Gigaton: Official album thread

[LetMeSleep]

I think this'll leak a few days early but no more than 3-4 days.

[oneway23]

I think this'll leak a few days early but no more than 3-4 days.

eeeeyup...Not too many records leak that far out anymore. Definitely the same week.

[Ms Harmless]

I'm very ready to hear a new attempt at a Sirens-like song with the current production values

[oneway23]

I'm very ready to hear a new attempt at a Sirens-like song with the current production values

This here...production so far has been aces...Really hoping it carries through the entire record!

[Leatherhead]

Sirens with dicks!

[Ms Harmless]

Sirens with dicks!

[mikejasond]

Sirens main issue for me (other than the cheesiness) is that lyrically it can't decide what it is. But this is a well trodden discussion.

What do you mean? It's a man reflecting on his age and mortality and how now that he has a family he can't be reckless like he once was, because of how much he loves his wife and kids, but realizes that death is becoming a realistic threat and no longer an abstract thing far off that he doesn't have to worry about. It's just an older Vedder reflecting on his mortality...I really like it for that reason. The lyrics are great for where Eddie is in his life. It's not a song he could have written when he was 20, and that to me makes it a lot better than his attempts to recapture earlier energy and failing.

[mikejasond]

2. I'm not a big live listener, but Lightning Bolt is maybe the only pearl jam record (Backspacer?) to not have a beloved touring cycle behind it. And that has nothing to do with the songs - it's not like people fall over themselves for the other performances on those tours. So every other album benefits from the added credibility, legitimacy, and aura that comes from years of favorite live performances by a band that, when they were on, was one of the greatest live acts of all time. That was a crucial element of the pearl jam experience, a way to discover/rediscover songs and cement them in your personal catalog of essential songs, that has been missing from those albums.

This is a very good point.

[LetMeSleep]

Hear the sirens covering distance in the night
The sound, echoing closer, will they come for me, next time?

For every choice, mistake I made, is not my plan
To send you in the arms of another man
And if you choose to stay, I'll wait, I'll understand

This is where the lyrics turn. What the hell has another man got to do with this bloody song?

[oneway23]

The lyrics are great for where Eddie is in his life. It's not a song he could have written when he was 20, and that to me makes it a lot better than his attempts to recapture earlier energy and failing.

Agreed. I'd rather this than some misguided attempt at a half-hearted "Whippin'' clone because the band is sitting there thinking that their fans won't be at ease in their sense of fandom without one.

[7 Years and Maybe Longer]

I know it won't happen, but how great would it be if they released a Single Video Theory type thing for Gigaton?

I would love to hear about the making of this record and all the ups and downs they went through on their "road map to musical redemption." Perhaps, we'd even get to the bottom of what happened with Can't Deny Me and if they really had an album ready to go and scrapped the whole thing.

[mikejasond]

I'm not saying this in a facetious way, I'm asking a genuinely open-hearted question here: Isn't all of this "concept failure" talk a bit like saying No Code's "concept" failed because "Hail, Hail", "Habit", & "Lukin" were on the record?

no because No Code's concept was there was no concept. it was a ramshackle collection of disparate songs that explored new avenues and sounds throughout. jack had no small part to do with that.

thats kind of a dodge.

I don't think so. That is like....the central concept of the Beatles' White Album, one of the most famous albums ever.

[96583UP]

When this album drops, everyone just be sure to listen to the whole thing on headphones / airpods / excellent speakers / loud

and preferably in the sunshine, in late morning, with a cup of coffee

no late night tired-brain computer speaker stuff

[digster]

Lightning Bolt has a lot of similarity to Backspacer; I don't think that necessarily means it's a carbon copy. I remember the big tag on LB from the band was that it was an "extension" of Backspacer, and it's striking because that's maybe the only time in history the band has accurately described their output. It's taking the aesthetic of Backspacer and putting it to use on a more diverse, expansive cache of songs. LB, while I still reach for it more than Backspacer, also is similar to Backspacer in that it suffers from some of the same choices (uninspired songwriting and flaccid production). I don't think they're exactly the same, but they're one of the more similar 1/2 punches in the band's discography.

[Noaheb]

I'm very ready to hear a new attempt at a Sirens-like song with the current production values

NO

[Ms Harmless]

I'm very ready to hear a new attempt at a Sirens-like song with the current production values

NO

yes!

[scrub12]

When this album drops, everyone just be sure to listen to the whole thing on headphones / airpods / excellent speakers / loud

and preferably in the sunshine, in late morning, with a cup of coffee

no late night tired-brain computer speaker stuff

If that Dolby Atmos movie theatre stuff is real, I hope it comes to Denver. That’d be an experience.

[EJ]

Hear the sirens covering distance in the night
The sound, echoing closer, will they come for me, next time?

For every choice, mistake I made, is not my plan
To send you in the arms of another man
And if you choose to stay, I'll wait, I'll understand

This is where the lyrics turn. What the hell has another man got to do with this bloody song?

Is the other man Satan?

[evenslow]

I'm not saying this in a facetious way, I'm asking a genuinely open-hearted question here: Isn't all of this "concept failure" talk a bit like saying No Code's "concept" failed because "Hail, Hail", "Habit", & "Lukin" were on the record?

no because No Code's concept was there was no concept. it was a ramshackle collection of disparate songs that explored new avenues and sounds throughout. jack had no small part to do with that.

thats kind of a dodge.

I don't think so. That is like....the central concept of the Beatles' White Album, one of the most famous albums ever.

great point jasonda! you got me thinking (always a dangerous prospect):

WHITE CODE

Sometimes = I Will
Hail Hail = Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
Who You Are = Dear Prudence
In My Tree = Glass Onion
Smile = I'm So Tired
Off He Goes = Rocky Raccoon
Habit = Helter Skelter
Red Mosquito = Yer Blues
Lukin = Wild Honey Pie
Present Tense = While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Mankind = Birthday
I'm Open = Julia
Around the Bend = Good Night

[96583UP]

When this album drops, everyone just be sure to listen to the whole thing on headphones / airpods / excellent speakers / loud

and preferably in the sunshine, in late morning, with a cup of coffee

no late night tired-brain computer speaker stuff

If that Dolby Atmos movie theatre stuff is real, I hope it comes to Denver. That’d be an experience.

seriously

except you would have to sit in a room full of pearl jam fans

but other than that would be worth experiencing