Search - To Live & Shave in La :: Vedder Vedder Bed Wetter

A Temple of the Dog Spinoff

Andy Alabama | Birmingham, Al United States | 11/19/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I think that this was from a more experimental period in "the great man"'s career (see the scathing review by disgruntled Englishman below). I liked Eddie much better when he was more willing to take risks artistically. What with his intractable fight against Ticketmaster, it seems that he has fallen into something of a stylistic rut. Not so on this record--these were truly Eddie's halcyon days. A must own for any true-blue Pearl Jam fan."

Absolute Madness from the Free-Glam Gods of Noise

Zeb Djeff | Brighton, England | 09/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Vedder Vedder Bedwetter" is nearly impossible to describe, and is as far from "rock", "experimental", "improvisation", or any other category as anything you'll ever hear (or be subjected to). What does it sound like? Bedlam, pure and simple. I put the disc into my CD player and reason ceases to exist. Out pours a relentless cacaphony of voices, styles, and dubby production tricks, accompanied by lyrics which make Blue Oyster Cult's early 1970s crypto-weirdo words seem like nursery rhymes. Screeching glissando wails and mounting paranoiac intensity build up to an insane pitch, and crash with a orchestral thud after a bizarre live snippet during which a concert stage apparently catches fire.



Warning: this has nothing to do with Pearl Jam! The title / truly odd cover art apparently has something to do with TL&SiLA's views concerning the corrupting influence of mainstream culture... The album title is an obvious dis of the "Jeremy" singer.



Do not buy if you are unfamiliar with Wolf Eyes, Merzbow, Boredoms, AMM, Whitehouse, etc. If you are one of the secret sect of kooks tapped into the To Live & Shave mindset, then you probably already have this. Not as complete in its mind-warpage as later Shave albums "The Wigmaker", "Helen Butte" or "God and Country" (which was finally released in August, 2004), this anti-homage to alterna-rock will keep the courageous hopping and unconvinced neighbours hopping mad."

A sign of greater things to come

Example: Mark Twain | 07/29/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"To Live and Shave in L.A. is a noise outfit consisting of lyricist/vocalist/post-production whiz Tom Smith and a revolving cast of his cronies. This album is really very good. But not as God-like as To Live and Shave in L.A.'s masterwork "The Wigmaker in Eighteenth Century Williamsburg." This is well-worth checking out.



Shave fans - what is the deal of Smith's Pearl Jam obsession? He ended Wigmaker with an riff from a Pearl Jam song, he titled an album after Eddie Vedder - its all quite silly.



Fans should also check DJ Screw, Lee "Scratch" Perry, DNA, Eric B and Rakim, and Shackamaxon."