Lightning Bolt: the official album thread

[harmless]

The funny thing is, I always appreciated the Nickelback and Creed comparisons as the in-joke I thought it was, but then a song like this comes out and some people's reactions prove that they weren't joking. I guess I don't feel put off a song because it reminds me slightly of a band I hate, or I would've been put off PJ's attempts to sound like The Who ages ago.

[Vindicator]

I just heard Sirens followed by Lightning Bolt. I gotta say, the songs go REALLY well together. After the love sappiness of Sirens, Lightning Bolt picks you right the fuck up.And I'm not too crazy about the song, but it just WORKS very well after Sirens.

And Swallowed Whole fucking sounds nice too after Lightning Bolt the way I have it on my Ipod.

These songs sound nice and flow well together.

[BurtReynolds]

The funny thing is, I always appreciated the Nickelback and Creed comparisons as the in-joke I thought it was, but then a song like this comes out and some people's reactions prove that they weren't joking. I guess I don't feel put off a song because it reminds me slightly of a band I hate, or I would've been put off PJ's attempts to sound like The Who ages ago.

wait, you mean you thought people were joking when they said they hated Creed and Nickelback?

[Dugg]

Not to get greedy but this album is taking on a lot of water - when do we get the full leak? My other brain is ready.

[Heathen]

The funny thing is, I always appreciated the Nickelback and Creed comparisons as the in-joke I thought it was, but then a song like this comes out and some people's reactions prove that they weren't joking. I guess I don't feel put off a song because it reminds me slightly of a band I hate, or I would've been put off PJ's attempts to sound like The Who ages ago.

wait, you mean you thought people were joking when they said they hated Creed and Nickelback?

look a few posts above, people were just afraid to admit their love for these bands

[harmless]

The funny thing is, I always appreciated the Nickelback and Creed comparisons as the in-joke I thought it was, but then a song like this comes out and some people's reactions prove that they weren't joking. I guess I don't feel put off a song because it reminds me slightly of a band I hate, or I would've been put off PJ's attempts to sound like The Who ages ago.

wait, you mean you thought people were joking when they said they hated Creed and Nickelback?

No, I thought they were joking when they had a vendetta against them for ripping off PJ. Shit bands rip off great bands all the time. I realise, the Ed voice from Ten was ripped off blah blah blah but it doesn't go beyond that. They're an awful band and PJ aren't.

[Iowaska_Experience]

Not to get greedy but this album is taking on a lot of water - when do we get the full leak? My other brain is ready.

Nothing confirmed, obviously, but so far we have an MLB promo CD that leaked and Rdio that mistakenly played a single 2 days early. Although it's been rumored that some journos have the full album, the fact they've done listening parties for journos seems to contradict that. Plus journos are more unlikely to leak things.

All this to say, a full album leak seems unlikely until shortly before release day.

[jforte20]

People have been trying to label Pearl Jam since 1990.

[Obbster]

Just heard Sirens.

Ed sounds great. I think I love it.

So fucking odd to hear something like this from them though.

[stupidmop]

The funny thing is, I always appreciated the Nickelback and Creed comparisons as the in-joke I thought it was, but then a song like this comes out and some people's reactions prove that they weren't joking. I guess I don't feel put off a song because it reminds me slightly of a band I hate, or I would've been put off PJ's attempts to sound like The Who ages ago.

wait, you mean you thought people were joking when they said they hated Creed and Nickelback?

No, I thought they were joking when they had a vendetta against them for ripping off PJ. Shit bands rip off great bands all the time. I realise, the Ed voice from Ten was ripped off blah blah blah but it doesn't go beyond that. They're an awful band and PJ aren't.

But now pearl jam are starting to sound like said awful band.

Though I guess this is what a lot if people think pearl jam usually sound like, I don't think there will be much suprise from a journalist point of view.

Bleh.

[Mirella]

Does anyone like Sirens?

I do.

"I don't like Sirens
I love it"

groetjes,
Mirella

[harmless]

The funny thing is, I always appreciated the Nickelback and Creed comparisons as the in-joke I thought it was, but then a song like this comes out and some people's reactions prove that they weren't joking. I guess I don't feel put off a song because it reminds me slightly of a band I hate, or I would've been put off PJ's attempts to sound like The Who ages ago.

wait, you mean you thought people were joking when they said they hated Creed and Nickelback?

No, I thought they were joking when they had a vendetta against them for ripping off PJ. Shit bands rip off great bands all the time. I realise, the Ed voice from Ten was ripped off blah blah blah but it doesn't go beyond that. They're an awful band and PJ aren't.

But now pearl jam are starting to sound like said awful band.

I've not studied said band's intricacies long enough to know whether that's true. I disagree that this sounds like what I have heard of Creed and Nickelback though. They're not the only band that has written cheesy rock ballads, and this has far more in common with other ones.

[unLEASHed]

The funny thing is, I always appreciated the Nickelback and Creed comparisons as the in-joke I thought it was, but then a song like this comes out and some people's reactions prove that they weren't joking. I guess I don't feel put off a song because it reminds me slightly of a band I hate, or I would've been put off PJ's attempts to sound like The Who ages ago.

wait, you mean you thought people were joking when they said they hated Creed and Nickelback?

No, I thought they were joking when they had a vendetta against them for ripping off PJ. Shit bands rip off great bands all the time. I realise, the Ed voice from Ten was ripped off blah blah blah but it doesn't go beyond that. They're an awful band and PJ aren't.

But now pearl jam are starting to sound like said awful band.

I think they are doing right what those awful bands always did wrong...

[Dugg]

The funny thing is, I always appreciated the Nickelback and Creed comparisons as the in-joke I thought it was, but then a song like this comes out and some people's reactions prove that they weren't joking. I guess I don't feel put off a song because it reminds me slightly of a band I hate, or I would've been put off PJ's attempts to sound like The Who ages ago.

wait, you mean you thought people were joking when they said they hated Creed and Nickelback?

No, I thought they were joking when they had a vendetta against them for ripping off PJ. Shit bands rip off great bands all the time. I realise, the Ed voice from Ten was ripped off blah blah blah but it doesn't go beyond that. They're an awful band and PJ aren't.

But now pearl jam are starting to sound like said awful band.

The songs we've heard sound nothing like Nickelback or Creed or any of the large number of follower bands.

[Heathen]

The funny thing is, I always appreciated the Nickelback and Creed comparisons as the in-joke I thought it was, but then a song like this comes out and some people's reactions prove that they weren't joking. I guess I don't feel put off a song because it reminds me slightly of a band I hate, or I would've been put off PJ's attempts to sound like The Who ages ago.

wait, you mean you thought people were joking when they said they hated Creed and Nickelback?

No, I thought they were joking when they had a vendetta against them for ripping off PJ. Shit bands rip off great bands all the time. I realise, the Ed voice from Ten was ripped off blah blah blah but it doesn't go beyond that. They're an awful band and PJ aren't.

But now pearl jam are starting to sound like said awful band.

Though I guess this is what a lot if people think pearl jam usually sound like, I don't think there will be much suprise from a journalist point of view.

Bleh.

Sirens was introduced as a classic Pearl Jam song by one of these websites that put the stream up, so, yeah...

[WaitingForBluey]

I find it very funny that SiriusXM just tweeted that Sirens "will premiere EXCLUSIVELY on PJ Radio" on Thursday but at least 4 other places were or are streaming it today:
Stereogum, WXRT Chicago, Alternative Nation, and Under the Radar. Perhaps they all got shut down though, along with Rdio.

[Tuolumne]

Every new song I hear from this album I so far love. The difference between them and the last two albums though is that I feel there is much more variety and a little more depth to the music/melodies/lyrics than we've gotten recently.

One of the big reasons I love this band is the variety of sounds and styles they've explored over the years, there really is so much to choose from depending on your mood and feeling at the time, more so than most other bands I've been into. This album really takes that another step, with the blues-boogies style of LTRP punk/metal of MYM and now 80's power ballad style of Sirens. I'm really excited to hear where they go with Pendulum and Yellow Moon, after hearing how 'odd' they are.

I understand people not getting or not liking Sirens for it not sounding like classic Pearl Jam, but if you see how they have explored different styles, it's not unexpected. We know Mike is a HUGE fan of classic and 80's rock, so I'm surprised we haven't gotten a song like this sooner. We should be happy that they're not afraid to try something out of the norm for them.

Most of us have gone through an 80's phase or maybe still appreciate the cheese-rock from that era, and I for one am happy they've tried, and succeeded with a song in that style.

Same here.

What I don't quite understand is when people acknowledge this is done well, but still can't accept it because it's not in one of their favourite previous Pearl Jam styles. I mean, we have 7 classic albums from this band, which for me is more than enough. The last two albums weren't anything special. I'm happy enough to just see where they go from here but still they're held to impossible standards. We can love the old stuff and still enjoy this in its own right.

But hey, this post has been written a thousand times.

I feel like Jorge is probably bleeding to death over a laptop in some motel after hearing this song.

Is there any music out there you just can't stand? If so, does it make it any better whether it's "done well" or not?

I, for the most part, can't stand country music. However, if it's 'done well', as in Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson or Waylon Jennings, then yes I can appreciate it.

Very well put, and I totally agree.

I will like any genre of music if I appreciate and enjoy what I'm hearing.

That's not what I meant at all. I mean take an album you can't stand and recognize it might be well done but you don't care because the music makes you wanna puke. Of course if you think only the music you like is done well the point is moot.

I think I get more open-minded as I get older. I'm at a time in my life where I want music to make me feel something but I don't need to analyse it to death to enjoy it. If that means I end up loving something 'embarrassing', then so be it. So I guess I'll listen to anything and see what happens, there's nothing I'll immediately reject. But that doesn't mean there's not stuff I puke at. My hatred for the last Incubus album is pretty deep and I was a fan before. But I don't need to give you a list of music I hate because I don't even like everything by Pearl Jam. The reaction you're having to this is the reaction I have to Supersonic, regardless of whether it 'rocks out' or not.

Great post. I think this sort of thing is difficult for our generation or "type" of fan. We're in a totally different era than the one most of us came up in. We came up in an era where things were "cool" or "uncool", rockers hated pop, popsters looked at rock as outsidery stuff, rap was it's own thing, dance music was it's own thing, country was it's own thing. Hipsters now love Hall and Oates and Fleetwood Mac, cheesy pop acts that used to be disposable now have enduring careers and bands that write and perform their own music are one-hits wonders. It's weird. Everything is loved and everything is hated equallyat the same time. Now, go to most music festivals and all of it is there and people you wouldn't think that should be enjoying certain things are enjoying it. Kind of a mindfuck and a clusterfuck at the same time. In the same way Harmless is saying he's more open-minded now, the general public is the same. People's ipod shuffle have all of those categories, the barriers are gone now, for better and worse.

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

I find it very funny that SiriusXM just tweeted that Sirens "will premiere EXCLUSIVELY on PJ Radio" on Thursday but at least 4 other places were or are streaming it today:
Stereogum, WXRT Chicago, Alternative Nation, and Under the Radar. Perhaps they all got shut down though, along with Rdio.

yeah, i dont think any of them were supposed to be playing it

[McParadigm]

All these people saying this sounds like "Adult Contemporary" need to give me a recommended list, please.

For what it's worth (and to the destruction of this page), all of these are songs that had their primary success on adult contemporary radio.

[BurtReynolds]

The funny thing is, I always appreciated the Nickelback and Creed comparisons as the in-joke I thought it was, but then a song like this comes out and some people's reactions prove that they weren't joking. I guess I don't feel put off a song because it reminds me slightly of a band I hate, or I would've been put off PJ's attempts to sound like The Who ages ago.

wait, you mean you thought people were joking when they said they hated Creed and Nickelback?

No, I thought they were joking when they had a vendetta against them for ripping off PJ. Shit bands rip off great bands all the time. I realise, the Ed voice from Ten was ripped off blah blah blah but it doesn't go beyond that. They're an awful band and PJ aren't.

oh. Well Nickelback and Creed are shit bands, and they probably deserve extra scorn from Pearl Jam fans for being soulless copies, but I wouldnt call it a vendetta. I dont think people are hating on Sirens because it sounds like Nickelback and Nickelback cloned PJ, they just hate it because it sounds like Nickelback, a soulless shit band.