Lightning Bolt: the official album thread

[WtOB?]

Probably, when you take longer between records, there’s more importance placed on the records. Maybe the next thing you do is put out another one in the next year – just put it out, and not have a buildup.

i wish they'd actually do this.

I hope they will, but I doubt it. It's frustrating that they even flirt with the idea in interviews and then it doesn't happen. This will probably be like the E.P. that never happened after S/T.

yeah, they sure know what would be cool to do. they just don't do it.
i wonder what this album would have ended up like if they kept going in 2011 like bob wanted? mike said there was only 1 ed song during that session, so it could have been a very different album. and who knows, we may have had two records in this time.

[Release_Me]

I don't find Vitalogy to be cryptic. It's interesting, yes. But it's not manufactured to be something interesting. The songs are mostly direct and dripping with emotion, be it rage or heartbreak. The events surrounding the album just made that album what it was. Ed probably knows better than us what some of the songs mean. But that was always the case. No one would have known Alive was about incest unless he said it in so many words.

They didn't "manufacture" anything to be interesting. They just wrote songs, and they were interesting. I don't like the negative spin Ed tries to put on their best material. They don't even play most of it live anymore. All this talk of deliberately trying to write material that nobody understands is rubbish, they're just trying to distract listeners away from that stuff because... well, I have no idea. What they did on Riot Act was no different to what they did on Vitalogy, i.e. good songs.

Oh, they did. As far as I'm concerned. Vitalogy wasn't it. But No Code, Binaural and Riot Act are very subdued albums. Not as in your face and not utilising the bands biggest strengths in my opinion. And they are nowhere near their best work. Again, in my opinion. If someone likes it, it shouldn't matter what Ed says or thinks.

[harmless]

Probably, when you take longer between records, there’s more importance placed on the records. Maybe the next thing you do is put out another one in the next year – just put it out, and not have a buildup.

i wish they'd actually do this.

I hope they will, but I doubt it. It's frustrating that they even flirt with the idea in interviews and then it doesn't happen. This will probably be like the E.P. that never happened after S/T.

yeah, they sure know what would be cool to do. they just don't do it.
i wonder what this album would have ended up like if they kept going in 2011 like bob wanted? mike said there was only 1 ed song during that session, so it could have been a very different album. and who knows, we may have had two records in this time.

Possibly. If there's one good take-away from what BoB's said, it's that he's pretty keen to keep them in the studio. So that's good. They need to be kicked around a bit.

[stupidmop]

I don't find Vitalogy to be cryptic. It's interesting, yes. But it's not manufactured to be something interesting. The songs are mostly direct and dripping with emotion, be it rage or heartbreak. The events surrounding the album just made that album what it was. Ed probably knows better than us what some of the songs mean. But that was always the case. No one would have known Alive was about incest unless he said it in so many words.

C'Mon vitalogy is 'weird' cause ed wanted it to be. Bugs, stupidmop, aye davanita, pry to, all the weird song intros. I think manufactured is the wrong word but I think he had a vision for it and went for it.

I agree that it was a lot more emotional, but that's cause ed was still writing about stuff directly happening to him, corduroy, not for you, satans bed are all about things related to fame or what have you. Then he realised the note he wrote about himself the crazier the stalkers got so he stopped.

I actually think binaural and riot act have less of a direction than vitalogy . Riot act escpecially seems rather aimless to me.

[sward]

I don't find Vitalogy to be cryptic. It's interesting, yes. But it's not manufactured to be something interesting. The songs are mostly direct and dripping with emotion, be it rage or heartbreak. The events surrounding the album just made that album what it was. Ed probably knows better than us what some of the songs mean. But that was always the case. No one would have known Alive was about incest unless he said it in so many words.

They didn't "manufacture" anything to be interesting. They just wrote songs, and they were interesting. I don't like the negative spin Ed tries to put on their best material. They don't even play most of it live anymore. All this talk of deliberately trying to write material that nobody understands is rubbish, they're just trying to distract listeners away from that stuff because... well, I have no idea. What they did on Riot Act was no different to what they did on Vitalogy, i.e. good songs.

I think its obvious that there was a period they tried to avoid a 'hook' at any cost.

[harmless]

I don't find Vitalogy to be cryptic. It's interesting, yes. But it's not manufactured to be something interesting. The songs are mostly direct and dripping with emotion, be it rage or heartbreak. The events surrounding the album just made that album what it was. Ed probably knows better than us what some of the songs mean. But that was always the case. No one would have known Alive was about incest unless he said it in so many words.

They didn't "manufacture" anything to be interesting. They just wrote songs, and they were interesting. I don't like the negative spin Ed tries to put on their best material. They don't even play most of it live anymore. All this talk of deliberately trying to write material that nobody understands is rubbish, they're just trying to distract listeners away from that stuff because... well, I have no idea. What they did on Riot Act was no different to what they did on Vitalogy, i.e. good songs.

Oh, they did. As far as I'm concerned. Vitalogy wasn't it. But No Code, Binaural and Riot Act are very subdued albums. Not as in your face and not utilising the bands biggest strengths in my opinion. And they are nowhere near their best work. Again, in my opinion. If someone likes it, it shouldn't matter what Ed says or thinks.

Right, and I don't know, it's just my opinion. No one knows anything. But even if you do find the earlier albums more direct than the middle ones (I don't, really), do you honestly think that Backspacer is a successful attempt to go *back* to a previous directness? Or is it a completely new turn into a patronising directness, one which kind of treats the listener like a sixteen-year-old? Because I can't help but feel like that's what's happening. I would rather we had albums that treated us like adults, and I don't think "Supersonic gonna save my soul", or whatever the lyric is, really does that. It's "direct" in the same way as "Mickey Mouse's Clubhouse" is direct compared to "Schindler's List."

[bynightfall]

I ain't gettin it because his vocals sucked since binaural fact.

[igotworms]

Probably, when you take longer between records, there’s more importance placed on the records. Maybe the next thing you do is put out another one in the next year – just put it out, and not have a buildup.

i wish they'd actually do this.

I hope they will, but I doubt it. It's frustrating that they even flirt with the idea in interviews and then it doesn't happen. This will probably be like the E.P. that never happened after S/T.

yeah, they sure know what would be cool to do. they just don't do it.
i wonder what this album would have ended up like if they kept going in 2011 like bob wanted? mike said there was only 1 ed song during that session, so it could have been a very different album. and who knows, we may have had two records in this time.

I'm expecting another live album in 2014. And then perhaps another best-of in 2015 (best of the b-sides actually). And then a remix album in 2016 (looking forward to the Four Tet remix of Bugs). And then maybe, just maybe, they'll be ready to go into the studio to start recording album 11 in 2017.

[harmless]

I don't find Vitalogy to be cryptic. It's interesting, yes. But it's not manufactured to be something interesting. The songs are mostly direct and dripping with emotion, be it rage or heartbreak. The events surrounding the album just made that album what it was. Ed probably knows better than us what some of the songs mean. But that was always the case. No one would have known Alive was about incest unless he said it in so many words.

They didn't "manufacture" anything to be interesting. They just wrote songs, and they were interesting. I don't like the negative spin Ed tries to put on their best material. They don't even play most of it live anymore. All this talk of deliberately trying to write material that nobody understands is rubbish, they're just trying to distract listeners away from that stuff because... well, I have no idea. What they did on Riot Act was no different to what they did on Vitalogy, i.e. good songs.

I think its obvious that there was a period they tried to avoid a 'hook' at any cost.

And yet 1) in the middle period, I hear plenty of interesting "hooks", or at least, interesting features in the songs, and 2) since S/T, I've heard virtually no hooks, riffs, or anything. So you know... it's spin.

[Release_Me]

I don't find Vitalogy to be cryptic. It's interesting, yes. But it's not manufactured to be something interesting. The songs are mostly direct and dripping with emotion, be it rage or heartbreak. The events surrounding the album just made that album what it was. Ed probably knows better than us what some of the songs mean. But that was always the case. No one would have known Alive was about incest unless he said it in so many words.

C'Mon vitalogy is 'weird' cause ed wanted it to be. Bugs, stupidmop, aye davanita, pry to, all the weird song intros. I think manufactured is the wrong word but I think he had a vision for it and went for it.

I agree that it was a lot more emotional, but that's cause ed was still writing about stuff directly happening to him, corduroy, not for you, satans bed are all about things related to fame or what have you. Then he realised the note he wrote about himself the crazier the stalkers got so he stopped.

I actually think binaural and riot act have less of a direction than vitalogy . Riot act escpecially seems rather aimless to me.

It had a vision, yes. The weirdness is because of the non-songs and yes, that was Ed being Ed. That part is cryptic and intentionally so. However, the actual songs on the record are fairly direct and emotional. How many of us think Vitalogy is a great record because of the non-songs? In the end, it all comes down to Corduroy, Not For You, Last Exit, Immortality, Nothingman, etc. The real songs. No Code onwards, very few songs of the same ilk.

[WtOB?]

I ain't gettin it because his vocals sucked since binaural fact.

[Release_Me]

I don't find Vitalogy to be cryptic. It's interesting, yes. But it's not manufactured to be something interesting. The songs are mostly direct and dripping with emotion, be it rage or heartbreak. The events surrounding the album just made that album what it was. Ed probably knows better than us what some of the songs mean. But that was always the case. No one would have known Alive was about incest unless he said it in so many words.

They didn't "manufacture" anything to be interesting. They just wrote songs, and they were interesting. I don't like the negative spin Ed tries to put on their best material. They don't even play most of it live anymore. All this talk of deliberately trying to write material that nobody understands is rubbish, they're just trying to distract listeners away from that stuff because... well, I have no idea. What they did on Riot Act was no different to what they did on Vitalogy, i.e. good songs.

I think its obvious that there was a period they tried to avoid a 'hook' at any cost.

And yet 1) in the middle period, I hear plenty of interesting "hooks", or at least, interesting features in the songs, and 2) since S/T, I've heard virtually no hooks, riffs, or anything. So you know... it's spin.

Very few hooks in the middle period for me(except Yield). S/T onwards, there are hooks aplenty. Moreso on Backspacer and the LB songs so far. S/T was sort of 50-50.

[stip]

There are some Stone quotes where he said he would bring in a riff which would have him really excited and Ed would say no, we're not doing that. And then he would select something weird and say, that's the next single. There's no doubt what they did from No Code onwards was a conscious choice. I like it when they stay more organic.

I remember reading stuff like that from interviews, etc.

[harmless]

I'm struggling to see how "Last Exit" is direct in the same way Backspacer is.

I honestly just think they haven't got the time / don't want to take the time to write the very interesting, clever songs anymore. They've got lives to live and they'd rather just trot out fairly basic and easy-on-the-ears rock music. That's fine, but I'd rather they just be honest about that.

[stip]

I don't find Vitalogy to be cryptic. It's interesting, yes. But it's not manufactured to be something interesting. The songs are mostly direct and dripping with emotion, be it rage or heartbreak. The events surrounding the album just made that album what it was. Ed probably knows better than us what some of the songs mean. But that was always the case. No one would have known Alive was about incest unless he said it in so many words.

They didn't "manufacture" anything to be interesting. They just wrote songs, and they were interesting. I don't like the negative spin Ed tries to put on their best material. They don't even play most of it live anymore. All this talk of deliberately trying to write material that nobody understands is rubbish, they're just trying to distract listeners away from that stuff because... well, I have no idea. What they did on Riot Act was no different to what they did on Vitalogy, i.e. good songs.

Oh, they did. As far as I'm concerned. Vitalogy wasn't it. But No Code, Binaural and Riot Act are very subdued albums. Not as in your face and not utilising the bands biggest strengths in my opinion. And they are nowhere near their best work. Again, in my opinion. If someone likes it, it shouldn't matter what Ed says or thinks.

Right, and I don't know, it's just my opinion. No one knows anything. But even if you do find the earlier albums more direct than the middle ones (I don't, really), do you honestly think that Backspacer is a successful attempt to go *back* to a previous directness? Or is it a completely new turn into a patronising directness, one which kind of treats the listener like a sixteen-year-old? Because I can't help but feel like that's what's happening. I would rather we had albums that treated us like adults, and I don't think "Supersonic gonna save my soul", or whatever the lyric is, really does that. It's "direct" in the same way as "Mickey Mouse's Clubhouse" is direct compared to "Schindler's List."

Supersonic is a shitty song. The rest of backspacer is a mature and interesting record. I'm open sounds like it was written by a 16 year old. It does not make hail hail or red mosquito any less sophisticated

[stip]

I ain't gettin it because his vocals sucked since binaural fact.

Oh good. This thread needs more facts

[stip]

Probably, when you take longer between records, there’s more importance placed on the records. Maybe the next thing you do is put out another one in the next year – just put it out, and not have a buildup.

i wish they'd actually do this.

I hope they will, but I doubt it. It's frustrating that they even flirt with the idea in interviews and then it doesn't happen. This will probably be like the E.P. that never happened after S/T.

yeah, they sure know what would be cool to do. they just don't do it.
i wonder what this album would have ended up like if they kept going in 2011 like bob wanted? mike said there was only 1 ed song during that session, so it could have been a very different album. and who knows, we may have had two records in this time.

I'm expecting another live album in 2014. And then perhaps another best-of in 2015 (best of the b-sides actually). And then a remix album in 2016 (looking forward to the Four Tet remix of Bugs). And then maybe, just maybe, they'll be ready to go into the studio to start recording album 11 in 2017.

[harmless]

I don't find Vitalogy to be cryptic. It's interesting, yes. But it's not manufactured to be something interesting. The songs are mostly direct and dripping with emotion, be it rage or heartbreak. The events surrounding the album just made that album what it was. Ed probably knows better than us what some of the songs mean. But that was always the case. No one would have known Alive was about incest unless he said it in so many words.

They didn't "manufacture" anything to be interesting. They just wrote songs, and they were interesting. I don't like the negative spin Ed tries to put on their best material. They don't even play most of it live anymore. All this talk of deliberately trying to write material that nobody understands is rubbish, they're just trying to distract listeners away from that stuff because... well, I have no idea. What they did on Riot Act was no different to what they did on Vitalogy, i.e. good songs.

I think its obvious that there was a period they tried to avoid a 'hook' at any cost.

And yet 1) in the middle period, I hear plenty of interesting "hooks", or at least, interesting features in the songs, and 2) since S/T, I've heard virtually no hooks, riffs, or anything. So you know... it's spin.

Very few hooks in the middle period for me(except Yield). S/T onwards, there are hooks aplenty. Moreso on Backspacer and the LB songs so far. S/T was sort of 50-50.

Where there are riffs or "hooks", they're not usually half as interesting as they used to be. Maybe that's where I'm getting confused; when I hear a decidedly average riff, I hear no riff. Where is the riff in Lightning Bolt? Swallowed Whole? Getaway? They're just thrashing around on open chords, as they did on Backspacer and most of S/T. Is that a "hook" on Life Wasted? It's not an interesting one.

[bynightfall]

all i know is that hail hail is chilled

[Release_Me]

I don't find Vitalogy to be cryptic. It's interesting, yes. But it's not manufactured to be something interesting. The songs are mostly direct and dripping with emotion, be it rage or heartbreak. The events surrounding the album just made that album what it was. Ed probably knows better than us what some of the songs mean. But that was always the case. No one would have known Alive was about incest unless he said it in so many words.

They didn't "manufacture" anything to be interesting. They just wrote songs, and they were interesting. I don't like the negative spin Ed tries to put on their best material. They don't even play most of it live anymore. All this talk of deliberately trying to write material that nobody understands is rubbish, they're just trying to distract listeners away from that stuff because... well, I have no idea. What they did on Riot Act was no different to what they did on Vitalogy, i.e. good songs.

Oh, they did. As far as I'm concerned. Vitalogy wasn't it. But No Code, Binaural and Riot Act are very subdued albums. Not as in your face and not utilising the bands biggest strengths in my opinion. And they are nowhere near their best work. Again, in my opinion. If someone likes it, it shouldn't matter what Ed says or thinks.

Right, and I don't know, it's just my opinion. No one knows anything. But even if you do find the earlier albums more direct than the middle ones (I don't, really), do you honestly think that Backspacer is a successful attempt to go *back* to a previous directness? Or is it a completely new turn into a patronising directness, one which kind of treats the listener like a sixteen-year-old? Because I can't help but feel like that's what's happening. I would rather we had albums that treated us like adults, and I don't think "Supersonic gonna save my soul", or whatever the lyric is, really does that. It's "direct" in the same way as "Mickey Mouse's Clubhouse" is direct compared to "Schindler's List."

Yes, I think BS is entirely successful in the band going back to some of their strengths. The difference is mainly in the mood of the album. They made it to reflect a time in their lives when they were happy and satisfied. The songs are much more direct and not shy of big choruses or the melodies which made me a fan in the first place. I don't see it as them treating me as a kid, it's them paying me back for sticking it through a period where I just barely hung on to them. The lyrics are throwaways on certain songs, yes. But that doesn't matter when the album is not one to take itself too seriously. BS was an obvious turn away from all the seriousness. It was hugely successful at that.