Handling fame, fortune, and success all at the same time seems like a recipe for disaster. For some, it has been a recipe for disaster, as it has either killed a career or at least derailed it for some time. If you’re lucky, avoiding this plight is nearly impossible; however, dealing with it in stride is, and one thing that helps with it is having a mentor. One of the most famous scenarios of an older musician helping a younger musician in this regard is when Neil Young gave Eddie Vedder an invaluable piece of wisdom that saved Pearl Jam.
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Even though Neil Young’s former bandmates have called him selfish and toxic, it seems the guy is actually fairly selfless and positive. Regardless, when Vedder and Pearl Jam were going through a rough patch early in their careers, Young graciously delivered a piece of wisdom that would ultimately help Pearl Jam continue as a cohesive unit.
How a Stroll at Neil Young’s Ranch Amounted to Pearl Jam’s Lasting Legacy
Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam became friendly with Neil Young after the Bridge School concert in 1992. Subsequently, the band and Neil Young became close friends and actually recorded the single, “Act of Love,” together in 2004. Pearl Jam and Young’s relationship seemingly could not have come at a better time, and Vedder attested to that fact in an interview with Howard Stern on The Howard Stern Show.
Vedder told Stern, “Everything he taught us at the time resonated and came at a time when we needed to be taught. We needed a North Star and a bit of a compass, and he provided both.” “The best teachers are the ones who you just kind of learn from example. Just in his stories, you’d figure out a few things.”
The premier instance Vedder recalled is when he took a visit to Neil Young’s ranch and took a long and fruitful walk alongside him. Vedder recalled Young telling him, “He said, ‘Hey, just so you know, there might be some people that’ll try to pull you away from this group, but you guys, the sum is greater than the parts. Remember that. I’m sure that’s probably already happened to you.’”
Given that Young didn’t follow this advice when it came to his former band, CSNY, it seems he needed to gift it to a younger generation. He did, and it seems Pearl Jam and Eddie Vedder were better off from hearing it.
Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images
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