Vs.

By Clint Brownlee

Recording Vs. nearly tore Pearl Jam apart. Eddie Vedder, the reluctant public face of the band, championed a proletarian approach; drummer Dave Abbruzzese embraced rock-star excess; Mike McCready, Stone Gossard, and Jeff Ament anxiously navigated the minefield between. Instead of quitting, Vedder vented lyrically. His bandmates attacked their instruments. The resulting record roiled with fury-at fame, injustice, expectations. Vs. was thrashing testament to discomfort with celebrity, and wielded civil criticism that's equally valid today. The album's very name, and the defiant sheep on its cover, were not-so-subtle provocations.

Thanks to both its "grunge"-explosion timing and undeniable quality, Vs. smashed sales records-and made Pearl Jam a global household name. But the band's calculated response proved they would neither burn out nor fade away. This book weaves research, song lyrics, little-known details, and thoughts from band members into a definitive report on how Vs. came to fruition-and how the album, and its creators' strive for integrity, solidified rather than destroyed Pearl Jam.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1501355309
• ISBN13: 9781501355301
• Release Date: March 2021
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 4.7" x 6.5"