Eddie Vedder on the band that “incalculably enriched my life”
For any aspiring musicians, there tends to be a handful of bands that will always be there for you. Even though it might be hard trying to find inspiration from time to time, every artist goes back to their musical stomping grounds to get inspired, usually putting on the records that made them want to make music in the first place. While many can relate to their favourite artists through the sounds of the vinyl, one classic rock staple hit Eddie Vedder on a spiritual level.
When Vedder first decided to pursue music full-time, though, he didn’t think he would become one of the biggest rock stars on the planet. While it may have been fun to daydream what it was like, Vedder was convinced that becoming a successful musician and touring the world wasn’t in the cards for him, taking a job as a gas station attendant in San Diego and playing music on the side as a hobby.
After forming a relationship with former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Jack Irons, Vedder would get to move up North to jam with a band named Mookie Blaylock, later known as Pearl Jam. Despite not having any aspirations to play a handful of local shows, the band’s music started to quickly blow up out of the area, turning Ten into one of the biggest debut releases of the decade.
While most musicians would celebrate such an accomplishment, Vedder was hesitant, not thinking that he was ready for the massive adulation that came with fame. Although Vedder may have felt lost in his own head half the time he was in the spotlight, it wasn’t anything that Pete Townshend hadn’t seen before.
Not wanting to continue with The Who for more than a few years, Townshend’s way of dealing with fame was putting all of his energy into his music. Telling intricate stories about disturbing topics on albums like Tommy and Quadrophenia, Townshend spoke for many rock fans who didn’t know how to express themselves, including Vedder when he first became interested in music.
Becoming enamoured with albums like Live at Leeds and Quadrophenia, Vedder would later talk about how much The Who impacted his understanding of music, telling Rolling Stone, “I speak for all Who fans when I say being a fan of the Who has incalculably enriched my life. What disturbs me about the Who is the way they smashed through every door of rock and roll, leaving rubble and not much else for the rest of us to lay claim to”.
Outside of their chaotic shows, Vedder could relate to Townshend’s search for some sort of spiritual answer he was trying to reach through music. Across songs like ‘Black’, Vedder would use Pearl Jam songs to translate his thoughts into something transcendent, turning a traditional tale of heartache into an emotional exorcism whenever he performed live.
The Pearl Jam frontman would also take a few cues from how Townshend structured his pieces, turning the first handful of Pearl Jam demos he was given into a short rock opera called MamaSon, which featured the massive hit ‘Alive’ as the story’s first act. Vedder may have felt lost in the world before he had even hit the big time, but as he started to warm up to his rock star persona, Townshend could practically be considered his rock and roll stepfather.