The Anti-Eddie Vedder movement

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austin1

austin1

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Sigh. I mean, I'm glad he did it, and I'm sure it's a nice album, but I am tired of getting links to his website from family, friends, and Facebook people I haven't seen in twelve years, who are all "ohmygodlookthisguyisfamousandplaystheukuleleandsodoyouandthere'snowayyou'veseenthisalreadysoI'msendingyoualink." My family and friends won't stop asking if I play Eddie Vedder songs, or if I play like Eddie Vedder, or if I like Eddie Vedder, or where can they learn to play like Eddie Vedder because they like Eddie Vedder. I am over Eddie Vedder. I'm over that I can't say I play the ukulele without the internet being all up in my grill with "WOAH, JUST LIKE EDDIE VEDDER." The gods did not give Eddie Vedder an ukulele made of gold after he was put through seven trials and sat under a waterfall for forty days and forty nights in his underwear, waiting for the full moon to reveal the secret password to him so he could open the Shrine of the Silver Monkey. I played the ukulele before Eddie Vedder, and I will play after it stops entertaining him and he goes back to his cool kid instruments. Surely I cannot be alone in this? Anybody? Anybody?
 
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I played his stuff to some of my students and they were generally kind of, "Yeah. Okay... Can we play 'Beyond the Sea' again?"

I actually quite like what he's done. I like how it is his style, but can't possibly be the Pearl Jam low groove sound. He's got to come at it from a different angle. I don't think there's anything definitive or ground-breaking there. But it will probably drive another several thousand devotees toward our little 4-stringed friend, and that can't be bad.

And we'll all hear "I'm Yours" a bit less often.

:)
 
I have no idea who Eddie Vedder is. Don't know; don't care.
 
Would it help if I let you in on a secret? i don't know who Eddie Vedder is. Really. Don't particularly care to, either. Don't have nothing against him, he's welcome to do his thing, but why would I get excited about his playing the ukulele if I, as far as I know, have never heard anything else he's played?!

Okay, I'll crawl back into my prehistoric cave, now. :)

John
 
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If anyone wants to make an album of ukulele songs, that's cool with me. (Of course, I don't expect to like all those records.)

Since Eddie Vedder did it, the music press is in a tizzy to write another series of "The ukulele is making a comeback!" articles. The media attention will die down in a few weeks, your family and friends will forget Eddie Vedder ever made that record, and you (and Eddie Vedder) will still be playing ukulele. No problem.
 
I guess it would be better to have them send links of Tiny Tim playing "Tiptoe through the Tulips"

;-)
 
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Yer KILLIN' me, girl!

I totally get what you're saying! Without the same amount of vehemence, yes, but...

I get that all the time, too. "Dude! You play ukulele? You gotta check this guy playing George Harrison songs in Central Park! I'll send you a link!"
Or the one dude that looked up the vid of Over The Rainbow and thinks that he's an expert on ukuleles 'cuz he knows that Bruddah Iz was a big fella and walks up to the stage and, angrily, says "You're too thin to play this song" (Which I was only doing under duress)...

OH! My fave from last night! "Do you know that Paul McCartney song?"
"Um... he wrote a couple of them, which one?"
"The ukulele one."
"No. I don't know that. I've never heard it before."
"Hold on... ok.. here are the chords."
"I don't know the song. Never heard it."
"The first one is an F. You DO know how to play an F chord, right?"
"Um. Yeah. But I don't know how the song goes."
"Just play an F"
Strum strum strum.
"That's not how it goes."

So, I just played a completely different song.
 
I think the album is great. Of course this is coming from a Pearl Jam fan with terrible cleansing habits.
 
austin1 said:
It COULD be bad. They could be Pearl Jam fans. Do you really want to see seven thousand Pearl Jam fans at ukulele functions? Really and truly? They don't shower enough.
Click to expand...

You might want to be careful about making blanket statements (even in fun) about large, diverse groups of people. "They" may not take it well.
 
I've never made an effort to listen to Eddie Vedder or Pearl Jam but I wanted to hear his ukulele songs album.

The only song that got my attention was his cover of "Tonight, You Belong To Me". I didn't much care for his version, but if it gets people to play this delightful little song, then that's a good thing.
 
TheOnlyUkeThatMatters said:
You might want to be careful about making blanket statements (even in fun) about large, diverse groups of people. "They" may not take it well.
Click to expand...

"They" are beautiful wonderful charity-donating people who can hopefully appreciate a bit of tongue-in-cheek. :D

All I'm saying is that Eddie Vedder is not the be-all, end-all of the ukulele, just because he was in a moderately-successful rock band. Ukulele music does not stop with him, however much the internet may disagree with me.
 
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I think what you're trying to say is that you're feeling more than a little frustrated by the constant references to him, coming from all sides, at all times, from everywhere, as well as the, what seems to you (and others), insane amount of hype and rave reviews for what is, essentially, a halfway decent, albeit a little boring, ukulele album by a rockstar and, although you appreciate the attention it's giving to this little instrument that we love, you're a little sick of hearing about it, especially from folks that should know that you've already heard of it.
 
UncleElvis said:
I think what you're trying to say is that you're feeling more than a little frustrated by the constant references to him, coming from all sides, at all times, from everywhere, as well as the, what seems to you (and others), insane amount of hype and rave reviews for what is, essentially, a halfway decent, albeit a little boring, ukulele album by a rockstar and, although you appreciate the attention it's giving to this little instrument that we love, you're a little sick of hearing about it, especially from folks that should know that you've already heard of it.
Click to expand...


...Marry me?
 
Well, I suppose living in the UK, where Pearl Jam was never THAT big, we are in some ways sheltered from the buffeting winds of Veddermania. Which is a shame, given local bathing habits.

;)
 
I don't really care.....he's bringing a gazillion new uke players to the instrument, many of whom I'm sure will expand their repertoire and become "just like us" (whoever we are.)
When they send you a link, make a deal with them, you'll listen to theirs (if you haven't already heard it, if they'll listen to your favorite uker, be it Jake or whoever.
 
I'll be the first to admit that Ed Vedder is what made me interested in the Ukulele. If he didn't put out the album I wouldn't have called Mainland Ukes and put in an order. Different strokes for different folks.
 
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So, he's famous. His band may or may not play your taste of music. Sounds to me like he found the ukulele much like the rest of us and he's using it to play his music. Good for him, I say. Sure, the rest of the world is taking notice and that could bring some annoying questions when people find out that you play too. It is better than trying to defend Tiny Tim. Also, imagine how Vedder's rock colleagues are giving him a hard time for playing the uke. Except Dave Matthews. Now he's playing his uke in concert. Trey Anastasio is recognized as one of the best guitar players out there and he has a uke. If he plays it live, watch out and hold your nose. Us Phish fans are notoriously stinky...

"I played the uke before Eddie Vedder"- are you sure about this?
 
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