In 1995, following the release of its third critically acclaimed album, Pearl Jam was starting to waver. Eddie Vedder, the enigmatic singer and leader of the band was “in the midst of a pretty serious stalker problem,” and the rest of the members were restless and lacking direction*. It was at this moment that the godfather of grunge, Neil Young, stepped in to help.After performing with the band at an abortion rights benefit in Washington, D.C., Young invited the group to back him up on his next album. For Young, the album would be a follow up to 1994’s “Sleeps With Angels,” a hard-edged album dedicated to grunge’s fallen warrior, Kurt Cobain. Just 11 days after the D.C. performance, and armed with only the first two tunes off the album, the supergroup assembled in Seattle to record.
“Mirror Ball” was recorded in four days during the winter of 1995. Except for the first two songs, Young claims that all the material was written at the sessions. And it is not too hard to believe. The songs sound spontaneous: a release of crunching, riff-driven rock, powered by heavy distortion, ringing sustain, and Young's signature lyric style.
Like Neil's other rock albums, “Mirror Ball” features simple chord progressions, basic rhythms, and a rich mixture of grit and beauty. But it also features something more: a talented, young band in its prime. Like Crazy Horse in the early '70s, the members of Pearl Jam were more than willing to do Young's bidding. But unlike Crazy Horse, whose sloppiness characterized the many (great) albums on which they played, Pearl Jam was a hard-hitting, cohesive unit. Their straightforward approach served to stabilize Neil's "wheels have come off the tracks" abandon.
That said, the songs are raw. Recorded live, as is Young's style, the outros of songs feature massive feedback and band banter. At the beginning of "Downtown," an ode to '70s rock and hippie idealism, Neil can be heard saying, "I think I fucked up, let me just play the groove for a minute," before launching into a riff that dominates the five-minute single. Similarly unpolished, "I'm the Ocean" is a dirty rocker that could easily have been on Neil's classic "Zuma" or his later "Living With War."
But while half of the album feels and sounds like classic Neil, the other half takes on a characteristic of its own. "Neil Jam," as the group was known in its live incarnation, constitutes a more complex sound, involving super-grungy layered guitars, keys, pump organ, and whirlwind backup vocals. "Peace and Love," the album's anthem and second single, is the first tune on which Vedder sings and the band sounds original. The track is powerful, with a stronger form, changes in tempo and style, and a dark message that the title belies.
"Throw Your Hatred Down" and "Scenery" are similarly unique and positively epic. With Neil finally relinquishing some of the lead guitar duties, the solos are the most scorching on the album, fusing his simplistic intensity with the Jam's ample ability.
The album strives for authenticity and succeeds: making the listener feel like that lucky fly on the wall at the recording sessions. And while it may not be Young or Pearl Jam's best or most enduring work, "Mirror Ball" serves its purpose as something else: an honest snapshot of grunge through the lens of its progenitor and its greatest champions.
* Weisbard, Eric, et al. "Ten Past Ten". Spin. August 2001: http://www.fivehorizons.com/archive/articles/spin801.shtml
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