Description
Book SynopsisThere has never been a band like Pearl Jam. The Seattle quintet has recorded eleven studio albums; sold some 85 million records; played over a thousand shows, in fifty countries; and had five different albums reach number one. But Pearl Jam's story is about much more than music. Through resilience, integrity, and sheer force of will, they transcended several eras, and shaped the way a whole generation thought about art, entertainment, and commerce.
Not for You: Pearl Jam and the Present Tense is the first full-length biography of America's preeminent band, from
Ten to
Gigaton. A study of their role in history from Operation Desert Storm to the Dixie Chicks; Jeremy to Columbine; Kurt Cobain to Chris Cornell; Ticketmaster to Trump
Not for You explores the band''s origins and evolution over thirty years of American culture. It starts with their founding, and the eruption of grunge, in 1991; continues through their golden age (
Vs.,
VitalogyTrade ReviewRonen Givony's
Not for You does what Givony would like Pearl Jam to do: it rises above its immediate purpose. It is a critical annotation to a body of work which lifts off the ground and becomes an extravagant performance about time, rebellion, fame, disenchantment, civil discourse, the idea of the mainstream, the desire of a fan, and what a band can do to answer it. * Ben Ratliff, author of Every Song Ever *
An enjoyable book and, as a non-fan, I found myself coming around to their music and what they were trying to achieve. Whether you love them or not, it is clear they were trying to be genuine and reach out to their fans. -- Simon Cocking * Irish Tech News *
Brilliantly contextualises the early ’90s socio-political climate from which the grunge icons emerged. It paints a vivid portrait …
Not For You is a compelling examination of one of modern rock’s most enduring and compelling groups. -- Kate Brayden * Hot Press *
Near perfect Pearl Jam prose…
Not For You: Pearl Jam and the Present Tense is a book every Pearl Jam fan needs to read. Not only is it an excellent biography it is also the definitive unofficial Pearl Jam book for fans of the Last Grunge Band Standing.™ * Guerrilla Candy *
[A] hefty and impressive work, digging into its subject with the kind of relentlessness any fan will appreciate… A thoughtful celebration of a band who’s still going strong, and should even be of interest to non-PJ fans, especially if they have an interest in alt rock of the ‘90s. * Record Collector News *
[A]n insightful work for many reasons, not least its temperate analysis of fandom. Author Ronen Givony never forgets the whys and wherefores of the Seattle outfit and of how from their early days in the 1990s, despite their status as one of the mostpopular US acts, they sidelined traditional commercial channels in favour of servicing their fans … Givony incisively reflects on th[is] and more, but the primary selling point is what the band have meant to their fans across the years and the often-profound bonds that can be made. -- Tony Clayton-Lea * The Irish Times *
The strength of Givony’s book lies in his readiness to make the tough call. His book is unreservedly opinionated, as so few these days are … Givony proves himself a master of the
bon mot, the memorable soundbite, demonstrating ample literary chops throughout. If I had room, I’d quote a hundred worthy passages. -- Des Cowley * Rhythm Magazine *
Givony trenchantly argues that Pearl Jam haven’t made a great album since 1998. Yet his sometimes contentious analysis is always delivered with a wry snap and bolstered by diligent sociocultural contextualisation, pinpointing one aspect of the band’s appeal; they’re more ‘for you’ than might initially appear to be the case. -- Keith Cameron * MOJO *
CHOICE Magazine’s “New Year Reads” 2021 * CHOICE *
CBC’s “18 Books for the Holiday Season” * CBC *
Table of ContentsIntroduction: A Personal Preface 1 The Cast 2 A Dozen Moments in the Prehistory of Pearl Jam 3 The Bacchanal, San Diego (November 21, 1989) 4 The Off Ramp, Seattle (October 22, 1990) 5 “Jeremy,” “Garden,” “Yellow Ledbetter” (1991) 6 J.C. Dobbs, Philadelphia (July 12, 1991) 7 The Palladium, Hollywood (October 6, 1991) 8 Cow Palace, San Francisco (December 31, 1991) 9 MTV Unplugged (March 16, 1992) 10 Pinkpop Festival, Holland (June 8, 1992) 11 The
Singles Soundtrack (1992) 12 Stadio Flaminio, Rome (July 6, 1993) 13 Lakefront Arena, New Orleans (November 16, 1993) 14 Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid (1993) 15 Civic Center, Pensacola (March 9, 1994) 16 Bayfront Amphitheater, Miami (March 28, 1994) 17 Patriot Center, Fairfax (April 8, 1994) 18 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC (June 30, 1994) 19 Dave (1994) 20 Self-Pollution Radio (January 8, 1995) 21 Soldier Field, Chicago (July 11, 1995) 22 38th Annual Grammy Awards (February 28, 1996) 23 Cox Arena, San Diego (July 10, 1998) 24
Binaural and the Battle of Seattle (1999) 25 Roskilde Festival, Denmark (June 30, 2000) 26 Madison Square Garden (October 15, 2000) 27 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale (April 30, 2003) 28 Thin Air (2006—2013) 29 Tomas Young and
Body of War (2005—2014) 30 Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia (April 29, 2016) 31 Altice Arena, Lisbon (June 20, 2019)
Afterword (For Chris Cornell) In Memoriam Acknowledgments Bibliography Index About the Author
