When you tamper with an album as awesome as Ten, it begs the question: legitimate remix or self-serving desecration?

Upon first listen of my favorite Pearl Jam track, Alive, I noticed how much louder it seemed. I immediately put on the original. Definitely subdued by comparison. But, also recognizable, correct. I couldn’t tell.

A few sleepless nights later, I decided to look at the waveform.

I listened again, unsure of whether these images were influencing me the wrong way. The new mix now seemed too loud, while the original mix, which the band themselves seem to regard as amateur, nonetheless used its effects to enhance Vedder’s secrets and snarls, and it sounded more evenly distributed. I listened back and forth a few more times, my frustration growing…

There’s only one way to get to the bottom of this and know once and for all whether this re-release is the real deal. A side-by-side listen to both tracks.

I rigged this up in Final Cut Pro. The top tracks represent the original 1991 version from Ten while the lower tracks are from the 2009 remix.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Personally, while I may feel guilty losing some of the bassline and all of the vocal effects, (mainly out of nostalgic loyalty for every last nuance of the original), there’s no denying that the new cut delivers more of what made the track a classic in the first place: Vedder’s powerful command of the vocals which (unfairly) draw comparisons to Robert Plant and the dynamic interplay between guitarists Stone Gossard and Mike McCready. These elements are stripped of any “produced” sound, brought front and center and made loud. As you listen to the side-by-side you can literally hear the band’s balls disappearing every time it switches back to the original mix. When Gossard’s epic solo kicked off, it laid whatever was left of my skepticism to rest.

It almost seems unfair that this new offering could become the definitive version. I’ve since heard the rest of the album and can say it’s a pretty sweet improvement that seemed totally unwarranted. Double surprise!

Winner: Alive (2009)

I know there are bound to be purists who’d have me burned for saying so…

What do you think of the new remix?