Do The Evolution – Pearl Jam

Happy Monday! I’ve mentioned my love for Eddie Vedder‘s voice before; he sings with a certain intensity that has become synonymous with grunge and the 1990s Seattle music scene. One of my favorite albums from start to finish is Pearl Jam‘s debut, Ten, which was the album I listened to directly following my introduction to Nirvana through Nevermind about a week prior when I was in 6th grade. Eddie sings with a ferocity that I don’t think can be taught. There are certain songs of Pearl Jam’s that can make you feel warm and cozy or maybe even instill a sense of hope, like “Alive” or even the previously featured “Present Tense“. Today, I decided to look at a song that is a bit more intense and foreboding, “Do The Evolution“. While popular among Pearl Jam fans, this one may not be as well known among the general population.

Lyrically, I think the overarching point Eddie is trying to make is fairly straight forward, especially if you watch the music video. He does give some added context directly as well though. “That song is all about someone who’s drunk with technology, who thinks they’re the controlling living being on this planet. It’s another one I’m not singing as myself.” The album this song comes from, Yield was heavily inspired by the 1992 novel Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. Musically, the first guitar solo really stands out to me. I have been trying to pinpoint what it makes me think of but I can’t really put my finger on it. Almost surf-esque maybe? I love the crunchiness of the tone though, and really how scratchy the song is throughout the whole thing.

“Do The Evolution” also happens to have one of the coolest music videos ever. Kevin Altieri of “Batman: The Animated Series” and Todd McFarlane, one of the most prolific comic book creators ever (best known for working on Spider-Man and creating the totally badass Spawn), came together to make an epic animated piece for the song. It is pretty intense, but it is one of the cooler concepts for a music video, especially if you are a fan of the animator’s other work.

Link to music vid – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDaOgu2CQtI

Link to live – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsVUx8SQbts