Pearl Jam's album Vitalogy is about the band wrestling with fame, the preciousness of life, and their identity as artists, often expressed through themes of struggling against forces that compromise integrity. Inspired by an old medical encyclopedia, the album's title and artwork reflect a study of life, death, and pain, while songs explore both raw rockers and experimental pieces. It is considered a turning point where the band began to distance itself from mainstream rock to pursue their own artistic path.
