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Article: Pearl Jam's 'Ten' turns 25, sets up inevitable Rock Hall induction
Blredyellow
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in The Porch
http://www.cleveland.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2016/08/pearl_jams_ten_turns_25_before.html
CLEVELAND, Ohio – It's crazy to think about now, given the idolatry surrounding Kurt Cobain. But during both their peaks in popularity, Pearl Jam was a bigger band than Nirvana. And it wasn't really all that close.
The bands' breakthrough albums – "Ten" and "Nevermind"— were slow sellers out the gate in 1991. The latter took off first on the strength of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and its now iconic video. But "Ten" eventually surpassed "Nevermind" as the monster grunge album of its era.
By 1993, "Ten" was one of the biggest rock records of all-time, earning Pearl Jam a Time magazine cover and fame its members never fully got comfortable with.
Still, it's important to look back on Pearl Jam's debut and its impact on music. Not only because the album turns 25 years old on Aug. 27. But also because "Ten" serves as the crowning achievement for a band that should coast into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame during an induction ceremony next April.
Formed out of the ashes of Mother Love Bone, a band that might have become the quintessential grunge act had its lead singer not overdosed on heroin, bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard would look towards a new project. But it was the additions to the lineup that would give Pearl Jam its distinct sound and personality.
Original drummer Dave Krusen served as a steady force on "Ten's" best songs, from the one-two punch of "Alive" and "Even Flow" to the energetic "Why Go."
Then there was guitarist Mike McCready, whose coming out party on "Alive" put the entire rock world on notice. McCready's style was a mix of alt-rock and Mike Bloomfield-inspired blues, making the duo of McCready of Gossard one of the most formidable in rock music.
The final piece, of course, was Eddie Vedder, the prototypical grunge singer credited (and blamed) for inspiring numerous acts that would come after, from Creed to Nickelback.
In retrospect, Vedder seems like a disciple of Bruce Springsteen, a singer whose rough voice could blow your hair back with his ability to make moving lyrics more profound and utterly gut-wrenching.
It wouldn't take long for Pearl Jam to become Vedder's band, as he always had the most magnetic personality of the bunch. But "Ten" still seems like the most collaborative album Pearl Jam ever put out.
Future albums, especially "Vitalogy," were far more complex and heavier in emotional weight. "Ten" was straight-forward, unleashing McCready at obvious moments (see: "Why Go") and knowing how to let Vedder consume a song.
If there's a track to "blame" for crooners like Chad Kroeger, Doug Robb, or Caleb Followill emulating Vedder, it's "Jeremy." Vedder's vocal performance is one of the most haunting and hair-raising in rock history, every bit as good as Cobain's triumph at the end of "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
What gets lost in the hoopla created by "Jeremy's" compelling video is the elaborate story Vedder was telling lyrically. The song, whose inspiration has been well documented, features just some of the dark subject matter Vedder writes about on "Ten." The other standout story involves a kid whose father dies and then goes on a killing spree (outlined in "Once" and "Alive").
The latter half of "Ten" is a back and forth between stadium rock and more classic rock oriented songs, from the thrill ride of "Porch" to the epic slow burn of "Release." But at the center of the entire album is Pearl Jam's greatest track.
If you had to introduce a newbie to Pearl Jam, you would play them "Black," a song featuring everything the band stands for. Vedder's vocals transition from somewhat melodic to drenched in pain at the chorus. Ament's bass playing merges perfectly with the dual guitar work of McCready and Gossard, before the former takes over with an epic solo.
Where other grunge acts faded after their breakthrough releases, either for a failure to adapt or personal tragedy, Pearl Jam used "Ten" as its mesmerizing starting point. The band released nine more albums, each of which went at least gold.
And the social messages featured on "Ten," whether tackling the plight of the homeless ("Even Flow"), youthful strife ("Jeremy") or depression ("Why Go"), remain hallmarks of Pearl Jam 25 years later.
"Ten" is the prologue to the story of a band that remained true to itself, while releasing some of the best and most influential rock music of the last two and half decades. I suggest you get your Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2017 tickets as soon as they go on sale.
CLEVELAND, Ohio – It's crazy to think about now, given the idolatry surrounding Kurt Cobain. But during both their peaks in popularity, Pearl Jam was a bigger band than Nirvana. And it wasn't really all that close.
The bands' breakthrough albums – "Ten" and "Nevermind"— were slow sellers out the gate in 1991. The latter took off first on the strength of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and its now iconic video. But "Ten" eventually surpassed "Nevermind" as the monster grunge album of its era.
By 1993, "Ten" was one of the biggest rock records of all-time, earning Pearl Jam a Time magazine cover and fame its members never fully got comfortable with.
Still, it's important to look back on Pearl Jam's debut and its impact on music. Not only because the album turns 25 years old on Aug. 27. But also because "Ten" serves as the crowning achievement for a band that should coast into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame during an induction ceremony next April.
Formed out of the ashes of Mother Love Bone, a band that might have become the quintessential grunge act had its lead singer not overdosed on heroin, bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard would look towards a new project. But it was the additions to the lineup that would give Pearl Jam its distinct sound and personality.
Original drummer Dave Krusen served as a steady force on "Ten's" best songs, from the one-two punch of "Alive" and "Even Flow" to the energetic "Why Go."
Then there was guitarist Mike McCready, whose coming out party on "Alive" put the entire rock world on notice. McCready's style was a mix of alt-rock and Mike Bloomfield-inspired blues, making the duo of McCready of Gossard one of the most formidable in rock music.
The final piece, of course, was Eddie Vedder, the prototypical grunge singer credited (and blamed) for inspiring numerous acts that would come after, from Creed to Nickelback.
In retrospect, Vedder seems like a disciple of Bruce Springsteen, a singer whose rough voice could blow your hair back with his ability to make moving lyrics more profound and utterly gut-wrenching.
It wouldn't take long for Pearl Jam to become Vedder's band, as he always had the most magnetic personality of the bunch. But "Ten" still seems like the most collaborative album Pearl Jam ever put out.
Future albums, especially "Vitalogy," were far more complex and heavier in emotional weight. "Ten" was straight-forward, unleashing McCready at obvious moments (see: "Why Go") and knowing how to let Vedder consume a song.
If there's a track to "blame" for crooners like Chad Kroeger, Doug Robb, or Caleb Followill emulating Vedder, it's "Jeremy." Vedder's vocal performance is one of the most haunting and hair-raising in rock history, every bit as good as Cobain's triumph at the end of "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
What gets lost in the hoopla created by "Jeremy's" compelling video is the elaborate story Vedder was telling lyrically. The song, whose inspiration has been well documented, features just some of the dark subject matter Vedder writes about on "Ten." The other standout story involves a kid whose father dies and then goes on a killing spree (outlined in "Once" and "Alive").
The latter half of "Ten" is a back and forth between stadium rock and more classic rock oriented songs, from the thrill ride of "Porch" to the epic slow burn of "Release." But at the center of the entire album is Pearl Jam's greatest track.
If you had to introduce a newbie to Pearl Jam, you would play them "Black," a song featuring everything the band stands for. Vedder's vocals transition from somewhat melodic to drenched in pain at the chorus. Ament's bass playing merges perfectly with the dual guitar work of McCready and Gossard, before the former takes over with an epic solo.
Where other grunge acts faded after their breakthrough releases, either for a failure to adapt or personal tragedy, Pearl Jam used "Ten" as its mesmerizing starting point. The band released nine more albums, each of which went at least gold.
And the social messages featured on "Ten," whether tackling the plight of the homeless ("Even Flow"), youthful strife ("Jeremy") or depression ("Why Go"), remain hallmarks of Pearl Jam 25 years later.
"Ten" is the prologue to the story of a band that remained true to itself, while releasing some of the best and most influential rock music of the last two and half decades. I suggest you get your Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2017 tickets as soon as they go on sale.
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6/29/06 - Milwaukee, WI
9/25/11 - Vancouver, BC
11/4/12 - (Eddie Vedder) Phoenix, AZ
11/1/13 - New Orleans, LA
11/19/13 - Phoenix, AZ
11/21/13 - San Diego, CA
10/12/14 - Austin, TX
10/22/14 - Denver, CO
8/22/16 - Chicago, IL (Wrigley 2)
2010: Newark 5/18 MSG 5/20-21 2011: PJ20 9/3-4 2012: Made In America 9/2
2013: Brooklyn 10/18-19 Philly 10/21-22 Hartford 10/25 2014: ACL10/12
2015: NYC 9/23 2016: Tampa 4/11 Philly 4/28-29 MSG 5/1-2 Fenway 8/5+8/7
2017: RRHoF 4/7 2018: Fenway 9/2+9/4 2021: Sea Hear Now 9/18
2022: MSG 9/11 2024: MSG 9/3-4 Philly 9/7+9/9 Fenway 9/15+9/17
LOOKING FOR A SINGLE TICKET TO MSG NIGHT 2
2010: Newark 5/18 MSG 5/20-21 2011: PJ20 9/3-4 2012: Made In America 9/2
2013: Brooklyn 10/18-19 Philly 10/21-22 Hartford 10/25 2014: ACL10/12
2015: NYC 9/23 2016: Tampa 4/11 Philly 4/28-29 MSG 5/1-2 Fenway 8/5+8/7
2017: RRHoF 4/7 2018: Fenway 9/2+9/4 2021: Sea Hear Now 9/18
2022: MSG 9/11 2024: MSG 9/3-4 Philly 9/7+9/9 Fenway 9/15+9/17
LOOKING FOR A SINGLE TICKET TO MSG NIGHT 2
6/19/95 Red Rocks
9/11/98 MSG
11/19/12 EV solo Tulsa
7/19/13 Wrigley 10/19/13 Brooklyn 2 10/21/13 Philly 1 10/22/13 Philly 2 10/25/13 Hartford
10/08/14 Tulsa 10/09/14 Lincoln
9/26/15 New York City
4/16/16 Greenville 4/28/16 Philly 1 4/29/16 Philly 2 5/1/16 MSG 1 5/2/16 MSG 2 8/7/16 Fenway 2 8/20/16 Wrigley 1
4/7/17 RRHOF New York City
9/02/18 Fenway 1 9/04/2018 Fenway 2
9/18/21 Asbury Park
9/11/22 New York City
9/14/22 Camden
6/19/95 Red Rocks
9/11/98 MSG
11/19/12 EV solo Tulsa
7/19/13 Wrigley 10/19/13 Brooklyn 2 10/21/13 Philly 1 10/22/13 Philly 2 10/25/13 Hartford
10/08/14 Tulsa 10/09/14 Lincoln
9/26/15 New York City
4/16/16 Greenville 4/28/16 Philly 1 4/29/16 Philly 2 5/1/16 MSG 1 5/2/16 MSG 2 8/7/16 Fenway 2 8/20/16 Wrigley 1
4/7/17 RRHOF New York City
9/02/18 Fenway 1 9/04/2018 Fenway 2
9/18/21 Asbury Park
9/11/22 New York City
9/14/22 Camden
I'm so grateful and happy to have been a part of this all this time. May sound weird, but I'm going to be so proud of them getting up there and accepting the induction. There's no question they deserve it and it's great to set them get the recognition
2010: Newark 5/18 MSG 5/20-21 2011: PJ20 9/3-4 2012: Made In America 9/2
2013: Brooklyn 10/18-19 Philly 10/21-22 Hartford 10/25 2014: ACL10/12
2015: NYC 9/23 2016: Tampa 4/11 Philly 4/28-29 MSG 5/1-2 Fenway 8/5+8/7
2017: RRHoF 4/7 2018: Fenway 9/2+9/4 2021: Sea Hear Now 9/18
2022: MSG 9/11 2024: MSG 9/3-4 Philly 9/7+9/9 Fenway 9/15+9/17
LOOKING FOR A SINGLE TICKET TO MSG NIGHT 2
~not a dude~
2010: MSGx2
2012: Made In America
2013: Pittsburgh, Brooklynx2, Hartford, Baltimore
2014: Leeds, Milton Keynes, Detroit
2015: Global Citizen Festival
2016: Phillyx2, MSGx2, Fenwayx2
2018: Barcelona, Wrigleyx2
6/19/95 Red Rocks
9/11/98 MSG
11/19/12 EV solo Tulsa
7/19/13 Wrigley 10/19/13 Brooklyn 2 10/21/13 Philly 1 10/22/13 Philly 2 10/25/13 Hartford
10/08/14 Tulsa 10/09/14 Lincoln
9/26/15 New York City
4/16/16 Greenville 4/28/16 Philly 1 4/29/16 Philly 2 5/1/16 MSG 1 5/2/16 MSG 2 8/7/16 Fenway 2 8/20/16 Wrigley 1
4/7/17 RRHOF New York City
9/02/18 Fenway 1 9/04/2018 Fenway 2
9/18/21 Asbury Park
9/11/22 New York City
9/14/22 Camden