Pearl Jam's "Oceans" video

Where a video like Guns N' Roses' Patience is mired by its pretense and rock cliche (due to its back story), Pearl Jam's "Oceans" takes footage from a natural environment.  The band had apparently vacationed somewhere in Hawaii in 1992, after their debut album "Ten" had taken off the previous year.  You can see planes flying, a man cliff jumping, surfing, and other natural footage.  The band are photographed at their leisurely, and given the timing it feels like a subtle yet powerful reminder of the explosion that took place in 1991.

"Patience" does nothing to enhance GNR's reputation as rock gods.  They already were.  But "Oceans" does add a dramatic layer of rock iconography.  The editing is effortless and seamless; and maybe the most memorable image ingrained is Vedder stage diving into the crowd while the picture bleeds into ocean waves flowing onto shore.  The music's buildup gives the feeling of immediacy.

Despite being overshadowed by "Jeremy," this is one of the finest examples of video editing ever.

The Verve: essential albums

I will update these recs with more detail later.  I'm just trying to get them down for now for the beginner.  I go with their early years exclusively as they are the more ethereal sounding...

1. A Storm In Heaven (1993)
2. She's A Superstar single (1992)
3. No Come Down (b-sides, 1993-94)
4. The Verve EP (1992)


After that it becomes difficult to pinpoint if it should be Gravity Grave, All In the Mind, or Slide Away singles.  I would not add Blue because they contain acoustic versions which are inferior to the original versions.