Lightning Bolt: the official album thread

[Iowaska_Experience]

I do completely get the Black comparisons to Sirens. We all have tons of musical knowledge and critical ability at this point, Black came out when most of us were quite young. Struturally I see a huge connection, it's a super cheesy nakedly sincere premise of a song that should in no way work, but Ed pulls it through in a way that only he can. Fuck Mike, he's a average to below average musician as nice and down to earth and cool of a human being he is. But it's Ed, it's all Ed.

I challenge you to watch the Mad Season Live at the Moore DVD and stand by that description of Mike.

[pappas]

I do completely get the Black comparisons to Sirens. We all have tons of musical knowledge and critical ability at this point, Black came out when most of us were quite young. Struturally I see a huge connection, it's a super cheesy nakedly sincere premise of a song that should in no way work, but Ed pulls it through in a way that only he can. Fuck Mike, he's a average to below average musician as nice and down to earth and cool of a human being he is. But it's Ed, it's all Ed.

I challenge you to watch the Mad Season Live at the Moore DVD and stand by that description of Mike.

exactly

Mike's Mad Season side project is BY FAR the best compared to the stuff any of the other guys have done on the side

[gems and rhinestones]

Fuck Mike, he's a average to below average musician as nice and down to earth and cool of a human being he is. But it's Ed, it's all Ed.

idiot

[Pearlhawk]

i love how we already have two singles with their proper videos and the album havent come out yet.

When was the last time they did this? Im guessing never.

i wonder what's lined up for the third single?

Has to be Lightning Bolt.

[PJam_82]

I'm feeling a bit down. I think it's the song but I can't stop listening.

Edit: yep, just lost it.

i like sirens and i like you... so maybe my tastes aren't so bad?

I'm being manipulated. It's like I'm having my first gay sexual experience. There are tears and everything. Fucking hell.

Last night I felt this same way listening to the song and simultaneously watching the reveal of "mother" on season 8 of How I Met Your Mother for the first time... I know what girls feel like now watching that stuff. And.it's.weird.

I don't know what to think of myself right now.

Fucking hell, you guys.

I routinely get choked up at the sentimental parts of How I Met Your Mother. I don't admit that to many people too.

Same here. Whenever we saw that yellow umbrella, I couldn't help but cheer for Ted.

[gems and rhinestones]

i love how we already have two singles with their proper videos and the album havent come out yet.

When was the last time they did this? Im guessing never.

i wonder what's lined up for the third single?

Has to be Lightning Bolt.

They should pull a Kings of Leon and have like 6 singles.

[LetMeSleep]

i love how we already have two singles with their proper videos and the album havent come out yet.

When was the last time they did this? Im guessing never.

i wonder what's lined up for the third single?

Has to be Lightning Bolt.

They should pull a Kings of Leon and have like 6 singles.

You mean Def Leppard. SBM and LB are contenders I'm sure.

[mikejasond]

Wanted to comment on the meaning of Sirens, as I don't see how people are calling it cheesy or generic. (This is taken from my posts in the Sirens topic)

From reading the lyrics it seems that it's about him lying in bed and hearing sirens at night...and now he fears the day when they will come for him (or his family as well.) And how he looks at how much he's changed since his wild youth, and how much he now has to lose, and how he doesn't want to leave this life or leave his family or have them leave him, but if it were to happen for them to know how much he loves them. Basically the song is about how something as mundane as a siren can call attention to our mortality once we reach a certain point in our lives. "I hear the sirens more and more in this here town" I interpret not as they actually are being heard more, but he just notices them more and more. When you're younger you just hear a sound, that's all it is to you. Something that never would have meant anything to him when he was younger now suddenly has a whole different meaning. Somebody's in that ambulance, and next time it could be him.

And I love that. So much. It's not a simple love song. It's something that only a guy in his 40s (almost 50) would write or think about. And I find it a really powerful insight into Eddie Vedder's now much more mature mind. I like that this song isn't trying to be youthful or wild. It's Eddie Vedder reflecting on where he is now in his life, and the tone of the song reflects it.

Personally I think the meaning is beautiful unless I'm interpreting it wrong.
Reading through all the pages now and surprised how many people are talking about a 'narrator'. Maybe it's just me but this seems to be coming from Eddie, and it seems to be very personal. In addition, there was confusion over the 'mistakes' that could send her to another man...doesn't Eddie have/had a drinking problem and a smoking problem? Perhaps when he hears those sirens and looks at his family it puts into perspective everything he has done to himself and is doing. I mean I think back to when he used to do giant stage dives and climb the ceilings and risk his life, and all the things he's done to jeapordize his health. Now he hears the sirens of ambulences, and looks at his wife, and all he can think about is how he doesn't want to leave her.

Eddie's 48 years old. The things he did back in the 90s must feel like a lifetime ago to him. He was a different person then. It's hard for me, at 21, to totally put myself in Eddie's shoes, but even so I think that he does an amazing job of making me see how he feels from a middle-aged point of view, far removed from where you were in your reckless youth, and now thinking about how your past decisions will effect your future. It's especially interesting because he has so much to live for now, when before he was much darker. I also think these lyrics are not ambiguous at all...I read a take on the lyrics online and I hear those. As someone said "reach across the bed" not bend, he's reaching across the bed to his wife. And another change that nobody mentioned as far as I could see was it's "The slightest bit of light and I can see you clear." A lot of these lines that sounded like metaphors when written in the lyrics, I think were just misheard. These aren't ambiguous lyrics, this is a very clear scene. Eddie's in bed with his wife (or possibly a child, I dunno how old his kids are)..he wakes up at night, and he hears sirens. It scares him because it makes him think of his mortality, and he looks over and makes sure he and his family are safe, and then looks at them and when looking at their face the love makes his fears go away.

It's a bittersweet song. There's a fear of death, and a growing maturity and awareness that comes from reaching middle age and having so much to live for after living wildly before as well as an acknowledgement that you're in that period of your life where you might have to worry about being in that ambulance. But there's also such a strong love that it beats the fear. The fear is still there though. So while I wouldn't call it happy, it's at the least hopeful, yet still melancholy. Very grey.


(Anyways I put two posts together not too cleanly so I may have repeated myself...but my basic point is that I love this song. and I think the tone is perfect for the message.)

[Vindicator]

i love how we already have two singles with their proper videos and the album havent come out yet.

When was the last time they did this? Im guessing never.

i wonder what's lined up for the third single?

Has to be Lightning Bolt.

They should pull a Kings of Leon and have like 6 singles.

I think Getaway would make a good single. Fun, catchy and even danceable.

[cippociappo]

Wanted to comment on the meaning of Sirens, as I don't see how people are calling it cheesy or generic. (This is taken from my posts in the Sirens topic)

From reading the lyrics it seems that it's about him lying in bed and hearing sirens at night...and now he fears the day when they will come for him (or his family as well.) And how he looks at how much he's changed since his wild youth, and how much he now has to lose, and how he doesn't want to leave this life or leave his family or have them leave him, but if it were to happen for them to know how much he loves them. Basically the song is about how something as mundane as a siren can call attention to our mortality once we reach a certain point in our lives. "I hear the sirens more and more in this here town" I interpret not as they actually are being heard more, but he just notices them more and more. When you're younger you just hear a sound, that's all it is to you. Something that never would have meant anything to him when he was younger now suddenly has a whole different meaning. Somebody's in that ambulance, and next time it could be him.

And I love that. So much. It's not a simple love song. It's something that only a guy in his 40s (almost 50) would write or think about. And I find it a really powerful insight into Eddie Vedder's now much more mature mind. I like that this song isn't trying to be youthful or wild. It's Eddie Vedder reflecting on where he is now in his life, and the tone of the song reflects it.

Personally I think the meaning is beautiful unless I'm interpreting it wrong.
Reading through all the pages now and surprised how many people are talking about a 'narrator'. Maybe it's just me but this seems to be coming from Eddie, and it seems to be very personal. In addition, there was confusion over the 'mistakes' that could send her to another man...doesn't Eddie have/had a drinking problem and a smoking problem? Perhaps when he hears those sirens and looks at his family it puts into perspective everything he has done to himself and is doing. I mean I think back to when he used to do giant stage dives and climb the ceilings and risk his life, and all the things he's done to jeapordize his health. Now he hears the sirens of ambulences, and looks at his wife, and all he can think about is how he doesn't want to leave her.

Eddie's 48 years old. The things he did back in the 90s must feel like a lifetime ago to him. He was a different person then. It's hard for me, at 21, to totally put myself in Eddie's shoes, but even so I think that he does an amazing job of making me see how he feels from a middle-aged point of view, far removed from where you were in your reckless youth, and now thinking about how your past decisions will effect your future. It's especially interesting because he has so much to live for now, when before he was much darker. I also think these lyrics are not ambiguous at all...I read a take on the lyrics online and I hear those. As someone said "reach across the bed" not bend, he's reaching across the bed to his wife. And another change that nobody mentioned as far as I could see was it's "The slightest bit of light and I can see you clear." A lot of these lines that sounded like metaphors when written in the lyrics, I think were just misheard. These aren't ambiguous lyrics, this is a very clear scene. Eddie's in bed with his wife (or possibly a child, I dunno how old his kids are)..he wakes up at night, and he hears sirens. It scares him because it makes him think of his mortality, and he looks over and makes sure he and his family are safe, and then looks at them and when looking at their face the love makes his fears go away.

It's a bittersweet song. There's a fear of death, and a growing maturity and awareness that comes from reaching middle age and having so much to live for after living wildly before as well as an acknowledgement that you're in that period of your life where you might have to worry about being in that ambulance. But there's also such a strong love that it beats the fear. The fear is still there though. So while I wouldn't call it happy, it's at the least hopeful, yet still melancholy. Very grey.


(Anyways I put two posts together not too cleanly so I may have repeated myself...but my basic point is that I love this song. and I think the tone is perfect for the message.)

Very well put.
I agree 100%.

[harmless]

Nice post, mikejasond.

[harmless]

So... i dug 4 of the 5 songs prior to Sirens, but sadly I have to say that musically it's one of their most generic songs in their catalog.

it also feels like it's 10 minutes long

All things you could say about Black if you wanted to

[harmless]

someone (probably harmless on the basis of probability if nothing else) said that lightning bolt is making backspacer irrelevant.

I love backspacer more than most, but there are definitely a few songs on here that seem like they are superior second attempts. I wonder when the new album dust settles if backspacer starts to feel inferior.

Maybe Backspacer will be shown to be one of those transitional records in a bands history. Not great, but necessary to make a better following album and set a new tone for the future.

Yes. This is all I meant. A very interesting album which shows the necessary work they put in to go down the "rabbit hole" for this album. And I use that term knowing that this album will put off as many as it will attract.

[harmless]

I'll get back to this point later because it was me that said LB is giving me no reason to listen to Backspacer.

Basically Lightning Bolt is the record Backspacer wanted to be.
The main difference I find so far is LB feels more genuine and confident. While I think BS had some great lyrics I always felt they were written because Ed thought they were good ideas as opposed to writing them because he was compelled to.

Backspacer feels like a rough draft to LB more so than any other back to back album . Usually they are reactionary , this transition feels more progressive.

[dimejinky99]

I'll get back to this point later because it was me that said LB is giving me no reason to listen to Backspacer.

Basically Lightning Bolt is the record Backspacer wanted to be.
The main difference I find so far is LB feels more genuine and confident. While I think BS had some great lyrics I always felt they were written because Ed thought they were good ideas as opposed to writing them because he was compelled to.

Backspacer feels like a rough draft to LB more so than any other back to back album . Usually they are reactionary , this transition feels more progressive.

Agree completely. Especially about him now feeling compelled.

[stip]

I'll get back to this point later because it was me that said LB is giving me no reason to listen to Backspacer.

probability is a harsh mistress

[stip]

i love how we already have two singles with their proper videos and the album havent come out yet.

When was the last time they did this? Im guessing never.

i wonder what's lined up for the third single?

Has to be Lightning Bolt.

They should pull a Kings of Leon and have like 6 singles.

pearl jam has not had success with a third single in forever. If amongst the waves did half as well as fixer or just breathe I think we would have had a 4th

[stip]

Wanted to comment on the meaning of Sirens, as I don't see how people are calling it cheesy or generic. (This is taken from my posts in the Sirens topic)

From reading the lyrics it seems that it's about him lying in bed and hearing sirens at night...and now he fears the day when they will come for him (or his family as well.) And how he looks at how much he's changed since his wild youth, and how much he now has to lose, and how he doesn't want to leave this life or leave his family or have them leave him, but if it were to happen for them to know how much he loves them. Basically the song is about how something as mundane as a siren can call attention to our mortality once we reach a certain point in our lives. "I hear the sirens more and more in this here town" I interpret not as they actually are being heard more, but he just notices them more and more. When you're younger you just hear a sound, that's all it is to you. Something that never would have meant anything to him when he was younger now suddenly has a whole different meaning. Somebody's in that ambulance, and next time it could be him.

And I love that. So much. It's not a simple love song. It's something that only a guy in his 40s (almost 50) would write or think about. And I find it a really powerful insight into Eddie Vedder's now much more mature mind. I like that this song isn't trying to be youthful or wild. It's Eddie Vedder reflecting on where he is now in his life, and the tone of the song reflects it.

Personally I think the meaning is beautiful unless I'm interpreting it wrong.
Reading through all the pages now and surprised how many people are talking about a 'narrator'. Maybe it's just me but this seems to be coming from Eddie, and it seems to be very personal. In addition, there was confusion over the 'mistakes' that could send her to another man...doesn't Eddie have/had a drinking problem and a smoking problem? Perhaps when he hears those sirens and looks at his family it puts into perspective everything he has done to himself and is doing. I mean I think back to when he used to do giant stage dives and climb the ceilings and risk his life, and all the things he's done to jeapordize his health. Now he hears the sirens of ambulences, and looks at his wife, and all he can think about is how he doesn't want to leave her.

Eddie's 48 years old. The things he did back in the 90s must feel like a lifetime ago to him. He was a different person then. It's hard for me, at 21, to totally put myself in Eddie's shoes, but even so I think that he does an amazing job of making me see how he feels from a middle-aged point of view, far removed from where you were in your reckless youth, and now thinking about how your past decisions will effect your future. It's especially interesting because he has so much to live for now, when before he was much darker. I also think these lyrics are not ambiguous at all...I read a take on the lyrics online and I hear those. As someone said "reach across the bed" not bend, he's reaching across the bed to his wife. And another change that nobody mentioned as far as I could see was it's "The slightest bit of light and I can see you clear." A lot of these lines that sounded like metaphors when written in the lyrics, I think were just misheard. These aren't ambiguous lyrics, this is a very clear scene. Eddie's in bed with his wife (or possibly a child, I dunno how old his kids are)..he wakes up at night, and he hears sirens. It scares him because it makes him think of his mortality, and he looks over and makes sure he and his family are safe, and then looks at them and when looking at their face the love makes his fears go away.

It's a bittersweet song. There's a fear of death, and a growing maturity and awareness that comes from reaching middle age and having so much to live for after living wildly before as well as an acknowledgement that you're in that period of your life where you might have to worry about being in that ambulance. But there's also such a strong love that it beats the fear. The fear is still there though. So while I wouldn't call it happy, it's at the least hopeful, yet still melancholy. Very grey.


(Anyways I put two posts together not too cleanly so I may have repeated myself...but my basic point is that I love this song. and I think the tone is perfect for the message.)

the cheesy accusations probably have nothing to do with the sentiment. this is a genre piece (similar to a song like come back or mind your manners,for that matter) and a genre that people here probably have very little intrinsic respect for. If you think they either turned its conventions upside down or executed it in such a way that it reminds you of what is worthwhile at its core then you'll find the themes and the story moving. If you don't think they pulled that off then you won't even hear the themes.

this remains a pretty baffling choice since musically they are really making things harder for themselves, even though I think they pull it off. it is not the second coming for me, but it's a nice song

[stupidmop]

I am 1-7 on this album so far. Those next 5 tracks better be good. I am master of denial.

Sirens has apparently burrowed into your brains and turned 99% of you into weirdly emotional pearl jam zombies.

[harmless]

Next five? There's no way you're gonna like SBM or FD so I say three.