Ten

or: My first real rock album.

Last week Pearl Jam released a completely remastered and remixed version of their first album Ten. Ten, was my first real rock and roll album that I ever purchased. I will admit that I was a bit late to getting to it (like three or four years) but I do remember secretly watching the video for Jeremy when it was first playing on MTV. At the time I was not allowed to watch MTV, and my mom would have been extra pissed if she saw me watching that video. She got mad at me one time when she caught me watching Boyz II Men "End of the Road." Back to my story though, before I really got into Ten I was listening to much softer stuff, like Boyz II Men (I still love that group, 4 Seasons of Loneliness, Water Runs Dry? Great songs).  Sorry, enough Boyz II Men.

My brother was the one who introduced me to Pearl Jam and their album Ten. It was the first time I ever really listened to anything that was some straight up rock.  I remember it kicking my ass when I first listened to it, and it still does today.  Ten has great guitar solos, crazy drumming and great singing.  Eddie Vedder has a voice that has many times been imitated (see Creed) but never duplicated (see Creed).  Not only can he sing but it is also what he sings about.  Ten was also one of the first album I ever got into that had anything to do with social issues.  Vedder tackled many different subjects; homelessness, teenage angst, psychiatric hospitals, murder, suicide, and depression.  Each song is truly a story on its own.  To go with the vocals Ten has some amazing guitar work.  Michael McCready is one of the greatest guitar players ever.  Just a little fun side not about him, when recording the song "Reach Down" with Chris Cornell, his headphone fell off and he continued to perform a 4 plus minute solo without being able to hear the backing track.  To hear some of the greatest guitar solos just listen to the songs Alive and Even Flow.  Another side note and my claim to fame, his mother was my middle school art teacher.

At some point in my life each of the songs on Ten has been on constant repeat for a couple of days.  I had not listened to Ten for a while until I got the remastered version.  I have been hooked again.  The remastered album sounds a lot different, there are many things that I did not hear in the old version.  The reverb has been taken way down and the guitars are even more up front.  It is a different sound for sure, but one that I am enjoying and getting my ass kicked by again. 

A quick note about a few of the songs...

Alive

This was one of the first songs that Pearl Jam ever wrote.  Vedder was given an instrumental version of this song when he was auditioning for the band.  He wrote lyrics that describe a fictionalized account of the time when he was told that the man he thought was his father was not actually his biological parent. I don't know how anyone could listen to this song and not think it is one of the greatest songs ever. Mike McCready's guitar solo was listed as one of the greatest guitar solos ever by the magazine Guitar World.

Black



Black is one of two slower songs on the album (Release being the other one). This song has one of the greatest lines ever.

"I know some day you'll have a beautiful life I know you'll be a star, in somebody else's sky but why why why cant it be me?"

The band refused to make a video for it or release it as a single because they felt it was too personal. Vedder personally called radio station managers to make sure the record label had not released the song as a single against his wishes. Some may think that is going a bit overboard but I think its kind of cool. Pearl Jam went on to never make a video for any of their songs again until their 1998 song Do the Evolution, which is one of the coolest videos ever.

So there are some of my thoughts about Ten.  I could write a lot more but I am tired now and I want to go to bed. Hey, that makes me think of another song.

Sorry, can't go out like that...