Long Road (song)
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| “Long Road” | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Song by Pearl Jam and Neil Young | |||||
| Album | Merkin Ball (EP) | ||||
| Released | December 5, 1995 | ||||
| Recorded | February 7, 1995–February 10, 1995 at Bad Animals Studio, Seattle, Washington | ||||
| Genre | Alternative rock | ||||
| Length | 5:59 | ||||
| Label | Epic | ||||
| Writer | Eddie Vedder | ||||
| Producer | Brett Eliason | ||||
| Merkin Ball (EP) track listing | |||||
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"Long Road" is a song by the rock band Pearl Jam. It appears as the B-side to the 1995 Merkin Ball single.
Contents |
[edit] Origin and recording
The song was written by frontman Eddie Vedder. The song was recorded during the sessions for the Neil Young/Pearl Jam collaboration Mirror Ball. It features Pearl Jam members Eddie Vedder, Jeff Ament, and Jack Irons. Neil Young plays pump organ on the track.
The song was re-recorded by Eddie Vedder for the soundtrack to the 1995 film Dead Man Walking. For this version Vedder collaborated with Pakistani musician Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. An extended take of this version was released on the score version of the soundtrack.
[edit] Reception
Jonathan Cohen of Allmusic said that with "Long Road" "Vedder's melody is uplifting, his lyrics poignant."[1] David Browne of Entertainment Weekly stated that "Long Road" "[takes] Young and Pearl Jam into a mystical zone never hinted at on [Mirror Ball]."[2]
The song was featured in the Scrubs episode "My Five Stages".
[edit] Lyrical meaning
"Long Road" is dedicated to "Clayton E." on the packaging for Merkin Ball. At Pearl Jam's July 7, 2006 concert in San Diego, California, Vedder revealed that he wrote the song after hearing about the death of his former high school drama teacher and mentor, Clayton E. Liggett.[3] He added that he began to hit the opening D-chords of "Long Road" as if he was "trying to ring a bell to say that 'We lost one of the good ones'", and following "about eight minutes" the rest of the performers on the track joined in without saying anything and began to bring the song to life.[4]
[edit] Live performances
The song was premiered live at the band's June 20, 1995 concert in Morrison, Colorado.[5] A performance of "Long Road" can be found on the DVD Touring Band 2000. A performance of the song by Eddie Vedder with Jeff Ament, Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Dildar Hussain, John Densmore, and David Robbins can be found on the DVD that comes with the 2006 expanded edition of the Dead Man Walking soundtrack.
Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready joined Neil Young to perform "Long Road" at the America: A Tribute to Heroes benefit concert. The concert, which aired on September 21, 2001, raised money for the victims and their families.
[edit] References
- ^ Cohen, Jonathan. Merkinball. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2007-04-29.
- ^ Browne, David. "Merkin Ball". Entertainment Weekly. December 22, 1995.
- ^ Varga, George. "By finish, Pearl Jam, Vedder had a connection". The San Diego Union-Tribune. July 10, 2006.
- ^ "Pearl Jam Concert Chronology: 2006". TwoFeetThick.com.
- ^ "Pearl Jam Songs: "Long Road"". pearljam.com.
