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The unofficial "TEN is the greatest album of all time" thread

LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSunLikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun Posts: 6,097
edited June 2008 in The Porch
edit: bumped in recognition of it cleaning up in the ultimate album thread.


I know there are different kinds of Pearl Jam fans out there, and I know that one class of fan is the old school Ten lover fan.

I stand before you proudly as one of those fans. To me, Ten is not just the greatest Pearl Jam album, but the greatest rock album of all time. why?

No matter how much I love a new album from PJ or another band, if i play it enough I will get sick of it. But this is not the case with Ten. I must have played through Ten literally thousands of times, and I'm still not tired of it. I've put Alive on replay for days and I CANT GET SICK OF HEARING IT. And MY GOD how can you not hear Eddie's ferocious wail on Porch and not be in total awe. Once is the perfect opener and Release is the perfect closer, and Black is the saddest song ever written by man. I even love the weird ghosty sounding Even Flow. It kicks ass!

Eddie's voice on Ten is what angels must sound like. Angels of an angry God. His sound is what I feel when i'm heartbroken, angry, depressed, or even happy. Some dont like it, and i can accept that. its weird and kinda scary, but nothing sounds better to my ears.

I love that, 15 years later, I can walk into any bar with a juke box and within 30 minutes a Ten song will be played. And if its not I'll play it my damn self.


Sure, I love their other albums (No Code being a close second), and all bring something different to the table, but nothing beats the instant classic that was Ten. Its shear classic rock in all its glory.

just had to get that off my chest...
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • HartydogHartydog Posts: 2,060
    Ten to this day speaks to my soul in ways I can't explain
    Boston 9-28-04, 5-24-06, 5-25-06, 5-17-10, 8-5-16, 8-7-16, 9-2-18, 9-4-18
    Ft Worth 9-15-23
    Hartford 5-13-06, 6-27-08, 10-25-13
    Mansfield, MA 6-30-08, 6-28-08, 7-2-03, 7-3-03, 7-11-03, 8-29-00, 8-30-00, 9-15-98, 9-16-98
    Worcester 10-15-13, 10-16-13
  • wolfbearwolfbear Posts: 3,965
    I know what you're talking about. Ten didn't leave my car until vs came out. I never got tired of it. There are just too many good boots to listen to now. :D
    "I'd rather be with an animal." "Those that can be trusted can change their mind." "The in between is mine." "If I don't lose control, explore and not explode, a preternatural other plane with the power to maintain." "Yeh this is living." "Life is what you make it."
  • faithful2youfaithful2you Madison, WI Posts: 779
    ...just an album that started it all. That's all.

    That album will never mean as much to the fans that we'ren't around during the time period. For those of us that were between the ages of 17-23 (give or take), that album means more to us than those that weren't will ever know.
    Like a word misplaced...nothing said...what a waste
  • 58823005882300 Posts: 813
    Ten is pure perfection and no other music will ever feel like someone is ripping my beating heart right from my chest. I was 18 when it dropped, what a fucking time it was. I used to be jealous of folks that lived the 60s. Not so much after that! I am getting a huge adrenaline rush as I type.
  • LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSunLikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun Posts: 6,097
    i dont think it was named Ten on accident. While the boys just thought they were naming it after Mookie Blaylock's jersey number, in reality the forces of nature and the rock gods came together to cosmically allign the stars and quietly persuade PJ to name it Ten.


    They couldnt have known that it was, in fact, the perfect album.
  • webberf1webberf1 Posts: 160
    Pretty damn spectacular album. Always a great start for someone whos never heard of PJ before to listen to.
  • Spot In The SkySpot In The Sky Posts: 1,175
    I was seven when Ten came out....so I couldnt grasp it.
    But I "understood" their albums starting at Vitalogy
    I love Ten like a kid brother, but Ill never know it the way you people did when it first came out.
    "The world is dangerous, feel safe here tonight..." EV 9/17/06

    38+6 shows at the age of 27 and counting...but still no Undone

    My podcast: Hotel Manager Talk- Dedicated to Hotel Employees, tell your friends. http://www.HotelManagerTalk.com
  • QuarterToTenQuarterToTen Cincinnati, Ohio Posts: 3,642
    Hartydog wrote:
    Ten to this day speaks to my soul in ways I can't explain

    agreed. there will never be another Ten, ever.
    Nice shirt.
  • tkacztkacz Posts: 91
    I'm with ya brother ! While I like something about each album, Ten is and always will be the quintessential album for me !

    Gulp.... 7 yrs old... I was 20 when it when it hit. I will never forget sitting in the hard rock cafe in Times Square NYC hearing Alive for the first time. Or being at lollapalooza and seeing the massive throng of hundreds if not thousands of people who rushed the hill at Starlake Ampitheatre in PA when the first note of the opening song hit.

    Live's throwing Copper had a similar impact on me, but is a testament to Pearl Jam that they kept the magic going over and over again.... Same can't be said for Live IMHO....

    BTW... I think I may have heard/seen Air Supply at age 7 in Clearfield, PA. I am very happy that pearl Jam was around for the next generation ;-)

    tk
  • Them-BonesThem-Bones Posts: 518
    I remember 3 years ago, at the start of the summer I was really into Nirvana, so I went through my moms CD's and I found In Utero, Core (STP's first album), Nirvana Unplugged, and TEN.

    I listened to it non stop all summer.

    Now that I own all the albums I can see Vs. is my favorite, but theres something really special about Ten.
    "If my thoughts, dreams, could be seen, they'd probably put my head, in a guillotine, but it's alright ma, it's life and life only."
  • JwmccJwmcc Posts: 451
    Third CD I ever bought when I was 12 years old. Never got tired of listening to it then, never will.
    Jw
  • 58823005882300 Posts: 813
    I don't consider myself old, infact I still feel like I am 18. Too bad I am 34. Reading the posts of all of the youngins makes me really grasp what an important and amzing thing we all had when this shit all hit the fan back in the day. It also makes me feel weird because like I said I don't feel old. I spent the entire month of June over in Europe following them around. (What a fucking trip, I am still in withdrawl even though I got into the Vic when I got back)

    Glad to have all of you younger people rockin' them with us! Shows just how fucking bad assed they are.
  • SPEEDY MCCREADYSPEEDY MCCREADY Posts: 25,754
    TEN could very well be ....

    the greatest fucking album released by any band.....

    ever.......

    but i can also say the same for VS.

    riot act sucks monkey balls.........
    Take me piece by piece.....
    Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
  • PJbauer88PJbauer88 Posts: 87
    i'm the same way. i can never get sick of ten. it's appropriate for every season, every emotion, and every situation you could ever find yourself in during your life. the album is seriously perfect in every way, and the fact that it was their first just shows how special this band really is.
    drowning, drinking the light
    god's eyes are closed, just like yours
  • xkevvxxkevvx Posts: 348
    Them-Bones wrote:
    I went through my moms CD's and I found In Utero, Core (STP's first album), Nirvana Unplugged, and TEN.


    That makes me feel so old. Someone going through their MOM'S CDs and finding tht stuff...
  • 58823005882300 Posts: 813
    xkevvx wrote:
    That makes me feel so old. Someone going through their MOM'S CDs and finding tht stuff...


    My mom doesn't even own a cd and if she did it would be some lame ass neil diamond shit or something. Hats off to that kids mom. If I ever decide to have kids I will buy big old earphones, put them on my belly, and scream "let me introduce you to Michael"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • CitizenRickCitizenRick Posts: 1,079
    faithful2you wrote:
    That album will never mean as much to the fans that we'ren't around during the time period. For those of us that were between the ages of 17-23 (give or take), that album means more to us than those that weren't will ever know.

    You hit the nail squarely on the head!

    I was 21...and it changed my life! Someone out there had finally understood me and went through the same things that I had.

    That was a great era for music...and Ten opened my eyes and ears to it all.
    "Had my eyes peeled both wide open, and I got a glimpse...of my innocense, got back my inner sence, baby got it...still got it"
  • glasshouseglasshouse Posts: 1,762
    i was 10 years old when ten came out and haven't the slightest idea the band even existed.

    revisiting ten quite frequently these days i also believe it is one of the most inspirational hard rock albums of all time. difficult to honestly deny ten as being pearl jam's greatest offering to date.
    Athens, Greece: 2006/09/30

    "Call me Ishmael. Some years ago- never mind how long precisely- having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world." Herman Melville : Moby Dick
  • patronsilverpatronsilver Posts: 31
    The bands first and still their best
    10/22/90, 8/23/91, 1/3/92, 12/8/93, 12/9/93, 2/5/95, 2/6/95, 9/14/95, 9/14/96, 9/15/96, 9/16/96, 7/21/98, 7/22/98, 11/5/00, 11/6/00, 12/8/02, 12/9/02, 5/30/03, 10/22/03, 9/1/2005, 9/2/2005, 7/6/2006, 7/22/2006
  • pjten77pjten77 Posts: 225
    I was 15 when Ten came out. Talk about being lucky!!

    There was a lot of amazing music while I was in high school 91-95'. I still listen to Ten all the time. I find it amazing that the songs still resonate with me so many years later.....and are still relevant today....Like Garden...."I don't question our existence I just question our modern needs"......priceless songs for sure!!!
    Toronto-96/Barrie-98/Pittsburgh-00/Toronto-00/Buffalo-03/Toronto-03/Kitchener-05/Toronto-05/Hamilton-05/Toronto I-06/Toronto 2-06/E.V. Toronto- 08/ Toronto- 09/Buffalo-10/Hamilton- 11/ London- 13/ Buffalo- 13/Detroit- 14/Ottawa-16/Toronto II-16/Fenway I & II- 16
  • jonbond1779jonbond1779 London, UK Posts: 1,641
    I was 13 when TEN was released. I remember listening to the album on repeat in my room. Feels like a lifetime ago. Sometimes find it hard to believe Im still listening to PJ now - with more enthusiasm and understanding of the band and their music.

    Its important to have something to believe in!
    "Bring it back, to the clean form. To the pure form"

    28/09/04 - Boston, 20/04/06 - London [\\mm//Astoria\\mm//] - 18/06/07 - Wembley Arena, 11/08/09 -  London [\\mm//Shepherds Bush Empire\\mm//],18/08/09 - 02 Arena, 25/06/10 - Hyde Park, 26/06/12 - Amsterdam, 27/06/12 - Amsterdam, 08/07/14 - Leeds,11/07/14 - Milton Keynes, 13/06/18 - Amsterdam, 18/06/18 - London 02 Arena, 17/07/18 - London 02 Arena, 08/08/22 - Hyde Park, 9/08/22 - Hyde Park - 25/08/22 - Amsterdam, 29/07/24 - London {*Tottenham Stadium TBC*}
  • Niko80Niko80 Posts: 1,610
    TEN!! YES!!! What an album!

    VS started it for me but I agree that ten is a monster! It is and always will be the 'greatest pj album of all time' because of its momentum. The way it impacted on the music scene and how it still, after 16 years, continues to inspire young music lovers.

    I wonder where the 'this is bullshit, yield is so much better...' people are. Im surprised they havent started crying about this thread yet..

    Viva la Ten
    I will swallow poison
  • inmyrvminmyrvm Posts: 933
    cough YIELD cough
    "Fuck the talkin' let's start rockin" - Eddie Vedder 9-5-00 Pittsburgh
    4/26/03 Pittsburgh 5/3/03 State College 7/12/03 Hershey 10/1/04 Reading 9/28/05 Pittsburgh 5/20/06 Cleveland 6/23/06 Pittsburgh 6/22/08 DC

    friends don't let friends listen to good charlotte
  • faithful2youfaithful2you Madison, WI Posts: 779
    inmyrvm wrote:
    cough YIELD cough
    Yield is a kick ass album...y'er right.

    I don't take anything away from any of their other stuff.....but Ten grabbed me from the inside and brought so much to light in my life. In a way, Yield did the same thing....it was an important album with what I had going on in my life in 1998. Just like Ten when I was 19 and heard it for the first time.

    Long Live Pearl Jam
    Like a word misplaced...nothing said...what a waste
  • LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSunLikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun Posts: 6,097
    thing is i had barely ever heard of PJ until around 95 or 96 (no rock stations or internet for me). So when i first got it in college i didnt really know much about them. Ten blew me the fuck away. I'm kinda glad i didnt hear them in the early 90s. i had a clean slate to hear it and its still my favorite album.

    I love that they change their sound with every new release, but somewhere deep in my cold black heart I still desperately need to hear more Ten like songs. None of their recent albums have had the emotional impact that Ten had on me.
  • harmless_little_f***harmless_little_f*** Posts: 8,005
    No arguments from here. I was eleven when it came out and I've practically worshipped Pearl Jam ever since.
    'We're learning songs for baby Jesus' birthday. His mum and dad were Merry and Joseph. He had a bed made of clay and the three kings bought him Gold, Frankenstein and Merv as presents.'

    - the great Sir Leo Harrison
  • hrd2imgnhrd2imgn Southwest Burbs of Chicago Posts: 4,899
    people on this board who have said this is their worst album are just fucking idiots.

    I agree with a previous thread, being a fan at the time it was so huge makes it a lot different than a late bloomer coming in.

    The rawness, the energy, the amazingness of it being put together in less than a week by guys who were strangers to an extent....unreal.
  • Soulfire42Soulfire42 Posts: 404
    Ten is an epic album (no pun intended). It is an album even my mother (fan of Cat Stevens, Joplin, Dylan, etc.) took notice of and she stated that there was power and emotion in it that she hadn't heard from anything new in a long time. I believe it is one of those albums where even the old guard knew that somebody had managed to capture the fire of rock once again. Eddie's vocals were not constrained, nor was he afraid to let emotion carry the music rather than be bound by the law of a sentence. His voice soared into the peaks of the music and dove into the valleys as another stunning instrument to something which was seething and beautiful already. Ten is the music that sparked a fire in the belly of a generation and in the band itself, as you can see by watching any video from that period of time. Ten should be immortalized in rock legend and should be embraced by the fans of Pearl Jam who have done it a great disservice over the years in places like these message forums.
  • pearlzepfanpearlzepfan Posts: 456
    Ten always makes me think of Christmas Eve for some reason, I listen to it a lot more in the Winter, but it's still, I think their greatest album, while not my favorite
    "I'm a thief, and I dig it"
  • The Severed HandThe Severed Hand Posts: 214
    I agree we all can show TEN a whole lot more love. If this album wouldn't have shook the air waves and took the world by storm then Yield may have never been. I rate every song on Ten 5 stars. I can't say that about any of the other albums. PJ has seemed to include tracks that are so forgettable and brings the momentum to a complete halt.(untitled, red dot, bugs, pry to)

    Ten is a non stop soul releasing thrill ride. Alive rocks a crowd like no other song I have ever heard.
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