In honor of Neil Young’s 71st birthday, I return to 1995 when a more electric Young (still as eclectic as ever) teamed up with Pearl Jam to make the first Classic Grunge album.
Classic Grunge - the combination of Classic Rock and Alternative Rock was never really achieved outside of this record. Other genres - country, blues, R&B, pop, rap - found ways to cross gene pools and develop interesting sounds that molded radio formats together. But Mirror Ball stands as a lone wolf (Paul McCartney’s one-off with the living members of Nirvana on the Sound City soundtrack hardly counts) when it comes to a classic rocker collaborating with up-and-comers of the new generation in the Alternative world.
Pearl Jam’s name was left off the label of the album cover when their record company refused to allow it,but this should count as a part of their discography nonetheless. Mike McCready’s guitar work is fierce as he duels with his idol in Young. Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard add equal excitement to the tracks that sound like a hodgepodge of “Like a Hurricane” and “Rearviewmirror.” Eddie Vedder even contributes backing vocals and lyrics to “Peace and Love."
The elder Young (who probably wasn’t even thinking this album would be relevant at age 71) writes impassioned songs about his 60s contemporaries, the Hippie Dream, Mother Earth, and political issues of the Clinton years. He’s at his best here on songs "I’m the Ocean” and “Throw Your Hatred Down,” epic sprawling songs that feature no easy chorus to sing along to.
The group toured Mirror Ball in Europe, but Americans were the true beneficiaries. This collaboration refocused Pearl Jam for the rest of the decade, giving us their two finest albums of musicianship - Vitalogy and No Code - which, despite not selling the copies Ten and Vs. did, cemented them as a Rock N Roll Hall of Fame type act.
And for Young? Let’s just say Uncle Neil moved on to the next thing of a long list of next things. Yet he forged a friendship and musical partnership with Pearl Jam that continues to this day at Bridge School concerts.
Take your Harvest, your After the Gold Rush and your Ragged Glory. My favorite detour of Young’s career is Mirror Ball. Go ahead and give it another spin to celebrate his birthday.