COMM 380:  Media Criticism

 

 

 

From the first track’s haunting opening riff to the instrumental “secret” track , Pearl Jam’s debut album, Ten, draws listeners into the, often dark, emotions of their music. Considered among one of the best albums of all time – ranking number six on the Rolling Stones’ Top 100 Albums of the 1990’s – Ten was not an immediate success and didn’t reach the top of the charts until nearly a year later (Classic, 2011).

 

While Pearl Jam’s detractors make valid points about Vedder’s hit or miss vocals (Hiatt, 2009) and I believe that his “marble mouth” style could be much improved, I also feel compelled to point out that many grunge bands of the 90’s had less than stellar singing abilities. For example, Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit has lyrics that are so unintelligible that Weird Al Yankovic, the Muppets and others have made their own versions, which do not seem completely

implausible from an auditory perspective.

 

Pearl Jam is led by lead singer Eddie Vedder, who was actually the last member to join

the group (Eddie Vedder, 2014). Additional band members include Jeff Ament on bass, Stone

Gossard on guitar, Dave Krusen on drums, Mike McCready as lead guitar, Walter Gray on cello

and Rick Parashar who plays piano, organ and percussion. Finding quick success, the band

eventually cancels a tour in order to support their anti-mainstream stance – all due to pricing

disputes with ticketing giant, Ticketmaster – and even refused to produce music videos or release

singles (Eddie Vedder, 2014). In the end, Pearl Jam’s desire to adhere to grunge rock principles

while still achieving success is part of what makes Ten such an epic album. High quality song

writing and production combined with the typical grunge exploration of topics like depression and suicide are key components to this record.

Ten opens with Once, a song that is actually out of sequence. At first listen, Once is the story of someone expressing their inability to control their emotions and give into the violence.  In the larger context, Once was written as part of a trilogy that includes Alive (also on Ten) and Footsteps, which is released on a later album (Classic Rock, 2011). If we skip ahead to Alive, we get the context that the boy who is now struggling to contain his rage was the victim of deception and, ultimately, incest. This gives significantly different meaning to this opening selection.

 

Next up is Even Flow, which tells the tale of a homeless man and the sad, failed attempts

at making his way back into society. The melodies draw you in and the contrast to the dark

subject matter is thought provoking and I wonder if the unique order of these opening songs was

a purposeful attempt to question societal rules as we move on to Alive for the back story to

Once.

 

Next up is Why Go, which opens with drums and guitars, but doesn’t keep fans waiting long for Vedder’s lyrical journey into a mental institution. Implying that the parents who left her there are the reason for being there, Why Go (home) has us questioning the ties that supposedly bind us. The next song, Black, is lyrically ambiguous, but leaves me with a sense of loss and longing. It obviously had a similar effect on audiences since it made it to #3 on the Billboard Music charts without ever being released as a single (Hiatt, 2009).

 

The song Jeremy was inspired by a true story of a high school student who shot himself in front of his classmates (Classic Rock, 2011). Keep in mind that this was well before school shootings, sadly, became a more normal occurrence in society. An oddly catchy tune given the brevity of the topic, Jeremy is a constant contraction of emotions for listeners. Similarly, Oceans and Porch continue the theme of loss, but with a much less poignant emotional pull.

 

 

Garden seems to turn the focus inward. Not to what we lose around us, but to what we find within us. “I don't question our existence, I just question our modern needs,” is a lyric that leads me to believe the song writers and band want us to consider our priorities and where we fit into the greater picture of life. Deep and Release seem to continue with the religious element, but it feels more like a question of what is good or bad on earth and in heaven, with hints of sin and

redemption throughout.

 

While some tracks are obviously more rock than grunge, Pearl Jam’s “grunge light” sound continues to be a contributing factor to both their fans and detractors. The “Secret” track at the end after Release repeats the haunting, emotional pull of the intro and one can picture a room of fans swaying to the beat, moved by the almost tribal quality of the music. It’s this ability to connect on a deep emotional level that makes

 

Ten arguably one of the best albums ever made.

Last year, Ten became the 22nd album to sell over ten million copies (Gundersen, 2013) and I

doubt they’ll stop there.

 

 

References

Classic Rock Review. ( 2011). Ten by Pearl Jam. Retrieved July 17, 2014 from http://www.classicrockreview.com/2011/08/1991-pearl-jam-ten/

 

Eddie Vedder. (2014). The Biography.com website. Retrieved July 20, 2014, from

http://www.biography.com/people/eddie-vedder-9542540

 

Hiatt, B. (2009). Pearl Jam Revisit Their Early Days. Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 20, 2014

from http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/pearl-jam-revisit-their-early-days-20090402

 

McGovern, K. (2013). Pearl Jam's 'Ten' Has Finally Sold 10 Million Copies in the U.S. SPIN

Magazine. Retrieved July 17, 2014 from

http://www.spin.com/articles/pearl-jam-ten-

diamond-10-million-copies/

 

Sputnik Music. (N.D.) Pearl Jam. Retrieved July 15, 2014 from http://www.sputnikmusic.com/bands/PearlJam/37/