His voice is also suitable on slower, ballad songs such as the gorgeous 'Black' or the eerie 'Oceans'. Growls and animalistic shrieks are not uncommon in his vocal style, but the simply add to the sheer animosity of the harder songs ('Once', 'Why Go', 'Even Flow'). His magnificent, deep voice soars above the musical soundscape and is filled with emotion and power. This album manages to capture grunge at it's peak, and combine it with powerful arena rock hooks and strong songwriting.Įddie Vedder is a superb vocalist, and Ten captures him at his prime. A massive tour was announced in order to help boost the record's sales, which skyrocketed, allowing Ten to peak the charts and eventually become one of the best selling albums of all time.īut what of the music contained here? Does the quality of the album still hold up, almost eighteen years later? The answer is a definite yes. The album soon become a surefire success, despite various critics claiming that Pearl Jam were sell out copies of fellow bands Nirvana and Alice In Chains. This group of grunge giants would not have been completed if not for the rise of Pearl Jam.įorming in 1990 after the demise of grunge forefathers Mother Love Bone and Temple Of The Dog, the members of Pearl Jam came together in a studio in their hometown of Seattle to record their first album, Ten. Grunge music had just begun to take center stage in the musical industry, with grunge giants Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Stone Temple Pilots expanding the fledgling genre. Gone were the cheesy, overproduced stadium anthems and terrible clothes of the 80s, and gone was the unfortunate trend of terrible rap singles (Ice Ice Baby). Review Summary: Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the album that made the 90s, TEN (Standing ovation, clapping ensues, people cry with joy).ġ991 has been hailed as a great year for modern music.