#21

If you don’t like his voice there’s obviously not much point listening to their other stuff, but I would say that Ten sounds much more dated than the rest of their material and is a bit of an outlier. I do love the first 5 songs on it, though.

#22

Yeah, of the albums I’ve heard since vitalogy, No Code is by a long way the best.

3 Likes
#23

I’ll give them a 5. Ten came out when I was 14. Was one of the albums that changed my outlook on what music should be. First 3 albums are all amazing, some of the later ones are fine. I think the reason so many dislike Vedder’s voice is that everyone copied him. Ten is still in my top 10 of all time. Also brilliant live.

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#24

Yeah, that’s fair enough, guess it’s kind of unfair to pass that judgement on their oldest (if most acclaimed) material, but I think the voice is marmite and is really going to be a sticking point for me. Might psyche myself for listening to a few highlights people post here later, but don’t hold out much hope.

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#25

I hate them so much. Boring dad rock that somehow got lauded as the second coming for a while.
Vedder’s influence on the post grunge bands and rock in general is a musical low light for mankind.

I don’t have the words to describe how I can hate something so dull.

Although fair play to them for fighting against ticket master.

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#26

always liked this as a Vedder oddity (good, if patchy, album too).

#27

The video got Jeremy proper scared me when I was a kid and saw it on Kerrang

#28

It’s strange, I just can’t get into them and I listen to almost all of their contemporaries. Seen 'em a couple of times as well as my friend’s are massive fans, but to me it’s just “meh”

#29

Really dislike them. Always have. Sound like Nickleback. 1.

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#30

Made two good albums in Vs. and Vitalogy but they always had a bit of a stink about them. Liked Ten when I was 15 but it’s unlistenable now. Later stuff is dull as dishwater.

3/5

Oh actually Yield is decent too

#31

Not going to argue that any of the albums post-Vitalogy have been anywhere near up to scratch, but with the exception of Lightning Bolt they always produce at least one alt-rock banger that I unironically love with each album

WHOOOO-OOOO’S GOT THE BRAIN OF JFK? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO US NOW?

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#32

This is what I was (unknowingly) thinking - it’s as if they were much more classic rock informed whereas most other grunge was clearly punk-inspired.

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#33

Think it’s quite a mix tbh.

Nirvana and mudhoney clearly the most punk influenced. Soundgarden and Alice in Chains were also heavily classic rock influenced, but metal (particularly black sabbath) too. Pearl Jam - just straight up classic/blues rock in sound really.

4 Likes
#34

Fucking love them. If I have a few hours to listen to music on my own, I’ll alway pop on some PJ, because plasticmike hates them.

I think I bought Ten on a whim, must have been 15-16, so ~2000ish. Instantly loved it, and bought the rest of their stuff. Was into everything up to Riot Act, which is a bit shit really isn’t it. At one point I watched the DVD of Live On Two Legs on a daily basis, and I still prefer their songs live to the records (though I’ve never actually seen them live). I was big into minidsics at the time, so did a lot of bootleg trades, and tried to get as many of those brown cardboard official live CDs as possible.

4/5 because I have no intention to listen to anything post Riot Act, but everything before then occupies a really special place in my heart.

15 Likes
#35

Yeah I think Pearl Jam might receive so much ire from Grunge purists because they were the most obvious reminder that the vast majority of the genre was way closer to classic rock and metal than punk than they’d like to admit. Even Nirvana weren’t really punk at all until In Utero

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#36

Never really clicked for me, I think because, as has been said upthread, they lack that little bit of punk or metal grit that their contemporaries who I like more had. There are some absolute bangers scattered through the catalogue (State Of Love And Trust, Spin The Black Circle off the top of my head), but I find even the Greatest Hits bit of a slog. 2/5 maybe?

#37

Yep, I’d agree. Kim Thayil has also said that PJ were the only band from that scene which didn’t use the signature ‘drop d’ tuning.

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#38

A key reason why I didn’t learn how to play any pearl jam songs…

Having said, that Soundgarden having a different tuning on ALMOST EVERY FUCKING SONG on superunknown did my head in. Must have snapped at least 100 strings trying to switch between My wave and 4th of July.

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#39

First heard them at the age of 17 whilst on a road trip down the east coast of America. I picked up Ten and loved it, and the next few albums.

Completely lost interest around Yield, and haven’t listened to much since.

I then went to see them with my dad at Hyde Park in 2010. It was a proper arms around each other, swaying badly, and singing along at the top of our voices night. Happy memories.

I’ve a bit of a soft spot for them, but can see why they’d rub people up the wrong way.

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#40

I’d say Incesticide was plenty punk.

Vitalogy could claim it, too, I reckon.

Both being their respective best albums.

1 Like