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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