What the heck happened to this Eddie Vedder?

[Thejambi]

But couldn't practically every topic be condensed to like some Official Pearl Jam topic or something?

HEY WE DON'T GO ALL WILLY NILLY WITH MAKING THREADS ROUND HERE PAL!

[BurtReynolds]

But couldn't practically every topic be condensed to like some Official Pearl Jam topic or something?

don't worry about it. you are by far the least annoying new member. you're ok in my book.

[malice]

OP's thread question is a valid one

[stip]

What would it get locked for? I don't get this board yet <_<

It seems like something we already have several threads talking about. It would probably get merged, not locked. Bit maybe this is the first one on the new board.

You didn't do anything wrong, we just try and keep this place a bit tidy

[Kevin Davis]

we just try and keep this place a bit tidy

This is only sort of true. We're very indiscriminate about the crap we accumulate, we're just very insistent that it's all stuffed into one or two closets or hidden under the bed instead of strewn carelessly about the floor.

[enimmi]

Luckily the fans are still the same. USA!

[E.H. Ruddock]

we just try and keep this place a bit tidy

This is only sort of true. We're very indiscriminate about the crap we accumulate, we're just very insistent that it's all stuffed into one or two closets or hidden under the bed instead of strewn carelessly about the floor.

That's it, I'm starting a PLEASE PLAY GET RIGHT IN CHARLOTTE thread

[McParadigm]

Neil Young -> Springsteen.

As much as Burt is owning this shit, this post stood out as particularly insightful regarding Pearl Jam's behavioral changes (not necessarily musical ones) during the last decade.

[stip]

Springsteen I understand, and can certainly see how they have impacted PJ in both good and bad ways. Can someone who is a neil young fan explain what the neil young influence was, beyond 'we like this guy neil young'?

[Lament]

Neil Young -> Springsteen.

As much as Burt is owning this shit, this post stood out as particularly insightful regarding Pearl Jam's behavioral changes (not necessarily musical ones) during the last decade.

The cynic in me wants to point out that the transition from Neil Young to Bruce took place seemingly a split second after Bruce's cultural cache shot back up from the basement to the penthouse. For a dude who loved Springsteen enough to cover One Step Up in the late 80's and is unabashedly public about his love for him now, I don't think Ed mentioned him once in the 90's, aside from a single cover of Bobby Jean at that tiny San Diego show in 1999.

[stip]

Neil Young -> Springsteen.

As much as Burt is owning this shit, this post stood out as particularly insightful regarding Pearl Jam's behavioral changes (not necessarily musical ones) during the last decade.

The cynic in me wants to point out that the transition from Neil Young to Bruce took place seemingly a split second after Bruce's cultural cache shot back up from the basement to the penthouse. For a dude who loved Springsteen enough to cover One Step Up in the late 80's and is unabashedly public about his love for him now, I don't think Ed mentioned him once in the 90's, aside from a single cover of Bobby Jean at that tiny San Diego show in 1999.

springsteen also didn't do much of consequence in the 90s, whereas NY was consciously mentoring the band.

If you're really looking to be cool you are probably not modeling yourself after springsteen.

[Heathen]

Springsteen I understand, and can certainly see how they have impacted PJ in both good and bad ways. Can someone who is a neil young fan explain what the neil young influence was, beyond 'we like this guy neil young'?

they saw neil young being awesome and thought "hey, let's try being awesome too"

then they decided they could something else

[Lament]

Springsteen I understand, and can certainly see how they have impacted PJ in both good and bad ways. Can someone who is a neil young fan explain what the neil young influence was, beyond 'we like this guy neil young'?

I think Neil has a uniquely dark, smoldering intensity in a lot of his best work (Like A Hurricane, Cortez the Killer, Don't Cry, etc.) that I see flashes of in Pearl Jam's pre-Yield output. I think Ed's songwriting derived a lot of its simplicity in those days (compared to the stuff Stone was writing, especially on Ten) from his Neil Young fandom as opposed to his love of punk (eg. stuff like Rearviewmirror, Corduroy, Immortality, Long Road, I Got Shit). There's also a very "lived in" feel to Vitalogy and No Code that remind me a lot of Neil Young's best records (Rust Never Sleeps, Tonight's the Night, Freedom).

Also, flannel.

[Lament]

springsteen also didn't do much of consequence in the 90s, whereas NY was consciously mentoring the band.

If you're really looking to be cool you are probably not modeling yourself after springsteen.

Oh, I agree. But I also think Ed's Springsteen adoration is very genuine and dates back to the late 70's and was obviously strong enough through the late 80's to cover a track off of Tunnel of Love. It's kinda lame to be so secretive about such a big influence because he wasn't "cool" only to then be like "I HAVE LOVED HIM FOR SO LONG" once he gets cool again.

[stip]

was he ever being all that secretive?

I think Eddie really reacts to his heroes like a fan, and whoever reaches out to him becomes a greater part of his public persona (I don't mean for that to sound as mercenary as it does). Pete Townsend, Neil Young, Johnny Ramone, Bruce Springsteen, etc.

Some of it may also be that Springsteen is a pretty good role model for where someone like Eddie is in his life right now

[Lament]

was he ever being all that secretive?

I think Eddie really reacts to his heroes like a fan, and whoever reaches out to him becomes a greater part of his public persona (I don't mean for that to sound as mercenary as it does). Pete Townsend, Neil Young, Johnny Ramone, Bruce Springsteen, etc.

Some of it may also be that Springsteen is a pretty good role model for where someone like Eddie is in his life right now

I'm not knocking Springsteen as a role model for someone like Ed (or in general, he's one of my handful of favorite artists ever). I just mean that Ed is someone who was not only not shy about who he looked up to, but wore it front and center like a true music fan would (Neil Young, Pete Townshend, and Joey Ramone being the big three that come to mind from the 90's). I would imagine that's one of the things that made him seem so relatable to a lot of us. I suspect Springsteen has ALWAYS been one of the faces on Ed's personal Mount Rushmore of influences, but whereas he spent the 90's highlighting everyone else on it, there are scant references to Springsteen or his work (especially compared to The Who, Neil Young, the Ramones, Fugazi, etc.).

tl;dr Ed probably didn't want everyone to know how much he loved the Boss when it wasn't "cool" to do so.

[stip]

perhaps, but it's not like all those other guys were cultural touchstones. Unless the who were a fountain of indie cred in the 90s.

[Lament]

I think The Who had developed a certain amount of permanent cred by the time the 90's rolled around.

I'm not knocking Ed by any means. I think we all probably have had artists that had a big impact on us that we might not want to be super upfront about at times. I just find it amusing to see the same thing that plays out with fans like us play out on a grand stage like Ed's. In a weird way it's almost endearing. I mean, there definitely was a period when I was less than inclined to let my bandmates know how big of a Pearl Jam fan I was.

[stip]

that's fair. I just don't think springsteen was ever someone you needed to hide the way you describe here. I think it's more likely that post VFC tour when they met each other he probably fronted bruce to the top of the 'people I should emulate' list. Maybe he just smells better than Neil Young. You reach a certain point in your life when stuff like that matters.

[Lament]

I suppose one possible explanation for it all (and actually something I've always wondered) is that Springsteen is an influence that not only does no one else in the band share, but that the band straight up dislikes.

I've always found it curious that if you look at pre-sets, solo sets, solo shows, and appearances with other artists Ed has covered One Step Up, Bobby Jean, My Hometown, Growin' Up, No Surrender, Darkness on the Edge of Town, Drive All Night, My City of Ruins, and seemingly 75% of Nebraska, but as far as I know he's never been joined by even one other member of the band in doing so. It seems odd to me that a band that does as many covers as they do has never attempted a full band cover of one of his songs. Maybe the rest of the guys can't stand his music.