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mbkarapcik's review
5.0
I remember the first time I heard "Ten" by Pearl Jam. It was such an amazing recording, but my college boyfriend refused to lend it to me because he felt that it was an underground, indie album that wouldn't be readily available. Months later, when we were no longer together, I laughed at the monster hit it became, and I have been a fan ever since.
In Steven Hyden's latest book, Long Road, he takes a look at the long and sometimes challenging journey Pearl Jam has taken to solidify their longevity in the world of music. I've read many of the author's books. In fact, one awaits me on my tablet. I'm a committed fan of his as well as Pearl Jam, so I was thrilled to receive a copy of the book. This did not disappoint.
Although I consider myself a Pearl Jam fan, I fell out of listening to anything beyond Yield. We own all their subsequent albums, but we never really listened to them more than once. I've never seen them in concert, and when I did hear live material on SiriusXM, for example, I wasn't wowed. But Hyden makes those concerts come alive, and now I feel like, what have I been missing.
I love that Hyden wove his own feelings and opinions about the genre that Pearl Jam originated from and his experiences as a fan of the band. He tells his own stories while relating the events that started the band and ushered them through the tumultuous years of stardom and notoriety. Some years maybe would be their last, but they continued to persevere despite the critics and naysayers.
And I like that this only loosely goes in a linear, chronological order. News events and life events, both on the front page of the news and involving the band, make up the chapters. I really loved that, but, I suspect, that some readers may prefer a solid route to Pearl Jam's status today.
I also felt blindsided that I never knew the whole "Momma-Son" theme from Ten. I had absolutely no idea, I just knew that I loved the album. It was enlightening and somewhat disturbing to find out, but the songs stick with you and now offer more than just a story. Like the song, "Alive," which has taken on a completely different context because it's a bonding event at concerts.
I really enjoyed this book, and it made me want to crank up Pearl Jam and relive the amazement I felt when I first heard their seminal album. If you're a Pearl Jam fan, read this book.
Thank you, Hachette Books, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! It was a pleasure!
In Steven Hyden's latest book, Long Road, he takes a look at the long and sometimes challenging journey Pearl Jam has taken to solidify their longevity in the world of music. I've read many of the author's books. In fact, one awaits me on my tablet. I'm a committed fan of his as well as Pearl Jam, so I was thrilled to receive a copy of the book. This did not disappoint.
Although I consider myself a Pearl Jam fan, I fell out of listening to anything beyond Yield. We own all their subsequent albums, but we never really listened to them more than once. I've never seen them in concert, and when I did hear live material on SiriusXM, for example, I wasn't wowed. But Hyden makes those concerts come alive, and now I feel like, what have I been missing.
I love that Hyden wove his own feelings and opinions about the genre that Pearl Jam originated from and his experiences as a fan of the band. He tells his own stories while relating the events that started the band and ushered them through the tumultuous years of stardom and notoriety. Some years maybe would be their last, but they continued to persevere despite the critics and naysayers.
And I like that this only loosely goes in a linear, chronological order. News events and life events, both on the front page of the news and involving the band, make up the chapters. I really loved that, but, I suspect, that some readers may prefer a solid route to Pearl Jam's status today.
I also felt blindsided that I never knew the whole "Momma-Son" theme from Ten. I had absolutely no idea, I just knew that I loved the album. It was enlightening and somewhat disturbing to find out, but the songs stick with you and now offer more than just a story. Like the song, "Alive," which has taken on a completely different context because it's a bonding event at concerts.
I really enjoyed this book, and it made me want to crank up Pearl Jam and relive the amazement I felt when I first heard their seminal album. If you're a Pearl Jam fan, read this book.
Thank you, Hachette Books, for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! It was a pleasure!
rontronium's review
2.0
I wanted to like this book. I'd read Hyden's Radiohead book a couple of years ago, and thought he'd done a good job with it. I'm a big Pearl Jam fan, and I've seen Hyden post glowingly on social media about PJ often and figured I would also enjoy this iteration of a band-centric book. I was wrong.
I think the concept is a good idea; essays about specific PJ songs over the course of their career, as a mixtape. My biggest problem with the book is the inaccuracies, albeit trivial ones. Like the assertion that the shortest gap ever between albums was No Code and Yield (18 months). Vs. and Vitalogy, their second and third albums, respectively are 13 months apart.
Another part of the book talks about the song Bu$hleaguer, which is/was an anti-Bush (George W.) song from their album, Riot Act. They played it several times during the tour of that album, which was in 2003. In the essay about Bu$hleaguer, Hyden wrote, "There were also issues earlier in the month after it was played in Denver and Oklahoma City, though in those cities people for the most part just quietly stormed out." It was not played in Oklahoma City. I know because I was in attendance for that show.
It's disappointing because the aforementioned inaccuracies are simple math and fact-checking.
What a bummer.
I think the concept is a good idea; essays about specific PJ songs over the course of their career, as a mixtape. My biggest problem with the book is the inaccuracies, albeit trivial ones. Like the assertion that the shortest gap ever between albums was No Code and Yield (18 months). Vs. and Vitalogy, their second and third albums, respectively are 13 months apart.
Another part of the book talks about the song Bu$hleaguer, which is/was an anti-Bush (George W.) song from their album, Riot Act. They played it several times during the tour of that album, which was in 2003. In the essay about Bu$hleaguer, Hyden wrote, "There were also issues earlier in the month after it was played in Denver and Oklahoma City, though in those cities people for the most part just quietly stormed out." It was not played in Oklahoma City. I know because I was in attendance for that show.
It's disappointing because the aforementioned inaccuracies are simple math and fact-checking.
What a bummer.
duparker's review against another edition
4.0
In the past I found this author to be passionate but not always the greatest writer. Maybe in this case he enjoyed the subject more than he has in the past, or maybe I did. Either way this book is a lot more enjoyable and engaging, it feels much more fleshed out even if some of the categories explored are not necessarily groundbreaking.
chela_c's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
jennie_cole's review against another edition
2.0
Long Road is a biography of Pearl Jam and how the writer has felt about them since the early 90s. While this is a biography of Pearl Jam with their history both personal and professional, more so Eddie Vedder's personal history than any of the other members, the author does spend a decent amount of time including his personal opinions. Hyden breaks the chapters up by chunks of events, albums, and songs. He talks about the background of the songs, some of the controversies that have occurred, other contemporary artists, as well as how some of the early fame and responses to the music impacted the band.
This book feels more like a biography written after the subjects were gone because there seems to be no quotes from friends, family, contemporaries, or the artists themselves. At the end of the book I felt more like this was an exploration of how Hyden feels about Pearl Jam and how it has shifted over the years. It was not bad and I learned things about the band and the music but I do not know that I would recommend this one.
This book feels more like a biography written after the subjects were gone because there seems to be no quotes from friends, family, contemporaries, or the artists themselves. At the end of the book I felt more like this was an exploration of how Hyden feels about Pearl Jam and how it has shifted over the years. It was not bad and I learned things about the band and the music but I do not know that I would recommend this one.