Content Starts Here
Pearl Jam biography
PEARL JAM BIOGRAPHY
Despite being regarded as one of 'the big four' of Grunge along with Nirvana, Alice In Chains and Soundgarden, Eddie Vedder and chums (guitarists Stone Gossard and Mike McCready, bassist Jeff Ament and drummer Matt Cameron ) are just as likely to namecheck The Who and Queen as influences. But without the success of Nirvana, the road may never have been clear for the success of the band who would go on to outsell Kurt Cobain's combo in the 90s by fusing 70s riff-heavy stadium rock with post-punk fury.
The band rose from the ashes of Mother Love Bone, evolving as a tribute project to deceased vocalist Andrew Wood who overdosed on heroin in 1990. Guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament assembled a new line-up bringing in Mike McCready on guitar and Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron. An early band demo found its way to a 25-year-old San Diego singer, Eddie Vedder, who was subsequently invited to join the band.
The band were still something of a cult act by the time of their debut album, Ten in 1991. But with Vedder's nihilistic, pit-bull vocal howl and Gossard and Ament's musicianship, the album was an assured debut. Their grunge foundations were given a melodic underpin with Vedder's soulful vocals on standout tracks Alive and Jeremy. Despite being seen as corporate grunge rockers in some circles, not least by Kurt Cobain who dismissed their debut, the band clearly had something genuine to offer, although their success would eventually usher in an era of corporate, faceless rockers such as Train, Nicklelback and many more. Pearl Jam's audience continued to grow during 1992, thanks to a series of radio and MTV hits, as well as successful appearances on the second Lollapalooza tour and the Cameron Crowe flick Singles, starring Matt Dillon.
The band gained more fans with the release of their second album, 1993's Vs, primarily because of their decision not to release any videos or singles from it. The album became a multi-platinum success selling 1m copies in its first week of US release and was altogether a more visceral affair than its predecessor and on the downtempo Daughter, displayed a range of emotions that had been hidden up to now. The band cancelled their subsequent 1994 summer US tour when they went to war with Ticketmaster, claiming the ticketing giant was pressuring promoters to charge higher seat prices. Pearl Jam's third album, Vitalogy was initially released on vinyl only. Again it debuted at No.1 on the chart and saw the band stripping down their giant stadium sound. The following year, 1995, saw the band team up with grunge icon Neil Young on the Mirrorball album. Comprised entirely of Neil Young songs, Mirror Ball appeared under Young's name, although the individual members of the band were credited, the name Pearl Jam did not appear on the cover due to legal complications.
The following year they returned to full force with the No Code album which showcased a lighter, acoustic side as well as an experimentalism with worldbeat. Fans weren't impressed though and the album faded quickly after debuting at No.1 on the US charts and the Top 3 of the UK charts. With their ongoing dispute with Ticketmaster still raging, the band were unable to embark on a full scale tour to support the album and consequently spent most of 1997 out of the spotlight. Their next album, Yield, revealed a meatier, harder rocking sound and after an initial burst of commercial success, the album again slipped down the charts quickly. The band supported the album with a full scale tour and released the live album, Live On Two Legs at the end of 1998.
The band then scored their biggest hit in years with their cover of the J Frank Wilson classic, Last Kiss. Originally released as a fan club-only single, the track narrowly missed on the US No.1 spot in 1999. The band returned in 2000 with a new album, Binaural, full of trademark Pearl Jam riffs and grunge shenanigans. By now the band seemed untouchable, a kind of Rolling Stones for the grunge generation. 2002 saw the release of Riot Act, a critically acclaimed set of new tracks that saw the band dabbling in experimental art-rock once again.
Their recent, eponymously titled 2006 album was a lusher, grander affair than previous efforts which saw the band still railing at injustices, whether it was the Bush administration or the Iraq war - a testament to their longevity and their stance as unrepentant rockers...
Related Links
Font size
Mail
My account
Help
Community
Print now
Send to a friend
Related articles
Related products
