Lightning Bolt: the official album thread

[Jaeti]

I kind of feel like that's the way a lot of songwriters write; they may just be willing to say who they're ripping off.

But why is a band with a long back catalog of original music suddenly writing [purposefully?] derivative stuff?

Because it takes more effort than what they are willing to give at this point in their lives to churn out something original.

Getaway is a Pearl Jam song as much as it's a ripoff. Ditto for MYM. Sleeping By Myself first appeared on an ukelele album, which I wouldn't say is all that derivative, plus we haven't heard what the band did with it, nor are we sure (are we?) that it wasn't originally a PJ song that Ed took for himself. Future Days is probably lame, and you can point to influences in Sirens, Lightning Bolt, LTRP, and Swallowed Whole (though I'd say that's also as much an Ed/ITW into Pearl Jam evolution as it is derivative of anything else), but there are still four songs we hardly know anything about, but that have been described as pretty distinctly original Pearl Jam songs.

And yeah, the songs we've heard, even if not groundbreaking, are at least good. Nothing's certain, of course, but it seems the trademark Pearl Jam sound is yet to come. None of this seems like a huge sin to me.

[Vindicator]

Before you guys start calling the songs derivative, why not wait to hear the full album. We have yet to hear Infallible, Pendulum, Yellow Moon and My Fathers Son, which by most accounts are going to be the most experimental (and best ) songs on the album, excluding MFS which nobody can seem to describe.

To me, Sirens has a little bit of a Pink Floyd influence, in that the solo sounds very Gilmour'ish. Everything else about it is more standard soft country love ballad stuff with a full bodied Vedder. I absolutely love the song by the way, and cannot wait to hear it live. I hope they extend the solo .

Honestly I think at this point you guys are just pulling stuff out of your asses and saying this sounds like pink FLoyd because someone in the band said that at some point or something. If no one from the band had mentioned that, this comparison wouldn't even be on peoples minds! This sounds super condescending but have any of you ever even listened to Pink Floyd that hasn't been covered by Pearl Jam?!

I thought the solo sounded immediately like the solo from Time by Pink Floyd. That's about it really, the strong structure sounds like maybe something off the Wall, but I don't think it really does.

[Whitey McTeeth]

it Reminds me of Rush, if they had sex with David Gilmour, and recorded it in an 80s time machine.

[verb_to_trust]

Sirens sounds nothing like Pink Floyd. Nothing.

[Rangi Guy]

Huh - I just realised that I'm not going to be around when this thing is finally released as I'll be in Asia for a week or so.... Hope the leak drops before I go...

[McParadigm]

It's worth remembering that harmless was the most vocal Floyd comparison guy, and he's both a drummer and mostly familiar with their 80's radio moments, by the sound of it. And from that starting point, the comparison seems very reasonable.

[Vindicator]

It sounds a bit like LATE Pink Floyd, from The Wall and beyond. Maybe The Division Bell, something like "Turning The Inside Out"

This is not a bad thing at all.

[BDB]

i really cant believe this didnt hit 1,000 pages today.

[Whitey McTeeth]

We could start counting with pictures, if that helps.

[Norah]

Just watched this to erase the diarrhea taste this album is leaving in my mouth.....

[verb_to_trust]

It's worth remembering that harmless was the most vocal Floyd comparison guy, and he's both a drummer and mostly familiar with their 80's radio moments, by the sound of it. And from that starting point, the comparison seems very reasonable.

I agree with the guy who said hearing Mike say 'pink floyd' in some 2011 interview is our only basis for the comparison.

[Birds in Hell]

It actually reminds me, in a fairly vague way, of their cover of Mother; not in a strict musical sense, more in general feel. As though Mike enjoyed playing that song a lot and tried to come up with something in that ballpark.

[McParadigm]

It's worth remembering that harmless was the most vocal Floyd comparison guy, and he's both a drummer and mostly familiar with their 80's radio moments, by the sound of it. And from that starting point, the comparison seems very reasonable.

I agree with the guy who said hearing Mike say 'pink floyd' in some 2011 interview is our only basis for the comparison.

Honestly, Pink Floyd comparisons set off warning bells in my head for any artist anymore. They were a big thing for me once, but outside of Piper, Meddle, Animals, and Final Cut I'm likely to get bored. I dunno...too similarly tempo'd/themed and a bit caricaturish, or something. Also, the biggest records are too precise...clinical playing, almost, like Sirens. I think I like Amused to Death as much as I do because it takes all those infamous Floyd themes and adds variety and imperfection.

"Reminds me of Pink Floyd" would have gotten me excited at 17...not at 33.

[Birds in Hell]

It actually reminds me, in a fairly vague way, of their cover of Mother; not in a strict musical sense, more in general feel. As though Mike enjoyed playing that song a lot and tried to come up with something in that ballpark.

By "that ballpark" I'm referring more to Pearl Jam's cover of Mother than I am the Floyd original (in case that wasn't clear).

[Buby]

I don't know if I can hear Pink Floyd in "Sirens"... Maybe if a gun is pointed at my head I'd hear a little bit of "Take it back" portions.

[Fuzzcharger]

It actually reminds me, in a fairly vague way, of their cover of Mother; not in a strict musical sense, more in general feel. As though Mike enjoyed playing that song a lot and tried to come up with something in that ballpark.

By "that ballpark" I'm referring more to Pearl Jam's cover of Mother than I am the Floyd original (in case that wasn't clear).

I can get that for sure.

[Fuzzcharger]

I'd say its the late 70's/early 80's Floyd. Not the good stuff.

It sounds a bit like LATE Pink Floyd, from The Wall and beyond. Maybe The Division Bell, something like "Turning The Inside Out"

This is not a bad thing at all.

Therein lies the rub.

[Release_Me]

I also kinda cringe during the "but all things change" part when his voice cracks.

I those lines. Because it's something he rarely does it really draws attention but without it that section would start feeling repetitive.

I always cringe when singers reach too far beyond their range and strain I guess, it's not just Ed. I hate when Patterson Hood tries to sing falsetto too.

What? That's a beautiful transition into falsetto. There is no voice crack. His 'range' is what he can sing and he has sung much, much higher in full voice (LROM for example). This is falsetto which isn't anywhere near as difficult. It's not even that high a note for falsetto. He sings it perfectly though.

Whenever Ed sings anything high, people tend to go 'oh he's singing outside his range'. I don't get it, at all. You could say you don't like it, that's fine. Don't use terminology like range if you don't really know what it is.

Nothing personal, I've seen this kind of response too many times before and wanted to get it off my chest.

[dimejinky99]

It actually reminds me, in a fairly vague way, of their cover of Mother; not in a strict musical sense, more in general feel. As though Mike enjoyed playing that song a lot and tried to come up with something in that ballpark.

They share a similar space

[Juvenal]

The rest of this album needs to leak soon for all our sakes.