Unlike many (most?) on the thread I don’t own Ten and didn’t listen to it at the time, so though I’m familiar with some Pearl Jam tracks this has been a welcome opportunity to find out what all the fuss was about when they appeared on the scene. So, thank you for the nomination
@BlueHammer85 , I think your tendency to occasionally chuck in better known albums works really well, as evidenced by the discussion.
Much of what I’d be inclined to say has already been said but a few things that spring to mind:
Agree with many who say the first half of the album is stronger than the second but I’m not necessarily convinced that’s entirely because the songs are of a significantly better quality; I think there’s also a bit of fatigue sets in, it’s not monolithic but it’s very similar in tone throughout and though I like Vedder’s voice I’m beginning to find it slightly one dimensional by the end of the album. If I listen to 4 or 5 tracks at a time, I don’t have that problem irrespective of which 'slice' of the album I listen to. All that said Once is ok but combined with Even Flow and Alive constitute a great opening to an album and it would be fairly miraculous to keep that going across 11 tracks.
Black seems a bit divisive as a song but I think it just about avoids crossing over into the most despicable expression of music known to mankind, the power ballad, and so I quite liked it.
Jeremy is an interesting song, in that it’s the most familiar but I’ve never really been 100% convinced by it. Musically I really like it but lyrically I have a problem with songs like these. I’m of the view that if you are going to cover this type of subject matter your have to achieve two things (a) say something meaningful and (b) don’t be overly reductive about it; both of which are really hard do whilst still making something people want to listen to. This feels like it was made with the best of intentions but I’m not sure it quite achieves both those things and so its musical merits are slightly compromised for me personally. That said it’s just a picky personal thing and you can hear the inspiration for dozens of subsequent bands and singers in this and the rest of the album.
The production has actually stood the test of time pretty well I think. Unlike other bands of the time there’s not the same aversion to reverb and a clear guitar lead which makes it sound quite safe in comparison but it didn't stay in the gated reverb hell of the 80’s and big hair, so to me it sounds ok albeit not particular innovative.
This album is never going to resonate with me at an emotional level in the way it will someone a few years younger; I was getting into my career and was too busy suppressing whatever residual teenage angst and esteem issues I had by buying fancy work suits, pretending to be grown up and generally being a bit of a twat. However, I like it and I think I get why it is a beloved album for lots of people. It’s very radio friendly, actually a lot less heavy than I expected it to be to the point where in some strange way it connects to my poppy side as much as any interest in rock. This in contrast to say Soundgarden who, from the stuff I know, I wouldn't think of in the same way.
Talking of other bands, when I’m less familiar with something I enjoy the opportunity to read around stuff like reading about Pearl Jams origins and the Green River split with Mark Arm ultimately leading to different routes for PJ and Mudhoney (current topic of debate with elder son is whether Superfuzz Bigmuff is any good or not); anyway it occurred to me that the scene from which a genre emerges is always more interesting than the genre itself. There’s almost always an intriguing network of bands and artists that are often mutually supportive but at the same time competitive, superficially doing similar things but maybe with very different ambitions even within the same band. There's always the 'winners' not necessarily those who you might expect or feel merit it even. It put me in mind of the tales from the period when Sly and the Family Stone were establishing themselves and also the scene that Love were part of. The lives of real people striving for something are far more interesting than the genre labels which as
@Coatigan has already said tend to morph into something else subsequently.
I don’t think Ten is a masterpiece and in some ways it’s a bit more conservative and slick than I was expecting but I think it’s very enjoyable and it’s an 8/10 for me.
