Ukulele Songs
Studio album by
Eddie Vedder
ReleasedMay 31, 2011
Recorded2010–2011
GenreFolk rock
Length34:50
LanguageEnglish
LabelMonkeywrench
ProducerAdam Kasper and Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder chronology
Into the Wild
(2007) 		Ukulele Songs
(2011) 		Earthling
(2022)

Ukulele Songs is the second solo studio album by American singer and Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder. It was released on May 31, 2011.[1] The album is composed of original songs and new arrangements of several standards.[2]

Cover art

The cover art features a photograph of the sculptural work "The Lost Correspondent" by Jason deCaires Taylor. The sculpture is underwater with many others at a dive site called Moliniere Bay – Underwater Sculpture Park, Grenada.[3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
The A.V. ClubB−[5]
Billboard(favorable)[6]
Entertainment WeeklyB[7]
Los Angeles Times(favorable)[8]
Pitchfork6.4/10[9]

The album has been met with generally favorable reviews and currently has a 68% rating on Metacritic. Rolling Stone magazine gave the album three and a half stars, saying "The ukulele doesn't allow for the widest range of expression, which makes it a challenging foil for Eddie Vedder, who never met a feeling he couldn't drive through a wall. But this uke-suffused album stands up because he adapts the instrument to his idiosyncratic needs."

Tours

Sign outside the Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles, in 2011

Eddie Vedder did a solo tour through various parts of North America to promote the album, with support from Glen Hansard.

Vedder stated that the shows would be performed in smaller venues than those used by Pearl Jam. He cites this as a relief, as he claims "It's hard to be subtle when the back row of the crowd is 200 yards away". The tour began on June 15, 2011 and finished on July 16 in Seattle. The tour received positive reviews from critics.[10][11][12]

In 2012 Vedder was scheduled to play shows across the Southern United States beginning in April.[13] However, these dates were postponed until November, after Vedder suffered temporary nerve damage in his right arm after an earlier injury to his back.[14] European shows started in July 2012, which included his first solo shows in the United Kingdom.[15]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Eddie Vedder, except where noted

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Can't Keep"2:35
2."Sleeping by Myself"1:54
3."Without You"3:19
4."More Than You Know" (lyrics: Billy Rose & Edward Eliscu, music: Vincent Youmans)2:25
5."Goodbye"2:28
6."Broken Heart"2:36
7."Satellite"2:19
Side two
No.TitleLength
8."Longing to Belong"2:48
9."Hey Fahkah"0:09
10."You're True"3:23
11."Light Today"2:41
12."Sleepless Nights" (featuring Glen Hansard) (lyrics & music: Felice Bryant & Boudleaux Bryant)2:39
13."Once in a While" (lyrics: Bud Green, music: Michael Edwards)1:45
14."Waving Palms"0:37
15."Tonight You Belong to Me" (featuring Chan Marshall (Cat Power)) (lyrics: Billy Rose, music: Lee David)1:42
16."Dream a Little Dream" (lyrics: Gus Kahn, music: Fabian Andre & Wilbur Schwandt)1:29
Total length:34:50

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[38] Gold 40,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "New Eddie Vedder Record and DVD Coming May 31". pearljam.com. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  2. ^ "Eddie Vedder Solo Album 'Ukulele Songs' Due In May". billboard.com. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
  3. ^ Poseur, Nameless (April 25, 2011). "Eddie Vedder Reveals Ukulele Songs Album Art • News •". Exclaim.ca. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  4. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r2170522
  5. ^ Hyden, Steven (July 5, 2011). "Eddie Vedder: Ukulele Songs | Music | Music Review". The A.V. Club. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  6. ^ "Eddie Vedder 'Ukulele Songs': Track-by-Track Review". Billboard.com. September 14, 2009. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  7. ^ Mikael Wood (May 25, 2011). "Ukulele Songs review – Eddie Vedder – Pearl Jam Review | Music Reviews and News". EW.com. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  8. ^ "Album review: Eddie Vedder's 'Ukulele Songs' – latimes.com". Latimesblogs.latimes.com. May 31, 2011. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  9. ^ "Album Reviews: Eddie Vedder: Ukulele Songs". Pitchfork. June 1, 2011. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  10. ^ "Eddie Vedder Performs New Tracks, Pearl Jam Deep Cuts at Solo Acoustic Show". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  11. ^ "Eddie Vedder Solo at Detroit's Fox Theatre Review – An Alternative Performance". lasplash.com. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  12. ^ "Live review: Eddie Vedder at the Wiltern". LA Times. July 10, 2011. Retrieved July 12, 2011.
  13. ^ "Pearl Jam frontman ventures across the south beginning April 11". billboard.com. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  14. ^ "Eddie Vedder Postpones US Solo Tour Dates". pearljam.com. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  15. ^ "Eddie Vedder announces first-ever UK solo shows". NME. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  16. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  17. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  18. ^ "Ultratop.be – Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  19. ^ "Ultratop.be – Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  20. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  21. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  22. ^ "Lescharts.com – Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  23. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  24. ^ "Greekcharts.com – Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  25. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Eddie Vedder". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
  26. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  27. ^ "Charts.nz – Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  28. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  29. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  30. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  31. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  32. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  33. ^ "Eddie Vedder | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  34. ^ "Eddie Vedder Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  35. ^ "Eddie Vedder Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  36. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2011". Billboard. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  37. ^ "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2011". Billboard. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  38. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Eddie Vedder – Ukulele Songs". Music Canada. Retrieved December 3, 2018.
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