Pearl Jam FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Seattle's Most Enduring Band

by Thomas E. Harkins

Pearl Jam FAQ is what the British refer to as a “spanner ” covering the entire arc of the band's career, from their pre-Pearl Jam days to the present. Each chapter explores a different aspect of Pearl Jam's fascinating history.

You will read about the members' successes, failures, and tragedies in earlier bands. You will learn the band's origin story and the unusual manner in which they came up with a name. We will go inside the studio and analyze each of their albums in turn. We will hit the road with the band as Pearl Jam sets out to conquer Seattle, the West Coast of the United States, and then the entire world.

We will watch as Pearl Jam adapts to an ever-changing media landscape where MTV, not radio, is the major power broker. You will revel in their battles with Ticketmaster and learn about the roots of their socio-political activism. In short, you will experience Pearl Jam in every imaginable on CD, on vinyl, on the radio, on television, on film, in videos, onstage, backstage, on the road, in the air, and at home. Written by Pearl Jam enthusiasts, Pearl Jam FAQ presents a must-have text for band devotees to devour.

Genres: Music

400 pages, Paperback

First published May 24, 2016

Reviews

[Vicente Ribes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a Pearl Jam fan since I was 12 and I have to say that this book is amazing. Not only includes a great analysis of every song released by PJ but also the covers they had played during the story of the band. It's great to know more about the lyrics of your favourite band, specially when you are going to watch them in their European tour concerts.
The book also contains lots of interesting facts: the ticketmaster problems, great gigs,charity acts, musicians,ect..
It's a wonderful story and Bernard M Corbett tells it in a funny and comprenhensible way :)

[J.J. Lair · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've criticized this book series several times. This is by far one of the best books in the FAQ group. These books tend to start with a boring background story. Not this book. From beginning to end, we have early bands, forming the band, friends who helped. We got tour info, who opened for Pearl Jam, who did they open for. Who was an inspiration, the Neil Young years, Ticketmaster, and Sonic Youth. The writing was interesting and made me want to go find songs I didn't know.

[Jeffrey Falk · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an informative, fairly comprehensive book that could have been written and edited better. There are some dubious assertions and misidentifications, so cross referencing is recommended, especially concerning the live performance sections. This book is generally more chronological than other books in this series.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this behind-the-scenes look at a band I've loved since the beginning. Great for fans, semi-fans, and teens.

Full disclosure: I received this eARC through Edelweiss.