This album marked a time in my life in which I discovered that I had a great passion for music. My whole life would revolve around music, I would listen everyday slowly discovering new genres and types of music I had never heard before. There are many songs and albums that i associate with this time, but Ten stands out to me for various reasons.
Ten fuses elements of hard rock and grunge to create a widely distinct sound, one that is very hard to replicate. From Eddie Vedder's masterful, iconic vocals to his own, and the other band members, guitar playing that have given us some of the best riffs and solos to date. The grunge era was a different genre of rock that emerged in the late 80's that showcased bands such as Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Nirvana to name a few. It was first used to describe bands with a recognisably 'murky' signature guitar sound, using high distortion, feedback and fuzz effects. The sludgy, murky tone of the guitars was something i had never heard before; i was constantly drawn back to the sound. It was captivating. I remember hearing Alive for the first time, now one of the bands most well known songs, and being completely blown away. I find that it is difficult to like songs or relate to them instantly, but as soon as i had heard the truly riveting solo towards the end of the song; i knew it would become one of my all time favourites.
I wanted more, an unfortunately rare yet amazing feeling when it comes to music. I followed up on that feeling and listened to the whole album in its entirety. I lied there and played the starting track 'Once', from that moment onwards the experience began. Each track as fascinating as the other, an album pieced together with only the upmost perfection. Featuring other songs that have defined not only the grunge but the hard rock genre as a whole such as Even Flow, Black, Jeremy, Why Go and Garden; It would influence me to explore the bands whole discography. My personal favourite is Black; the hardest hitting song on the album, so raw and full of emotion. The ending verse of the song features the line 'I know someday you'll have a beautiful life, i know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky.' These lyrics are clearly personal to Vedder, as he states 'it is about letting go' and the struggle that is accepting that you have to move on. The following verse questions, 'why can't it be, can't it be mine?' demonstrating that idea of rejecting outcomes and exposing a darker side to a relationship and the toll it can take on someone. However, it definitely resonates with the audience who have perhaps felt similar emotions towards someone in the past. Even if you have not been in a position in which you have to deal with moving on from a relationship, you can still feel the true emotions embedded in the song. Black was one of the songs that inspired me to to pick up the guitar and start learning the chords for not only that but for other songs i like aswell.
I am a fan of metal, whether that be heavy, thrash, death, groove, however if i was not introduced to albums like Ten then never would have explored the other music that lead me into the realms of metal itself. Ten had a huge influence over my music taste; I would start listening to other grunge albums of the time in which i found many that i loved. From Alice In Chains' Facelift (1990) to Dirt (1992), both heavier albums that showcase more elements of metal within but still keeping the vocals and tone associated with grunge. With its clear metal roots, i would then start listening to different genres of metal. One of the special things about
this album for me is that it made me appreciate different kinds of music a lot more; it allowed me to explore music i never thought i would have enjoyed but now have a huge passion for. Not only have i explored music but different kinds of media, documentaries and films for example, that i have consumed because of this album.
I would urge anyone to listen to this album, not only because it is an import
ant album within the history of rock, but because it may have an impact on your life aswell. It broadened my music taste and contributes to who I am today. Ten will always be one of my favourite albums of all time.
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