Cover Of The Week: Pearl Jam does The Who

I've been on a Pearl Jam kick this week since seeing Immagine In Cornice on Tuesday night. This cover of The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me" was released on Pearl Jam's vinyl fan club single last year.

Pearl Jam - "Love Reign O'er Me"

Buy Pearl Jam's music here.

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Check out previous Cover Of The Week posts by clicking the "Cover Of The Week" label below or the link on the right side of the page under "Return To Oblivion".

B-Side Of The Week: Pearl Jam

I got to see Pearl Jam's new docu-film Immagine In Cornice last night on the big screen at a theater in Wayne. It was absolutely awesome watching and listening to the band crank through some great music in a movie theater like that. The film is a must-have for any Pearl Jam fan, and luckily for me it was waiting for me in the mail today when I got home from work.

It's hard to find Pearl Jam b-sides that they didn't officially release on their rarities 2CD set, Lost Dogs, but I found one. "Leatherman" was on the "Given To Fly" single back in 1997, and fans might fondly recall certain live shows where the band played the "man trilogy" - "Betterman", "Leatherman" and "Nothingman" - all in a row.

Pearl Jam - "Leatherman"

Buy Pearl Jam's music here.

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Check out the archived B-Side Of The Week posts by clicking the label "B-Side Of The Week" below or the link on the right side of the page under 'Return To Oblivion'.

Repost: Pearl Jam Post Letterman Gig

By request, I've re-upped the set Pearl Jam played after their performance on David Letterman's show in May '06. Check it out here.

B-Side Of The Week: Pearl Jam

I've wanted to post a Pearl Jam b-side for a while, but since they released a b-sides record, Lost Dogs, I thought I'd post this little gem instead. It's off the Merkinball EP, which was recorded at the same time that they backed Neil Young for his Mirrorball album. Sometimes appearing as the opening song of live sets, "Long Road" is a great tune that would've been at home on a proper Pearl Jam record.

Pearl Jam - "Long Road"

Buy Pearl Jam's music here.
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Previous B-Sides Of the Week:

Centro-Matic - "Not Like Anyone Would Mind"
Nirvana - "Even In His Youth"
Radiohead - "Bishop's Robes"
Catherine Wheel - "Capacity To Change"
The Black Crowes - "Waitin' Guilty"
Jeff Buckley - "Thousand Fold"
Idlewild - "Good Times Wasted"
Foo Fighters - "Baker Street"
Muse - "Fury"
Screaming Trees - "Silver Tongue"
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - "Loaded Gun"
Stereophonics - "Carrot Cake And Wine"
Oasis - "Let's All Make Believe"
Guns N' Roses - "Shadow Of Your Love"
Ryan Adams - "What Sin Replaces Love"
Chris Cornell - "Sunshower"
Feeder - "Bruised"
Snow Patrol - "Post Punk Progression"
Jeff Buckley - "Strawberry Street"
Rainer Maria - "Automatic"
Radiohead - "Coke Babies"
Gomez - "Shot Shot (Folk Shot)"
Foo Fighters - "A320"
Turin Brakes - "Balham To Brooklyn"

Cover Of The Week: Pearl Jam does The Beatles

Last week's cover, Soundgarden doing "Come Together", was crazy popular, so I thought I'd throw another Beatles cover out there. This one comes from certain versions of the "Alive" singles off of Pearl Jam's debut, Ten. It's got some great improvised lyrics that make reference to the band's appearance in Cameron Crowe's movie Singles.

Pearl Jam - "I've Got A Feeling"

Buy Pearl Jam's music here.
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Previous Covers Of the Week:

M.A.C.C. - "Hey Baby (Land Of The New Rising Sun)"
Gov't Mule - "30 Days In The Hole"
Veruca Salt - "My Sharona"
Soundgarden - "Come Together"

Pearl Jam 07-11-1995 Soldier Field

At the time this was the longest show Pearl Jam had ever played, and it was part of their tour in support of 1994's Vitalogy. It aired on the radio and is now here for your listening pleasure. Sadly, "Animal" seems to be missing from my copy of the show. If anyone out there has it please feel free to send it to me.

Pearl Jam
07-11-1995
Soldier Field
Chicago, IL

Release
Go
Last Exit
Spin The Black Circle
Tremor Christ
Corduroy
Whipping
I Got ID
Dissident
Even Flow
Improv
Deep
Jeremy
Glorified G
Daughter
Animal
Habit
Lukin
Not For You
Elderly Woman...
Immortality
Alive
Porch
Everyday People
Let My Love Open The Door
Betterman
Rearviewmirror
Black
Blood
Yellow Ledbetter

Malfunkshun Reforms

From Billboard.com:

Although it never recorded a full-length album or toured outside Washington state, Seattle band Malfunkshun is often cited as an important band amid the grunge family tree. Now, 16 years after the death of singer Andy Wood, Malfunkshun is reactivating.

An anomaly amid bands playing back-to-basics rock'n'roll, Malfunkshun featured the white makeup-faced Wood alongside his guitarist brother Kevin, who shredded like Yngwie Malmsteen, creating a punk/speed metal hybrid. To craft new Malfunkshun music, Kevin and fellow surviving member Regan Hagar have pacted with singer Shawn Smith (Satchel, Brad) and bassist Cory Kane.

"I have a stack of Andy's lyrics that I've been hanging onto for the past 15 years or so, since he died -- I never gave them up," Wood tells Billboard.com. "And they're all from the early '80s, when Andy was about 14 through 16. I always wanted to make songs out of them."

After Wood and Hagar initially decided to work together on the project, Wood reached out to Smith. "I called Shawn the day before the session, and he said, 'I'll do it.' He told me he had a dream about Andy right before I had emailed him to come in," he says. "The whole thing is like a gift from Andy - and Shawn did such good interpretations of these lyrics."

An album's worth of tunes was recorded, mixing new versions of vintage Malfunkshun songs such as "Love Child" and "My Love" with freshly penned cuts like "Another You," "Friendship Ring" and "He's a Mover." Also featured is a rearrangement of "Man of Golden Words" by Mother Love Bone, which Andy Wood formed post-Malfunkshun with future Pearl Jam members Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament.

Although the recording is completed, the group is in search of a label to put out the album, which also goes by title of "Friendship Ring." Once the album is released, the quartet plans to launch a supporting tour. "We definitely want to tour and support it as much as possible. Me, Shawn, Regan and Cory are going to go out as a four-piece," Wood says.

Wood also assures that the group's original over-the-top approach remains intact on the new recordings, and that his brother would have approved. "Malfunkshun was always into the fast, shredding guitars," he says. "It's true-to-form as far as Malfunkshun goes -- it's a continuation of that same vibe. I miss Andy being there, but I feel that his presence is there. I know his approval was there."

The Most Rocking "Rocking..."?

Pearl Jam performs many covers during their lengthy live sets, and Neil Young's "Rocking In The Free World" has been a staple since they formed back in the early 90s. Clearly, the song means a lot to the band and they love playing it - they've done so 188 different times thus far. I thought I'd take a look at some performances of "Rocking In The Free World" over the span of Pearl Jam's career to see if there was one that stood out from all the rest.

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03-16-1992 New York, NY
MTV Unplugged (acoustic)

06-18-1992 Zurich, Switzerland

1993 Video Music Awards
With Special Guest Neil Young

03-17-1995 Melbourne, Australia
With Special Guest Dave Grohl on drums

08-29-1998 Camden, NJ

06-22-2000 Milan, Italy

07-05-2003 Camden, NJ

05-27-2006 Camden, NJ

Buy Pearl Jam's new self-titled album here.

Brad: Various Radio Performances

Seattle's Brad is one of those little treasures that lurks outside of the mainstream while being inextricably linked to the mainstream. Brad's guitarist, Stone Gossard, has a day job playing in Pearl Jam, so the band garnered much more media attention when they released their first record, 1993's Shame, than they might have without such a famous member. However, the novelty of Gossard's presence isn't what should attract one to Brad's music. The band has a smooth, mellow rock vibe, accented by the soulful, at times fragile vocals of singer/keyboardist Shawn Smith. It's Smith's piano and vocals that define Brad's sound, and it's a sound to which music fans need to pay attention.

Brad's sophomore effort, 1997's Interiors, is an album every music lover should have in their collection. Moving and engaging from start to finish, Interiors is the kind of record most small-to-mid level bands dream of making. Don't bother thinking about it, just go buy it now.

Here is a smattering of radio performances Brad did while promoting their three records. A fourth album is due out late this year or early next year. Can't wait.

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Buttercup (live on WBCN)

The Day Brings (live on CD101 FM)
Some Never Come Home (live on CD101 FM)

Shinin' (live on KEXP)

Mark Lanegan: Part V - Dusty Madness

This is part five of my piece on Mark Lanegan's career.

Part I is here.
Part II is here.
Part III is here.
Part IV is here.
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While the Screaming Trees struggled to put together a follow up to Sweet Oblivion that they felt lived up to their potential, Lanegan recorded and appeared live with Mad Season, one of the plethora of side-projects in which many of the now-famous Seattle musicians took part. Comprised of Pearl Jam’s lead guitarist, Mike McCready, Alice In Chains vocalist, Layne Staley, bassist John Baker Saunders, and Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin, Mad Season released Above in 1995. Two standout tracks feature vocals from Mark Lanegan – “I’m Above” and “Long Gone Day”.

I’m Above
Long Gone Day

I’m sure anyone reading this post has heard of Mad Season, but what may not be as commonly known is that the group was working on a follow up album after Above’s success. Staley couldn’t get it together to record vocals for the follow-up project, so Lanegan was reportedly going to take on vocal duties. As far as I know, the project, called Disinformation, never made it past the conceptual stage. There are many reports in the press confirming that songs were written for the record, but if any recordings were actually finished I haven’t seen evidence that they circulated amongst fans.

It took four years after Sweet Oblivion's release, with a full album recorded and scrapped in the interim, for the next dose of Screaming Trees music to hit stores. Though Dust wasn’t released until 1996, it was well worth the wait. Slightly more polished, but just as epic as its predecessor, the album demonstrated that the Screaming Trees had more than one great album in them. “All I Know”, “Dying Days” (featuring a blistering guitar solo by Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready), “Sworn And Broken”, “Traveler” and “Gospel Plow” are highlights. The record is one of those that finishes too soon, begging the listener for repeated plays.

All I Know
Dying Days
Sworn And Broken

Click here for PART VI.

"With Special Guest ______" - The Opening Band Dilemma

I've always had mixed feelings about opening acts. On the one hand, I'd like to consider myself open enough to new music to be able to listen to an opening band with welcoming ears. I've discovered a few acts that I really enjoy when they played as unknown (to me) openers. On the other hand, there have been plenty of openers that simply killed 30-40 minutes of my life while I was waiting for the headliner I came to see to take the stage.

Ah, the classic opening band dilemma. It's usually considered a great "opportunity" to play for an act with an established following, fans with whom, presumably, your music will connect. But you have to be awesome every night just to appease a crowd that generally isn't there to see you play and would, at times, rather you took the night off so they could see the band they love play an extended set. And if you blow the audience away? If your opening set is outstanding, most audience members will only remember that you didn't suck. Some will be impressed enough to buy your CD or check you out online later, but I bet the great majority of concert-goers don't remember the opening band's name after the gig. If the audience was even in attendance for the opener's set, that is... I've been to plenty of shows that are less than half full for the opener but are jam-packed by the time the headliner goes on. I've even been one of those late arrivals on purpose.

Cynical? Perhaps. There's no denying that being an opening act is a difficult challenge. That's true even for established acts that choose to open for one of their heroes, as a kind of nod to the headliner's venerable career or as a notch on the career belt of the established opener. Maybe suffering the "special guest" slot is a rite of passage that all up-and-comers have to endure in order to "earn" a sweet headlining tour and build that coveted following. More likely, it's a way to keep cash flowing for the opener, even if it's just a trickle, while making a living out of making music. Just about every band you and I love started as an opening act for someone that was more popular or experienced, so I guess in the end there's no dilemma. The good ones, and a lot of the craptastic ones too, will succeed in clearing the hurdle of being the dreaded "opener" and go on to have their own headlining show.

So get out to the venue early, because it sure is fun to be able to say to your fellow music snobs - "Yeah, they're great now...but I saw them when they opened for _______."

Some Of My Favorite Bands In Random Opener Slots:

Led Zeppelin opened for Country Joe And The Fish in 1969

The Rolling Stones opened for the Everly Brothers and Bo Diddley in 1963

Pearl Jam opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Smashing Pumpkins in 1991

Radiohead opened for Catherine Wheel in 1992

The Black Crowes opened for Robert Plant in 1990

Catherine Wheel opened for INXS in 1993

Juliana Hatfield opened for Aimee Mann in 2002

Nirvana opened for Mudhoney in 1992

Jeff Buckley opened for Juliana Hatfield in 1995

Gov't Mule opened for The Black Crowes in 1996

Soundgarden opened for Guns N Roses in 1991

Pearl Jam: VH1 Storytellers

Pearl Jam's Storytellers set was fantastic. Eddie Vedder's story about the song "Alive" was very moving, and I don't recall ever hearing him tell it quite that way before. It was particularly cool that the band decided to use the forum not only to promote their new record, but also to promote discussion about today's political climate. Vedder's solo version, updated for 2006, of the Phil Ochs tune "Here's To The State Of Mississippi" will rankle some and inspire others. A perfect rock n' roll moment.

Disclaimer: VH1 made the astoundingly stupid editorial decision to dub some of Pearl Jam's interview footage over the songs as they played. The MP3s below are taken from what aired on TV, so the talking interrupts a couple of songs. Also, "Insignificance" did not air in the broadcast, but was an internet exclusive on VH1's website. I included it here for semi-completness. Pearl Jam performed three other songs at the taping ("Unemployable", "Sleight Of Hand" and "Army Reserve"), so hopefully a pre-edit full version of the show will surface in the future.

Pearl Jam: VH1 Storytellers
05-31-2006 The Avalon
New York, NY

Intro
"The Truth"
Betterman
"Abusive Relationships"
World Wide Suicide
"Car Songs" + Steven Tyler moment
"Gettin' Out"
Gone
"The Curse"
Alive
Matt talks about Ed
"Climed" question
Phil Oaks Updated
Here's To The State Of Mississippi
"Ideologies" question
"Funeral Song"
Life Wasted
Insignificance

Pearl Jam: Unplugged 03-16-1992

This Unplugged show was a defining performance for Pearl Jam early in their career. Highlights included Eddie Vedder surfing on his stool and later writing a pro-choice message on his arm during "Porch". The version of "Black" from this show is my favorite rendition, and it includes the now famous (at least in PJ fan circles) tag line "we belong together!" sung over the outro of the tune. The version of "Jeremy" is solid too, but the one below is my fave from the early days.

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Pearl Jam: 03-16-1992 Unplugged

Intro
Oceans
State Of Love And Trust
Alive
Black
Angie/Improv
Jeremy
Porch
Even Flow
Rockin' In the Free World

Pearl Jam: Maida Vale Set

Saw Pearl Jam twice last weekend at the Tweeter Center in Camden. I've loved them for so long that it's impossible to comment objectively on their music, but I think it's fair to say that they are a kick-ass live band. The two nights were perfect compliments - only about 6 or 7 songs common to both sets. Plus, they played "Leash" both nights. The setlists are here. Also, it's so great that they sell a soundboard recording of every show, complete with artwork and photos from the gig, on their website. Now if only the Black Crowes would do the same...

This Pearl Jam set was recorded for BBC1 at Maida Vale Studios in London on May 3, 2006. Notable is the new arrangement of "Garden". Very cool.

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Intro
Interview Part I
Severed Hand
Interview Part II
Why Go
Interview Part III
World Wide Suicide
Interview Part IV
Garden

Pearl Jam: AOL Music Session

There are a bunch of great live performance videos at AOL Music Sessions. Pearl Jam did one recently to promote their new record, and the setlist was great. Eddie Vedder's solo version of "Gone", and outstanding performances of b-sides "Hard To Imagine" and "Sad" made for a real treat for fans. You can view the session, along with interview footage, here. The audio of the live performance is below in MP3 format.

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World Wide Suicide
Comatose
Gone (Ed solo)
Hard To Imagine
Life Wasted
Sad

Pearl Jam: Post-Letterman Gig

Pearl Jam played Letterman last Thursday and after the taping performed a special show for the selected few fans that were able to get into the Ed Sullivan Theater. The performance was broadcast live on the net and someone was kind enough to share the Real Video file. I took the liberty of ripping the audio to MP3.

Pearl Jam 05-04-06 Ed Sullivan Theater
New York, NY

01 - Intro
02 - World Wide Suicide
03 - Comatose
04 - Severed Hand
05 - Marker In The Sand
06 - Gone
07 - Unemployable
08 - Present Tense
09 - Do The Evolution
10 - Why Go
11 - Porch

Download the show here, including the version of "Life Wasted" that they performed on the show.

Check out www.pearljam.com for upcoming tour dates and go here to buy their new self-titled record.

Pearl Jam - Live at Easy Street + SNL

Awarestore is taking pre-orders for Live at East Street, a recording of a special performance by Pearl Jam at Easy Street Records in Seattle. The set features three never before released cover songs. Here's the tracklist:

01. Half Full
02. Lukin
03. American In Me
04. Save You
05. Bleed For Me
06. New World (featuring John Doe)
07. Porch

You can preorder the CD here.

Also on the PJ front, I Am Fuel, You Are Friends posted a 5 minute promo interview video of the band for their forthcoming new album.

Thanks to Culture Bully, here are the two songs PJ performed on SNL last night:

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World Wide Suicide (live on SNL 04-15-06)
Severed Hand (live on SNL 04-15-06)

Live Concert Post #2: Pearl Jam 04-03-94

Pearl Jam 04-03-94 Atlanta, GA

I still remember when I first heard this show. I was a sophomore in college and Pearl Jam was one of my favorite bands. Little did I know that they'd still be one of my favorites over ten years later.

Anyway, Vs. was released in the fall before I heard this show, and my friends and I ate it up. Some part of the record was probably played by me or one of my four roommates at least once a day that year. My friend, Bob (the drummer in my first band, actually), and I went out a week before Vs. was released on CD and bought the vinyl version even though neither of us owned a record player. We couldn't wait a week for the CD release date, and it was quite an adventure going around to random dorm rooms trying to find someone who had a record player and who would also let two strangers, psycho PJ fans, tape a copy of the album off of our vinyl version in their room...

I'd never had the chance to see PJ live, because they'd only played Philadelphia twice before ('91 and '92), both when I was in high school and, actually, before I started going out to see live shows regularly. I had acquired one sweet, sweet PJ bootleg at the time, a CD with 6 tracks from their MTV Unplugged performance in 1992. The version of "Black" from the Unplugged show still feels like the definitive performance of the song, and I was blown away by the way the young band rocked "Porch" acoustic.

Black (from MTV Unplugged 03-16-92)
Porch (from MTV Unplugged 03-16-92)

I was about to be introduced to the definitive version of "Porch", though, when the Atlanta show aired. Oh, I forgot to mention, I didn't actually attend this show. It was broadcast on the radio across the nation. All day long before the show aired I was getting prepared for the broadcast - I went out and bought cassettes to record it and got some snacks and drinks for my friends and I to enjoy while we listened.

The excitement was palpable in the room when the usual radio broadcast changed over to the show and we heard the sounds of the waiting Atlanta crowd over the airwaves. When the crowd noise swelled, my friends and I knew Pearl Jam had taken the stage, and when "Release" started we were all wearing shit-eating grins on our faces. I was so psyched to hear tunes like "Whipping", "Betterman" and "Satan's Bed", all of which I'd never heard before. The long, rocked-out version of "Porch" blew me away. I couldn't believe they'd topped the Unplugged version!

Needless to say, the show was outstanding. My friends and I wore out the tapes we'd made of the show over the next few years, and I finally had to suck it up and buy the import 3CD "Dissident" single set to have a copy of the show. Though it was great to have an "official" version of the show on CD, I must say that I am still miffed that the single is missing four of the songs from the show.

Now all these years later, it seems like everyone has a pre-FM soundboard copy of this show. It's one of the most common Pearl Jam live shows for fans to have. I've always felt that this was true, other than for the obvious reason that the show aired nationwide on the radio, because of the quality of the band's performance that night. Though they were already well on the way toward being a worldwide phenomenon, the fact that this show aired on the radio served as a kind of formal announcement of their ascendance to the top of the alternative rock world of the 90's. Though that may be a bit over-the-top and open to debate, one thing I do know for sure that this show cemented Pearl Jam's importance in my life.

Enough pontificating, here's the show in MP3 format. Enjoy.

Release
Rearviewmirror
Whipping
Even Flow
Dissident
Why Go
Deep
Jeremy
Glorified G
Daughter /(Another Brick In The Wall)
Go
Animal
Garden
State Of Love And Trust
Black
Alive
Blood
W.M.A.
Better Man
Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town
Rats
Satan's Bed
Once
Sonic Reducer
Porch
Indifference

New Pearl Jam Single!

15 seconds of the new Pearl Jam single is available for legal download here.

More cool news: There is a hidden performance of "Hunger Strike" on Disc 1 of Live at the Garden. Find it here:

• Load Disk I and go to the "Set List" menu. Navigate down to "Black" and hit the "next" button on your remote twice. This should start playing "Hunger Strike".
• If that doesn't work, this method should definitely work, it's just less fun: load Disk I and find the "Title" or "Title Search" button on your remote. The Easter Egg is "Title 02, Chapter 1" on the DVD. Selecting this should just start playing the track.