Kookie, Bizarre and brillient (Vitalogy - Pearl Jam)

Member Name: DWMayeaux

Product:	Vitalogy - Pearl Jam
Date:	17/02/09 (45 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: You'll be listening to Betterman over and over for weeks

Disadvantages: Stupid Mop will give you Nightmares

Pearl Jam's third album was realeased late in 1994 on vinyl, two weeks before it was released on CD and tape and features references to the band's love for the vinyl format. It was the last album to feature Dave Abbruzzese as the main drummer and debuts replacement, Jack Irons on the eccentric 'Hey Foxymophandle Mama'. Vocalist Eddie Vedder also displays his diverse musical talents as he picks up the accordian for the equally bizarre 'Bugs'. Other more staple band members include Jeff Ament on bass, Stone Gossard on Slide and guitar and Mike McCready on guitar and slide. As with their previous album 'Vs', it was produced by Brendan O'Brien.
Lyrically the album is typical Pearl Jam with the subject matter mainly consisting of social commentary from the joyous and autobigraphical 'Black Circle' to the introspective tearjerker 'Nothingman'.

Last Exit - Vedder, Gossard
'Let the ocean swell, dissolve 'way my past
Three days, maybe longer
Won't even know I've left'

The album begins with what sounds like an orchestra tuning up. A strong rock drum beat then introduces a track that remains more rhythm than melody. It's then joined by simple guitar riffs and then the vocals. The relentless rhythm is maintained by the drums and guitars for the rest of the track, but it is lead by the vocals. The bass though hard to pick out has a gorgeous warm riff. Breaks inbetween verses and chorus contain short intricate guitar fillers. The bridge provides the only change to pace and rhythm. Formed of short, sharp, tension building chords leading to a release from the vocals.

Spin the Black Circle - Vedder, Gossard

'Pull it out ... a paper sleeve...
Oh, my joy ... only you deserve conceit'
This track was awarded the 1996 Grammy award for 'Best Hard Rock Performance'. It is a traditional rock song, exploding into life with thrashy power chords and continuing at pace. Both guitars play the same riff with occasional high points from the lead as they gather momentum and the joyous vocals speak about a love for vinyl like a junkie's love for their drug. The outro is atypically grunge becoming increasingly discordant and erratic as it nears close.


Not for You - Vedder
'All that's sacred comes from youth.
Dedication, naive and true'
A dedication to their fans and musicians alike. When speaking about this track Vedder said 'These attitudes out there ... that it's the industry's music. And it's not. It's mine. And it's yours.' There is a loud, simple, chord based riff inbetween the verses and the chorus, slightly muted and distorted, it continues as background to the verses and chorus. It begins with a simple open riff and drums, then builds up before the vocals kick in. Extra rhythm comes from the vocals with elongated syllables at the end of each line. In typical Pearl Jam form the lyrics are a mumble, intensifying and becoming clear to pass the main point 'This is not for you'. The bridge is a more intricate riff that is taken up by the vocals before they drop away again for a guitar solo. The outro begins with a warm bass and vocals then suddenly becomes jam like with the messy guitar riffs slowly winding down to a stop.


Tremor Christ - Vedder, Gossard, McCready, Ament
'Ransom paid the devil ... he whispers pleasing words.
triumphant are the angels if they can ... get there first ...'

Sounding like a twisted fairground ride, this track the melody comes from the bass, though this is kept at a low amplitude while the lead guitar takes centre stage. Vocals are whimsical for the verses, using elongated syllables and pauses mid lines to influence the pace and add to the eerie mood of the track and gaining strength for the chorus. During the bridge the guitars become more involved, but act as a backdrop to the bass. The main riff changes, but remains simple as the vocals gain strength and the band as a whole gain momentum. The outro features heavy use of the whammy from rhythm guitar with the vocals coming softer, but more distinct, also changing audio positioning to draw more attention to themselves.

Nothingman - Vedder, Ament

'Walks on his own ... with thoughts he can't help thinking ...
Future's above ... but in the past it's slow and sinking'
About a true love lost because of the stupidity of the people within that relationship. Lead by the emotional and reflective vocals with enveloping and warm guitars and bass acting as a compliment. The vocals themselves are sung in two different keys when talking from two different sides of the relationship. Guitars are simple in composition, each chorus bringing the music to a stop before starting the new verse. The pitch and mood of the piece ebb and flow reflecting the lyrics of the up and downs of a damaged relationship. The bridge using echo to reinforce each line, making the mood triumphant.

Whipping - Vedder
'Don't need a helmet, got a hard, hard head
Don't need a raincoat, I'm already wet
Don't need a bandage, there's too much ... blood ...
After a while, seems to roll right off'

Explodes into life with a fast paced simple riff, drawing a stark contrast to the gentle 'Nothingman'. It uses the vocals to carry the main melody and rhythms against a back drop of basic guitar chords. The guitars are used in the main to punctuate the vocals, creating tension between verses until it is broken again by the vocals. Sudden finish.

Pry, to - Vedder

'P-R-I-V-A-C-Y is priceless to me'
There is just one solitary line sung repeatedly in this one minute filler, fading into being (with mumbled lyrics becoming more audible), reaching a climax and then fading back out again. Apparently if played backwards this track says 'Oh Pete Towshend, how you saved my life', it didn't work for me, I really don't think there is anything deeper here than just what it says on the tin.

Corduroy - Vedder
'I don't want to take what you can give ...
I would rather starve than eat your bread ...'

Opens with an eerie riff played as an arpeggio over the first 2 notes of a power chord. A simple composition relying on amazing vocals and lead guitar and intense rock percussion. The breaks inbetween chorus and verse leads to e release lead by the vocals. During the verses the rhythm guitar follows the vocal melody with the lead fluctuating around central chords. The jam style outro is a bass driven, tension filled breakdown reprise of the original riff.

Bugs - Vedder

'Do I kill them?
Become their friend?
Do I eat them?
Raw or well done?'
Once recorded Vedder described this track as the first single from the album. It is certainly original and innovative, with imaginative use of an accordian, intricate melodies and insightful lyrics. The ... er ... melody comes from a rather painful accordian and basic percussion. Not a track to be taken too seriously.


Satan's Bed - Vedder, Gossard
'Who made, who made up, who made up the myth
that we were all born to covered in bliss?'

An upbeat tune with a simple, almost childlike composition in a traditional rock vein with jazz double time percussion. The vocals are fast paced with the lyrics tumbling over each other so that the words become lost in places. The main riff is chord based rhythm guitar followed by the bass one beat behind with the lead fluctuating around them both, tying them together.

Betterman - Vedder

'She loved him, yeah ... she don't want to live this way
She feeds him, yeah ... that's why she'll be back again.'
Featuring pure warm vocals and a delicate guitar melody. This track has something about it that is undefinable that touches the listener, a truly moving song that is a favourite of mine and other Pearl Jam fans. Originally written for Vedder's previous band Bad Radio, this track is raw with emotion on a subject close to Vedder's heart. There is no percussion, subtle guitars and feint organ chords for the first two verses as the vocals carry the melody. After a introduction from percussion the rest of the band really kick in for the third verse as the vocals pick up in pace and energy. Outro is vocally lead with a second set of vocals providing an echo.

Aye Davanita - Vedder, Gossard, Ament, McCready, Abbruzzese
Featuring inbetween emotionally heavy Betterman and Immortality Aye Davanita is a pleasant filler. Acting as a bridge on the album it uses tribal vocal rythyms with no discernable lyrics and warm guitars. Guitars and bass all seem to use their own melodies, entwined around each other.


Immortality - Vedder
'Vacate is the word ... vengence has no place on me or her
Cannot find the comfort in this world'

Simple percussion using a lot of cymbal work to give a more surreal mood, with beautiful vocals that act as a backdrop to the melodic guitars with gorgeous round riffs. The bridge features an intricate and delicate solo, moving on to a more heavy and heartfelt riff and back into a passionate verse as the percussion becomes more prevalent. The entire track is lead by the guitar but it is the bass that sets the mood followed by simple key changes from the guitar. Both guitars are intricate and delicate, taking it in turns to come to the forefront inbetween verses. The long outro features a repetitive and hypnotic riff backed by a warm bass fading to a close.

Hey Foxymophandlemama

'A spanking
That's the only thing I want so much'
You could end the album with 'Immortality', but it appears the band had one last thing to say. There is much argument amongst true grit Pearl Jam fans as to the value of this song. Personally, I think it sits well at the end of the album, but it certainly isn't one I would choose to listen to by itself. On the plus side they have used clever production techniques and the bass and percussion are good in places, on the bad side it feels like coming up on bad acid. Also known as 'Stupid Mop' this track is the longest on the album. Mainly consisting of mixed, distorted and looped recordings of real patients from a mental hospital. It plays like the soundtrack for a bad trip with a unisex and childlike voice taking the centre stage. The audio positioning of this voice changes, together with distortion and pitch changes for each line, it gives the listener a feeling of disorientation. The guitars are high pitched and distorted with no real melody giving you a sense of fear and dread. Three minutes in the music becomes a little more organised with a discernable drum beat that build in pace adding to the ominous dread, but the guitars soon descend back into a muddled mess. At just over 5 minutes a calm oppressive bass comes in, chasing the panicing guitars before guiding the track into the outro. During which everything falls away to leave just the voice and then 20 seconds of silence. **Do not listen to this track if you are anything less than stone cold sober**

Summary: 90s grunge at it's (very nearly) best