Ten

iTunes Review

Nirvana opened the door and Pearl Jam walked right in. Eighties nerf-metal had finally run its course and in its place came a tougher, socially conscious breed of band. But where Nirvana represented the thornier aspects of punk rock, Pearl Jam embraced the musical traditions of classic guitar rock. Mike McCready's Hendrix-Clapton influenced solos can be heard squeaking out of the material ("Even Flow"), while Eddie Vedder had the Bono-esque pomp and circumstance that immediately fit the arenas and festivals where the band would soon perform. Though the group's core was formed with the Seattle group Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam hadn't been together long when it recorded this debut album. Yet, Ten is a confident, fully realized collection of songs dealing with a wide range of subjects from school violence ("Jeremy") to difficult family relationships ("Release"). It spawned several huge hits ("Alive," "Even Flow," "Jeremy") and contains the group's live favorite "Black," an emotionally charged brooder that helped define the group as 'spokesmen' for their rapidly dissatisfied Generation X audience.