Tuesday September 20th, 2011
Crucial Blog Entry #77
PEARL JAM TWENTY Documentary By Cameron Crowe
PJ20 - A Band Born of Tragedy, Hope & Promise
Paul Benoit
Producer / Director
CRUCIAL MATTERS
paul@crucialmatters.com
www.crucialmatters.com
Would PEARL JAM had ever existed without a tragedy to MOTHER LOVE BONE and their singer ANDY WOOD dying of a overdose just days before their debut album being released? What would EDDIE VEDDER be doing right now had tragedy and a cassette tape not found its way to Seattle in the late eighties? Lightning did strike with a life being lost and a new band being born out of tragedy bringing PEARL JAM into the 90's and the consciousness of millions around the world that embraced PEARL JAM as their own local bar band.
CAMERON CROWE's PJ20 captures the essence of a band struggling to make it, struggling to maintain their sanity after making it HUGE, and then struggling to deal with their fame and creative measures to prove to themselves that they deserve to be there in the first place. We don't have bands like PEARL JAM anymore.
The footage of PEARL JAM in PJ20 is beyond classic including their 2nd ever gig with Eddie belting out ALIVE like a true rock God, the MTV Unplugged sessions and Eddie & Kurt Cobain slow dancing in a moment of truce and reconciliation, knowing that they were partners & Presidents for Disenchanted Youth all around the world.
This Documentary measures up there with RUSH-BEYOND THE LIGHTED STAGE and makes the U2 Doc FROM THE SKY DOWN seem like a pre-orchestrated attempt of being cool or trying too hard.
PEARL JAM is the best band of the last 20 years and mainly because THEY DIDN'T TRY TO BE.
Keep It Crucial.
Paul Benoit
Producer / Director
CRUCIAL MATTERS
paul@crucialmatters.com
www.crucialmatters.com
