Lightning Bolt: the official album thread

[harmless]

Harmless, you're getting worked up. Go take a walk or something to cool down.

Na I'm not, I'm fine

[Norah]

Up On Cripple Creek?

[Hypnos]

Does the ridiculousness of unrelenting thousand page dissection ever hits you guys once in a while? The ice-cold reality check that if we all used our time and talents for real problems, the world could be conquered?

Sometimes we are borderline TOC.

[harmless]

Go listen to Pinball Wizard.

Fuck. I missed the most obvious one.

Yeah that's another great one. "But he sure plays a mean pinball!" Urgh.

[SomethingCreative]

It was nice to see them using a disabled person in the video. Rock music doesn't usually portray us very well.

Ok, now you've brought out the amateur sociologist in me and I actually want to hear you expand upon this topic.

I'm trying to think of moments where disabilities are even acknowledged in rock, but I can't come up with many. There are probably more that I just don't realize.

Morrissey wearing a hearing aid on Top of the Pops. Kurt in a wheelchair at Reading. That's all I got, actually...

The Bridge School benefit comes to mind... Not sure if that's the type of thing you meant

Now that you say that, wasn't the album Trans was inspired by Neil's songs disability?

from wikipedia:

"From late 1980 to mid 1982, Young spent much of his waking hours carrying out a therapy program for his young son, Ben, who was born with cerebral palsy and unable to speak. Neil disclosed to almost no one at the time that he was doing so, or that the repetitive nature of the songs on both the previous album, Re-ac-tor, and this one related to the exercises he was performing with Ben."

[Farmer John]

Go listen to Pinball Wizard.

Fuck. I missed the most obvious one.

Yeah that's another great one. "But he sure plays a mean pinball!" Urgh.

Well, for a guy who can't see, being able to play pinball well is pretty impressive.

[harmless]

Sarah tells me that Amanda Palmer (of the Dresden Dolls) did a side project based on conjoined twins and the freakshow.

[Mirella]

Sarah tells me that Amanda Palmer (of the Dresden Dolls) did a side project based on conjoined twins and the freakshow.

Amanda Palmer does many good things. I am a fan .

groetjes,
Mirella

[Lament]

from wikipedia:

"From late 1980 to mid 1982, Young spent much of his waking hours carrying out a therapy program for his young son, Ben, who was born with cerebral palsy and unable to speak. Neil disclosed to almost no one at the time that he was doing so, or that the repetitive nature of the songs on both the previous album, Re-ac-tor, and this one related to the exercises he was performing with Ben."

I was posting this exact passage when yours showed up with the "posts made since you started your post."

Yeah that's another great one. "But he sure plays a mean pinball!" Urgh.

Even when the Who were one of my three favorite bands, I found Tommy to be insufferable. And strangely offensive.

[harmless]

It was nice to see them using a disabled person in the video. Rock music doesn't usually portray us very well.

Ok, now you've brought out the amateur sociologist in me and I actually want to hear you expand upon this topic.

I'm trying to think of moments where disabilities are even acknowledged in rock, but I can't come up with many. There are probably more that I just don't realize.

Morrissey wearing a hearing aid on Top of the Pops. Kurt in a wheelchair at Reading. That's all I got, actually...

The Bridge School benefit comes to mind... Not sure if that's the type of thing you meant

Now that you say that, wasn't the album Trans was inspired by Neil's songs disability?

from wikipedia:

"From late 1980 to mid 1982, Young spent much of his waking hours carrying out a therapy program for his young son, Ben, who was born with cerebral palsy and unable to speak. Neil disclosed to almost no one at the time that he was doing so, or that the repetitive nature of the songs on both the previous album, Re-ac-tor, and this one related to the exercises he was performing with Ben."

This sounds really interesting and I've never heard it. I'll seek it out.

[harmless]

Sarah tells me that Amanda Palmer (of the Dresden Dolls) did a side project based on conjoined twins and the freakshow.

Amanda Palmer does many good things. I am a fan .

groetjes,
Mirella

So is Sarah, this was just a misstep

[harmless]

Apparently she also writes bad poetry.

[Jaeti]

So, there's been a lot of discussion about choruses lately, and how PJ's are often fairly weak. I'm not agreeing or disagreeing in general or about one in particular, but I'm curious:

What Pearl Jam choruses do people think are good?

I think most pj choruses are good. Often underwritten, but passionately performed

I think this is pretty much where I stand, so I was wondering which ones some of the more critical folks around here might like.

[harmless]

Go listen to Pinball Wizard.

Fuck. I missed the most obvious one.

Yeah that's another great one. "But he sure plays a mean pinball!" Urgh.

Well, for a guy who can't see, being able to play pinball well is pretty impressive.

For whom? It's the focus on spectacle that's the problem. A rock-opera about quite an everyday achievement is a bit strange. Blind people play table tennis.

[dimejinky99]

Part of Mojo's 4/5 star review of LB

AS THE ANTHEMIC GRUNGERS enter their third decade, the tension between their fleshy ‘classic rock’ core and punk rock impulses grows only more pronounced. Recorded in two separate bursts, Pearl Jam’s tenth album veers between explosive rockers and dulcet ballads. Getaway and Mind Your Manners pick up the pared-back, garage-y hurtle of 2009’s Backspacer, albeit with added thrilling scree from lead guitarist Mike McCready. The softer tracks find the group negotiating their path to maturity with confidence; Sleeping By Myself clearly began life as one of Eddie Vedder’s ukulele ditties, and might turn off the gruffer, more cynical corner of the audience, but its aching charm is undeniable. Sent skyward by a classic McCready guitar solo and a sensitive, restrained vocal from Vedder, the piano-driven Sirens cleaves to just the right side of sentimental cliché – a tightrope Pearl Jam have profitably trodden throughout their career. STEVIE CHICK

[harmless]

So, there's been a lot of discussion about choruses lately, and how PJ's are often fairly weak. I'm not agreeing or disagreeing in general or about one in particular, but I'm curious:

What Pearl Jam choruses do people think are good?

I think most pj choruses are good. Often underwritten, but passionately performed

I think this is pretty much where I stand, so I was wondering which ones some of the more critical folks around here might like.

I agree with stip; a lot of PJ choruses are underwritten but a passionate, firey Ed can pull them off. Something like "Lightning Bolt!" works well enough, but would've probably convinced all the naysayers in the late '90s.

[Jaeti]

Good choruses Jeremy, Even flow, tremor Christ, I got shit, sleight of fucking hand, insignificance, red mosquito, I quite like mfc and whipping but I can see people finding them annoying. There's probably a lot more.

Yeah, these are some of my favorites, too.

[Tuolumne]

PJ's always been mostly about feeling for me. Technically, there's tons of other writers that achieve better chorusus, melodies, lyrics, whatever. But what's specialy about them is Eddie's vocal delivery and passion, and then the different combinations that occur and collaborations and the variety anmd depth that brings.

I also think when we're dissecting albums as they come out, their old stuff wouldn't have held up to this sort of criticism as well ("he's counting numbers in Animal, huh"?). That said, their best chorus is Betterman.

[Vindicator]

Part of Mojo's 4/5 star review of LB

AS THE ANTHEMIC GRUNGERS enter their third decade, the tension between their fleshy ‘classic rock’ core and punk rock impulses grows only more pronounced. Recorded in two separate bursts, Pearl Jam’s tenth album veers between explosive rockers and dulcet ballads. Getaway and Mind Your Manners pick up the pared-back, garage-y hurtle of 2009’s Backspacer, albeit with added thrilling scree from lead guitarist Mike McCready. The softer tracks find the group negotiating their path to maturity with confidence; Sleeping By Myself clearly began life as one of Eddie Vedder’s ukulele ditties, and might turn off the gruffer, more cynical corner of the audience, but its aching charm is undeniable. Sent skyward by a classic McCready guitar solo and a sensitive, restrained vocal from Vedder, the piano-driven Sirens cleaves to just the right side of sentimental cliché – a tightrope Pearl Jam have profitably trodden throughout their career. STEVIE CHICK

Does it mention My Father's Son at all?

[harmless]

PJ's always been mostly about feeling for me. Technically, there's tons of other writers that achieve better chorusus, melodies, lyrics, whatever. But what's specialy about them is Eddie's vocal delivery and passion, and then the different combinations that occur and collaborations and the variety anmd depth that brings.

I also think when we're dissecting albums as they come out, their old stuff wouldn't have held up to this sort of criticism as well ("he's counting numbers in Animal, huh"?). That said, their best chorus is Betterman.

I'd probably agree with this. Betterman is atypical because it's wordy but works perfectly. It does more than sum up the verses, it adds to them.