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Do you consider Merkin Ball a Pearl Jam release?

HA30208HA30208 Posts: 39
edited March 2011 in The Porch
I hadn’t really considered this until recently but I just wanted to get a feeling for what people thought of Merkin Ball. I remember when the EP came out, it had been almost a whole year since Vitalogy. Pearl Jam didn’t come anywhere close to my location for the tour due to the ticketmaster issue. I recall there might have been a somewhat negative leaning towards the band from non-fans due to the no videos, no ticketmaster supported venues, and maybe Vitalogy being somewhat considered a “difficult” album. Lucky for me our local radio station seemed to always support the band and they started playing “I Got Shit” around that December when Merkin Ball was released. I loved the song (and still love it). To me it was a awesome way to keep the band in mind and know that they were still working on material (this was pre-internet obviously so I wasn’t constantly checking websites, do you remember what that was like?). I remember buying the CD at On Cue and saw that it was a companion piece to Neil’s record. The back of the package did have a break up of who performed what on each track…something like this:

“I Got Id” : Eddie on guitar, vocals, Jack Irons on drums, Brendan O’Brien on Bass, Neil Young on Guitar
“Long Road” : Eddie on guitar, vocals, Jack Irons on drums, Jeff on Bass, Neil Young on Guitar, Organ

I know the whole band was involved with recording Neil’s Mirror ball earlier that year but I always kind of found it interesting that Merkin Ball was considered a PJ release. Especially since “I Got Shit” really only had 2 members of PJ performing on it, and I’m not sure if Jack was considered a full time member in February 1995.

I know PJ’s albums have songs that plainly the whole band isn’t performing (Bugs, Soon Forget, spring to mind). But those songs are in the context of the album as a whole. We treat Temple of the Dog as a separate entity besides Pearl Jam, even though it had four members contributing to “Hunger Strike”.

Both songs are fucking killers live. I was lucky enough to see “I Got Shit” at a Kansas City show and I used Long Road as a wedding song.

P.S. don’t read too deep into this post, I’m just killing time at work waiting for more PJ20 festival details to come out.
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Comments

  • cbrunelle783cbrunelle783 Posts: 1,025
    yes
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  • cbrunelle783cbrunelle783 Posts: 1,025
    edited March 2011
    yes I never bought Vs. or Vitalogy and I think that that EP is better than most of the stuff on those albums.
    Post edited by cbrunelle783 on
    Boston 5/17/10
    Tres Mts. 3/27/11
    EV Solo:Providence 6/15/11 Boston 6/16/11 Hartford 6/18/11
    PJ20 9/3/11-9/4/11

    Concert Wishlist: I am Mine, Marker in the Sand, Parachutes, In Hiding, All Those Yesterdays, I Got Shit, Long Road, Light Years
  • HA30208HA30208 Posts: 39
    I consider it a full Pearl Jam release, too. It sits right in between Vitalogy and No Code on the CD rack.
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  • ParksyParksy Posts: 1,849
    Yes
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  • Empty GlassEmpty Glass In Rob's shed Posts: 12,329
    HA30208 wrote:
    I consider it a full Pearl Jam release, too. It sits right in between Vitalogy and No Code on the CD rack.


    right where mine is at.

    Never thought of it as an EP though, more like a single...eitherway two great songs
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  • WhyGo77WhyGo77 Posts: 113
    Empty Glass wrote:
    HA30208 wrote:
    I consider it a full Pearl Jam release, too. It sits right in between Vitalogy and No Code on the CD rack.


    right where mine is at.

    Never thought of it as an EP though, more like a single...eitherway two great songs


    I agree with Empty Glass...I have always thought of it as a two-song single. Great stuff anyway you slice it.
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  • PapPap Serres, Greece Posts: 29,857
    Yeah. Why not? :)
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  • dimitrispearljamdimitrispearljam Posts: 139,724
    Empty Glass wrote:
    HA30208 wrote:
    I consider it a full Pearl Jam release, too. It sits right in between Vitalogy and No Code on the CD rack.


    right where mine is at.

    Never thought of it as an EP though, more like a single...eitherway two great songs
    this
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  • boyo79boyo79 Warrington, UK Posts: 6,525
    WhyGo77 wrote:
    Empty Glass wrote:
    HA30208 wrote:
    I consider it a full Pearl Jam release, too. It sits right in between Vitalogy and No Code on the CD rack.


    right where mine is at.

    Never thought of it as an EP though, more like a single...eitherway two great songs


    I agree with Empty Glass...I have always thought of it as a two-song single. Great stuff anyway you slice it.


    I have all the albums together and then all the singles together. This goes in the PJ singles rack for me between Immortality and Who You Are !
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  • The Waiting Trophy ManThe Waiting Trophy Man Niagara region, Ontario, Canada Posts: 12,158
    I consider it a pearl jam, featuring Neil young release. I put it together with mirror ball on the cd rack.
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  • HA30208HA30208 Posts: 39
    I have all the albums together and then all the singles together. This goes in the PJ singles rack for me between Immortality and Who You Are !

    Interesting distiction in regards to if Merkin Ball is considered an EP or a Single release. I guess I would consider it a single release if it contained a song from a full album, and an EP would be an extra release of songs left over from a recording session that didn't make the album.

    Cool, never thought of it that way.

    So does Merkin Ball belong between "Vitalogy" and "No Code" or does it belong in the singles rack?
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  • BALLBOYBALLBOY Australia Posts: 1,035
    It was released & it is by PJ, so it has to be.
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  • Empty GlassEmpty Glass In Rob's shed Posts: 12,329
    The Waiting Trophy Man wrote:
    I consider it a pearl jam, featuring Neil young release. I put it together with mirror ball on the cd rack.

    I guess I lied earlier...Vitalogy, Mirrorball, Merkinball, No Code is how I store them.

    We need Mirrorball II !!
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  • RedMosquito22RedMosquito22 Posts: 8,158
    It's a single, thus the reason why it was given away in the mystery single giveaway.

    You would need at least 4 songs for me to consider anything an EP.
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  • PapPap Serres, Greece Posts: 29,857
    Empty Glass wrote:
    We need Mirrorball II !!
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  • boyo79boyo79 Warrington, UK Posts: 6,525
    RedMosquito22 wrote:
    You would need at least 4 songs for me to consider anything an EP.

    +1
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  • Hugh Freaking DillonHugh Freaking Dillon Posts: 14,010
    boyo79 wrote:
    RedMosquito22 wrote:
    You would need at least 4 songs for me to consider anything an EP.

    +1

    3 songs is good for an EP. You can't call 3 songs a single, I don't think. There's an A side and a B side to a single, no C side. :lol:
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  • Hugh Freaking DillonHugh Freaking Dillon Posts: 14,010
    it's by Pearl Jam, so it's a Pearl Jam release. NY is a guest.
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  • TouringFan2000TouringFan2000 Posts: 305
    to quote patrick bateman: maybe. i don't know. not really.
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  • PushinPaintPushinPaint Posts: 434
    Just commenting on what the OP said about vitalogy in the post - it is my favorite album by PJ. Just consider the songs it includes:

    last exit
    spin the black circle
    corduroy
    betterman
    nothingman
    satan's bed
    immortality
    whipping
    not for you
    tremor christ

    ALL from the same album. Insanity. That album is so good.
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