ALBUM OF THE WEEK # 214 PEARL JAM - TEN (1991)

[RJhog (Admin)]

Artist: Pearl Jam

Genre: Rock/Grunge

Country Of Origin: United States

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Member: No

Album: Ten

RJ's Top 5 Songs: 1. Jeremy...2. Even Flow...3. Garden...4. Black...5. Alive

Disclaimer: All info that does not reside in my brain is gathered from wikipedia.com (mostly because Jon can't stand it).

I think this week we will revisit an era that some love and some hate.  The era better known as "grunge".  There were several bands that rose to fame during this period, but none more so than Pearl Jam.  So this week we look at the debut Ten.  First, a few facts:

• This album was monstrous, selling 13 X Platinum.
• Yet it only reached number 2 in the U.S.
• Billy Ray Cyrus was in the number 1 spot at that time.
• Alive, Even Flow and Jeremy all did well on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart.
• The song Black reached number 3 on the same chart although it was never released as a single.

Enough facts.  How 'bout some thoughts:

• When I listened to this album back in the 90's, I exclusively listened to the first six songs.
• Now, however, the only song I would consider skipping is Deep.
• I think Mike McCready is a fantastically underrated guitar player.
• Or maybe it's Stone Gossard that I feel that way about, not sure who plays what.
• The guitar solo on Alive is very similar to Ace Frehley's on She.
• This is really the only Pearl Jam album that I love.

1. Once

2. Even Flow

3. Alive

4. Why Go

5. Black 

6. Jeremy

7. Oceans 

8. Porch

9. Garden

10. Deep

11. Release

 

[Jon]

Ok, Zippy!

[Niels (Mod)]

Awesome album. Another one of those debut-albums, the band in question never topped. There are a few filler-tracks on the album, especially in the end of it. But it was what to expect on the coming releases, as Vs. and Vitalogy was rather big dissapointments compared to this album. Still one of the great albums from the 90's. Probably in my top 5 overall of albums from the 90's.

Vedder is one of altimes best singers, though. And again, I know what I'm talking about. You guys obviously don't.

I've never seen PJ live, but I certainly wish I had. Maybe it's not too late.

[Scott]

Have we ever done a Top 5 albums of the 90's?

[RJhog (Admin)]

Nope, but I'd love to see you start that Top 5 list!

[Jon]

Even Flow, of course I've heard this song before and it has always sounded like, "leeeeeaving...yabba, yabba, yabba, yabba, yabba, yabba, yabba, yabba doo".

The next song" SooOoon, yabba yabba yabba dididoo".

Never like the way Vedder held the mic. It's like there's something going on behind the scenes with him and that mic, something scary, something we have no business knowing.

It's funny, he's telling stories, yet they're stories I have no interest in. Kinda like reading Harry Pothead or Twilight or any of those other YA books that adults read because they're simplistic and it makes them feel really good that they're reading a book, even though it's a book aimed at kids. 

The drums sound like crap.

Long solo at the end because, you know, it gives the song some extra "meaning".

Hey, "stone" is a two syllable word in the world of Pearl Jam. He's stealing from Vandenberg, "Welcome to the cluu-uuu-uuu-uuub".

Cute. He gave a little screech, like someone grabbed his nether region and squeezed.

Keep repeating "why go home" and it really makes me not wanna go home.

Funny. Screech out "sheets". Again, makes the song more meaningful. In their world. Not mine. 

Man, his voice is annoying as hell. That friggin' warble crap. Like he's gurgling and singing. Gurgling what? i don't know and really don't care, but it's probably something between him and that mic.

I'm going to go and smoke some crack laced with Drano. It's the new "thing". Maybe it'll make the rest of the songs better. 

"Ah-HA-ha". Another deep lyric. Oh wait...."doo doo doo doo doo doo doo". That's even deeper. 

And now.....Jeremy. You know, the one with that video that had a message. I think. Did it? Couldn't watch the thing because of THE FRIGGIN' WARBLING.

This sucks. I wanted to smoke some of that Crano before listening to this song, but didn't and now have to suffer. "he hit me with a surprise left", guess you weren't prepared. A boxer you ain't. I wonder how many lives were changed because of this song. "Oh, I was in such a deep depression and then I heard this song and it turned my life around". Yeah, whatever.

"WHOO, WHOO, WHOO, WHOO"!   

What exactly did Jeremy say in class that day? They don't say. I wanna know. 

Just kidding. I don't care.

My, oh my, "Oceans" pretty much sucks, but I do get a slight Zep feel with the geetar™. Not with the vocals though. He's panting out a lot of "oh's", must be thinking of that mic. 

THE LANGUAGE!!!!!!!!

Well, he asked. Did someone end up hitting him?

"What should we name thins song? Hit me, please?"

"No, too many words. Can't use more than two in a song title".

"Let's just grab a word from the lyrics."

"Cool. Running?"

"No."

"Learned?"

"No".

"Porch."

"YES! 'Porch'!"

Have no idea where that came from, but if you say the word "porch" over and over, it sounds silly after awhile. 

Of course you must follow a song titled "Porch" with a song titled "Garden". It actually makes sense. Follow that with "Lawn Furniture", "Gnomes", "Sprinklers", "Grass", "Weeds" and "Trees" and you've got an album that could be featured on HGTV. 

"Deep". Sucks. Deeply.

He's singing with feewings.

Scream for me Portland! SCREAM!

His singing style on this song is especially bad. I guess he's singing like it's really, really, really, really, really, really "deep".

It's like the song never ends................................................................................

...................until now.

Great. He's moaning again.   

I heard something about a rocking horse. I didn't care yet again.

Fitting end to this album. "Release Me". Please, release me from ever having to listen to this again. To much supposed angst going on here, pity me, pity us, pity Jeremy, blah, blah, blah, yabba dabba dabba doo, warbly goo.

The geetar™ is decent throughout, but that voice just sucks. 

Yeah, give me CM vocals any day of the week over this.

Yeah, I'm done.    

[Gordon Williams]

I agree with several things already posted. I agree with how good the first 60 percent of the album is, and how it drops off after that. I do agree it's one of the better albums from the 90's. I do agree that their follow up work was not very good. I thought "Vitalogy" was bad. Bought it, and it was played twice, maybe three times, and has not been spun since.

I used to think grunge almost killed real rock n roll, but I think now that it just maybe saved rock n roll. I do think Alice In Chains is the best band from that era, although I really do agree with Jon that they are more a hard rock band, than a grunge band. But they came from that era, and from that area of the country (Pacific Northwest) where that whole "sound" was growing.

I also think Stone Temple Pilots was a great band, and still listen to their stuff today, along with AIC.

But how about some love for some Georgia Grungers??? Collective Soul is a great band from that era, as well.

I do not agree with Jon that this is not a good listen. But he is not wrong, it's just his opinion. And hey, a lot of people have died to give us that freedom. We should never forget that....ever.

[Jon]

Collective Soul started out fine, but after a few albums everything started to sound the same plus they seemed to go the soft-rock route. I do like their first two albums.