Pearl Jam: Why The Band Fired Drummer Dave Abbruzzese
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Today we explore why ex-Pearl Jam drummer Dave Abbruzzese got fired.
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Why Pearl Jam Fired Dave Abruzzesse
Pearl Jam was a band who seemed to have trouble holding onto a drummer during the 90’s. During the decade the band had 5 different drummers including Dave kruzzen, Matt Chamberlin Dave Abruzzesse,,Jack Irons and their current drummer Matt Cameron. Today we’re going to talk about fan favourite Dave Abruzzese (AhBrewZeeSee).
In 1991 Pearl Jam would release their monumental debut record Ten that saw drummer Dave Krusen behind the kit. Krusen left Pearl Jam in May 1991 just as the band was going to england to mix Ten and he checked himself into rehab.. According to Krusen, he was suffering from personal problems at the time including alcohol addiction and dealing with his first child on the way. It would take two more tries, but by 1994 he was sober.
Matt Chamberlin was brought in to play a string of dates for the band who were out on the road promoting ten and was offered the drumming spot but declined since he wanted to slow down his life a bit and he would tell author Mark Yarm in the book Everybody loves our town that he felt no emotional connection to the band since he was a replacement player. Chamberlain also had his eyes set on joining GE Smith’s house band on the show saturday night live,. Chamberlain was friends with a drummer named Dave Abruzzesse who he knew back in Texas. He would recommend the drummer to Pearl Jam During this time Abbruzzese was working in a plant shop and he would tell author mark yarm: “I was working at a head shop. My expertise was in the grow dept. So if people would come in saying they wanted to grow lettuce hydroponically in their closet wink wink i would help them get setup.’ The drummer was also playing in a funk band at the time in Dallas called Dr. Tongue, while also hosting his own radio show on community radio called Music We Like Show. It was that show where he first heard of an up and coming band named Pearl Jam, but his initial reaction to the band may surprise you..
Abruzzese initially had a negative response to Pearl Jam’s sampler CD he played on the show and claimed he only made it through 25 seconds of the first couple songs.
Krisha Aurgerot who was Pearl Jam’s manager Kelly Kurtis assistant would tell Mark Yarm: I was shocked to see Dave Abbruzzese in the lobby of Curtis management when they were trying out drummers. Because he was such a rocker. Super long hair wearing a track suit. He’s from texas so it’s a totally different vibe. I could see him in alice in chains, not in pearl jam.
Abruzzesse would end up arriving in seattle just as the band was filming the video for their single Alive. Abruzzesse wouldn’t perform in the video as Matt Chamberlain was still in the band.
But Soon enough Abruzzese would start performing with the band just before the release of Ten and following his second show with the band as act of solidarity he would get a tattoo of the Pearl Jam stick figure logo tattooed on his left shoulder. Abruzzese would tour extensively with the band over the next 3 years performing on their MTV unplugged set, Saturday Night Live, the band’s follow up record Versus, and on their 1994 follow up Vitalogy. It was during the making of vitalogy where tensions seem to flare up in the band leading to his dismissal
According to guitarist Stone Gossard Vitalogy was the first pearl jam record where Eddie Vedder was the one making all the final decisions on the album and according to producer/engineer adam kasper he claimed Vedder wasn’t happy musically with Abbruzese with Kasper claiming “Dave was an extremely busy player and eddie like a more raw sound We even started out with drum machines and that’s sort of a slap in the face to the drummer. “
It’s also been claimed that there were personality conflicts between the members and abruzzese more specifically frontman eddie vedder and bassist Jeff Ament, There was one story in particular which apparently rubbed Eddie Vedder the wrong waye. It was claimed by producer Brendan O Brien at one of the recording sessions abbruzzese accidentally knocked over Vedder’s guitar that was a gift from The Who’s Pete Townsend, The guitar broke and Abruzzese apparently left a little note for Eddie and left the studio to go do a drum clinic or some sort of self promotional gig. - Hudba
Check out my other Pearl Jam Video I did recently about why the band stopped making music videos in the 90's. Also leave your suggestions below!
czcams.com/video/XsXL3KPJfno/video.html
Rare that i agree 100% with somebody on rock band quarrels, but i think abbruzzese is in the right of the hypocrisy/disrespect he received. Would like to know more about his friendship with McCready. Seems like he was the one in his corner throughout. Oh and love your content bro.
@@Friggle_Dee he probably wasn't into the dark arts like eddie. how many people said he was a vampire in 95 and on.. i thought that was dumb at first, but now what we know about pizzagate and stuff, makes me really think of who eddie really is "crazy eddie", one thing he really likes is killing babies, he'd like them on every corner while he hangs out with ellen (he was in the audience during her special). just a theory. but don't be in a communist band with a guy with a big head and no guitar skills.
FYI, Kelly Curtis is a guy.
This might be your best video yet and I'm not even the biggest PJ fan. I love the long format.
Eddie's a dork. His fake trances, his political crap, and just a jaggoff in general.
As a lifelong Pear Jam fan, I'm with Abbruzzese on this one.
I dunno.. They all seem like big egocentrists. Love their music though
Robin K. Marxist Domestic Terrorists are destroying cities across America and especially Seattle and not a single word out of any of them. I’ve been a fan since the beginning, but unfortunately not so much anymore.
@@pjfan173 they're also losing me for the same reasons
pjfan173 - Question for you is, “who are the terrorists? The people paid and wooed into the performances or the people planning, orchestrating and contriving the perceptions of the actors?
D.K. Wilson Who do you think are the Terrorists? People are funding them, DA’s are letting them out and the people doing the damage are willing and paid participants.
It’s hilarious how the “progressive elites” think they’ll be able to keep their lifestyles if this continues
21 year old me: Abbruzzese is wrong
51 year old me: Abbruzzese is right
Abbruzzese was on tour, and came into the music store I worked at and helped a 13-14 year old kid pick out cymbals. He was super friendly and down to earth. The kid couldn't afford the really nice cymbals, so Dave bought them for the kid. The kid was on cloud 9.
Great story :) I mean, a GREAT story, S M. Thank you for sharing it because I needed a 'pick-me-up' after learning how Mr. Abbruzzese was kicked to the street and dismissed as inconsequential (Matt Cameron???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? for PEARL jAM??????????????????????????????).
@@JohnJohn-ir5hw saw Cameron play with them at Hyde park, robotic as fuck
@@hesayshesay8839 It's not his band. His band is Soundgarden, and that music fits his style much better, as he helped invent their sound.
@@petertromp8786 yeah I definitely agree with you there mate. Even more of a reason as to why Matt was a bad choice compared to Dave though, but by the sound of the later albums etc I think he’s a good fit for what Pearl jam were looking for. A basic raw straight drum style, not someone that maybe ‘overplays’ (in the opinion of some, and Eddie IMO)
@@hesayshesay8839 Matt is definately underplaying in PJ to fit the songs
I’m sure for us fans Dave will always be THE drummer, specially for those who also play drums.
For sure
Absolutely
Irons all day.
Dave Abbruzzese had power and groove. Hand down Pearl Jam's best drummer. It's a shame he wasn't inducted in the Hall of Fame.
He fucking killed it. vs was amazing! And of course ten but I didn't think i had to mention it even though obviously i have to
@@michaelcorrigan6577 I assume you know this, but he wasn't the drummer on 10
@@sirwinchester2918 I suppose i shouldve said the touring etc...
@@michaelcorrigan6577 yeah I figured
Dave really swings.
The fact that he played on some of their most iconic, early albums is enough justification to induct him in the Hall of Fame.
He only played on Vs. That’s exactly one Pearl Jam album. He didn’t deserve to be inducted cause the band was frustrated with Dave early on and never wanted to keep him. Hence using jack irons and session drummers on Vitalogy and Ten.
@@smkxodnwbwkdns8369 you keep saying the same nonsense. 🤦♂️🤦♂️
@@smkxodnwbwkdns8369the credits for Vitalogy have his name as drummer for every song but 2 - Satan's Bed, Hey FoxyMo...IMO Satans bed is a good song, I never listen to Hey Foxymo... So thats 2 classic Pearl Jam albums he played on and helped create. And ostensibly, the years he played with the band they were at theIr biggest, they certainly sold the most albums when he was with the band. I wont mention touring cuz they are still a beast when it comes to touring, but for being apart of creating those 2 albums alone he deserves the induction as part of the band..
He was the best drummer in Pearl Jam's history.
💯
Agreed sir. Totally bar none.
Pearl jam, specifically Eddie Vedder, was the worst thing to happen to rock music in the 90s
@@jollygrapefruit786 If they really were, then they would have been forgotten instead of Remembered
@@Noise_H no, they were the worst thing to happen to rock in the 90s specifically because they were so influential. Everyone ripped them off, especially Eddie's awful vocal style.
Dave Abbruzzese was a master drummer. Power and kick foot of John Bonham, and the accents and syncopation of Stewart Copeland. He made good songs great. Awesome drummer and huge loss for band. Eddies ego was the sole reason for his firing. Damn shame
Stop. Just stop..
Well said, Sandy 🤜🤛
Is dave abbruzzese playing 'last kiss'?
...you said everything!!!
@@freedomprophet2597 No. Be an adult and deal with facts.
It was a huge mistake to let him go ... his approach to Pearl Jam's style of playing was a good fit and he was a well-rounded player, both in the studio and especially live.
I agree that dave was probably the best drummer, I'm a bit conflicted because my top 2 pj albums are no code and yeild and I really like jack irons drumming. But in all fairness pearl jam most likely wouldnt have made it this long if the kept face and it wiykdve been a bit hypocritical of them to put out the political statements they do when one if their members dont exactly align with that stuff
Well, they could have still let Dave go, they just could have been more respectful and honest as to their reason why and invited him to the R&R HOF as well. That was just so fucking lame.
I loved Pearl Jam’s first 3 but then they really slid way down! Now I know exactly why!
Skin EyemIn
I agree.
In fairness, it’s up to the RRHOF who gets inducted, but the members of Pearl Jam should have paid for his tickets to sit in the artists area, they cost something like $30,000. They should have stuck up for him, but they were pretty spineless, considering they were essentially the headliner of the night.
I love Cameron but his style was made for Soundgarden.... Dave A the best PJ drummer by far. It could be said Dave K was perfect for Ten's songs but other than that.....!!! DAVE WE MISS YOU MAN
Dave Abbruzzese was the reason I became a huge Pearl Jam fan, and the reason I have been playing drums for 25 years. When he was fired, I was done with PJ
Same here, I only got into them when he was playing.
Damn right bro
Same. The vibe was destroyed.
Everything after their first 4 albums sucks anyway.
My respect to you bro 🤘🏻
Dave Abbruzzese is definitely the best of all Pearl Jam drummers. He played with so much energy and his cymbal work was great. Pearl Jam never had the same presence after he was fired.
I love the comment from Jeff Ament on Dave A. being too technical when everyone else played by feel. News flash bud, Dave A. gave y'all ALL the feel and groove.
I thought the same thing. Dave swings, and he made P.J. swing along with him.
Anyone who has ever been in a band can testify that an over egoistic front man or lead guitar will ruin a band's vibe 100%.
Nob-heads who can't keep time but want to tell the drummer _exactly_ what to play and how.
And when the band doesn't work, yeah, it's never them, always the drummer or some other guy.
Facts!
@@Daijyobanai LSD has ruined many bands and guitar players can be ego maniacs too you're right nothing worse
No doubt. Live & studio, their “ feel” became stiff and fairly boring after he left.
He's my favorite PJ drummer and one of my biggest drummer influences. ALL those ghost notes... and he had all those accents using the hats, ride bell, china, and splashes was ground breaking at the time. Not to mention his energy... man that guy could hit!
I'm not that good a drummer but I always listen to the drums in a band. Abbruzeze was the best drummer Pearl Jam had, chops wise. I liked watching him on any televised performances because he was just fun to watch. PJ was never my favorite grunge era band, since they were the "popular" band that the cool kids seemed to like. Eddie Vedder's brooding, anti-star act always seemed like just that: an act. I read he was in the popular crowd in high school. Kurt Cobain didn't even finish high school, I think. Kurt's angst definitely came across as more authentic than Eddie's. I was into them a little bit by Vs., and saw them in concert a couple of times. All in all a good band, just not a favorite.
About to post a similar comment as a drummer except Dave was sloppy & gave them that punk rock feel that Vedder pretentious ass wanted.
The ghost notes, the snap is his strokes and the ying to their yang was what Dave brought.
Lives shows of Dave's era and that unplugged are fun to listen to even today.
It helped make the music float. Fusion-esque
On Unplugged he almost stole the show. That was the bands problem, so lame
Exactly
Even Flow live track is why I play drums.
Eddie Vedder completely screwed Abbruzzese over. That guy was a great drummer. He had swing. Saw them on the VS tour and his drumming stood out. Best drummer for PJ a best they ever had. Telling him to “sound more like The Buzzcocks”? Lol Yeah right. That band is dreaming if it thinks it has any Buzzcocks influence. One thing that apparently pissed Vedder off was Abbruzzese appeared on the cover of Modern Drummer Magazine. That was too “rock star” for Vedder. Well, Vedder has been married to a model and living in an exclusive part of Hawaii where you have to be a multi-millionaire to afford to live there.
I will not defend Eddie Vedder when I say we have all been in a power struggle situation in our lives when we worked on some joint project. There doesnt have to be a profound reason to fire someone like people try to find one.
its no secret that PJ is Eddie's band and the rest of the guys follow his vision and go along with it. He knows and they know they are done without him while he can continue solo without problem.
So Im sure everything Pearl Jam does is eddie's idea. He has control over everything in the band. From the way they present themselves to how a guitar should be played. On the surface it all looks like democracy but they all know who is in charge really. dave was the only one who detested this way of doing things and he wanted to have a say and Im afraid he misjudged the situation completely. He clearly revolted over this way of doing things in the band but the others made a smart decision when they let them go.
Some people just cannot function in the same band and that is. Both people strong willed and we all know there is 1 king in everything. Democracy is just an illusion. Take any band any gathering of people and there is always a leader, the most prominent one.
Dave seems like a guy who speaks his mind and is brash and unapologetic. He is genuine about what he says it happened and that really happened what he says.
You cannot blame Eddie Vedder either. Sometimes in life people find themselves into an unspoken struggle for power and influence and one can cut the tension with a knife. Nobody is guilty here. Its just Eddie vedder won this power struggle. That's all. There was no wrong or right side.
Saying this of course eddie vedder is a hypocrite. In order to be a star like he is - you have to compromise a lot of personal principles, principles of justice and etc to last 30 years in he bsines. He is just a human being who makes mistakes like we all do and also people change. We expect celebrities to stay who they are as icons all their lives not realizing that we change and they change with time. People develop other wants and oppinions in life.
Eddie Vedder from 2020 is not the same Eddie Vedder from 1992. Back then he might have been punk someone who was anti establishment this and that but when you are a millionaire - you cannot play the role of someone who is anti establishment. This drove Kurt cobain to madness. eddie's transition was gradual and graceful.
You cannot sell punk to people when u have 100 millions in the bank. everyone sells eventaully. those who didnt sell were never offered money in the first place so they pretend they stay true to their roots and that BS.
@@robotube7361 "its no secret that PJ is Eddie's band and the rest of the guys follow his vision and go along with it." This may be true but PJ's best material was done before vitalogy when Eddie took over total control.
@@robotube7361 So basically,he's a douche
Yeah. I think Dave got along w/ most of them. Eddie had it out for him! Dave was closest to Stone. Vedder was a sour puss for awhile. He started to exert his power over the group. Yeah the first 3 albums was good shit. Dave shld be in the Hall of fame. It' s Eddie " Ghosting" him. Jack Irons was a mess to deal with cause he has mental problems. They r lucky Soundgarden broke up. Matt was a good fit
I know huh? Can U see Eddie toolin' to imitate SLF or Damned? Yeah, not sure how he perceives his personal likes being anywhere close to what they play out like!
He was the drummer during the most successful era of the band's existence. I don't understand how he was not inducted into the Hall.
Politics. He's too right-wing for the lefties Ament and Vedder and they're not man enough to fire Dave themselves and made Gossard do it
He was also I huge paon for the band and still is to this day, he has a flair for treachery and wants all the glory, not just his share, to bash Chamberland and Kruze, and then say "NO OFFENSE" IS a prime example of how much of a spoiled brat he truly is!!!
Ego probably.
Dave here...
I still don't get it, either.
@@Mr90sMusiclover Eddie is that you? Haha
He was one of the reasons I first started playing the drums. Dave and Alice in Chains drummer Sean Kinny taught me a hell of a lot on the kit in my early years of playing.
Me too
He dated my x girlfriend’s sister. What a great guy. He recorded us (Canvas) at my tattoo shop. Dave was really innovative and resourceful in that he set up his mixing board on the bench outside the front window so it was insular from the sound and we could see each other very well. He is generous, altruistic and brilliant. I miss him. . .
Worst decisions made was getting rid of Dave and using less of Stones Songwriting.
Yeah, you said it. "Ten" and "Vs" are what they are because they've got Stone Gossard's unconventional riffing all over it; the Daves (Krusen & Abbruzzese) put their percussive patent on them, and you can hear it all over that 16th note hi-hat abuse and the driving spastic-prog rhythms that were so prevalent on the first two. Post-1993 Pearl Jam sounds like an entirely different band to me; it just became more straightforward, commercial rock. I enjoyed it, for the most part, but as far as "hitting their creative stride" goes? They peaked WAY early. And don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of Jack Irons, Matt Cameron etc etc and they're obviously more than consummate musicians in their craft, but they didn't bring that same groove the Daves did to Pearl Jam. The drumming took a backseat after Abbruzzese was instructed to tone it down musically, and eventually got the boot. I know people think I'm fucking nuts, but aside from maybe 'Not For You', which I keep coming back to all these years for some reason or another, "Vitalogy" is a largely forgettable album, in my shitty opinion.
The last time I ever enjoyed a Pearl Jam record was the 2006 self-titled; I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. Was it "Ten" or "Vs" good? Almost. It still lacked a certain something.
Agreed! It was NEVER the same. They should send his ass to surf, write the music, and have him concentrate on the vocals and lyrics afterwards. He could play that damn ukulele on his free time.
@@pjokkenroll Eddie Vedder solo/ukulele songs are proof positive that 99% of what makes Pearl Jam listenable is the supremely talented musicians behind him.
Exactly, once Eddie got both hands and feet in PJ music I lost interest. Stone and Jeff are the standout music writers and Dave A is the only drummer that matched Eddies stage presence while sitting on a drum throne. Yes he is a "busier" drummer than anyone else they have had but that was the fun part to me. I would watch him play rather than just watch Ed or Mike during a guitar solo. Just my opinion.............VIVA DAVE A
As much as I love Gigaton and most of the newer albums, it's hard for me to disagree with you here. VS and Ten have that Stone riffing that is so great.
I met Dave in New Orleans back in 1993, I was a 16 year old drummer & really looked up to him. He was the nicest, sweetest dude & even let me sit on stage during a sold out show at the UNO Arena… I list interest in PJ after the let him go. Dave if you’re reading this, THANK YOU !
Yep, Pearl Jam was never the same after Abbruzzese's departure. Eddie became America's Bono, hanging out with the kings and queens.
I hated the band even BEFORE that...
100 percent correct. American Bono.
Commie Vedder
Spot on!
Difference is Bono wouldn't push The Edge, Larry & Adam out of the band.
Best drummer they ever had. They fired him because he didn’t want to pretend that he wasn’t enjoying himself. I still think the same way I always have, what a shame. They were and could have been a much better band with him.
The EMU, goth, and grunge kids always appeared to pefer to "be with their own kind." Look down on the rest of us, Little Man...
Matt Cameron?
_'he didn't want to pretend he wasn't enjoying himself'._ EXACTLY! Spot on. Well said, sir. 👍😎
Mr Jean Deaux Matt Cameron is a great drummer. But for me, he will always be Soundgarden’s drummer.
M 3 Dickie!
When I think of Pearl Jam, I immediately see Dave Abbruzzese killing it on MTV... I like him even more after this video!
Great Channel!!
Dave inspired me to play drums. Such a groovy drummer , and a great human being . God bless him.
Dave's contribution should still be celebrated and honoured. The first 3 Pearl Jam albums were instant classics imho. They were the foundation of this iconic band and Dave's musicianship shaped their sound and success.
Dave didn’t play on ten.
@@robg4472 That's true, however he was with them prior to its release and was integral with how the bands early sound was shaped and its evolution.
@@robg4472 he played on some that's why he's thanked on the credits!
Dave was also on the radio and video versions of "Evenflow" and "Alive" so he's attached to _Ten._
I never bought another album after vitalogy and I honestly didn't realize they had continued putting out music. I guess that's my fault, I'm from Seattle and grew up here and had a lot of friends that hung out with that scene in the '90s. Guess that would only make sense if I completed my thought, that being I got burnt out on the scene by the time I graduated high school and had moved on to different genres of music to get into.
his drumming on WMA is like whoa!
Thank you very much for this video. When I was 16, and Dave was still a part of Pearl Jam, I wrote him a lengthy, teenage melodrama-esque letter. Boy was I shocked when I arrived home from school one day a few weeks later, to a letter postmarked Seattle WA, from Dave Abbruzzese. He wrote me a 4 page letter, explaining that he was on the way to NAMM, among other rockstar world things. I still have that letter today. It was a much different time back then, no Internet. I wondered for many years what ever happened to Dave. Read some nasty gossip later on, some slamming of his character, etc. I am glad to finally hear THIS story, it aligns much better with the vibe I got from him.
It's been a landslide but we always pull through together your love and support are amazing and i dont know how to payback the love and support you fans has given me am overwhelmed with your support and am giving the opportunity to my fans to kindly drop there email to be added to my private mail and pay back for your support, love you fans hope to receive your reply fans
@@davidjameabbruzzese6614 Respect to you Sir, your work w/PJ has stood the test of time. For so many of us 50 somethings (god that sounds strange) we still put your tracks on today and feel the energy and passion of our 20"s. Music is a wonderful way to time travel and your grooves and style will have retirement homes in the future off the charts haha. Hope all is well.
@@davidjameabbruzzese6614 What a legend. My friends and I were all in high school in Washington during the early 90s, and often had hours-long discussions on the musicians in the big Seattle bands, and we were all in agreement that Dave A was hands-down the best drummer in the scene. The only thing we couldn’t agree on was the pronunciation of your last name!
We all stopped listening to Pearl Jam when you left too; the magic was gone. I still listen to Vs. regularly though, and love the drumming in Glorified G. Can’t imagine how many hours of my life has been spent listening to your drumming. Epic.
Was a big PJ fan until you were no longer in the band...your drumming was a huge part of the bands sound....you are a rock HOF'er.....everyone knows that...thanks for the memories
@@davidjameabbruzzese6614 you are the only reason I began listening to PJ. I've been a drummer my entire life. As soon as I heard your groove, feel, and approach I was hooked. IMHO your drumming was a huge part that pushed the band into success. Eddie Vetter ruined the band because his ego couldn't stand the recognition you rightfully deserved. Like many, many others, I completely lost interest in PJ the day they let you go.
Thank you for the drumming inspiration and God bless everything you do moving forward.
Hes a drumming legend
No one can out do him live
He elevated the seatle sound
He belongs in the hall of fame
Eddie your hall of fame wouldnt be possible without DAVE A
Amen 🙌
Ament 🙌🏾
Dave was absolutely, hands down the best PJ drummer...I exclusively only listen to his era or fantastic live recordings from the early 90's....You can tell in like 5 seconds when he is drumming vs the other guys...True PJ fans, especially drummers like me, know how great he is and how much he contributed and that is what matters most!
Oh I can tell site unseen. Any recording you play for me I can tell you if he's on the track. All of those live shows recorded ... I can close my eyes and tell you his style.
Dave is best overall. Jack had a great feel too..
Yes, the drummers know. I only listen to those era tracks as well. I was 17, already a huge Bonzo, Copeland, Phil Collins fan. Then Dave came out and I was like, this is MY guy!!
Dave was Pearl Jam's drummer. He brought his own style and personality that was/is easily recognizable
You can tell from his continued presence on social media that his time with PJ was a hugely influential time in Dave's life. He was there for their meteoric rise in popularity, and his talent contributed in no small way to that.
I got to meet Dave at a music store when I was a kid/teen for a meet and greet. He was amazing. I have always considered him Pearl Jam's drummer.
PJ lost their edge after they fired Dave. He had a very magical touch behind the kit that made Pearl Jam special.
yeah, exactly and just like ACDC weren't the same or didn't quite have the same feels without Phil Rudd (my counsin) neither did P.J. after Dave was fired, when I watch or isten to P.J it's definitely when Dave is behind the kit with his hard hitting style, one of my fav musicians along with Mike Mccready as my fav lead guitarist!
Agree
Agreed, he had that swing and groove with touches of jazz and fusion. That whole fiasco reminded me of Steven Adler on the first GnR record. Once they fired Adler it lost that groove and swing. I lost interest in PJ after Vs., sadly. .
They lost nothing.
Yeah I agree. In my opinion after Dave A was fired they weren't the same. They were awesome when he was drummer. Dave K was good too.
Nobody ever replicated Dave's energy on the kit.
Pearl Jam: "We're a democracy".
Pearl Jam: "During "Vitalogy", Eddie took over making all the decisions and that rubbed Dave the wrong way".
I think it rubs most bands the wrong way, when Ed from live took over same thing happened but that band broke up over it, I love Ed W. but it ruins it when the front man takes over!
He's fantastic. Those albums had the best replayability in the entire catalog.
McCready is a class act. I also love the Mad Season album. Layne Staley and Mike along with the other guys and producers made 1 of the best albums from the 90s
Soooo right !!
I've had the pleasure of meeting him. He's a genuinely nice person. Great guitarist, too.
Yes, but Veder,a mediocre singer, always wanted centre stage
Abbruzzese gave them a big, powerful, passionate sound that they lost and never got back after he left. They've never been quite the same without him.
The first thing I noticed about Pearl Jam back in 92 was the drummer...
This sounds like a total Eddie Vedder tantrum. The dude is so moody and grudgy. I like that Dave took the high road.
I remember reading that Glorified G was written/inspired by an exchange between Vedder and Abbruzzese. The latter talking about guns and Vedder’s dislike of such.
Abbruzzese is by far the best drummer for PJ. He had a groove that none of the other drummers had.
They did Dave dirty when they fired him and kept him from being inducted in RR Hall of Fame. Best drummer PJ ever had and they lost the fire when he was gone.
Met Mr. A in drum shop in Dallas before he hooked up w Jam.. He was very personable and sweet. Nice advice to this dental student dweeb back in the day.. Still drillin and drumming to this day.
Dave is Pearl Jam’s top drummer in my opinion. They made their finest album when he was on board. His playing was amazing.
Total crap that Dave was left out of Pearl Jam's HOF induction.
Agreed
Yeah that was really bad, when people think of pearl jam they think of Eddie, stone, Jeff, Mike and dave.
@@zakrowe1301 No they don't. Just people who stopped listening to PJ after Vitalogy.
Lord Vedder is to blame. A shameless attempt to rewrite history.
@@Guncho06 Many people's first exposure to PJ was the Evenflow video on MTV with the re-recorded Evenflow with Dave playing. All of their biggest TV appearances were with him: Unplugged, MTV Music Awards and SNL. He played on the Ten tour as they were becoming famous, and played on their biggest selling #1 albums with Vs. and Vitalogy. They were the biggest band on the planet during the time he was in the band, so I think a lot of people do think of him as well when they think of Pearl Jam. I think you can see that by how many comments there are about him in any live youtube video where he was still the drummer. Can't really recall any former drummers of bands still around who get as much love from the fans as him.
Out of all the drummers they had Dave was the best. Matt is great but his sound and style are more suited for a band like Soundgarden. My favorite parts of Vs. and Vitalogy were always Dave's drumming.
That was probably the REAL problem
Eddie probably listened to the album and thought “gee,the drums are really the standout” and got his ego in a twist.
The best drummers in rock I have found have a groove or a jazz background.
Eddie wanted a drummer to hide in the corner so he could be the spotlight.
The only thing that kept their groove less tunes flowing.
I agree about Matt Cameron. He's certainly got the gig of a lifetime with Pearl Jam, but it's a shame their music doesn't allow him to really utilize his skills. If Eddie could play drums, then MC would probably only need to be around for Pearl Jame tours.
I feel Matt Cameron is on a leash in PJ, his drumming in sound garden is so much more interesting and shows how great a drummer he really is.
We worked on his Cadillac. Dude is 1000 percent rock star! I can't even tell the story online. Because I don't know the statute of limitations.
Interesting enough, as former simi- professional drummer myself I didn't care for Pearl Jam UNTIL the second album and haven't been interested in Pearl Jam since the third album. What caught my attention was the undeniable energy that was coming from the drummer. "Go" and "Animal" are and always will be my Top two favorite Pearl Jam songs and easily in my top five favorite alternative songs of all time.
I agree completely 👌🏼
Spot on - the first album had the same drumming on all songs, sounded like it was a pre-recorded base - then it became really good with the follow up acts
He was definitely their best drummer always wondered why he suddenly "left"
I read an interview in Modern Drummer back in the day. Dave said Eddie used to complain about him doing appearances at drum clinics and that his drumkit had too many cymbals and looked "too rock"
He said the same thing about Dave's new car.
Dave was their best drummer in their best years and is literally the reason I got into Pearl Jam. When I saw the 1992 Unplugged I was instantly hooked.
I've always thought Abbruzzese was too much "rock star" to be in Pearl Jam. He was too good of a drummer for them. From the start he was making a big noise in the drumming world. He seemed to be the 'other' front man in the band with MTV and being on rock magazines everywhere.
It's no surprise to me that the "grunge" band couldn't handle a "rock star" drummer.
Kudos to Abbruzzese!
When will a reporter have the balls to ask Eddie or Jeff about Dave?
"Go" on the Vs album is one of the most intense and energetic songs i've ever heard. I believe Dave A wrote it (?) and his drumming in the song is phenomenal. His groove and intensity have yet to be replaced in PJ...
Dave had fire and energy in his playing...I was never a Pearl Jam fan but saw them at a festival and Dave was the best thing about them that day...
Dave was the best drummer they ever had 🥁
True
👍👍👍👍❤❤❤
Umm Matt Cameron
@@user-wu5rp5rz2x is that a joke? 🤣
Yea Pearl Jam sounded like a bunch of uptight “woke” dudes. Huge fan of them when I was a teen in the 90s but during some of vitalogy they lost me. A song or 2 on each album after that are ok but that’s about it for me.
Good to see all the love for Abbruzzese! He was my favorite PJ drummer as well. After he left, I checked out. Vs. and Vitalogy are the best albums. PLAY LOUD 🥁
Dave Abbruzzese is the man!
After they fired, PJ music did change but it was not the same. And I slowing lost interest in the band.
But not in Dave,
When he was in the band their music was explosive, inspirational, energetically great live and in the records.
There is no drummer one like him. He is like our modern Bonham drummer 🤩
Same for me
Thank you, Maynold!
Dave Abbruzzese is my favorite Pearl Jam drummer. He had a huge impact on their sound and energy when they were coming up in those first years from 1992 to 1994 and it's an absolute injustice that he wasn't inducted with the rest of the band. Another reason for his departure which is not mentioned is that Ed always wanted Jack Irons to be the drummer of Pearl Jam, and by 1994 Jack was available and Eddie finally got his wish. There was also a story about how the band had agreed to no more interviews with magazines, but Dave had an interview scheduled with a drum magazine that he had been a reader of since he was a kid. He decided to go ahead with the interview, and that really pissed off Ed. I hadn't heard the story about accidentally breaking Ed's guitar before, and I'm dubious of it. There was also a story that Dave told about how during a band meeting he was looking down at the ground and was telling the guys about how he was really having issues with carpal tunnel syndrome and it was very painful but that he could assure them that he would not back down an inch in terms of giving his all while playing because he loved the music and the band and the fans so much. He was choking up and really being emotionally vulnerable to them, but when he looked up - all the other guys had left and hadn't even been listening.
The first quote about growing weed in the closet is literally the most Dave thing I’ve ever heard 😂😂😂
Despite Pearl Jam went on being successful without Dave, I believe this was a massive loss for them. The style provided by Dave enriched so much its sound, and gave the groove and pace required. I love Matt Cameron, he is simply a great, but Dave fit much more, the same way that Matt couldn't be replaced in Soundgarden. This is an awesome video.
They were not as successful
Post virology pj was nothing like previous
NOTHING
Yeah I loved Matt in Soundgarden and his drumming stood out but in Pearl Jam he didn't matter to me
I saw Soundgarden live in Chile without Cameron and that drummer did an excellent job. Cameron was not missed. Although,. Cameron would be missed as a composer and contributor to Soundgarden's music.
if pearl jam had not done 10, vs, and vitoligy, they would have been unknown...everything after vitoligy was meh at best, they mostly coasted on the fame of their first 3 albums imo
@@scottraycraft5151 I agree, although maybe its music might be more popular if they weren't nos reluctant to be on tv more often, or other media, like other artists, but they chose not to self promote themselves, just like other grunge and alternative bands. Even they haven't been comfortable doing music videos or stuff.
Dave is without a doubt the best Pearl Jam drummer ever. No one comes close to his feel and creativity. No one.
He was key to their success. His drumming made Pearl Jam special, after he was fired, only Eddie Vetter fans cared about Pearl Jam.
@@onixc3348 Well from what I’ve read Eddie basically took over the band and No Code is his baby, an album that lost them like half their fan base. I’m not a fan of that album, it’s totally disjointed and purposefully going away from what made them big with Ten and Vs.
Seems like he wanted to bring in all these different influences, Neil Young, hardcore punk, world beat, etc. Seemed really forced and calculated, trying to grab at artistic recognition, instead of just making great rock songs and playing the hell out of them live which is what made them famous to begin with. A great rock band has a great drummer. Mike and Stone are good but they aren’t exceptionally unique, Dave A was unique and brought a certain groove to the band that people still talk about to this day.
It’s absolutely ridiculous to fire a drummer like that and turn the band into something else but that’s what Vedder did and that’s why I don’t care for him. He was never such a talent that he should’ve taken over and become this sort of Neil Young singer-songwriter. He was a rock vocalist, not Bob Dylan, but that’s what he wanted to be I guess. Anyway they still have their large fan base and they’re a fine legacy live band but the great albums stopped being released a long time ago.
I prefer Matt Cameron
@@diggahole3056 Matt Cameron is a monster drummer.
What he brought to peral jam was unique, loved his style and fills. Of the 90’s drummers he does stand above the rest. Unplugged really shows his drumming chops
Probably the most underrated drummer of the 90s. Everyone talks about Dave Grohl, chad smith, jimmy chamberlain, and Matt Cameron. But besides grohl, no one hit harder, or was so polished. It’s a shame what happened to him.
Agreed
I agree
You said it...he had power, groove, and greatness. He smashed those drums and crashed those cymbals! His drumming on w.m.a. speaks for itself...it's a crime and an injustice he wasn't inducted
Chamberlain is so overrated
@@Pugetwitch Chamberlain is the most technically proficient of the drummers mentioned. Easily the best drummer of those mentioned. Matt Cameron would be second. Grohl is competant, but in no way exceptional.
Got unplugged recorded and I’m with the rest of y’all he’s a huge part of there sound and love watchin him flow across the skins…
despite these men's relationships. they all share an incredibly unique and beautiful connection in music and emotion that nobody else will ever experience. when they sync the drama vanishes.
David Abbruzzese was THE Best it's just such a shame... I'm so glad you posted this!!!! He was a perfect LIVE drummer!!! THANK YOU!!
I always did get the impression that guitarist Mike McCready was a standup guy. From where I sit at a fans perspective I could see why Abbrezezze got along better with the guitarists McCready and Stone. I also can see why he didn't get along with Vedder & why their personalities clashed. Abruzezee was always my favorite drummer through the years.
Exuse my spelling mistakes
@@stever.7658 never worry about spelling mistakes. I worked with professional engineers who couldnt' spell...
Best drummer they had. He was there for their best years.
Dave throwing his drumsticks against the wall at the end of “Rearviewmirror” is my favorite legacy of his. A great metaphor for his time in the band.
The musical identity of Pearl Jam radically changed with the departure of Dave A. I don’t listen, chronologically, beyond “Vitalogy”.
I no longer connected with the band.
This ...you captured my thoughts precisely.
indeed
Right there with you.
Same here.
There are the first 3 three Pearl Jam albums, and the rest of the discography is a giant blah.
A lot like STP after Core and Purple.
Same! So THAT’S why! 🤣
I quit listening to PJ after Dave left. PJ was such an influence on my life at the time I moved to Seattle in 92. When I saw PJ in 92 in Ventura I ran into Dave on the street. We shared tattoos being that we were probably the only two guys in the world at the time that had stick man tattooed on us. Dave was a cool dude for the limited amount of time we spoke. Now Dave being more technical than what the other guys liked, that's stupid. PJ was a technical band by trade. It boiled down to people are different in the Pacific northwest and well in Texas, people seem to be a little more real.
i've said this before and i'll say it again. dave was fired because of eddie's ego. the fact that he can't name dave on interviews and doesnt want to talk about him shows how insecure he is of dave. when the leadership of pearl jam got moved from stone to eddie, everything went downhill.
Pearl Jam divorcing Dave A. was the stupidest move possible. Dave was an authentic "Rock n Roller," & that shined through in his talent, stage presence, & the energy it gave the band.
Eddie Vedder is a super-Diva & self-absorbed in his weird selfrighteous ego. They went from being the #1 band in the world with Dave to an afterthought.
Ruined the band when they booted him imo
Dave A was in the best shows. The mtv unplugged should get him
In. What a show.
Dave will forever be the iconic drummer of Pearl Jam!!
I remember all the early '90s grunge bands constantly complaining about their success. It started to get a little irritating after a while. Imagine having to be around Vedder and his "Tortured Soul" routine all the time, when all you want to do is play music, make people happy and have a great time doing it.
Cobain was the worse one. He just should have stayed in his basement and strummed guitar to himself.
I TOTALLY AGREE. I remember when Garth Brooks won an award for artist of the year or something and he gave this speech saying Hootie and the Blowfish should have won so he gave them the award. The next year Pearl Jam( Eddie) gave some speech while excepting an award saying" this doesn't mean anything and we don't care about this"
The first thing i thought was they didn't want to get the" we're just ordinary humble guys" image bested by Garth Brooks so that's why they did that!😂😂😂😂😂
I think you have to remember the context. All those guys were ignored for years despite being super talented and all of a sudden when 80s glam was played out and the music industry was struggling to find something new and exciting, they turned to the movement that had being going on in the alternative scene for several years already.
Meanwhile those guys were starving, they'd lost friends like Andrew Wood, and so they were pissed at the industry that seemed fake in now accepting them and giving them awards. They liked the success... it's what they'd worked for all their lives, and for the first time in a long time, they weren't homeless or starving. The thing is that they couldn't help but feel a bit used by the music industry.
You also have to take into account that they were right. MTV threw those 80s glam guys out the window as soon as they were no longer cool. The music industry also went with big business every single time as you saw with Ticketmaster gaining a monopoly and blackballing anyone who didn't do what they wanted. Unless you were on the level of someone like Michael Jackson or Tom Petty, you had no power and even less power when you are just some guys from Seattle (which was not respected at all musically until the early 90s).
That why alice in chains is my fave band!!! They were just themselves and werent with the fake wokeness!!!
Vedder was actually a really happy person. He was voted "most popular" in high school. That alone would keep me from liking him.
Awesome drummer should be included. I love watching him play and his hair omg pearl jam is a perfect 10!!
It's absolutely wrong that the band didn't give DA any recognition whether or not the RRHOF allowed for his induction. The band was inducted primarily because of the popularity they attained during the years he performed with them. He has every right to be upset. This isn't about how much you like someone, it's about honoring the work you all did to get to that point. What a shame.
His drumming on Verses is perfect. It's too bad they didn't get along. They haven't been as good since he left.
Versus*
p0llenp0ny *Vs.
p0llenp0ny who cares! Point was made🙀
@MorbidManMusic Again lmao biggest songs were on ten and vs
It really is, especially since Vs. is by far their best most cohesive effort, then Eddie gets a guitar and turns the band into Neil Young.
He just became my favorite member of that band. I never liked them I always thought they were pretentious and always took themselves way too seriously especially Eddie Vedder.
Eddie was responsible for most of that image... and he is the most political person in the band BY FAR.
Which reminds me, one thing R&RTS left out of this was Dave's pro-gun views... something that was known to not sit well with Eddie. Dave was most likely fine coexisting with Eddie and his politics, but Eddie is clearly pretty intolerant.
Youth and sudden fame can be disorienting and I’m sure Ed will be the first tell you he cringes at listening to some of his early interviews. That being said I believe their hearts were always in the right place. Lastly Ed maybe politically liberal but it never stopped him from being best friends with Johnny Ramone who was a staunch conservative. Ed will be the first to tell you that while he might not agree with your politics he will always respect your freedom to have opinions that differ from his.
@@sachmo8 lol. Thanks for that analysis, Ed.
My 2 favorite Pearl Jam records are vs and vitalogy. I was 13 years old when vitalogy came out and I had my dad drive me to Tower Records the day the album came out to buy the vinyl LP. If I remember correctly, I also got the Danzig 4 LP. Awesome video.
Imagine, if they would of focused on music then Ticketmaster, who still uses Ticketmaster. It's hard to imagine.
The fact remains that Dave is part of the classic line up he was there through those first 3 crucial albums....
Dave Abruzzese was the best part of Pearl Jam. I saw Candlebox at a smaller club a few years ago, and Dave Kruzen was on drums. I didn’t even become aware of it until later in the show.
My two fave albums of theirs are the two he plays on. Vs' and Vitalogy are some definite go-to for my road trips.
The day they lost Dave a part of Pearl Jam died!! His drumming and Energy were out of this world🤘🏼
Abbruzzese also contributed riffs on the VS. album. He was described as a secret weapon by some of the band members because of this. Those other guys were hypocrites in complaining about his rock and roll life style, meanwhile they never hesitated to appear on the cover of RS magazine over and over again.
Yep. In fact, he wrote the music riff for the opening track on Vs, “Go”
@@jondubb35 You know they had a seriously talented band when the freaking drummer came up with the riff to the first track of their hugely anticipated second album which was not only a #1 album, but was the biggest selling album ever at the time in its first week selling nearly 1 million copies in 5 days. You don't get more rocking than "Go" into "Animal" to kick off a CD. Awesome drumming!
Petty shit! If Eddie was getting pissy cause he was on Modern Drummer magazine. All Drummers want to be. When I met Dave he was a down Earth guy. The one that was uncomfortable about fame & shit was Vedder!
What I found ridiculous was the comment about wanting to sound like The Buzzcocks from Jeff Ament. This is coming from a guy who was too rock n' roll for Mark Arm and who used a freaking 12 string bass(an idea that he got from King's X), and now Dave is too much of a rocker?. Jeff and Dave really worked well together as a rhythm section, it's a shame.
And Eddie married.. gasp.. a model. Rock star marries much younger model, can't get anymore cliche than that.
The bands whole situation is puzzling one. After Mother Love Bone they still wanted to "make it" in the music world and picked up Ed. Then when things finally are about to pick up career wise with "Ten", they can't hold onto a drummer. In comes Dave and gave them a real shot in the arm with energy and different swing. Tours the shit out of everything and was present and contributing to two of the highest regarded/best selling records PJ puts out. Dave being from Texas, doesn't have everything in common with the guys who've known each other for years living the Seattle life style.
Even if he's not someone's fav drummer he still put in the work and earned his spot in Rock history.
I mean, I remember Eddie Vedder being a complete drunken mess at that point. I lived in San Diego and LA as a musician in the nineties and I had several friends who had very odd interactions with him, describing him as either going through strong mental or substance issues by his behavior. I think I remember him having a "handler" to make sure he showed up at places and didn't get lost, because he would just sort of go away with people he'd just met. Then there was that MTV interview or clip where he can barely speak and he's talking about his genius and creative brilliance and a ton of empties all over a coffee table like some frat house dorm room. I think Vedder around that time was pretty lost. He seems a lot more clear these days, so good for him. But at the time, ugh.
Yeah i think there was a period there he was drugged out. Might of been some smack involved
@@zombi3907 the thing that was really anoyying me during those years, Eddie had an attitute that he was very sensitive and responsible person to the people, world, humanity etc while there was a massacre in Bosnia, China or Iraq but he never uttered a word about those things.
Zombi Ed was a smack head from California. Very talented song writer on the drugs. Not so good off them.
Emrah U He hasn’t said a word about the Marxist Terrorists destroying Seattle.
Mike's performance with Mad Season Wake up is amazing.
Pearl jam were exciting when he was in the band.
My favorite memory of Dave is watching him and Eddie do an interview while on tour. Eddie started being Eddie, getting political and philosophical, and Dave just rolled his eyes and took a drag of his cigarette. I do like Eddie, but Dave always struck me as more down to Earth, not taking himself too seriously. A claim that cannot be made about Eddie
how dare Eddie use his fame to fight for a better world
Robert DeLeo of STP tells of a story of how he tried to introduce himself to Ed and Cornell at Lollapalooza 92 and they looked at him like like why are you trying to talk to us and gave him the cold shoulder. DeLeo said he decided then to hang with people he liked.
Not surprising. Vedder has always been a douche.
@@AaronStark1993 Weiland said they always got along great with Pearl Jam and would see Stone, Jeff and Dave qhen they played Seattle except for Ed...said he never wanted to hang around.
Scott weiland is no picnic to be around. :/
@Pauly Walnuts i belived he was sniped out. By the elite
Seattle people in a nutshell right there. These people are cunts disguising behind the "politeness" mask. And they are very closed down into their social circles, these people will hangout with the same people they went to school for the rest of their lives.
A shitty singer wanted a great drummer to mimic another band. Fun fact, after Vitology that shitty singer castrated their edgy sound and relegated them to elevator music.
Dave Abbruzesse was my favorite drummer, he had the best flow for the music..... who is living the Hollywood Limo life now....Eddie....I also found it shit that Dave wasn't included in the hall of Fame by them
Short answer: Eddie Vedder. 'Vs' is the last PJ album I really enjoyed. Dave was the best drummer they ever had - and no dis to Matt Cameron, who is a great drummer in his own right, but stylistically Abbruzzese was 'the guy'. Dave wrote the riff of 'Go', on an acoustic guitar. At the time they fired him, I recall Vedder alluding to Dave bringing a gun to band practice. More recently I read that it was something to the effect that Abbruzzese incurred in the cardinal sin of 'wanting to be a rock star'. The ironic thing is that Lord Vedder is now the clichéd rock star millionaire, rubbing shoulders w/ Hollywood and married to a model 20 years his junior. Eddie was great in 1991, '92, his singing on 'Ten' is epic (still my favorite PJ record). Eddie hijacked the band, turned into his mouthpiece, picking useless fights w/ ticket master and essentially dictating not only its 'politics' but also the musical direction, turning a once great band into an more or less ordinary (that is, typical of the period) 'alternative rock/punk' band, repositioning the band's sonic aesthetic and IMHO, dumbing down their sound. I read recently that they remastered and/or remixed the album 'Ten', completely changing the mix, drying it out, making it sound worse. The culprit? Lord Vedder or course, who claims the original producer 'over-produced' the album (I guess adding reverb to a mix qualifies as over-production in this guy's mind)...Wonder what Rick Parashar thinks about that...And of course Vedder himself is solely responsible for PJ not inviting Dave to be inducted into the RNRHOF along w/ the others...Lord Vedder, The Dictator....Sad.
About that Ten remix, it isn't bad at all, I reckon. Just a different mix. Better than when Dave remixed Megadeth.
@@davidwood9966 I beg to differ.While the songs are there, I say it doesn't match the original. But that's my opinion.
@@davidwood9966 Not bad, but some of the mystique is lost IMO. To me, part of the Grunge sound was that somewhat hazy, foggy at times swampy wall of sounds, where individual lines were sometimes blurred and you couldn't really tell exactly what the actual parts where. The reverb of the original mix is gone. so the effect in my ears is quite different . It is the same collection of songs, the same recording sessions and takes, yet it didn't produce the same effect on my brain when I listened to it. Sounds like a pre mix rough cut, has a certain 'garage-y feel' sure enough, but to me part of the 'magic' is gone, the feeling is gone. But when I listen to my original 1991 CD, it is always there. And that's the record that millions like myself had come to know and love.
@@tiluriso rick parashar is dead
@@animegamingdude Did't know that. Nevertheless, you get my point...
He's my favovite drummer from Pearl Jam
He was definitly there for Pearl Jam's best songs, after Vitalogy, pearl jam fell away. Thats him drumming in the MTV Unplugged Sessions. This was my favorite version of The Band called Pearl Jam. That incarnation was pure gold...
Dave should’ve been in the HOF ceremony, his drumming sounded the best of all their drummers