Pearl Jam never called themselves “grunge”, but soon had that tag thrust upon them. Ten sold slowly until the breakthrough of Nirvana, whose Nevermind, released only a couple of weeks after, went on to become a surprise smash hit.

And while the dark backstory of Vedder’s lyrics lends the track a frisson of complexity, Alive’s true charm lies in its uplifting power, Vedder’s impassioned delivery (within a year countless rock frontmen would be mimicking his hearty burr) and that solo, which could move a corpse to play along on air guitar. However, delivered in Vedder’s heroic baritone over Gossard’s incandescent riff, and gifted one of the most unabashedly classic-rock guitar solos in recent memory (courtesy of Mike McCready), Alive was interpreted as an inspirational message by the thousands of fans who sent Pearl Jam’s debut single into the US top 20. Its lyric suggests an incestuous affair between the hero and his mother, while its hookline, “I’m still alive”, was intended as a rueful statement of fact from the homicidal/suicidal teen. Alive is the first chapter in this trilogy ( Once, off Pearl Jam’s debut album Ten, and the early B-side Footsteps tell the rest of the story). A lifelong fan of Pete Townshend, he concocted a song-cycle, Mamasan, telling the story of a troubled young man whose traumatic discovery that his supposed birth father was actually his stepfather (a Tommy-esque drama drawn from Vedder’s own life) sends him on a killing spree, for which he is ultimately executed.

Against this backdrop, the band's sonic departures hit even harder, with the arty soundscape of 'Alright' sounding as bracing as the new wave-disco of 'Dance of the Clairvoyants.' The aural adventure adds a nice counterpoint to protests and pleas offered up by Pearl Jam, and helps Gigaton feel vivid, alive, and just a shade hopeful.A serious-minded, humble surfer dude – in many ways Wood’s antithesis – Vedder’s first contribution to this new project was to write lyrics for a demo tape of Gossard riffs. The loud, aggressive cuts don't lumber, they pierce: 'Who Ever Said' has a whirlwind propulsion reminiscent of classic Who, 'Superblood Wolfmoon' is a cloistered bit of mania, and 'Take the Long Way' flirts with power pop thanks to its candied chorus. Despite its unconcealed outrage, Gigaton does have its share of shade and texture even before it settles into a number of meditative moments on its second side. Trump, his righteous anger spilling outside the confines of 'Quick Escape' and 'Never Destination' and running through the album as a whole, providing a simmer even at its quietest moments. Eddie Vedder repeatedly and explicitly wrangles with Donald J. There's little subtlety in this regard: the title refers to the amount of ice lost at the arctic poles, the album's cover depicts a melting glacier, and the lyrics are lousy with apocalyptic imagery, not all of it derived from the climate. Weather is a galvanizing concern on Gigaton, with Pearl Jam structuring their 11th album around the looming climate change crisis. Maybe it's the times, maybe it's the choice to switch producers - the group swapped their longtime collaborator Brendan O'Brien for Josh Evans, who co-produced the album with the band - but Gigaton hits with the strength of a full-force gale. Urgency has been Pearl Jam's calling card since their inception, which is why it was a jolt to hear the band sound so settled on 2013's Lightning Bolt.

List of al songs by pearl jam