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Eddie Vedder |
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Set 1 Intro Set 2 Ed Talking Notes: ### - With EJ Barnes |
Eddie Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson III on December 23, 1964 in Evanston, Illinois) is an American singer, songwriter, composer, and guitarist. He is the lead singer and one of three guitarists for the American rock band Pearl Jam. Vedder left the Southern California music scene and moved to Seattle, Washington in 1990 to join Pearl Jam where he rose to fame amid the grunge movement of the early 1990s. He is notable for his "golden baritone" vocal style, and is considered a cultural icon of alternative rock. He has also been involved in other music outside of Pearl Jam, including soundtrack work and contributions to albums by other artists. In 2007, Vedder released his first solo album in the form of the soundtrack for the film Into the Wild (2007). Vedder's lyrical topics range from personal ("Alive" (from Ten), "Better Man" (from Vitalogy)) to social and political concerns ("Even Flow" (from Ten), "World Wide Suicide" (from Pearl Jam)). His lyrics have often invoked the use of storytelling and have included themes of freedom, individualism, and sympathy for troubled individuals. Other recurring themes include the use of water metaphors, as well as the idea of leaving everything behind to start again (featured in such songs as "Rearviewmirror" (from Vs.), "MFC" (from Yield), "Evacuation" (from Binaural), and "Gone" (from Pearl Jam)). Critic Jim DeRogatis describes Vedder's vocals as a "Jim Morrison-like vocal growl." Vedder has inducted The Doors, Neil Young, the Ramones, and R.E.M. into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in his induction speeches he has cited them all as influences. Other influences that Vedder has cited include The Who, The Jackson 5, The Beatles, Talking Heads, Sonic Youth, Fugazi, Tom Waits, and the Pixies. Although best known as a vocalist, Vedder also plays guitar on many Pearl Jam songs, beginning with the Vs. songs "Rearviewmirror" and "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town". He began to change the band's dynamics as he started to play more rhythm guitar during the Vitalogy era. Vedder's guitar playing helped the band's sound progress toward a more stripped-down style; the songs "Rearviewmirror" and "Corduroy" (from Vitalogy) feature Vedder's raw, punk-influenced guitar playing. As he had more influence on the band's sound he began to remove traces of catchiness from the band's musical output. He said, "I felt that with more popularity, we were going to be crushed, our heads were going to pop like grapes." He has also contributed performances on the ukulele, harmonica, accordion, and electric sitar to various Pearl Jam recordings. |
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