1998 Matt Interview

[wease]

Just came across this. Some interesting comments. And one good one about tempo.

http://soundgarden.rockmetal.art.pl/WWC/matt.htm

[evenslow]

Wow that's pretty great. About as candid as you'll ever hear him talk about PJ. They got to him just in time!

Did you have to think about it for a while? You'd just stepped out of a big thing and had some good reasons to stick around Seattle.

"I looked at the whole Pearl Jam thing as a really fun opportunity to do another big tour. I mean, if you're gonna do a tour, the big-money ones are the way to go. I've slept next to too many catboxes in my day to wanna go back to that. Pearl Jam is really well-organized and it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable tours I've ever been on. The mood was more upbeat, and those guys really enjoy playing live, which was a new experience for me.

Soundgarden didn't like playing live at all, except in the early days. Once things started exploding for us, we were never really able to catch up with our emotions, in a way. We never sat down and worked on the things we needed to, to keep the band healthy. We'd look at a tour sheet with six or eight months of dates on there, and if your band isn't healthy to begin with, that makes it that much worse. I think some bands just aren't totally comfortable when they take it to the stage, and I think Soundgarden was one of those bands.

Initially, when we were doing our van tour, we were pretty kick-ass. But Chris [Cornell, singer] was really, really scared - well, not scared, but he had some comfort issues about going on stage. Towards the end, I thought he really found himself on stage and became a really good performer. But with Pearl Jam, it was really fun to be in that environment. It was a huge arena rock tour - every arena was sold out. They had jet. I got to use Jack's wardrobe case. Now, Soundgarden got to a pretty high level, but it was nothing compared to how Pearl Jam does things. They're just a hugely popular band, and it was really interesting to see how low-key they kept it, but still do great shows and make everyone happy."

How was the musical mix between you and Pearl Jam?

"It was great in the sense that they didn't try to tone me down at all. I'm kind of known for playing weird, crazy fills and sometimes playing things I shouldn't be playing, but they loved it - at least that's what they told me. They just wanted me to do what I do. But musically, Pearl Jam is one of those bands where everyone supports the vocal. The vocal is the main instrument and everything else takes a back seat.

It's not something I'm unable to do, but coming from Soundgarden and now with Wellwater, I like my drum parts to be integral to the song - hugely integral. Pearl Jam is just a different animal, but it was good for me to work in that realm because it forced me to re-approach and re-examine the way I play."

Were you happy with the live record?

"Yeah. I think the song selection on the disc is a little sleepy at times, because there were definitely more rockers on that tour, but they probably chose those songs because of the sound or some reasons I'm not sure of. I know some of my tempos were a bit faster than they were used to, and maybe that has something to do with it. But overall, I think it came out great."

What are the chances of joining Pearl Jam on a permanent basis?

"As of right now, I can't really envision joining a major band like that, especially an established band. It just doesn't seem completely right for me, for what I want to do. I'm trying to get my own thing going, as a person and as a musician. That's why Wellwater fits so perfectly for me."

[Birds in Hell]

How about this low-key diss:

I was fortunate to be in a band like Soundgarden, which had such interesting takes on rock songs. A lot of times, my drum parts added to that whole weird dimension we were working in. Bands like KISS and AC/DC and even Pearl Jam require different things from a drummer.

[mikejasond]

"Yeah. I think the song selection on the disc is a little sleepy at times, because there were definitely more rockers on that tour, but they probably chose those songs because of the sound or some reasons I'm not sure of. I know some of my tempos were a bit faster than they were used to, and maybe that has something to do with it. But overall, I think it came out great."

I knew it

[darth_vedder]

"Yeah. I think the song selection on the disc is a little sleepy at times, because there were definitely more rockers on that tour, but they probably chose those songs because of the sound or some reasons I'm not sure of. I know some of my tempos were a bit faster than they were used to, and maybe that has something to do with it. But overall, I think it came out great."

I RM knew it

FTFY

http://archive.theskyiscrape.com/viewto ... 2fdd3b6bc0

[mikejasond]

"Yeah. I think the song selection on the disc is a little sleepy at times, because there were definitely more rockers on that tour, but they probably chose those songs because of the sound or some reasons I'm not sure of. I know some of my tempos were a bit faster than they were used to, and maybe that has something to do with it. But overall, I think it came out great."

I RM knew it

FTFY

http://archive.theskyiscrape.com/viewto ... 2fdd3b6bc0

So much truth in there

[Mine]

How about this low-key diss:

I was fortunate to be in a band like Soundgarden, which had such interesting takes on rock songs. A lot of times, my drum parts added to that whole weird dimension we were working in. Bands like KISS and AC/DC and even Pearl Jam require different things from a drummer.

It could be related/give some context to this one:

"It was great in the sense that they didn't try to tone me down at all. I'm kind of known for playing weird, crazy fills and sometimes playing things I shouldn't be playing, but they loved it - at least that's what they told me. They just wanted me to do what I do. But musically, Pearl Jam is one of those bands where everyone supports the vocal. The vocal is the main instrument and everything else takes a back seat.

I wonder if this is how Pearl Jam was perceived by the other bands around them.

On a different note the whole interview makes one wonder how come Matt stuck with the band eventually.

[CopperTom]

On a different note the whole interview makes one wonder how come Matt stuck with the band eventually.

Big money tours.

[LoathedVermin72]

So Matt definitely just looks at PJ as his meal ticket and not a creative outlet, yeah?

[darth_vedder]

Post Soundgarden Money Grab. Who knew?

[Kevin Davis]

"It was great in the sense that they didn't try to tone me down at all. I'm kind of known for playing weird, crazy fills and sometimes playing things I shouldn't be playing, but they loved it - at least that's what they told me. They just wanted me to do what I do. But musically, Pearl Jam is one of those bands where everyone supports the vocal. The vocal is the main instrument and everything else takes a back seat.

It's probably no accident that the next record they made -- Matt's first with the band -- probably conforms to this description less than any other they've made. It's pretty clear that in the beginning they were really trying to absorb Matt's influence into the group, trying to make the band something where his strengths would be as at home as anyone else's. It's a shame that, in the public's eyes, it was an unsuccessful experiment, because they've retreated further from it with each subsequent release.

[VinylGuy]

Yeah, to the point where he doesnt have a song in LB.

I love matt´s songs in PJ.

[Brett]

Post Soundgarden Money Grab. Who knew?

I was just thinking something like this. We have the "Wealthy Eddie Vedder" meme, when it should really be "Moneybags Matt Cameron."

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Mine]

On a different note the whole interview makes one wonder how come Matt stuck with the band eventually.

Big money tours.

Isn't there easier money for him to make though?
When he says he doesn't plan to join an established band or how Soundgarden didn't like touring it would seem like he wasn't into big tours, which with him being a drummer makes perfect sense.

1998 was also before he did an album with them so maybe his opinion changed after going in studio with them.
If i wanted to be cynical, and i am, i'd say there could have been some jealousy over Pearl Jam's commercial success.
It kind of sounds like the bitchy stuff musicians say or imply when they don't appreciate other people being in more of a spotlight than they are.

[Mine]

Yeah, to the point where he doesnt have a song in LB.

I love matt´s songs in PJ.

Matt has written very little in his career in general so maybe he isn't much into writing.

[E.H. Ruddock]

Yeah, to the point where he doesnt have a song in LB.

I love matt´s songs in PJ.

Matt has written very little in his career in general so maybe he isn't much into writing.

um, what?

[Strat]

Maybe, just maybe, matt loves being in pearl jam too!

[Mine]

Yeah, to the point where he doesnt have a song in LB.

I love matt´s songs in PJ.

Matt has written very little in his career in general so maybe he isn't much into writing.

um, what?

He is the person in the band to have the least songwriting credits to his name by far. Even in Soundgarden he averages at about 1 song per album.
It kinda seems as if songwriting isn't much of a priority for him.
Of course there could be tons of compositions in his private vaults that i don't know about.

[evenslow]

Big money tours are fun.