Pearl Jam seems the least likely candidate to churn their catalog, but the band announced today that beginning in 2009 they will do just that beginning with the March 24, 2009 expansion and re-release of their classic debut record Ten in four different packages. Ten has sold more than 12 million copies since its 1991 release and launched the band to worldwide superstardom along with other Seattle-based bands like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden, who together formed the so-called “grunge” movement of the early '90s.
I've grown ambivalent about the churn process. On the one hand, it's a way for labels and bands to cash in on music that has already been released at the fans' expense. On the other, there have been some great packages assembled that upgraded the sound of classic albums and gave fans access to some really great music and video footage. If ever there was a band who could walk the line between greed and real fan-friendly value, it is Pearl Jam.
The standard edition of the re-issue will be a two-disc set. The first disc will be the original album in its entirety, remastered. The second disc will feature the album remixed and remastered by longtime friend, producer, and collaborator Brendan O'Brien. There will also be six bonus tracks. Six bonus tracks is a little skimpy on a re-release, but Pearl Jam released Lost Dogs a 2-CD rarities collection in 2003 and that effectively emptied much of their vault. “2,000 Mile Blues” and “Evil Little Goat” are among those that have not been previously released. In addition, the packaging has also been updated and changed.
“The original concept was about really being together as a group and entering into the world of music as a true band...a sort of all-for-one deal,” said Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament. “There were some elements of the original Ten artwork that didn't turn out the way we had hoped, due to time constraints. With this reissue, we’ve been able to take our time and invest resources into making the design the way we had originally intended.”
The deluxe edition includes all of the above and throws in a bonus DVD of Pearl Jam's 1992 appearance on MTV's Unplugged. The Unplugged performance gets a fresh 5.1 audio remix and includes the previously never before seen bonus performance of the Ten track “Oceans.”
Fans willing to lay out some serious money will get an incredible bounty on the collectors' edition Super Deluxe package. The Super Deluxe set includes both CDs and the DVD and includes vinyl editions of both mixes of Ten. It also includes a live show recorded in 1992, presented exclusively on vinyl in this set. Fans will also get a cassette replica of “Momma-Son,” the demo cassette from which future band classics would spring. Also included is an Eddie Vedder replica notebook, filled with handwritten notes and vintage photographs and more.
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Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
hmmm.....all of that delicious vinyl.
2 - Josh Hathaway
I knew that would get your attention, Saleski.
3 - Mark Saleski
the name "O'Brien" gets my attention too, but i'll try to ignore it for now, y'know?
4 - Josh Hathaway
I know what you mean. O'Brien is a mixed bag for me. He's produced some albums I really like, but I also hold him responsible for some things on records I don't exactly like.
5 - Tom Johnson
When it comes to Pearl Jam, O'Brien is a good thing. Listen to the remixed Ten tracks off Rearviewmirror. They're pretty good sounding. However, I am worried that both versions will get cranked up to ear-splitting levels in the process. I listened to Ten yesterday and marveled at how dynamic it was - will that be ruined? Sure, it's a bit dated sounding, but it's nice "dated" sounding.
Anyway, I don't even have a turntable and I'm very torn between deluxe and super-deluxe. The picture on the PJ site had my jaw dropping at all the stuff included. I really wish they'd offer the concert on something other than vinyl. I know they're vinyl junkies and all, but that's frankly kind of stupid. How much extra would a DVD with wav files to burn your own CDs cost . . . or just tossing in two extra CDs for the full show? That show is so going to be needledropped and spread on filesharing networks within hours of it reachings fans' hands.