I like the stp hits more than the pj hits but I like the pj non-hits more than the stp non-hits, if that makes sense?
its a radio-friendly ballad by SG standards. not my favorite of theirs, but to me took on a more poignant meaning after he died.
Worst thing PJ ever did was firing Dave Abbruzzese. Vs and Vitalogy were their 2 best albums IMO. Once he left, PJ just lost their edge and all their live energy. They were REALLY GOOD live with Dave behind the kit.
Just a few things. While I agree that Pearl Jam were very different from their grunge peers, I still don’t think they sounded much like anyone who came before them. I know Mother Love Bone had some glam-metal influence, particularly through their singer, but I don’t really hear much of that carrying over into Pearl Jam’s sound. They clearly had influences (Ragged Glory by Neil Young & Crazy Horse being the most obvious I can think of), but I think they ultimately came up with a pretty unique, modern rock sound on their own. I’d also argue they were probably the most influential ’90s alternative rock band when it comes to the mainstream, radio-ready bands that followed. As for Stone Temple Pilots, I think they straddled the line between the metal-leaning sound of Soundgarden and Alice in Chains and the more arena-rock approach of Pearl Jam. Songs like “Sex Type Thing” and “Dead & Bloated” feel very AIC/Soundgarden-adjacent. On the other hand, tracks like “Plush” and “Wicked Garden” sound closer to Pearl Jam than almost anything else from that era. I honestly can’t think of many songs by other bands that come closer. I really like STP, but I’d put all three of Pearl Jam’s first albums above STP’s first three. I’d also rank No Code and Yield higher than STP’s fourth album. Add in Pearl Jam’s releases with Neil Young, and to me, it’s just not much of a contest. As a side note, I really liked Jack Irons’ drumming on No Code. It’s an underrated album that pushed the band in a more experimental direction. I think the timing was a little off and the shift may have felt too abrupt, so it was written off early without getting a fair chance. In an alternate reality, I wonder if they might have continued down that path and retained more long-term relevance instead of gradually becoming something of a legacy act. I know there’s still a devoted cult following that closely follows their newer releases and would probably push back on that idea, but I just don't hear it. Yield saw them return to a more arena-rock sound, though it still had some strong moments. Overall, most of their later material feels like straightforward rock without the gripping hooks that made their early albums so compelling. Anyway, here’s a cool song from No Code with some interesting drumming. Spoiler
I much prefer STP's sound but acknowledge that Pearl Jam is considered much more iconic. Big respect for them as musicians but Eddie's voice never grew on me.
When STP hit, I absolutely loved their harder sound. Then they got slow and mopey in subsequent albums. If they would have stayed the course from their first album, I would have voted STP. Pearl Jam had a similar trajectory but has the GOAT album of their generation in Ten. Edge to Pearl Jam. Honorary mention goes to Eddie's brother, Freddie Vedder, and his band Creed.
I think Spoonman was far worse. I don't like gimmick songs and that was a gimmick song, IMO. As far as the thread, I probably have more STP songs I like but PJ had a much larger impact on me with Ten.
Would be a toss up for me on which song I hate more, that one or “Plush”. To be impartial, let’s go ahead and throw in “Betterman” and have the three duke it out.
a friend of mine once said that Eddie Vedder sounded like the Swedish Chef. When I listen to Pearl Jam, that's all I hear. I'll take Stone Temple Pilots.
It's still hilarious that Ten was named after the jersey number of Mookie. Pearl Jam is definitely my choice. Saw them in Melbourne November 2024 and it was a great show. Eddie Vedder and the band can still bring it
I like both bands, but I gotta go with Pearl Jam because I think they were a better live band. At least until they fired Dave Abberezze. They haven't been the same since. How could you fire THIS guy? So much power, intensity, and precision. . EDIT: the fact that they blocked this video is part of the reason I don't like them that much anymore.
i agree and its another reason STP gets my vote. pearl jam directly influenced the absolute lamest of 90's radio-rock bands. i hold them responsible for the creeds, 7 mary 3s, nicklebacks, ect of the world. call me cumbersome, but i never liked any of that stuff. on the other hand, if it wasnt for pearl jam we would have never gotten this slice of glory.
i always heard they fired him because eddie didnt like him. abruzzesse was very much into the rockstar lifestyle. groupies and drumworld magazine covers (coincidentally, the same reasons kurt cobain came to hate dave grohl). also, the song glorfied g was about how he had bought a rifle and the band didnt like that he owned a gun. abruzzesse said it was a glorified version of a pellet gun and thats where the lyric came from. the song was basically mocking him. another story came from a producer or engineer who said abruzzesse accidentally knocked over one of eddies guitars and broke the neck. he just left the studio w/out telling eddie and the producer or engineer had to tell eddie dave broke his guitar. he played on the only two albums of theirs i like though.
I've never heard the one about Eddie's guitar, but everything else it true. He didn't agree with the whole ticketmaster thing or their politics in general. He really just wanted to have fun and play. And yes, be a rock star. Tough to blame him there! PJ initially said they had parted ways amicably but that was never true. They fired him because he was a loose cannon and no longer fit the image they were trying to project.
STP got so much hate. And PJ so much respect. EASILY STP for me in this scenario. By far. I don't need to hear Eddie Vedder cover Rockin’ in the Free World. I DO need to see Weiland sexy-dancing the mic all night long.
i see his posts on my FB feed every so often (im friends with his ex, which is probably why) and most of them are about pearl jam. when matt cameron quit a couple months ago he was talking about how it would be cool if he was brought back in. its kinda sad. he was only with them for a couple years and its been over 30 years since he played with them, but he is still upset about it. it was pretty lame that PJ didnt include him in the rock and roll hall of fame or give him any acknowledgement to what he contributed. he obviously never did anything as big as PJ since then, but he has been a working musician in dallas, has done session work and i think owns or co-owns a recording studio. his time in PJ gave him the notoriety to continue on at a level he otherwise would not have been able to.
