30 years ago today: Pearl Jam released Vitalogy

Originally published in Hot Press in November 1994:

The sheer sense of energy and vitality of this music. Its sense of rage. Its belief. Its ability to surge on through. To uplift. Like a young stallion, it shakes its mane against the night.

Although his name is not spoken, there is little doubt but that Pearl Jam's Vitalogy is in memory of Kurt Cobain. In this sense, it reminds me of Neil Young’s Tonight’s The Night, in honour of his guitarist Danny Whitten and roadie Bruce Berry, who had died because of drug abuse. Both albums are from the heart. Both albums involve deep reflection.

However, while Tonight’s The Night generally involves a smoky blues/folk slow rock out, Vitalogy is more often fired by indignation. The facts are there before it and while it is prepared to face them, its pride and ultimate belief in life ensures that it faces them down.

Now is the time for living, the ache and sawdust of Eddie Vedder’s voice says. Now is not the time to put your head down and hide in some corner and feel sorry for yourself. Because life only comes to us once and we must grab it and go with it.

The sleeve notes of Vitalogy are intriguing, collecting weird – probably turn of the century – writing about life and how to prolong it, death and why it strikes at the young and healthy.

“We know little of the life of early mankind,” the first note starts off, “but we are reasonably sure that some lived to be 500 and up to 900 hundred years of age... If you permit no thought of disease and death to enter your mind you will have accomplished nine-tenths of the battle to stave off these foes. Tight clothing must of course be absolutely discarded . . . Scientists tell us that the causes of these strong men’s premature death is self-pollution.”

Sounds depressing? Maybe. But this is definitely not a down album. It proves the old irony: that out of the darkness of depression beautiful light is often fashioned. Because this album rock ’n’ rolls like there is no tomorrow. Its attitude is perhaps best captured by the single ‘Not For You’ which lyrically seems to be about the desire of young people to walk the edges of experience and the pressure that they come under from adults to stay within strict limits. “Like Mohammed hits the common truth/Can’t escape from the common rule/If you hate something/Don’t you do it too,” Vedder sings.

There’s lots of space and variety on Vitalogy. ‘Nothingman’ is slow, melancholy and true, as Vedder sings: “Caught a bolt of lightning/Cursed the day he let it go.” ‘Better Man’ deals with the imperfection that is endemic in so many relationships. It’s a can’t live with him can’t live without him kind of affair.

Then there is the digging in the dirt. ‘Bugs’ reminds me of The Pogues' ‘Worms’, with its freaked-out accordion: “I got bugs in my room/One on one/That’s when I had a chance/I’ll just stop now/I’ll become naked/And with them I’ll become one”.

Yes, Vitalogy digs down. However, it is ultimately the better and deeper for it. I have not been that big of a fan of Pearl Jam up until now. But Vitalogy has gripped me like few other albums. Okay, I know I should wait and see whether its initial impact will still be as strong in six or twelve months time, but right now I would put it right up there with Lou Reed’s Berlin, Bob Dylan’s Blood On The Tracks and Neil Young’s Tonight’s The Night.

It’s as true and honest, rocking and beautiful as they come.