A true classic. (Ten - Pearl Jam)

Member Name: kylecoare

Product:	Ten - Pearl Jam
Date:	05/12/03 (35 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Eddies vocals, great musicians, well thought out tunes

Disadvantages: none.

PEARL JAM - TEN
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Pearl Jam, are a slightly unknown band in this country, which is a big shame as we seem to miss out on so much great American rock music, and end up with the watered down pop, even when we do get a nice guitar in a song, its by a "band" such as Busted, now don't get me wrong, I can see why lots of young kids like their music but it doesn't rock!

So this brings me to an album that does Rock, released way back in 1991, this was one of the first rock albums that I got into, I mean I was only 11 at the time!!
know 12 years later this album is still as strong and fresh as it was then.

THE BAND
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Pearl Jam were originally known as Mother Love Bone, but with the tragic death of their lead singer Andrew Wood, there came this great band.
Forming after the lead singer Eddie Vedder got a demo tape from the then Red Hot Chilli Peppers drummer, Jack Irons, who later went on to be a Pearl Jam drummer.
This was the first album of many, and the band is still recording and releasing things to this day.

When this first came out Pearl Jam where known as a grunge band, and alongside Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains and The Screaming Trees, they helped to create one of the most original and gripping rock genres to date.
A lot of people classed these as a poor Nirvana, but in fact the two bands share very little resemblance to each other, where Nirvana where a punky rock band, these had a more stadium style quieter rock sound, which has had more people trying to imitate it than Nirvana.

There have been a lot of more recent bands that have taken Pearl Jams sound, Nickleback and Staind to name but two, and yet I've still to hear a band that has as much skill and class as the originals!

THE MEMBERS
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The band members on this recording were :-

Eddie Vedder - Singer / Songwriter
Stone Gossard - Guitars r>Mike McCready - Lead Guitar
Jeff Ament - Bass
Dave Krusen - Drums

All members except the drummer are still in the band, there have been numerous drummers since but they never seem to stick for long!


THE ALBUM
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Well the cover is instant and clear, you have a picture of the five members all putting their hands together in a gesture of togetherness, against a red background with the name of the band and the title.
This cover opens into a kind of poster, with the lyrics to the songs on the back.

TRACK 1 - ONCE
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The first track opens with a little instrumental track, which is an exert of a track titled The Wash, which ends the album. It soon kicks into a nice groove with some fantastic guitars over a simple drum beat.
Then you have Eddies vocals come in, this is where Pearl jam have an edge over many bands, Eddies vocals are like an extra instrument, they really fit the music. Shortly after we get to the chorus, which is a quite arms in the air shouty effort, which cant fail to get you singing along.

This song is the first in a trilogy of songs in which Eddie writes about a man that kills someone, then ends up on death row, the other songs in the trilogy are alive and footsteps, only alive is available on any albums.

"Backstreet lover on the side of the road, got a bomb in my temple that is gonna explode, got a .16 gauge buried under my clothes, I play."

TRACK 2 - EVEN FLOW
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Kicking into a nice little riff almost as soon as the previous song as finished, this song, although not one of my favourites, is a very tight rock tune, with a lot of little solo type guitar and some nice drum and bass playing underlaying the track.
Vedders vocals keep this song together beautifully, if another singer tried to do this track then it wouldn't work, Vedder has a knack for making a song his own, and it shows on
this one.

TRACK 3 - ALIVE
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The first single, and the first track in the trilogy of songs that I mentioned earlier.
Opening with a nice little solo riff, then soon bringing the drums and bass into the mix, this song draws you right from the start.
Being part of the trilogy I spoke about at first, this song uses a lot of artistic licence as its also about Eddie Vedders hate for his father in law, a man that features in a lot of Eddies songs.
Halfway through the track slows down a bit, adding a lot of atmosphere, but it soon builds up into a crashing chorus.

TRACK 4 - WHY GO
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Kicking in with some great drumming and bass, this is a nice rocking little tune, whilst not a riff heavy monster, this has a slow burning little drum and bass sound that leads it, with mostly solo playing over the top.
This song is more about Eddies inspirational vocals, they really bring that extra dimension to the song which would be lacking without him.

"She seems to be stronger, but what they want her to be is weak, she could just pretend, she could join the game, she could be another clone."

TRACK 5 - BLACK
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One of the best rock tracks ever, you cant ask for much more than this song. It has been covered by numerous bands, although most of these are little unknown bands, although the latest to try it was Staind.
A slow lighters in the air type rock tune.
The guitar, bass and drums all come together to bring a really strong backing sound for Eddies thoughtful vocals, here you hear the absolute best of Eddies vocals, very meaningful and from the heart.

TRACK 6 - JEREMY
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The most well known Pearl Jam song, opening with a single little guitar riff, this soon builds up into being a great little lively track.
Again another song that is hard not to sing along to, even though the subject matter is that of a
school kid that goes into school and kills his classmates, it is based on a story that happened just down the road from where Eddie was staying at the time of writing.

"Daddy didn't give affection, and the boy was something that mommy wouldn't wear, king Jeremy the wicked, ruled his world."

TRACK 7 - OCEANS
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This was another single, and the title was one of the most appropriate titles I've heard, this song reminds you of oceans and water, with its wishy washy sound, its very entrancing.
The music seems to lift and drop kind of like waves, its a gorgeous sound, and to add to that you have Eddies vocals which are doing the same.
It has an almost 60's psychedelic type feel to it, but pushed into a 90's band.

TRACK 8 - PORCH
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After the slow track that preceded it, we get a loud rocking little number, this one is fast paced and very rocking.
It also contains a very nice uplifting chorus.
Halfway through the track there is a little solo by Mike, which doesn't distract from the song like a lot of solos do, in fact it draws you in to the cool finish.

TRACK 9 - GARDEN
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Another slow number, but this is where Pearl Jam are at their best.
With very little musical accompaniment Eddie is left to fend for himself until the chorus, which brings the guitars and drums out to the fore.
But as usual this song grows on you in very little time, and soon becomes one of the best on the album.

"The direction of the eye, so misleading, the defection of the soul, nauseously quick. I dont question our existence, I just question, our modern needs."

TRACK 10 - DEEP
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One of those album defining songs this, its a perfect track with some nice guitar parts and some truly rocking vocals by the mainman Vedder.
If you were to buy this for one song alone then this s
hould be it, pure class.

TRACK 11 - RELEASE
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So we reach the end of a top class album, with these albums I normally want a fantastic track to end it all, and this album provides that, with this track Pearl Jam take all of the best bits from all of the previous songs and put them into one song. It is a slow ballad type song, there are also some sections with very little music in which Eddie uses his vocals to full potential.
A great track to end a great album.


OVERALL
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This is a must buy for any true rock fan, whether your into Black Sabbath or Blink 182, no matter what type of music really, this is just a great rock album, which has so many good moments that it will be in your cd player for a long time.

The bands later albums actually improve upon this album, which is quite difficult to do, but they do tend to take the music in a different direction from what is on offer here.

Thanks for reading.
Kyle