Merkin Ball
Merkin Ball | ||||
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Bad Animals (Seattle, Washington) | ||||
Genre | ||||
Length | 10:52 | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Producer | Brett Eliason | |||
Pearl Jam chronology | ||||
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"I Got Id" | ||||
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Bad Animals (Seattle, Washington) | ||||
Genre | Alternative rock[1] | |||
Length | 4:53 | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Songwriter(s) | Eddie Vedder | |||
Producer(s) | Brett Eliason | |||
Pearl Jam singles chronology | ||||
|
Merkin Ball is an extended play (EP) by American alternative rock band Pearl Jam. The EP contains two songs: A-side "I Got Id" (also known as "I Got Shit") and B-side "Long Road", both written by Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder. The EP features Canadian-American musician Neil Young and was released on December 4, 1995, through Epic Records. Merkin Ball is a companion to Young's 1995 album, Mirror Ball.
The EP became a chart hit, particularly in Australia and Scandinavia. It reached number two in Australia, number three in Finland, number five in Norway, and number 10 in Denmark. In the United States, the EP peaked at number seven on the
Recording
The tracks on Merkin Ball were recorded at the tail end of the Mirror Ball sessions in February 1995.
Vedder wrote and performed vocals and guitar on the songs "I Got Id" and "Long Road", which were omitted from Mirror Ball.
Music and lyrics
Mirror Ball and Merkin Ball complement each other musically. Jonathan Cohen of
At Pearl Jam's July 7, 2006, concert in
Release and reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [3] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+[11] |
Epic Records released Merkin Ball on December 4, 1995, as a
Merkin Ball debuted and peaked at number seven on the US
In September 2001, Vedder and Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready were joined by Young to perform "Long Road" at the America: A Tribute to Heroes benefit concert. "Long Road" was also used in the films Dead Man Walking, Outsourced, and Eat Pray Love and in the episode "My Five Stages" of the sitcom Scrubs.
Packaging
A wrecking ball graces the cover art of Merkin Ball. Mirror Ball and Merkin Ball complement each other in the layout and content of the packaging. The title Merkin Ball is a play on Mirror Ball. A merkin is commonly known as a pubic wig. Vedder came up with the title.[23] In an interview, Vedder said that the title refers to an "arrowhead".[24]
Live performances
"I Got Id" was first performed live at the band's February 21, 1995, concert in Osaka, Japan, at Kosei Nenkin Kaikan.[25] Live performances of "I Got Id" can be found on various official bootlegs. A performance of the song is also included on the DVD Touring Band 2000.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Eddie Vedder
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "I Got Id" (also known as "I Got Shit"[3]) | 4:53 |
2. | "Long Road" | 5:59 |
Total length: | 10:52 |
Personnel
Pearl Jam
- Jeff Ament – bass guitar on "Long Road"
- Jack Irons – percussion, drums
- Eddie Vedder – guitar, vocals
Additional musicians and production
- Neil Young – guitar, pump organ, vocals
- Brendan O'Brien– bass guitar on "I Got Id"
- Joel Bernstein – portraits
- Brett Eliason – production, engineering and mixing
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[22] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ Leas, Ryan (October 17, 2013). "The 10 Best Pearl Jam Songs". Stereogum. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
- ^ "Pearl Jam – Rearviewmirror: Greatest Hits 1991–2003". AllMusic. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Cohen, Jonathan. "allmusic ((( Merkin Ball > Review )))". AllMusic. Retrieved March 21, 2009.
- ^ a b Weisbard, Eric, et al. "Ten Past Ten". Spin. August 2001.
- ^ Hiatt, Brian (June 16, 2006). "The Second Coming of Pearl Jam". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 28, 2007. Retrieved June 22, 2007.
- ^ Strauss, Neil. "The Predictably Unpredictable Neil Young". The New York Times. July 2, 1995. Retrieved on March 27, 2008.
- ISBN 978-1573561549.
- ^ "Pearl Jam: 1998 Concert Chronology: Part 3". fivehorizons.com.
- ^ a b "Pearl Jam Concert Chronology: 2006"[usurped]. TwoFeetThick.com.
- ^ Varga, George. "By finish, Pearl Jam, Vedder had a connection" Archived February 24, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. The San Diego Union-Tribune. July 10, 2006.
- ^ a b Browne, David (December 22, 1995). "Merkin Ball". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
- ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. December 2, 1995. p. 48. Retrieved July 4, 2021. Misprinted as December 3. The albums section uses the correct date.
- ^ "アイ・ガット・イド | パール・ジャム" [I Got Id | Pearl Jam] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
- ^ a b "Pearl Jam Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- ^ a b "Pearl Jam Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- ^ a b "Pearl Jam Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Pearl Jam – Merkinball (EP)". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- ^ a b "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 2. January 13, 1996. p. 13. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Merkindall (EP)". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- ^ a b "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 3, 1996" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- ^ a b "American single certifications – Pearl Jam – Merkinball". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- ^ "Pearl Jam Rumor Pit: Issue #11" Archived February 19, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. sonymusic.com. November 15, 1995.
- ^ Kava, Brad. "'I'm Just looking to make it right.' – E.V." www.vedderism.friko.pl. November 3, 1995.
- ^ "Pearl Jam Songs: "I Got Id"" Archived May 22, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. pearljam.com.
- ^ Merkin Ball (US CD single liner notes). Pearl Jam. Epic Records. 1995. 34K 78199.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2872." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- ^ "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 2863." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 1. January 6, 1996. p. 9. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
- ^ "Pearl Jam: Merkinball (EP)" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (20.1. '96 – 26.1. '96)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). January 20, 1996. p. 38. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
- ^ "Pearl Jam – Merkinball (EP)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- ^ "Pearl Jam – Merkinball (EP)". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- ^ "Pearl Jam – Merkinball (EP)". VG-lista. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- ^ "Pearl Jam – Merkinball (EP)". Singles Top 100. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- ^ "RPM Year End Alternative Top 50". RPM. Retrieved August 13, 2019 – via Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1996". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- .
- ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved December 25, 2023 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Canada's Top 200 Singles of 2001 (200–101)". Jam!. Archived from the original on July 26, 2002. Retrieved March 28, 2022.