There are a handful of truly essential grunge albums from the 1991 mainstream explosion of the Seattle sound and Pearl Jam’s debut is one of them. To casual listeners, the track list may have some believe it is a greatest hits collection, given the sheer quality contained within. The album is the perfect introduction to Eddie Vedder’s passionate vocals and profound lyricism, and Even Flow, Alive, Jeremy and Black all rank among the band’s best and most loved tracks. A seminal album of the era and a key bridge between the canons of classic and modern alternative rock.
