It’s one of the most iconic albums of the last 30 years. Pearl Jam’s ‘Ten’ is a loaded classic. Of course, there are many mega-albums from this era: Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind,’ Alice in Chains’ ‘Dirt,’ Soundgarden’s ‘Superunknown,’ and Mudhoney’s ‘Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge.’ And sandwiched between those records was a debut album from a band that had risen out of the remains of tragedy. Losing their frontman from a heroin overdose. They recruited a moody, growling vocalist and rebranded themselves Pearl Jam. And instantly got to work on an album. And when it dropped, it dropped.
What made Pearl Jam different than their peers was a healthy dose of 70’s hard rock. Nirvana and Mudhoney hailed from a punk influence while Alice in Chains and Soundgarden were much more influenced by heavy metal. Pearl Jam fit right in between all that. And their debut album ‘Ten’ was precisely the order of the day. Aggressive, gritty, dirty and also sensitive, it was exactly what the fans of the Seattle scene were craving. And ‘Ten’ catapulted Pearl Jam to the top of the charts and mega-stadium success. Which still continues to this day. However, most fans still feel that Pearl Jam’s first two albums ‘Ten’ and ‘Vs.’ have never been eclipsed. And I’m inclined to agree with them. Not that there aren’t some great moments. But nothing matches ‘Ten.’
When you’re talking about kick ass skater rockers like ‘Why Go,’ ‘Even Flow’ and ‘Once,’ it’s hard to think of any better Pearl Jam albums. ‘Once’ is an eponymous 90’s opening track. Followed by the epic groove of ‘Even Flow,’ it’s one of the strongest one, two punches of any rock album. The next track ‘Alive’ is one of the major hits that propelled ‘Ten’ to diamond status. The iconic chorus melody almost extends the reach of Pearl Jam. Then ‘Why Go’ annihilates your ears, your speakers and your soul. It’s just too much fun singing with the background vocals. Another iconic track ‘Black’ strikes after. Still iconic, still played to this day. When you hear the opening chords you just know what it is. Then Eddie Vedder’s vocal melody comes in and everyone’s singing along.
But perhaps the most famous song on ‘Ten’ is the enigmatic ‘Jeremey.’ It’s perhaps what Pearl Jam is best known for. For me, it’s certainly the first song I knew from them. And to this day it’s still one of my favorite songs, not just from Pearl Jam, not just from the Seattle scene, but in all of rock. The opening bass melody is iconic. And when the groove comes in, it compliments the line flawlessly. Then it just builds and builds so subtly that you don’t even recognize that you’re just jamming hard by the end of the song. Not only that, but the subject material of the lyrics was ahead of it’s time. About a bullied kid turned shooter. A prominent subject of todays world.
The back end of the album isn’t as strong as the front. But there are some great tracks. ‘Porch’ is a great, early example of Pearl Jam’s punk creds. Which they would display more on their third album ‘Vitalogy.’ The bluesy ‘Deep’ resembles of the Mother Love Bone years. Before Eddie Joined the band. Both ‘Oceans’ and ‘Garden’ share a trippy, folky vibe. But the hook during the chorus on ‘Garden’ gives it major hit potential. But there were already so many strong singles that ‘Garden’ has fallen through the cracks a bit. The album closes with ‘Release.’ A powerful ballad that’s filled with nearly the same amount of passion as a King’s X track.
Over the years ‘Ten”s success has only grown. It’s been remastered and re-released so many times I’ve lost count. Some of them are quite worth the buy though. I actually prefer the ‘Ten Redux’ remaster over the original release. It’s heavier and contains significantly more grit. Pearl Jam also still plays most of the album live to this day. PJ have had an excellent and extended career. Many successful albums and ups and downs. But ‘Ten’ still remains the best album Pearl Jam has ever done.
