Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder has claimed the late Kurt Cobain didn't understand the band when he accused them of being careerists in the early-90s.

Cobain, frontman of Nirvana, was one of Pearl Jam's most vocal critics when their 1991 album 'Ten' went in at number two on the US Billboard album chart.

At the time, Cobain said the group were “pioneering a corporate, alternative and cock-rock fusion”.

In 1993, Pearl Jam's follow-up 'V' outsold Nirvana's third album 'In Utero' by almost five copies to one.

Speaking to the Sun newspaper about Cobain's comments, Vedder said: “I don’t think Kurt understood us at the time, but we became friends and I’m glad we had some of the great conversations we had, that I’m always going to keep up here.

“I don’t talk too much about him in respect to Krist (Novoselic) and Dave (Grohl) and I know he said that early stuff about not liking us.

“But there’s a couple of complimentary things that he said in public about me as a human being, which I’m proud exist.

“But if Kurt were around today, I know he’d say to me, ‘Well, you turned out OK'.”

Pearl Jam are re-issuing 'Ten' on Monday (March 24rd) as part of advance celebrations for their 20th anniversary in 2011.

The album includes a new mix by producer Brendan O'Brien and is available in a number of different formats.

Pearl Jam and Nirvana