old thread archived here

Share the story of the first time you heard this album

My first time for Vitalogy stretches out over a fairly long period of time. it is the first new record I ever waited for when I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I had a favorite band (nirvana and metallica still competed with PJ when Vs came out) and it was the first time I ever got to hear songs before the record

So my first time with vitalogy really starts with the atlanta concert in 94. I was listening to (and taping) that show in my room--also the first time I ever heard a band live, and i was just absolutley blown away from top to bottom, especially with the new songs. I loved all of them the first time I heard them--even though I thought whipping was called "bear with me" and sonic reducer was a pearl jam song. I listened to those four songs constantly, and that live version of satan's bed pretty much became my favorite pearl jam song (beating out past favorites Even flow and State of Love and Trust).

I was not collecting boots at the time so I hadn't heard any of the other songs that made an early debut until the SNL performance when I heard Not For You, which I liked, but not s much as the atlanta songs. The performance was almost a little too ragged and intense for me

Then of course the STBC single came out. I liked both songs on it (STBC and Tremor Christ) but my favorites were still the 4 atlanta songs (I still had no idea that sonic reducer was a cover). But at this point I figured I knew half the record already and I was ridiculously excited.

At the time NYC had a number of great alternative rock stations (now it pretty much has none) and one of them played vitalogy a few weeks before it was released. A friend of mine taped it and copied the tape for me. He missed the begining so the tape started at the end of last exit (a few seconds into the solo before the 'Let my spirit pass' moment, and ended early (middle of immortality). I basically spent three weeks or so sitting in my brother's room (he had a genesis, I had a super nintendo) playing shining force after school and listening to that tape non stop. I loved every fucking thing about it. Corduroy quickly became tied with Satan's Bed for my favorite song (I preferred and still do the atlanta version to the one that made the record) but all of it, even bugs and aye davanita (a song I rarely listen to in its entirety) were amazing.

Finally the album came out, and I picked it up after school (I was driving at this point so I was able to run out and get it). it was the first time I ever found myself spending time looking at an album's artwork, and actually getting to hear the whole record from start to finish (all of last exit and all of immortaltiy) was just an amazing experience. Until stupid mop, anyway

From the day I first got that tape I probably listened to Vitalogy at least once a day every day for 2 years