The 25th Anniversary of Perhaps the Greatest Pearl Jam Album of All Time - Vs.

13

Comments

  • tbergs
    tbergs Posts: 10,407
    This is embarassing, but I actually bought Vitalogy and Ten before Vs. because I wasn't a big fan of the cover art :i_dunno: . While I listened to a lot of PJ, I didn't officially buy anything of theirs until 1995. I absolutely obliterated the CD once I bought it. It was so in your face and amazing all at once. I remember getting pissed because I read a review of the album somewhere that called Blood a failed attempt at something more funky and a weak point for the album. F that! I soon recorded the whole CD to tape and listened to it non-stop while I mowed lawn. Nothing like turning the volume to the max on your cassette player so you can hear the music over the blaring loud blades of a lawnmower. :rock_on: I'm surprised I can still hear, although my wife might argue that I can't hear sometimes...

    Anyway, it doesn't rank very high for me in the PJ catalog (probably about 5th), but is an amazing album.
    It's a hopeless situation...
  • YourDirtisMyfood
    YourDirtisMyfood Boston Posts: 4,668
    edited October 2018
    tbergs said:
    This is embarassing, but I actually bought Vitalogy and Ten before Vs. because I wasn't a big fan of the cover art :i_dunno: . While I listened to a lot of PJ, I didn't officially buy anything of theirs until 1995. I absolutely obliterated the CD once I bought it. It was so in your face and amazing all at once. I remember getting pissed because I read a review of the album somewhere that called Blood a failed attempt at something more funky and a weak point for the album. F that! I soon recorded the whole CD to tape and listened to it non-stop while I mowed lawn. Nothing like turning the volume to the max on your cassette player so you can hear the music over the blaring loud blades of a lawnmower. :rock_on: I'm surprised I can still hear, although my wife might argue that I can't hear sometimes...

    Anyway, it doesn't rank very high for me in the PJ catalog (probably about 5th), but is an amazing album.
    I still do this even now but with my CD player listening to PJ.  The + volume doesn't work so I have to take the pointy part of the head phones that plugs into the jack and use that to turn up the volume on the machine.  It's old but still works.  LOL
  • 2-feign-reluctance
    2-feign-reluctance TigerTown, USA Posts: 23,460
    Can someone record this?
    www.cluthelee.com
  • Milestone
    Milestone Posts: 1,143
    tbergs said:
     I soon recorded the whole CD to tape and listened to it non-stop while I mowed lawn. Nothing like turning the volume to the max on your cassette player so you can hear the music over the blaring loud blades of a lawnmower. 
    Hilarious.  My days of mowing the lawn as a kid pre-date Pearl Jam.  But I did the same as you.  My lawnmowing staple cassettes were:
    1) Black Sabbath - We Sold Our Soul for Rock and Roll
    2) Metallica - Garage Days/Ride the Lightning/Kill 'em All

    As for VS...I just listened to it in headphones today for the first time since the re-issues came out.  This really grabs me as Jeff's best album.  His bass playing is up front, much more than any other studio album in my opinion.  I love it.

    I remember thinking the album cover was the worst I'd ever seen.  Still probably is.  I remember pulling that orange disk out of the cd case as a young man and feeling absolute excitement for my first listen.  I had worn out Ten and Singles both physically and mentally by that point.
    11-2-2000 Portland. 12-8-2002 Seattle. 4-18-2003 Nashville. 5-30-2003 Vancouver. 10-25-2003 Bridge School. 9-2-2005 Vancouver.
    7-6-2006 Las Vegas. 7-20-2006 Portland. 7-22-2006 Gorge. 9-21-2009 Seattle. 9-22-2009 Seattle. 9-26-2009 Ridgefield. 9-25-2011 Vancouver.
    11-29-2013 Portland. 10-16-2014 Detroit. 8-8-2018 Seattle. 8-10-2018 Seattle. 8-13-2018 Missoula.  5-10-2024 Portland.  5-30-2024 Seattle.
  • lukemil33
    lukemil33 Vandalia, OH Posts: 231
    I'm a bit behind, but my first full listen to Vs. was the morning of Christmas Day 2015. I'd heard a few songs off Lightning Bolt and knew Jeremy, Alive, etc. I saw the CD at a record store a few days earlier and thought I'd pick it up and give it a listen. I couldn't sleep that night, so I popped in the CD. I was enthralled. I fell in love with the band's sound and lyrics that night and I haven't looked back since. I don't have a least favorite song, but Go, Dissident, Blood, and Leash always get me going. It's one of those records that's an 'experience' to listen to and will always be among my favorites. 
  • YourDirtisMyfood
    YourDirtisMyfood Boston Posts: 4,668
    True story.  I was at a restaurant/tavern on July 18th, 2001 and I sang Daughter on karaoke.  I wound up speaking to a beautiful blonde girl who thought I was a goofball for singing, but thought I did a good job.  I got a petition going to bring back $1draft beers and got her to sign it.  We started talking and I asked her out and gave her my phone number so she wouldn't be stressed if she wanted to call or not.  She called a few days later, we went out and have been married for over 11 years (dated for 6 years prior).  I still credit Daughter for breaking the ice.  Thanks Pearl Jam!
  • as far as waves
    as far as waves Posts: 34
    Does anyone remember Vs. being released on vinyl a week earlier?  I swore the LP was released a week ahead of the CD/Cassette.  I remember hooking up a turntable that was out of commission for a few years to listen to it. 
  • RS65573
    RS65573 Posts: 2,499
    YourDirtisMyfood said:
    True story.  I was at a restaurant/tavern on July 18th, 2001 and I sang Daughter on karaoke.  I wound up speaking to a beautiful blonde girl who thought I was a goofball for singing, but thought I did a good job.  I got a petition going to bring back $1draft beers and got her to sign it.  We started talking and I asked her out and gave her my phone number so she wouldn't be stressed if she wanted to call or not.  She called a few days later, we went out and have been married for over 11 years (dated for 6 years prior).  I still credit Daughter for breaking the ice.  Thanks Pearl Jam!
    Love this story!
  • 2-feign-reluctance
    2-feign-reluctance TigerTown, USA Posts: 23,460
    Anyone catch this and record it?
    www.cluthelee.com
  • Sea
    Sea Posts: 3,131
    as far as waves said:
    Does anyone remember Vs. being released on vinyl a week earlier?  I swore the LP was released a week ahead of the CD/Cassette.  I remember hooking up a turntable that was out of commission for a few years to listen to it. 
    Vitalogy was released on vinyl two weeks before the CD/cassette release. :)


  • 2-feign-reluctance
    2-feign-reluctance TigerTown, USA Posts: 23,460
    Sea said:
    as far as waves said:
    Does anyone remember Vs. being released on vinyl a week earlier?  I swore the LP was released a week ahead of the CD/Cassette.  I remember hooking up a turntable that was out of commission for a few years to listen to it. 
    Vitalogy was released on vinyl two weeks before the CD/cassette release. :)


    16 years old, just got my driver's license. My first trip out to buy my first record - Streetside Records in St.Charles. Good times.
    www.cluthelee.com
  • YourDirtisMyfood
    YourDirtisMyfood Boston Posts: 4,668
    RS65573 said:
    YourDirtisMyfood said:
    True story.  I was at a restaurant/tavern on July 18th, 2001 and I sang Daughter on karaoke.  I wound up speaking to a beautiful blonde girl who thought I was a goofball for singing, but thought I did a good job.  I got a petition going to bring back $1draft beers and got her to sign it.  We started talking and I asked her out and gave her my phone number so she wouldn't be stressed if she wanted to call or not.  She called a few days later, we went out and have been married for over 11 years (dated for 6 years prior).  I still credit Daughter for breaking the ice.  Thanks Pearl Jam!
    Love this story!


    Thank you!
  • YourDirtisMyfood
    YourDirtisMyfood Boston Posts: 4,668
    edited October 2018
    Sea said:
    as far as waves said:
    Does anyone remember Vs. being released on vinyl a week earlier?  I swore the LP was released a week ahead of the CD/Cassette.  I remember hooking up a turntable that was out of commission for a few years to listen to it. 
    Vitalogy was released on vinyl two weeks before the CD/cassette release. :)


    I bought it at a record store that week I think somewhere in Framingham, MA and it is somewhere in my mother's laundry room at her house.  LOL
  • BettrMan21
    BettrMan21 Chattanooga,Tn Posts: 291
    I can still look at that bright orange CD and be sitting in my bedroom in 1993. Great record. Perfect time machine.
  • HesCalledDyer
    HesCalledDyer Maryland Posts: 16,491
    Christmas 1993 - Vs, Super Mario All-Stars, & a street hockey stick
    Star Lake 00 / Pittsburgh 03 / State College 03 / Bristow 03 / Cleveland 06 / Camden II 06 / DC 08 / Pittsburgh 13 / Baltimore 13 / Charlottesville 13 / Cincinnati 14 / St. Paul 14 / Hampton 16 / Wrigley I 16 / Wrigley II 16 / Baltimore 20 / Camden 22 / Baltimore 24 / Raleigh I 25 / Raleigh II 25 / Pittsburgh I 25
  • YourDirtisMyfood
    YourDirtisMyfood Boston Posts: 4,668
    Had no idea that the cassette was called "Five Against One."  




  • YourDirtisMyfood
    YourDirtisMyfood Boston Posts: 4,668
    https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/pearl-jam-vs-things-you-didnt-know-731555/

  • pjhawks
    pjhawks Posts: 12,912
    YourDirtisMyfood said:
    Had no idea that the cassette was called "Five Against One."  




    I still have my tape with Five Against One on it.
  • YourDirtisMyfood
    YourDirtisMyfood Boston Posts: 4,668
    pjhawks said:
    YourDirtisMyfood said:
    Had no idea that the cassette was called "Five Against One."  




    I still have my tape with Five Against One on it.
    Would that be considered a rarity or collectors item?  Like how many were released with the "Five Against One" title?  Reminds me of the Star Wars posters that got released early with "Revenge of the Jedi" until they changed it to "Return of the Jedi" and those originals are worth a mint.
  • YourDirtisMyfood
    YourDirtisMyfood Boston Posts: 4,668
    "The line 'always keep it loaded' in Glorified G came from my dad I think."  - Jeff Ament, from Vs. Sirius Radio special.

Categories