The Music is Just One Part of Why "The Bear" is Television Perfection

Last night I finished season two of "The Bear". That show is something special. It is as near perfection as there is on tv today. I know some people do not like that it is all released in one day. I don't care about that. I took a week to watch all ten episodes. You can find a way to watch weekly if that is how you want to consume it. TV is in a streaming age, for better or worse, and we have to adapt as viewers. But, as I stated above, I adore this show. I am not going to review season two today though. I'd rather talk about the music, and how they used it, this season.

I saw some other publication, I cannot remember which one right now, say something about the music, this was before I finished the season, and that was when I started to clock the music this season. It is pretty awesome, and it harkens back to the 90's for me. Growing up in a house with three older brothers, all of which had differing tastes in music, this season of the show brought me back to that time in my life. There is a good amount of REM this season. I am a recent convert of their music, but I know RD has listened to them for a while now. I believe our oldest brother listened to them too. So whenever there was a somber, or even moving moment this season, a song like "Strange Currencies" would start and I would reminisce hearing that song as a pre teen. And it would be used so perfectly in the show. They would play it at pivotal moments. It was the perfect drop in for the perfect scene. They also played an Eddie Vedder song at the end of an episode this season and it moved me. I kid you not, hearing the song and seeing what I just saw, it made me tear up. A show about opening a restaurant took this very good Eddie Vedder tune and used it at the exact proper moment, and it moved me.They used Wilco in this season. A one hit wonder band, Fine Young Cannibals, had the perfect moment to play their hit. Steve Earle was peppered in and out this season. The Pixies would show up and amplify an important scene. The episode dedicated to Richie's moment of realization had this epic Taylor Swift soundtrack, but it was just one song. AC/DC was used for multiple scenes while they were breaking down the old restaurant to build the new one. They used Nine Inch Nails in a very fitting way for a viewer such as myself. They had one of my favorite David Byrne songs, "Glass, Concrete and Stone" playing during a montage that I adored. The end credits for the family Christmas episode had the best button of music with the Weezer song "The Christmas Song". Crowded House was featured. They played some solo George Harrison. The Bodeans had a song in this season. The Replacements, who are criminally underrated, had one of their songs used. Squeeze was there for a hot second. The Psychedelic Furs were featured. The season had some bangers by very famous musicians, but they also brought out some of the coolest, lesser known bands from the late 90's and early 2000's for all of the viewers to hear, and I dug it.

This is a soundtrack I will listen to multiple times. This is a season that when I revisit I will be even more focused on the music and how it is used. This is just another example of what makes this show so damn good. Watch "The Bear" for how great it is. But stay to see the food they make and to hear the excellent music they use. I love it and you will too. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.

The Greatest American Band Debate: Pearl Jam

SeedSing is filled with music lovers. We can not agree on who is the best band from the States. The Greatest American Band Debate will be a regular feature where we discuss and compare bands who started in the good old USA. If you have any suggestions of bands we should debate Contact us seedsing.rdk@gmail.com

Today I will be getting back to the greatest American band debate and I will be getting back to the grunge era. I know that our head editor RD will disagree with this choice, but I am, and always will be a very big fan of Pearl Jam.

Pearl Jam made grunge music accessible to everyone. They weren't as influential, or as good for that matter, as either Nirvana or Soundgarden, but I find myself listening to Pearl Jam more than I listen to most music from the 90's. They made grunge music top 100 type music. Usually I don;t care for top 100 music, but I always get happy when a good band, a band like Pearl Jam, makes music that everyone deems top 100. That means that everyone can hear them, not just their fans.

I was not a fan, I had never heard of Pearl Jam, until I heard and saw the video for the song "Jeremy". This song is brutally tragic and so is the video. It is about a bullied kid coming into his school and massacring everyone and everything. This song came out before all the tragedies that happened in the 2000's, and even the stuff that goes on now. Pearl Jam was ahead of the times, by a wide margin, with the song "Jeremy". What stuck out most for me from the song was how catchy it was. It is a very sad, very gut wrenching song, but as I sit here typing this, the chorus is rattling through my brain. It made every top list the year it came out. The video was played everywhere. It had the desired effect. The song made people think about this tragic event, and people started to do things to try and curb bullying in schools. It is a very important song and everyone should listen to it at least once in their life. "Jeremy" opened the Pearl Jam door for me.

After hearing "Jeremy", I went out and bought the album "10", which featured "Jeremy". It also had mega hits like "Even Flow", "Alive", "Porch" and "Garden". These songs are quintessential grunge songs, especially "Alive" and "Even Flow". Those songs are timeless and it gave the world Eddie Vedder's incredibly unique singing voice. I love that, still today, I can put the "10" on in my car and be shocked back to when I was a 10 year old in the early 90's, rocking out to this incredible album.

With the success of "10" Pearl Jam put out "Vs", another classic. "Vs" has choice hits on it like, "Daughter", "Animal" and "Dissident". Again, Pearl Jam was writing thoughtful rock music that appealed to the masses. I don;t think there is a sadder, more poignant song than "Daughter". Go listen to it right now and try not to be moved by how sad those lyrics are.

Having only released two albums Pearl Jam was proving to be some of the best song writers on the planet. They had more hits than pretty much any grunge band and the songs that were hits had meaning behind them. They weren't pointless pop songs, they were rock songs with a message. Two years after "Vs.", they released "Vitalogy". Now, full disclosure, this was the last Pearl Jam record I bought. It is not as good as "10" or "Vs", but there is till some very good songs on the record. I personally really enjoy songs like "Not For You" and "Immortality". They show a more grown up version of Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam. It is still grunge music with a message, but the band is a bit tighter and they sound like they fully formed on "Vitalogy", especially on "Not For You" and "Immortality". But, "Vitalogy" as a whole isn't that great. It's good, but not as good as their earlier stuff. I admit, it has to be hard to try and follow up two great records, but Pearl Jam tried their hardest and it almost worked. They continue to release albums, but they just don't match the greatness that was "10" and "Vs".

Pearl Jam became much more active politically and socially throughout their careers. They had the huge lawsuit with Ticketmaster. They believed, and I agree, that Ticketmaster is a bunch of thieves. They charge you the face value for the ticket, but then they surcharge the hell out of you. Pearl Jam thought this was wrong, so they took them to court and let the world know that Ticketmaster was taking advantage of them. I will be forever grateful to Pearl Jam for doing this. I used to buy all my stuff through Ticketmaster, but after reading and hearing about this lawsuit, I jumped ship as soon as possible. Now, I will only go through bands, comedians or venues webpages to buy tickets because I know that Ticketmaster can't do a damn thing to me. They cannot add charge after charge on my bill and all my money goes to the artist and the venue. Sure, the artist doesn't get all of it, but at least Ticketmaster isn't gouging me and the artist can control the price of everything. That is all due, for the most part, to Pearl
Jam. They have always been the champion the of the little man. The people that aren't the 1 percent. Pearl Jam wants to help out anyway they can. I don't see a lot of artist do that, but Pearl Jam does it, and then some.

Then there is Eddie Vedder. Me personally, I adore Eddie Vedder. I thought he was the perfect front man for Pearl Jam, and he has proven to be an excellent solo artist. He is extremely multi talented and will continue to have a very long career in music. When I saw him at the Fox in Saint Louis about 5 years ago, not only was it one of the best concerts that I have ever been to, but he crushed the show. It was during his ukulele phase, and the show was incredible. Vedder is, by far, the biggest "rock star" that I have ever seen live, and he totally delivered. The show lasted for almost 3 hours and I could have easily watched another 3 hours and I would have been enamored. Eddie Vedder is what every "rock star" should strive to be. He stands for all the right things, he fights for the little guy and he does his best to help everyone, be it through his music or otherwise. I adore Eddie Vedder.

I also adore Pearl Jam and they 100 percent belong in the greatest American band debate. Tell me why I'm wrong RD. I await your ruling.

ed response: In the podcast, I did not say Pearl Jam is bad, I said they were overrated. They made one good song, and have been playing variations of that same song for decades. Mic drop.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Who is the Greatest American Band, Ty has many nominees you should take a look at. Get to know the next Greatest American Band by following Ty on twitter @tykulik.