Lightning Bolt: the official album thread

General Pearl Jam discussion.
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Rank Lightning Bolt

5 stars
1
1%
4 stars
4
5%
3 stars
29
37%
2 stars
30
38%
1 star
14
18%
 
Total votes: 78

warehouse
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by warehouse »

so we're prending these songs arent about ed's wife? man, we need new tunes
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by broken iris »

warehouse wrote:so we're prending these songs arent about ed's wife? man, we need new tunes
Except for MYM, which is probably about his mother-in-law. She detests Ed's ultra-liberal ways and rockstar lifestyle, but secretly wants to hit that.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by harmless »

Walker Bait wrote:
Thejambi wrote:
Heathen wrote:
stupidmop wrote:Post apocalyptic concept album would be so cool. I wish i could see future days as some kind of lovers at the end of the word love ballad but i'm not, currently.
yeah that looks like a huge stretch
If you look at the lyrics we have I don't think it's a stretch at all.
Exactly, after reading someones theory on LB about it having to do with the world and mother nature and us screwing everything up, I started to think about Future Days and the lyrics. They talk about hurricanes, cyclones, winds and dust, tides raising....and closer became us...like after it all happened...And I'm still hearing what sounds like a storm siren at the begining of that soundcheck song soooo....
It might look like a stretch to say that FD by itself is a 'post-apocalyptic love song', but we've got other songs which also suggest apocalyptic literature / religious fundamentalism. The same "speaker" in MYM could've written FD and LB imo, and it's pretty clear from the lyrics, which refer to natural disasters, end times, religious fundamentalism and faith vs. reason -- "Seeing is believing." I'm only reading the lyrics to get all this, and I guess I'll only cool on my theory if we end up getting songs on the album which vastly disagree. PJ are very good at making almost-concept-albums, which are then let down by random 'whimsy' like Supersonic. If they keep that off, then given the artwork and the possibility we've heard 'Sirens' (complete with storm siren at the start), we might have a real unified piece of work on our hands. I think those of us who flat out deny this are probably so bored of Pearl Jam they're not open to being impressed. I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt until they show me a song on the awful-level of Supersonic.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by epilogue »

I've only listened to each song once, but Future Days seems to be about his wife. I thought Lightning Bolt was about surfing.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by harmless »

warehouse wrote:so we're prending these songs arent about ed's wife? man, we need new tunes
FD is definitely written to a lover, his wife if you like. But it's full of that apocalyptic / end times religious language as well, and I think deliberately. The song can be taken either way; context will decide.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by Strat »

durdencommatyler wrote:I've only listened to each song once, but Future Days seems to be about his wife. I thought Lightning Bolt was about surfing.

Surfing to his wife and catching up with "Bruce" and Bono along the way!
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by epilogue »

Strat wrote:
durdencommatyler wrote:I've only listened to each song once, but Future Days seems to be about his wife. I thought Lightning Bolt was about surfing.

Surfing to his wife and catching up with "Bruce" and Bono along the way!
That fading melody that reminds me....
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by Dr. Van Nostrand »

Walker Bait wrote:
Thejambi wrote:
Heathen wrote:
stupidmop wrote:Post apocalyptic concept album would be so cool. I wish i could see future days as some kind of lovers at the end of the word love ballad but i'm not, currently.
yeah that looks like a huge stretch
If you look at the lyrics we have I don't think it's a stretch at all.
Exactly, after reading someones theory on LB about it having to do with the world and mother nature and us screwing everything up, I started to think about Future Days and the lyrics. They talk about hurricanes, cyclones, winds and dust, tides raising....and closer became us...like after it all happened...And I'm still hearing what sounds like a storm siren at the begining of that soundcheck song soooo....
i have no idea if any of that stuff could end up being how the album is, but really do love the thought
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by harmless »

durdencommatyler wrote:I've only listened to each song once, but Future Days seems to be about his wife. I thought Lightning Bolt was about surfing.
It is about his wife. But the imagery... It does more. So does LB, a lot more. I'm not even sure Lightning Bolt is about a girl. Actually I'm pretty sure it isn't, it's about Mother Earth ('she') and how she provides Ed a place to 'feel one with nature'. And yeah, the Lightning Bolt also refers to the surf board but only as a cool extra. LB is basically a continuation of Big Wave and ATW.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by Thejambi »

Can we get some fixing on the song threads and get our lyrics in first post.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by McParadigm »

harmless wrote:FD is definitely written to a lover, his wife if you like.
Man, it sounds like this guy really gets around!
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by harmless »

I'm only joining my own dots here, but they're not imaginary dots. They're there in the lyrics, and the terminology being used, which is frequently religious and seemingly deliberately.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by epilogue »

harmless wrote:
durdencommatyler wrote:I've only listened to each song once, but Future Days seems to be about his wife. I thought Lightning Bolt was about surfing.
It is about his wife. But the imagery... It does more. So does LB, a lot more. I'm not even sure Lightning Bolt is about a girl. Actually I'm pretty sure it isn't, it's about Mother Earth ('she') and how she provides Ed a place to 'feel one with nature'. And yeah, the Lightning Bolt also refers to the surf board but only as a cool extra. LB is basically a continuation of Big Wave and ATW.
I look forward to diving into these songs more. But I really want to wait until we have the album. I want as much of it to be fresh as possible. So I'm avoiding spinning them. But my first impression, upon hearing LB only once, was that it was literally a song about a surfboard. But I like that there are potentially multiple levels to the lyrics.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by McParadigm »

harmless wrote:
durdencommatyler wrote:I've only listened to each song once, but Future Days seems to be about his wife. I thought Lightning Bolt was about surfing.
It is about his wife. But the imagery... It does more. So does LB, a lot more. I'm not even sure Lightning Bolt is about a girl. Actually I'm pretty sure it isn't, it's about Mother Earth ('she') and how she provides Ed a place to 'feel one with nature'. And yeah, the Lightning Bolt also refers to the surf board but only as a cool extra. LB is basically a continuation of Big Wave and ATW.
Now do Johnny Guitar.
(patriotic choking noises)
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by harmless »

durdencommatyler wrote:
harmless wrote:
durdencommatyler wrote:I've only listened to each song once, but Future Days seems to be about his wife. I thought Lightning Bolt was about surfing.
It is about his wife. But the imagery... It does more. So does LB, a lot more. I'm not even sure Lightning Bolt is about a girl. Actually I'm pretty sure it isn't, it's about Mother Earth ('she') and how she provides Ed a place to 'feel one with nature'. And yeah, the Lightning Bolt also refers to the surf board but only as a cool extra. LB is basically a continuation of Big Wave and ATW.
I look forward to diving into these songs more. But I really want to wait until we have the album. I want as much of it to be fresh as possible. So I'm avoiding spinning them. But my first impression, upon hearing LB only once, was that it was literally a song about a surfboard. But I like that there are potentially multiple levels to the lyrics.
Only given the context against everything else. I like it when poems and songs 'talk to one another', and well-thought out tracklists can do that. So one song basically deepens the next, and they're made better by association.
RisingTides wrote:There is more kindness on the internet than we would care to admit to ourselves. Sometimes we are so afraid of falling victim to a ruse, we miss out on actual opportunities.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by harmless »

McParadigm wrote:
harmless wrote:
durdencommatyler wrote:I've only listened to each song once, but Future Days seems to be about his wife. I thought Lightning Bolt was about surfing.
It is about his wife. But the imagery... It does more. So does LB, a lot more. I'm not even sure Lightning Bolt is about a girl. Actually I'm pretty sure it isn't, it's about Mother Earth ('she') and how she provides Ed a place to 'feel one with nature'. And yeah, the Lightning Bolt also refers to the surf board but only as a cool extra. LB is basically a continuation of Big Wave and ATW.
Now do Johnny Guitar.
I've got nothin'. It's a cool song though. Backspacer doesn't hang together like I'm hoping this one will.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by epilogue »

harmless wrote:
durdencommatyler wrote:
harmless wrote:
durdencommatyler wrote:I've only listened to each song once, but Future Days seems to be about his wife. I thought Lightning Bolt was about surfing.
It is about his wife. But the imagery... It does more. So does LB, a lot more. I'm not even sure Lightning Bolt is about a girl. Actually I'm pretty sure it isn't, it's about Mother Earth ('she') and how she provides Ed a place to 'feel one with nature'. And yeah, the Lightning Bolt also refers to the surf board but only as a cool extra. LB is basically a continuation of Big Wave and ATW.
I look forward to diving into these songs more. But I really want to wait until we have the album. I want as much of it to be fresh as possible. So I'm avoiding spinning them. But my first impression, upon hearing LB only once, was that it was literally a song about a surfboard. But I like that there are potentially multiple levels to the lyrics.
Only given the context against everything else. I like it when poems and songs 'talk to one another', and well-thought out tracklists can do that. So one song basically deepens the next, and they're made better by association.
Absolutely. And Pearl Jam has been able to do this a few times. Maybe not across an entire album, but from time to time. Vs and Vitalogy are probably the most overall successful examples of this, in my mind (maybe Riot Act, too). Also, it's probably one of the reasons Backspacer hasn't held up for me. It's a fine collection of songs, but I want more than "just" a collection of songs.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by harmless »

durdencommatyler wrote:
harmless wrote:
durdencommatyler wrote:
harmless wrote:
durdencommatyler wrote:I've only listened to each song once, but Future Days seems to be about his wife. I thought Lightning Bolt was about surfing.
It is about his wife. But the imagery... It does more. So does LB, a lot more. I'm not even sure Lightning Bolt is about a girl. Actually I'm pretty sure it isn't, it's about Mother Earth ('she') and how she provides Ed a place to 'feel one with nature'. And yeah, the Lightning Bolt also refers to the surf board but only as a cool extra. LB is basically a continuation of Big Wave and ATW.
I look forward to diving into these songs more. But I really want to wait until we have the album. I want as much of it to be fresh as possible. So I'm avoiding spinning them. But my first impression, upon hearing LB only once, was that it was literally a song about a surfboard. But I like that there are potentially multiple levels to the lyrics.
Only given the context against everything else. I like it when poems and songs 'talk to one another', and well-thought out tracklists can do that. So one song basically deepens the next, and they're made better by association.
Absolutely. And Pearl Jam has been able to do this a few times. Maybe not across an entire album, but from time to time. Vs and Vitalogy are probably the most overall successful examples of this, in my mind (maybe Riot Act, too). Also, it's probably one of the reasons Backspacer hasn't held up for me. It's a fine collection of songs, but I want more than "just" a collection of songs.
:thumbsup:
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by Strat »

harmless wrote:
durdencommatyler wrote:
harmless wrote:
durdencommatyler wrote:
harmless wrote:
durdencommatyler wrote:I've only listened to each song once, but Future Days seems to be about his wife. I thought Lightning Bolt was about surfing.
It is about his wife. But the imagery... It does more. So does LB, a lot more. I'm not even sure Lightning Bolt is about a girl. Actually I'm pretty sure it isn't, it's about Mother Earth ('she') and how she provides Ed a place to 'feel one with nature'. And yeah, the Lightning Bolt also refers to the surf board but only as a cool extra. LB is basically a continuation of Big Wave and ATW.
I look forward to diving into these songs more. But I really want to wait until we have the album. I want as much of it to be fresh as possible. So I'm avoiding spinning them. But my first impression, upon hearing LB only once, was that it was literally a song about a surfboard. But I like that there are potentially multiple levels to the lyrics.
Only given the context against everything else. I like it when poems and songs 'talk to one another', and well-thought out tracklists can do that. So one song basically deepens the next, and they're made better by association.
Absolutely. And Pearl Jam has been able to do this a few times. Maybe not across an entire album, but from time to time. Vs and Vitalogy are probably the most overall successful examples of this, in my mind (maybe Riot Act, too). Also, it's probably one of the reasons Backspacer hasn't held up for me. It's a fine collection of songs, but I want more than "just" a collection of songs.
:thumbsup:

Guys, the fixer shows his face in Force of Nature! The same guy who likes to put fixin' on things wants to save this girl, who is incapable of being saved or "fixed", its another attempt at showing the hsort comings of man always wanting to be the savior instead of just letting things be!
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by epilogue »

Strat wrote:
harmless wrote:
durdencommatyler wrote:
harmless wrote:
durdencommatyler wrote:
harmless wrote:
durdencommatyler wrote:I've only listened to each song once, but Future Days seems to be about his wife. I thought Lightning Bolt was about surfing.
It is about his wife. But the imagery... It does more. So does LB, a lot more. I'm not even sure Lightning Bolt is about a girl. Actually I'm pretty sure it isn't, it's about Mother Earth ('she') and how she provides Ed a place to 'feel one with nature'. And yeah, the Lightning Bolt also refers to the surf board but only as a cool extra. LB is basically a continuation of Big Wave and ATW.
I look forward to diving into these songs more. But I really want to wait until we have the album. I want as much of it to be fresh as possible. So I'm avoiding spinning them. But my first impression, upon hearing LB only once, was that it was literally a song about a surfboard. But I like that there are potentially multiple levels to the lyrics.
Only given the context against everything else. I like it when poems and songs 'talk to one another', and well-thought out tracklists can do that. So one song basically deepens the next, and they're made better by association.
Absolutely. And Pearl Jam has been able to do this a few times. Maybe not across an entire album, but from time to time. Vs and Vitalogy are probably the most overall successful examples of this, in my mind (maybe Riot Act, too). Also, it's probably one of the reasons Backspacer hasn't held up for me. It's a fine collection of songs, but I want more than "just" a collection of songs.
:thumbsup:

Guys, the fixer shows his face in Force of Nature! The same guy who likes to put fixin' on things wants to save this girl, who is incapable of being saved or "fixed", its another attempt at showing the hsort comings of man always wanting to be the savior instead of just letting things be!
:shock:
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