Criminally Neglected Albums - Number One

Pearl Jam - Ten











Released on 27 January 1991, Pearl Jam's debut album Ten is probably their most accessible work to date. Listening to this album nearly sixteen years on it's lead singer Eddie Vedders voice, almost a primeval growl on some of the tracks, that carries this album and makes it stand out from Nevermind by Nirvana which would be released some eight months later and Superunknown by Soundgarden which was some three and half years away.

Pearl Jam were derided in some quarters as not being the 'real deal' but the lyrics are far superior (in my opinion) than those of Kurt Cobain. The album struck a chord (no pun overlooked) with those twentysomethings looking for something beyond skinny white boys and guitars and sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.

The album spawned three singles "Alive," "Even Flow," and "Jeremy," each of which were autobiographical. The stand out track for me though is "Black," it has a passion and beauty that the genre is not noted for and contains one verse which I think would have to be in my personal Top Ten lyrics of all time (if I were cheesy enough and had enough time on my hands to construct such a list). If you've ever felt a deep hurt when somebody you loved so much finished with you and went off with somebody else, then I hope you'll recognise the sentiment of the last three lines.

"Black" - Words by Eddie Vedder

Sheets of empty canvas, untouched sheets of clay
were laid spread out before me as her body once did
all five horizons revolved around her soul
as the earth to the sun
now the air I tasted and breathed has taken a turn
and all I taught her was everything
I know she gave me all that she wore
and now my bitter hands shake beneath the clouds
of what was everything?
all the pictures had all been washed in black, tattooed everything...

I take a walk outside, I'm surrounded by some kids at play
I can feel their laughter, so why do I sear
and twisted thoughts that spin round my head
I'm spinning, oh, I'm spinning
how quick the sun can, drop away
and now my bitter hands cradle broken glass
of what was everything?
all the pictures had all been washed in black, tattooed everything...

all the love gone bad, turned my world to black
tattooed all i see, all that i am, all i'll ever be...

I know someday you'll have a beautiful life, I know you'll be a star
in somebody else's sky, but why
why, why can't it be, why can't it be mine?


Ten only reached number 18 in the U.K album charts unlike their next four albums which all made (ironically) the Top Ten. This is their most personal and allowed them to become more politicised, in a move similar to that of The Clash, who almost a decade and a half earlier had refused to ever appear on Top Of The Pops, Pearl Jam announced after this album that none of their videos would be seen on MTV - it was a ban that was to last more than ten years.