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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BurtReynolds
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by BurtReynolds »

Coach wrote:Anyone arguing that PJ has gone soft and is producing adult contemporary music is crazy. Have you listened to the lyrics in Getaway? Man, I'm a religious guy, and this songs seems to crap all over religion. I like the song, but struggling with the content. That's not for the masses...
Its funny you say that, because I had the opposite reaction. He seems unusually rational and "live and let live" here. I've said before that anti-whatever songs sound better when they throw rational discourse to the wind and spew the hate, but this song works great for me.

But they are more AC now musically, IMO, and lyrically an anti-religion song isn't exactly controversial these days.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by Rangi Guy »

Coach wrote:Anyone arguing that PJ has gone soft and is producing adult contemporary music is crazy. Have you listened to the lyrics in Getaway? Man, I'm a religious guy, and this songs seems to crap all over religion. I like the song, but struggling with the content. That's not for the masses...
Absolutely love this song! And I see where you're coming from with the lyrical content, but I see it more as an attack on organised religion...well that's what I get after my two listens. As a Christian I find myself having issues with organised religion often, so I'm not terribly phased with the lyrics
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by guitar_davey »

Chris_H_2 wrote:God, I absolutely HATE Mind Your Manners, and I wanted to puke when I heard LB and Future Days at Wrigley.

But I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised with these songs.

How can anybody "absolutely HATE" a piece of art? It might not be your favourite song, but man...
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by stip »

McParadigm wrote:
stip wrote:
McParadigm wrote:
harmless wrote:
stip wrote:that's possible.

There are certainly some readily identifiable classic rock influences in this. That's the music our parents listened to when they were young, and still listen to when they are old, and so we make that connection.
I think the elephant in the room here, though, is that MOR classic rock bands are what PJ listened to. It makes perfect sense that as they grow older, they will want to sound like their heroes of their youth. And for Mike, one of those hero-bands is KISS. For Ed, it's The Who. For me, all of my life, Pearl Jam will exist amongst my heroes. So if I still had a band (I don't) I would be playing early PJ-influenced stuff till I died, and you can be sure as hell the younger generation would be calling it "Dad Rock" and thinking it sucked because it doesn't sound like AFI. So the fact that anyone is calling THIS "Dad Rock" is entirely generational. In and of itself, it's just music.
I don't know where you're getting that era or time has anything to do with what makes something MOR or mommy rock, but its nothing to with that.

This music is to Vs-Binaural what You Better You Bet is to 65-73 era Who.
do you think these songs reflect a biological aging process that affects most musicians, or that these songs are being self-consciously crafted to bring in a new market of soccer moms, or that the tastes of pearl jam's fans are atrophying and that this is the band responding to that change?
I think most bands/artists experience this. I wrote about it before...their technical abilities peak, and at the same time their artistic drive sunsets or takes a breather.

Some people avoid it...most don't.
that's fine, but I still don't see how the dots connect from that to what you're calling AOR rock
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by stip »

BurtReynolds wrote:
Coach wrote:Anyone arguing that PJ has gone soft and is producing adult contemporary music is crazy. Have you listened to the lyrics in Getaway? Man, I'm a religious guy, and this songs seems to crap all over religion. I like the song, but struggling with the content. That's not for the masses...
Its funny you say that, because I had the opposite reaction. He seems unusually rational and "live and let live" here. I've said before that anti-whatever songs sound better when they throw rational discourse to the wind and spew the hate, but this song works great for me.

But they are more AC now musically, IMO, and lyrically an anti-religion song isn't exactly controversial these days.
with that demographic I suspect it still is.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by harmless »

Rangi Guy wrote:
Coach wrote:Anyone arguing that PJ has gone soft and is producing adult contemporary music is crazy. Have you listened to the lyrics in Getaway? Man, I'm a religious guy, and this songs seems to crap all over religion. I like the song, but struggling with the content. That's not for the masses...
Absolutely love this song! And I see where you're coming from with the lyrical content, but I see it more as an attack on organised religion...well that's what I get after my two listens. As a Christian I find myself having issues with organised religion often, so I'm not terribly phased with the lyrics
Same. I think Ed is against the prejudice and plain evil organised religion can facilitate, and as a person with a faith of some kind, I'm alright with that.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by stupidmop »

guitar_davey wrote:
Chris_H_2 wrote:God, I absolutely HATE Mind Your Manners, and I wanted to puke when I heard LB and Future Days at Wrigley.

But I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised with these songs.

How can anybody "absolutely HATE" a piece of art? It might not be your favourite song, but man...
C'Mon son. Don't be that guy.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by McParadigm »

stip wrote:
McParadigm wrote:
stip wrote:
McParadigm wrote:
harmless wrote:
stip wrote:that's possible.

There are certainly some readily identifiable classic rock influences in this. That's the music our parents listened to when they were young, and still listen to when they are old, and so we make that connection.
I think the elephant in the room here, though, is that MOR classic rock bands are what PJ listened to. It makes perfect sense that as they grow older, they will want to sound like their heroes of their youth. And for Mike, one of those hero-bands is KISS. For Ed, it's The Who. For me, all of my life, Pearl Jam will exist amongst my heroes. So if I still had a band (I don't) I would be playing early PJ-influenced stuff till I died, and you can be sure as hell the younger generation would be calling it "Dad Rock" and thinking it sucked because it doesn't sound like AFI. So the fact that anyone is calling THIS "Dad Rock" is entirely generational. In and of itself, it's just music.
I don't know where you're getting that era or time has anything to do with what makes something MOR or mommy rock, but its nothing to with that.

This music is to Vs-Binaural what You Better You Bet is to 65-73 era Who.
do you think these songs reflect a biological aging process that affects most musicians, or that these songs are being self-consciously crafted to bring in a new market of soccer moms, or that the tastes of pearl jam's fans are atrophying and that this is the band responding to that change?
I think most bands/artists experience this. I wrote about it before...their technical abilities peak, and at the same time their artistic drive sunsets or takes a breather.

Some people avoid it...most don't.
that's fine, but I still don't see how the dots connect from that to what you're calling AOR rock
I'm not quite explaining it right.

And yet I'm still holding tight

To this dream of distant light
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by guitar_davey »

stupidmop wrote:
guitar_davey wrote:
Chris_H_2 wrote:God, I absolutely HATE Mind Your Manners, and I wanted to puke when I heard LB and Future Days at Wrigley.

But I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised with these songs.

How can anybody "absolutely HATE" a piece of art? It might not be your favourite song, but man...
C'Mon son. Don't be that guy.

Well brother, I *am* that guy. And drop the condescending "son" bit. It's been overdone and it doesn't look good on you.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by BurtReynolds »

stip wrote:
BurtReynolds wrote:
Coach wrote:Anyone arguing that PJ has gone soft and is producing adult contemporary music is crazy. Have you listened to the lyrics in Getaway? Man, I'm a religious guy, and this songs seems to crap all over religion. I like the song, but struggling with the content. That's not for the masses...
Its funny you say that, because I had the opposite reaction. He seems unusually rational and "live and let live" here. I've said before that anti-whatever songs sound better when they throw rational discourse to the wind and spew the hate, but this song works great for me.

But they are more AC now musically, IMO, and lyrically an anti-religion song isn't exactly controversial these days.
with that demographic I suspect it still is.
well from Coach and Rangi Guy's reaction, maybe not.
stupidmop wrote:
guitar_davey wrote:
Chris_H_2 wrote:God, I absolutely HATE Mind Your Manners, and I wanted to puke when I heard LB and Future Days at Wrigley.

But I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised with these songs.

How can anybody "absolutely HATE" a piece of art? It might not be your favourite song, but man...
C'Mon son. Don't be that guy.
fo realz.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by TheTVtalkstome »

Yeah, I was pretty shocked they used sleeping by myself and not of the earth or something else new... Lord knows they have something in the vault that hasn't seen the light of day yet. I wish I could comment on the other songs but I haven't heard them yet.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by lecherouslittlestump »

guitar_davey wrote:
stupidmop wrote:
guitar_davey wrote:
Chris_H_2 wrote:God, I absolutely HATE Mind Your Manners, and I wanted to puke when I heard LB and Future Days at Wrigley.

But I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised with these songs.

How can anybody "absolutely HATE" a piece of art? It might not be your favourite song, but man...
C'Mon son. Don't be that guy.

Well brother, I *am* that guy. And drop the condescending "son" bit. It's been overdone and it doesn't look good on you.
Don't be an asshole
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by stip »

come on guys, save it for illumineddie
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by guitar_davey »

lecherouslittlestump wrote:
guitar_davey wrote:
stupidmop wrote:
guitar_davey wrote:
Chris_H_2 wrote:God, I absolutely HATE Mind Your Manners, and I wanted to puke when I heard LB and Future Days at Wrigley.

But I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised with these songs.

How can anybody "absolutely HATE" a piece of art? It might not be your favourite song, but man...
C'Mon son. Don't be that guy.

Well brother, I *am* that guy. And drop the condescending "son" bit. It's been overdone and it doesn't look good on you.
Don't be an asshole

Well, I suspect that part is all perspective. Like I said, the "son" bit is a bit of an asshole way to address somebody.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by dimejinky99 »

Gotta love when all the new folks roll into town
Calibrate your enthusiasm
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by lecherouslittlestump »

guitar_davey wrote:
Chris_H_2 wrote:God, I absolutely HATE Mind Your Manners, and I wanted to puke when I heard LB and Future Days at Wrigley.

But I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised with these songs.

How can anybody "absolutely HATE" a piece of art? It might not be your favourite song, but man...
This doesn't even make any sense. Do you think 'art' by its very nature can't inspire hate?

I think Cropduster is a load of old bollocks. Hate? I despise the fuckin' thing!
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by McParadigm »

THROW DOWN BITCHES
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by BurtReynolds »

guitar_davey wrote:
lecherouslittlestump wrote:
guitar_davey wrote:
stupidmop wrote:
guitar_davey wrote:
Chris_H_2 wrote:God, I absolutely HATE Mind Your Manners, and I wanted to puke when I heard LB and Future Days at Wrigley.

But I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised with these songs.

How can anybody "absolutely HATE" a piece of art? It might not be your favourite song, but man...
C'Mon son. Don't be that guy.

Well brother, I *am* that guy. And drop the condescending "son" bit. It's been overdone and it doesn't look good on you.
Don't be an asshole

Well, I suspect that part is all perspective. Like I said, the "son" bit is a bit of an asshole way to address somebody.
nah. unless he's black or something.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by stupidmop »

The vibe I get is ed is anti organized religion but pro faith/spirituality or belief in people or the universe or someother shit.

I am neither particularly religious or spiritual, so I don't find these lyrics particularly relatable or troubling. Id probably prefer outright vitrol though.

The making love like lizards line is enough for me not to give a shit about the other lyrics though lol. I do agree with the people saying so far the lyrics are pretty wordy for all the songs though.
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Re: Lightning Bolt - October 15

Post by guitar_davey »

lecherouslittlestump wrote:
guitar_davey wrote:
Chris_H_2 wrote:God, I absolutely HATE Mind Your Manners, and I wanted to puke when I heard LB and Future Days at Wrigley.

But I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised with these songs.

How can anybody "absolutely HATE" a piece of art? It might not be your favourite song, but man...
This doesn't even make any sense. Do you think 'art' by its very nature can't inspire hate?

I think Cropduster is a load of old bollocks. Hate? I despise the fuckin' thing!

I guess my point is that I don't have the time or the energy for hate. This band's got, what, 150 songs in their catalogue? I don't love them all, but I really like the band. I definitely don't have time for hate.

Anyway, what I really love is my 3-year-old, so I'm going to go make supper for him.

Enjoy the tunes...or not.
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