“Glad he’s still here”: The legendary musician who taught Eddie Vedder about dignity
Pearl Jam might have emerged from the staunch punk principles of Seattle’s grunge movement, but the musical repertoire of songwriter Eddie Vedder has always stretched much further than the confines of that DIY scene. A musical obsessive from a young age, Vedder originally found solace from teenage angst in the timeless sounds of classic rock, which likely explains the arena-adjacent sound of Pearl Jam. However, one artist in particular has always remained a favourite of the grunge hero.
It was on Vedder’s twelfth birthday that he officially began his musical journey, receiving a guitar and spending countless hours listening to records by the likes of The Who during the late 1970s. Although punk rock was rapidly gaining traction during this specific period in the US, Vedder was a little too young to fully immerse himself in all the abrasion and defiance of the scene. Nevertheless, his love of rebellious rock eventually led him to the blossoming grunge scene of Washington during the late 1980s, which would quickly launch Vedder into rock stardom.
Although Pearl Jam are regularly hailed among the greatest grunge outfits to ever grace the airwaves, their sound was always a little more expansive than their contemporaries. While other outfits like Nirvana or Mudhoney largely stuck to their punk-inspired roots, Vedder opted for a different route when it came to Pearl Jam. Adopting a broader style, toeing the line between grunge and arena-rock, the songwriter drew from the inspiration of his classic rock heroes, and Neil Young was never far from his mind.
First emerging in the cultural revolution of the 1960s, as a member of Buffalo Springfield, the Canadian singer-songwriter is afforded an unparalleled reputation within the music industry. After all, the songwriter has not only penned some of the most lauded albums of all time, but he has also maintained a strong set of ethical and artistic principles throughout that extensive career.
Punk rock, and grunge by extension, came with a strong moral code, celebrating DIY sensibilities and abhorring the idea of ‘selling out’. However, Neil Young was something of a pioneer in this field, always marching to the beat of his own drum and routinely refusing to bend to the wants and demands of the music industry itself. Inevitably, this coupling of incredible songwriting and unwavering morals made Young a favourite of Vedder’s.
In fact, Vedder has been such an outspoken devotee of Young over the years that, when Young was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, it was the Pearl Jam songwriter who was tasked with introducing him. “He’s taught us a lot as a band about dignity and commitment and playing in the moment,” Vedder shared during that speech. “And when I hear, you know, the speeches and inducting Janis Joplin and Frank Zappa, I get, uh, I’m just really glad he’s still here.”
Speaking on Young’s lasting appeal, Vedder continued, “I don’t know if there’s been another artist that has been inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame to commemorate a career that is still as vital as he is today.”
Adding, “Some of his best songs were on his last record.”
That speech was given 30 years ago, and Young still remains a powerhouse in rock and roll music, continuing to write and perform music across the globe, inspiring multiple generations of songwriters like Eddie Vedder in the process.
