TEN (+ 3 Bonus Tracks) [Extra tracks]

Like one of the previous reviewers I'm reviewing this based on whether as a big fan of the band its worth paying for the extras and remixes if you already own the original classic debut.
There seems to be mixed feelings about the remixes. I don't know about the technical details but I know that the redux version by Brendan O'Brien sounds great. Finally when you make a mix CD the tracks from Ten aren't quieter than the others. Also the sound is much clearer without the heavy reverb of the original. But.... they are different to the versions of Alive, Evenflow etc that were remixed (again by Brendan O'Brien) for the Greatest Hits collection not long ago. And... I think I prefer the versions from this collection - they had little extra vocal bits and slightly different sounding intros sometimes. Just a matter of personal preference I suppose.
Extra tracks in my opinion are not going to hold the attention of even the most die-hard fan for long. The exception to this is Brother (with lyrics that were absent from the Lost Dogs version) which is pretty good.
The DVD of MTV Unplugged looks and sounds great. I've never seen it and it was great to see the band at such an early stage - a little shyer but sounding fantastic. I loved the end when Eddie and Jeff go a bit crazy and get up on their stools and of course the comedy moment previously where Eddie falls off his stool. Well worth having.
The booklet was very dissapointing. I was hoping for some freshly penned liner notes from the band recounting their experiences and mindset when forming the band and creating the album. Instead we get a bunch of arty photos and scribbles and old posters for early gigs with the likes of Alice in Chains and the Screaming Trees amongst others. Mildly interesting but nothing out of the ordinary.
The price tag is possibly a little steep here as well I feel, given that its basically a special edition of the album (do we really need two different versions?) with a DVD and some fancy packaging. I think maybe £15-£17 would have been a little more reasonable.
So overall I really like the remix and the DVD but with the other extras being a little bit dissapointing - and the hefty price tag I rate it four stars overall (but obviously the album itself is a five-star classic).

I'm only commenting on the Brendan O'Brien remix and MTV Unplugged sections:

Ten [remixed by Brendan O'Brien]

When Ten first broke onto the scene, we embraced Rick Parasher's reverb heavy, anthemic sounding production values. But it soon became clear via bootlegs of the band's live shows, that Pearl Jam's sound was actually far much more raw, blistering and in-yer-face.

Producer Brendan O' Brien took over the reigns for subsequent albums and the real Pearl Jam sound was finally captured. I was a very happy man when I heard O' Brien was going to remix Ten and having heard what he did with Once, Alive and Black on the Rearviewmirror album, I couldn't wait to hear how the rest of the album sounded.

When hearing the band live for the first time it became apparent that the drumming had taken on a new lease of life with the acquisition of Texan Dave Abbruzzese, who replaced Dave Krusen, the original drummer from the Ten recording. There's no Abbruzesse on the remix, but the drumming is clearer and packs more punch. The guitars have extra nuances that got lost on the original and the vocals are more natural allowing Vedder's intensity and emotions to shine through. The remix does a far better job at recreating the sound of the band by keeping it stripped down with less studio effects.

The original Jeremy worked really well with the anthemic sound, but the remixed version allows you to hear the complexities of the arrangement much clearer - it almost sounds like the band have gone from a stadium to a sound proof room.

An essential purchase for audiophiles and hardcore Pearl Jam fans who want to continue listening to a classic album as it was meant to be heard.

Unplugged

Pearl Jam's MTV Unplugged session has long been a favourite moment of mine in the band's history. The band recorded this in New York on the back of heavy touring of Europe and it was a chance to show the masses just how talented they were. The songs had been perfected and honed from countless gigs and Vedder's baritone, rasping vocals were at their finest. It was highlighted just how good and technical drummer Dave Abbruzesse was - at times it sounds as if he has four arms due to the amount of cymbals he is hitting. This is none more evident than on Porch, one of the highlights of the show. State of Love and Trust and Black have never sounded so good - this session really demonstrates the power and quality of the whole band, in particular Vedder and Abbruzzese. A fantastic purchase for any Pearl Jam/rock music fan.

Pearl Jam's debut album, although becoming distant in the past, became a legend among the new coming grunge / hard rock bands back in the early 90s.

A timeless album, a mark in every rocker's collection. Even after all this years, this is the ONE album, the best Pearl Jam album ever (in my opinion, of course).

Timeless songs like Even Flow, Alive, Black, Oceans, Jeremy, Wash... i could go on and on until i reached the entire album song list.

After 10... never did Pearl Jam achieve this unique feeling of power and balance in one album.

Black and Oceans are my favorite songs ever and the lyrics... pure poetry. You could write the songs of this album in a poetry book, a heavy, disturbing poetry book... unforgetable, unavoidable...

Simple unique.