MY PEARL JAM KICK: Still Love PJ Even When I Disagree

I talk through my current Pearl Jam kick and my history with PJ. I share why I cycle through artists instead of building a soundtrack for every chore. I discuss wrestling with faith, lyrics, politics, and the surprising impact of Eddie Vedder’s Matter Of Time documentary. 

• Choosing music by artist mood more than by task 
• hHow faith changes the way I hear lyrics and certain themes 
• My Pearl Jam timeline from Ten to Backspacer and beyond 
• Why some classic tracks feel overplayed even if they’re great 
• Noticing drums and bass more as I get older and play music 
• Matter Of Time and why it made me soften my judgement

Is there any Pearl Jam fans out there? What's your favorite albums? Let me know. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

You're listening to the objective jerk and I am said jerk. What's everybody doing? How's everybody doing? What's everybody doing?

Why I Hit Record Today

SPEAKER_00 0:08

Yeah, what's everybody doing? I kind of didn't want. I wasn't, I know I say this a lot, but I wasn't planning on doing anything. I don't have anything that's like really bothering me to talk about. But it's just kind of the end of the month, and I have my allotted you know time that I can record podcasts every month. And I got an hour. Oh, I did pretty good this month, actually. Okay, so I got like an hour left, but it's about to switch over, so I might as well use it. You know, I paid for it, right? But, you know, I've just been kind of talking to myself about something, and usually that's kind of how it goes. I'm talking to myself about I don't know, whatever. And it's just, you know, my wife don't, she's not gonna care, you know. Not that she's like a heart, you know, cold-hearted bitch or anything. She just, you know, a lot of things that I'm interested in. I mean, there's a lot of things that we have similar interests, but you know, the things that I that we don't have interest in, we don't talk about or whatever. My oldest son gets a little bit of it, but so again, that's why I have this little microphone. My little friend. But let me ask you something. People that are I mean, I think everybody, everybody's a music fan,

How I Actually Listen To Music

SPEAKER_00 1:43

everybody likes something, you know, or will listen to the radio. Maybe they don't put something on, but they can say that, oh, I like that song or this or whatever, and when they hear it, or I don't know, you know what I mean? And then some people listen to music all day, every day. Some people create music, you know, it's music is pretty dang, that's really bright. It's pretty, come on, man. It's you know, it's a big it's a big part of a lot of people's lives. And at the very least, it's you know, some people just, hey, I like Michael Jackson or something, I like this song, you know.

SPEAKER_01 2:28

But I don't know, what are like how do you listen to music?

SPEAKER_00 2:35

Is it is it just kind of like your mood? Is it like when you're trying to do is it like the type of music or the band for whatever task you're doing? Like, you know, going to the gym, obviously you want something to kind of keep you. So like I have a gym playlist that I listen to, but I never, you know, it's like okay, I'm gonna clean the house. So that's it's time for Radiohead or whatever. I say that because I actually did kind of do that recently, but that's not how I listen to music though. I listen, it's generally I'm in the mood for an artist, you know what I mean? Like I don't listen to, you know, a bunch of 80s bands or or you know, grunge bands or metal bands or whatever. It's like a particular band that I want to listen to. So I'll listen to Metallica and I'll listen to all their songs on random, or maybe I'll focus on one album or whatever, and then I won't really listen to too much, and then I'll listen to Allison Chains, or or let me see, I'm trying to think of Chili Peppers, maybe. I haven't really listened to Chili Peppers too much lately, though. And I always go back to blood sugar sex magic, but well, one hot minute too. I like that one lot. But it just kind of depends. So I've talked a lot about how my

Faith, Lyrics, And Political Noise

SPEAKER_00 4:15

faith has kind of guided me or steered me kind of away from certain groups or bands or stuff like that. Especially when I hear the songs that seem like they're kind of ripping into you know Christianity, but more specifically Catholicism. So like I hear it and I'm just like, oh man. Or even like political, I guess, because I'm kind of getting tired of political. I like I really like the songs that people maybe they have a stance, but they write the song so you could almost look at it from any point of view. If you're right or left, religious or not, you know what I mean? But you know, when I was younger, I didn't pay attention too much to the lyrics. I mean, I I don't know. No, I guess I Rage Against the Machine, I used to figure out what the hell they were talking about. I don't know. But no, that's a lie because I think I used to listen to the singer more, and as I've gotten older and learned, you know, how to play drums and and a little bit of the bass and stuff, so I hear that now, you know. Case in point, like Pearl Jam. So Pearl Jam was probably

My Pearl Jam History By Album

SPEAKER_00 5:40

one of, if not the biggest band for me growing up. You know, as a young teenager getting into music. Like I have so I have a my I have a sleeve here that has a bunch of different band, and it's all band logos and stuff, and it's all the the bands that kind of influenced me or you know, I started listening to growing up. So like the very first thing I ever liked was Queen from the Highlander, the Princes Princess of the Universe. There we go. And then I think it was a couple years later, I liked Def Leopard, they were all huge, and then I started getting into Motley Crue, and then after Motley Crue was like right when you know Grunge was coming out and stuff like that. So I started listening. I think it was the Chili Peppers, it was the Chili Peppers, and then Pearl Jam. And then Pearl Jam was huge for me. Like I was like infatuated with them almost, you know. I liked, I don't know, I liked Nirvana, but I didn't really get into them more till later. But it was like Pearl Jam and Alice and Chains were like the two that I liked the most. But Pearl Jam was yeah, it was they were they were big for me, you know. Like I I had the first album, 10 on tape, and I listened to it so much that it wore the tape out, literally. Like it just it wasn't you couldn't hear it anymore, you couldn't play. It was like it was garbage, you know. It became trash because I just listened to it so much. And you know, and then verses came out, and I was like, man, I don't, I don't. I I liked it, but I didn't like it as much as I do now. My favorite album from there is probably Vitology, if I had to pick one. But like Mercin Ball, like I had all the little singles and all the little stuff. Like I was, I guess I was a c I don't know. I I never consider myself a fanboy of anything, but I was pretty close, I think. I I was a pretty I was a I was a I was a fan, right? And then well let's see, let's break it down real quick. Let's do it. So I'm gonna need I haven't I haven't listened, well no, okay. I'm kind of getting off track here.

SPEAKER_01 8:03

So okay, so you know, 12, no, 13.

SPEAKER_00 8:12

Yeah, I think I'm like 13 roughly when Pro Jam, when it comes out and I start getting into them. So young teenager, or I guess the first year as a teenager officially. And so yeah, so I, you know, and I I I liked I listened to other bands, like I said, Alice and Chains, and and and I never got into Sound Garden, I like them more now. And then Nirvana, like I said, was later. I liked Screamin' Trees. Trying to think of what else I used to listen to then, and then Stone Temple Pilots, I liked them.

SPEAKER_01 8:49

I still do.

SPEAKER_00 8:54

But then, let's see, so Versus comes out, and I was in high school. And then actually Vitology came out the year I graduated, I think. And I remember having that CD. I listened to that a lot. Like I said, that's probably if I had to pick, even though it's got some weird, like that foxy mop handle thing or whatever it is, I can't remember what it's called. Like, I don't know, I probably I mean 10, I can well, except for Jeremy. I have to skip over Jeremy. It's a good song, but man, I just you know you hear it so much. But I think I can play that album pretty much without skipping it, except for Jeremy.

SPEAKER_01 9:42

And then versus I think almost the same thing.

SPEAKER_00 9:53

But Vitology, oh Vitology came out in '94. Okay, that was a little off there. Oh, no code came out in '96. But so, okay, so man, this is all over the place. Um there's a point to all this, I promise. So I'm just trying to give a little history of me and Pearl Jam, I guess. But no code, I remember I didn't buy no code, I kind of quit listening to them. Or I just kind of was like, eh, I don't know. I was a little I was starting to listen to like Deftones and 311 and Corn and stuff like that, and you know, little new metal, and and so I kind of you know didn't listen to them. And then 98 Yield came out. I bought that. I like that album. Although there's a very kind of anti-I guess religion song on there, the faithful one, which is a good song, but it kind of like, I don't know, it just it, you know, people like, oh well, you know, come on, it's dude. I don't know. But it's like when, you know, somebody's writes a song that bashes something you believe in, you don't want to, it's hard to like be supportive, you know. But I used to think like that too, though, you know, I used to feel the same way. Let's see, by neural. I I don't even know if I've ever listened to that. And then Riot Act, I was in the army at that time. I did buy that, but I remember not liking maybe like two songs or something. I wasn't really into it, and then the self-titled one with the avocado, I bought that this yeah, so it was like the second time I was in Iraq, and I remember listening to it a lot. I liked that one, and then Backspacer, I liked a lot, and I still do. I think that's a really good album. Lightning Bolt, I remember kind of liking, but again, I kind of it's like I was going on my way out of listening to them. I don't know why. Actually, around that time, I think I was like starting to re-listen to like the old classic Thrash, Anthrax, and all that kind of stuff. And Gigaton, I have not listened to, or Dark Matter. I hear I I so the reason I'm talking about this is though, you know, that they're always there. Like I always have a love for Pro Jam, even though, you know, politics, I think some of their takes are retarded. And, you know, I don't agree with their takes on religion necessarily, but it does kind of seem like they're probably spiritual people or agnostic, you know what I mean? They just don't like what do they call it? They don't like just religions. But it's like but Christianity, but you know, Catholicism is not a religion, it's just it's the church that Jesus, everything else is religions, you know what I mean. But I've always kind of every once in a while I'll listen to something, you know, but I like I haven't dove back into anything really. But recently though, I kind of have been. I've been on, so like I said before, I've you know, I get on like a little kick and I'll listen to a band. So right now it's Pro Jam. So I'm like kind of listening to their songs or whatever, and then I'm kind of starting to research a little bit the albums I hadn't, you know, listened to. Like I kind of want to listen to stuff I didn't really listen to. Like, I mean, I listened to No Code later, which I really like. Like I would say like five years after it came out or something, I started listening to it. But by Neural, I I couldn't name a song on there. Gigaton and Dark Matter. Like, I kind of want to give them a shot. And part of it is kind of like I don't want to be the like hateful, you know, Christian conservative person that just, you know, I just I don't want to be that guy either. You know what I mean? I kind of get tired of being annoyed by liberals, like the crazy liberals. Not liberals in general, but just the the far left wackos. Um, I know I say liberals are retarded and I don't like them, and and it's kind of true, but it's not all. It's just the the far left. I probably don't like the far right people either, you know. It's just anyway, I don't want to talk politics. I am really getting kind of tired of it all. But anyway, so so that's what I'm doing. I'm just kind of like I watched a few album rankings, and there was one guy that's almost aside from Gigaton and Dark Matter, because I haven't really listened to them. I mean, I haven't listened to Binaral either, but I hear it's not one of their best. But from the ones I have listened to, he kind of put them in pretty close to what I would have, you know. But supposedly Gigaton is kind of not not bad, but it's not really. So I think I'm gonna try and give their newest one, Dark Man, or give it a chance, I guess. But it's kind of weird because so I'm in my little it's not like a res you know, what is it called? I I don't know. It's not like I it's not like I threw away all my I mean I did technically. I don't have CDs and stuff, I got rid of them all, but you know, I didn't like burn all the pearl jam CDs because I don't, you know, stomping on them and nothing like that. It's just, you know, you just kind of go in and out of taste and yeah, probably I don't like watching too much stuff because then they'll talk about politics, and I just think that they just they're just out of touch with a lot of stuff, you know. But they're more in touch with other things. Case in point. The so I'm kind of going through this, you know, Pearl Jam kick. And I noticed on Netflix that they have this documentary

Eddie Vedder’s Matter Of Time

SPEAKER_00 16:22

with Eddie Vedder. Is it on here? Oh man, I don't even know what it was called. Oh, there it is. Matter of Time. So it's docum document no document documentary film, geez, on Netflix called Matter of Time, and it's it's about how Eddie Vedder and his wife really got involved with I'm not even gonna try and look it up, but this genetic disease that some kids is pretty rare, but still, you know, people get it, and it I thought it was like that thing where your skin gets tight, is what I originally thought it was. But it's just this this strange thing where your skin just kind of loses any kind of strength, and it like blisters will just happen underneath your skin, and then that kind of comes out, and then you get wounds, and so like they're they're all wrapped up, and these children are like wrapped up to keep their wounds from basically getting infected, and it's very painful, and you know, at worst case, it's like you see some of these people that they don't have hands and legs because of infections and whatnot, like it just totally eats away, you know, at everything. And they're all there's little different, there's different types of it basically, but you know, worst cases you you know, you lose limbs and you, you know, you're in constant pain, you can't do the things you want to do. And at the best cases, like it itches like crazy. I mean, imagine have you know, like when you have a cast on and it itches so bad and you can't scratch it, you know. And it's all these little kids, like just man, just hours upon hours during the day getting their stuff clean. They gotta take these baths that are painful, get the wrap, like it's just like, man, it's it's brutal, you know? And like I didn't know, I don't know, I just was like, it, you know, this thing came up and I wasn't I didn't know I would I didn't know what I want to watch. So I was like, all right, I'll watch this, give it a shot. I was expecting it to be some kind of political thing, but it was this, you know, the like he was given like free concerts in Seattle and talking about and the you know the the document the why can't I say it?

SPEAKER_01 18:53

Doc you doc documentary doc doc documentary.

SPEAKER_00 19:00

I feel like I'm saying it wrong. Documentary, documentary, doc anyway, it's you know, it's there's him singing and you know doing the show, and then you're seeing all the lives and how people affected by this, how they live their lives and everything like that. So it was actually pretty pretty moving, really, and it just kind of was like it kind of reinforced my, you know, I don't want to hate on Pro Jam because of their politics or you know, because I mean, you know, they got involved in this, not because they have a kid, usually that's how you know famous people get involved in things because they have a child or something that ends up getting something, and then they have no, you know, but they just kind of had a friend that had a child that had this, and they were just like, oh man, how can we help? And so it just you know kind of grew from there. And it's pretty interesting. I would I would suggest anybody that likes that kind of thing to watch it. But it just kind of you know, it just made you made me kind of look at ProJet more, I guess Eddie Vetter, more how I used to see him as a kid, as a teenager, you know. And he's just a nice guy trying to help, and he, you know, writes music. You know, when I was a kid, I I agreed with all of his political stuff, but mainly because I didn't know. It was just like, oh, ProJam says it, it must be true. You know, I've I've talked about the the pro-life, pro-choice thing during their unplugged thing that they did during Porch, I think it is. He writes pro choice on his arm. I remember him watching that and I I didn't know what it meant. I've sold I've told the story before, but you know, just in case. And then there was some girls at school, like within the next during the following week or something, I don't think it was the next day necessarily, maybe it was, I don't know. But there was one girl who I had a crush on sitting at the table, the art table, and they asked me, Am I pro-life or pro-choice? And I didn't want to be like, I don't know what that means, but I remembered that, hey, Eddie Vedder wrote pro-choice, so I must be that. So I said it and they were all happy about it, you know, and I was like, what the? I don't even know what the hell's going on. So, you know, now, yeah, I'm pro-life. But I don't know, it's just I'm just kind of I guess I don't know if it's like the when you get kind of spiritual, maybe, and you kind of go through these, like I didn't listen to if anything at all seemed like it was negative towards Christianity. I just Just avoided it. And I don't know. It should and it's still, you know, Pro Jam, they can write some good songs. A lot of it's like just wholesome good stuff. It's not political or anti-Christian or anything. Some I do kind of get that feeling. Like, I'll hear it and then I'll read the lyrics. And I'll be like, man, well, I don't know, maybe I just won't listen to that. Like, like there's a lot of corn songs that have, gosh damn, but it's, you know, and I really try not to say the Lord's name in vain. You know, I used to have that problem. And it's not because I was cursing out the Lord, it's just, it was just a habit, you know, saying it. So I'm really trying not to say it. And then so when I hear, like there's a corn song that I used to really like, where that's part of the chorus, and now I don't listen to it because of that. So I mean, you know, I don't know. I I can still listen to the things I used to enjoy, you know, when I was younger. Just I guess it's better now because I'm not influenced by it, or I don't agree, or I don't know. You know what I mean? It's just kind of a weird thing, but I just kind of wanted to talk about that. Oh, okay. So so anyway, so yeah, I'm on like a little bit of a pearl jam kick. Generally,

Album Rankings And Songs I Skip

SPEAKER_00 23:31

if I'm like feeling pearl jammy, my go-to is Vitology. I'll listen to Vitology first. And then verses maybe. I listen to 10 so much that I will listen to it occasionally. I just, but just like within the last week, I listened to No Code and Yield and a little bit of Backspacer. So I'm trying, so I'm kind of so like I said, I watched like an album ranking to kind of figure out between Gigaton and Dark Matter which one to listen to first. So I'll do Dark Matter. And then I listened to Lightning Bolt, but I don't really remember too much. I might have to listen to that again. But I mean, as far as like rankings, this ain't like official, but neither is my podcast. I guess, you know, well, obviously Gigaton and Dark Matter I haven't listened to, so they'd be at the bottom, right?

SPEAKER_01 24:30

And then next would be probably binaural. Then would be Riot Act. And then I I can't remember Lightning Bolt.

SPEAKER_00 24:49

Like I want to say I liked it. But it's a tie between yield and lightning bolt. And then probably their self-titled Pearl Jam.

SPEAKER_01 25:01

No, no, uh yeah, and then no code. And then probably Backspacer.

SPEAKER_00 25:12

And then 10, which people might be like, what it's a pre gem. But yeah, the top three would be, you know, the my favorite is Vitology, then versus then 10. Just because, you know, just listen to it so much. And it's very different from all of Pearl Jam stuff. You know, yes, it kind of that's what, you know, I have nostalgia for it and got me into them and all that kind of stuff. But as far as yeah, right now, I just I remember when when verses came out, I was kind of like, man, I don't know about this. I don't like the sound because I was so used to 10. Now I love the sound of verses and vitalogy and some of the other ones. Now it's like 10 sounds weird. Sounds very, I guess, overproduced, as they would say, or whatever. I mean, there's still great songs on there. Garden and porch, you know, and people say Jeremy and Black, but man, they're so played out though, you know. I mean, they're good songs, but it's just like I heard them so much. I mean, I can barely even flow or or or alive because it was just they're on MTV or the radio like non-stop. But see, like spin the black circle off well, that's off of Vitology. I love that song. I've heard that tons of times, but I still I will play that versus let's see what song versus I mean there's well again, daughter, like that's kind of one I would skip over because it's so go is great, the drums, abru abruzuzi, however you say his name. He was badass behind the kit. Animal that yeah, so the rest of I want to say like versus I pretty much track listening. Okay, go animal donor. So glorified G now. I used to love that one, but now it's like I kind of just hear it's like it's dissing on kind of rural American, you know, Second Amendment individuals that believe in God, you know? So it's kind of a diss track towards them.

SPEAKER_01 27:26

And then but yeah, that one and daughter, I kind of am like, eh.

SPEAKER_00 27:37

Oh, a rear view mirror too is a great song, but just so much. I heard it so many times. So I don't know, but I really love Blood, yeah, Go, Blood, Elderly Woman, Leash is great, indifference is good too. But yeah, I remember when that came out, it was just like, man, it sounds so different. I don't know. And then now, as I'm kind of listening to like I was listening to Yield, and the last time I really listened to it was over 20 years ago, more than that, and since then I've you know I've found an appreciation for drums and bass and stuff. So I'm hearing like I I never really remember hearing Jeff Amen's bass, except for like Jeremy's like dun dun dun dun dun dun dun, you know. And but it's like I'm listening to it now, and I'm like, oh man, I'm hearing his bass lines, and then I love Jack Irons. I like his I love the way he plays the drums. Dave Bruzi, I don't know how to say his name, but he yeah, he was my favorite drummer. It sucks. See, and he was kind of more like I guess the the glorified G was kind of a diss towards him specifically, and like what I said, rural America, Texans, you know, or whatever. Because he bought a gun, and it's like they're like, oh my gosh. But then you have crap like that, and then you see videos of like on stage where like Pearl Jam, like people are throwing shoes at him, and you know, he's going back and forth. He's like, Hey, why don't you throw a gun up here so I can shoot you all? You know what I mean? I'm like, well, you know, it's a little, you know, we all say stupid shit, but I don't know. So yeah, I just, you know, listening to Pearl Jam right now. See, I'll listen to them and then I probably won't listen to them for a couple years, you know. Usually when I get into my grunge phase, it's Alice in Chains. Some old Nirvana.

SPEAKER_01 29:44

I mean, all Nirvana's old, I guess now, but well no, I mean Nevermind is great, but I love Incesticide, Bleach, and then Utero. And utero is probably my favorite Nirvana. I don't know why I'm talking about Nirvana all of a sudden.

SPEAKER_00 30:06

But and then what else? And then yeah, see, Soundgarden, I never really I mean I like them now, but you know, they got the Black Hole Sun was another radio video, and I just got so tired of that song. And that's like a lot of people's favorite, but I just I can't stand that song. I like their older, heavier stuff now. I didn't, I don't know, I just didn't like Chris Cornell's voice then. I I was more I liked, you know, I liked Lane Staley and Eddie Vetter much more. But now but then what's funny was like I never really listened to SoundGarden. And then, but when Audio Slave came out, I love Audio Slave, but it's Chris Cornell singing, so what's and it's not I don't know, it's just kind of a weird thing. I don't know. Maybe I don't know. I don't know why that is. Um like I'll listen to Bad Motorfinger occasionally, but that's kind of it though. I don't know. Anyway, and then screaming trees sometimes, I'll put that on. Yeah, what are some I never got into mud honey. I don't know, they're okay. What are some of the other I mean Stone Temple Pilots weren't I guess grunge because they're from California or whatever. But they came out at the same time. I like Stone Temple Pilots, they're more of like a bluesy rock. Anyway.

SPEAKER_01 31:36

They just, you know, got popular at the same time. What else? Chili peppers weren't really grunge, but again, they got really popular at the same time. Um yeah, anyway, that's kind of it, I think.

SPEAKER_00 31:57

Anyway, that's all. I just wanted to I don't know, talk about Pearl Jam, I guess. Well, a little bit too is that document that documentary that I watched. The matter of time. It's pretty good. You know, he he he actually plays a lot of Pearl Jam songs. I was thinking he was gonna do more of from his from his you know solo stuff, which he does because there are songs on there that I didn't really recognize, but a lot of Pearl Jam on it. He did Porge, you know, it's just him and like acoustic or electric or whatever, you know, but he did Porch. It was kind of funny, but also too, man, he's just he's looking older, which means I'm you know makes me feel old. Just kind of weird how you when you think of you know, you see the videos and pictures from when you were younger of them, you know, and you're like, dang, man. You know, and then you see them now, and it's just it's just crazy. Time goes by fast.

Your Favourite Pearl Jam Album?

SPEAKER_00 33:05

Anyway, I don't know. Is there any Pro Jam fans out there? What's your favorite albums? Let me know. I'll talk to you guys later. Thanks for hanging out, appreciate your time, and God bless. All right, bye.