“I wouldn’t be here”: The artist Eddie Vedder said saved his life
Music serves all sorts of purposes in life: for some people, music is simply background noise, whereas others see music as an entire way of life. On the whole, fans of 1990s rock and grunge are probably more likely to fall into the latter category. When grunge first established itself in the underground scene of Seattle, it provided a much-needed alternative to the complacency of mainstream music, and figures like Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder gave voice to an entire generation of disenfranchised kids in America through his music.
Although Pearl Jam are often criticised for their adoption of broader rock influences, rather than the punk-orientated sound that much of grunge harboured, their importance within the scene certainly cannot be overlooked. In truth, Vedder has explored a wide variety of styles and sounds over the course of his illustrious career, consistently refusing to be hemmed in by the parameters of the grunge movement. Throughout it all, though, his material never became watered down or meaningless.
Musicians often lose their spark when they achieve the level of commercial success boasted by Pearl Jam, as they struggle to resonate with the grassroots sound that early audiences could relate to. While this might be true for Pearl Jam’s later material, Vedder himself never fully flipped to the other side, continuing to write about important, personal topics rather than superfluous cash-grab love songs or pop-orientated tracks.
This dedication to meaningful music goes back to Vedder’s childhood in San Diego. The songwriter did not have a harmonious upbringing, with his early years dominated by the divorce of his parents and the relocation of the family from Illinois to California. During those years, Vedder found safety and solace within the music world, using rock music to express his more difficult emotions. As such, he sought to create important music which other people might take to heart.
“People listen to music for different reasons; for some people, it’s background music, but other people need it to survive. Other people need music to get things out,” Vedder once shared in an interview. “That’s where I’m coming from – things weren’t easy for me growing up. Music, I felt, saved my life.” During his childhood, the Pearl Jam songwriter took particular solace in one of history’s most defiant and enduring rock and roll bands, The Who.
Pete Townshend’s group defined the rock sounds of London’s swinging sixties, paving the way for all future alternative rock and punk music through angry adolescent anthems like ‘My Generation’. However, iconic records like Quadrophenia also provided a young Eddie Vedder with an outlet for his emotions. Talking about their influence, he said, “Pete Townshend, wherever you are, Pete, you saved my life. Whether he knows it or not, I wouldn’t be here.”
Not only did Townshend and The Who improve the life of young Vedder, but their impact and ethos permeated through the material of Pearl Jam, too. “I had absolutely nothing else besides music, and that’s still in me,” Vedder explained, “So if we’re gonna play or write a song, write about something that means something. Why write about a pretty day, a pretty girl, or pretty people.”
So, although the guitar stylings of Pete Townshend are a far cry from the abrasive superfuzz tones of the grunge world, it was The Who that first introduced Eddie Vedder to the incredible power of music as an emotional outlet. In turn, Pearl Jam played that very same role for countless young people across the world during the peak back in the 1990s.
