Alive

Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam were great, more than any other band at the time they symbolised the whole Seattle vibe and the type of kids who couldn’t identify with spandex and make-up and just wanted to get back to a more down-to-earth sound and play music.  Just like Punk, Grunge became a whole genre that affected everything from fashion to films.  These genres never really last because the record companies get onto it and all their A&R people change overnight from wearing tight jeans and big hair to long shorts and lumberjack shirts.  They are fickle mother fuckers and once they find the next big thing there is blood in the water and a whole lot of bands who are not very good jump in.  The beauty of it is that the really good bands go on to become timeless classics.

Pearl Jam made some great music. Eddie Vedder started to get on people’s tits by being broody & moody about everything and inadvertently became the poster boy for the whole movement and it obviously had a big effect on everything they did. The trick is not to philosophise it to death, Ticket Master, Time magazine covers, etc, etc just kick back and listen to the early stuff like this track, it is superb.
JAMES DAUBENEY