Lightning Bolt: the official album thread

[harmless]

I hate to say it but cold confession, despite being a great song, may not have fit on s/t. It is a small, intimate song that would be out of place on a record full of big gestures

The record is only full of "big gestures" because they're the songs they chose to include. By the looks of it it could have been a completely different album had they included songs like these and probably a few others that missed out too.

Very true.

This band is full of nothing but what they perceive as "big gestures" now, fearing anything with any nuance. Was 'Hummus' a big gesture? Was it fuck.

we've heard 3 songs from Lightning Bolt. Only one is a big gesture song. future days seems to be the exact opposite, and mind your manners is too much of a straight line to grandstand.

'Future Days' is a *huge gesture* song. Don't get me wrong, a song doesn't have to be loud and bombastic to be making a big gesture. It just needs to be aiming to catch the lowest common denominator in terms of sentiment. Let's make what sounds like a saccharine cheesy love song that everyone bland and boring and hopelessly in love will take with them on honeymoon. It's a big gesture song. I might not hate everything about it, I might end up liking it and even using it in my own romantic life, but let's be honest, it's a ham-fisted inclusion in the Disney Song genre. Now which was the other song which wasn't a big gesture song?

[Thejambi]

I hate to say it but cold confession, despite being a great song, may not have fit on s/t. It is a small, intimate song that would be out of place on a record full of big gestures

The record is only full of "big gestures" because they're the songs they chose to include. By the looks of it it could have been a completely different album had they included songs like these and probably a few others that missed out too.

Very true.

This band is full of nothing but what they perceive as "big gestures" now, fearing anything with any nuance. Was 'Hummus' a big gesture? Was it fuck.

we've heard 3 songs from Lightning Bolt. Only one is a big gesture song. future days seems to be the exact opposite, and mind your manners is too much of a straight line to grandstand.

'Future Days' is a *huge gesture* song. Don't get me wrong, a song doesn't have to be loud and bombastic to be making a big gesture. It just needs to be aiming to catch the lowest common denominator in terms of sentiment. Let's make what sounds like a saccharine cheesy love song that everyone bland and boring and hopelessly in love will take with them on honeymoon. It's a big gesture song. I might not hate everything about it, I might end up liking it and even using it in my own romantic life, but let's be honest, it's a ham-fisted inclusion in the Disney Song genre. Now which was the other song which wasn't a big gesture song?

Someone flipped the Harmless switch.

[harmless]

I hate to say it but cold confession, despite being a great song, may not have fit on s/t. It is a small, intimate song that would be out of place on a record full of big gestures

The record is only full of "big gestures" because they're the songs they chose to include. By the looks of it it could have been a completely different album had they included songs like these and probably a few others that missed out too.

Very true.

This band is full of nothing but what they perceive as "big gestures" now, fearing anything with any nuance. Was 'Hummus' a big gesture? Was it fuck.

we've heard 3 songs from Lightning Bolt. Only one is a big gesture song. future days seems to be the exact opposite, and mind your manners is too much of a straight line to grandstand.

'Future Days' is a *huge gesture* song. Don't get me wrong, a song doesn't have to be loud and bombastic to be making a big gesture. It just needs to be aiming to catch the lowest common denominator in terms of sentiment. Let's make what sounds like a saccharine cheesy love song that everyone bland and boring and hopelessly in love will take with them on honeymoon. It's a big gesture song. I might not hate everything about it, I might end up liking it and even using it in my own romantic life, but let's be honest, it's a ham-fisted inclusion in the Disney Song genre. Now which was the other song which wasn't a big gesture song?

Someone flipped the Harmless switch.

I kind of wish we hadn't got these b-sides. I've been in denial.

[stupidmop]

S/T and Backspacer are the albums the band wanted to make, i just don't understand why. Why that want that sound to be the one to define them for 10 years. They should have listened to Mike, EPs are the way to go. At least we'd have both sides of the musical spectrum then.

[harmless]

They, or just Ed? I can't help thinking that everyone else has sounded the opposite of excited about the new stuff.

[stupidmop]

Have we heard ed say anything about the new stuff except when he introduced the songs in wrigley?

If ed was calling the shots, and the rest of the band weren't happy, i'd hope they'd fight for the better music...

[broken iris]

So much hate for "Future Days" after one performance in rather extraordinary circumstances. I can totally see it being a song covered by teenagers strumming guitars in coffee houses and there's not a damn thing wrong with that.

[EJ]

I really can't imagine Stone wanting these demos bumped from the album. (i.e. go listen to Moonlander.)

[---]

I really can't imagine Stone wanting these songs bumped from the album. (i.e. go listen to Moonlander.)

Do you really think it's a coincidence that Moonlander's lead track is "I Need Something Different?"

[harmless]

I am totally fucking certain that anyone-who-isn't-Ed feels claustrophobic and stuck in this dead-end Inside Job of a band. My theory for years has been that Matt, while being technically brilliant (and these b-sides prove it -- he sounds great), he's just really bored with every song so he only plays the bare minimum.

[stupidmop]

They're a bunch of grown men, how fucking hard can ed be to work with? Tell him to sit down and shut the fuck up for a second.

[Strat]

I am totally fucking certain that anyone-who-isn't-Ed feels claustrophobic and stuck in this dead-end Inside Job of a band. My theory for years has been that Matt, while being technically brilliant (and these b-sides prove it -- he sounds great), he's just really bored with every song so he only plays the bare minimum.

Matt is just playing to the types of songs they are writing. There aint much he can do with some of these songs.

[harmless]

I am totally fucking certain that anyone-who-isn't-Ed feels claustrophobic and stuck in this dead-end Inside Job of a band. My theory for years has been that Matt, while being technically brilliant (and these b-sides prove it -- he sounds great), he's just really bored with every song so he only plays the bare minimum.

Matt is just playing to the types of songs they are writing. There aint much he can do with some of these songs.

Technically, rhythmically, there's nothing more demanding about these b-sides than what we're getting though. They are no harder to play. They're just rock songs. Matt pulls out all the stops when he's inspired and interested.

[Thejambi]

I am totally fucking certain that anyone-who-isn't-Ed feels claustrophobic and stuck in this dead-end Inside Job of a band. My theory for years has been that Matt, while being technically brilliant (and these b-sides prove it -- he sounds great), he's just really bored with every song so he only plays the bare minimum.

Matt is just playing to the types of songs they are writing. There aint much he can do with some of these songs.

Technically, rhythmically, there's nothing more demanding about these b-sides than what we're getting though. They are no harder to play. They're just rock songs. Matt pulls out all the stops when he's inspired and interested.

Binaural/RA Matt was brilliant.

[EJ]

They're a bunch of grown men, how fucking hard can ed be to work with? Tell him to sit down and shut the fuck up for a second.

I think this the general scenario is Stone writes a song like Let It Ride with lyrics. Ed does a few takes with it and ultimately decides he doesn't "feel it", so the band quietly doesn't revisit it. It just sits in the background.

On a song like Cold Confession - I think this may have been written about his breakup with Beth. Maybe, Ed just didn't want to revisit those memories? But, having said that, I think this track would have the most likelihood of being included on Lightning Bolt. The themes could probably be adapted to it.

[harmless]

I am totally fucking certain that anyone-who-isn't-Ed feels claustrophobic and stuck in this dead-end Inside Job of a band. My theory for years has been that Matt, while being technically brilliant (and these b-sides prove it -- he sounds great), he's just really bored with every song so he only plays the bare minimum.

Matt is just playing to the types of songs they are writing. There aint much he can do with some of these songs.

Technically, rhythmically, there's nothing more demanding about these b-sides than what we're getting though. They are no harder to play. They're just rock songs. Matt pulls out all the stops when he's inspired and interested.

Binaural/RA Matt was brilliant.

I agree. Because they're great songs, though again, not more difficult than present material. Maybe the 'type of song' argument is relevant but only (imo) in as much as they are pop songs rather than serious rock songs, so Matt thinks that the bare clichéd minimum is actually what suits them better.

[stupidmop]

They're a bunch of grown men, how fucking hard can ed be to work with? Tell him to sit down and shut the fuck up for a second.

I think this the general scenario is Stone writes a song like Let It Ride with lyrics. Ed does a few takes with it and ultimately decides he doesn't "feel it", so the band quietly doesn't revisit it. It just sits in the background.

On a song like Cold Confession - I think this may have been written about his breakup with Beth. Maybe, Ed just didn't want to revisit those memories? But, having said that, I think this track would have the most likelihood of being included on Lightning Bolt. The themes could probably be adapted to it.

Then they shouldn't be unhappy with what they're putting out. I just hope that if they were unhappy with it , they'd fight ed over it.

[BurtReynolds]

lightning bolt who?

[Thejambi]

lightning bolt who?

I'll enjoy it for what it is but damn.

I'd probably prefer the band just cover Moonlander with Stone producing it.

[Obbster]

Future days doesn't sound too bad. Although I do feel that it would fit an Ed solo album better than a pearl jam track.

Lightning bolt - I'm not sure of this one. It will live or die based on the studio version. I'm not loving the chorus.