PEARL JAM TO REISSUE TEN

In March, Pearl Jam is going to reissue their classic debut, 1992's Ten, kicking off a two-year reissue campaign lasting through 2011, the band's 20th anniversary. Of course the band don't want to make this some BS lame-ass reissue. They had Brendan O'Brien remix the entire album: Rick Parashar produced the album, but Brendan produced their next few albums, Vs., Vitalogy and No Code, and will be producing their next one also. They've often said that they wished he produced Ten, and he actually did remix some Ten tracks for their rearviewmirror best of. Plus, Jeff Ament, who was the art director on the debut, got to rework some of the art.

They're going all out with four different editions: the "Legacy Edition" just has the remastered original album and the new remix, plus six bonus tracks. The "Deluxe Edition" adds a DVD of their legendary episode of MTV Unplugged, including "Oceans," which didn't make the broadcast. The "Vinyl Collection" is the remastered and the remixed versions on vinyl.

But the big kahuna is the "Super Deluxe Edition," which includes all of the above, plus a 2 LP live set recorded 9/20/92 in Seattle (mixed by Brendan OBrien) and a cassette - yes a cassette - replicating the original "Momma-Son" Pearl Jam demo, the music recorded by Jeff, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready and their friend (and future drummer) Jack Irons, which they sent to Eddie Vedder, who wrote lyrics and recorded his vocals over it and sent it back... the rest is history.

The Super Deluxe version goes for $140, but they're making it worth it. I have to say: I have NEVER felt ripped off by Pearl Jam, and I don't think that I will with this reissue. But even when I get this, I won't get rid of my original Ten CD. I was probably one of the first people to buy it - I was a big fan of Temple Of The Dog and Mother Love Bone - I remember how much that CD meant to me. It still means a lot.