Master/Slave

"Master/Slave" is an instrumental track that has a distinctive presence on *Ten*, Pearl Jam’s debut album. It is not a conventional song; rather, it serves as a soundscape that opens and closes the album. The first part appears before "Once" begins, and the second part is heard ten seconds after the final song, "Release." This two-part structure makes it a prelude and an epilogue that frames the album experience. Although it isn’t explicitly credited inside the album, it is known to have been created by Eddie Vedder and Jeff Ament. The essence of its sound lies in a dominant bassline that persists throughout its 3:43 minutes, accompanied by a few touches of guitar and drums. Vedder contributes only a few random, unintelligible phrases, maintaining its largely instrumental character.

The genesis of “Master/Slave” traces back to an idea by Jeff Ament. Producer Rick Parashar, in a 2002 interview with Guitar World magazine, recalled how Ament had a bass line he was improvising with. Parashar joined the process from the control room, programming keyboards and collaborating, which helped the piece take shape. Pearl Jam had formed in Seattle, United States, in 1990, after Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard disbanded their previous band, Mother Love Bone. They began rehearsing with guitarist Mike McCready and recorded a five-song instrumental demo with Matt Cameron on drums. This demo found its way to Dave Krusen and Eddie Vedder, who were invited to audition in Seattle. Many of the songs on *Ten*, including this one, emerged from instrumental jams or ideas from Mother Love Bone to which Vedder later added melodies and lyrics. The album *Ten*, released on August 27, 1991, by Epic Records, stood out for its classic rock influence, setting it apart from other grunge acts of the time. An interesting fact about the Japanese version of *Ten*, released in 1992, is that “Master/Slave” appears as a separate track at the end, following a cover of The Beatles’ “I’ve Got a Feeling.”