Alive (song)
Encyclopedia
"Alive" is a song by the American rock
band Pearl Jam
. "Alive" was Pearl Jam's first single, and appeared on the band's debut album, Ten
(1991). Written by guitarist Stone Gossard
, "Alive" originated as an instrumental titled "Dollar Short" and was included on a demo tape circulated in hopes of finding a singer for the group. Vocalist Eddie Vedder
obtained a copy of the tape and wrote lyrics that describe a fictionalized account (though somewhat based on Vedder's personal experience) of the time when he was told that the man he thought was his father was not actually his biological parent.
"Alive" charted at number 16 in the UK (the single was available only through import in the US). Remixed versions of the song were included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003), and the 2009 Ten reissue. Although the song was not a huge hit upon its release (peaking at number 16 on the Billboard
Mainstream Rock Tracks chart), it has endured as a fan favorite and a staple of rock radio since then, as well as one of the most requested songs at the band's concerts.
wrote the music for the song, which he titled "Dollar Short", in 1990 when he was still a member of Mother Love Bone
. According to Gossard in an interview for Pearl Jam's VH1 Storytellers
special, Mother Love Bone frontman Andrew Wood had even sung on it. After Wood died of a heroin overdose, Gossard and his bandmate Jeff Ament
started playing with guitarist Mike McCready
with the hope of starting a new band. "Dollar Short" was one of five tracks compiled onto a tape called Stone Gossard Demos '91 that Gossard, Ament, and McCready circulated in the hopes of finding a singer and drummer for the group.
The tape made its way into the hands of vocalist Eddie Vedder
, who was working as a gas station
attendant in San Diego, California
at the time. He listened to the tape shortly before going surfing, where lyrics came to him. "Alive" was the first song for which Vedder recorded vocals. Vedder mailed the tape back to Seattle. Upon hearing the tape, the band invited Vedder to come to Seattle and he was asked to join the band.
The band, then called Mookie Blaylock, recorded "Alive" during a demo session at London Bridge studio in January 1991. The version recorded during this session would later appear on the group's debut album, Ten
, and on the promotional "Alive" EP. During album mixing sessions in England in June 1991, mixer Tim Palmer
had McCready add to the song's outro solo. McCready recorded a number of attempts at the solo, and Palmer edited them into a composite version. The guitarist was unsatisfied with the result, so he made another attempt at the solo. "He had another go at it", Palmer recalled, "and got it right away. There was no piecing together to do; it was one take."
' s list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Solos", and number 26 on Total Guitar
' s list of the "100 Hottest Guitar Solos". Interestingly, when interviewed about his famous solo, McCready was quick to disclaim creative credit for it, saying he basically "copied Ace Frehley
's solo from 'She', which was copied from Robby Krieger
's solo in The Doors
' 'Five to One'." Aside from that influence, it strongly highlights the influences of Jimi Hendrix
on McCready's playing, including extensive wah pedal
use, frequent whammy bar dips
and vibrato
, as well as the use of a battered Stratocaster
guitar.
uous relationship with the son, who strongly resembles the biological father. This leads to "Once" in which the man descends into madness and goes on a killing spree, and "Footsteps" in which the man is eventually looking back from a prison cell awaiting his execution.
"Alive" has been revealed by Vedder to be part autobiographical and part fiction. When Vedder was a teenager, his mother revealed to him that the man he thought was his father was actually his stepfather, and that his biological father was dead. The first and last verses detail those actual events, but the second verse is storytelling on Vedder's part. The lyrics of the second verse read, "Oh, she walks slowly, across a young man's room/She said I'm ready...for you/I can't remember anything to this very day/'Cept the look, the look.../Oh, you know where, now I can't see, I just stare...," and Vedder revealed that "she" was the mother, and "the look" referred to was not the look on her face, but "the look is between her legs. Where do you go with that? That's where you came from."
Rather than being the inspirational song most interpret it as, Vedder had quite a different meaning in mind, stating, "[He's] still dealing with love, [he's] still dealing with the death of [his] father. All [he] knows is 'I'm still alive'...that's totally out of burden." Vedder stated at Pearl Jam's 2006 VH1 Storytellers
appearance that over the years the meaning has changed for him. He said, "In the original story, a teenager is being made aware of a shocking truth that leaves him plenty confused...It was a curse—'I'm still alive.'" The audience's response to the song is what has brought about the change in meaning for Vedder. He added, "They lifted the curse. The audience changed the meaning for me."
until June 27, 1995 and was only available as a more expensive import version beforehand. Prior to its commercial release, "Alive" was released as a promotional CD and cassette featuring different artwork and B-side
s. While "Wash" was also a B-side to the commercial singles, "I've Got a Feeling
" was only on this version of the single. The guitar solo at the end of "Alive" was also different from the Ten version, and there are a few other noticeable differences between the two. The B-side "Wash" can also be found as an extra track on European releases of Ten and as an alternate version on the compilation album, Lost Dogs
(2003).
Gossard said that "not a lot of people thought ["Alive"] was a great single when we released it...I don't think that the record company thought it was a slam-dunk. They went, 'Oh! This seems like the best one so far.'" The song peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 18 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. Although the album's follow-up singles would find more success on the rock charts, "Alive" was nevertheless important in bringing attention to the band.
Steve Huey of Allmusic said that while "Alive" has a "big, stadium-ready chorus," it also is "subtler, less macho, and less grandiose than true arena rock
." Regarding the song's guitar solo, Huey said, "It adds a final epic touch to the song, as though the lyric-centered part of the song simply wasn't enough to achieve complete catharsis." Stephen M. Deusner of Pitchfork Media
said that "'Alive' remains potent not only because Vedder touches on some seriously transgressive shit here (dead fathers, hints at incest, survivor guilt), but mostly because the band rock the hell out of that coda."
"Alive" is featured in the 2007 video game, SingStar Amped, for the PlayStation 2
. The song is also featured in the 2008 video game, Rock Band 2
. In March 2009, the rest of the album Ten was also made available as downloadable content for the Rock Band
series. A live version of "Alive" taken from the band's September 20, 1992 concert was made available as a downloadable bonus track for the Rock Band series for those who purchased the Ten re-release through Best Buy
. The song was featured in the Cold Case episode "Into the Blue" in 2009.
for "Alive" was directed by Josh Taft
, a childhood friend of Gossard, who would later direct the music videos for "Even Flow
" and "Oceans
". The black-and-white
video consists of a filmed live performance of the band filmed on August 3, 1991 during a Pearl Jam concert at RKCNDY in Seattle, Washington. Drummer Matt Chamberlain
can be seen drumming in the "Alive" video. Pearl Jam's future drummer Dave Abbruzzese
was in the audience when the video was shot. It was his first encounter with the band as he had just arrived from Texas
after being recommended for the band by Chamberlain and only knew the songs from the "Alive" single. The video was released in September 1991.
Regarding the live video, Ament said, "Initially, it was a problem in terms of talking the record company into taking it seriously...That people didn't think we could pull it off made us want to do it even more. We felt we could do a better version of it. Sonically, it's an inferior version of the song. But it's live." The video was nominated for Best Alternative Video
at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards
.
in 1992. The song was performed on Saturday Night Live
in April 1992 in support of Ten. "Alive" has gone on to become the band's second most performed live song at over 540 performances, behind only "Even Flow" which has been played over 620 times. Following the June 2000 Roskilde Festival
tragedy in which nine people died during Pearl Jam's set, the band purposely omitted "Alive" from all shows on its 2000 North American tour
until the final night in Seattle. Pearl Jam performed the song for its appearance on VH1 Storytellers
in 2006.
Live performances of "Alive" can be found on European releases of Ten, the compilation album Stanley, Son of Theodore: Yet Another Alternative Music Sampler, the "Oceans
" single, the "Dissident
"/Live in Atlanta box set, various official bootlegs
, the live album Live in NYC 12/31/92
, the Live at the Gorge 05/06
box set, the live album Live at Lollapalooza 2007
, and the Drop in the Park LP included in the Super Deluxe edition of the Ten reissue. Performances of the song are also included on the DVD Immagine in Cornice
and the MTV Unplugged DVD included in the Ten reissue.
and Stone Gossard
, except where noted:
CD (US, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Germany, and UK), 12" Vinyl (The Netherlands), and Cassette (Australia)
CD (Japan)
7" Vinyl (The Netherlands and UK) and Cassette (The Netherlands and UK)
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
. "Alive" was Pearl Jam's first single, and appeared on the band's debut album, Ten
Ten (Pearl Jam album)
Ten is the debut studio album by the American grunge band Pearl Jam, released on August 27, 1991 through Epic Records. Following the disbanding of bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard's previous group Mother Love Bone, the two recruited vocalist Eddie Vedder, guitarist Mike McCready, and...
(1991). Written by guitarist Stone Gossard
Stone Gossard
Stone Carpenter Gossard is an American musician who serves as the rhythm and lead guitarist for the American rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of Pearl Jam...
, "Alive" originated as an instrumental titled "Dollar Short" and was included on a demo tape circulated in hopes of finding a singer for the group. Vocalist Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder is an American musician and singer-songwriter who is best known for being the lead singer and one of three guitarists of the alternative rock band Pearl Jam. He is widely considered a cultural icon of alternative rock.He is also involved in soundtrack work and contributes to albums...
obtained a copy of the tape and wrote lyrics that describe a fictionalized account (though somewhat based on Vedder's personal experience) of the time when he was told that the man he thought was his father was not actually his biological parent.
"Alive" charted at number 16 in the UK (the single was available only through import in the US). Remixed versions of the song were included on Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album, rearviewmirror (Greatest Hits 1991–2003), and the 2009 Ten reissue. Although the song was not a huge hit upon its release (peaking at number 16 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Mainstream Rock Tracks chart), it has endured as a fan favorite and a staple of rock radio since then, as well as one of the most requested songs at the band's concerts.
Origin and recording
Guitarist Stone GossardStone Gossard
Stone Carpenter Gossard is an American musician who serves as the rhythm and lead guitarist for the American rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of Pearl Jam...
wrote the music for the song, which he titled "Dollar Short", in 1990 when he was still a member of Mother Love Bone
Mother Love Bone
Mother Love Bone was an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1988. The band was active from 1988 to 1990. Frontman Andrew Wood's personality and compositions helped to catapult the group to the top of the burgeoning late 1980s/early 1990s Seattle music scene...
. According to Gossard in an interview for Pearl Jam's VH1 Storytellers
VH1 Storytellers
Storytellers is a television music series produced by the VH1 network.In each episode artists perform in front of a live audience, and tell stories about their music, writing experiences and memories, somewhat similar to MTV Unplugged...
special, Mother Love Bone frontman Andrew Wood had even sung on it. After Wood died of a heroin overdose, Gossard and his bandmate Jeff Ament
Jeff Ament
Jeffrey Allen Ament is an American musician who serves as the bassist for the American rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of Pearl Jam...
started playing with guitarist Mike McCready
Mike McCready
Michael David McCready is an American musician who serves as the lead guitarist for the American rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Dave Krusen, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of Pearl Jam...
with the hope of starting a new band. "Dollar Short" was one of five tracks compiled onto a tape called Stone Gossard Demos '91 that Gossard, Ament, and McCready circulated in the hopes of finding a singer and drummer for the group.
The tape made its way into the hands of vocalist Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder is an American musician and singer-songwriter who is best known for being the lead singer and one of three guitarists of the alternative rock band Pearl Jam. He is widely considered a cultural icon of alternative rock.He is also involved in soundtrack work and contributes to albums...
, who was working as a gas station
Filling station
A filling station, also known as a fueling station, garage, gasbar , gas station , petrol bunk , petrol pump , petrol garage, petrol kiosk , petrol station "'servo"' in Australia or service station, is a facility which sells fuel and lubricants...
attendant in San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
at the time. He listened to the tape shortly before going surfing, where lyrics came to him. "Alive" was the first song for which Vedder recorded vocals. Vedder mailed the tape back to Seattle. Upon hearing the tape, the band invited Vedder to come to Seattle and he was asked to join the band.
The band, then called Mookie Blaylock, recorded "Alive" during a demo session at London Bridge studio in January 1991. The version recorded during this session would later appear on the group's debut album, Ten
Ten (Pearl Jam album)
Ten is the debut studio album by the American grunge band Pearl Jam, released on August 27, 1991 through Epic Records. Following the disbanding of bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard's previous group Mother Love Bone, the two recruited vocalist Eddie Vedder, guitarist Mike McCready, and...
, and on the promotional "Alive" EP. During album mixing sessions in England in June 1991, mixer Tim Palmer
Tim Palmer
Tim Palmer is a British music producer, audio engineer and songwriter of rock and alternative music.-1980-1990:Palmer worked as an assistant engineer at Utopia Studios in London, England in the early 1980s...
had McCready add to the song's outro solo. McCready recorded a number of attempts at the solo, and Palmer edited them into a composite version. The guitarist was unsatisfied with the result, so he made another attempt at the solo. "He had another go at it", Palmer recalled, "and got it right away. There was no piecing together to do; it was one take."
Composition
"Alive" features an extended guitar solo after its third chorus (3:38). The solo for "Alive", performed by McCready, was ranked number 44 on Guitar WorldGuitar World
Guitar World is a monthly music magazine devoted to guitarists. It contains original interviews, album and gear reviews and guitar and bass tablature of approximately five songs each month. The magazine is published 13 times per year...
Total Guitar
Total Guitar is a monthly magazine based in the United Kingdom. The magazine is the best selling guitar magazine in Europe.The magazine is owned by Future Publishing, who publish many other magazines ranging from drums and video games to mountain bikes and knitting magazines.Total Guitar regularly...
Ace Frehley
Paul Daniel "Ace" Frehley is an American musician best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Kiss. He took on the persona of the "Spaceman" or "Space Ace" when the band adopted costumes and theatrics...
's solo from 'She', which was copied from Robby Krieger
Robby Krieger
Robert Alan "Robby" Krieger is an American rock guitarist and songwriter. He was the guitarist in The Doors, and wrote some of the band's best known songs, including "Light My Fire," "Love Me Two Times," "Touch Me," and "Love Her Madly."...
's solo in The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
' 'Five to One'." Aside from that influence, it strongly highlights the influences of Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
on McCready's playing, including extensive wah pedal
Wah-wah pedal
A wah-wah pedal is a type of guitar effects pedal that alters the tone of the signal to create a distinctive effect, mimicking the human voice...
use, frequent whammy bar dips
Portamento
Portamento is a musical term originated from the Italian expression "portamento della voce" , denoting from the beginning of the 17th century a vocal slide between two pitches and its emulation by members of the violin family and certain wind instruments, and is sometimes used...
and vibrato
Vibrato
Vibrato is a musical effect consisting of a regular, pulsating change of pitch. It is used to add expression to vocal and instrumental music. Vibrato is typically characterised in terms of two factors: the amount of pitch variation and the speed with which the pitch is varied .-Vibrato and...
, as well as the use of a battered Stratocaster
Fender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as "Strat", is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top...
guitar.
Lyrics
The song is the first piece to a trilogy of songs in what Vedder later described as a "mini-opera" entitled Momma-Son. It comprises the songs "Alive", "Once", and "Footsteps". "Alive" tells the story of a young man discovering that his father is actually his stepfather, while his mother’s grief leads to an incestIncest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
uous relationship with the son, who strongly resembles the biological father. This leads to "Once" in which the man descends into madness and goes on a killing spree, and "Footsteps" in which the man is eventually looking back from a prison cell awaiting his execution.
"Alive" has been revealed by Vedder to be part autobiographical and part fiction. When Vedder was a teenager, his mother revealed to him that the man he thought was his father was actually his stepfather, and that his biological father was dead. The first and last verses detail those actual events, but the second verse is storytelling on Vedder's part. The lyrics of the second verse read, "Oh, she walks slowly, across a young man's room/She said I'm ready...for you/I can't remember anything to this very day/'Cept the look, the look.../Oh, you know where, now I can't see, I just stare...," and Vedder revealed that "she" was the mother, and "the look" referred to was not the look on her face, but "the look is between her legs. Where do you go with that? That's where you came from."
Rather than being the inspirational song most interpret it as, Vedder had quite a different meaning in mind, stating, "[He's] still dealing with love, [he's] still dealing with the death of [his] father. All [he] knows is 'I'm still alive'...that's totally out of burden." Vedder stated at Pearl Jam's 2006 VH1 Storytellers
VH1 Storytellers
Storytellers is a television music series produced by the VH1 network.In each episode artists perform in front of a live audience, and tell stories about their music, writing experiences and memories, somewhat similar to MTV Unplugged...
appearance that over the years the meaning has changed for him. He said, "In the original story, a teenager is being made aware of a shocking truth that leaves him plenty confused...It was a curse—'I'm still alive.'" The audience's response to the song is what has brought about the change in meaning for Vedder. He added, "They lifted the curse. The audience changed the meaning for me."
Release and reception
While the "Alive" single was released commercially to international markets in 1992, the commercial single was not released in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
until June 27, 1995 and was only available as a more expensive import version beforehand. Prior to its commercial release, "Alive" was released as a promotional CD and cassette featuring different artwork and B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
s. While "Wash" was also a B-side to the commercial singles, "I've Got a Feeling
I've Got a Feeling
"I've Got a Feeling" is a song by The Beatles, from the 1970 album Let It Be. It is one of the songs on the album from the Rooftop Concert...
" was only on this version of the single. The guitar solo at the end of "Alive" was also different from the Ten version, and there are a few other noticeable differences between the two. The B-side "Wash" can also be found as an extra track on European releases of Ten and as an alternate version on the compilation album, Lost Dogs
Lost Dogs (album)
Lost Dogs is a two-disc compilation album by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on November 11, 2003 through Epic Records. The album has been certified gold by the RIAA in the United States.-Overview:...
(2003).
Gossard said that "not a lot of people thought ["Alive"] was a great single when we released it...I don't think that the record company thought it was a slam-dunk. They went, 'Oh! This seems like the best one so far.'" The song peaked at number 16 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number 18 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. Although the album's follow-up singles would find more success on the rock charts, "Alive" was nevertheless important in bringing attention to the band.
Steve Huey of Allmusic said that while "Alive" has a "big, stadium-ready chorus," it also is "subtler, less macho, and less grandiose than true arena rock
Arena rock
Arena rock is a term used to describe rock music that utilised large arena venues, particularly sports venues, for concerts or series of concerts linked in tours...
." Regarding the song's guitar solo, Huey said, "It adds a final epic touch to the song, as though the lyric-centered part of the song simply wasn't enough to achieve complete catharsis." Stephen M. Deusner of Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
said that "'Alive' remains potent not only because Vedder touches on some seriously transgressive shit here (dead fathers, hints at incest, survivor guilt), but mostly because the band rock the hell out of that coda."
"Alive" is featured in the 2007 video game, SingStar Amped, for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. The song is also featured in the 2008 video game, Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2 is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems. It is the sequel to Rock Band and is the second title in the series. The game allows up to four players to simulate the performance of popular songs by playing with controllers modeled after musical instruments...
. In March 2009, the rest of the album Ten was also made available as downloadable content for the Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
series. A live version of "Alive" taken from the band's September 20, 1992 concert was made available as a downloadable bonus track for the Rock Band series for those who purchased the Ten re-release through Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
. The song was featured in the Cold Case episode "Into the Blue" in 2009.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "Alive" was directed by Josh Taft
Josh Taft
Josh Taft is an American music video director. He has directed music videos for Stone Temple Pilots , Nas , A Tribe Called Quest , Cypress Hill , Mother Love Bone , and Pearl Jam ,...
, a childhood friend of Gossard, who would later direct the music videos for "Even Flow
Even Flow
"Even Flow" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music written by guitarist Stone Gossard, "Even Flow" was released in 1992 as the second single from the band's debut album, Ten . The song peaked at number three on the Billboard...
" and "Oceans
Oceans (Pearl Jam song)
"Oceans" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music co-written by Vedder, guitarist Stone Gossard, and bassist Jeff Ament, "Oceans" was released in 1992 as the fourth single from the band's debut album, Ten...
". The black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
video consists of a filmed live performance of the band filmed on August 3, 1991 during a Pearl Jam concert at RKCNDY in Seattle, Washington. Drummer Matt Chamberlain
Matt Chamberlain
Matthew Chamberlain is an American drummer, producer and sound engineer. He is currently based in Los Angeles, California.-Early life:...
can be seen drumming in the "Alive" video. Pearl Jam's future drummer Dave Abbruzzese
Dave Abbruzzese
David James Abbruzzese is an American musician who was the drummer for the American rock band Pearl Jam from 1991 to 1994. He replaced drummer Matt Chamberlain in 1991, shortly before the release of the band's debut album, Ten...
was in the audience when the video was shot. It was his first encounter with the band as he had just arrived from Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
after being recommended for the band by Chamberlain and only knew the songs from the "Alive" single. The video was released in September 1991.
Regarding the live video, Ament said, "Initially, it was a problem in terms of talking the record company into taking it seriously...That people didn't think we could pull it off made us want to do it even more. We felt we could do a better version of it. Sonically, it's an inferior version of the song. But it's live." The video was nominated for Best Alternative Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best Alternative Video
The MTV Video Music Award for Best Alternative Video was first given out in 1992. Prior to its inception, though, this award was known as Best Post-Modern Video in 1989 and 1990...
at the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
.
Live performances
"Alive" was first performed live at the band's October 22, 1990 concert in Seattle, Washington at the Off Ramp Café. Pearl Jam performed the song for its appearance on MTV UnpluggedMTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged is a TV series showcasing many popular musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show has received the George Foster Peabody Award and 3 Primetime Emmy nominations among many accolades.-Unplugged:...
in 1992. The song was performed on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
in April 1992 in support of Ten. "Alive" has gone on to become the band's second most performed live song at over 540 performances, behind only "Even Flow" which has been played over 620 times. Following the June 2000 Roskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival is a festival held south of Roskilde in Denmark and is one of the six biggest annual music festivals in Europe . It was created in 1971 by two high school students, Mogens Sandfær and Jesper Switzer Møller, and promoter Carl Fischer...
tragedy in which nine people died during Pearl Jam's set, the band purposely omitted "Alive" from all shows on its 2000 North American tour
Binaural Tour
The Binaural Tour was a concert tour by the American rock band Pearl Jam to support its sixth album, Binaural.-History:Pearl Jam promoted Binaural with tours in Europe and North America. Pearl Jam's 2000 European tour ended in tragedy on June 30, 2000, with an accident at the Roskilde Festival in...
until the final night in Seattle. Pearl Jam performed the song for its appearance on VH1 Storytellers
VH1 Storytellers
Storytellers is a television music series produced by the VH1 network.In each episode artists perform in front of a live audience, and tell stories about their music, writing experiences and memories, somewhat similar to MTV Unplugged...
in 2006.
Live performances of "Alive" can be found on European releases of Ten, the compilation album Stanley, Son of Theodore: Yet Another Alternative Music Sampler, the "Oceans
Oceans (Pearl Jam song)
"Oceans" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music co-written by Vedder, guitarist Stone Gossard, and bassist Jeff Ament, "Oceans" was released in 1992 as the fourth single from the band's debut album, Ten...
" single, the "Dissident
Dissident (song)
"Dissident" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released in 1994 as the fourth single from the band's second studio album, Vs. . The song peaked at number three on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart...
"/Live in Atlanta box set, various official bootlegs
Pearl Jam Official Bootlegs
The Pearl Jam "Official" Bootlegs are a large, continually growing series of live albums by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam. Pearl Jam noted the desire of fans to own a copy of the shows they attended and the popularity of bootleg recordings...
, the live album Live in NYC 12/31/92
Live in NYC 12/31/92
Live in NYC 12/31/92 is a limited edition live album by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, sent out to those who pre-ordered the 2006 album Pearl Jam before a certain date through the band's official website.-Overview:...
, the Live at the Gorge 05/06
Live at the Gorge 05/06
Live at the Gorge 05/06 is a seven-disc live box set by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on June 26, 2007 through Rhino/WEA. The box set documents the band's 2005 and 2006 shows at The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington....
box set, the live album Live at Lollapalooza 2007
Live at Lollapalooza 2007
Live at Lollapalooza 2007 is a live album by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam that was released as an iTunes exclusive on September 18, 2007.-Overview:...
, and the Drop in the Park LP included in the Super Deluxe edition of the Ten reissue. Performances of the song are also included on the DVD Immagine in Cornice
Immagine in Cornice
Immagine in Cornice, Italian for "picture in a frame," is a live concert film documenting the 2006 five-concert tour of Italy by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam. It was released on September 25, 2007.-Overview:...
and the MTV Unplugged DVD included in the Ten reissue.
Track listing
All songs written by Eddie VedderEddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder is an American musician and singer-songwriter who is best known for being the lead singer and one of three guitarists of the alternative rock band Pearl Jam. He is widely considered a cultural icon of alternative rock.He is also involved in soundtrack work and contributes to albums...
and Stone Gossard
Stone Gossard
Stone Carpenter Gossard is an American musician who serves as the rhythm and lead guitarist for the American rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of Pearl Jam...
, except where noted:
CD (US, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Germany, and UK), 12" Vinyl (The Netherlands), and Cassette (Australia)
- "Alive" – 5:40
- "Once" – 3:51
- "Wash" (Jeff AmentJeff AmentJeffrey Allen Ament is an American musician who serves as the bassist for the American rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of Pearl Jam...
, Gossard, Dave KrusenDave KrusenDave Krusen is an American musician who is best known for being the original drummer for the American rock band Pearl Jam and for his work on the band's debut album, Ten...
, Mike McCreadyMike McCreadyMichael David McCready is an American musician who serves as the lead guitarist for the American rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Dave Krusen, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of Pearl Jam...
, Vedder) – 3:34
CD (Japan)
- "Alive" (live) – 4:57
- Recorded live on August 3, 1991 at RKCNDY in Seattle, Washington.
- "Even FlowEven Flow"Even Flow" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music written by guitarist Stone Gossard, "Even Flow" was released in 1992 as the second single from the band's debut album, Ten . The song peaked at number three on the Billboard...
" (re-recorded) – 5:07 - "Wash" (Ament, Gossard, Krusen, McCready, Vedder) – 3:35
- "Dirty Frank" (Dave AbbruzzeseDave AbbruzzeseDavid James Abbruzzese is an American musician who was the drummer for the American rock band Pearl Jam from 1991 to 1994. He replaced drummer Matt Chamberlain in 1991, shortly before the release of the band's debut album, Ten...
, Ament, Gossard, McCready, Vedder) – 5:39
7" Vinyl (The Netherlands and UK) and Cassette (The Netherlands and UK)
- "Alive" – 5:40
- "Once" – 3:51
Chart positions
| Chart (1992) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
9 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
13 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
16 |
| US Mainstream Rock Tracks | 16 |
| US Modern Rock Tracks | 18 |
| Dutch Singles Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
19 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
20 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
44 |
| Chart (2009) | Position |
| US Hot Digital Songs Hot Digital Songs The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of... |
66 |
Accolades
The information regarding accolades attributed to "Alive" is adapted in part from AcclaimedMusic.net.| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guitar World Guitar World Guitar World is a monthly music magazine devoted to guitarists. It contains original interviews, album and gear reviews and guitar and bass tablature of approximately five songs each month. The magazine is published 13 times per year... |
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
"100 Greatest Guitar Solos" | 2007 | 44 |
| Rolling Stone Rolling Stone Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J... |
United States | "The 100 Top Music Videos" | 1993 | 84 |
| Kerrang! Kerrang! Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper... |
United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
"100 Greatest Singles of All Time" | 2002 | 51 |
| Kerrang! | United Kingdom | "666 Songs You Must Own (Grunge)" | 2004 | 3 |
| Q Q (magazine) Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology... |
United Kingdom | "The 1001 Best Songs Ever" | 2003 | 497 |
| Total Guitar Total Guitar Total Guitar is a monthly magazine based in the United Kingdom. The magazine is the best selling guitar magazine in Europe.The magazine is owned by Future Publishing, who publish many other magazines ranging from drums and video games to mountain bikes and knitting magazines.Total Guitar regularly... |
United Kingdom | "100 Hottest Guitar Solos" | 2006 | 26 |
External links
- Lyrics at pearljam.com
- [ Review of "Alive"] at Allmusic