Battle of the Bands 11.17.09: Pearl Jam vs. Bon Jovi

Posted by Adam Battagello on 11.17.2009

A controversial face-off, but there is common ground in the group's new singles.

Welcome back one and all for yet another week of Battle of the Bands; I'm sure my decision to compare a track by Pearl Jam to one by Bon Jovi this week may put me at the sword of a few Jam fans, but before I get to a perfectly logical explanation of the comparison, here's a little something to calm you down…




Before the Blow:


Just a quick one this week, if you have some cash on you I strongly recommend going out and getting your hands on Them Crooked Vultures new self-titled album.



The whole thing is a throwback to the kind of 70s sounding rock that is very thin on the ground these days, so if you're after something a little different go buy it…Now.



Anyway, let's get this face-off rolling

This Week:
Pearl Jam- Just Breathe vs. Bon Jovi- When We Were Beautiful




Despite both being icons of the rock music industry in their own personal way, you wouldn't normally see a Pearl Jam fan singing the praises of Bon Jovi. That's just the way it is, on one side you have a group who have made a habit of doing things their own way, and on the other we have a band that has produced radio ready rock for the masses.

Now I concede that usually the two groups shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath because of their differences, but this isn't a battle of band attitude, it's a battle of singles, and when you compare each group's latest track, it's hard to deny that there isn't a commonality there. Let's check it out

Pearl Jam- Just Breathe


We begin to see our singles' common ground in Pearl Jam's newest track ‘Just Breathe'. The track is pretty much the softest in the group's storied catalogue, and seems at first like it would be at home on Vedder's solo work for Into The Wild rather than on a Pearl Jam LP, but there you have it, both groups today are heading to the soft, emotional, almost U2 style of rock music here.

So how good is the track itself?

Vedder's vocals on ‘Just Breathe' really shed a new light on the man as a vocalist; sure, past Pearl Jam tracks such as ‘Black' are proof enough that the man can handle an emotional ballad, but ‘Just Breathe' is a completely stripped back version of anything Vedder has done in the past. No tricks, no screaming, just a grumbling baritone of a voice that guides you through the three and a half minute song.

Using the track ‘Black' once again, it is easy to contrast just how much the group as changed lyrically for this new single. Whereas the former track is the tale of a man lamenting on what he wants but can't have, ‘Just Breathe' is more about being grateful for the things that you do have, rather than wanting the things you don't. Lines like "I'm a lucky man to count on both hands, the ones I love," show a subtle joy in the group that we haven't seen in a LONG time. Much of this newfound happiness was attributed by the media to the change in presidency, bringing with it a happy period for the unashamedly anti-Bush Pearl Jam. If Obama accomplishes nothing more than bringing out this side of Pearl Jam in during his tenure, then I'll be happy. Well…maybe not completely but that's another story.

Musically, the track is about as toned down as Pearl Jam can get, none of the usual symphony of guitars we get from McCready and Gossard, instead we have a simple acoustic part back by the occasional soft electric, and backed by a string section.

All in all, this is a sound more commonly attributed to their competition today than it is to Pearl Jam, but what can I say, as different to their normal style as it is, the Seattle boys take it in their stride and in ‘Just Breathe' have one of their strongest singles to date.

Moving on!

Bon Jovi- When We Were Beautiful


Mega hits from Bon Jovi like ‘Livin' On a Prayer' seem to have forever cornered the band as purveyors of cheesy rock, and the group is often speared by alternative clans for catering to a pop audience, (as well as being the kind of guys that blow-dry their hair) but it is hard to ignore the group's ability to write an effective anthem when they are on their game.

‘When We Were Beautiful' could very well be one of these anthems. It's a hell of a lot softer than past singles from the group like ‘It's My Life', but hey, that's what makes it both different and a suitable competitor in today's contest.

‘When We Were Beautiful' certainly carries a much grander sound then it's competitor today, rather than completely stripping back their instruments in the same way Pearl Jam did for ‘Just Breathe' Bon Jovi seem to simply have slowed down what they would usually play anyway. Sure, it's a variation on a tired theme, but it is still relatively effective.

Sambora's guitar work on ‘When We Were Beautiful' is impressive, and no matter how much people may knock the band, Richie's ability with the guitar is certainly hard to write off. His solo starting around the 2.50 mark fits perfectly into the track, a solo on a song that is supposed to sound soft could easily ruin the whole feel of the track itself, but Sambora manages to slip in a guitar break that only serves to enhance the feel of the song.

Lyrically, ‘When We Were Beautiful' does have a one up on its competition today in that Jon has made the lyrics to the song easy to sing along to. The ‘Sha-la-la' portion of the track, albeit as lyrically deep as a kiddy pool, is hard not to sing along to, and if you're not drawn in by the end of the track, then you quite simply have no soul. There I said it.

There can only be one!

As much as I love Pearl Jam, and I really do, an impartial part of me is telling me to go with the Bon Jovi track this week. Both groups have released stellar mellow tracks, but I just feel like ‘Just Breathe' is missing something that should be there. Maybe a little more work on the part of the electric guitar, as this turned out relatively well for the Bon Jovi track. While I think that Eddie Vedder and the boys are stronger lyrically, I just feel that, as a single, Bon Jovi pulled out more stops in today's face-off.

That's what I thought, how about you?

Until next week, happy battling.