Lightning Bolt: the official album thread

[Lounge Lizard]

In fact, if people are down on religious imagery, why do they like GTF so much? (Incidentally, I don't think ATW sounds like GTF at all except lyrically -- as I said in the Dissident thread, it sounds more like Dissident.)

GTF is about being free when everybody wants to pin you down. Its not the new testament that rhimes.

[harmless]

When I'm surfing, I (as an atheist) "can feel like I have a soul that has been saved"? What's that other than a "I'm not religious but this makes me feel alive" statement? The people thinking this was Christian rock are not listening. It's the same statement MYM is making, just not angry or accusatory.

Not sure I agree about MYM. But the rest of this post is spot on. And that's why I really respond to it. It's akin to this Tom Petty sentiment:

"How about a cheer for all those bad girls
And all those boys that play that rock and roll
They love it like you love Jesus
It does the same thing to their souls"

I'm referring to the chorus or bridge (or whatever it is) of MYM really: "Self-realised and metaphysically redeemed..." Along with LB, we have the same message and Ed obsession carried over into Lightning Bolt.

[epilogue]

In fact, if people are down on religious imagery, why do they like GTF so much? (Incidentally, I don't think ATW sounds like GTF at all except lyrically -- as I said in the Dissident thread, it sounds more like Dissident.)

I don't think they sound alike either. But if Given to Fly didn't exist people would stop comparing every pseudo-soaring, mid-tempo, half anthem to it and we'd all be able to get on with our lives.

[Lounge Lizard]

I'm already willing to put Mind Your Manners above anything on Backspacer. If the rest of the album is even on par with Backspacer, I'll call it a win. And I'll have a handful of songs that I'll always turn to when spinning Pearl Jam.

There's certainly nothing on Backspacer with the same bite as MYM, so it wins in that weight class. If I had to be objective it could be argued that Unthought, or The End or Just Breathe are more widely received as better songs (speaking as someone with a girlfriend who considers those some of her favorite PJ songs)

I agree if the overall album quality (song-for-song) is on par then I'm happy.

if you could somehow delete the piano from Unthought it would tie with Faithful

Tie with Faithful? Not sure, but it would certainly be much better with something on the guitar rather than that horrendous piano. In fact, on the demo version I was kind of imagining that 'Nothing left' section becoming louder and more aggressive. No such luck.

and i wished the nothing left part would go away

[stupidmop]

In fact, if people are down on religious imagery, why do they like GTF so much? (Incidentally, I don't think ATW sounds like GTF at all except lyrically -- as I said in the Dissident thread, it sounds more like Dissident.)

I'm not a huge GTF fan, but i prefer it to ATW, i think the third person storytelling nature of the lyrics helps it a bit.

[epilogue]

When I'm surfing, I (as an atheist) "can feel like I have a soul that has been saved"? What's that other than a "I'm not religious but this makes me feel alive" statement? The people thinking this was Christian rock are not listening. It's the same statement MYM is making, just not angry or accusatory.

Not sure I agree about MYM. But the rest of this post is spot on. And that's why I really respond to it. It's akin to this Tom Petty sentiment:

"How about a cheer for all those bad girls
And all those boys that play that rock and roll
They love it like you love Jesus
It does the same thing to their souls"

I'm referring to the chorus or bridge (or whatever it is) of MYM really: "Self-realised and metaphysically redeemed..." Along with LB, we have the same message and Ed obsession carried over into Lightning Bolt.

Gotcha.

[harmless]

In fact, if people are down on religious imagery, why do they like GTF so much? (Incidentally, I don't think ATW sounds like GTF at all except lyrically -- as I said in the Dissident thread, it sounds more like Dissident.)

GTF is about being free when everybody wants to pin you down. Its not the new testament that rhimes.

Yup. Is that not what the silhouetted Ed / surf board symbol was about that we got? The one where his arms are outstretched, like on a cross? I don't know, it's a bit like Bono's 'I am Jesus' but much more stylish. He definitely sees surfing as a spiritual, transcendent experience. He's basically rejected GOP-style Christianity and replaced it with surfing.

[harmless]

In fact, if people are down on religious imagery, why do they like GTF so much? (Incidentally, I don't think ATW sounds like GTF at all except lyrically -- as I said in the Dissident thread, it sounds more like Dissident.)

I'm not a huge GTF fan, but i prefer it to ATW, i think the third person storytelling nature of the lyrics helps it a bit.

Yeah, I can see that. It does help that he puts the feelings into a third-person character on GTF. Some people find the first-person thing uncomfortable, I guess. It doesn't bother me so much.

[McParadigm]

i think that 'I can see the light coming through the clouds in rays' is a beautiful line. Its like a painting with words instead of colors.

It's more like the scene at the end of a Nicholas Sparks novel turned into poetry by an 11th grade girl.

[epilogue]

i think that 'I can see the light coming through the clouds in rays' is a beautiful line. Its like a painting with words instead of colors.

It's more like the scene at the end of a Nicholas Sparks novel turned into poetry by an 11th grade girl.

Why girl?

[harmless]

i think that 'I can see the light coming through the clouds in rays' is a beautiful line. Its like a painting with words instead of colors.

It's more like the scene at the end of a Nicholas Sparks novel turned into poetry by an 11th grade girl.

All of PJ's 'emotional' songs are like that, just with different scenes from different cheesy novels. What I don't understand is why ATW is any cheesier than GTF. Is it because GTF mentions smoking a joint? I mean, you know, it makes it much edgier, granted.

[McParadigm]

It's the kind of overwrought "pretty" imagery girls frequently put in their poetry assignments...it's not even interestingly decorated or phrased, here, so he may well have copy-pasted it word for word from some homework he found on the ground.

Teenage boys tend to try really hard to sound "dark," or like their life is really hard, which is equally hilarious.

Spoiler: show

[epilogue]

It's the kind of overwrought "pretty" imagery girls frequently put in their poetry assignments...it's not even interestingly decorated or phrased, here, so he may well have copy-pasted it word for word from some homework he found on the ground.

Teenage boys tend to try really hard to sound "dark," or like their life is really hard, which is equally hilarious.

Spoiler: show

[McParadigm]

i think that 'I can see the light coming through the clouds in rays' is a beautiful line. Its like a painting with words instead of colors.

It's more like the scene at the end of a Nicholas Sparks novel turned into poetry by an 11th grade girl.

All of PJ's 'emotional' songs are like that, just with different scenes from different cheesy novels. What I don't understand is why ATW is any cheesier than GTF. Is it because GTF mentions smoking a joint? I mean, you know, it makes it much edgier, granted.

Not a big fan of Given to Fly. It's got a great sonic backdrop, and a warm recording, but otherwise it's kinda Pearl Jam's Dream On I guess.

[stupidmop]

In fact, if people are down on religious imagery, why do they like GTF so much? (Incidentally, I don't think ATW sounds like GTF at all except lyrically -- as I said in the Dissident thread, it sounds more like Dissident.)

GTF is about being free when everybody wants to pin you down. Its not the new testament that rhimes.

Yup. Is that not what the silhouetted Ed / surf board symbol was about that we got? The one where his arms are outstretched, like on a cross? I don't know, it's a bit like Bono's 'I am Jesus' but much more stylish. He definitely sees surfing as a spiritual, transcendent experience. He's basically rejected GOP-style Christianity and replaced it with surfing.

He's doing that in both songs sure, it just works better, and comes of slightly less cheesy in GTF. A combination of the lyrics and the music i guess. ATW just sounds like every joke we make about ed being a giant hippy surfer rolled into one song. If it wasn't already a song, and the title popped up on a fake tracklist i'd be calling bullshit.

[harmless]

I don't see why these lyric choices have much to do with gender. Teenage girls probably write more dark emo wrist-lashing poetry than boys, on average. Boys sometimes just rock out and write about fancying their best friend's mother. Ten is full of horribly overwrought emotion, it's just a different kind of emotion than Yield.

Is this about what kind of songs bro's can enjoy? Rocking out and avoiding emotion? I guess I thought the fanbase was a little beyond that by now...

[epilogue]

I don't see why these lyric choices have much to do with gender. Teenage girls probably write more dark emo wrist-lashing poetry than boys, on average. Boys sometimes just rock out and write about fancying their best friend's mother. Ten is full of horribly overwrought emotion, it's just a different kind of emotion than Yield.

Is this about what kind of songs bro's can enjoy? Rocking out and avoiding emotion? I guess I thought the fanbase was a little beyond that by now...

But did you click the spoiler? That was quality. The rest of it I can give or take. I was never a teacher of 11 year olds.

[harmless]

In fact, if people are down on religious imagery, why do they like GTF so much? (Incidentally, I don't think ATW sounds like GTF at all except lyrically -- as I said in the Dissident thread, it sounds more like Dissident.)

GTF is about being free when everybody wants to pin you down. Its not the new testament that rhimes.

Yup. Is that not what the silhouetted Ed / surf board symbol was about that we got? The one where his arms are outstretched, like on a cross? I don't know, it's a bit like Bono's 'I am Jesus' but much more stylish. He definitely sees surfing as a spiritual, transcendent experience. He's basically rejected GOP-style Christianity and replaced it with surfing.

He's doing that in both songs sure, it just works better, and comes of slightly less cheesy in GTF. A combination of the lyrics and the music i guess. ATW just sounds like every joke we make about ed being a giant hippy surfer rolled into one song. If it wasn't already a song, and the title popped up on a fake tracklist i'd be calling bullshit.

How did you feel about Big Wave? Be careful how you answer.

[stupidmop]

'I can see the light coming through the clouds in rays' isn't a cheesy line. It's barely a line. It's a description, hell its a statement of fact, light always comes through clouds in rays, rays of sunlight....?

[Mine]

i think that 'I can see the light coming through the clouds in rays' is a beautiful line. Its like a painting with words instead of colors.

It's more like the scene at the end of a Nicholas Sparks novel turned into poetry by an 11th grade girl.

All of PJ's 'emotional' songs are like that, just with different scenes from different cheesy novels. What I don't understand is why ATW is any cheesier than GTF. Is it because GTF mentions smoking a joint? I mean, you know, it makes it much edgier, granted.

Not a big fan of Given to Fly. It's got a great sonic backdrop, and a warm recording, but otherwise it's kinda Pearl Jam's Dream On I guess.

I'm not crazy about it either. I don't think i'd compare ATW to it. ATW to me sounds more related to Alive and 10 in general.