這篇訪問登載於Guitar World，由Vic Garbarini訪問Jeff and Mike
很精彩！A must-read！
Some bands like to recreate themselves through fashion," says Pearl
Jam bassist Jeff Ament. "That doesn't really interest us. We try to work
on the inside as opposed to the outside. Change means getting deeper
with our music."
Ament is talking about Yield (Epic), Pearl Jam's impressive new album,
their first since 1996's No Code. But he's also referring to the Seattle
band's constant, and often overlooked, attempts to reinvent
themselves amid the hurricane of hype (and anti-hype) that's often
threatened to throw them off course-and, at times, has.
The band's travails have been numerous and highly publicized. Early
on, Pearl Jam made admirable but misguided efforts to fight the media
hoopla and star-maker machinery that threatened to swallow them up.
They would overreact to legitimate problems, fighting Ticketmaster,
for example, in ways that only increased their fans' difficulties when
the alternative venues they chose proved inadequate.
But while Pearl Jam's stormy seven-year career has been marked by
tremendous internal and external strife, they've never stopped evolving
as musicians. Their first attempt to remake themselves was heard on
their sophomore release, 1993's Vs. Band founders Stone Gossard and
Jeff Ament turned over the reins to the remarkable and then volatile
Eddie Vedder. The result: a leaner, punkier Jam. No Code (Epic, 1996)
was another breakthrough, brimming with spiritual insight, world beat
overtones and glimmers of a newly-found self-deprecating humor.
Their latest effort, Yield is at once both edgier and deeper than No Code-
harder rocking, yet more subtly nuanced. Of course, hard-core fans will
still be able to quickly identify those familiar Stone Gossard riffs on the
roaring opener, "Brain of J," and Vedder's contemplative lyrics on "Pilate"
and the hymn-like "Low Light."
But these hard-core fans would be dead wrong. For the muscular skronk
that powers "Brain of J" is not Gossard's, but comes courtesy of Mr. Mike
McCready, who also wrote the music for "Faithful" and the album's first
single, "Given To Fly." And the lyrics-as well as the music-to "Pilate" and
"Low Light" are not Vedder's, but were penned by bassist Ament. What's
amazing is that you'd never know the creative furniture has been
rearranged if you didn't check the liner notes.
The fact is Pearl Jam's latest creative evolution is both their quietest
and most profound to date. With Yield, they have taken a quantum leap
towards becoming a true band of equals. Vedder and Gossard, who
dominated previous albums, took a step back, allowing the other band
members to fill the void. In doing so, they've opened up the creative
process in ways few other established bands would ever dream of.
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.twbbs.org)
◆ From: swtn245-252.adsl.seed.net.tw