Retro: On This Day in 1991...

Pearl Jam released their debut album, "Ten." Coming out of the Seattle grunge scene that produced such classic 1990's acts as Soundgarden, Nirvana, Alice in Chains and Mudhoney, they remain the lone survivor of this musical movement. Forming when members of Mother Love Bone lost lead singer Andy Wood to a heroin overdose, they were originally called Mookie Blaylock, after the legendary Atlanta Hawks NBA star. When copyright issues forced the band to change their name before releasing their debut album, they went to things that they knew for an alternative. Lead singer Eddie Vedder's grandmother was named Pearl, and the band liked to get together and jam, hence Pearl Jam. One legend told a tale of Vedder's grandmother Pearl making hallucinogenic peyote-laced jam, which explained the name, but Vedder has since disproved the theory.

The album is a classic to say the least, and remains one of the best albums released in the 1990's. It had some of the most acclaimed songs of that time period on it, including "Jeremy," "Alive," and "Evenflow." The music video for "Jeremy," based on a school shooting of the time, was so controversial it had to be edited before airing on MTV. This would also turn out to be the last music video the band would appear in until 15 years later. Other great songs on the album include...well, pretty much every single song on the album is great in some way or another. They still play all of them in concert to this day, and it is one of the most complete rock albums you will find out there spanning from the mid 1970's to this day.
"Ten" would be the only album to include original band members Eddie Vedder (vocals), Mike McCready (guitar), Stone Gossard (guitar), Jeff Ament (bass), and Dave Krusen (drums). Krusen would be replaced before the recording of Pearl Jams second album, "Vs." which is also a classic record of the era. Besides Krusen, the other 4 original members still remain in the band to this day (Since 1998, with former Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron). They will still put on one of the best concerts you will ever see, sprinkled with songs spanning their entire catalog from this first album to their latest, as well as some well thought covers in between.

I believe the biggest difference between Pearl Jam and their fellow grunge pioneers is the way they have embraced their musical sound as an evolving one, and keep their audience engaged over time. Bands like Soundgarden and Alice in Chains saw their time come and go because there is not much difference from their first records to their last. They stuck with what worked, and soon enough the public forgot about or grew tired of them. Even Nirvana would have most likely grown tired had they continued on.

Pearl Jam took on corporate giants like Ticketmaster in the process, deliberately made their music sound less commercial for a number of years, and fell off the radar. Now, their fans can see both halves of their career come together brilliantly in their live show, as it blends a perfectly eclectic mix of their ever changing sounds. Their latest self titled album from 2006, is probably their best album since "Vitalogy" in 1994, and shows a band in the second phase of their career now that they have moved out of their 20's and into their 40's.

They are still cool enough to do an impromptu show for a couple hundred people packed into a small local record store in Seattle, they're still cool enough to play better and fresher than every single band that was a part of VH1 Rock Honors The Who (they were even better than honorees The Who), they're still cool enough to open for U2 in Hawaii (I'd have given major organs to have seen that show) and they're still cool enough to tour every summer and play nearly 3 hours every night at every single stop on the map. They're also still cool enough to keep playing the songs they wrote when they were kids back in 1991, even if they may not have the same meaning or significance as they once did. But, they continue to anyway because they know the roof is blown off wherever they play any night of the week when those opening licks of "Jeremy" or "Alive" ring through.

Here are some Pearl Jam highlights you'll find interesting:

Eddie Vedder playing "Betterman" with Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqSLnlGU4EQ&feature=related

"Release" from the "Ten" album, performed during their one week tour of Italy in 2006. The last song on their first album, and still remains one of the best they've ever written.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zUKPpEYsAI

Eddie telling the crowd at a concert what he thinks of Rolling Stone magazine shortly after he was on the cover. (warning: explicit language)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IcZ2yBcvFQ

Performing "Jeremy" on MTV Unplugged in 1992.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nrlPtNu5N0

Their cover of The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me." The video is made up of clips from their "Immagine in Cornice" (translates to: Picture in a Frame) Live in Italy DVD. One of the best covers I've ever heard, Eddie Vedder is one of the only singers out there who could do Roger Daltrey justice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpgvQRTXWco&feature=related

Another day in musical history to put into perspective...One year before "Ten" was released, on August 27th, 1990, guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughan was killed in a helicopter crash.

"My Super Obscure List of: Great, Yet Often Unnoticed or Overlooked Duets"

I've promised another super obscure list, and here it is:
Here is my list of the best duets that often go unnoticed or overlooked. Granted, half of them are cover songs, but the ones that are, were not duets in their original versions. Again, like my last list of notable beards on film, these are in no particular order, as they all bring something to the table, and make the list more complete. Each entry also includes a link to hear the song, while some are music videos, live videos, or just those weird YouTube videos that have pictures on them so you can just listen to the song. Either way, it gets the job done.

Tupac Shakur and Elton John- Ghetto Gospel: Don't adjust your monitor, you are reading this correctly; a collaboration between Elton John and Tupac Shakur does exist. Where is the connection between these two prolific artists from two very different genres, you ask? Slim Shady himself, Eminem. One of Tupac's many posthumous albums released using the hordes of unreleased material he left behind was produced entirely by Eminem. The album, "Loyal to the Game," is in my opinion one of his best posthumous records; "Makaveli," probably being the best (also, the first one to come out immediately after his murder). Eminem, a couple years after his legendary performance of "Stan" at the Grammys with Elton John, took a sample from the song "Indian Sunset," off John's fourth studio album from 1971, "Madman Across the Water." It is one of the few hip hop tunes out there that can give me the music chills when I hear it, and is a perfect blending of two artists among the best at their respective genres. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxR4AweLeXE The official music video for the song starring that guy from "The Wire" and "Oz."

Cream- Sunshine of Your Love: Labeled the first supergroup, made up of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker, Bruce and Clapton shared vocals on this classic rock masterpiece. With one of the most distinctive guitar/bass riffs in rock n' roll history, this song has remained a staple in Clapton's set lists for 40 years. It's probably the most popular or widely known song on the list, but definitely one that's also not traditionally considered a duet; that's why it made the cut. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zga4_09nWzY -this is some random YouTube video I'm copying here for the sole purpose of listening to the song, I don't know of what meth lab this makeshift video was produced in.

The Beatles- Two of Us: For anyone who said McCartney and Lennon hated eachother toward the end of the Beatles' run, songs like this are a testament to what they were still able to create musically, even if their friendship was declining. This is a great song, and still one of my favorite Beatles tunes, and shows that they were still the best of friends when they got into the studio and created some of the greatest music ever heard. This song could be about friendship, it could be about love, it could be about two old friends running into each other at a bar, having a few drinks, reminiscing about old times, and sharing a cab home. Either way, it's a great piece of music that two legends make complete. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ztr8j_-gD4 I don't know where this video came from or who made it, but it's spectacular and is probably one of the best unofficial Beatles music videos out there.

Queen and David Bowie- Under Pressure: Known as the riff Vanilla Ice stole so many years later to create the abomination to hip hop that is "Ice Ice Baby," this is a great song spearheaded by two legendary frontmen, Freddie Mercury and David Bowie. That part in the middle of the song where Mercury belts out "Why don't we give love, give love, give love," still gives me chills every time. Everyone knows "Bohemian Rhapsody," "We Will Rock You," and "We Are the Champions," but "Under Pressure," was ahead of its time, and is unlike anything else you've ever heard, or will ever hear. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPoE7hVDJY4&feature=related -There's no video here, just a high quality version of the song, take a listen if you've never heard it.

Dave Matthews Band and Warren Haynes- Cortez the Killer: When the Dave Matthews Band took the stage in Central Park for a sold out crowd of 100,000 people a few years back, Warren Haynes of Gov't Mule and the Allman Brothers Band came out to lay his guitar down and share vocals on this old Neil Young tune. I was at the concert that night, and it was the first time I heard the song in general; a few years later, it's still the only version I'll listen to. Haynes's vocals are chilling and his guitar solos were highlights of the night for me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCiLCo-LoUg A live video of the performance from the show. They sell the concert in stores on CD or DVD, I have both, definitely one of the best live DMB concerts out there.

The Strokes feat. Eddie Vedder- Mercy Mercy Me: What happens when one of the most talented rock n' roll bands of the past decade gets together with one of the best frontmen of the past 20 years to record a cover of a classic Marvin Gaye tune? Some ridiculously insane funkdified rock infused musicality is what happens! They turn the soulful Motown staple into a funky guitar blazing tune that is all its own. Also, listen closely for Josh Homme's drumming along with the Strokes' Fab Moretti; in the second verse the beats start to overlap and it's a magical music moment, presto. It's hard to find this song on CD, I think it's on iTunes though, as it was originally released as the B-Side to the Strokes single of "You Only Live Once," from their last album, "First Impressions of Earth." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyZ0E8c2c-A&feature=related - the recorded version of the song, supplemented by a "Captain Planet" episode; very fitting for the subject matter.

Outkast feat. Norah Jones- Take Off Your Cool: Included on Andre 3000's disc of the Outkast album, "Speakerboxx/Love Below," this is just a damn sexy tune that sounds like Barry White could have written it with Jack Johnson. It's one of the shortest songs on the album, but still one of my favorites from it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUQHFqO6HvY The recorded song, over a photo collage video of Andre 3000 and Norah Jones.

The Raconteurs- Rich Kid Blues: I'm a huge fan of the White Stripes, but I must admit, some of Jack White's best work has been with his recently formed other band, The Raconteurs. Adding another singer/songwriter/guitarist in Brendan Benson, and an extended rhythm section serves White's musical talent well and adds another dynamic to his craft. The band's second album, "Consolers of the Lonely," is one of, if not the best album I've heard in 2008. This Terry Reid cover has Benson's soft melodic voice perfectly shared with White's hard rock howl that introduces the world to rock n' roll's newest powerhouse in fitting fashion. The song combines the organ, thundering drums, and a high squeeling guitar that makes me wish the album had 14 more songs on it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjT6DGlWyBs This is straight up audio of the song, with just a picture of the band displayed. Listen, but be warned, this will blow you away.

The Corrs feat. Bono- When the Stars Go Blue: U2 is U2, plain and simple; so anything Bono involves himself in, people will pay attention to. However, when he joined the Corrs onstage in his hometown of Dublin a few years back, very few remembered this great live version of this Ryan Adams original. I've heard Adams and Tim McGraw sing it, but this remains the definitive version, a song about despair, loneliness, and sadness, the song is sung by the perfect pair, and even if it's a girly song, I admit defeat; it's legit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdSpDrczo7w Live performance from VH-1.

Robert Plant and Allison Krauss- Killing the Blues: A bluegrass crooner with the voice of an angel and the screaming maniac lead singer of Led Zepplin get together to record an album of country/bluegrass/blues standards...Still waiting for the punchline? Well, there isn't one; this album is great, and the two very different voices blend unnaturally to make a perfect pairing. This song has been seen on commercials lately (for JC Penny's Home section, I believe), but it's still got a great sound, with two legendary vocalists from 2 very different genres showing the world that they still have it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHPrLifRhX4 This is a video of a live performance, I'm not sure where it's from though. They capture the same magic live that they do on the album.

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova- Falling Slowly: This one is from the film "Once," about two musicians who meet in Dublin and forge a friendship through music over a week. The film was really moving and authentic, as it was filmed with a documentary look, and the two stars are actually musicians, not actors. The soundtrack is a great pairing of the two and their alternate vocal styles invokes the same effect as the Robert Plant-Allison Krauss pairing. They went on to win an Oscar for "Best Original Song" this past year for it; rightfully so, since "Enchanted" got nominated for 3 songs in that category http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPbC2YrUUsI This is a clip of them performing the song on David Letterman.

Roger Waters feat. Van Morrison- Comfortably Numb: This performance was part of Roger Waters 1990 concert in Berlin, Germany, where he performed Pink Floyd's "The Wall," in its entirety shortly after the Berlin Wall came down. Members of the Band and the legendary Van Morrison joined him for this tune, but the most prevalent voices are Waters and Morrison, which contrast each other nicely. Morrison hasn't aged so gracefully, but he's still got the vocal chops to bring the house down, and as blasphemous as it sounds, I prefer this version to Pink Floyd's original. I was reintroduced to this song last year when it was featured in "The Departed," which like every Martin Scorsese film, has a phenomenal soundtrack to accompany it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLx3uSwv6VM - This is a video of the live performance from Berlin.

Temple of the Dog- Hunger Strike: When eventual members of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden got together to record an album as a tribute to their friend Andy Wood who died of a heroin overdose in 1990, a modern rock masterpiece was made. Forming the group Temple of the Dog, Chris Cornell, Matt Cameron, Eddie Vedder, Matt McCready, Stone Gossard, and Jeff Ament, recorded one of the best non-traditional duets I have ever heard. After Soundgarden broke up in 1998, Cameron would join Pearl Jam permanently (as they've gone through a revolving door of drummers their whole career until Cameron came along), and Temple of the Dog had their only unofficial reunion in 2003, when Cornell joined Pearl Jam on stage for "Hunger Strike" and another Temple of the Dog number, "Reach Down." This is one of those songs that is as close to perfect as a song can get, so you tend to take notice when something like it comes along. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lln5i1N3J8g The official music video for the song with all the band members. Take notice of the vintage MTV music video tag in the bottom left corner of the screen at the beginning and end the clip, from the days when Music Television actually played music, who'd have thought?

Babyface feat. Eric Clapton- Change the World: Now, I know what you may be thinking, this was Eric Clapton’s song from that John Travolta movie, not Babyface’s. Babyface produced the track, appeared in the music video, and sang backup vocals on the album version of this tune, but the definitive version of this song has seldom been heard. While Babyface taped his MTV Unplugged special back in 1997, he opened the show with this number, and surprise guest Clapton joined him onstage for a blistering performance. The altered, acoustic blues guitar heavy live version was reminiscent of Clapton’s own Unplugged show which netted him several Grammy Awards several years earlier. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmsLQFqdiQE- The live clip from the MTV Unplugged special. Even sitting down, Clapton tears the guitar to shreds.

The Rolling Stones and Dave Matthews- Wild Horses: This performance came together in 1998 I believe, when Dave Matthews Band was opening for the Stones on their tour. Dave Matthews joined the Stones on stage for a duet of the classic song that got some new life into it. Dave's high pitched crooning is a stark contrast to Mick Jagger's historic howl, but the song is seen in a different light, and still as great as it ever was. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kAl5cUtxAc This is a video clip of the performance from the concert, wherever it was. A couple funny things to notice: Dave Matthews looking about 20 years old, also looking like he might nervously crap himself as he realizes he's on stage with the Rolling Stones, and Dave not knowing what to do with his hands without a guitar in them (he looks similar to Ricky Bobby in "Talladega Nights").

"On the Cover of the Rolling Stone...while it's gathering moss."

(Here are my thoughts on what has become a pop culture/musical crisis over the past few years.)

From this...

To This???

I am a regular visitor to Rolling Stone magazine's website in my constant search of music news and seeing what some of my favorite artists are up to. However, some recent things have come to light that make me question the motives of this once uncompromising and free-living publication:

They recently devoted a cover story (as in this was on the cover, to be followed by what should be a lengthy, useful, engaging multi-page article within the pages of the magazine) to the MTV show "The Hills." The fact that MTV is even mentioned in Rolling Stone magazine anymore is problematic enough considering they haven't played a music video in its entirety over nearly half a decade. What really irks me is that the same magazine that has covered Presidential elections with credibility and candor, as well as events like Woodstock, the Concert for Bangladesh, and interviewed icons such as Bob Dylan, Hunter S. Thompson, John Lennon, and Jack Nicholson, is now filling its pages with inconsistencies helping to blend it in with any other supermarket rack magazine.

When great writers like Thompson, Cameron Crowe, Joe Esztherhas, and Lester Bangs wrote for Rolling Stone during its peak in the 1960's and 70's, they probably would have never even set foot in the building in the first place if they knew this is what it would lead to. Artists like the Jonas Brothers, the whatever you would call them from "The Hills," and that Clay Aiken stunt double Zach Ephron gracing the cover in a time span of less than 6 months puts Rolling Stone in Seventeen and Tiger Beat territory. I'll give credit where credit is due, such as their recent great cover stories on RDJ (Robert Downey, Jr.) and their New Guitar Gods issue a year or two back that featured John Frusciante, Derek Trucks, and John Mayer on the cover, but they can't have it both ways.

It is expected that people take the magazine seriously when they produced an informative cover story on Barack Obama about a month ago. Then, they publish a 4 star review of the Jonas Brothers new album a week after the Brothers Jonas (BJ's) are on the cover tearing each other's shirts off. If Rolling Stone expects its readers not to figure out the propaganda there, then they truly have abandoned their original audience, which is a sad moment in popular culture's history of the past 50 years. And for that reason, their cover stories on the election, or why ethanol fuel is hurting our economy, or stories from the war in Iraq, become as relevant and credible as the same stories if they were to appear in this week's issue of OK Weekly. More and more they are relinquishing themselves to the same media conglomerate, Fox News-one-sided way of conveying news stories that they once vowed to fight against.

I have found some examples of their recent blunders, with the Jonas Brothers spectacular 4 Star review included. Now, I am not completely arguing the accuracy of the reviews I have disdain for, but I am showing other reviews Rolling Stone has given historically next to the reviews in question. When looking at the numbers side by side, it's ludicrous to think that Lil' Wayne's incoherent, irrelevant lyrical and musical offerings are better than Ready to Die, All Eyez on Me, and Enter the Wu Tang. These are 3 hip hop classics that shaped the genre for all those after them. I know there are a lot of Lil' Wayne fans out there, but if you honestly think this, you should have your brain checked for termites.

This would be like saying, "The Beatles 'Rubber Soul' is a 4 star album, but Creed's 'Human Clay,' now there's a 4 and 1/2 star album right there. They are definitely half a star better than The Beatles. Forty years from now, when people are wondering who John, Paul, George, and Ringo were, they'll still remember Scott, Mark, Scott, and Brian and they'll still be singing, 'With Arms Wide Open' at the top of their lungs, lighters waving." Yes, that would be certifiably insane.

All of these reviews come directly from Rolling Stone's website. It is surprising that they have kept these up there not realizing their journalistic integrity is going into as much of a recession as our economy. And, speaking of which, it does appear the magazine is feeling the pinch as much as any other troubled businesses in our struggling economy. They recently announced the changing of their format from the usual big print pages they utilize which will be scaled down to the size of typical magazines, in efforts to save on their production costs. Another sign that this former pop culture beacon will now literally and figuratively blend in with everything else on the magazine rack.

Rolling Stone Reviews:
Jonas Brothers, "A Little Bit Longer"- 4 stars,
Coldplay, "Viva La Vida"- 3 and 1/2 stars
Pearl Jam, "Vitalogy"- 4 stars
Radiohead, "OK Computer"- 4 stars
U2's "War"/"All That You Can't Leave Behind"/"How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb"- 4 stars
The Raconteurs, "Consolers of the Lonely"- 3 and 1/2 stars

Lil' Wayne, "Tha Carter III"- 4 and 1/2 stars
Tupac Shakur, "All Eyez on Me"- 3 Stars
Notorious B.I.G., "Ready to Die"- 4 stars
Wu Tang Clan, "Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers)"- 4 stars

I suggest you stick to more reliable sources when questioning Rolling Stone's credibility going forward. While they do have access to everything that is music, beware of some of the questionable "news" they spew from time to time. NME.com is a great website; it is from the United Kingdom's premier music magazine (pretty much Britain's Rolling Stone). They have album/song reviews, great articles, breaking news, and they have excellent live coverage, though most of it is Europe-based. Another worthy music magazine is Blender, which is put out by the same company that publishes Maxim magazine. They put a funny Maxim-like spin on music (with less bikinis) and they have great all time best and worst lists in their magazine which they archive on their website.

It would be ridiculously and intergalactically cool to work for any of these publications, but right now I don't. So, you can rest assured that my integrity is as of this moment, intact. Rock on!