By JENNIFER BISHOP
Blast Oklahoma Bureau

As live performers the members of Pearl Jam are energetic and passionate. As composers of melody and lyrics they are above the mass mediocrity produced over the last 20 years. As human beings they are true to self and the spirit of creativity. No one can tell these guys what to do, not the recording industry hierarchy, not the bandwagon whores, not even the deified dollar.

This collective need to control and filter out any external influences from their music is exactly why Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, Eddie Vedder, and Jack Irons are respected by some and ridiculed by others. The real beauty is none of them care if they are understood. Theyıve continued to strive for one basic ideal openness in all things, which includes making music because they enjoy it. Some would call this success, while others would call it being able to look in the mirror without seeing an aura of greed.

Pearl Jam has come full circle now in their theory that life is a state of mind and in the way they choose to share their music. A home video has been rumored for a long time. I'm talking years.

Now the wait is over and "Single Video Theory" is available for die-hard fans and sideline admirers. The video comes in at just over 45 minutes and takes the viewer into the secret rehearsal space used by the band. I've always fantasized my favorite band (Pearl Jam, duh) would see me out somewhere, like a record store or a 7-11 getting beer and invite me to a rehearsal. The setting on "Single Video Theory" is exactly what I would see if this ever happened.

Picture yourself in a warehouse-sized room on the chilly side of Seattle supported by the stiff combination of leather and wood that comes with sitting on a swivel stool. The band is there rehearsing songs from their fifth and latest album "Yield." You hear the intricate finger picking on the first single "Given To Fly" and you watch Eddie, Mike, and Stone discuss using an E-Bow on "Wishlist," the latest single. Don't miss the look in guitarist Mike McCready's eyes as he describes those times on stage when Eddie's intensity is frightening. As always the concentration is focused on the music, but the video includes interviews with all five members.

Guitarist Stone Gossard talks about the fact that four of the 12 songs on "Yield" have lyrics written by band members other than their primary lyricist, vocalist Eddie Vedder. "That's one thing about this record: Everyone got individual efforts, everyone got a chance to be a part of this one in a new kind of way. It was a nice evolution, everyone learned a lot from that process, a kind of letting go and thinking you've got to just trust the band and let it do what it's naturally going to do."

Watching "Single Video Theory," it becomes obvious that Pearl Jam have used their experience to court a free flow of artistic energy. "We paced ourselves and we didn't rush through it (the making of 'Yield') and we tried to be as creative as our collective minds would let us be over some course of time, instead of just trying to rush through a record," says drummer Jack Irons. The outcome is a record that gels not from being pressed into a mold, but from natural expansion into a groove.

"It's evolved. It was actually pretty good right from the beginning. Now itıs like a total collective, I mean it's all five of us in there with our hammers and claws banging it out," says vocalist and guitarist Eddie Vedder with a wide smile of contentment. I tell you they are banging it out, not just on the record but in the visual department too.

There was a time not too long after the video was released for "Jeremy" (the last single from their debut album "Ten") when Pearl Jam refused to do videos. They didn't want to be a piston in the money-making engine (MTV). The band felt that videos detracted from the music. Thanks to time and a way-cool partnership, we are reminded that the only constant is change.

The video for "Do The Evolution" debuted on MTV's "120 Minutes" in August. It's an animated collaboration of Pearl Jam and Todd McFarlane (creator of the comic book "Spawn"). The video explores the song's theme: the paradox of humanity's self-congratulatory and lofty view of their place in an evolutionary scheme and the reality of humanity's selfish and hateful actions. This is one reason why I am impressed by Pearl Jam because they dare to dig deeply into the human condition and yet still manage to make me want to get up and wiggle my ass. Contemplate the meaning of life while headbanging, and you'll get an entirely new perspective on the world!

Music is a power, an omnipotence to be respected. It can open minds and hearts; it can be a social mirror reflecting positive and negative, it can rally people to demand change. "I think music is, at least for me, one of the more healing art forms. I think anybody can put on a pair of headphones, put in a disc or listen to their records, and have it change their mood for the day," reflects bassist Jeff Ament.

What fascinates me on a personal level is that the members of Pearl Jam anticipate and expect change. They have the courage to use their public influence to pressure the government to do what is right, what is beneficial for us all.

This September, members of Pearl Jam, REM and Chris Cornell of Soundgarden sent a letter to Vice President Al Gore requesting a meeting with him to discuss the 3 million acres of unprotected wilderness in Washington that is in imminent danger of being cut down for industrial logging. The Washington Wilderness Coalition (www.wawild.org) is assisting in this effort.

(This is not the only altruistic project Pearl Jam is involved in. For a complete list and more information on the band you can visit their Synergy web site at www.sonymusic.com/artists/PearlJam. If you visit Synergy be prepared for a site that is truly dedicated to the fans.)

Toward the end of "Single Video Theory," Eddie Vedder muses on the concept of the album's title "Yield": "It's really given way to nature. That's what I've been thinking."

Perhaps this hard rocking, deeply self-determined band can inspire more people to think that way.