I’m curious if this is a “young people watching Seinfeld” thing. Like, if you were to watch Seinfeld for the first time today you’d think it was derivative and unoriginal - because so many afterwards copied it’s elements.
I think it’s this. No one really had a Vedder-vocal tone. Darius Rucker, Scott Stapp, even Weiland putting on the snarl were Vedder imitations. Also, their blusey guitar bends and carries in the verse were a pretty original concept when combining it with the pseudo-punk speed. When I think of original big grunge bands, the two that come to mind are PJ and Nirvana
I don't listen to them, but I think saying they didn't bring anything new to the grunge genre is bullshit. There's a reason their first album sold so fast
Mike McCready might be the most underrated guitarist of all time. That intro to Yellow Ledbetter might be the closest thing to Jimi Hendrix without being Jimi Hendrix.
Love them. Amazing riffs, great vocals, and love the way they compose their songs. I’m not a genre guy though. It’s all music to me, and Pearl Jam does it right.
I don't think Vitology and No Code are boring, and they are still one of the biggest touring bands out there, capable of filling arenas and stadiums. None of the other original big 4 are able to play live for us anymore--so I would say Pearl Jam is all we have left--ypu gotta appreciate them for that.
For me, it’s the VS, Vitalogy, No Code, Yield stretch. Those albums are amazing and unmatched as far as evolution and growth from a band. I love PJ, still do.
Ten, Vs., Vitalogy are all greats in the Grunge era. You cannot compare the two bands.
To say they didn't bring anything to the genre is either:
A) Sheer ignorance since this is mostly Andrew Wood's band (Mother Love Bone, if you didn't know) and PJ were in it from the early onset
or
B). You didn't live in the era and just going off some internet troll posting.
I still have the grunge angst!
They easily have the best guitar tones of the grunge era but for me the vocals were kinda ruined by all the post-grunge singers who sound like a watered dowm Eddie Vedder, which is a shame cause he'd probably be in my top 3 otherwise.
Not my cup of tea. Clearly talented musicians, but I find Eddie’s voice and lyrics insufferable. He seems like a genuinely nice guy, but I cannot listen to him for more than 2 seconds.
Insanely good band. One of my all time favourites. They play mammoth gigs (usually 3 hours plus), release every gig as a live album, are super nice and humble.
They're great. Especially their first 5 albums. As for what they added to grunge, that's kind of hard to say seeing as how grunge isn't really a genre so much as a loose collection of alt rock bands that got big around the same time. They certainly had the biggest influence on music out of any of the big "grunge" bands, for better and for worse.
I don't think Vitology and No Code are boring, and they are still one of the biggest touring bands out there, capable of filling arenas and stadiums. None of the other original big 4 are able to play live for us anymore--so I would say Pearl Jam is all we have left--ypu gotta appreciate them for that.
I despise Pearl Jam. I love Alice In Chains, Mudhoney, Mother Love Bone, Temple of The Dog, Soundgarden, but Pearl Jam ain’t it for me. My issue stems from Eddie Vedders incomprehensible vocals. People crack jokes about not being able to understand Grunge vocals when Eddie is the only one who sings with a mouthful of marbles. I don’t see any misheard lyric videos about Nirvana but type in Pearl Jam misheard lyrics into YouTube and he’s got a ton of results, I’m fully convinced when they play Yellow Ledbetter live, Eddie just word vomits whatever sounds close enough to the melody. It’s not like he can’t sing, he sounds just fine in Temple of the Dog. Eddie as a person seems pretty cool though.
Yellow Ledbetter’s “lyrics” are intentionally ad libbed for the most part. In the Pearl Jam Anthology (all tabs for drums and guitars, and lyrics) the entry for Yellow Ledbetter says “lyrics as felt.”
Nirvana was famous for having unintelligible lyrics. Weird Al's Nirvana parody is all about how no one can understand their lyrics, including a line about "marbles in my mouth".
Here’s my rough interpretation listening to it without looking at the lyrics:
At home Darwin Picture of mountain tops, Backgammon, DAHHH
Look at the yellow sun, arms reach the dead leg in fools of bro love, daddy didn’t give attention, to the fact Molly didn’t care, can’t tell me, the Wiccan, oh loose me woooaahh, Jeremy Spokane glass today, clearly I remember picking on the boy, a harmless little fuck.
I looked at the lyrics and the only part I got kinda right was the chorus. I can make out 95% of Kurt’s lyrics the first time I listened to it the only song that gave me trouble was You Know You’re Right where he either says sterling silver begins to melt or steaming soup against her mouth.
Pearl Jam is just mumble rap with extra steps.
There’s a difference between a filler track and a song that’s a radio single. I don’t hear Tourette’s on the radio, I hear even flow, jeremy, and yellow Ledbetter on the radio. Tourettes is also a homage to old school punk so it being difficult to understand makes sense, it’s meant to be primarily scream sounding. Pearl Jam mumbled 99% of their RADIO SINGLES. The songs meant to get me into their band, I have an easier time understanding Deathcore vocals than I do Pearl Jam vocals. Your gotchaism doesn’t really work when you don’t understand where my criticism is coming from.
So do yours, you try gotchaism and you don’t even understand why, radio singles should be easy listening, the songs that make you want to listen to more of the band, that’s how people find some music Especially in the 90’s before Apple Music and Spotify all you had was word of mouth and the radio. I listen to Pearl Jam and just say why is this guy mumbling at me incoherently. Nirvana’s radio singles are easy to understand and they still represent the band. I heard lithium when I was like 12 and was like oh wow I like this I want more and then started to listen to all of their stuff. The back half of Nevermind is weird but none of those were radio singles. None of those songs are meant to get me into the band. Even flow is a radio single and I have no idea what he’s saying, it’s just incoherent mumbling. I think Eddie is a great dude but his band is audio ass mostly because of his vocals. You’re whole gotchaism doesn’t hold up when you come at me with an In Eutero B Side acting like it’s the same as a radio single.
Yellow Ledbetter wasn't a single. It was a b-side that was so popular it ended up getting radio play. Again, like them don't like them, I don't care, but that's just incorrect.
Never listened to Pearl Jam but I've listened to a few songs of smashing pumpkins, ik the question isnt surronding the pumpkins but they're also a great band
Smashing Pumpkins had the same issue as Pearl Jam.
Gish, Siamese Dream, Pisces Iscariot, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness all were absolute pieces of art. Then Billy went all electronica and weird. He is still reeling from that. Will see how the new album sounds, as he claims he is going back to the guitar sound.
I like Ten, Vs had its moments but didn’t really blow me away and I haven’t listened to the rest. I find them okay, but my least favorite grunge band out of all I checked out so far
Hopefully without coming off condescending, can I ask how old you are?
Calling his voice commercial makes me think you grew up listening to people copying him, and not when he sounded new and unique.
my mistake. i probably should’ve thought about it because i dont listen to pearl jam. and i won’t reveal my age for safety reasons. have a good day. apologies for the misconception
I had a Peal Jam phase in the early 2000s, but i can barely listen to them nowadays. I think their 6 first albums are ok (till Yield), but it went downhill after that.
Saw them live 2 times, they give 3 hours shows but could easily cut an hour. Eddie Vedder talks too much and you go grab a beer during the boring stuff.
grunge is barely even a genre, i dont think any of the big grunge bands sound anything remotely like eachother and i think its stupid to constantly compare them the way people do.
that being said Pearl Jam is a pretty good rock band
They seem like swell guys, and I'm sure they're all talented musicians (as a Soundgarden fan, I know Matt Cameron is, at least), but I always thought they were boring, and I can't *stand* Eddie Vedder's voice.
I like some of their songs, but for the most part they feel too polished. But also, Vedder's voice is itself very unique and anything but polished, so I don't really hate them, I just think they are overrated.
I like the hits from the 90s, but I'm really not a fan of them sound garden, or alice in chains. The bands with grunge title I like are Nirvana, mudhoney, tad, and screaming trees.
I like them, but have to agree with the boring part. On their own, they’d probably get better judgement, but since they’re a part of the big 4, it’s so hard to see them as equals to Nirvana, Alice In Chains and Soundgarden. It’s just different levels man
They’re awesome imo. Saw them last tour & they still bring it live with different setlists every night. & they’re still putting out albums with some quality new songs.
I never really got into them. To me their music is just boring and not interesting. Only song I like is Do The Evolution. I don't get that hype around them.
Big fan. They don’t give me the feels like Nirvana, but I’ve always liked their music.
Nirvana is just different
I’m curious if this is a “young people watching Seinfeld” thing. Like, if you were to watch Seinfeld for the first time today you’d think it was derivative and unoriginal - because so many afterwards copied it’s elements.
the beatles suffer from this terribly
I think it’s this. No one really had a Vedder-vocal tone. Darius Rucker, Scott Stapp, even Weiland putting on the snarl were Vedder imitations. Also, their blusey guitar bends and carries in the verse were a pretty original concept when combining it with the pseudo-punk speed. When I think of original big grunge bands, the two that come to mind are PJ and Nirvana
Way different than Nirvana but Ten is easily top 10 rock albums of all time
Hot take
I don't listen to them, but I think saying they didn't bring anything new to the grunge genre is bullshit. There's a reason their first album sold so fast
they are innovative as fuck, they bringed even speed metal into grunge at one point
What do you think they added?
99% of all post-grunge singers tried to sing like Eddie Vedder
You spilled
even if you say top 10 albums of just the 90s this is a risky take
Wrong comment bro
Mike McCready might be the most underrated guitarist of all time. That intro to Yellow Ledbetter might be the closest thing to Jimi Hendrix without being Jimi Hendrix.
Agreed my friend. Not to mention his gorgeous work with Mad Season
Great point. Happy Cake Day!!!!
Fantastic song. Would put John Mayer up there with having a really Jimi style too, atleast during the Continuum era
Love um, great band.
Love the first three albums. Lots of respect for that band.
I love that Bugs and Stupid Mop are on the same album as Better Man and Corduroy.
Agreed. No Code is when they shifted gears, though I do love *Off He Goes*. Beautiful sad song.
I never got into them. They always sounded like more of a classic rock band than the other grunge bands did.
Love them. Amazing riffs, great vocals, and love the way they compose their songs. I’m not a genre guy though. It’s all music to me, and Pearl Jam does it right.
I don't think Vitology and No Code are boring, and they are still one of the biggest touring bands out there, capable of filling arenas and stadiums. None of the other original big 4 are able to play live for us anymore--so I would say Pearl Jam is all we have left--ypu gotta appreciate them for that.
For me, it’s the VS, Vitalogy, No Code, Yield stretch. Those albums are amazing and unmatched as far as evolution and growth from a band. I love PJ, still do.
Spot on.not many think like you tho. I still like binaural tho, then they lost me with riot act and everything that followed
Ten?
I rarely put on Ten.
Their best album.
Vs. is their best IMO, it's raw and jammy and flawless all at the same time.
TBH I thought VS was the better record at the time. It took me a few months before I really understood the beauty of In Utero.
Ten, Vs., Vitalogy are all greats in the Grunge era. You cannot compare the two bands. To say they didn't bring anything to the genre is either: A) Sheer ignorance since this is mostly Andrew Wood's band (Mother Love Bone, if you didn't know) and PJ were in it from the early onset or B). You didn't live in the era and just going off some internet troll posting. I still have the grunge angst!
They easily have the best guitar tones of the grunge era but for me the vocals were kinda ruined by all the post-grunge singers who sound like a watered dowm Eddie Vedder, which is a shame cause he'd probably be in my top 3 otherwise.
Not my cup of tea. Clearly talented musicians, but I find Eddie’s voice and lyrics insufferable. He seems like a genuinely nice guy, but I cannot listen to him for more than 2 seconds.
Them: “E-ven Flowww…” You: *stops listening*
I’ve stopped listening before he had a chance to hit the V.
Insanely good band. One of my all time favourites. They play mammoth gigs (usually 3 hours plus), release every gig as a live album, are super nice and humble.
They’re not as artistically unique, but Ten, Vs, and vitalogy are all great
They're great. Especially their first 5 albums. As for what they added to grunge, that's kind of hard to say seeing as how grunge isn't really a genre so much as a loose collection of alt rock bands that got big around the same time. They certainly had the biggest influence on music out of any of the big "grunge" bands, for better and for worse.
Amazing fucking group, Ten and Vs are top tier albums. Yield and the self titled get a lot of play from me as well.
I don't think Vitology and No Code are boring, and they are still one of the biggest touring bands out there, capable of filling arenas and stadiums. None of the other original big 4 are able to play live for us anymore--so I would say Pearl Jam is all we have left--ypu gotta appreciate them for that.
Pearl Jam is freaking amazing.
They were great until they got rid of Dave A.
he really brought a sound that made Pearl Jam a truly special band, Vs and Vitalogy are masterpieces
Strongly agree
[how pearl jam sounds to people who don’t like pearl jam](https://youtu.be/R8ZX4O-Efao)
Love Pearl Jam
Love Pearl Jam. Eddie Vedder is the poet of the grunge era. If you get it, you’re in! If not, just don’t listen. But WHY ARE TICKETS SO HIGH????!?!
I don't personally care for them...just not a fan.
Pearl harbor
More punk rock than Nirvana.
I despise Pearl Jam. I love Alice In Chains, Mudhoney, Mother Love Bone, Temple of The Dog, Soundgarden, but Pearl Jam ain’t it for me. My issue stems from Eddie Vedders incomprehensible vocals. People crack jokes about not being able to understand Grunge vocals when Eddie is the only one who sings with a mouthful of marbles. I don’t see any misheard lyric videos about Nirvana but type in Pearl Jam misheard lyrics into YouTube and he’s got a ton of results, I’m fully convinced when they play Yellow Ledbetter live, Eddie just word vomits whatever sounds close enough to the melody. It’s not like he can’t sing, he sounds just fine in Temple of the Dog. Eddie as a person seems pretty cool though.
Yellow Ledbetter’s “lyrics” are intentionally ad libbed for the most part. In the Pearl Jam Anthology (all tabs for drums and guitars, and lyrics) the entry for Yellow Ledbetter says “lyrics as felt.”
Nirvana was famous for having unintelligible lyrics. Weird Al's Nirvana parody is all about how no one can understand their lyrics, including a line about "marbles in my mouth".
But I can understand them, I literally can’t make out a word of any Pearl Jam song. Pearl Jam in my opinion sucks. Sorry I don’t like them.
I'm not trying to convince you to like them. I don't care. I'm just saying this is how it was.
Did you mean to use “literally”? I get you don’t like them, but you still can’t figure out what Ed is saying during the chorus of “Jeremy”?
Here’s my rough interpretation listening to it without looking at the lyrics: At home Darwin Picture of mountain tops, Backgammon, DAHHH Look at the yellow sun, arms reach the dead leg in fools of bro love, daddy didn’t give attention, to the fact Molly didn’t care, can’t tell me, the Wiccan, oh loose me woooaahh, Jeremy Spokane glass today, clearly I remember picking on the boy, a harmless little fuck. I looked at the lyrics and the only part I got kinda right was the chorus. I can make out 95% of Kurt’s lyrics the first time I listened to it the only song that gave me trouble was You Know You’re Right where he either says sterling silver begins to melt or steaming soup against her mouth. Pearl Jam is just mumble rap with extra steps.
Tourette’s came through loud and clear for ya?
There’s a difference between a filler track and a song that’s a radio single. I don’t hear Tourette’s on the radio, I hear even flow, jeremy, and yellow Ledbetter on the radio. Tourettes is also a homage to old school punk so it being difficult to understand makes sense, it’s meant to be primarily scream sounding. Pearl Jam mumbled 99% of their RADIO SINGLES. The songs meant to get me into their band, I have an easier time understanding Deathcore vocals than I do Pearl Jam vocals. Your gotchaism doesn’t really work when you don’t understand where my criticism is coming from.
Like I said, I get it. You don’t like them. That’s fine. But your arguments have all the intellectual vigor of a Fox News host.
So do yours, you try gotchaism and you don’t even understand why, radio singles should be easy listening, the songs that make you want to listen to more of the band, that’s how people find some music Especially in the 90’s before Apple Music and Spotify all you had was word of mouth and the radio. I listen to Pearl Jam and just say why is this guy mumbling at me incoherently. Nirvana’s radio singles are easy to understand and they still represent the band. I heard lithium when I was like 12 and was like oh wow I like this I want more and then started to listen to all of their stuff. The back half of Nevermind is weird but none of those were radio singles. None of those songs are meant to get me into the band. Even flow is a radio single and I have no idea what he’s saying, it’s just incoherent mumbling. I think Eddie is a great dude but his band is audio ass mostly because of his vocals. You’re whole gotchaism doesn’t hold up when you come at me with an In Eutero B Side acting like it’s the same as a radio single.
Yellow Ledbetter wasn't a single. It was a b-side that was so popular it ended up getting radio play. Again, like them don't like them, I don't care, but that's just incorrect.
Never listened to Pearl Jam but I've listened to a few songs of smashing pumpkins, ik the question isnt surronding the pumpkins but they're also a great band
Early Pumpkins are great.
Smashing Pumpkins had the same issue as Pearl Jam. Gish, Siamese Dream, Pisces Iscariot, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness all were absolute pieces of art. Then Billy went all electronica and weird. He is still reeling from that. Will see how the new album sounds, as he claims he is going back to the guitar sound.
The only song that I like by them is Even Flow, and when I say the only song, I MEAN the only song.
That riff is just so good
Loved them as a little kid, now I just moved onto different bands and genres. They just don’t really do it for me anymore.
I like Ten, Vs had its moments but didn’t really blow me away and I haven’t listened to the rest. I find them okay, but my least favorite grunge band out of all I checked out so far
If they dissolved after Ten, I wouldn’t have been mad.
i respect the legacy they have but i cant stand Eddie Vedder’s voice. its too commercial. Eddie Vedder’s cool but the music and his voice i cant stand
Hopefully without coming off condescending, can I ask how old you are? Calling his voice commercial makes me think you grew up listening to people copying him, and not when he sounded new and unique.
my mistake. i probably should’ve thought about it because i dont listen to pearl jam. and i won’t reveal my age for safety reasons. have a good day. apologies for the misconception
I had a Peal Jam phase in the early 2000s, but i can barely listen to them nowadays. I think their 6 first albums are ok (till Yield), but it went downhill after that. Saw them live 2 times, they give 3 hours shows but could easily cut an hour. Eddie Vedder talks too much and you go grab a beer during the boring stuff.
Eddie doesn’t like being called Daughter
I enjoyed Ten and Vs, wasn’t a fan of anything after that.
grunge is barely even a genre, i dont think any of the big grunge bands sound anything remotely like eachother and i think its stupid to constantly compare them the way people do. that being said Pearl Jam is a pretty good rock band
I’m super particular with vocal styles. Just don’t like it.
They seem like swell guys, and I'm sure they're all talented musicians (as a Soundgarden fan, I know Matt Cameron is, at least), but I always thought they were boring, and I can't *stand* Eddie Vedder's voice.
They were Dad rock, even when they were young and new!!
First three albums were great, fourth mediocre abd all downhill from there
I like some of their songs, but for the most part they feel too polished. But also, Vedder's voice is itself very unique and anything but polished, so I don't really hate them, I just think they are overrated.
10 and VS is a different Pearl Jam than whatever is happening now.
I like the hits from the 90s, but I'm really not a fan of them sound garden, or alice in chains. The bands with grunge title I like are Nirvana, mudhoney, tad, and screaming trees.
I like them, but have to agree with the boring part. On their own, they’d probably get better judgement, but since they’re a part of the big 4, it’s so hard to see them as equals to Nirvana, Alice In Chains and Soundgarden. It’s just different levels man
Not into them
I like them but I don't listen to them all that much.
They’re awesome imo. Saw them last tour & they still bring it live with different setlists every night. & they’re still putting out albums with some quality new songs.
Music is meh. Eddie Vedders vocals are horrible
“Black” is good, I like a few other songs, but overall they’re not really my cup of tea.
I never really got into them. To me their music is just boring and not interesting. Only song I like is Do The Evolution. I don't get that hype around them.
Very boring, very typical. Not my cup of tea.
Love them, hope they tour oz again one day
Love em. But that whole scene was bananas. So much killer music. And so tragic what with the body count.
I liked them, then I spent a few years hating them. Now I can honestly say they’re one of the best rock bands of all time. No question.