Pearl Jam captures man”s inhumanity to man and other living things in the video for “Mind Your Manners.” Directed by noted rock photographer Danny Clinch, the video opens with a quaint ’50s film about the importance of manners before crashing into a Pearl Jam performance in front of a screen quickly cutting to different disturbing images.
[More after the jump…]
Some of the images are animated versions of missiles and warfare (similar to much of Green Day”s “American Idiot” imagery), while others are videos and stills of disasters, such as what looks like the Japanese tsunami. They span decades. Among the most striking is lead singer Eddie Vedder executing a perfect rock-and-roll leap in front of a visual of an American flag with barbed wire as stripes.
The lightning fast images play out perfectly with the song’s taut, punk feel. Guitarist Mike McCready has talked about channeling the spirit of the Dead Kennedys for the song and the group succeeds. Speaking of McCready, while much of the performance footage is in silhouette, Clinch wisely zooms in on his snarling guitar solo about half-way through the tune.
“Mind Your Manners” is the first single from “Lightning Bolt,” which comes out Oct. 15.