How did Immortality not become huge?

2

Comments

  • pjtaper
    pjtaper Posts: 3,020
    Immortality is HUGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE in my book! First song I ever learned on guitar, always makes me think of lost friends, one of my favorites...
    and the studio solo is one of my favorite Mike studio solos, I remember the first time I heard this song... so magical...
  • Yellow Ledbelly
    Yellow Ledbelly Posts: 3,749
    It is and always was a fantastic song, but the thing to remember is that radio is bullshit and the musical tastes of far too many people are based on the songs their favorite stations play every 15 minutes, the ones they are told are supposed to be popular.
    All I have to do is revel in the everyday....then do it again tomorrow

    They say every sin is deadly but I believe they may be wrong...I'm guilty of all seven and I don't feel too bad at all
  • lostdogs77
    lostdogs77 Posts: 94
    Vitalogy is one of the best albums of all time in my opinion. I think it was ahead of its time when it came out. It sold well but most people that I knew did not get it. The Cleveland 06 version of immortality is one of my favorite live PJ recordings.
  • AnthonyD1987
    AnthonyD1987 Boston, MA Posts: 347
    I think it's funny that Spin The Black Circle, Not For You and Immortality were the only singles, but Corduroy and Better Man are the bigger hits from that album.
    492xxx

    2006: Boston 1 and 2
    2008: MSG 1 and 2, Mansfield 1 and 2
    2010: Boston
    2012: Made in America Philly
  • blondieblue227
    blondieblue227 Va, USA Posts: 4,509
    good question.
    when i got the vs CD as a kid that song got stuck in my head for weeks!
    *~Pearl Jam will be blasted from speakers until morale improves~*

  • woundedorgan
    woundedorgan Posts: 607
    Immortality is huge was huge and will forever be huge..number 2 on the all time favorite list...it is a little different from what was being played on the radio then...Betterman and Corduroy were the only 2 songs they played the shit out of off the Vitalogy album on the radio...It is better listened to live in my opinion.....Hey PJ play Tremor Christ in Camden....



    ....sorry I posted before I read all the responses, I pretty much reiterated everything that was said before...
    God Loves Pearl Jam
  • cbbjr
    cbbjr Posts: 241
    In the mid to late 90s I worked at a couple radio stations doing PR-type work. I would often ask the music directors questions like this. The answer was often along the lines of "great song but it doesn't fit". Based on the crap that you often hear on the radio, I'm guessing this excuse is still widely used.

    I love the song - definitely one of my favorites - but I don't think it works that well on commercial radio. I know the live version with the extended instrumental is different from the album, but the song takes too long to get going for what a lot of stations want to play.
    98-KC; 00-Indianapolis, StL, KC; 03-KC, DC; 04-DC; 06-Camden2, DC, Pittsburgh; 08-DC; 09-Chicago1, Spectrum3; 10-DC; 13-Baltimore; 16-Chicago1; 18-Seattle2; 22-NY; 23-St Paul1&2, Chicago1; 24-Chicago2, NY1, Baltimore
  • CitizenRick
    CitizenRick Posts: 1,079
    SOLAT319 wrote:
    It's always been huge to me and that's all it matters. If you like a song so much, why do you even care what everybody else's opinion of it is?

    Same thing with Tremor Christ. I actually take pride from the fact that these songs are not "front window" songs for this band and yet they are on top of my list. I would take Tremor Christ and Immortality over, say Love Boat Captain or...what's another "hip" song that every "hip" Pearl Jam fan likes? Oh, I know....Leatherman or any of the songs from Binaural album anyday.

    Yeah, I know, Binaural is "cool and hip" and all of us are supposed to melt in its presence if we know any better. Well, frankly my dear, I don't give a damn ;-)
    I mean, don't get me wrong. I do have the album. I bought it like a nice little faithful fan and listened to it from time to time. But overall...not so much ;-P
    Now, Binaural outtakes on the other hand....that's a whole different story. They're fucking awesome!! In fact, Fatal has the same problem that Immortality has. How is it that that song is not HUGE???

    Oh, and like I stated a gazillion times on this board.....VITALOGY IS A FUCKING MASTERPIECE!!!

    What's up SOLAT (fellow Bay Area resident)! Yes... Vitalogy is a FUCKING MASTERPIECE!!!

    Just to reiterate my original thought...I'm just dumbfounded how this song isn't considered an all-time classic. I know all that matters is that I think it's a classic...but how the hell did all the "sheep" miss out on this one?

    It can't be because it was too dark or depressing can it? Half the shit on rock radio was depressing at the time.

    Maybe it was just too well written and metaphorical for dumbshit America to digest. Bottom line...this song to me is "the" masterpiece of the masterpiece that is Vitalogy(filler or no filler).
    "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"
  • blondieblue227
    blondieblue227 Va, USA Posts: 4,509
    woundedorgan wrote:
    Hey PJ play Tremor Christ in Camden....

    and in Va Beach!!!!! :D
    *~Pearl Jam will be blasted from speakers until morale improves~*

  • StuffnJunk
    StuffnJunk Posts: 897
    let me get this straight.....you're SURPRISED that commercial radio plays one dimensional pop shit rather than high quality artsy music????

    welcome to planet Earth!!!
    "I'll tell you what: If all I had was Pearl Jam, and I didn't have another band in the world, I would not be worried. Because in there is the essence of making great music. You don't have to use it all at once, but it's there." - Neil Young
  • constructicon
    constructicon Posts: 49
    Immortality at Benaroya is the best.
    For Rent
  • edvedderrocks
    edvedderrocks Posts: 1,001
    good song. However, not a song a sucky band should remake. When I hear the staind version, which I heard on the radio quite often, I get so irritated. Vocals aren't good & the majority of people that hear it think that staind wrote it.
    "I knew all the rules, but the rules did not know me. Guaranteed."

    1996 Merriweather, MD; 1998 Camden, NJ; 2000 Camden, NJ; 2003 Camden, NJ; 2005 Philly, PA; 2006 Camden, NJ(nights 1 & 2); 2006 Arnhem, NED; 2008 Camden, NJ(nights 1 & 2), Washington DC, MSG(night 2) 2009 Philly Spectrum Shows(nights 1,2,3,4) 2010 Hartford,CT and MSG(night 2)

    ED Solo - 2008 Washington DC, 2009 Philly, PA(nights 1&2)*Met Eddie =)
  • Stone Irons
    Stone Irons Posts: 430
    edvedderrocks wrote:
    good song. However, not a song a sucky band should remake. When I hear the staind version, which I heard on the radio quite often, I get so irritated. Vocals aren't good & the majority of people that hear it think that staind wrote it.

    I don't think Staind covered this. I believe you're thinking of Seether.
    Can't escape from the common rule...
    If you hate something, don't you do it too
  • LikeAnOcean
    LikeAnOcean Posts: 7,718
    CitizenRick wrote:
    That is a question I always ask myself whenever I hear this song. I know it wasn't released as a single (I think STBC was the only single off Vitalogy)...but it's such a fucking amazing and haunting song.

    I remember it getting some airplay back then...but it quickly dissapeared soon thereafter. This song should still be on the radio today...but much like many other PJ songs...it never got it's due respect because the band just didn't push them enough.

    I understand that this was the team gameplan back then...and that it was their own choice not to exploit the "rumored" fact that alot of this song was about Kurt and his death (and I'm convinced it is...sorry Ed)...but my God...how did this incredible song slip through the cracks?

    I just think it's a timeless classic...and it shoulda been recognized as such.

    What do you think?
    For one, it's kind of mellow for pop radio.. I remember hearing it quite a few times on the air back in the day.
  • edvedderrocks
    edvedderrocks Posts: 1,001
    Stone Irons wrote:
    I don't think Staind covered this. I believe you're thinking of Seether.

    thought someone on this thread said staind...whoever it is, it's not Pearl Jam!
    "I knew all the rules, but the rules did not know me. Guaranteed."

    1996 Merriweather, MD; 1998 Camden, NJ; 2000 Camden, NJ; 2003 Camden, NJ; 2005 Philly, PA; 2006 Camden, NJ(nights 1 & 2); 2006 Arnhem, NED; 2008 Camden, NJ(nights 1 & 2), Washington DC, MSG(night 2) 2009 Philly Spectrum Shows(nights 1,2,3,4) 2010 Hartford,CT and MSG(night 2)

    ED Solo - 2008 Washington DC, 2009 Philly, PA(nights 1&2)*Met Eddie =)
  • CitizenRick
    CitizenRick Posts: 1,079
    StuffnJunk wrote:
    let me get this straight.....you're SURPRISED that commercial radio plays one dimensional pop shit rather than high quality artsy music????

    welcome to planet Earth!!!

    Wow! How so New York of you. Look...it's not as if it's Who You Are (artsy wise)...that one I understand...releasing it as a single was a big Fuck You to radio.

    To me...Immortality is a can't miss classic...along the lines of Black Hole Sun or even Hunger Strike.
    "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"
  • prytocorduroy
    prytocorduroy Posts: 4,355
    It did not become huge because it's not for you.
  • itsevobaby
    itsevobaby Posts: 1,809
    DriftingByTheStorm wrote:
    Immortality was released to radio in the middle of 1995,
    after Kurt was dead, after "grunge" had peaked" and right around the time more pop and commercialy oriented "rock" music was becoming popular.

    Immortality was just not the kind of "feel good" bullshit radio was looking for in the summer of '95.

    When Kurt died everything seemed to change, and not for the better.
    It's like the media wanted to bury the entire "scene" and move on.

    I dunno.

    I guess the "mainstream" could only handle so much depression before it lost interest.

    ;)
    well put. pop culture is fickle, it gets bored & moves on to the next thing, sucks that dry & moves on again. what a monster ay...

    people say fads come around on a 20 year cycle....in 3 years it'll be 20 years since ten. food for thought.
    Look Alive,
    See These Bones
  • Come Back in Black
    Come Back in Black Posts: 659
    SOLAT319 wrote:
    It's always been huge to me and that's all it matters. If you like a song so much, why do you even care what everybody else's opinion of it is?

    Same thing with Tremor Christ. I actually take pride from the fact that these songs are not "front window" songs for this band and yet they are on top of my list. I would take Tremor Christ and Immortality over, say Love Boat Captain or...what's another "hip" song that every "hip" Pearl Jam fan likes? Oh, I know....Leatherman or any of the songs from Binaural album anyday.

    Yeah, I know, Binaural is "cool and hip" and all of us are supposed to melt in its presence if we know any better. Well, frankly my dear, I don't give a damn ;-)
    I mean, don't get me wrong. I do have the album. I bought it like a nice little faithful fan and listened to it from time to time. But overall...not so much ;-P
    Now, Binaural outtakes on the other hand....that's a whole different story. They're fucking awesome!! In fact, Fatal has the same problem that Immortality has. How is it that that song is not HUGE???

    Oh, and like I stated a gazillion times on this board.....VITALOGY IS A FUCKING MASTERPIECE!!!

    In what alternate dimension do you live in where "love boat captain" and "binaural" are "cool and hip"? Must be an odd world indeed. See hello to Bizzaro for me.
  • drummerboy_73
    drummerboy_73 Las Vegas, NV Posts: 2,011
    My favorite version of Immortality is from Self-Pollution Radio in '95. Mike KILLS IT on the solo!!!
    Osaka, Japan (2/21/95), San Diego (7/10/98), Las Vegas (10/22/00), San Diego (10/25/00), Las Vegas (6/6/03), Las Vegas (7/6/06), Los Angeles (7/9/06), VH1 Rock Honors (7/12/08), Ed Solo (7/8/11), Ed Solo (11/1/12), Los Angeles (11/23/13)

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