Cameron Crowe's Video for Pearl Jam's "The Fixer" Premieres

In May, Pearl Jam played a secret show at Seattle's Showbox in anticipation of their new album Backspacer. Now, the result of that surreptitious concert has been revealed in the Cameron Crowe-directed video for the new LP's first single "The Fixer." Making use of large video screens simultaneously projecting the band performing and the audience, "The Fixer" is reminiscent of other old-school in-concert Pearl Jam videos like "Alive" and "Evenflow," with Crowe's free-wheeling cameras adding a sense of being in the thick of the performance. "The Fixer" video will also reportedly appear in Target commercials promoting Backspacer.

As we inch toward the September 20th release date for Pearl Jam's ninth album, another track off the LP, "Supersonic," leaked out this weekend as fans began receiving the 7'' inch single for "The Fixer," which boasted "Supersonic" as its B side. As Rock Daily previously reported, "Just Breathe" was featured in a making-of Backspacer video that premiered last week, and "Got Some" was performed by the band on the debut episode of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. Pearl Jam's concert in London recently also featured Backspacer's closing track, "The End," and a demo of "Speed of Sound" was given to fans who participated in that online art scavenger hunt.

Wondering what the rest of the album sounds like? Thanks to Amazon.co.uk, now we know: 30 second clips of the entire Backspacer are currently streaming, so fans can get a sneak peek at songs like "Johnny Guitar," "Force of Nature," the non-demo version of "Speed of Sound" and the rest of the album. Pearl Jam's U.S. tour kicked off last night at Chicago's United Center, with another Windy City concert scheduled for tonight, August 24th.

Related Stories:
• Pearl Jam Tell Story Behind "Backspacer" in Making-Of Video
• Pearl Jam Break Out New Songs, Rarities, Ronnie Wood in London
• Pearl Jam Play Secret Seattle Show for Target Ad as Band Strikes Deals for New Release

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Song Stories

“All Along the Watchtower”

The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1968

Jimi Hendrix got hold of Bob Dylan's early John Wesley Harding tapes and in late 1967 recorded a version of "All Along the Watchtower" with the Experience in London. Dissatisfied with that first development, Hendrix brought those tapes with him to New York in early 1968 when he began work on Electric Ladyland. Eddie Kramer, Hendrix's engineer at the time, told Rolling Stone that Hendrix "was still looked upon by his basically white audience as the mammoth black guitar hero. There was a constant fight within him to expand himself." Hendrix's successful take on Dylan's work has long been recognized by the songwriter. "I liked Jimi Hendrix's record of this and ever since he died I've been doing it that way," Dylan wrote in the liner notes to his Biograph box set. "Strange how when I sing it, I always feel it's a tribute to him in some kind of way."

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