Hello monoxyde,

Lovely to hear from you again. I was afraid you'd given up on this place! My apologies for not being around. Things were very busy and I had a family medical situation to take care of which thankfully turned out for the better. Truthfully, I'd been checking in here at least once a week during my "absence", but was reluctant to post as there was no news I thought you and others wouldn't have already found out about, plus I am also wary of posting about "just anything" Jeff-related in case people don't find it interesting. But, if you do think I should post at will and are willing to read/listen to my yammerings, just gimme the word! Hehehe...

Glad to see you got the interview to play. What a treat it was to watch!! Very cool of him to do that interview from the "home base" in Missoula as well, like you said. Between this interview, some pics within the liners to the second Three Fish record, and his 30-second cameo comments in Dogtown and Z-Boys, I actually feel I've seen more of Jeff's place than I'd have ever thought I would! Seems like he's got a great place for himself there.

I don't know about you, but I could definitely go for a mainly-acoustic PJ theatre tour! Truth be told, though I adore their entire catalogue, I personally derive the most enjoyment from their quieter, mid-tempo-and-"down" songs. IMHO, that style is where they're at their best... Not only does the group dynamic shine through, but I think it also at the same time allows for each member's individual talents and contributions to be examined a little more closely. And hey, if Pearl Jam ever does to a theatre tour, perhaps I will be one step closer to my little unrequited dream of seeing Ed and Jeff duet on "Dead Man" in an intimate setting, a la the Bellingham warmup show in 2000 or the Not In Our Name benefit.

Haven't heard anything from Laura, unfortunately, since she posted her update about the site a few months ago.

You're welcome for finding the interview. I knew you (and the folks here) would be pleased by it. Best wishes on the stage tech situation and have a great time.

Hey again, monoxyde... Thanks for the warm wishes and your blessing to post at will. I'll see if I can come up with some topics worthy of discussion. At least I know you'll be around here to discuss them with!

My understanding is that the Dogtown and Z-Boys interview was done at his home in Missoula, as I recognize some of the scenery from the photos from the liner notes to The Quiet Table, which I know were shot in Montana. I also think I can see stairs in the background of the Dogtown clip, and I know his place in Seattle is just an apartment. You're right about the Bass Player interviews and photo sessions -- those are definitely Seattle-based.

The house in Missoula was indeed created along with a girlfriend according to what I've read; however, Jeff and that particularly lady broke up long ago, and I don't know how much they really were together in that house. I have a copy of one article in particular from 1996 in which the place is described as his "new house which (he) designed with a former girlfriend." As far as I know, Jeff and Pandora have been together since about 1997, as I believe she's even credited with taking at least one photo in the Yield liner notes. I also get the impression that in that time, Jeff and Pandora have had some "off" periods of varying lengths (based on some allusions he's made in interviews from then until the present), but that it's generally been a steady, serious relationship, and from everything I gather, it's been absolutely "on" non-stop since 2001, as any hints or outright public mentions he's made since then have referred to him being in a relationship with her. My understanding is they're living together right now and the dog seen in the background of that new interview footage is actually hers. I'm pretty sure the hat designer girlfriend was from the Green River era, and also, the woman named Penny referred to in the Ten "Thank-You" section is his mom.

Hey Discofunction,

I did what you asked and got a couple of screen shots for you but, damned, I can't load them in here and I don't know why. Stay tuned, I'll try to figure out what I'm doing wrong.

Hey ladies,

Firstly, Disco, the only way I know of being able to post pics on this Board is if they are already posted on the 'Net... Then you'd simply right-click, copy and paste. I'd help with screencaps if I could, but I absolutely don't have the software necessary.

Monoxyde, the photos from within the liner notes to The Quiet Table I'm referring to are mainly the kitchen shot you mentioned and I'm also thinking of that closeup photo of what seems to be the contents of a bulletin board/desk/shelf with the notes and souvenirs on it. With regards to the article mentioning how he designed the house with a now-ex, all I can remember of it right now is that it was a Three Fish newspaper interview. I can't find it online anywhere and my paper copy of it is unfortunately stuffed in a box somewhere at the moment. I'll post it once I can dig it up.

With regards to whether the dog is his or not, I'm thinking it belongs to Pandora because she mentioned a dog named Cookie in her bio and when checking the Lost Dogs back cover artwork, there's a flyer made up for a dog named Cookie with a pic that looks like the dog visible in that video interview. Also within that "'Cookie'' flyer art, there's a reference to someone named Andre being the owner. Without wanting to implicitly say the connection, if you again correlate that with Pandora's Save The Children bio, I think you'll realize another connection there. Again, all this leads me to believe the dog is hers, not his, although if they're living together, I suppose the dog is "theirs" (shared) at this point.

My understanding is that Matt Cameron remains the only bandmember who's married. I certainly recall those Mexico press conference photos, and while some of the guys were wearing rings, I have no idea why Jeff's was on his "married" hand. Perhaps he was trying to fend off groupies since it was their first trip down there! (J/K!) Actually, around the time of the third Boston show on the Riot Act Tour, it seems Jeff began wearing a ring on his right ring finger, which is the same ring that appears in the Mexico pictures. I'm only speculating here, but I'd venture a guess it's some kind of commitment symbol re: his relationship with Pandora. And I have to echo your (Monoxyde's) comments earlier: She really does seem like a wonderful woman in all respects, and I'm lead to believe they have a ton in common. Without trying to sound exceptionally weird, I think it's great they found each other. They seem like an excellent pair.

Continuing on... Monoxyde, I have to say I feel the same way about seeing a side project or a guest appearance by a PJ member without enjoying the main attraction for its own merit. Although buying a ticket would ultimately put money in the artist's pocket, I think it's hugely disrespectful to go to a show if you aren't truly there in support of the headlining act, or if you're just going to gawk at and/or try and meet one of the people they're playing with. Now, if 3F suddenly resumed a touring schedule and I had the chance to go, I would, because I genuinely enjoy them as a band, beyond them being Jeff's side project. But, as a counterexample, the Finn bros. played in my town last night, and in the weeks leading up to the show, I'd seen posters advertising that it would be "Neil and Tim plus Special Guest". I could only imagine the number of folks who bought tickets thinking Ed was gonna be that guest considering his history with them. Turns out that wasn't the case, but even if it had been, I wouldn't have kicked myself for not being there. While I like the Finn brothers' music, they're not an act I would've typically bought a ticket to see, and I don't think I could have justified my presence at the gig if I'd gone just to play "spot the Pearl Jam frontman."

Re: "Resonate" and "My Only Foe", I'd never seen lyrics for them online until The Sky I Scrape finally posted some in 2002. Whenever anyone on a Board ever asked about them, I'd just transcribe the songs myself to the best of my own knowledge/hearing. If I may say so, I think the versions on The Sky I Scrape have some errors -- or at least, they're different in parts than what my ears detect. (I could be the one in the wrong, of course!). I think generally, Jeff does a fine job when he's allowed a more prominent role on vocals -- be it as the lead man or the principle backing vocalist. I really enjoy how his vocals overlap with Robbi's on "My Only Foe"... I think I've mentioned this here before, but for an added treat when listening to that song, I recommend using a vocal-fader effect to take what Robbi's singing out of the mix. It then sounds like Jeff's singing independently, and if you listen closely, you catch tiny, subtle differences in the lyrics Jeff sings versus what Robbi sings.

I promise to discuss JA's 3F songs a little more in the near future. Alas, I've gotta log off for now. Monoxyde, thanks big-time for your kind words.  I feel the same way about you. Incidentally, I've very flattered, as I can't remember the last time anyone called me "ïnteresting" in a positive context!

Cheers, all, and I'lll try and post again in a couple of days.

Bringing back an old thread here, but for those who are interested, here's that Three Fish newspaper article I referred to above...

- I'm transcribing this by hand, so any typos are the fault of yours truly -

Three Fish born out of spiritual interest of Pearl Jam bass player

By Gene Stout, The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, Mass. July 5, 1996

The idea for Jeff Ament's new band, Three Fish, took root on a trip to California's Big Sur. Ament, the bassist for Pearl Jam, met singer-instrumentalist Robbi Robb of Tribe After Tribe several years ago when Robb's group opened for the Seattle rock band.

"We'd hung out on a couple of Pearl Jam tours, but we felt like we never got to finish our conversations," Ament said the other day.

During a break in recording Pearl Jam's 1993 album, Vs., Ament suggested the two meet for a four-day weekend in Big Sur. "Every night, we'd lay in these hot tubs and drink chianti," Ament said. "It's a place where Aldous Huxley and Joseph Campbell and Henry Miller hung out."

Ament and Robb share a fascination with ancient religions.

"I grew up in a pretty hard-core Catholic family in Montana. I was an altar boy for years," Ament said. "A lot of the college courses I took were on comparative religion and humanities because I was confused and I didn't feel right about Catholicism. It opened up a whole new world."

Robb, on the other hand, grew up in a Tibetan monastery, where his mother taught. Robb learned to meditate at an early age.

"We've shared these religious experiences and they've been very similar, but at the same time, totally different," Ament said. "He's a really knowledgeable guy as far as religions and so forth. I can hang around and have conversations with him until we're too tired to talk anymore. It's just one of those intense friendships."

Ament invited Robb to come to Seattle to record with him and Richard Stuverud (of Pilot, Lazy Susan, Fastbacks, War Babies, and Bombardiers), as well as auxiliary keyboardist Cary Ecklund. Those sessions led to the formation of Three Fish by Ament, Robb and Stuverud, whose self-titled debut album was released last month on Epic Records. The trio will perform Tuesday at the Lansdowne Playhouse, above Mama Kin, in Boston.

"Over the course of 10 days, we wrote about half of what ended up being on the record," Ament said. "It was so much fun. It was great to make music and not have any pressure. It was very different from Pearl Jam. There weren't any expectations. Plus, I was the guy who was writing most of the music. That was especially fun for me because I was getting out stuff I'd had in my head for a long time."

The band's music was inspired by shared interests in ancient religions, exotic music and world travel.

One thing is apparent: Three Fish is different from anything Ament has done with Pearl Jam. A blend of soft rock, ambient music and Middle Eastern sounds, the album is trippy and meditative. In addition to fretless bass and 12-string guitar, Ament played the djembe, an African drum. The group's first video, "Laced", was directed by Frank Suffert and filmed in Cairo and Istanbul. Ament and his brother, Barry, did the album art, basing their designs on ancient woodcuts.

"We had a lot of drums and percussion instruments in the studio, and though Richard (Stuverud) hadn't played a lot of those instruments before, he did some beautiful stuff," Ament said.

Three Fish was named for a 13th-century Sufi poem written in Arabic and later translated into English. The poem was in one of the many religious books lying around the studio.

"(Robbi) started reading it to himself and I picked up the guitar and started playing this little figure," Ament said. "A week later, we listened to the tape and thought, 'Wow, that's pretty magical.'"

Ament isn't sure what the parable of the Three Fish really means.

"We've come up with all sorts of different ideas on what it's about," he said. "One of the translators thought it was about taking any and all chances for love. Whatever it took to make love happen, you just went for it. I think there's something about that sort of writing that inspired us. Life's short, so make the most out of it."

Ament, Robb and Stuverud plan a short tour before Pearl Jam's new album is released in September. "We'd like it to be intimate and not be a scene. We want people to be able to sit down. It's not going to be a rock 'n' roll show. We have a lot of ideas, so we'll see what happens when we start rehearsing," Ament said.

"Taking on this tour has caused me a little anxiety because I'm not in my safe little Pearl Jam shell," Ament said. "I know Pearl Jam can go out and play shows and really rock. But with this, there's a certain edge. Part of it comes from the fear of falling flat on our faces."

Ament recently became a gossip item while hanging out with pal Dennis Rodman of the Chicago Bulls during the NBA championships. "I didn't want to be perceived as being a Bulls fan. I played hoops down at this gym one night and the guys were calling me a traitor for hanging out with Dennis," he said. "But I'm a Sonics fan and (Dennis) knows it."

When Three Fish finishes its tour in August, Ament plans to return to his new ridgetop home -- equipped with a recording studio and a basketball court -- near Missoula, Mont.

"It's pretty basic. It's not a small house, but it's not a castle either," he said. "One side looks out on Missoula, the other on the Bitterroot Valley."

After a short vacation at his new home, which he designed with his former girlfriend, Ament will rejoin his bandmates in Pearl Jam for the release of the new album. "We're still in the last stages of sequencing and deciding what songs are going to be on it. We recorded few too many. Hopefully, we can get that all nailed down soon," he said.

The band's new drummer, Jack Irons, influenced the sound of the new album. "I think there's definitely a departure and I think Jack had a lot to do with that," Ament said. "I think Jack worked really hard before he came in and had some definite ideas and I think it pushed us into a new area that was totally exciting."

This fall, Pearl Jam plans to perform a series of East Coast shows that were scuttled last year, as well as a return to Europe for the first time in three years. No Boston-area shows are planned.

Ament said the band will have to come up with a new strategy for a larger tour of North America. Pearl Jam canceled a U.S. tour in 1994, and band members aired their differences with Ticketmaster before a House subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C., after filing a complaint against the ticketing company with the Justice Department. The Department's decision to drop its investigation last year was a major blow to Pearl Jam.

Despite Pearl Jam's long-running dispute with Ticketmaster, Ament said band members' spirits are high. "Even when we weren't making music, everyone was talking to each other and communicating and hanging out, which was something we hadn't done for a couple of years because we were always so busy," Ament said. "I think everyone's itching to play now."

You're most welcome for the transcription job! I had a few spare moments... It was no trouble, really. As you've probably guessed by this point, I'm hugely into articles and interviews, so whenever I can share a transcript or a link, I'm more than happy to do so. In fact, as much as I'm always searching for copies of things myself (For example, that thread of mine out on the Board about the Australian radio cassette...), I think I get even more out of providing the interviews for other people. So again, you're very welcome, and naturally, I've had a blast being able to talk with you (monoxyde)! Thanks for your compliments. Your contributions to this Board have been wonderful!!

I believe this Board has a Private Message feature, so, just drop me a line there if you'd like to discuss anything "less publicly". Truth be told, I'm not comfortable giving out an e-mail address, and also in terms of e-mailing me something with a .doc attached to it,  I've been unable to work with attachments for months since my CPU is in horrible shape. I'd just be asking you to cut 'n' paste things into the body of the e-mail anyhow. Would it be possible for you to start a thread out here on the Board and just paste your information in?  I'm not a musician, but I would certainly be interested in reading your info package on Jeff's basses. I can only imagine how much work you've put into the document, so from that end, it's something I really want to see. Also, I respect the tools he works with, and as such I still think I can draw some kind of insight from reading about them.