Lightning Bolt: the official album thread

[Thejambi]

Pearl Jam has seem to have forgotten that they used to achieve urgency and intensity through dynamics and texturing and not just through loudness and pace. They also achieved emotion and intrigue with there ballads using those same properties.

Well put. I don't know if they've forgotten or just moved on. But I agree. There doesn't need to be a divide; it doesn't have to be one or the other.

The biggest problem i have with Backspacer and all the tracks since then is they lack of overall dynamic/mood within the songs. They have all been pretty linear trips from start to finish (with the occasional slight buildup). Sometimes it works for me (Cold Confession but the lyrics and story play into that style of songwriting).

Mind Your Manners works for me. Whatever they're doing.

I think its a fine song. Would have been alot better if they weren't afraid of throwing the intro in the middle somewhere and knocking it off balance.

[warehouse]

I fell asleep listening to SOH last night and it's a great track to play as you nod off. The tone of the song is fantastic. It has space and atmosphere for days. And reverb! Yay! But lets be honest. It's fucking boring.

I hate people's need to preface their opinion with "let's be honest", as if they're about to dish the cold hard truth upon a horde of slack-jawed peasants. No, I don't find "Sleight of Hand" to be boring, and if I'm "honest" all I'm prepared to admit is that it's a song that moves me and excites me like nothing on Backspacer does, listless melancholy notwithstanding. "Let's be honest" about what our opinions are and drop the rhetorical misdirection.

I love songs that make me feel like a hopeless piece of shit afterwards. SOH is anything but boring.

thats kinda what i was thinking. how can you fall asleep during this song? the chorus is enough to wake you the fuck up

[stupidmop]

If Sirens is the soundcheck song, it has a chance of being really good. It will not be so spacey and full of reverb, obviously, so that's the only worry. At the moment, in my head at least, it's the best song on the album and can be compared with SOH.

Just an honest question, does spacey reverb = good to you? If so, why?

Nope. But 'spacey / reverb' was just shorthand for atmospherics. Most people I've read have wanted something akin to SOH, i.e. with lots of spacey effects. I don't care whether I get that or not but I admit it would be nice. When I say 'worry' I mean that it could just be another FON, which would mean it sucks.

I get that the sound of a band in the room is a cool thing and may have been missed last couple of records, but I wonder that people have something ingrained in their heads that something "atmospheric" or spacey or something implies that it's somehow being taken more seriously. After seeing the Cold Confession thread, I sometimes wonder if people are conditioned to think when they hear any of the following it is a more serious piece of work: 1) versus or bridges that are extended 2) reverb on the guitars, 3) echoes on the drums and 4) "space" around the vocals 5) drawn out vocal melody.

Could it not just be that alot of people simply like that kind of music more? And find it more interesting?

A lot of people? I thought RM was one person posting under multiple personalities? I fell asleep listening to SOH last night and it's a great track to play as you nod off. The tone of the song is fantastic. It has space and atmosphere for days. And reverb! Yay! But lets be honest. It's fucking boring. Of the Girl too. And Parting Ways. And NAIS. Sometimes boring works like when you put your cans on and smoke a bowl. It works when you want to get lost inside an album. I was not a big fan of Binaural when it came out because PJ seemed to be replacing rage and experimentation with dour. The album seemed out of time. (Is an album that should have been released in 1975 that comes out in 2000 out of time or timeless?). I still can't stand the album version of NAIS which should have tied the room together and doesn't. Last night I swapped in Sad for Evacuation and it made me appreciate those sessions a little more. Binaural has been the least accessible album for me which doesn't mean least good although probably I go back to Binaural as infrequently as the dreaded ST and Backspacer. I have to quibble with the notion that there is something more valuable about SOH or Of the Girl than I'm Gonna See My Friends and The End. Pearl Jam was after immediacy on Backspacer and atmosphere on Binaural. I agree about the production though. This latter-day compression makes the ears rebel. But there's too much mob rule mentality when it comes to analyzing PJ's work.

Yep.

I said a lot, not all people. I said a lot because, Tolumne mentioned the reaction to CC specifically. A lot of people liked that song. I'm not sure if you were disagreeing with me but whatever, Binaurals my favourite album i dont find it boring, but if you do thats cool. durdencommatyler explained everthing well i thought.

SOH kicks my ass. The chorus is like a plane going down. Those 'aaahhhh' harmonies that drift in make me all tingly.

[stupidmop]

I can totally accept this. This I'm totally cool with it. Sometimes it's just not your bag at that specific moment. It's when people say "they've lost it!" or "it's over!" or "they've screwed it up" (alright, not everyone actually says these exact things, but you know what I'm talking about) or some other histrionic bed wetting that just seems so unfair and narrow-minded.

Unfair to who?

It's pretty much always exaggeration. No one's saying fuck it, lets shut the board down everyone go home, we've all decide pearl jam suck and not worth talking about anymore.

And if they did it'd be a joke.

[Thejambi]

I can totally accept this. This I'm totally cool with it. Sometimes it's just not your bag at that specific moment. It's when people say "they've lost it!" or "it's over!" or "they've screwed it up" (alright, not everyone actually says these exact things, but you know what I'm talking about) or some other histrionic bed wetting that just seems so unfair and narrow-minded.

Unfair to who?

It's pretty much always exaggeration. No one's saying fuck it, lets shut the board down everyone go home, we've all decide pearl jam suck and not worth talking about anymore.

And if they did it'd be a joke.

Pearl Jam set there own standards.

[stupidmop]

I can totally accept this. This I'm totally cool with it. Sometimes it's just not your bag at that specific moment. It's when people say "they've lost it!" or "it's over!" or "they've screwed it up" (alright, not everyone actually says these exact things, but you know what I'm talking about) or some other histrionic bed wetting that just seems so unfair and narrow-minded.

Unfair to who?

It's pretty much always exaggeration. No one's saying fuck it, lets shut the board down everyone go home, we've all decide pearl jam suck and not worth talking about anymore.

And if they did it'd be a joke.

Pearl Jam set there own standards.

Iiiiiiiii'm not sure what you're saying

[nomorecrackpipes]

Mind Your Manners
lightning Bolt
Infallible
Sirens
Future Days

5 down 7 to go!!!

I have reservations about the whole "12 tracks" thing ... I am reasonably sure they are just an iTunes default.

[Strat]

Mind Your Manners
lightning Bolt
Infallible
Sirens
Future Days

5 down 7 to go!!!

I have reservations about the whole "12 tracks" thing ... I am reasonably sure they are just an iTunes default.

"LIGHTNING BOLT" DIGITAL DOWNLOAD (TEN CLUB MEMBERS-ONLY VERSION)
Members-only version contains exclusive digital content delivered on album release date.
release date: 10.15.13
Pre-order the "Lightning Bolt" digital download and get instant access to "Mind Your Manners" in your www.pearljam.com account.
Both the single (instant), and the full album will be available in your account in the following formats:
MP3
FLAC lossless
Apple lossless
High Resolution WAV File
"Lighting Bolt" digital download will include 12 tracks. (Downloads will be available in the following formats: MP3, FLAC, Apple Lossless and WAV)

[nomorecrackpipes]

Mind Your Manners
lightning Bolt
Infallible
Sirens
Future Days

5 down 7 to go!!!

I have reservations about the whole "12 tracks" thing ... I am reasonably sure they are just an iTunes default.

"LIGHTNING BOLT" DIGITAL DOWNLOAD (TEN CLUB MEMBERS-ONLY VERSION)
Members-only version contains exclusive digital content delivered on album release date.
release date: 10.15.13
Pre-order the "Lightning Bolt" digital download and get instant access to "Mind Your Manners" in your http://www.pearljam.com account.
Both the single (instant), and the full album will be available in your account in the following formats:
MP3
FLAC lossless
Apple lossless
High Resolution WAV File
"Lighting Bolt" digital download will include 12 tracks. (Downloads will be available in the following formats: MP3, FLAC, Apple Lossless and WAV)

Details, details, details.

[stupidmop]

The didn't say only 12 tracks. 15 tracks includes 12 tracks.

Spoiler: show

I think there's going to be 12 tracks

[EJ]

The didn't say only 12 tracks. 15 tracks includes 12 tracks.

3 different hard copy versions of Betterman.

[stupidmop]

Double album, where the second CD is entirely live betterman's?

Lightning Bolt & the Bettermen

[elliseamos]

hey folks, i had to get some paddle-boarding in, what'd i miss since monday?

[Thejambi]

hey folks, i had to get some paddle-boarding in, what'd i miss since monday?

Horrible Sigs
More playlist drafts
Underwhelming BOB interview
Koala meat

[elliseamos]

Koala meat

pickled or hibachi?

also, thank you.

[Heathen]

I hope Koala Meat is on the album

[MemoFromTurner]

I fell asleep listening to SOH last night and it's a great track to play as you nod off. The tone of the song is fantastic. It has space and atmosphere for days. And reverb! Yay! But lets be honest. It's fucking boring.

I hate people's need to preface their opinion with "let's be honest", as if they're about to dish the cold hard truth upon a horde of slack-jawed peasants. No, I don't find "Sleight of Hand" to be boring, and if I'm "honest" all I'm prepared to admit is that it's a song that moves me and excites me like nothing on Backspacer does, listless melancholy notwithstanding. "Let's be honest" about what our opinions are and drop the rhetorical misdirection.

Let's be honest, you have bad taste in music. I keed. I keed.

[Thejambi]

I hope Koala Meat is on the album

I'd settle with a free can with the delivery.

[Norah]

I used to be a mod. What you guys call seconds we called alts -- and making alts was a bannable offense.

its one of those rules here that technically exist (don't make them) but are only enforced when they are a problem

When I made my first (actually second, just first one where I got caught) second account punkdavid banned me so fucking fast. But in fairness, I spammed the shit out of GD that day.

[nomorecrackpipes]

Seriously, if they include another live version of Better Man anywhere, it's so over.