Lightning Bolt: the official album thread

[harmless]

"There's a light when my baby's in my arms."

Where is the unbridled rage for a line like that? People are just bored of PJ. That's OK, but let's not pretend that this song is any cooler.

Are you serious? "Thin Air" and "Future Days" aren't anywhere near the same league.

And yet, no one seems to be able to articulate why. Of course they're not: 1) the song has an excellently produced studio version, 2) it's part of Binaural, an excellent album, and it fits perfectly, 3) We've had like a decade to forgive its worst aspects. Man, if it had been the first thing released from Binaural, some of us would have thought it sucked hard. Actually, I thought the entirety of Binaural sucked hard for several years. If a guy who was an average guitarist (Ed) played 'Thin Air' with no accompaniment, it would be 5% of what it is as part of Binaural.

[EJ]

Ed and BoB will play it on Letterman together. They will be introduced as Pearl Jam.

[harmless]

We get a live performance of a new song which we know is on the album. But we've not heard the album yet. And we don't really know how the music on the song will be like in studio. But let's hate on it anyway because it's a love song. Or if not because of that, because the music is so uncool. But we haven't really heard the music of the studio version. Doesn't matter. Let's hate on it!

Let's hate on it because cute songs to our wives are so uncool. What happened to the band who were all about 'youth and resistance'? Those old songs, even the ones about Ed's wife, were so much cooler.

[harmless]

Everyone laughed at me when I pointed to a couple of Bible verses FD's lyrics allude to. Apparently that's perfectly obvious. But I only pointed it out to prove that the song in the album's context will be about more than Ed and whatever-her-name-is. It alludes to all of the themes on the album, and works as their resolution.

[stupidmop]

I really don't think 'Our future days, days of you and me' is a great line. But I don't think it's any worse than the one about my baby in my arms. I think the context of Binaural makes it better. Binaural is a fucking great album so over time, people have forgiven lines like that.

I forgive it cause i think the song is good. The vocal melody isnt boring as shit, and the music is nice, its got an old school vibe to it. I don't forgive leash because its on VS, i still think its immature and pointless, i think present tense bar the outro is cringeworthy tree hugging shit i don't forgive it because its on no code.

Oceans was a love song, but i think its a good love song, and not because it was on ten. It would have been a good love song on any of the albums.

I get its a nice, calm after the storm, love will prevail even though the world is shitty album closer, but i still think it sounds like shit.

And i'm not saying nobody else should like it and you have to agree that its shit, i just don't like it. Because i think its a bad song and i don't think context is going to help it. The only way hearing the studio version would help me is if the vocals were barely audible under some decent music.

[Waverider]

FUTURE DAYS isn't a great song.......but it doesn't make me hate RIOT ACT any less.

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

Don't you guys know that? A good studio recording placed in just the right spot in the album can make a horrible song amazing!

[harmless]

I really don't think 'Our future days, days of you and me' is a great line. But I don't think it's any worse than the one about my baby in my arms. I think the context of Binaural makes it better. Binaural is a fucking great album so over time, people have forgiven lines like that.

I forgive it cause i think the song is good. The vocal melody isnt boring as shit, and the music is nice, its got an old school vibe to it. I don't forgive leash because its on VS, i still think its immature and pointless, i think present tense bar the outro is cringeworthy tree hugging shit i don't forgive it because its on no code.

Oceans was a love song, but i think its a good love song, and not because it was on ten. It would have been a good love song on any of the albums.

I get its a nice, calm after the storm, love will prevail even though the world is shitty album closer, but i still think it sounds like shit.

And i'm not saying nobody else should like it and you have to agree that its shit, i just don't like it. Because i think its a bad song and i don't think context is going to help it. The only way hearing the studio version would help me is if the vocals were barely audible under some decent music.

You don't like Present Tense? Ah well, that's useful context.

[harmless]

Don't you guys know that? A good studio recording placed in just the right spot in the album can make a horrible song amazing!

I think I said more than this, but yeah, reduce all my arguments down, I don't mind. It seems to have worked for Thin Air.

In the end it doesn't matter. It's only a song.

[harmless]

So who actually thinks Thin Air is a go-to song, even when they're not listening to Binaural? I certainly don't. It's nice, but it's definitely a part of a whole and no more.

[ABNorman]

I really don't think 'Our future days, days of you and me' is a great line. But I don't think it's any worse than the one about my baby in my arms. I think the context of Binaural makes it better. Binaural is a fucking great album so over time, people have forgiven lines like that.

I forgive it cause i think the song is good. The vocal melody isnt boring as shit, and the music is nice, its got an old school vibe to it. I don't forgive leash because its on VS, i still think its immature and pointless, i think present tense bar the outro is cringeworthy tree hugging shit i don't forgive it because its on no code.

Oceans was a love song, but i think its a good love song, and not because it was on ten. It would have been a good love song on any of the albums.

I get its a nice, calm after the storm, love will prevail even though the world is shitty album closer, but i still think it sounds like shit.

And i'm not saying nobody else should like it and you have to agree that its shit, i just don't like it. Because i think its a bad song and i don't think context is going to help it. The only way hearing the studio version would help me is if the vocals were barely audible under some decent music.

You don't like Present Tense? Ah well, that's useful context.

I wish this forum came with a little program, so that when you signed up, you had to rank every album and song and everyone could see how others' opinions matched up with their own.

Instant context.

[ABNorman]

So who actually thinks Thin Air is a go-to song, even when they're not listening to Binaural? I certainly don't. It's nice, but it's definitely a part of a whole and no more.

If it pops up I'm very unlikely to skip it. But I don't mind simple love songs, and Thin Air has a particularly warm & weary sound that I relate to.

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

Ed and BoB will play it on Letterman together. They will be introduced as Pearl Jam.

[Release_Me]

Don't you guys know that? A good studio recording placed in just the right spot in the album can make a horrible song amazing!

What if I don't think the song is horrible at all? Yeah, that's a real possibility. Not everyone hates it to begin with. I don't care for it as a song any more or any less than Around The Bend, Parting Ways, Thin Air, etc. I don't think either are great songs but neither do I think they're horrible.

[harmless]

So who actually thinks Thin Air is a go-to song, even when they're not listening to Binaural? I certainly don't. It's nice, but it's definitely a part of a whole and no more.

If it pops up I'm very unlikely to skip it. But I don't mind simple love songs, and Thin Air has a particularly warm & weary sound that I relate to.

Agreed. I like it very much, but I would never choose to listen to it outside of Binaural.

[harmless]

Don't you guys know that? A good studio recording placed in just the right spot in the album can make a horrible song amazing!

What if I don't think the song is horrible at all? Yeah, that's a real possibility. Not everyone hates it to begin with. I don't care for it as a song any more or any less than Around The Bend, Parting Ways, Thin Air, etc. I don't think either are great songs but neither do I think they're horrible.

I frequently get these three mixed up.

[EJ]

So who actually thinks Thin Air is a go-to song, even when they're not listening to Binaural? I certainly don't. It's nice, but it's definitely a part of a whole and no more.

I do. Love it. Loved since they debuted it at Bridge School before Binaural was released. My opinion has not changed since.

[harmless]

So who actually thinks Thin Air is a go-to song, even when they're not listening to Binaural? I certainly don't. It's nice, but it's definitely a part of a whole and no more.

I do. Love it. Loved since they debuted it at Bridge School before Binaural was released. My opinion has not changed since.

It's greatly suited to a full-band treatment, that's one thing it's got going for it.

[harmless]

I'm getting bored of Googling PJ news. How many venues found it news-worthy that PJ slowly revealed a tracklist (seemingly all of them), and why is that still the latest news?

[stip]

here's a fun fact. Between Merkinball (I like Long Road) and S/T (I like Parachutes and Comeback), the only slow songs pearl jam released that I liked were wishlist, parting ways, and man of the hour. (I am not including present tense but I do like it). I didn't much care for sometimes (it's okay), off he goes (don't like), around the bend (growing on me and in the right mood it is okay), lowlight, thin air, thumbing my way, or all or none. Thus far I don't care for future days either, but that's the norm.