Quick Escape

[stip]

Both are good songs that are, in different ways, genre exercises out of their normal wheelhouse

[taffer]

Tremor Christ
Johnny Guitar
In My Tree
Severed Hand
Quick Escape
Light Years
Cropduster
Given to Fly
Why Go
Sirens
Glorified G

[wease]

this is a super strong list and Johnny Guitar is the worst song on it by far

You meant to say Sirens.

I did not

Neither is any good really.

Goddammit, J

[Kevin Davis]

So, I think I've come to the realization that "Sirens" is my favorite song on Lightning Bolt.

When Lightning Bolt first came out, I wanted it to be the kind of Pearl Jam album I generally like, i.e. the album Gigaton ultimately turned out to be (a little left-of-center, dabbling in all their strengths, some Stone/Matt songs, etc.). I know this is an intellectual pitfall that is partially unreasonable to the artist, but it's also totally fair as a listener; after 20+ years, you know what a band does that only they can do, and you have a sense of where within those parameters they're going to be most likely to hit those spots for you (likewise, how far outside those parameters they can go before they no longer will).

So, for the first year or so of the album being out, I tried to hear every one of Lightning Bolt's songs within that "Pearl Jam album" framework, and failed miserably. The acceptance I finally came to is that Lightning Bolt was in fact the complete opposite of the Pearl Jam albums I generally liked, i.e. not left-of-center at all, dabbling in almost none of their strengths, with no Stone/Matt songs, etc. Which, to be fair, is fine. My preferences are not the band's obligations. However, it then leaves you faced with the work on its own terms.

In some cases, that kind of acceptance, of letting go of your preconceived notions, etc., can release a weight from your shoulders and allow you to hear the work for what it is, not what you think it should be based on who is making it. But it's a double-edged sword. I'd surmise that, for as often as we're held back from enjoying something based on our own expectations of it, equally if not more often we end up allowing our existing relationship with an artist to sort of guide us through things that we wouldn't give a second thought to if it was coming from another artist.

My experience was that almost every song on Lightning Bolt ended up sounding worse in this context. They definitely don't excel as standalone things, and the album isn't presented in a way that really allows the band's inherent character to compensate for this deficiency, because so much of the individuality of the band's sound is downplayed in the production. Like, "I'm Open" is a song that I recognize as being kind of hokey and overwrought, but there's enough of what I inherently like about Pearl Jam (and inherently like about No Code) in there to carry the weight of its weaknesses. This applies to virtually none of Lightning Bolt.

"Sirens" turned out, for me, to be the one exception to this. When I stopped thinking about it as an awkward Pearl Jam song, and more as a power ballad that shares a lot of traits with songs that remind me of my early childhood, with some genuine sentiments about getting older and about feeling the weight of responsibility for the other people in your life, it got better rather than worse. It is the one song that is appropriately presented by Lightning Bolt's production value, and somewhat surprisingly is the one I find myself returning to most often as a result, even though there are other songs that would have the potential to be much better "Pearl Jam songs," if only this thing or that thing was slightly different.

In a lot of ways I feel similarly about "The Fixer," though Backspacer does have a number of songs I really enjoy.

[Ms Harmless]

So, I think I've come to the realization that "Sirens" is my favorite song on Lightning Bolt.

When Lightning Bolt first came out, I wanted it to be the kind of Pearl Jam album I generally like, i.e. the album Gigaton ultimately turned out to be (a little left-of-center, dabbling in all their strengths, some Stone/Matt songs, etc.). I know this is an intellectual pitfall that is partially unreasonable to the artist, but it's also totally fair as a listener; after 20+ years, you know what a band does that only they can do, and you have a sense of where within those parameters they're going to be most likely to hit those spots for you (likewise, how far outside those parameters they can go before they no longer will).

So, for the first year or so of the album being out, I tried to hear every one of Lightning Bolt's songs within that "Pearl Jam album" framework, and failed miserably. The acceptance I finally came to is that Lightning Bolt was in fact the complete opposite of the Pearl Jam albums I generally liked, i.e. not left-of-center at all, dabbling in almost none of their strengths, with no Stone/Matt songs, etc. Which, to be fair, is fine. My preferences are not the band's obligations. However, it then leaves you faced with the work on its own terms.

In some cases, that kind of acceptance, of letting go of your preconceived notions, etc., can release a weight from your shoulders and allow you to hear the work for what it is, not what you think it should be based on who is making it. But it's a double-edged sword. I'd surmise that, for as often as we're held back from enjoying something based on our own expectations of it, equally if not more often we end up allowing our existing relationship with an artist to sort of guide us through things that we wouldn't give a second thought to if it was coming from another artist.

My experience was that almost every song on Lightning Bolt ended up sounding worse in this context. They definitely don't excel as standalone things, and the album isn't presented in a way that really allows the band's inherent character to compensate for this deficiency, because so much of the individuality of the band's sound is downplayed in the production. Like, "I'm Open" is a song that I recognize as being kind of hokey and overwrought, but there's enough of what I inherently like about Pearl Jam (and inherently like about No Code) in there to carry the weight of its weaknesses. This applies to virtually none of Lightning Bolt.

"Sirens" turned out, for me, to be the one exception to this. When I stopped thinking about it as an awkward Pearl Jam song, and more as a power ballad that shares a lot of traits with songs that remind me of my early childhood, with some genuine sentiments about getting older and about feeling the weight of responsibility for the other people in your life, it got better rather than worse. It is the one song that is appropriately presented by Lightning Bolt's production value, and somewhat surprisingly is the one I find myself returning to most often as a result, even though there are other songs that would have the potential to be much better "Pearl Jam songs," if only this thing or that thing was slightly different.

In a lot of ways I feel similarly about "The Fixer," though Backspacer does have a number of songs I really enjoy.

welcome to the club

"Sirens" is the only track I've legitimately felt to be worth keeping from LB, I love it

[RockPusher]

I love Sirens even though I *know* that it has some really weird structural issues and choices. Partially that is on the strength of the lyrics, and partially it is on the strength of the components of the music. I feel like this song in particular would have REALLY benefited from a Josh Evans approach, as it may have eschewed some of the "this part needs to be here, that part there" stuff that may have come with BO'B.

[RockPusher]

"Sirens" is the only track I've legitimately felt to be worth keeping from LB, I love it

No love for Pendulum?

[Ms Harmless]

"Sirens" is the only track I've legitimately felt to be worth keeping from LB, I love it

No love for Pendulum?

I like it but I'm not as wild about it as some are here; I was initially excited about it because it was a needed injection of a darkness that I thought PJ had forgotten; but I think both DOTC (which has a similar two-part structure, with dark layered vocals in the second part) and "Alright" improve on it, musically and in terms of lyrical depth; in combination with those, the lines "I used to tell time by my shadow / before the clouds, they took the stage" on "River Cross" pretty much do what that song took 3 minutes to do; so it's not that I dislike it, I just have felt for a long time that PJ have spent several attempts to do various similar things, and in Gigaton they succeeded, leaving most songs on the last three albums with little to no replay value

[Ms Harmless]

basically I hear shades of every song on Lightning Bolt here also, except for "Sirens"

[Hatfield]

In My Tree
Given to Fly
Severed Hand
Tremor Christ
Glorified G
Why Go
Quick Escape
Johnny Guitar
Sirens
Light Years
Cropduster

What a great track! I really like Sirens, Light Years and Cropduster.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[OmegaprimeVKM]

basically I hear shades of every song on Lightning Bolt here also, except for "Sirens"

Odd. Barring the crunchy riff, this thing sounds like a Riot Act leftover, especially Mike's solo outro (think Ghost and 1/2 Full).

[Ms Harmless]

basically I hear shades of every song on Lightning Bolt here also, except for "Sirens"

Odd. Barring the crunchy riff, this thing sounds like a Riot Act leftover, especially Mike's solo outro (think Ghost and 1/2 Full).

this comment was a continuation of a convo immediately before it about the album Gigaton (and the song "Sirens")

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Kevin Davis]

"Sirens" is the only track I've legitimately felt to be worth keeping from LB, I love it

No love for Pendulum?

I like it but I'm not as wild about it as some are here; I was initially excited about it because it was a needed injection of a darkness that I thought PJ had forgotten; but I think both DOTC (which has a similar two-part structure, with dark layered vocals in the second part) and "Alright" improve on it, musically and in terms of lyrical depth; in combination with those, the lines "I used to tell time by my shadow / before the clouds, they took the stage" on "River Cross" pretty much do what that song took 3 minutes to do; so it's not that I dislike it, I just have felt for a long time that PJ have spent several attempts to do various similar things, and in Gigaton they succeeded, leaving most songs on the last three albums with little to no replay value

"Pendulum" works way better as a concert opener -- a sort of three-minute mood-setter- than it does as an album track that comes right when the album needs a shot in the arm. It's not unpleasant to hear, but on a record as weak as LB it's just not substantial enough.

[OmegaprimeVKM]

basically I hear shades of every song on Lightning Bolt here also, except for "Sirens"

Odd. Barring the crunchy riff, this thing sounds like a Riot Act leftover, especially Mike's solo outro (think Ghost and 1/2 Full).

this comment was a continuation of a convo immediately before it about the album Gigaton (and the song "Sirens")

I know. I love tangents. And curves.

[injuddstree]

Cool to hear Mike saying his guitar effect on Quick Escape is "unique to the record" and can't be replicated live. Makes the song as an art piece even cooler.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Hatfield]

Tough to gauge this one because I have a feeling the longevity could really live or die by the live performance. But...

Tremor Christ
Light Years
Severed Hand
Johnny Guitar
Cropduster
Quick Escape
Why Go
Given to Fly
Glorified G
In My Tree
Sirens

Did you just hear Given to Fly and In My Tree too many times? They lost their luster? I can't imagine someone putting In My Tree below all of those songs. Just can't fathom it.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now