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

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stip
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by stip »

i can't think of any songs off hand that the music ruined for me. I like some songs more than others, but PJ has yet to write a song with bad music.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by Thejambi »

The music ruins Inside Job more for me than the lyrics.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by harmless »

stip wrote:i can't think of any songs off hand that the music ruined for me. I like some songs more than others, but PJ has yet to write a song with bad music.
That's what I'm saying. I guess I'm still here because musically, they still sound like Pearl Jam. I like the combination of the players, except that now, they're no more than the sum of their parts. Plus Ed. Ed is still at the driver's seat, and when he's on fire, he makes them who they are. But that's too seldom now, and it's frustrating. I know I slate Supersonic a lot on here, but the truth is, there are bits and pieces I like about that song, but they're never the lyrics, and it's so frustrating. The same can be said for so many songs on S/T and Backspacer. I don't need an album on the musical level of the first 7, but man, I would just love if Ed would stretch his lyrics a bit further like he used to.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by stip »

there are some songs for sure where I am not a particularly huge fan of the music, but never to the point that it causes a problem--it just makes me like the song less.

lyrics I don't like, on the other hand, can REALLY hurt a song
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by stip »

harmless wrote:
stip wrote:i can't think of any songs off hand that the music ruined for me. I like some songs more than others, but PJ has yet to write a song with bad music.
That's what I'm saying. I guess I'm still here because musically, they still sound like Pearl Jam. I like the combination of the players, except that now, they're no more than the sum of their parts. Plus Ed. Ed is still at the driver's seat, and when he's on fire, he makes them who they are. But that's too seldom now, and it's frustrating. I know I slate Supersonic a lot on here, but the truth is, there are bits and pieces I like about that song, but they're never the lyrics, and it's so frustrating. The same can be said for so many songs on S/T and Backspacer. I don't need an album on the musical level of the first 7, but man, I would just love if Ed would stretch his lyrics a bit further like he used to.

S/T was one of the weaker albums, lyrically, but backspacer was, with the exception of got some and supersonic, a well written album, and lyrically the best songs on there top anything from riot act or s/t.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by harmless »

stip wrote:there are some songs for sure where I am not a particularly huge fan of the music, but never to the point that it causes a problem--it just makes me like the song less.

lyrics I don't like, on the other hand, can REALLY hurt a song
Wait, I just want to check that you're aware I'm arguing exactly the same thing. It's generally not the music ruining late PJ songs. If I hate a song it's 99% of the time going to be about the lyrics.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by harmless »

stip wrote:
harmless wrote:
stip wrote:i can't think of any songs off hand that the music ruined for me. I like some songs more than others, but PJ has yet to write a song with bad music.
That's what I'm saying. I guess I'm still here because musically, they still sound like Pearl Jam. I like the combination of the players, except that now, they're no more than the sum of their parts. Plus Ed. Ed is still at the driver's seat, and when he's on fire, he makes them who they are. But that's too seldom now, and it's frustrating. I know I slate Supersonic a lot on here, but the truth is, there are bits and pieces I like about that song, but they're never the lyrics, and it's so frustrating. The same can be said for so many songs on S/T and Backspacer. I don't need an album on the musical level of the first 7, but man, I would just love if Ed would stretch his lyrics a bit further like he used to.

S/T was one of the weaker albums, lyrically, but backspacer was, with the exception of got some and supersonic, a well written album, and lyrically the best songs on there top anything from riot act or s/t.
Actually I also think Got Some was pretty good lyrically; or rather, it achieves what it's trying a lot better than Supersonic (music references fitting with vaguely political / motivational fuck-yeah-life music).
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by harmless »

Thejambi wrote:The music ruins Inside Job more for me than the lyrics.
I'm not sure man. I'm OK with Inside Job musically.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by Thejambi »

harmless wrote:
Thejambi wrote:The music ruins Inside Job more for me than the lyrics.
I'm not sure man. I'm OK with Inside Job musically.
I find it limp.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by stip »

harmless wrote:
stip wrote:there are some songs for sure where I am not a particularly huge fan of the music, but never to the point that it causes a problem--it just makes me like the song less.

lyrics I don't like, on the other hand, can REALLY hurt a song
Wait, I just want to check that you're aware I'm arguing exactly the same thing. It's generally not the music ruining late PJ songs. If I hate a song it's 99% of the time going to be about the lyrics.
yup. I was agreeing with you
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by Jorge »

"Inside Job" is an example of a song where the music is boring and the lyrics are bad, resulting in one of the worst things this band has ever done.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by Strat »

theplatypus wrote:"Inside Job" is an example of a song where the music is boring and the lyrics are bad, resulting in one of the worst things this band has ever done.

It is amazing it came from the guy (musically) who also wrote: brain of J, present tense, given to fly, faithful, state of love and trust, etc..etc..

I have no idea how this song passed through quality check.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by stupidmop »

Thumbing my way. I tried listening to it again after seeing some of the lyrics in the 'non iconic lyrics' thread and yeah, no.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by Rangi Guy »

theplatypus wrote:"Inside Job" is an example of a song where the music is boring and the lyrics are bad, resulting in one of the worst things this band has ever done.
I like Inside Job
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by harmless »

At the risk of flogging a dead horse, Matt didn't do Inside Job any favours. But I find the piano to be quite tasteful, and that's a rarity for PJ.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by stip »

stupidmop wrote:Thumbing my way. I tried listening to it again after seeing some of the lyrics in the 'non iconic lyrics' thread and yeah, no.
actually that might be the one song where I just don't like the music. it's pretty boring.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by Jorge »

Rangi Guy wrote:
theplatypus wrote:"Inside Job" is an example of a song where the music is boring and the lyrics are bad, resulting in one of the worst things this band has ever done.
I like Inside Job
I believe that.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by harmless »

stupidmop wrote:Thumbing my way. I tried listening to it again after seeing some of the lyrics in the 'non iconic lyrics' thread and yeah, no.
TMW is fucking great, some days it's my favourite song on Riot Act.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by stupidmop »

stip wrote:
stupidmop wrote:Thumbing my way. I tried listening to it again after seeing some of the lyrics in the 'non iconic lyrics' thread and yeah, no.
actually that might be the one song where I just don't like the music. it's pretty boring.
Definitely, and the music doesn't match the lyrics. And the vocal melody is also boring, and there's a line that ed just hums because apparently he couldn't think of any words. I love me a good depressing song and I like some of the lyrics but all I hear is a boring meandering mess.

The first thing I thought of when I heard Future Days was Thumbing My Way, not cool.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by Sgt. Crackpot »

harmless wrote:At the risk of flogging a dead horse, Matt didn't do Inside Job any favours. But I find the piano to be quite tasteful, and that's a rarity for PJ.
Most of what Matt does is very subtle. He does use some quite advanced techniques on some songs, but due to the subtleties, he comes across as boring.
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Jack Irons had a little more in the way of advanced techniques, but he made them blatantly obvious. This made him so much cooler.
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