Ten - Pearl Jam (CD 1991)

Indeed! Another Epinions submission destined to generated absolutely no revenue. Oh, well. I'm bored, so why not write up a little something about a fine, fine disc?

Pearl Jam's Ten, released in 1991, is a rather confusing album. Why? It's dismissed by folks who don't know any better as just another "grunge" album, and I suppose that limits the appeal of it in some circles. Hell, this is one of the finest debuts in rock n' roll history. In fact, it's one of the finest, true rock n' roll discs ever recorded.

Funny thing is, this disc sounds like it could have been recorded in about 1975 as it has all the huge guitar sound, riff-heavy, distorted stylings of a *monster* arena-rock album. Sure, the lyrics aren't about hedonism, chasing women and acting like a damned fool, but the guitar-god attitude is there. In short, this sounds a heck of a lot like a great classic, hard rock album, but you've got some intelligent lyrics in there regarding neglected children, homelessness, violence and other weighty topics -- not exactly themes handled with marked success by the likes of Aerosmith or Nazareth, but Pearl Jam clearly owes a debt to bands such as those.

The music here has a certain bluesy undertone to it, perhaps owing to guitarist Mike McCready's blistering leads. In addition to the mid to slow tempos on the album, the thing most intriguing here is Eddie Vedder's warm baritone (which just adds to the inviting atmosphere of the entire album). Sure, the man slips into the habit of mumbling like he has a mouth full of marbles from time to time, but the passion in his voice makes the delivery as important as the message, anyway.

As for what songs to listen out for, just about everything is good. Sure, "Deep" and "Porch" are a bit plodding and predictable, but slow, brooding numbers such as "Black," "Oceans" and "Release" truly allow Vedder to show off the range of his voice. Particularly compelling is the guitar noodling and slow build-up of release. Don't get me wrong, the faster-paced numbers are dandy fine, too, particularly mega-hits such as "Alive" and "Jeremy." Interestingly enough, "Alive" and "Even Flow" are right together and open with amazingly similar guitar riffs. I guess if the formula works, why mess with it?

So, ignore the damned grunge label slapped on this one. It's a fine disc recorded by a group of folks with a certain affection for classic rock. Pearl Jam simply took an established genre, interpreted it in a new way and cranked out one hell of a good disc. In fact, it's appealing to hear an honest-to-goodness rock n' roll album in this day and age when bland, corporate pop is inflicted on us several hours a day.

Oh, the cover is just idiotic -- the unified, collective "high five" thing just doesn't work. Who cares, though? Toss the cover out the window if it bothers you that much.