A large part of the change has gotta be just changing musical tastes. Also, Pearl Jam is linked with certain memories in my life,--mostly good memories, true--but, I don't like to look back that much. I can usually only remember two things: past good memories and past embarrassing memories. Remembering the embarrassing things is, well, vicariously embarrassing. Remembering the good times brings back that slightly painful nostalgia.
I think probably the thing that made it so that I never listen to Pearl Jam, however, are their politics. Eddie Vedder was always liberal, writing "pro-choice" on his arm during MTV unplugged session, and doing pro-choice monkey wrench radio DJing. But until Bush was elected, the politics didn't make it into the music. After, however, it was "Bu$hleaguer" "Life Wasted" "Army Reserve" "World Wide Suicide", "Marker in the Sand" and probably other songs I can't think of. Basically every song in the Pearl Jam album was a protest song. There was rock the vote, too. And despite all the songs about "love," Vedder was smashing effigies of George W. Bush on stage.
So one good thing about Obama's election is that Pearl Jam can finally stop writing songs about George Bush, and maybe I can start liking them again.
So here's the new single, which I do very much like.
And while we're talking music, here's some other good stuff I've been listening to:
Metric is now on my short list of good bands. I discovered them a long time ago, but again, couldn't swallow the politics. Apparently Emily Haines is kind of a cokehead. Also the guitarist seems like guitarist guy cliche. Their stuff is so good, though.
With Sarkozy and Phoenix, and the fact that more than half of French people would move to U.S if they could, I might actually have to start liking France:
I don't know If I like this band, but I do like this song (and yes I did hear it in that Palm Pre commercial).
Ahh, the Yeah Yeah Yeah's. Yes, Karen O has the worst 1970 low budget Sci-Fi movie costume on. Yes, her hair is cut like a pre-pubescent boys. Show Your Bones is still one of my favorite albums.
Noticing a trend? Female rock vocals. Here's a pretty sweet band I discovered only the other day. The singer kind of freaks me out, though, because while she's attractive, she also looks like John Heder.
And finally, let's finish off with The Velvet Teen. They're recording a new album and I'm excited. Listening to the Velvet Teen is like living in your own world, because no one knows who they are. And that's a shame. First something easy to listen to.
Now for the advanced listener:
And while we're talking music, here's some other good stuff I've been listening to:
Metric is now on my short list of good bands. I discovered them a long time ago, but again, couldn't swallow the politics. Apparently Emily Haines is kind of a cokehead. Also the guitarist seems like guitarist guy cliche. Their stuff is so good, though.
With Sarkozy and Phoenix, and the fact that more than half of French people would move to U.S if they could, I might actually have to start liking France:
I don't know If I like this band, but I do like this song (and yes I did hear it in that Palm Pre commercial).
Ahh, the Yeah Yeah Yeah's. Yes, Karen O has the worst 1970 low budget Sci-Fi movie costume on. Yes, her hair is cut like a pre-pubescent boys. Show Your Bones is still one of my favorite albums.
Noticing a trend? Female rock vocals. Here's a pretty sweet band I discovered only the other day. The singer kind of freaks me out, though, because while she's attractive, she also looks like John Heder.
And finally, let's finish off with The Velvet Teen. They're recording a new album and I'm excited. Listening to the Velvet Teen is like living in your own world, because no one knows who they are. And that's a shame. First something easy to listen to.
Now for the advanced listener:
2 comments:
I believe Scott would love this post.
I don't know exactly when I stopped being into PJ (it's amazing how many of us were: Aaron, me, you, Burke, Brian, Jim, Adam, Chris, Josh, Mark, etc.), but I think it was more that I've mellowed out in my old age. I hadn't even paid close enough attention to notice how political they'd become.
A week or two ago I overheard one of my students talking about the Smashing Pumpkins and it turned out that he was way into them. Kinda weird though. I referred to them as just the Pumpkins and he was like, "Huh?" Then I realized that it was like someone our age getting into Zeppelin or something that was before our time. The music is the same, but some of the culture that went with it is always lost.
So I gave him my Zero concert shirt that I hadn't worn in a decade. I think I made his year.
The list of Pearl Jam fans was longer than that. Will and Calvin, also love PJ; and don't forget Richie. Didn't he have like 2,000 Pearl Jam CDs?
Not sure I buy the Zeppelin comparison--at least not yet. The newest Zeppelin stuff was like 23 years old when we were in high school. The newest Pearl Jam stuff is like, well, new. My dad listened to Zeppelin. High-school kids parents probably didn't listen to Pearl Jam. We still need to wait a few years. Maybe, U2 would be a better comparison.
Funny how our tastes change. Most of the stuff that I was kind of into I can't listen to any more. Guns and Roses? Metallica? I was never that big a fan, but I have no taste for them now.
The new album is pretty good. Way better than Pearl Jam, which I listened to only a few times. I do have the sense that you've heard the music before, which can be a problem.
I'm not trying to keep this blog secret--anyone can be a reader. I just have a problem with self-promotion.
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