I agree with others regarding the unfavorable impression of Corgan and the Pumpkins. To me they have come across as arrogant and elitist whereas Pearl Jam and Vedder are much more humble and down to earth. Both bands have made music that I really enjoy though. I love the connection and interview that Vedder did with Steve Gleason. It was amazing.
One band that I haven't seen mentioned yet which I enjoyed more than the Pumpkins is Bush (not the Canadian one obviously.) I always thought that Bush was better but I was in a small minority.
Last edited by calgarygeologist; 12-11-2014 at 01:37 PM.
If Ten was all they ever did of any quality, they'd be struggling to play Deerfoot Casino, let alone still selling out arenas world wide. You don't experience that type of success without an entire catalogue of music that people love.
Ten through Yield are all great albums, with later albums have some quality work as well. I think only in the last 3 or so albums they've started hitting a bit of a wall (as always happens with age). Just because Pearl Jam took themselves out of the limelight doesn't mean they stopped making great music.
You want to know why people have loved Pearl Jam for twenty plus years? They didn't keep making Ten. They shy'd away from the spotlight and instead of chasing fame, the way Corgan seems to often do, they just focused on the music, and the music has always been deeply personal and real. That's what stays with people. Not to mention they actually seem like good guys that people can connect with.
Ask 5 different Pearl Jam fans what their favourite album is, and you'll get 5 different answers (and I'd bet few of them say Ten). Mark of a great band.
The CJAY 92 notion that Ten was their only good album is a farce.
They are a great live act which is why they are still an arena band. It's just opinions here so nobody in this discussion is right or wrong but Billy isn't the only person that "doesn't get it" when it comes to Pearl Jam. If being popular equated to a quality band then Nickelback would be a shoe in for the rock and roll hall of fame.
I haven't watched the Simpsons in about 15 years so I don't know who that character is. Sorry.
Did you know that Finger 11 used to be called The Rainbow Butt Monkeys?
Yes, thats why I called you an old, old man. Because you referred to a band by the name of it's previous iteration in order to attempt to lend value to your point.
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Yes, thats why I called you an old, old man. Because you referred to a band by the name of it's previous iteration in order to attempt to lend value to your point.
Foo Fighters - Self-Titled, The Color And The Shape, Wasting Light - 3
Pearl Jam - Ten - 1
Yup, Corgan is right.
Adore really was a fantastic album that probably doesn't get the recognition it deserves. I'm a big fan of One by One (you have omitted) as I kind of feel that's the Foo Fighters best album. That's what makes music such a difficult topic to critique as opinions can vary so wildly. I never thought I would see the day Blind Melon would be included in a discussion of top grunge bands but that doesn't mean that they aren't deserving of being in the conversation.
You post this, it seems like you racked your brain for other artists, and landed on Lenny
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erick Estrada
He was a one man band when he recorded the album Foo Fighters. He played every instrument for that recording. Only other current day act I know of (I'm sure there are probably others that I don't know about) that has done that is Lenny Kravitz. Maybe not a genius but a supreme talent I would say.
Rube posts these other fella's as individuals that fit your criteria
Quote:
Originally Posted by rubecube
Trent Reznor, Ben Folds, Jack White, and that's just off the top of my head.
You discount his response by saying they aren't grunge.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Erick Estrada
I don't consider them grunge though.
It makes no sense.
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Foo Fighters - Self-Titled, The Color And The Shape, Wasting Light - 3
Pearl Jam - Ten - 1
Yup, Corgan is right.
Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace was also a great album. Wasting Light and the most recent album were by far my least favorite. Everything up to and including IYH were fantastic.
Pearl Jam may not have the high end tracks (although I'm personally a fan) but the depth of their catalogue is so incredibly vast. Their b-sides through the years are almost better than what came on the albums.
I love FF and PJ but PJ's catalogue is unmatched in this 3 band comparison IMO.
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Billy Corgan has actually said in previous interviews that he had to go back into the studio and rerecord the instrumental portions of each album himself. He has a lot of contempt for his former bandmates, especially James Iha, whom I'm pretty sure Corgan deleted him playing on any released album. After listening to Iha's solo album, I might actually believe Corgan. Either way, he was probably 90% of the creative output of the Pumpkins. It might have done something to sour his live performances during the touring period as well.
Unfortunately, what has separated Corgan has been his inability to continue his success from the Pumpkins era into anything contemporary.
Grohl and Vedder, I think it is safe to say, have transcended their placement as simply members of their respective bands. Watch some of Vedder's work in India on youtube, or the Grohl documentary Sound City, to see how they have evolved beyond Pearl Jam and Foo Fighters. Having someone like that as the front man for your band automatically sets you up for a certain amount of continued success.
As an aside, a couple of years ago Billy Corgan and Roger Daltry both campaigned to be judges on American Idol. Daltry wanted to look for someone who could front a band, which he says the show had never produced, and Corgan wanted to look for someone who had personal development beyond simply their voice. I would have watched that show.
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I haven't caught up on this thread yet, but if Billy Corgan had shot himself in the face after Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness he'd probably have Cobain status too.
Makes me wonder if Cobain would have been a Corgan by now if he was still around...
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I literally play 90s music for about ~20% of my income.
If you want to stop people from paying attention to your band, play a Pearl Jam song.
No offense but that is more likely to do with covering a band that has a distinctive front man/voice. Those are hard bands/artists to cover and invariably those covers tend to be a miserable failure.
I also love Smashing Pumpkins though as the joke goes, the best Billy Corgan album is Celebrity Skin. I kid - sort of. He is an arrogant git though.
I'll also very much disagree with your Album score. Ten is a great album but honestly I don't think it's their best. I'd say Vs and Vitology are both better. I also like Backspacer and Pearl Jam more. That is of course my opinion and you are welcome to yours. I'd also say the live performance to me is a key thing in evaluating the importance of a band and honestly Pearl Jam is second to none in that regard.
