Synopses & Reviews
Published in celebration of Pearl Jam’s twentieth anniversary and in conjunction with Cameron Crowe’s definitive film,
Pearl Jam Twenty is an intimate, unprecedented, and lavishly illustrated portrait of one of the world’s most influential and successful bands—by the band itself.
• Pearl Jam on Pearl Jam: While heralded as rock music icons, Pearl Jam is also known for being notoriously media-adverse. After the epic success of Ten, the band shunned the spotlight, refusing to shoot videos or do interviews. Even as their studio albums continued to be critically acclaimed and commercially successful, the interworkings of the band remained unknown to even their diehard fans, until now. Pearl Jam Twenty is an intimate narrative of the band told from their perspective. This ascetically stunning, definitive chronicle of their two decades as a band is a treasure trove of little-known anecdotes, rare archival memorabilia, and the band’s personal photos, tour notes, and drawings.
• A twenty-year anniversary event: Academy Award-winning director Cameron Crowe will write the book’s Foreword and his major film about the band will be released to coincide with Pearl Jam Twenty’s publication. The band will promote the book alongside the film’s premiere at fall 2011 film festivals and a series of special events will be arranged to celebrate the band’s two-decade anniversary.
• One of the world’s greatest bands: Pearl Jam exploded onto the music scene in 1991 with their debut album Ten, which has sold 13 million copies. In 2009, the band’s most recent (and self-released) studio album, Backspacer, debuted at #1 on the Billboard chart and #1 on iTunes, was certified gold in three months, and earned a 2010 Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song (“The Fixer”).
• Continued relevance: Instrumental in popularizing alternative rock in the mainstream, twenty years in, Pearl Jam refuses to slow down, building on their already enormous fan base. Their official fan club, Ten Club, is one of the music industry’s largest, and they have more than 2.3 million Facebook friends. Known for their relentless touring and intense live performance, the band is still considered an A-list festival headliner and regularly sells out arenas worldwide. Pearl Jam is also recognized as one of the foremost proponents of social causes in the music business.
Review
and#8220;Essential . . . Pearl Jamand#8217;s autobiographical account is one of few that focus on music rather than substance abuse. . . . Attests to their unwavering connection to their music and their ability to prevent fame from overshadowing art.and#8221; andlt;Bandgt;and#8212;andlt;iandgt;Library Journalandlt;/iandgt; (starred review)andlt;/Bandgt;
Review
and#8220;A fun, photo-filled day-in-the-life chronicle of one of Americaand#8217;s hardest-working rock bands . . . Whether or not readers are fans of the band, the bookand#8217;s coverage of the Seattle grunge explosion during the early and#8217;90s is impressive.and#8221; andlt;Bandgt;and#8212;andlt;iandgt;Kirkus Reviewsandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/Bandgt;
Review
and#8220;Thereand#8217;s only three other bands on the planet that have the talent and the mystique to change the world with music. Radiohead, R.E.M., and Pearl Jam.and#8221; andlt;Bandgt;and#8212;Bonoandlt;/Bandgt;
Review
and#8220;The greatest American rock band ever.and#8221; andlt;Bandgt;and#8212;andlt;iandgt;USA Todayandlt;/iandgt; Readersand#8217; Poll (2005)andlt;/Bandgt;
Review
and#8220;This is a remarkable account of a career . . . No small achievement . . . This book will satisfy casual listeners as well as obsessives.and#8221; andlt;Bandgt;and#8212;andlt;Iandgt;Publishers Weeklyandlt;/Iandgt; (starred review)andlt;/Bandgt;
Synopsis
Pearl Jam Twenty is an intimate and lavishly illustrated portrait of one of the world’s most influential and successful bands—by the band itself.
Synopsis
Published in celebration of Pearl Jamand#8217;s twentieth anniversary and in conjunction with Cameron Croweand#8217;s definitive film, andlt;iandgt;Pearl Jam Twentyandlt;/iandgt; is the unprecedented, and lavishly illustrated portrait of one of the worldand#8217;s most influential and successful bands.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Published in celebration of Pearl Jamand#8217;s twentieth anniversary and in conjunction with Cameron Croweand#8217;s definitive documentary film and soundtrack of the same name, andlt;iandgt;Pearl Jam Twentyandlt;/iandgt; is an aesthetically stunning and definitive chronicle of their two decades as a bandand#8212;by the band itself.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;In 1991, Pearl Jamand#8217;s debut album, andlt;iandgt;Tenandlt;/iandgt; catapulted the little-known Seattle-based band into superstardom. Then, at the height of their popularity, the band shunned the spotlight, refusing to shoot videos or do interviews. Even as Pearl Jamand#8217;s studio albums continued to be critically acclaimed and commercially successful, selling over sixty million albums worldwide, the inner workings of the bandand#8212;their day-to-day routines, influences, and motivationsand#8212;remained unknown even to their diehard fans.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Twenty years later, this is their story. andlt;iandgt;Pearl Jam Twentyandlt;/iandgt; is a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes anecdotes, rare archival memorabilia, and the bandand#8217;s personal photos, tour notes, and drawings. Told with wit and insight in the band membersand#8217; own words, and assembled by veteran music writer Jonathan Cohen with Mark Wilkersonand#8212;and including a foreword by Cameron Crowe along with original interviews with legends and contemporaries like Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, and Dave Grohland#8212;this intimate work provides an in-depth look at a group of musicians who through defying convention established themselves as and#8220;the greatest American rock band everand#8221; (andlt;iandgt;USA TODAY andlt;/iandgt;Readersand#8217; Poll 2005).
About the Author
andlt;bandgt;Pearl Jam andlt;/bandgt;is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1991. Frontman Eddie Vedder is joined by Jeff Ament (bass), Mike McCready (guitar), Stone Gossard (guitar), and Matt Cameron (drums). Since its inception, the band has sold more than 30 million records in the US and an estimated 60 million worldwide. Throughout its career, Pearl Jam has been recognized globally for its deep commitment to social justice.