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List Price: $16.00 | | Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Salesrank: 56351
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| Our Price: $1.89 |
| Used Price: $1.04 |
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| Media: Paperback |
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Editorial Review:
More than any other band, Pearl Jam embodies the alternative style that dominates rock today. From their early days as fame-ducking grunge pioneers, through their headline-making battle with Ticketmaster, to their current status as self-assured survivors, Five Against One brings to life Pearl Jam's tumultuous ascent to superstardom in rich detail. A compelling portrait of the band's elusive leader Eddie Vedder and family photos never seen before by the public make this a must-have for every Pearl Jam fan.
Five against One Reviews:
interesting and full-covered biography 
2007-03-09 - this is a quite full and interestnig biography concerning the first years of the PJ history also relating to the beginning of this (and other) seattle bands, which is of particular value to grunge fans i think, because this is now part of the rock n roll history!
the book gave me a human description of the band's mates and i was interested to read about the abruzzese period and the way it ended.
so i think the PJ story written in this book is a good description of the direction the band took since 1996 til today. i was also interested about the vedder's personal life chapters, but eventually i am not sure whether it is a good idea revealing really personal facts, but anyway it helps understanding vedder personnality , phylosophy and music.
Enjoy it, it is easy to read, and excuse my english faults.
A horrible book from a mediocre writer 
2007-02-14 - Save your money and do a Google and Wikipedia search for Vedder, and you'll end up with much better quality information than this book. It's obviously a sensationalistic attempt at cashing in on Pearl Jam.
The writer manages to almost completely ignore the band's music (and, for that matter, the band, since this is a book about all the dirt she could dig up on Vedder). She managed to interview only people carrying grudges for the band or the singer (I wonder why...): think Dave Abrusezze, the drummer that got fired, and Vedder's stepfather, who obviously have their own take on things. When the book is not whining from the perspective of these people, it paints stick figures of everyone in the band except Vedder.
The book can only be called accurate if you consider one-sidedness accurate.
Anyone with a working brain and more than 30 minutes exposure to Pearl Jam's music will be able to figure this book out for what it is: yet another hanger-on's attempt to make money off somebody else's work.
If you must read this book, borrow it from a friend, or at least buy it used.
A definite must have for any pearl jam fan 
2006-11-11 - I first found it anti-vedder but while I kept on reading I just got to realize it was well based on facts with no intention of getting worse. It's interesting that while it demolished my perceptions and the perfect image I had about Pearl Jam the book has empowered my interest about the band and boosted my fanatism well beyond expected. I realized that this band isn't anything of what I believed. I carried lots of misbeliefs that this book washes away in style.
The section about Eddie vedder's life was incredible. I found it kind of boring at the beggining but before it was finished it became my favorite.
A seemingly balanced prespective on the band and it's leader
2006-07-30 - I've just recently become interested in the music of Pearl Jam by way of an article I read on their bassist Jeff Ament in an old copy of Bass Player magazine. I then purchased the Rearview Mirror CD and surprisingly as a 43 yr old guy have been hooked ever since and wanted to learn more about the band. I thought this was an interesting read in that it shows how much these artists suffered through considerable loss and hurt and persevered to make their dreams a reality. While some may see Neely's portrayal of Vedder as highlighting his hypocrisy I think her portrayal aptly shows how his difficult upbringing has created a complex young man who predictably eschewed authority and demonstrated some integrity albeit in a ruthless business. I honestly pained for this man as I read her portrayal of his childhood and the circumstances of how he learned who his real father was and his complex relationship or lack thereof with his adopted father. Like many, a child of divorce in the 70-80s, I identified with the circumstances and it reminded me of how I felt and how these feeling drove me to express myself in music as well. I was however dismayed at the way the band apparently treated their drummer Dave A.. However, the fact that Dave was the only "previous" memeber of the band to contribute to the book does call into question the impartiality of the content in this regard. I would have like to have also learned more about the other members of the band who each give PJ their unique style and magic for it is the whole that makes a band not just one individual. By the way, this is a band that really shines and emotes in live performances. I can't stop playing this stuff.
A great early history of PJ
2006-03-15 - As a fan I found this book a very interesting read. Great details and stories go into each member's history and the formation of pearl jam. Excellent detail on the first few albums.
You should keep in mind that this is written from the point of view of a Rolling Stone magazine author so it is sure to have a slightly different angle on things than a fan. It was released just after Yield and therefore has a very very quick summary of the few years before it.
Of course pearl jam is still going strong and could probably warrant a second volume of this book. But this is a great look back at the early days of Pearl Jam.
