Vitalogy
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| Vitalogy | ||
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| Studio album by Pearl Jam | ||
| Released | November 22, 1994 (Vinyl) December 6, 1994 (CD and Cassette) |
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| Recorded | July - September 1994 in Seattle, Washington; Atlanta, Georgia; New Orleans, Louisiana | |
| Genre | Grunge | |
| Length | 55:30 | |
| Label | Epic | |
| Producer(s) | Brendan O'Brien, Pearl Jam | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pearl Jam chronology | ||
| Vs. (1993) |
Vitalogy (1994) |
No Code (1996) |
Vitalogy is the third major release and a loose concept album by the band Pearl Jam, released on December 6, 1994 (see 1994 in music). Varied and idiosyncratic, the album was another big hit for Pearl Jam. Sparse productions and often bizarre lyrics (such as on "Bugs") made the album inaccessible without repeated listens. Eddie Vedder's hooks are a primary draw, built around furious guitar riffs and arrhythmic drum beats. The album received Grammy nominations for Album of the Year and Best Rock Album in 1996.
Contents |
[edit] History
The album is packaged in a booklet which features clearly dated discussions of health and well-being, based on an early 20th Century book of the same name that Vedder found at a garage sale. The lyrics to "Whipping" are written on a copy of a petition to Bill Clinton against Pro-Life killings of abortionists, and many think that the lyrics of "Immortality" describe the scene of Kurt Cobain's suicide, although Vedder himself denies this[1]. (Many of the lyrics appeared in live versions of the song before Cobain's suicide, although some lyrics were altered following Cobain's death). Many of the other songs on the album seem to be based on the pressures of fame and dealing with the resulting loss of privacy.
"Better Man" is a song from Vedder's previous band, Bad Radio. It was never released as a single, but became one of the band's biggest hits, peaking at #13 on the Top 40 Mainstream chart. Along with "Corduroy," it has become a live staple, and continues to be played at almost every show. "Tremor Christ," the B-Side of the single "Spin the Black Circle," also managed to reach #18 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it has since largely disappeared from the band's set lists and rock radio.
Vitalogy was a #1 hit on Billboard's Top 200 album chart, selling over 850,000 copies in its first week of release on CD. The album was first released on vinyl on November 22, 1994, two weeks before the CD release, and debuted at number 55 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart.[2] It was the first vinyl album to be listed on this chart since the introduction of compact discs. Although by the early 1990s vinyl records were completely outdated, many people still had record players and Pearl Jam liked the imperfect sound of albums, with the scratches and imperfections providing a different listening experience each time.
"Pry, To" contains a hidden message when played backwards that sounds like "Oh, Pete Townshend, how you saved my life!" and contains variations of this. (It is well known that Eddie Vedder is a huge fan of The Who.)
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 were working on the song, and asked for Shoaf's help to get a drum machine working. After setting up the drum machine, the pair asked Shoaf to perform the same beat on the drums. Shoaf noted later that he didn't expect his performance to actually make the record. He is credited on the lyric sheet as the drummer, but it was several years before the public found out who "Jimmy" was. [3]
Jack Irons plays drums on "Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me". The song was a late addition to the album, recorded after Abbruzzese was fired from the band. "Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me" was given an alternate title ("Stupid Mop") on other copies of the album.
In 2003, the album was ranked number 492 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
[edit] Track listing
- "Last Exit" (Pearl Jam) – 2:54
- "Spin the Black Circle" (Pearl Jam) – 2:48
- "Not For You" (Pearl Jam) – 5:52
- "Tremor Christ" (Pearl Jam) – 4:12
- "Nothingman" (Vedder, Ament) – 4:35
- "Whipping" (Pearl Jam) – 2:35
- "Pry, To" (Pearl Jam) – 1:03
- "Corduroy" (Pearl Jam) – 4:37
- "Bugs" (Pearl Jam) – 2:45
- "Satan's Bed" (Vedder, Gossard) – 3:31
- "Better Man" (Vedder) – 4:28
- "Aye Davanita" (Pearl Jam) – 2:58
- "Immortality" (Pearl Jam) – 5:28
- "Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me" (Pearl Jam) – 7:44
- Also known as "Stupid Mop". Stone Gossard and Mike McCready do not play on this song.
[edit] Singles
- "Spin the Black Circle" / Tremor Christ (1994)
- "Immortality" / "Rearviewmirror" (performed by The Frogs) (1995)
- "Not For You" / Out Of My Mind (Live) (1995)
[edit] Album charts
| Album | Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
1994 | The Billboard 200 | No. 1 |
| 1994 | UK Albums Chart | No. 4 |
[edit] Singles charts
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | “Spin the Black Circle” | Irish Singles Chart | No. 6 |
| 1994 | “Spin the Black Circle” | UK Singles Chart | No. 10 |
| 1994 | “Spin the Black Circle” | US Modern Rock Tracks | No. 11 |
| 1994 | “Spin the Black Circle” | US Mainstream Rock Tracks | No. 16 |
| 1994 | “Tremor Christ” | US The Billboard Hot 100 | No. 18 |
| 1994 | “Tremor Christ” | US Mainstream Rock Tracks | No. 16 |
| 1994 | “Tremor Christ” | US Modern Rock Tracks | No. 16 |
| 1995 | “Not For You” | US Mainstream Rock Tracks | No. 12 |
| 1995 | “Not For You” | Irish Singles Chart | No. 26 |
| 1995 | “Not For You” | UK Singles Chart | No. 34 |
| 1995 | “Not For You” | US Modern Rock Tracks | No. 38 |
| 1995 | “Immortality” | US Mainstream Rock Tracks | No. 10 |
| 1995 | “Immortality” | US Modern Rock Tracks | No. 31 |
| 1995 | “Corduroy” | US Modern Rock Tracks | No. 13 |
| 1995 | “Corduroy” | US Mainstream Rock Tracks | No. 22 |
| 1995 | “Better Man” | US Mainstream Rock Tracks | No. 1 |
| 1995 | “Better Man” | US Modern Rock Tracks | No. 2 |
| 1995 | “Better Man” | US Top 40 Mainstream | No. 13 |
[edit] Certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA | Gold | February 2, 1995 |
| RIAA | Platinum | February 2, 1995 |
| RIAA | 4x Platinum | February 2, 1995 |
| RIAA | 5x Platinum | October 13, 1995 |
[edit] Credits
Pearl Jam:
- Eddie Vedder - Guitar, Accordion, Vocals
- Jeff Ament - Bass, Standup, Vocals
- Stone Gossard - Guitar, Vocals, Mellotron
- Mike McCready - Guitar, Vocals, Slide Guitar
- Dave Abbruzzese - Drums
Additional Musicians:
- Jack Irons - Drums (on "Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me")
- Jimmy Shoaf - Drums (on "Satan's Bed")
Additional Personnel:
- Produced by Brendan O'Brien and Pearl Jam
- Recorded by Brendan O'Brien
- Engineered by Nick DiDia, Brett Eliason, Brendan O'Brien
- Assisted by Caram Costanzo, Adam Kasper, Trina Shoemaker, John Burton, Kevin Scott
- "Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me" recorded/mixed by Brett Eliason
- Artwork, Layout Design by Barry Ament
- Photography by Jeff Ament, Lance Mercer
- Art Direction by Joel Zimmerman
