Number 86 - Ten by Pearl Jam

Number 86: Ten by Pearl Jam

The birth of a movement

Release: August 27th, 1991
Genre: Grunge
Favorite Tracks: Jeremy, Black, Even Flow

 

Where I heard it: 

When it comes to music, I've hardly ever consumed physical media apart from my vinyl collection that began amassing in 2013. Before then, it was pretty much always digital media like iTunes, and very occasionally I'd rip CDs on to my computer. In the summer of 2009 right before high school, I acquired about 8 CDs from a yard sale down the street from my house, many of which made it in my top 100. Among the pile was the debut from Pearl Jam Ten, which I was vaguely familiar with for the inclusion of Alive and Even Flow in Rock Band and Guitar Hero, respectively. These two songs provide textbook examples of the Seattle grunge movement that Pearl Jam helped popularize, but don't exactly represent the whole of what Ten sets out to be. As I discovered, this album and Pearl Jam as a band signify redemption in the wake of tragedy, and helped launch the group to the top of the charts.

 

"Is something wrong?" she said
Of course there is
"You're still alive" she said
Do I deserve to be? 
Is that the question?
And if so, who answers?
~ Alive

What to expect: 

While considered pioneers of the Seattle grunge movement, Pearl Jam's formation evolved from the dissolution of two of grunge's predecessors: Green River in 1987 and Mother Love Bone in 1990. Guitarist Steve Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament reunited for a studio session in 1991 a year after the death of Mother Love Bone vocalist Andrew Wood, recording a demo tape to release in search of a vocalist and drummer. Vocalist Eddie Vedder received a copy all the way in San Diego through Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons. Vedder sent back the demo tape with lyrics for the five instrumentals, which were eventually reworked and featured on Ten with the songs Once and Alive. Eddie Vedder's emotionally provocative songwriting added intensity and poignancy to the band's highs and lows, establishing him as one of the most iconic rock vocalists of all time. Although Vedder's vocal style has been given a bad rap in the past for being growly and incomprehensible at times, these textures are simply features of grunge music as a whole that don't entirely represent what the majority of Ten encompasses. When the lyrics come through, they shine bright and hit hard psychologically in songs like Jeremy and Black. The combination of Vedder's prolific vocal talents and songwriting depth ensure that every drop of emotion is extracted from each track on Ten, whether that emotion be sorrow, rage, comfort, or any combination of the three. I would also be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the incredible auxiliary performance of Pearl Jam's rhythm section, from the distorted guitar solos of Mike McCready to the deep impact of Dave Krusen's snare drum. Together, Pearl Jam helped introduce the unfiltered sounds of grunge music to the mainstream that would dominate the better part of the 1990s. The craziest part is that they're one of three Seattle based groups to amass a gigantic following, the other two of which will be featured later on this list...

I know someday you'll have a beautiful life
I know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky
But why, why can't it be
Oh, can't it be mine?
~ Black

 

Why it's my favorite: 

There's an odd sense of both melancholy and nostalgia that I have for Ten looking back on it. My time of its discovery coincided perfectly with my need for moody, emotional music as a teenager moving on to high school in a new city. I had a playlist made on my iPod that I could listen to when I was sad (who didn't?), and I think half of Ten was on that playlist. The album's semi-lucid aura would induce me into this meditative trance that I could immerse myself with and channel my feelings into, becoming numb to the problems around me. I've been reminiscing over these memories recently, many of which happened over a decade ago. I'm incredibly thankful that I remember exactly what music helped me through the tough times, and only vaguely remember the trauma of those times. Music has done a ton for me therapeutically from some of the strangest sources, but I don't think Ten is too farfetched an album to compliment an emotional time in one's life. Ten muses over relatable topics of fragmented parental relationships and social unrest that resonate with the masses, despite their superstardom. Pearl Jam was always about the message and never about the image, and it's a message I received loud and clear.