Music Review:Pearl Jam-Ten Reissue

Ok so yeah…its been awhile. Sorry I haven’t posted anything in forever, but luckily Mike has been holding things down. Oh and just a little heads up, Pearl Jam is my favorite band so if you’re looking for any bashing then search elsewhere. But let the reviewing begin!

When Ten was released in 1991 it started off slow to say the least, but when America got a little dose of Teen Spirit from Mr. Cobain and Co. the entire Seattle sound blew up and Pearl Jam was at the front of movement. Their music had enough angst for the teen crowd and enough arena rock for the 20-30 Gen X-ers. Unless you lived in a shack in the woods with Ted Kaczynski, chances are if you were alive during the 90’s then you heard Pearl Jam. By late 1992 Pearl Jam had become arguably the world’s biggest band, selling a then-record 1 million copies of their second album Vs in the first week alone. Pearl Jam would purposely step back from the spot light to keep their own sanity. It paid off for them in a major way. They are the only major band from the “Grunge” era to still be together and relevant. They have one of the most hardcore fan bases in music (myself included) and are one of the most respected bands in music. I would really hope that anyone reading this has some idea of who Pearl Jam is…but you never know

With 8 critically acclaimed albums released and a 9th on the way, Pearl Jam decided to give back to their fans and reissue the album that started it all, Ten. Throughout the years various members of the band complained that the album was overproduced and there were some things they wanted to go back and fix. They hired Brendan O’Brian who produced every album from Vs to 1998’s Yield to go back in and remix the album. I wouldn’t call it so much a remix as I would a retouching or a polishing. Pearl Jam also included some previously unreleased tracks like “Brother” and “Just a Girl” on the reissue. There are a few different levels as far as the reissue goes. There is the basic version that comes with the original Ten as well as O’Brian’s remixed version. There is a vinyl package. Then there is the $140 Super-Delux edition. This is the one I purchased and if you have the extra money I highly recommend picking this up. It comes with a plethora of goodies which I will go into more detail shortly.

I am not going to give a numerical review of Ten because I think it’s a 10/10 and I am too biased to give it anything less. But I can give an overview of the remixed tracks.  As I said before this is more retouching than remixing. O’Brian brings forward sounds that were once buried in the original versions. The drum hits are more crisp, the guitar tones are brighter, and even Eddie Vedder’s voice is more clear…now maybe everyone can understand him. Songs like “Evenflow” and “Alive” that have gotten millions and millions of radio spins now have new life and vigor to them, making them exciting again. As a bass player I always wanted Jeff Ament’s bass lines to be a little more prominent, and on songs like “Why Go” and “Porch”, O’Brian makes the bass really pop. Everything seems in balance on the reissue and every band member gets their time to shine. Listening to these tracks also gives you a greater appreciation for Mike McCready and the little licks he throws in when hes not melting faces with his solos. “Release”, “Jeremy”, and “Deep” are perfect examples of how the guitars really shine, both from McCready and Stone Gossard. The bonus tracks are “Brother”, “Just a Girl”, a demo version of “Breath”(Breath and a Scream), an early version of “State of Love” and “Trust”, “2,000 Miles Blues”, and the hilarious “Evil Little Goat”. So even if you just pick up the basic version it is well worth it. Now that I have heard the newer version, I think this is how Ten should have sounded all along.

But enough with the basics, lets get into the Super Deluxe version and all the good shit that comes with it. If you consider yourself a big Pearl Jam fan then this is a must have.

It all comes housed in this nice box and with the dates on the side it looks like we might get more of these. I’ve heard rumors of all the albums being reissued as a run up to the band’s 20th anniversary.

It comes with 4 Vinyl Lp’s: Ten, the remixed Ten, and the 2-disc Drop In The Park live concert that Pearl Jam put on for free in Seattle.

Another box hides more goodies.

A set of negatives of all the pictures Jeff Ament took on tour.

These pics flip over to become the liner notes.

Poster with the new colorway…thank god that pink is gone!

Postcards, Backstage Pass, Stickers, and an actual Mookie Blaylock Rookie Card…if you didn’t know that was the band’s original name.

Composition notebook that Eddie and Jeff put together with old pics, memorabilia, set lists, etc..

A Reproduction of the demo tape Eddie sent to Stone and Jeff…now I just need to find a cassette player.

MTV Unplugged is finally released. It is all remastered and sounds and looks great.

So yeah this thing is jam packed to say the least. The new album itself is great and gives new energy to a classic album. The vinyl records sound great, the unplugged is amazing, and all these extras are just icing on the cake. Once again, if you have the cash, pick up the super deluxe version…but at the very least go get the reissue. Oh and for all you Rock Band fans out there, you can now download and play the entire album on Rock Band 2.