As a longtime fan of Pearl Jam, it always kind of struck me how strong the reactions regarding the band are. They seem to be the kind of band that you either really love, or you really hate.
Their popularity is easy enough to understand. They were a part of the Seattle scene when that became "all of the rage", as was suggested on the cover of Time magazine once. Their was an intensity and energy to their music and shows that was hard to rival. Anybody who watches clips of their early live performances from the early nineties and sees Eddie Vedder climbing all over the stage (literally) and the other ban members jumping and rocking to the music would surely have to attest to that. It was exciting! Their lyrics appealed to many who were tired of the party music of the eighties, most of which lacked substance when it came to real issues, which either meant that this was a sign of the times that they came from, or perhaps that these bands were a product of their times (and that they did not transcend the limitations of their times). By contrast, Pearl Jam helped to define their times. For a few sweet years, Pearl Jam was the biggest band in the world. Some have suggested that they took over the world.
Yet, they seemed almost uncomfortable with their own success, particularly Vedder. This was a band that rose from an anti-establishment, anti-commercial music scene, yet stood on the precipice of the pitfalls of success. As much as the band rejected it, their success continued, and so many felt that their criticisms of the excesses of huge publicity and following was disingenuous. Also, there was the not insignificant matter of the harsh judgments of the band from Kurt Cobain, which has remained as a kind of dark shadow that has, at least to some extent, hovered over the band since. Many others have latched onto these criticisms, and they have continued to plague the band right to the present day. Just a few months ago, Howard Stern and Billy Corgan discussed Pearl Jam, with both men agreeing that they were "derivative" (lacking originality), and with neither man seeming to understand or "get" the sustained success that Pearl Jam has enjoyed. Ironically, many bands that came shortly after Pearl Jam exploded on the scene were accused of being "derivative" of Pearl Jam, including Stone Temple Pilots, The Nixons, Seven Mary Three, Creed, and a few others.
I have suspicions as to why that is. In fact, it's probably for a variety of reasons, not least of which would be Corbain's famous shots at the band, but the main one would surely be that they have enjoyed the kind of success that most bands can only dream of, and there is some unstated measure of jealousy attached to criticism of the band. Moreover, they have found a way to make it last, on top of it. Seriously, this is a band that will be celebrating a quarter of a century together later this year! That's phenomenal!
Still, detractors always seem to have their say. I already mentioned Nirvana's Kurt Cobain and The Smashing Pumpkin's Billy Corgan, but they are certainly not alone. Over the course of the years, I have heard criticism of Pearl Jam from various members of other bands, including Creed, Jet, Nickleback, PJ Harvey, as well as some others that are not immediately coming to mind. Most recently, Marilyn Manson took a pot shot at Pearl Jam's credibility, indirectly calling their image, and their battle with Ticketmaster "horseshit".
Pearl Jam, to their credit, usually have not gotten directly involved with trying to answer such criticism, or even really let it bother them too much. They have focused on continuing to do their own thing, and to their credit, they have become one of the pillars of rock bands out there now. They are almost an institution, with few major acts really rivaling the level of success that they enjoy. While most of the other bands from that Seattle era have fallen by the wayside, or broken up at some point before getting back together again (such as Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Rage Against the Machine, and Corgan's Smashing Pumpkins), this is one band that has remained together through it all. They have collaborated on some level or other with numerous other bands over the years, including R.E.M., Soundgarden, Bruce Springsteen, U2, and a few others.
Over the years, they have redefined themselves considerably, changing their sound and image, but staying true, for the most part, to their anti-commercial roots. Still, they have managed to remain popular, and their live shows have almost become the stuff of legend, even though they still have their detractors.
But while many have been highly critical of the band, there are certainly some that have defended them and their integrity. Ben Harper claimed that Pearl Jam was the best band in the world, during a 2003 show n New York. Dave Groehl, formerly of Nirvana and presently of the Foo Fighters, has remained a vocal supporter. Chris Novoselic of Nirvana has also lent his support and defended the band at times, as has Courtney Love (although what her precise sentiments about Pearl Jam are have been fairly inconsistent). But the most consistent supporters from the Seattle scene that I know have undeniably been Soundgarden. Makes sense, since the drummer is in both bands.
It's more than just that, however. Chris Cornell was an early supporter of Pearl Jam, and genuinely seems to get along with the band members, and enjoy their music scene. Kim Thayil is now also stepping up in defense of Pearl Jam, turning much of the conventional criticism of Pearl Jam on it's head by suggesting that they are the only grunge band that did not borrow from Soundgarden, suggesting a level of originality and legitimacy that many of Pearl Jam's detractors would never credit the band with. Since Soundgarden themselves have really not been accused of lacking originality or having their own distinct style, that lends a measure of credibility to Pearl Jam from a major outside source that has been relatively rare.
But you can bet that it will not take long before someone else takes a swipe at Pearl Jam, since it seems to be the accepted thing to do for many bands that want to claim a certain measure of credibility and originality, as if these bands had no influences and came up with their music and values and such entirely on their own. Let it be so.
For Pearl Jam fans, we take pleasure in having picked a band that has given so much back to their fans. That includes, but is not limited to, numerous tours (they used to be a lot more affordable than they are now, although they still are not nearly as expensive as some other major acts), some great music albums, DVD's, posters, and bootleg albums, to name just a few. That they have lasted this long is, frankly, both a bit of a surprise (since it came so fast), yet also not really a surprise at all. There is something special about these guys, what they do, and their belief in each other and themselves.
Now, here it is, 2015 already. Pearl Jam will celebrate their 25th anniversary later this year, and they are planning another major tour, evidently. I know I'm looking forward to it, and thinking about taking my son to a show, as he has now become quite a big Pearl Jam fan in his own right.
So, I thought that the proper thing to do would be to share a few links related to Pearl Jam that have been floating around lately. One on Kim Thayil's suggestion that Pearl Jam was the only grunge act that did not "borrow" from Soundgarden, another on Marilyn Manson, where you can find his comments on Pearl Jam (I still like him, though), and then another on Stone Gossard discussing the musical difference within the members of the band. Finally, one last one that provides a bit of information on the band's future plans.
Enjoy!
Kim Thayil Says Pearl Jam Were Only Grunge Band That Didn’t ‘Borrow’ From Soundgarden Rock MusicAlternativeGrungeHard RockTop Storiesby Brett Buchanan - Feb 12, 2015
http://www.alternativenation.net/kim-thayil-says-pearl-jam-grunge-band-didnt-borrow-soundgarden/
Stone Gossard Discusses Pearl Jam’s Creative Differences Rock MusicAlternativeGrungeHard RockTop Storiesby Brett Buchanan - Feb 11, 2015
http://www.alternativenation.net/stone-gossard-discusses-pearl-jams-creative-differences/
Marilyn Manson Claims He Invented Grunge, Talks Nirvana and Pearl Jam Rock MusicAlternativeGrungeHard RockRock FeaturesHeadlinesTop Storiesby Mike Mazzarone - Jan 12, 2015
http://www.alternativenation.net/marilyn-manson-claims-he-invented-grunge-talks-nirvana-pearl-jam/
Pearl Jam Reportedly Planning To Tour Later This Year Pearl Jam Reportedly Planning To Tour Later This Year Rock MusicAlternativeGrungeHard RockRock FeaturesHeadlinesTop Storiesby Brett Buchanan - Jan 8, 2015
http://www.alternativenation.net/pearl-jam-reportedly-planning-tour-later-year/
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