Do Pearl Jam use session-guitarists?

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

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 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.

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 wrote:

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

Uh oh...

*Heads for cover*

Pj_Gurl wrote:

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

Pffffft.

harmless_little_f*** wrote:

What's the point in a band writing a song in a style they can't play in? Doesn't make sense to me. Work with what you've got, or go and join Depeche Mode.

It's not about that at all. I realize your comment was a response to Oh Jimmy saying that Like Ian said earlier, sometimes they just want to hear the song played by someone with fresh ears. Or it might be the live recording case where they want another guitar for a more full sound. It's easy to get lost in your own creative process and forget what you were after in the first place.

harmless_little_f*** wrote:

What's the point in a band writing a song in a style they can't play in? Doesn't make sense to me. Work with what you've got, or go and join Depeche Mode.

Ya gotta know the whole story, harmless.

Zep were recording at Hedly Grange using the Rolling Stones moble studio. Stu had dropped around to check that everything was going OK, and that hte gear was fine etc.
While he was there, he jumped on the piano for a jam, and they knocked out Boogie with Stu.

Remember , the Hedley Grange sessions were very informal. I have seen a wonderful pic of Page and Plant dancing aound outside, with the recording truck doors open and the music from one of the tracks (possibly Dancing Days) they had just laid blasting out. A total contrast to fiddling with ProTools.
When the Levee Breaks was done with the drums in the halll, cos a new kit arrived, and there was nowhere else to put it, but the result was fantastic.
HAts Off to Roy HArper was an impromptu song from just two takes with Plant singing through teh tremolo channel on an amp that was lying around while PAge jammed the slide work.
Other musos would stroll in regularly to hang out or do drugs or whatever with all the bands in those days.

brain of c wrote:

some cat named neil played on long road and i got shit........maybe mike and stone were busy?

Yea they were playin paintball

Mike:STONE, YOU DID NOT JUST GET THAT HEAD SHOOT
Stone:I DIDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Pj_Gurl wrote:

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

Well, just to play Devil's Advocate for a moment here: none of that in any way changes my opinion and nor should it. Just because Ian might be a phenomenal guitarist (I wouldn't know, I haven't listened to the samples but I'm happy to take your word for it), doesn't really prove much - nor does the fact that I don't post in this forum very often.

I still treat his claims with a fair amount of skepticism and why not? Nothing in anything I've seen in his posts is any kind of proof. He's suspiciously vague about the song he played on and all the gear information he posted could've been cribbed from a glance at the inside cover to No Code or a quick websearch.

I'm not really out for it to be proved to me that this guy's legit as unless I see hard evidence I won't be convinced he's played on any of their recorded material. I'm just sharing an opinion; the point of a message board, surely. I have to admit, I'm somewhat surprised that nobody had thought to question the claim before me.

The band have gone to great lengths to point out whenever another musician has played on one of their tracks: Jimmy The Drum Tech on Satan's Bed, Neil Young on the Merkinball tracks, Brendan O'Brien on various tracks over the years. I don't buy that they'd be covertly tracking stuff with session musicians, that's all.

Just one guy's opinion, not looking to start any fights...please feel free to just ignore it if you don't agree.