Lightning Bolt: the official album thread

[stip]

I feel like this 'return' to catchy choruses and shit is more a regression than anything. She's your lightning bolt, your rock and roll, shes true...

They went backwards all the way to ten and then busted through it to the otherside. We're a fraction away from 'what the funk is up' people.

nonsense. What the funk is up is just a terrible of example of that style of writing. There are terrible examples of the more obtuse stuff you prefer.

[IlluminEddie]

I feel like this 'return' to catchy choruses and shit is more a regression than anything. She's your lightning bolt, your rock and roll, shes true...

They went backwards all the way to ten and then busted through it to the otherside. We're a fraction away from 'what the funk is up' people.

I agree. It's not a return. It's something new. Lately they've just wanted to write music which is not intellectually engaging. Lightning Bolt's chorus, however, isn't the best example of that, because "I'm still alive" is no more intelligent than that. Neither is "I'd rather be with an animal." I do think there's more going on in the verses of Lightning Bolt; if there's anything lyrically interesting in that song, it's there.

Completely disagree with it not being a return and something new, or any sort of regression. I've already said why it's a return but it doesn't seem to be registering. What can you do.

As far as the lyrics are concerned, you can take any line out of context and make it look like it's unintelligent. Ed's always merged simple sounding choruses with more complex verses. Wordy, intelligent parts are not reserved for choruses because it's kind of a no brainer to have the easier to sing along to part as the chorus. If you look at I'm still alive in isolation, or even Mind your Manners or She's a lightnint bolt, you can think it's simple and unintelligent. Context is what matters and gives these lyrics their meaning.

I think the reasons you have your opinion are registering. We just don't really agree.

'Big Wave' and 'Supersonic' were pretty much the first songs this band had ever written that I thought were absolute junk, and that's because they didn't have any of this interesting context you speak of. I agree, you can't just take a chorus out of isolation; but if you pick a song's lyrics apart and they seem phoned-in all the way through, you're going to call it a regression even if "directness" was the stated aim. I like The Fixer for *almost* achieving what it set out to do, but what it sets out to do is absolutely nothing like what "Alive" set out to do. The Fixer remains simplistic the entire way through, even with its one or two nods to graves and zombies.

I felt that way about one song on almost every album, not just those two. Bugs, Pilate, Lukin, I'm Open, Help Help, etc. I think those are pretty much the junk on those albums. That's not PJ being direct or a real example of the directness which I was talking about, it's just them trying something which doesn't work because of silliness or inappropriateness, in my opinion. I still enjoy them when in the mood. The Fixer and Backspacer the album itself are trying for something completely different and you can't blame them for not achieving what other songs do when they are not even trying to achieve those things.

I don't even know where to start with this. Not one of those "junk" songs you've listed is actually junk; they're songs you don't like, but the evidence they are objectively "difficult" or "junk" (and especially that they're the same songs Ed is referring to when he talks about weaker middle-period songs) just isn't there. Also, I'm not really blaming any songs for not achieving anything that other songs have. I only compared The Fixer and Alive because you did and I was responding to you. We were talking about songs with "hooks" and according to you, both songs have "hooks". So are you now admitting that The Fixer is trying to do something brand-new? Because I too have acknowledged that, and I still think it ultimately fails to do what it sets out to do, even on its own terms. That's a subjective judgement but it's pretty unfairly reductive to say that I just want it to give me the same tingles as "Alive".

Help, Help is one of the best songs this band has ever written.

I agree...Help Help is my fav off of Riot Act...very underrated....Best outro of all time...I want an album full of help helps and you ares

[Jaeti]

Ed: " Maybe the next thing you do is put out another one in the next year – just put it out, and not have a buildup."

Probably time to start a thread for album No. 11 and take the conversation over there.

[harmless]

The bass also sounds really good on Swallowed Whole.

I think the only thing I have never complained about with respect to Pearl Jam is Jeff's playing and bass tone. He has always had it figured out

Well, I certainly haven't heard as much bass as I'd have liked to on the last couple of albums. Backspacer had a much tinnier sound than these Lightning Bolt songs.

[harmless]

Ed: " Maybe the next thing you do is put out another one in the next year – just put it out, and not have a buildup."

Probably time to start a thread for album No. 11 and take the conversation over there.

There already is one, but they might like to hear this Official News from Ed.

[stupidmop]

I feel like this 'return' to catchy choruses and shit is more a regression than anything. She's your lightning bolt, your rock and roll, shes true...

They went backwards all the way to ten and then busted through it to the otherside. We're a fraction away from 'what the funk is up' people.

nonsense. What the funk is up is just a terrible of example of that style of writing. There are terrible examples of the more obtuse stuff you prefer.

I'm kidding, mostly.

I really quite like 'homeless' and 'what do you want from me' by bad radio too. Listen too em way more than anything off backspacer

What do you wawnt What do you wawnt What do you wawnt

[CupidStunt]

I was reading a thread on another forum about bands copying Pearl Jam's sound and some guy was asking what song sounded like You Are and when all the others came back for listening to it they were like "That's Pearl Jam? God it's awful." Made me chuckle.

Also I've NEVER understood the hate for Big Wave. I know it's not a life changing, era defining song but I've always had a love for the progression of the hooky chorus. I also think it would've fit on BS much better than ST.

Also, I agree this needs to leak now. I've taken the decision that I will not listen to any songs from LB now until the whole thing is available because I'm at the point where I'm killing it now.

[harmless]

The Big Wave lyrics are terrible. If Lightning Bolt is a song about surfing (which it is, partly) it's miles and miles better than Big Wave. BW is a "You'd get it if you were a surfer" kind of song.

[IlluminEddie]

The Big Wave lyrics are terrible.

Yes.

If Lightning Bolt is a song about surfing (which it is, partly)

No.

BW is a "You'd get it if you were a surfer" kind of song.

No.

[Jaeti]

Ed: " Maybe the next thing you do is put out another one in the next year – just put it out, and not have a buildup."

Probably time to start a thread for album No. 11 and take the conversation over there.

There already is one, but they might like to hear this Official News from Ed.

I was afraid there might be one, but went ahead and posted that anyway without checking. Goodness gracious.

[warehouse]

On another note, there's no doubt that rock isn't the cultural force it once was.

Oh, so you saw the MTV awards.

Wait, you saw the MTV awards?

this cracked me up

[Jaeti]

Ed's always merged simple sounding choruses with more complex verses. Wordy, intelligent parts are not reserved for choruses because it's kind of a no brainer to have the easier to sing along to part as the chorus. If you look at I'm still alive in isolation, or even Mind your Manners or She's a lightnint bolt, you can think it's simple and unintelligent. Context is what matters and gives these lyrics their meaning.

For years, it was playing word games and expressing those emotions, but doing it in such a way that was cryptic and where Mark Arm from Mudhoney would still have some modicum of respect for me. But nowadays, it's more like sitting down and writing a song, and whatever comes out, comes out.

Sounds to me like he's tiptoeing around the fact that he's gotten comfortable with the idea of dumbing down the lyrics.

Yeh, well, these lyrics are certainly not dumbed down, right?

"Nothing man, ohh nothing man... could've been something... nothing man"

"I'd rather be, I'd rather be, I'd rather be with an animal"

"drop the leash, drop the leash, get out of my fucking face"

to me, this doesn't seem too different from...

"She's a lightning bolt, she's your rock and roll, she's true."

...except on the surface there's "what seems to be" a positive vibe conveyed. People here hate when Ed does that sort of thing. It's not the lyrics. It's the underlying vibe of the lyrics.

The irony, of course, is the entire context within the song's lyrics are practically indecipherable and LB (the song) could actually have deep negative connotations at it's heart.

This might be IlluminEddie's one good post ever.

[CupidStunt]

I get that it's a surfing song. I am not a surfer but I can appreciate the metaphors from surfing (even if well overused) that Ed uses. I don't like BW for the lyrics, I appreciate it for its amazing progression and the euphoria that creates within me.

Isn't Gremmie a surfing song? That's another that you might day you need to be a surfer to "get". When I hear that song I don't think of people being inexperienced dicks on beaches, I think of them being inexperienced dicks everywhere else.

[Monkey_Driven]

I love how the band goes in unconventional directions in certain songs leaked so far.

[Iowaska_Experience]

Did anyone else think that interview sounded totally fake as they were reading it and that we were being massively trolled?

[Strat]

Did anyone else think that interview sounded totally fake as they were reading it and that we were being massively trolled?

Yes, the whole release an album quick without the build up; the mark arm comment; the ridiculous metaphors etc...

All seemed to be well played trolling by an in tuned RMer

[blueviper]

I feel like this 'return' to catchy choruses and shit is more a regression than anything. She's your lightning bolt, your rock and roll, shes true...

They went backwards all the way to ten and then busted through it to the otherside. We're a fraction away from 'what the funk is up' people.

If you don't like what you see here
Get the funk out
We won't try to force feed you
Get the funk out

[stupidmop]

Did anyone else think that interview sounded totally fake as they were reading it and that we were being massively trolled?

I think that everytime eddie makes sense in an interview tbh.

[warehouse]

Did anyone else think that interview sounded totally fake as they were reading it and that we were being massively trolled?

Yes, the whole release an album quick without the build up; the mark arm comment; the ridiculous metaphors etc...

All seemed to be well played trolling by an in tuned RMer

the only thing that makes me think its real is that it if it was fake it must have taken a loooooooonnnnggg time to make.

this is RM however

[hlniv]

Did anyone else think that interview sounded totally fake as they were reading it and that we were being massively trolled?

Yes, the whole release an album quick without the build up; the mark arm comment; the ridiculous metaphors etc...

All seemed to be well played trolling by an in tuned RMer

And without any real substance about the upcoming album. Even the answer on the Infallible question makes no real indication that the person answering has even heard the song, much less wrote the lyrics for it.