Lightning Bolt: the official album thread

[96583UP]

CHANGE THE THREAD TITLE, PLEASE

THANK YOU

[PHATJ]

I posted this in the other LB thread, but both threads deserve it.

This album shits the bed.

I remember being cautiously optimistic for the release of Lightning Bolt. I thought there was no way it could be worse than Backspacer, which up to that point was the only PJ album that had really disappointed me, with only 2-3 songs I cared much for.

MYM, the lead single, should have caused me pause, but I was excited and optimistic, and was looking for things to be excited about. I kinda thought the intro sounded like Soundgarden, which was cool, and I thought it could be promising coming off of Backspacer, but I wasn’t loving it... it was too... similarly uninspired. And Ed’s “anger” sounds so manufactured and inauthentic. It’s off-putting.

Soon thereafter Lightning Bolt was played on a Late Nite TV show (can’t remember which show) and I was once again excited. Ed completely fucked up the lyrics and it was sloppy in spots, but it had that killer outro solo, and I thought this sounded like the best pure “classic rock” sounding PJ song they’d made in a long time. I remember posting with Stip about this song and both of us being fired up. I thought we might be cooking with fire. Then I heard the album version... and everything that could’ve been exciting was muted, and cut, and faded out, and butchered. Fuck you, BOB.

Next I heard Let the Records Play. I thought the short intro was pretty sweet, and Stone’s guitar tone was cool, I was excited for 10 seconds...that was the last time I was excited about this song. It’s hokey and completely underwhelming, if not mildly embarrassing.

Then Sirens. Sirens has always reminded me of a poor man’s Collective Soul. Take that for what it’s worth.

Then came Pendulum, which is a cool-ish sounding, mellow dramatic, mood song with bad production and underdeveloped ideas, and some-fucking-how it’s one of the better songs on the album.

Every song that followed got worse.

Infallible is a cool idea destroyed by poor artistic decisions and more bad production.

Getaway is maybe the most forgettable PJ opener (but not the worst, that honor goes to GSMF). It’s passable musically, with terrible lyrics, and a completely bland and forgettable melody.

MFS is trying way too hard, and I have zero interest.

Swallowed Whole is in the wrong tempo, and key, and sounds like shit, but the inkling of a good song might exist in here somewhere. This sounds like a shitty REM wannabe. Maybe they could re-work it into a somewhat less annoying REM wannabe. (Retrograde is the significantly superior version of the better ideas in Swallowed Whole.)

Yellow Moon is completely boring and uninspired and this is a stereotypical type of song that PJ should do so well. Yellow Moon acts like it’s embarrassed to be apart of such a mishmash of nonsense surrounding it, and just doesn’t even want to be there. Incredibly, this is an album highlight.

Future Days might be an ok song (definitely not a standout, but a better solo-Ed effort than something like The End) if BOB hadn’t just sprayed the fucker with diarrhea.

And finally, Sleeping By Myself. I fucking hate that this song was put on this album. This song is exactly why Pearl Jam had a Holiday Single program. Ed already did it better on Uke Songs, and releasing it here instead of any other shit they had at the time (Ole, or Of The Earth, or whatever-the-fucking-ever) is an embarrassment. I’ll never view it any other way.

So needless to say, coming off of what I thought had to be Pearl Jam’s low point in Backspacer, and excited and optimistic for new music from my favorite band, I was less than enthused when Pearl Jam plopped out this obnoxiously polished turd jungle.

Then they toured it for 3/4 of a damn decade.

That’s just not cool, PJ. Apologize.

F U Lightning Bolt.

[Ms Harmless]

CHANGE THE THREAD TITLE, PLEASE

THANK YOU

[Ms Harmless]

thanks again

[Anders]

Shouldn’t it be: Lightning Bolt: Official Album Thread

[stip]

yes

[Anders]

Which Lightning Bolt songs improve the most live?

[coptheriotact]

Phatj’s rant is so good, I could just read that post if I ever think I need to listen to lightning bolt again

[96583UP]

Which Lightning Bolt songs improve the most live?

at this point it might be future days for me

i’ll be damned but live the last time i saw it i was like ‘wow, this is actually kinda good’

LB itself also...

[Anders]

I agree with Stip, it’s not that bad. A bit underwhelming.

[PHATJ]

Phatj’s rant is so good, I could just read that post if I ever think I need to listen to lightning bolt again

Just doing the Lord’s work.

[reconstruction_ seeds]

I posted this in the other LB thread, but both threads deserve it.

This album shits the bed.

I remember being cautiously optimistic for the release of Lightning Bolt. I thought there was no way it could be worse than Backspacer, which up to that point was the only PJ album that had really disappointed me, with only 2-3 songs I cared much for.

MYM, the lead single, should have caused me pause, but I was excited and optimistic, and was looking for things to be excited about. I kinda thought the intro sounded like Soundgarden, which was cool, and I thought it could be promising coming off of Backspacer, but I wasn’t loving it... it was too... similarly uninspired. And Ed’s “anger” sounds so manufactured and inauthentic. It’s off-putting.

Soon thereafter Lightning Bolt was played on a Late Nite TV show (can’t remember which show) and I was once again excited. Ed completely fucked up the lyrics and it was sloppy in spots, but it had that killer outro solo, and I thought this sounded like the best pure “classic rock” sounding PJ song they’d made in a long time. I remember posting with Stip about this song and both of us being fired up. I thought we might be cooking with fire. Then I heard the album version... and everything that could’ve been exciting was muted, and cut, and faded out, and butchered. Fuck you, BOB.

Next I heard Let the Records Play. I thought the short intro was pretty sweet, and Stone’s guitar tone was cool, I was excited for 10 seconds...that was the last time I was excited about this song. It’s hokey and completely underwhelming, if not mildly embarrassing.

Then Sirens. Sirens has always reminded me of a poor man’s Collective Soul. Take that for what it’s worth.

Then came Pendulum, which is a cool-ish sounding, mellow dramatic, mood song with bad production and underdeveloped ideas, and some-fucking-how it’s one of the better songs on the album.

Every song that followed got worse.

Infallible is a cool idea destroyed by poor artistic decisions and more bad production.

Getaway is maybe the most forgettable PJ opener (but not the worst, that honor goes to GSMF). It’s passable musically, with terrible lyrics, and a completely bland and forgettable melody.

MFS is trying way too hard, and I have zero interest.

Swallowed Whole is in the wrong tempo, and key, and sounds like shit, but the inkling of a good song might exist in here somewhere. This sounds like a shitty REM wannabe. Maybe they could re-work it into a somewhat less annoying REM wannabe. (Retrograde is the significantly superior version of the better ideas in Swallowed Whole.)

Yellow Moon is completely boring and uninspired and this is a stereotypical type of song that PJ should do so well. Yellow Moon acts like it’s embarrassed to be apart of such a mishmash of nonsense surrounding it, and just doesn’t even want to be there. Incredibly, this is an album highlight.

Future Days might be an ok song (definitely not a standout, but a better solo-Ed effort than something like The End) if BOB hadn’t just sprayed the fucker with diarrhea.

And finally, Sleeping By Myself. I fucking hate that this song was put on this album. This song is exactly why Pearl Jam had a Holiday Single program. Ed already did it better on Uke Songs, and releasing it here instead of any other shit they had at the time (Ole, or Of The Earth, or whatever-the-fucking-ever) is an embarrassment. I’ll never view it any other way.

So needless to say, coming off of what I thought had to be Pearl Jam’s low point in Backspacer, and excited and optimistic for new music from my favorite band, I was less than enthused when Pearl Jam plopped out this obnoxiously polished turd jungle.

Then they toured it for 3/4 of a damn decade.

That’s just not cool, PJ. Apologize.

F U Lightning Bolt.

[reconstruction_ seeds]

Its pretty clear ed wasn't trying to sound angry in MYM.

[reconstruction_ seeds]

Lightning bolt's live solo doesn't cause the lightning bolt studio version to not be good. For example, the verses have a good melody.

[reconstruction_ seeds]

The collective soul/sirens comparison came out of left field.

[PHATJ]

Its pretty clear ed wasn't trying to sound angry in MYM.

Did you highlight the other comments because you agree or disagree?

[Ms Harmless]

Its pretty clear ed wasn't trying to sound angry in MYM.

about as clear as a cloudy day

[reconstruction_ seeds]

Infallible:

Did you expect them to be stuck in vitalogy sound mode year after year? They're a bit old for that. We already have one Tremor Christ and there was no need for another.

[reconstruction_ seeds]

Terrible lyrics is subjective. Regarding the melody, its fine. check the song type- they weren't going for the beatles here.

[reconstruction_ seeds]

The MFS criticism is vague and weak.