For my first entry in a series dedicated at least in part to proving that, rather than killing the guitar solo, “Grunge” actually revitalized it, raised it from the living death of skin tight leather, mock masterbation, phallic theatrics, and faux-classical references, I, um, cheated just a little bit. I started off with one of my all-time favorite bands, who happened to do some of their best work in the 90s, but picking King’s X was fudging a little bit. I’ll grant you that.
I’m fudging no longer. No, instead of picking a semi-obscure band with a seriously badass guitarist who isn’t really associated with either the 90s or “Grunge” (despite Jeff Ament’s quote to the contrary), I’m picking the second-most iconic band of the “Grunge” generation. A band that helped shape a sound that we will forever for better and for worse associate with poor hygiene, staying up all night, and flannel. I’m going with… drum roll please… (yea, I know, I know, the title gives away the punch line, but work with me here, it’s a bit):
Pearl Jam!
They’re not from Texas, no! They hail from that 90s rock mecca, the birthplace of “Grunge,” Seattle. Their debut album Ten, knocked the 80s on its ass and told the world that a new kind of rock was about to, um, rock. Seriously rock. Like, kick your ass and burn your pleated leather pants rock. Like shave your mullet and make you like it rock. Like… well, that about does it for me. But seriously, it rocked. If you weren’t paying attention to rock in 1991 and 1992, just trust me on that. As someone who considered himself super-cool for digging Van Halen, Def Leopard, Bon Jovi, and really any other band with two names, I can testify to the seismic shift that happened when teenagers across America (even Kentucky!) heard Pearl Jam for the first time.
My own conversion from glam to “Grunge” came via Nirvana (mostly because, a.) Nirvana rocked, duh! and b.) my evil twin liked Pearl Jam, and we couldn’t at that time admit to liking to same bands so we pitted them against each other in endless nonsensical debates about, well… I’m not really sure any more), but I still have to toss some serious respect Pearl Jam’s way. While they weren’t the first “Grunge” band – they followed the likes of Green River and Mudhoney – they helped not only define the sound, but take it global.
As noted in my last post on the subject, it is erroneously believed that “Grunge” killed the guitar solo. This is a misconception perpetuated by people who clearly have never actually listened to “Grunge.” Pearl Jam did and does their very best to dispel this nasty rumor, and today’s clip hints at why. If you’ve ever been in a band that has prided itself on some badass guitar player shredding out solos that make your meager musical offerings almost cool, trust me when I tell you that Pearl Jam has not one but two guitarists that will make your guitarist friend absolutely incontinent.
Stone Gossart and Mike McCready have been playing together since 1990, when Gossart’s band Mother Love Bone broke up and he and bassict Jeff Ament decided to start a new band with Eddie Veddar, McCready, and drummer Dave Krusen (who left Pearl Jam in 1991 to go to rehab, and has since played with several other bands, including Candlebox and Unified Theory). Individually they are each, simply put, astounding. But together. Well, I’d say something like “Dynamic Duo” but then I’d have to duck all of the rotten tomatoes subsequently chucked my way. They play off each other perfectly, trading licks and riffs. They each have their own distinctive, emotive style, and that is clearly at play here on “Alive.”
But, before we get to “Alive” – my favorite cut off Ten, I must inundate you with a little trivia, because, well, I’m me.
So first up is this: The album was titled Ten for the single most awesome reason in the history of rock. That is, 10 was the jersey number of one Mookie Blaylock, a 12th round pick of the New Jersey Nets who had a perfectly normal NBA career. His most noteworthy trait was, well, his name, a name that Pearl Jam wanted to use as the name of their band.
Alas, Mr. Blaylock objected. But, rather than be bitter, they used his jersey number as the title of their debut album. As a long-suffering basketball geek, I find that infinitely cool.
The second, and mercifully final, bit of trivia is this: Pearl Jam has some serious, um… I was going to say “balls,” but I’m not sure it’s such a good thing to reflexively use male genitalia to describe something like existential courage, and I’m not sure it’s such a good thing to use convoluted phrases like “existential courage” to describe a rock band. Anyway, Pearl Jam’s got some serious something. How is that trivia, and what’s that got to do with this? Simple: this video is promoting a song on their debut album, but this version isn’t the version of that song on the album. The version of “Alive” on Ten is a live version, and the version on the video is a different live version. That’s right: their first video is a single live take of a different version of the song that is also a single live take on their debut album.
That’s “Grunge” in a nutshell. We don’t care what you think of our “product,” because we aren’t making a product. We’re baring our soul. Don’t like it? Fine. Don’t look. Don’t listen. And keep your fool mouth shut before we kick your ass.
Anyway, without further ado, here’s “Alive,” by Pearl Jam, kicking off a new paradigm in rock:
Yes, I Am Cheesy Enough. 