There have been many, many books about various artists and bands over the years, but I can all but guarantee you’ve never read one quite like Not For You: Pearl Jam and the Present Tense. Author Ronen Givony’s second book opens with a simple – yet quite impressive – statement “First, a confession, and a caveat: I’ve only seen them fifty-seven times.” From there, through what can only be described as an unofficial biography of sorts, he takes the reader on a whirlwind of a journey – multiple (twenty) chapters of the book led by Pearl Jam concerts on both sides of the Atlantic, and there’s not a single comment from or interview with a member of the band in sight.
Pearl Jam are undoubtedly one of the most influential and iconic bands of our time, and Givony details exactly how and why that is brilliantly on every page. Writing from the viewpoint of a fan – and a big one at that – he has seen first hand the impact Eddie Vedder and his band mates have had on generations of music fans, and how that impact still resonates today. He doesn’t shy away from the more ‘controversial’ moments of the bands’ career – the firing of original drummer Dave Abbruzzese being one – as well as several that brought new fans to their side, such as Vedder’s pro-abortion rights campaigning and activism – and instead uses both to highlight the highs and lows of a band who know all too well the rollercoaster ride that is being a part of the music industry – and who have come out the other side as survivors and perhaps, it could be said, leaders of and in said profession.
Any music fan will almost certainly love this book – I personally have never really listened to Pearl Jam, but now have several of their songs – Jeremy and Alive are the most played – on my ITunes. Givony’s writing is captivating and entertaining, and he asks several questions many fans of other bands might find themselves pondering, such as ‘Why does this band feel like a guilty pleasure?’ Not For You takes the reader on a deeply personal and at times almost professional journey through the life and times of Pearl Jam, from not a journalistic perspective, but one far more important – that of a genuine fan.
