Jimi Hendrix Are you experience!

Jimi Hendrix Are you experience!

The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Main article: The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Early in 1966 at the Cheetah Club on Broadway at 53rd Street, Linda Keith, the girlfriend of Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, befriended Hendrix and recommended him to Stones' manager Andrew Loog Oldham and later, producer Seymour Stein. Neither man took a liking to Hendrix's music, and they both passed. She then referred Hendrix to Chas Chandler, who was ending his tenure as bassist in The Animals and looking for talent to manage and produce. Chandler liked the song "Hey Joe" and was convinced he could create a hit single with the right artist.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience performing on Dutch television in 1967

Impressed with Hendrix's version, Chandler brought him to London and signed him to a management and production contract with himself and ex-Animals manager Michael Jeffery. It was Chandler who came up with the spelling change of "Jimmy" to "Jimi". Chandler then helped Hendrix form a new band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, with guitarist-turned-bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, both English musicians. Shortly before the Experience was formed, Chandler introduced Hendrix to Pete Townshend and to Eric Clapton, who had only recently helped put together Cream. At Chandler's request, Cream let Hendrix join them on stage for a jam on the song "Killing Floor". Hendrix and Clapton remained friends up until Hendrix's death. The first night he arrived in London, he began a relationship with Kathy Etchingham that lasted until February 1969. She later wrote a well received autobiographical book about their relationship and the sixties London scene in general.

Hendrix sometimes had a camp sense of humor, specifically with the song "Purple Haze". A mondegreen had appeared, in which the line "'Scuse me while I kiss the sky" was misheard as "'Scuse me while I kiss this guy." In a few performances, Hendrix humorously used this, deliberately singing "kiss this guy" while pointing to Mitch or Noel, as he did at Monterey. In the Woodstock DVD he deliberately points to the sky at this point, to make it clear. A volume of misheard lyrics has been published, using this mondegreen itself as the title, with Hendrix on the cover.

13th floor elevators

13th floor elevators biography

Often considered the first psychedelic rock group as well as the first underground band to achieve commercial success, the 13th Floor Elevators were a Texas-based outfit that combined folk/rock, R&B, and hard-driving rock 'n' roll with mystical lyrics that espoused the virtues of drugs. Although many of their songs are based around the concept that ingesting LSD and other substances can take the user to a higher plane of consciousness, the Elevators' biggest—and only—hit was "You're Gonna Miss Me," a song that has nothing to do with drugs. A forceful, pulsating rocker about the end of a relationship, it features the intense tenor vocals and blood-curdling screams of Roky Erickson and the percussive electric jug-playing of Tommy Hall. The tune reached number 56 on the national Billboard charts in 1966.

Although the Elevators have influenced punk and alternative rock bands for almost 40 years, as a group they lasted just over three. During this time, they released three studio albums—Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators, Easter Everywhere, and Bull of the Woods—as well as a "live" album that actually was a collection of studio outtakes with tacked-on audience participation. The band's first two albums are considered classics of the garage and psychedelic rock genres; the third is considered a worthy addition to their canon. Their lead vocalist, Roky Erickson, an eccentric musical genius in the vein of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd, is also a diagnosed schizophrenic known for legendary drug-taking exploits. He is regarded as an outstanding singer and gifted songwriter whose post-Elevators solo work includes moments of brilliance as well as disturbing, horror- and occult-tinged subject matter and imagery.
Elevators Up

The 13th Floor Elevators were formed by Tommy Hall in late 1965. A student of philosophy, psychology, and chemical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, Hall had begun to experiment with drugs such as peyote and mescaline that were local to Texas and that were legal at the time. After moving to illegal substances such as LSD, he began to believe that drugs could enhance his personal and spiritual growth. He began to write song lyrics, and decided to make a popular local skiffle band, the Lingsmen, the mouthpiece for his theories. The Lingsmen were made up of guitarist Stacy Sutherland, bassist/electric violinist Benny Thurman, drummer John Ike Walton, and vocalist Max Rainey. When Rainey left the group, Hall invited Erickson, a 17-year-old wunderkind in the R&B band the Spades, to join as lead singer and rhythm guitarist.

Shortly before the formation of the Elevators, the Spades had released Erickson's song "You're Gonna Miss Me" on Zero Records, a local label. The Lingsmen decided to change their approach to reflect the tougher sounds of bands like the Rolling Stones and the Kinks as well as the mind-expanding experiences that they were having with acid, pot, and other drugs. Thurman dropped the electric violin to concentrate on bass, and Hall began to blow into a jug to which he had duct-taped a microphone, thus creating the electric jug, a new sound in pop music. The Lingsmen changed their name to the 13th Floor Elevators, named for the thirteenth letter of the alphabet, "M," which stood for marijuana, and for the missing floor in American high-rise buildings.

The Elevators developed a reputation for ferocious live shows, and they became hugely popular in Texas. Their rerecorded version of Erickson's punk anthem—released nationally by International Artists Records, a Houston-based label run by Lelan Rogers, the brother of pop singer Kenny Rogers—brought them popularity around the country. However, the Elevators were less than popular with the Texas Rangers and other local authorities, who were unhappy with the group's personal drug use and public support of getting high. In 1966 the band was arrested for possession of marijuana but was released on a technicality. Shortly thereafter they relocated to San Francisco without Thurman, who decided to stay in Texas; he was replaced by Ronnie Leatherman.
Elevators Down

In San Francisco, the Elevators became influential figures on the nascent psychedelic scene; they helped create the "San Francisco sound," psychedelic music that would receive critical acclaim and commercial success. Allegedly the first group to go onstage under the influence of LSD, they played at the Fillmore West and the Avalon Ballroom with bands such as the Byrds, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and Big Brother and the Holding Company. The lead singer of Big Brother, Janis Joplin, was asked to join Erickson as the Elevators' second vocalist. She declined, but always noted Erickson as a major influence.

In mid-1966, International Artists released Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators, considered a groundbreaking debut. Writing on the Vinyl Junkie website, collector Karl Ikola stated, "[T]he depths of soul evident in the debut are still so richly filled with an hypnotic 'n' spine-tingling-blast-off life-odyssey paradox that I'd like to be buried with an original white-label promo copy right across my chest." However, due to the fact that International Artists decided not to publicize the band in order to retain their "mystique," the album failed to reach a mainstream audience.

Shortly after the release of Psychedelic Sounds, the band's rhythm section left; they were replaced by Elevator fans Dan Galindo on bass and Danny Thomas on drums. The group returned to Texas in late 1966 but went back to San Francisco several times over the next two years. In 1967 the Elevators released their second album, Easter Everywhere. Thought to be more focused and even more lysergically enhanced than their first release, Easter Everywhere usually is considered the group's best record. Cub Koda of All Music Guide to Rock suggested, "Anyone wanting a real psychedelic album from the '60s should head right to the counter and grab this one."

By this time, though, the band was starting to unravel. The crowning blow came on the occasion that Erickson decided to go home while high on acid. His mother, a former opera singer who had released a local 45-inch single, had him committed to the Austin State Hospital, where he underwent shock treatment. After this incident, Erickson's behavior became erratic and unpredictable; the rest of the band also showed signs that their drug use was catching up with them. Offered a chance to tour England with guitarist Jimi Hendrix, they refused so that they could stay at home, stoned. Hall and Erickson, wrecked on acid, were found waiting in line to buy tickets for one of their own shows in Austin.

Pink Floyd - wish you were here

Pink Floyd biography

FORMED: 1965, London, England

David Jon Gilmour
United Kingdom

Born March 6, 1946

Has 7 children....Sara, Clare, Alice and Matthew by Ginger, Joe and Gabriel by Polly, and Charlie who is Polly's son by a first marriage.

In contrast to Roger, Dave was reared by permissive and easygoing parents. At 13, he was given a Spanish guitar by a neighbor and so the journey began. Dave's greatest musical asset is his sense of feel and timing, according to one former member of Jokers Wild, and to some present day fans, we would have to say that his talents reach beyond that to include a marriage of heart to guitar and tender concern for humanity.

When Dave was a young teenager, his father's profession drew him overseas, to the U.S., leaving Dave to independently fend for himself....playing U.S. military bases with Jokers Wild, and working odd jobs, including his famous stint as a male model. All of this helped to instill in Dave, his underlying grit and a single-minded determination to succeed on his own terms...that was to resurface during the Floydian 'wars' much later....and it was to carry him through in the future, to the ringing of a Division Bell and beyond.

Dave enjoys flying, among other interests, and his collection consists of vintage aircraft that he has shown, and flown, at various airshows. His first love, however, is still his music.

Nicholas Berkeley Mason
United Kingdom

Born January 27, 1944

Nick has 3 children, Holly, Chloe and Carey with Lynette, and is presently married to Annette.

Nick was born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth. He accompanied his father to Vintage Sports Car Club events at an early age, and later inherited and developed his passion for racing and collecting vintage automobiles. At the Frensham Heights boarding school, it is said Nick is still remembered as a world class mischief maker.

Today, Nick races Ferrari's, Bugatti's, and Maserati's, among others that he also races and owns for his own enjoyment.

Richard William Wright
United Kingdom

Born July 28, 1945

Rick has 3 children, Gala, Jamie, and a young son, by former marriage. He is presently married to Millie.

For Rick as a young man, he was at a loss for a career to pursue at the prep school he attended, until someone suggested architecture. The Regent Street Poly is where he met Nick and Roger. Rick didn't want to be an architect however, he wanted to be a musician... the rest is history. Rick came back to life, so to speak, with TDB... he co-wrote WTIO with Anthony Moore, and co-wrote Cluster One, WDYWFM, Marooned and KT with Dave.

One of Rick's favorite things to do is get away on his 65-foot sailing yacht whenever he has the opportunity.

George Roger Waters
United Kingdom

Born September 6, 1943

Roger has 2 children, Harry and India with Priscilla, has been married to Jude and Carolyn. Roger's father was killed in action at Anzio, only a few months after he was born. As a young teen, Roger's pursuits included playing with toy guns (& shooting real ones), and staying up at night listening to his radio tuned to Armed Forces Network or Radio Luxembourg.

He did not like apprenticeship as a naval cadet, quit, and was given a dishonorable discharge. He instead became chairman of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament's local youth chapter.

Roger's life from the beginning, and still is, a conscious and unconscious mourning for the father he never knew, and hatred of the hierarchy of circumstances that robbed him of his father.

While Roger's lyrical 'brilliance' of the past cannot be denied, his inability to come to terms with his grief and hatred eventually wore out its welcome with the majority of his fans. Roger quit Pink Floyd in the mid 1980's.

Roger Keith Barrett
United Kingdom

Born January 6, 1946

Syd had a normal childhood and loving parents. He was a popular and successful student, and his passions ranged from camping and sports to drama and painting. He was once a Boy Scout patrol leader.

Dr. Barrett encouraged Syd's musical interest with the gift of a banjo, and later, a guitar. Dr. Barrett died when Syd was just 14. It's been proposed that this trauma was the first 'catalyst' in Syd's eventual dementia.

Syd and Dave were friends at a very early age, and while attending school, they would hang out together, teaching each other guitar....Dave was the better guitarist, and Syd's talent lay in words and lyrics...they would flow from him easily, according to Dave.

The founding member of the band that so many today admire and respect, today lives in seclusion and in ill health....a once brilliant mind destroyed by drugs. Syd is a legacy and a lesson for all.

Led Zeppelin - legend of Rock

Led Zeppelin biography

The Yardbird's played their final show at Luton Technical College in 1968. But what was seemingly an end; turned out to be the beginning of three tremendously successful careers in music. The careers of guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. It's seems the three couldn't agree on anything creatively in the Yardbirds. They were all leaders.

After the bands break-up, Jimmy Page was left with little more than a series of concert obligations. He started jamming with John Paul Jones, a session player, who had collaborated with likes of the Rolling Stones, Herman's Hermits and Dusty Springfield. The duo discussed forming a new group, but ended up delaying their plans to back Donovan on his Hurdy Gurdy LP.

After hearing of Pages' intention of starting a new band, vocalist Terry Reid suggested he hear Robert Plant. When Page got a chance to check Plant out, Jimmy not only ended up liking his voice, but also his stage presence. Plant, in turn, suggested they recruit John Bonham, the drummer of his old Birmingham group, Band of Joy. The foursome clicked so nicely that they toured Scandinavia during October 1968 under the name the New Yardbirds.

By 1969 the group changed their name to Led Zeppelin, recorded, and released their first self-titled album. Within two months the album reached Billboard's Top Ten. The album is essentially Zeppelin most blues-driven release. Page's early style drew so heavily on the blues that Willie Dixon later won a large settlement for the copyright infringement. Rumour has it that a few of song titles off the first release ripped off old blues titles; they only changed one word in these songs catch phrases.

Led Zeppelin II and every release after has attained Platinum status, and in 1973 the group began to break box-office records set by the Beatles. By 1975 Led Zeppelin was the most commercially successful rock band in the world.

The group broke up after the tragic death of drummer John Bonham. He died from what is medically termed as asphyxiation: inhaling his own vomit during sleep after a drinking binge. His hard-hitting style has so integral to the bands sound that the remaining members decided to call it quits. Without Bonham there could be no Led Zeppelin.

The mighty Zeppelin has experimented with several musical styles over the bands reign. Their sound began with Blues and thunderous Heavy Metal, softened to mystical Folk and tumbled into the realm of Funk, Psychedelic Rock, and the fusion and integration of all these styles. Perhaps this is why their music has attained the lasting value that only two other groups have been able to secure, the Beatles and Pink Floyd.

Iggy Pop and the stooges - passenger | 2011 Tour

OFFICIAL IGGY POP TOUR:

Michigan Theater
Tue, 04/19/2011
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Evolution Festival
Sat, 05/28/2011
Newcastle Gateshead Quayside, England

Isle of Wight Festival 2011
Sat, 06/11/2011
Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle of Wight

Must be there.

Beatles rooftop show!

It's amazing how they are playing. Even people from corporation, go out on street those day.

Ladies and Gentelmans THE DOORS!

From their beginnings during the summer of 1965 at Venice Beach, California, The Doors were truly aband, a remarkable fusion of creative energies, a lot of attention has been focused on Jim Morrison which his looks and talents clearly justify. However, Jim was well aware that the magic of The Doors could never havehappened without the fortunate forging of John Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison into a single creative whole. It is no mystery why Jim Morrison never went solo; so sympathetic were the three other musicians to Jim's mission that such a consideration was out of the question. Robby Krieger, or example, was able to write lyrics and music that sounded more like Morrison than Morrison himself-- among them "Light My Fire," "Love Me Two Times,"and "Love Her Madly." Without Krieger, Manzarek and Densmore there is a strong chance that Jim's songs would never have made it off the page, into rehearsal, onto the stage, into the recording studio and, in defiance of all odds, to successive g
enerations who have since discovered The Doors as a "new" group.

Ray Manzarek, a classically trained pianist, raised in Chicago with a deep love for the blues, wrote the themes for many of the songs and played not only the keyboard parts but simultaneously (with his left hand) propelled the band with melodic driving bass lines. John Densmore, a jazz drummer with an unbeatable knack for shamanic rhythm and theatrical timing... the band's tireless engine. Robby Krieger, a songwriting secret weapon who could play any guitar, from classic flamenco to bottle-neck blues, to creating styles and sounds previously unheard on this planet. And Jim Morrison, the baritone, eclectic/electric poet with an innate compositional gift and the soul of a mystic. Together these men brought The Doors' songs to life, they were equal points of a musical diamond.

The band took its name from the poet-visionary-artist William Blake, who had written, "When the doors of perception are cleansed, things will appear to man as they truly are...infinite." English author Aldous Huxley was sufficiently inspired by Blake's quote to title his book on mescaline experiences The Doors of Perception. Morrison was so connected to both works that he proposed, The Doors, to his bandmates. Everyone agreed that the name, as well as the inspiration from which it sprang, was perfect to convey who they were and clearly representive for what they stood for. The group was signed to Elektra Records, then a small folk-music record company, in July of 1966 by Jac Holzman, Elektra's founder.

By April 1971, The Doors had recorded six landmark studio LP's and a two -record set of live performances, the first seven discs with producer Paul A. Rothchild and the last one co-produced by The Doors and their career-long engineer Bruce Botnick... both The Doors and Elektra had grown into world famed institutions. The band's unstated goal was to accomplish musical alchemy, to fuse rock music with both existential poetry and improvisational theater. Jim was greatly influenced by the nineteenth century poet Arthur Rimbaud and he dutifully imparted Rimbaud's philosophy to the group. Rimbaud advocated a systematic "rational derangement of all the senses in order to achieve the unknown."

Morrison was a man who would not, could not, and did not know how to compromise himself or his art. He was driven to go all the way or die trying, the ultimate ecstatic risk taker. Manzarek, Krieger and Densmore's contribution to this state of creative ecstasy cannot be underestimated. In order for the musical spell to be successfully cast they gave willingly and generously, the power of improvisation that drove Morrison onstage required the other three Doors to not merely play arrangements but to follow Jim's unplanned creative arc perfectly in one of the music's classic and most difficult feats, the art of intuitive accompaniment. Statement to the press, "For me, it was never really an act, those so-called performances.

It was a life-and-death thing, an attempt to communicate, to involve many people in a private world of thought." During the late 1960's bands sang of love and peace while acid was passed out. But for The Doors it was different. The nights belonged to Pan and Dionysus, the gods of revelry and rebirth, and the songs invoked their potent passions, the Oedipal nightmare of "The End," the breathless gallop of "Not to Touch the Earth," the doom of "Hyacinth House," the ecstasy of "Light My Fire," the dark uneasy undertones of "Can't See Your Face in My Mind," and the alluring loss of Consciousness in "Crystal Ship." And as with Dionysus, The Doors willingly offered themselves as a sacrifice to be torn apart, to bleed, to die, to be reborn for yet another night in another town. To be a poet meant more to Morrison than writing poems. It meant embracing the tragedy fate has chosen for you and fulfilling that destiny with gusto and nobility.

In the end, after conquering America, after being shackled by the courts and laws of the land that he loved, he escaped to Paris, traditional home of so many expatriate artists, to pursue his life as a poet. But his body was too worn down, his heart too weak; he had already seen and done and drunk too much. He had lived life on his own terms, had reaped the rewards, and now the bill was due. His spirit was tired. Death was simply closer and easier than returning to America, to the endless succession of stages it demanded. Jim Morrison passed away in Paris on July 3, 1971. His dying wish was to be remembered as a poet.

Pamela Morrison used to tell a story from the very earliest day of The Doors. They were playing their first club, The London Fog. It was their last set of the night and there were only three people in the club, two drunks and Pamela. The band was incandescent. Jim raged and exploded with super-human passion, a transcendent performance. Pam was stunned. In the car she could say nothing...long after arriving home she was still speechless. Jim asked, "What's wrong baby?" Pam said, "There were three people in the club during the last set. But you burned like you were performing for thousands of people. Why did you go so far, risk so much for a tiny audience that was barely aware of your presence?" Jim looked at her and said slowly, "You never know when you're doing your last set." Considering the force of energy generated by The Doors over 25 years ago, that "last set" could well be several generations away.

Do the evolution! great clip by Pearl Jam

Biography of Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam, Formed Seattle, 1990.

The genesis of Pearl Jam was rooted in chance and tragedy. Stone Gossard
(guitar) and Jeff Ament (bass) had both been members of seminal grungers Green River, and later MOTHER LOVE BONE with ex-Malfunkshun member, Andrew Wood, on vocals. When Wood died of an overdose, his longtime friend Chris Cornell (of Soundgarden) put together a tribute project called TEMPLE OF THE DOG (1991) -- Gossard, Ament and new recruit Mike McCready(guitar) were roped in, as was Eddie Vedder (vocals), who had provided some vocals for a demo tape put together by the others.

Once TEMPLE OF THE DOG was in the can Dave Krusen (drums) joined the other four. Flirting with different names on the way (Mookie Blaylock and Reenk Roink), they eventually settled on Pearl Jam, after an allegedly hallucinogenic recipe belonging to Vedder’’s grandmother. By spring 1991, Pearl Jam had begun to play live shows in the Seattle area supporting the likes of Alice In Chains. As the word spread about the Seattle scene, the band signed to Epic and their debut TEN (1992) was rushed out. Although it was recorded speedily, it distilled the pain and attitude of the disaffected, but injected it with an electric, classic rock feel. Gossard and McCready’’s playing owed as much to Jimi Hendrix as to any punk band. Vedder’’s lyrics and vocals carried a rare, raw emotion, and the soaringly poetic ““Evenflow””, ““Alive”” and ““Jeremy”” took elements of his own traumatic childhood and transformed them into universal experience.

Just as TEN entered the US charts, Krusen left to deal with personal problems and was replaced by Dave Abbruzzese. Fresh recording sessions produced ““State Of Love And Trust”” and ““Breathe””, for the soundtrack of Singles, a teen-romance comedy based on the Seattle music scene, starring Matt Dillon. Three of the band members even managed to make cameo appearances as part of Dillon’’s grunge combo, Citizen Dick. Despite this media exposure, the press were less than kind to Pearl Jam, reviews equating their driven sound with the rock dinosaurs of the 70s, while Kurt Cobain fuelled the controversy by calling them a corporate band (conveniently forgetting their lengthy apprenticeships for some of Seattle’’s finest). The fans on the other hand could not have cared less; TEN outstripped NEVERMIND in the US metal charts and outsold it worldwide in 1992.

A new album was planned for late 1992, but touring schedules slowed things to a crawl. Gossard kept himself fresh by working on SHAME (1993), the sole product of his Brad side-project; it was a mellow, danceable mix of psychedelia and funk rhythms. The summer of 1993 saw Pearl Jam providing support for NEIL YOUNG and tearing into soulful, breathtaking versions of old favourites along with fresh punk-inspired material. They joined Young for a powerful version of ““Rockin’’ in the Free World””, a song they reprised later in the year at the MTV Awards.

A new and important alliance had been forged.When VS. (1993) finally saw the light of day, the fan response was awesome, and it entered at #1 in the Billboard charts. The guitars and rhythms raged more freely, and Vedder displayed his vocal and lyrical diversity, with songs of raw, blood-curdling anger (““Go””, ““Animal””, ““Blood””) balanced by mellower textures (““Daughter””). Overall, it sounded more caustic, accomplished and mature than TEN.

Pearl Jam have always gone out of their way to be as accessible as possible; if fans write they will usually get a personal reply. This dedication to the public took a new turn in 1994. While continuing to tour, and make occasional appearances with Neil Young, they weighed in against the corporate might of the Ticketmaster booking agency, which they accused of raising prices beyond the spending power of their younger followers. They were joined in their protest by such artists as R.E.M., Aerosmith and, of course, Neil Young, and were to stay in dispute with the agency for the next two years.To show their faith in vinyl, VITALOGY (1994) was first released on record, and then on CD, which saw it rocket to the top of the Billboard charts. Tracks like the searing ““Spin The Black Circle”” and the belligerent threats of ““Not For You”” delivered the usual doses of mayhem. However, tracks such as the pointless ““Stupid Mop”” dragged on the album’’s momentum.

Apart from McCready’’s Mad Season side-project, 1995 saw Pearl Jam’’s partnership with Neil Young flourish, their encore jams developing into the poignant, broad sweep of the MIRROR BALL (1995) album. Recorded in a mere four days, the record was a potent blend of Pearl Jam’’s hard rock influences and Young’’s poetic meanderings, oiled with doses of teeth-grating, overdriven feedback. Unfortunately, in a fit of marketing pique, Young’’s record company refused to allow Pearl Jam’’s name to appear on the cover.Meanwhile the band, true to their word, continued to make a stand against Ticketmaster by touring less established venues. Progress was hampered by forced cancellations and security problems, but when things went well audiences were treated not only to Pearl Jam, but to Young joining in on songs from MIRROR BALL.

The following year saw the band lose Dave Abbruzzese and finally focus their collective attention on a new studio effort. NO CODE (1996) was steeped in the all-American tradition of garage punk but instead of lunging headfirst into a soundscape of heaving guitars the songs marked out a more thoughtful approach. Opening track ““Sometimes”” was a slow burner and it wasn’’t until ““Hail Hail”” that things kicked off in familiar style. What the album lacked in pace it made up for in poise and moving, troubled lyrics.

Overall, though, it received a less-than-ecstatic reception and the band turned back to what they knew best for YIELD (1998) and the live opus LIVE ON TWO LEGS (1998), straight-ahead hard rocking. While LIVE ON TWO LEGS featured former Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron (replacing Jack Irons) as part of the live set-up, he actually contributed to the writing of new LP BINAURAL (2000). As ever it was a tour de force showcase of the band’’s subtlety and power, addressing both social and personal issues with a deft touch. Later that same year, as if to emphasize the band’’s punk credentials, they also opted to release a series of 25 official live bootleg CDs, all of them recorded warts ‘‘n’’ all during their European tour.

The tradition of releasing such bootlegs has continued through each tour in the past few years, and Pearl Jam now hold the World Record for most songs in the Billboard Chart at once, thanks to bootlegs.

In 2000, a tragic safety failure at Roskilde claimed the lives of 9 fans and Pearl Jam took this as their responsibilty which it wasn't. The Danish authorities didn't help either, by claiming the band were to blame, although these claims were quickly dumbed down. The Roskilde incident left a huge mark on Pearl Jam's attitude and music, and the band released a statement implying they would probably never play a festival again

In 2002 the band released "Riot Act", which contained a mix of acoustic and hard-hitting rock songs with titles such as "Ghost" and "Thumbing My Way". The album title is rumoured to either be named after the "Riot Act" or the "Patriot Act", or maybe a play on both by Vedder. The album's first single "Love Boat Captain" contained the lyric "Lost 9 friends we'll never know", a tribute to those lost at Roskilde in 2000.

PJ split from Sony Records after 10+ years under contract, and so Sony cashed in by releasing a 2 Disc greatest hits titled "Rearviewmirror". After many dubbed PJs split from the money grabbing record company, they signed a contract with J Records, an affiliate of Sony, showing that it's difficult to be a big band without the support of a big company these days.
However, their music is now more independent and free from constraint, and the band have total control over their music and speed of how they do things.

Pearl Jam took part in the Vote For Change Tour in 2004, aimed at raising John Kerry's vote in the US Elections (PJ are strongly against George W Bush)and played at many undecided states such as Boston. Eddie Vedder was quoted as saying that Pearl Jam would move to Canada if Bush won, and he did, but they remain in the US.

Pearl Jam did a South American tour in late 2005, amid rumours that the new album would be released in early 2006. Sure enough, in February '06 Pearl Jam announced the new album "Pearl Jam" would hit stores on May 2nd. The first single was accepted as a "grower" and the band were quick to sell out tickets to a North American tour and book festivals across the world, breaking their no-festival stance to the joy of festival goers and organisers.

It is rumoured that Pearl Jam's self titled album is a sign of their acknowledgment that the end is near. Perhaps family commitments and such will slow the band down, maybe stop it all together, but I personally feel that Pearl Jam crave their career as passionate music makers too much to stay away from the music, and we can expect their already lengthy careers to become more fruitful and evolved over the next few years!

Few words about tigers

TIGER RELOCATION

In the dying days of the Year of the Tiger, a wild tiger named 'Namobuddha', has been successfully relocated in Nepal for the first time, from Chitwan National Park to Bardia National Park .

"You would not believe how fast the tiger moved into the forest once it was released in Bardia," said Carter Roberts, President and CEO of WWF-US, who participated in the operation. "Powerful magnificent animal with a roar that shook the ground. Made chills run down your spine. This translocation, the first in decades, made possible by the extraordinary conservation community in Nepal. And a testament that we need to care for every single one of the tigers, and restore their numbers in the wild."


Photo: (C) WWF Nepal/Min Bajracharya

Namobuddha is named for the site that legend has it the Lord Buddha gave his body to a starving tigress and her cubs. It now has a monastery on it that thousands of pilgrims visit every year. In September, the male tiger had been injured and park authorities rescued it after it wandered into a hotel. In itself this is a great result as in many places it would have been shot with no hesitation, but instead he was nursed back to health.


Photo: (C) WWF Nepal/Min Bajracharya

Nepal has made a goal of doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022 which is when the Chinese New Year next celebrates the Year of the Tiger, and this relocation is one of the big steps to gain that goal. By moving some tigers to areas that have more prey and less poaching there is a greater chance of successfully reproducing and cubs surviving to adulthood. It is also an area where the tigers mean a lot to the people, partly due to the legend.

"The Babai valley was an ideal location for the translocation because of its vast size and available prey species, improved anti-poaching efforts, lower human-tiger conflict and good connectivity with other protected areas through the Terai Arc Landscape all the way to India’s Suhelwa Wildlife Sanctuary," said Krishna Acharya, Director General of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation. "Nepal is one of the countries in the world where the prospect of doubling the tiger population is quite good, if tigers are given enough space, prey and proper protection."


Photo: (C) WWF Nepal/Min Bajracharya

The satellite collar will track his movements and report every half hour to help scientists learn more about tiger behavior and see how he is adapting to his new home.

"WWF is pleased to have played a part in the pioneering tiger translocation led by the Government of Nepal," said Anil Manandhar, WWF-Nepal’s Country Representative. "As a global conservation organization, we have been part of Nepal’s evolving conservation landscape, from species protection to the successful Terai Arc Landscape, for over four decades, and remain committed to working together with our partners to help save nature for future generations."


Photo: (C) WWF Nepal/Min Bajracharya

"This translocation, the first of its kind in Nepal, is a concrete example of our commitment to saving wild tigers using the best science available, including the application of cutting-edge technologies," said Minister of Forest and Soil Conservation of Nepal, Deepak Bohara. "I am confident that by working together, the global community can reach the goals we set ourselves at the recently concluded tiger summit to save tigers to benefit people, nations and nature."

Tigers are critically endangered with only 3,200 left in the wild. Initiatives like this are vital to increasing their number and protecting the species. The government of Nepal, with support from World Wildlife Fund Nepal (WWF-Nepal) and the National Trust for Nature Conservation, were all involved in this terrific endeavor and hopefully next year Nomabuddha will have fathered a number of healthy babies in the Bardia river valley, who will go on to have families of their own - and increase the numbers of this beautiful big cat.

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