Eddie Vedder explains why he could never be upset with The Who
No artist can come through for their fans every time they enter the studio. There will always be a few records that don’t miss the mark, and if a band ever had a spotless track record, scientists would study them to figure out what constitutes a perfect career. Although Eddie Vedder remained a particular snob when it came to the flashy side of rock and roll, he admitted that The Who still had a spotless track record in his book.
When looking at their reputation in the rock sphere, The Who may be the one classic rock band that it was acceptable for the punks to like. Even when they were making the more extravagant pieces in their catalogue, Pete Townshend’s insistence on fighting against those trying to control you resonated with any kid who ever felt stepped on in their time.
It may not have been the most subtle music in the world, but Vedder found the heart behind it rather than just the massive volume. The band may have been able to shake the rafters whenever they played, but they always matched it with their sentimental side, including the prophetic sounds of ‘Slip Kid’ talking about not having an easy way to be free or repressing one’s anger on ‘Behind Blue Eyes’.
This was never the kind of music that was supposed to be appealing to radio. With every track, Townshend was trying to find the answer to life or the meaning of love, and if that meant that a few other rockers went along for the ride, that was more than enough for him.
Vedder still held onto those beliefs years into his career, later telling Rolling Stone, “For me, The Who, I couldn’t get upset with them. They couldn’t do anything that would make me not appreciate their music and what it helped me through…I think Pete Townshend deserves to be out on the sea, with the wind blowing, for what he gave myself and millions of people”.
For Vedder, this was more than just a musical mentor…it was an unofficial father figure. Since Vedder didn’t have the best male role models in his life with a stepdad who didn’t like him and a birth father who wasn’t in the picture, Townshend singing about defending what you believe in respecting the values of everyone’s heart was the kind of life lessons that Vedder learned first hand.
Even when Vedder started to become famous, he still seemed to be taking lessons from what Townshend was doing. Outside of his relentless insistence on doing Roger Daltrey-style antics whenever he went onstage, Vedder was looking to do the same for his fans, almost acting like a reporter in how he put the harshest realities of life in his songs so that everyone could understand what they meant.
The admiration was a two-way street, too, with Townshend loving what Vedder was doing for the rock scene after the glam rock movement died an ugly death in the wake of grunge. Pearl Jam may not have been legendary yet, but Townshend probably saw something that no one else could put their finger on. They may have been a bit commercial, but Vedder was a guy willing to stick his neck out on the line if it meant holding onto his artistic integrity.
