Pearl Jam's Ten turns 25

25 years ago today, on August 27, 1991, Pearl Jam released its debut album, Ten, which most people would probably agree is the band's best.

"Jeremy" might be Pearl Jam's most iconic song. Not many bands are willing to devote this kind of care and attention to individually shaping the melody of each line to fit the lyrics and create a whole musical/dramatic arc. Here's the disturbing video for this disturbing song. (YouTube won't let me embed it here.)

"Even Flow" is Pearl Jam's take on homelessness.

Freezin'
Rests his head on a pillow made of concrete
Again . . .

Even flow
Thoughts arrive like butterflies
Oh he don't know
So he chases them away
Someday yet
He'll begin his life again

Eddie Vedder wrote "Alive" based on his own childhood. His parents divorced when he was a baby, and his mom quickly remarried. He grew up believing his stepdad was his dad. His mom finally told him the news when he was a teenager, but by then, his biological father, whom he had only briefly met, had died of multiple sclerosis.




"Black" is a transcendently beautiful breakup song.

I know someday you'll have a beautiful life
I know you'll be a star
In somebody else's sky . . .