Song of the Moment: Lightning Bolt

[harmless]

A friend told me that Ed said this was one of the greatest songs they had ever written, if not the greatest.

Do you think they believe their own bullshit?

BO'B said it. BO'B believes his own bullshit.

[BurtReynolds]

Has Harmless had any sleep yet?

No

I'm jealous. I'm sleepy all the time.

[Jorge]

Has Harmless had any sleep yet?

No

I'm jealous. I'm sleepy all the time.

There are people who are sleepy all the time and can't fall asleep. Torture.

[sward]

This one is becoming tricky for me. It's aces one day, balls the next.

It sounds balls next to Sirens, but that's a compliment to Sirens, not a dig at this song. It does what it does but no more...

I find my rabid enjoyment of Sirens has changed my appetite for these songs a little bit. Everytime I go to play one, I jump back to Sirens!

[harmless]

This one is becoming tricky for me. It's aces one day, balls the next.

It sounds balls next to Sirens, but that's a compliment to Sirens, not a dig at this song. It does what it does but no more...

I find my rabid enjoyment of Sirens has changed my appetite for these songs a little bit. Everytime I go to play one, I jump back to Sirens!

Me too.

[Thejambi]

This one is becoming tricky for me. It's aces one day, balls the next.

It sounds balls next to Sirens, but that's a compliment to Sirens, not a dig at this song. It does what it does but no more...

I find my rabid enjoyment of Sirens has changed my appetite for these songs a little bit. Everytime I go to play one, I jump back to Sirens!

Me too.

Guilty

[stip]

When folks say this song is structurally interesting, what do they mean?

Not structurally complex, but interesting because it curiously avoids some of the hallmarks (pun intended) of a ready-for-radio ballad; it's too long, it has a long "chorus" that isn't really a chorus because it has no annoying repeatable lyrical "hook", which then goes into another bit added onto that chorus which, by now, can't be part of the chorus because it's too long. So it's mostly just verse, which rises, until the solo, then it just sort of ends. So it's "interesting" for what it avoids (or lacks, if that's your feeling) to make it the full-on "80s power ballad" it was cracked up to be.

Edit: wait, sorry, I thought we were talking about Sirens still. This is getting confusing. LB has a different answer.

I was starting to get confused...

[stip]

A friend told me that Ed said this was one of the greatest songs they had ever written, if not the greatest.

Do you think they believe their own bullshit?

I don't recall hearing that, but I think this is a great song

[Cleverman]

A friend told me that Ed said this was one of the greatest songs they had ever written, if not the greatest.

Do you think they believe their own bullshit?

I don't recall hearing that, but I think this is a great song

It really is. It is genuine, not ironic and sincere. It's actually pretty refreshing.

[15showsandcounting]

Well, I have been corrected. My friend says Ed said it about Sirens, which I find to be one of their worst songs since Help Help and You Are. Ugh. LB I can dig. Sadly, that is about it so far w the leaks. Sad days.

[harmless]

Well, I have been corrected. My friend says Ed said it about Sirens, which I find to be one of their worst songs since Help Help and You Are. Ugh. LB I can dig. Sadly, that is about it so far w the leaks. Sad days.

BO'B said it, not Ed, and BO'B is a dick.

And Help, Help and You Are are amazing.

[Mine]

Well, I have been corrected. My friend says Ed said it about Sirens, which I find to be one of their worst songs since Help Help and You Are. Ugh. LB I can dig. Sadly, that is about it so far w the leaks. Sad days.

BO'B said it, not Ed, and BO'B is a dick.

And Help, Help and You Are are amazing.

Ed is B'OB dude!

ps. i think Mike said something similar

[Lament]

one of their worst songs since Help Help and You Are.

It seems like there is a lot of You Are hate on this board. Is there any specific reason (I mean besides just not thinking it's very good)? I'm just curious. I enjoy the song (and have since RA came out).

[stip]

you are is a cool atmospheric song that I think Eddie undersings and therefore undersells. I like it, but it could have been great.

[harmless]

one of their worst songs since Help Help and You Are.

It seems like there is a lot of You Are hate on this board. Is there any specific reason (I mean besides just not thinking it's very good)? I'm just curious. I enjoy the song (and have since RA came out).

Not before? I'm guessing you didn't get the six-song sampler.

[Lament]

one of their worst songs since Help Help and You Are.

It seems like there is a lot of You Are hate on this board. Is there any specific reason (I mean besides just not thinking it's very good)? I'm just curious. I enjoy the song (and have since RA came out).

Not before? I'm guessing you didn't get the six-song sampler.

My "No Leak" stance goes waaaaay back man. I didn't hear You Are until like thirty minutes after the midnight sale at the Tower Records in Rockville, Maryland back in 2002.

[15showsandcounting]

one of their worst songs since Help Help and You Are.

It seems like there is a lot of You Are hate on this board. Is there any specific reason (I mean besides just not thinking it's very good)? I'm just curious. I enjoy the song (and have since RA came out).

I don't claim to be any sort of music connoisseur, but I hated about all of it. Haven't listened in a long time to give a fair opinion, but my recollection is of Ed's voice and lyric annoying the hell out of me. It seemed like total filler. Lazy song. I realize everyone's taste is different, though.

[Lament]

one of their worst songs since Help Help and You Are.

It seems like there is a lot of You Are hate on this board. Is there any specific reason (I mean besides just not thinking it's very good)? I'm just curious. I enjoy the song (and have since RA came out).

I don't claim to be any sort of music connoisseur, but I hated about all of it. Haven't listened in a long time to give a fair opinion, but my recollection is of Ed's voice and lyric annoying the hell out of me. It seemed like total filler. Lazy song. I realize everyone's taste is different, though.

Fair enough. I can respect that.

I love the part where Ed sings "Sometimes I burn like a dot on the sun." I've actually got it playing now. It felt quirky in a muscular way, which I found to be very odd for Pearl Jam at the time (it seemed like their quirks came out mostly in softer pieces, and their mid-tempo "rockers" were all more straight-forward, if that makes sense). It sounded great on absurdly overcast, rain soaked days on the University of Maryland's campus that fall/winter. Hell, the whole album did.

[stip]

this broken wheel is coming undone/and the road's exploded is one of my favorite set of opening lyrics ever. What a shitty day.

[Lament]

Yeah, I really like that opening set of lines as well.