802 Pearl Jam - Vs (1993)

 802 Pearl Jam - Vs (1993)

Studio Album - Rock



About the Act:

Pearl Jam are a Grunge/Rock band from Seattle. Formed in 1990, they have not managed to hang onto a drummer for long, but the rest of the band have been constant. They are one of the most successful American Rock bands ever, selling lots and lots of records over the years. 


About the Album:

This was the band's second album, and (apparently) has a more raw sound than their debut. It held the record for the fastest selling album in it's first week, for about 5 years. It was number 1 for 5 weeks, and is certified 7xplatinum in the USA.


My History with this Album:

None


Review:

I don't get it. It's not bad but it's not that good. Sometimes, cynically, I wonder if some things sell well in America because they don't have better alternatives, but I guess that's an oxymoron. It's fair to say that tastes differ, and some things that seem to have widespread appeal in America don't capture my imagination in the same way. I guess that's OK and I should try not to be snooty about it. However, 7xplatinum? Really?

It's not all bad, but there are flaws. For every good point there seems to be a corresponding thing I'm less keen on. Let's get cracking.

It's rock. Now, generally speaking I'm in favour of rock. I would say that in some ways this lies about halfway between Bruce Springsteen and Metallica. An odd line to draw maybe. It's pretty heavy most of the time, and I can be behind that. It is raw and energetic, and I can definitely be behind that. However, at times it lacks sophistication and nuance. I'm coming to the conclusion actually that there are some styles of playing that I am less keen on, not that I know why. I prefer chuggy rock to washy rock. In washy rock you let the guitar ring out the chord until you play the next chord, giving you a big background curtain of noise. In chuggy rock you have little gaps. This is not all washy rock, but there is quite a lot of that. Apparently they set up to record in a very similar setup to when they play live, and I admire the energy and spontaneity of it, but for me it's just a little too ragged, and loose at times. Some of the quitter songs I preferred in that the sound was more nuanced.


The singing. Now, Eddie Vedder (the singer) is very expressive. There is a raw power to his voice at times, an intensity that I can see is a strong quality. Apparently he didn't like the studio they were recording in because it was too comfortable. I think I can hear his pain at this in his singing. Apparently, the rest of the band were tasked with making him feel less comfortable. I can't decide if this was a joke or not, as they don't seem otherwise to be jokers. Anyway, the singing - mostly good, but when he gets carried away, it's really hard to make out the words. In the quieter songs it's easier to make out the words, and those are the songs where you can hear that he can hold a note, quite well in fact. However, there seems to be this sort of nasal way of singing that has been adopted by some (predominantly American) bands. Maybe it was the success of Bob Dylan that opened this door, many years ago. Once I have had that thought, it's hard for me to put away.

The lyrics, well, quite a bit of the time I can't hear them, and sometimes when I can they are fine and good and even dandy. I particularly like "Rats". Reading about the tracks made me more open to them as there is meaning, and story songs, and quite a few worthy sentiments. At times, though, they seem a bit on the nose and lacking in nuance. Again, I think that this is my preference, and I know that many would categorise it a "refreshingly direct", and in some ways I am on board with that, but at times... it just feels a bit shallow.

It's raw, it's immediate, it's direct, it's unfettered, it's honest, it connects. It's on the nose, it's nasal, it's lacking in sophistication. It's a sneeze.


6.7/10


Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3BSOiAas8BpJOii3kCPyjV

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj2b3d9cCOahcu366Ne8ThKdC8rxiXBh3

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vs._(Pearl_Jam_album)



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