Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #281871 in Books
• Published on: 1999-04-15
• Released on: 1999-04-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

From Amazon.com
Contemporary music photography suffers from a lack of unhindered contact between photographer and subject. The musicians prefer to control the process and, while one understands that impulse (would you want to see your mug turn up in print after a bad hair day?), the result is often an excess of carefully crafted but soulless images that have everything to do with publicity photography and nothing to do with photojournalism. But with Place/Date, it's readily apparent that lensmen Charles Peterson and Lance Mercer spent plenty of unsupervised time in the company of Pearl Jam before assembling this handsome, rewarding volume. The twosome collect images dating back to the group's 1991 grunge salad days and up to 1998. Kinetic shots of the band in action (Eddie leaping, Eddie sprawling, Eddie crawling) are interspersed with backstage candids of the quintet playing dominos, napping, and killing time. In keeping with the group's egalitarian ethos, the lens is frequently turned away from Vedder and company toward PJ's fans, with telling results. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews

Just Once!!!!!
I like Pearl Jam. Really.

And I like this book. Really.

It's just that ... well ... let me be honest here: great photography, interesting camera angles, and the B&W/color shifts are stellar and create a lasting effect; I just wish that once --just once -- the focus could shift to the viewpoint(s) of every OTHER member of the band besides Ed Vedder (the only time you really see it is in the photos of the fans -- for that, the book loses a star. Sorry, folks!). Maybe a sequel would be nice -- call it "Those OTHER Guys" and make them the subject matter.

Still, this is a book worth having. Very recommended.

Perfect for Hardcore Fans
Pearl Jam has made a career of hiding from the press and keeping a deliberately low profile. But they are known for giving goodies to their hardcore fans. I would have thought that PJ never allowed anyone to take pictures of them, but apparently Mercer and Peterson have had free range to take any pictures they wanted with the band on tour. There are only a few "publicity" shots where the band is clearly posing for the camera. The majority are onstage action shots and candid moments which provide a lot of insight into the band's personalities. There are also many great shots of the fans. Each of the four core members seems to be showcased equally, with some shots of their various temporary drummers. The funnest aspect of the book is watching the guys' image change over time - from overdressed, long-haired alt-rockers in the early days to their current scruffy low-maintenance "regular guy" look.

Beautiful Photography, Unparalleled Emotion
Mercer and Peterson have collaborated with the band to offer a glimpse into the on and off-stage lives of Stone, Jeff, Ed, Mike, and (insert drummers' names here). The photographs alternate between B&W and color and integrate a variety of vantage points, camera angles, and photography techniques, not to mention an intruiging array of subjects, including drummer Jack Iron's son, Vedder's wife Beth Leibling, and many captures of fans. It is a lovely addition to the library of any Jammer.