Dr Who: Rock Producer - saving Pearl Jam from Pearl Jam
September 3rd 2008 23:49
This week Dr Who travels into the future to save Pearl Jam from recording another turkey. Lucky them: normally he delights in watching hippies embarrass themselves.
1. Division of Labour
Key to Pearl Jam’s return is the removal of Eddie Vedder from musical direction.
As the face and voice of Pearl Jam, Eddie is indispensable. Unfortunately, he has leveraged his position to extend his influence beyond his field of expertise. This is akin to Michael Jordan demanding to play center.
Hey, Mr Dalek, what should we do with Eddie's new songs?
2. Process
Stone, Mike and Jeff need to write material individually; preferably, they should be on different continents to each other.
Often, musicians develop a misguided belief that they can produce gold-standard results in a jam session. Not so. Even Miles and Jimi went in with some ideas.
Hint: It didn't come out of his hat
With a producer, they should collectively listen to their first two albums to hear how the new material should be arranged and produced.
Obviously, there needs to flexibility to allow for creativity. But that flexibility needs to be housed in some framework, otherwise you’re just pissing into the wind.
And, finally...
4. Discipline
The producer should have a hard rock pedigree and a mandate to enforce the band’s pre-determined creative vision against their own flights of fancy.
No, it’s not a good idea to include a ukulele. No, it’s not a good idea to include a spoken word piece. No, we don’t want trumpets like in that obscure 1995 Freddie Mercury tribute.
Mike: Wait, Doctor – you haven’t told us your name!
[dissolve tardis]
Jeff: What a guy…
Eddie: Hey, he's gone! Now I can go back to screwing you all for the sake of my ego!
All: Oh Eddie!
[cut to credits]
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