Pearl Jam: Place/Date [Paperback]

Charles Peterson (Author), Lance Mercer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 1999

The first official book from the media-shy band that redefined the musical sound of the 90s, "Pearl Jam: Place/Date" captures the raw intensity, behind-the-scenes camaraderie, and devoted fan phenomenon of today's most unconventional supergroup.

Having sold over thirty million albums since their triumphant debut with "TEN," Pearl Jam brought the hard-edged, alienated, and angst-ridden sound of Seattle to the forefront of popular culture, pioneering the musical movement of grunge. Imitators followed, and the band could have sold out to the culture of celebrity, but Eddie Vedder and the members of Pearl Jam took on the establishment. They challenged control over concert venues and ticket prices, and refused the media any access to the band-even through music videos-during the peak of the band's success.

Pearl Jam's approach has intensified the loyalty of its fans and has refocused their attention on their musical center. Despite the lack of advertising and recent shifts in musical trends, Pearl Jam concerts continue to sell out within hours to the hundreds of thousands of fans who are devoted to this rare group that continues to uphold its musical and political integrity.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Contemporary music photography suffers from a lack of unhindered contact between photographer and subject. The musicians prefer to control the process and, while one understands that impulse (would you want to see your mug turn up in print after a bad hair day?), the result is often an excess of carefully crafted but soulless images that have everything to do with publicity photography and nothing to do with photojournalism. But with Place/Date, it's readily apparent that lensmen Charles Peterson and Lance Mercer spent plenty of unsupervised time in the company of Pearl Jam before assembling this handsome, rewarding volume. The twosome collect images dating back to the group's 1991 grunge salad days and up to 1998. Kinetic shots of the band in action (Eddie leaping, Eddie sprawling, Eddie crawling) are interspersed with backstage candids of the quintet playing dominos, napping, and killing time. In keeping with the group's egalitarian ethos, the lens is frequently turned away from Vedder and company toward PJ's fans, with telling results. --Steven Stolder

About the Author

Charles Peterson has been documenting the Seattle music scene since the early 1980s where his photos have helped define the image of bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney. His work, featured in magazines around the world, can also be seen in the feature film Hype and in his own book, Screaming Life: A Chronicle of the Seattle Music Scene. He lives in San Francisco with his dog Barkley.

Lance Mercer, a Seattle native, has been working as a professional photographer since 1985. His work has appeared in numerous magazines, including Rolling Stone, Spin, Guitar World, and Musician. He has also directed music videos for the Indigo Girls, For Squirrels, and K's Choice. He lives in Seattle with his wife, Robyn, and their three daughters, Emma, Mackenzie, and Evan.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Universe (April 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966859618
• ISBN-13: 978-0789302694
• ASIN: 0789302691
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 0.5 x 8.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #772,365 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great photos, but..., July 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Pearl Jam: Place/Date (Paperback)

This book is a great collection of some very artistically done work from some very talented photographers...but it doesn't go too far beyond that. Granted, some of the pictures are actually about something (I love the Drop In the Park shots, so wish I could have been there). And the shots of the band just as people, as friends, those are great, personal depictions, but the artsy blurring effects are definitely a bit much. I don't much see the point in the really grainy black-and-white shots either. Black-and-white is definitely classy, but they could at least be clear. I do like the colored pictures, the close-ups of the silhouettes...those are great. And the posed shots are cool, a lot of them look like they should have been posters. (Although perhaps those aren't "real" enough for some people.) I think this book is overall a great collection of photography, albeit a far too serious one. It seems the attempt to create art instead of just the same lame old press photos superseded the actual point of the book, which was to give the fans a look into the band in a more personal way. But don't accuse Pearl Jam of taking themselves too seriously; anyone who has ever seen a video or read an article about them knows they have a sense of humor. It's the photographers who took this too seriously (and also perhaps some of these reviewers!). One really cool thing about this book, though: it's the first time I've ever seen Dave Krusen, the band's first drummer. Everyone's seen pictures and videos with Dave Abbrusezze and Jack Irons, but Krusen left so soon after recording "Ten" that I don't think he was ever featured in too many photos. So that was interesting. So all in all, I'm glad I got this book, but it's not for everyone. With no words whatsoever except for the places and dates the different pictures were taken, this book better be something you really plan on looking through again and again if you're going to spend your money.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One word...Class, July 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Pearl Jam: Place/Date (Paperback)

This book has class written all over it. What else would you expect from such a great band? Lance Mercer and Charles Peterson are very talented and their photos really show the emotion and intensity of the band. The packaging and layout is fantastic with each photo carefully positioned on the page. One great sequence of 4 photos (which also happens to be the back cover) shows four of the band member's silhouettes in front of a coloured light. Eddie-red, Mike-green, Jeff-yellow and Stone-purple/blue. The effect is absolutely fantastic. I was in awe when I saw the photo of Eddie hanging 30 feet in the air during the 'Drop in the Park' concert. Some photos made me laugh, like mike pretending to sleep on hei guitar with a little smirk on his face and the scrabble photo was pretty funny too. I absolutely cherish this book and believe that any Pearl Jam fan should have it. It is the best way of showing the history of Pearl Jam, no words to criticise, just beautiful pictures. Classy.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for Hardcore Fans, August 1, 2001

By 

doomsdayer520 (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Pearl Jam: Place/Date (Paperback)

Pearl Jam has made a career of hiding from the press and keeping a deliberately low profile. But they are known for giving goodies to their hardcore fans. I would have thought that PJ never allowed anyone to take pictures of them, but apparently Mercer and Peterson have had free range to take any pictures they wanted with the band on tour. There are only a few "publicity" shots where the band is clearly posing for the camera. The majority are onstage action shots and candid moments which provide a lot of insight into the band's personalities. There are also many great shots of the fans. Each of the four core members seems to be showcased equally, with some shots of their various temporary drummers. The funnest aspect of the book is watching the guys' image change over time - from overdressed, long-haired alt-rockers in the early days to their current scruffy low-maintenance "regular guy" look.