Vitalogy

Infobox Album |
Name = Vitalogy
Type = studio
Artist = Pearl Jam


Released = November 22, 1994 (Vinyl)
December 6, 1994 (CD and Cassette)
Recorded = November 1993 – October 1994 at Bad Animals Studio, Seattle, Washington; Southern Tracks Recording and Doppler, Atlanta, Georgia; and Kingsway Studio, New Orleans, Louisiana
Length = 55:30
Label = Epic
Producer = Brendan O'Brien, Pearl Jam
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fem1z8haoyv3 link]
*"Entertainment Weekly" (B+) [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,304817,00.html 12/9/94]
*"The New York Times" (favorable) [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9900E0DC1030F937A35751C1A962958260 12/4/94]
*"Q" Rating|4|5 1/95, pp.248-249
*Robert Christgau (A-) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Pearl+jam link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/pearljam/albums/album/106536/review/5945968/vitalogy 12/15/94]
*"Time" (favorable) [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,982023,00.html 12/19/94]
Last album = "Vs." (1993)
This album = "Vitalogy" (1994)
Next album = "No Code" (1996)
Misc = Singles
Name = Vitalogy
Type = album
single 1 = Spin the Black Circle
single 1 date = November 8, 1994
single 2 = Not for You
single 2 date = March 21, 1995
single 3 = Immortality
single 3 date = June 6, 1995

"Vitalogy" is the third album by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on December 6, 1994 through Epic Records. Pearl Jam wrote and recorded while touring behind its previous album "Vs.", released in 1993. The music on the record was more diverse than previous releases, and consists of aggressive rock songs, ballads, and several experimental tracks.

"Vitalogy" was packaged in a booklet that replicated material from a 1920s medical book. The album was first released on vinyl record, followed by a release in other formats two weeks later. Upon its CD release, "Vitalogy" became the second-fastest-selling album in history, behind only "Vs." The album has been certified five times Platinum in the United States.

Recording

For its third album, Pearl Jam again worked with producer Brendan O'Brien. The band wrote many of the songs during soundchecks during its Vs. Tour and the majority of the album's tracks were recorded during breaks on the tour. The first session took place late in 1993 in New Orleans, Louisiana, where the band produced "Tremor Christ" and "Nothingman".Garbarini, Vic. "Mother of Pearl". "Musician". May 1995.] The rest of the material was written and recorded in 1994 in sessions in Seattle, Washington and Atlanta, Georgia, with the band finishing the album at Bad Animals Studio in Seattle after the tour's completion.Gilbert, Jeff. "Alive". "Guitar World". April 1995.] "Immortality" was written in April 1994 when the band was on tour in Atlanta.Hilburn, Robert. "All Revved Up (As Usual)". "Los Angeles Times". November 20, 1994.] Sources state that most of the album was completed by early 1994, but that either a forced delay by Epic, or that the band's battle with ticket vendor Ticketmaster, were to blame for the delay. [DeRogatis, Jim. "Milk It!: Collected Musings on the Alternative Music Explosion of the 90's". Cambridge: Da Capo, 2003. ISBN 0-306-81271-1, pg. 60]

Tensions within the band had dramatically increased by this time. Producer Brendan O'Brien said, "Vitalogy" was a little strained. I'm being polite—there was some imploding going on."Weisbard, Eric, et al. "Ten Past Ten". "Spin". August 2001.] Bassist Jeff Ament said that "communication was at an all-time low." Drummer Dave Abbruzzese stated that the communication problems started once guitarist Stone Gossard stopped acting as the band's mediator.Weisbard, Eric, et al. "Ten Past Ten". "Spin". August 2001.] According to Gossard, "Vitalogy" was the first album in which frontman Eddie Vedder made the final decisions. At the time, Gossard thought of quitting the band.Hilburn, Robert. "Working Their Way Out of a Jam". "Los Angeles Times". December 22, 1996.] Gossard said that the band was having trouble collaborating, so most of the songs came out of jamming sessions. He added that "eighty percent of the songs were written 20 minutes before they were recorded." During the production of "Vitalogy", lead guitarist Mike McCready went into rehab to receive treatment for alcohol and cocaine abuse.

Drums on "Satan's Bed" were performed by Abbruzzese's drum tech Jimmy Shoaf. On the day it was recorded, Abbruzzese was in the hospital having his tonsils removed. Vedder and Gossard asked for Shoaf's help to get a drum machine working, and after setting it up, the pair asked Shoaf to perform the same beat on the drums. He is credited on the lyric sheet as "Jimmy". [Reynolds, John, et al. [http://www.twofeetthick.com/tft/readArticle.action?id=95 "Who is the drummer on "Satan's Bed"?"] . TwoFeetThick.com. May 12, 2005.] Months after finishing the initial recording sessions for "Vitalogy", Abbruzzese was fired in August 1994 due to personality conflicts with the band members. Jack Irons, the original drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Abbruzzese's successor, plays drums on "Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me".

Music and lyrics

In a 1995 interview, "Guitar World" writer Jeff Gilbert described "Vitalogy" as "strange" and "very eclectic." McCready agreed, saying, "There is some weird stuff on there." McCready attributed the album's sound to the group recording it on tour. During this period Vedder began to contribute in a large capacity as a guitarist. Gossard said, "Vitalogy" is the first one where Ed plays guitar and he wrote three to four songs. I remember thinking, 'This is so different. Is anyone going to like this?'...It had a more punk feel to it. Simple songs recorded really quickly." ["Interview with Stone Gossard and Mike McCready". "Total Guitar". November 2002.] The album has a notable lack of guitar solos compared with the band's first two albums. McCready said, "Vitalogy" is not really a 'solo' album. I don't think the songs demanded solos; it was more of a rhythmic album."

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said that "thanks to its stripped-down, lean production, "Vitalogy" stands as Pearl Jam's most original and uncompromising album."Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3iftxqyhldhe "Vitalogy" review] . Allmusic. Retrieved on April 29, 2007] He added that "in between the straight rock numbers and the searching slow songs, Pearl Jam contribute their strangest music — the mantrafunk of 'Aye Davanita', the sub-Tom Waits accordion romp of 'Bugs', and the chilling sonic collage 'Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me'." "Bugs" features Vedder playing an accordion that he found at a thrift shop, [Marks, Craig. "Let's Get Lost". "Spin". December 1994.] while "Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me" was created using looped recordings of real patients from a psychiatric hospital.Vedder, Eddie. [http://www.sonymusic.com/artists/PearlJam/echoes/echoes9.html "Pearl Jam's First Online Chat at Lycos"] . Lycos.com. May 15, 2000. Retrieved on March 16, 2008.]

Many of the songs on the album seem to be based on the pressures of fame and dealing with the resulting loss of privacy.Weisel, Al. [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/pearljam/albums/album/106536/review/5945968/vitalogy "Vitalogy" review] . "Rolling Stone". December 15, 1994. Retrieved on March 1, 2008.] These include "Not for You", "Pry, To", "Corduroy", "Bugs", "Satan's Bed", and "Immortality". The lyrics of "Not for You" express anger at the bureaucracy of the music industry, while Vedder said "Corduroy" is about "one person's relationship with a million people." In "Pry, To" the phrase "P-r-i-v-a-c-y is priceless to me" is repeated. Many think that the lyrics of "Immortality" may be about Kurt Cobain's suicide, although Vedder has denied this. The lyrics that appeared in the first live version of "Immortality" were altered before the song was released as part of the album. "Better Man" is a song about an abusive relationship. [Cohen, Jonathan. [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002612367 "Pearl Jam Tells Its 'Story' At VH1 Taping"] . "Billboard". June 2, 2006. Retrieved on March 16, 2008.] Vedder wrote "Better Man" when he was in high school and performed it with his previous band, Bad Radio. Considered a "blatantly great pop song" by producer Brendan O'Brien, Pearl Jam was reluctant to record it and had initially rejected it from "Vs." due to its accessibility.

Release and reception

"Vitalogy" was released first on vinyl on November 22, 1994, two weeks before the CD release. It debuted at number 55 on the "Billboard" 200 album chart. [Basham, David. [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1451247/11292001/creed.jhtml "Got Charts? Creed Vs. Pearl Jam, Shakira's Machisma, Kid Rock's Curse"] . MTV.com. November 29, 2001.] The album sold 35,000 copies in its first week of release. It was the first vinyl album to appear on the chart due to vinyl sales since the proliferation of compact discs. [Strauss, Neil. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D07E0DA1239F93BA35751C1A962958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all "Music Lovers Are Voting for Vinyl"] . "The New York Times". December 8, 1994. Retrieved on March 9, 2008.] When "Vitalogy" was released on CD and cassette on December 6, 1994, it reached number one on the "Billboard" 200 album chart. The album sold more than 877,000 copies in its first week of release on CD and became the second-fastest-selling CD in history, behind only the band's previous release "Vs". [ [http://www.pearljam.com/timeline/ "Pearl Jam: Timeline"] . pearljam.com.] The album eventually achieved quintuple Platinum status. [ [http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH Gold and Platinum Database Search] . RIAA.com. Retrieved on February 12, 2007.]

"Rolling Stone" gave "Vitalogy" four out of five stars. Reviewer Al Weisel described the album as "a wildly uneven and difficult record, sometimes maddening, sometimes ridiculous, often powerful." While Weisel praised several songs as " [matching] the soaring anthems of "Ten"," he criticized some of the more experimental songs as "throwaways and strange experiments that don't always work." Jon Pareles of "The New York Times" praised the album's diversity compared to the band's previous records. He commented that the band incorporated "fast but brutal punk, fuzz-toned psychedelia and judicious folk-rock, all of it sounding more spontaneous than before." Pareles felt that the band continued to be "unremittingly glum", and described the majority of the songs as "tortured first-person proclamations." Pareles concluded, "Vedder sounds more alone than ever." [Pareles, Jon. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9900E0DC1030F937A35751C1A962958260 "RECORDINGS VIEW; Pearl Jam Gives Voice To Sisyphus"] . "The New York Times". December 4, 1994. Retrieved on December 13, 2007.] "Time" reviewer Christopher John Farley singled out "Bugs" as one of the album's "share of stinkers." Farley added, "But that's one admirably experimental failure on a largely successful album." [Farley, Christopher John. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,982023,00.html "Scathing Guitars, Pretty Tunes" ("Vitalogy" review)] . "Time". December 19, 1994. Retrieved on March 15, 2008.]

Three singles were released from "Vitalogy". The lead single "Spin the Black Circle", (backed with "Tremor Christ", also from the album) was the band's first to enter the "Billboard" Hot 100, reaching number 18. [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:aifqxqr5ldhe~T51 Pearl Jam – Billboard Singles] . Allmusic. Retrieved on June 11, 2007.] The song won the band its first Grammy Award at the 1996 Grammy Awards, for Best Hard Rock Performance. Neither of the album's other commercially released singles, "Not for You" and "Immortality", charted on the Hot 100, but both placed on the Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts. Album tracks "Better Man" and "Corduroy" also charted. "Better Man" was the most successful song from "Vitalogy" on the rock charts, reaching number one on the Mainstream Rock charts and number two on the Modern Rock charts.

The album received Grammy Award nominations for Album of the Year and Best Rock Album in 1996. [http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1996/grammys.htm 38th Grammy Awards] . Rockonthenet.com. Retrieved on September 5, 2007.] RS500|492 [ [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6627740/492_vitalogy 492) Vitalogy] . "Rolling Stone". November 2003. Retrieved on April 27, 2007]

Imagery and design

The album is packaged in a booklet based on a book from the 1920s Vedder found at a garage sale. Ament explained that from "Vs." onwards the band tried to take different approaches to packaging its records. Ament said, "We tried really hard, to make it like a book, kind of tipped it so it opened horizontally, which pissed off record stores: they had to put it in sideways." The packaging cost an extra 50 cents per copy. Problems arose when the band discovered that later versions of the book were still under copyright. The band had to confer with its lawyers in order to work out a final version utilizing the material it wanted to include with the album.

The booklet contains outdated discussions of health and well-being. Other notes in the booklet, dealing with life and death reflections, seem to be more personal, like a message typed on one of the last pages, supposedly referring to the loss of a loved one ("I waited all day. you waited all day.. but you left before sunset.. and I just wanted to tell you the moment was beautiful. Just wanted to dance to bad music drive bad cars.. watch bad TV.. should have stayed for the sunset... if not for me."). The booklet also displays some poems or original sayings not belonging to the songs' lyrics, but to be interpreted as a commentary to the songs and, again, as a reflection on how life should or shouldn't be lived. An example is the poem typed on the "Aye Davanita" page. The song's subtitle is "The song without words", as it is an instrumental track. But the page displays a sort of poem about the wasted life of a young girl. Another episode of "intruder words" is on the "Not for You" lyrics page. After the second refrain, instead of the actual lyrics, the typed words give a hint about the Sisyphus myth ("Yeah, you call me Sisyphus love. Yeah, I move the rock. I just don't want to talk about moving the rock. Anything that distracts me from moving the rock"). The lyrics to "Whipping" are written on a copy of a petition to Bill Clinton against Pro-Life killings of abortionists. An X-ray of Vedder's teeth was pictured instead of lyrics on the page for "Corduroy".

The original title for the album was "Life". The first single, "Spin the Black Circle", was released before the album was released, and on the back of the single it states "From the Epic album "Life"." The album title "Vitalogy" comes from the early 20th Century medical book from which the cover art and liner notes are based. "Vitalogy" literally means "the study of life."

Tour

Pearl Jam promoted the album with tours of Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States in 1995. [ [http://pearljam.com/tour/shows.php Pearl Jam: Set Lists] . pearljam.com.] The band was joined by new drummer Jack Irons. The short tour of the United States focused on the Midwestern United States and the West Coast of the United States. The band continued its boycott against Ticketmaster during its tour of the United States, refusing to play in Ticketmaster's venue areas, but was surprised that virtually no other bands joined it in refusing to play at Ticketmaster venues. [DeRogatis, Jim. "Milk It!: Collected Musings on the Alternative Music Explosion of the 90's". Cambridge: Da Capo, 2003. ISBN 0-306-81271-1, pg. 64]

The tour of the United States faced various troubles. Ament said that the band and its crew had to " [build] shows from the ground up, a venue everywhere we went." In June 1995, the band was scheduled to play at San Francisco, California's Golden Gate Park in front of 50,000 people. Before the concert Vedder was forced to stay at a hospital after suffering from the effects of food poisoning. Vedder left the hospital to play the show, however he was not able to finish and ended up performing just seven out of twenty-one songs with the band. [ [http://www.fivehorizons.com/tour/cc/t1995.shtml "1995 Concert Chronology"] . fivehorizons.com.] Neil Young filled in for Vedder for the rest of the show that day. Because of Vedder's health the band was forced to cancel the remaining dates of its tour of the United States. Some dates were reinstated while the rest were rescheduled for the fall. Ament said, "We were so hardheaded about the 1995 tour. Had to prove we could tour on our own, and it pretty much killed us, killed our career."

Track listing

All songs written by Dave Abbruzzese, Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder, except where noted:
#"Last Exit" – 2:54
#"Spin the Black Circle" – 2:48
#"Not for You" – 5:52
#"Tremor Christ" – 4:12
#"Nothingman" (Vedder, Ament) – 4:35
#"Whipping" – 2:35
#"Pry, To" – 1:03
#"Corduroy" – 4:37
#"Bugs" – 2:45
#"Satan's Bed" (Vedder, Gossard) – 3:31
#"Better Man" (Vedder) – 4:28
#"Aye Davanita" – 2:58
#"Immortality" – 5:28
#"Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me" (Ament, Gossard, Jack Irons, McCready, Vedder) – 7:44
#*Also known as "Stupid Mop"

Outtakes

"Hard to Imagine", a song previously rejected from "Vs.",Cohen, Jonathan. [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/search/google/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=812822 "Pearl Jam: Spreading The Jam"] . "Billboard". March 30, 2001.] was also recorded during the "Vitalogy" sessions. This version found its way on to the "Chicago Cab" soundtrack. "Hard to Imagine" is also included on the rarities compilation "Lost Dogs", however this version is the one from the "Vs." sessions.(2003) Album notes for "Lost Dogs" by Pearl Jam, [CD booklet] . New York: Sony Music.] According to Gossard, "Hard to Imagine" was cut from "Vitalogy" because it didn't fit with the other songs the band was writing at the time. [Letkemann, Jessica. "Interview with Stone Gossard". "Tickle My Nausea" Pearl Jam Fanzine. 1998.] "Out of My Mind", which is featured as a B-side on the "Not for You" single, was premiered on the band's 1994 spring tour of the United States and was played twice. [ [http://pearljam.com/songs/song.php?song=OutofMyMind "Pearl Jam Songs: "Out of My Mind""] . pearljam.com.] According to Vedder, the song was just a live improv. [ [http://www.fivehorizons.com/tour/cc/t2000p3.shtml "2000 Concert Chronology part 3"] . fivehorizons.com.]

Personnel

* Eddie Vedder – vocals, guitar, accordion; credited as "e.v." for book concept, theory of "Vitalogy", typist
* Jeff Ament – bass, standup, vocals, black and white photography
* Stone Gossard – guitar, vocals, mellotron
* Mike McCready – guitar, vocals, slide guitar
* Dave Abbruzzese – drums
* Jack Irons – drums (on "Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me")
* Jimmy Shoaf – drums (on "Satan's Bed")
* Brendan O'Brien - production, pipe organ, Hammond organ, recording
* Pearl Jam – production
* Nick DiDia – engineering
* Caram Costanzo, Adam Kasper, Trina Shoemaker, John Burton, Kevin Scott – assistance
* Brett Eliason – recording/mixing on "Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me"
* Lance Mercer – 8-Baby photo
* Barry Ament – layout
* Joel Zimmerman – art direction

Chart positions

;Album

References

External links

* [http://pearljam.com/releases/release.php?release=Vitalogy&type=Studio "Vitalogy" information and lyrics at pearljam.com]

succession box
before = ""
by Various artists
title = Australian ARIA Albums Chart number-one album
years = December 18, 1994 - December 24, 1994
after = "Wired World of Sports II"
by The Twelfth Mansuccession box
before = "Forrest Gump: The Soundtrack" by Various Artists
title = RIANZ number-one album
years = December 18, 1994 - December 24, 1994
after = "" by Various artistssuccession box
before = "" by Kenny G
title = "Billboard" 200 number-one album
years = December 24, 1994 - December 30, 1994
after = "The Hits" by Garth Brooks