Some say that Pearl Jam was one of the best things to ever come out of Seattle, Washington, while others stated that they were their own worst enemy. Whether it was their own songs or the cover songs for other bands they tended to strike out against the traditional methods of conducting concerts. They actually boycotted Ticketmaster, they wouldn’t give interviews, and they didn’t want to do music videos. Their fame was supposedly on a fast track to nowhere in the 90’s according to some. And yet look at them now. They’re one of the most loved bands in the Pacific Northwest and throughout many other parts of the country. They stuck to their guns for a while and made a good showing of what they wanted and what they would and would not do, and in doing so they managed to make the music world stand up and listen.
As for the rest of us we couldn’t help but be impressed.
5. Rockin’ In The Free World-Neil Young
Some people love it when bands do covers of other bands and others not so much. While some folks see this is as a tribute and even an homage others tend to think of it as an attempt to upstage each other. Really what it’s about is respect between artists that happen to enjoy one another’s music and want to take a crack at it. And to be honest they don’t need permission so long as it’s live. It never hurts to ask though.
4. Won’t Back Down-Tom Petty
I’ll admit I like Petty’s performance better but in terms of a cover song this sounds awesome. Pear Jam has a sound that’s not entirely conventional and doesn’t adhere to the same beat that a lot of other bands do. They’ve always done their own thing and that’s what makes them so great. Plus, with Tom Petty having passed away not that long ago the memory of his music is still pretty fresh.
3. (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay-Otis Redding
It takes a lot of respect to get a song like this right. After all Otis Redding is a legend and his music was something that beginning and advanced music students have been exposed to in many different situations. I can even recall listening to this track, from Otis obviously, while sitting in English class as a means of trying to culture the students and get the creative juices flowing.
2. Whip It-Devo
Something tells me that at least one or two of the band might have been Devo fans. It’s either that or they really wanted to go all out and give the fans something special to talk about later on. The song itself is done very well and the ‘whip it’ portion is something that Vedder obviously had a little fun with. Nothing wrong with getting into the music, nothing at all.
1. Waiting On A Friend-The Rolling Stones
There are some bands that a person has to really pay attention and make certain that they’re doing a good job by covering their songs, otherwise the fans might eat them alive. The Rolling Stones’ songs are nothing to mess around with and thankfully Vedder knows how to make it work.
Pearl Jam is still one of the best bands to ever come out of the Pacific Northwest.
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