225
    broloco wrote:
    Yeah, I'm curious about that too. I don't think they'd name it that without there being something behind it...
    we know that the title "Merkin Ball" is a play off Neil Young's "Mirror Ball", and the cover shows a wrecking ball image. Like Merkin Ball vs. wrecking ball? but does anyone know if the term Merkin means anything to either PJ or Neil Young? Like is it a nickname or reference of some sort other than what wikidpedia says?
    ...
    I think you're on the right track...
    I can see the basic concept of the companion piece to Neil Young's 'Mirror Ball' being called, 'Wrecking Ball'. In the naming process they probably came up with Merkin as they were trying to mix 'Mirror' with 'Wrecking'... my guess would be that either Stone or Neil were the only ones who knew of the word.
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  • restlesssoul
    restlesssoul Posts: 6,952
    Cosmo wrote:
    ...
    I think you're on the right track...
    I can see the basic concept of the companion piece to Neil Young's 'Mirror Ball' being called, 'Wrecking Ball'. In the naming process they probably came up with Merkin as they were trying to mix 'Mirror' with 'Wrecking'... my guess would be that either Stone or Neil were the only ones who knew of the word.


    wrecking ball is a song of neils off "freedom" so maybe they didnt want to do that, and came up with merkin. and a merkin goes over something right, well the merkin ball gets stacked on top of mirrorball to create a full album...
    Van '98, Sea I+II '00, Sea '01, Sea II '02, Van '03, Gorge, Van, Cal, Edm '05, Bos I+II, Phi I+II, DC, SF II+III, Port, Gorge I+II '06, DC, NY I+II '08, Sea I+II, Van, Ridge , LA III+IV' 09, Indy '10, Cal, Van '11, Lond, Van, Sea '13, Memphis '14, RRHOF '17, Sea I+II '18, Van I+II, Vegas I+II, Sea I+II '24
  • Alessiana
    Alessiana Posts: 329
    Cosmo wrote:
    ...
    I think you're on the right track...
    I can see the basic concept of the companion piece to Neil Young's 'Mirror Ball' being called, 'Wrecking Ball'. In the naming process they probably came up with Merkin as they were trying to mix 'Mirror' with 'Wrecking'... my guess would be that either Stone or Neil were the only ones who knew of the word.

    I wouldn't guess that considering who's CD it is and who's playing. PJ isn't on it. All my CDs are packed away, so I can't check design credits but I'd be surprised if this wasn't Vedder/Vedder/Vedder. Words/music/design.

    Maybe someone can check their copy.

    .
    ****

    Aless

    Tell them you love them. Never let the mundane, the unimportant, or worse, the misunderstood, be the final words of parting.

    Tell them.
  • restlesssoul
    restlesssoul Posts: 6,952
    1995 saw the release of

    emmylou harris - wrecking ball
    neil young - mirror ball
    pearl jam - merkin ball


    they are all connected.
    Van '98, Sea I+II '00, Sea '01, Sea II '02, Van '03, Gorge, Van, Cal, Edm '05, Bos I+II, Phi I+II, DC, SF II+III, Port, Gorge I+II '06, DC, NY I+II '08, Sea I+II, Van, Ridge , LA III+IV' 09, Indy '10, Cal, Van '11, Lond, Van, Sea '13, Memphis '14, RRHOF '17, Sea I+II '18, Van I+II, Vegas I+II, Sea I+II '24
  • Get_Right
    Get_Right Posts: 14,138
    well now I have my storytellers 2050 question

    seriously
    its just gotta be a big joke

    or

    they are just imposters (wig instead of real hair) for the real thing=NY
  • CitizenRick
    CitizenRick Posts: 1,079
    Alessiana wrote:
    Long Road is, but I Got Shit is CRAP.

    .

    This is a shocking statement!...and wrong btw.
    "Had my eyes peeled both wide open, and I got a glimpse...of my innocense, got back my inner sence, baby got it...still got it"
  • loveatree
    loveatree Posts: 142
    thanks for posting the meaning of merkin...it's soooo funny!!! i guess i never thought about what merkin meant. merkin ball is great...i got id is awesome!!!
    2006 LA/ SF/ Mountain View. 2009 LA/ SF. 2013 LA/ Oakland/ Seattle. 2014 Denver

  • John Briggs 2008
    John Briggs 2008 Posts: 1,024
    I remember when the single came out. I wondered what the hell a Merkin Ball was. Never knew until recently. I remember after Vitalogy being afraid the band was going to beak up because of the whole Ticket Master battle and al there shows being canceled for most that tour. Getting this single lifted my spirits greatly. It was like They knew they had to ensure us all that they were fine.
  • Niko80
    Niko80 Posts: 1,613
    Neil nails the lead guitar on I got ID. Its perfect! I just love that guys tone.
    I will swallow poison

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