Lightning Bolt: The Official Album Thread

[Citizen Dick]

Easily their worst album ever for me.

For me too, so far.

Where did Backspacer and Self Titled sit for the two of you?

S/T worst & Backspacer 2nd worst

Thanks. Yours and Kevin's opinions are in the half dozen or so I was keeping an eye out for on this Board. And considering your rankings this doesn't bode well for my appreciation of Lightning Bolt (yet to listen to it).

The fact that the songs sound like lame re-writes of old PJ songs is only part of the problem. They've done that before and succeeded. I think the problem here is that the resulting songs just aren't any good. No memorable hooks, no exceptional lyrics, no risks. I have no desire to "go back" and listen to any of the songs again. This is the first time that has happened for me with a PJ album.

That was how I felt about Backspacer. Which was the first time I had a similar experience to the one your describing. Self titled still had some things I wanted to give another listen and some time to see if they would click and kick me in the pants.... they didnt.

[spike]

So can I assume Chud really liked the album?

I think he liked one song

This is the greatest thing on youtube.

i'm gonna retrack LB with cold confessions, let it ride, and this version as the opener.

[pnjguy]

I can't wait for the next album.

[tommymtcom]

I have a feeling that I will come back to that video more than I will come back to LB.

[Soma.]

^ This guy.

[Rob]

Yellow Moon

Exactly what I wanted to hear.

Love the solos too

[verb_to_trust]

^ This guy.

He's got his own way to believe.

[Norah]

The flow to this record is pretty bad.

[darthvedder81]

I just figured it out:

"Lightning Bolt" is an album of B-sides. But not "Lost Dogs" because "Lost Dogs" was good. LB is a not good "Lost Dogs".

[Soma.]

^ This guy.

He's got his own way to believe.

I was actually trying to reply to pnjguy. This thread moves fast, huh.

[hlniv]

I just burned a copy of this, with 3 changes.

1) Sirens moved to after Swallowed Whole
2) Remove SBM
3) Chop off the piano from FD, fade in/out, etc...

Now this is an album

If only i could fix the chorus in LTRP. And maybe put a little fuzz on the chorus in Infallible.

[darthvedder81]

Yellow Moon

Exactly what I wanted to hear.

Love the solos too

YM is the only song that has a prayer of growing on me. Ed still sings the chorus wrong and it drives me nuts. Such an easy fix.

[Lament]

Dogs

[wilkins]

I just burned a copy of this, with 3 changes.

1) Sirens moved to after Swallowed Whole
2) Remove SBM
3) Chop off the piano from FD, fade in/out, etc...

Now this is an album

If only i could fix the chorus in LTRP. And maybe put a little fuzz on the chorus in Infallible.

I could get behind this.

[Fuzzcharger]

Easily their worst album ever for me.

For me too, so far.

Where did Backspacer and Self Titled sit for the two of you?

S/T worst & Backspacer 2nd worst

Thanks. Yours and Kevin's opinions are in the half dozen or so I was keeping an eye out for on this Board. And considering your rankings this doesn't bode well for my appreciation of Lightning Bolt (yet to listen to it).

The fact that the songs sound like lame re-writes of old PJ songs is only part of the problem. They've done that before and succeeded. I think the problem here is that the resulting songs just aren't any good. No memorable hooks, no exceptional lyrics, no risks. I have no desire to "go back" and listen to any of the songs again. This is the first time that has happened for me with a PJ album.

I'm not sure I hear the rewrites thing. Which LB songs sound like which other songs from the catalogue exactly?

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

The fact that the songs sound like lame re-writes of old PJ songs is only part of the problem. They've done that before and succeeded. I think the problem here is that the resulting songs just aren't any good. No memorable hooks, no exceptional lyrics, no risks. I have no desire to "go back" and listen to any of the songs again. This is the first time that has happened for me with a PJ album.

That was how I felt about Backspacer. Which was the first time I had a similar experience to the one your describing. Self titled still had some things I wanted to give another listen and some time to see if they would click and kick me in the pants.... they didnt.

I thought Backspacer had a couple of good songs on it. Avocado has some truly awful songs IMO, but I still like it more than Lightning Bolt because it doesn't flat out bore me all the way through.

[hlniv]

I just burned a copy of this, with 3 changes.

1) Sirens moved to after Swallowed Whole
2) Remove SBM
3) Chop off the piano from FD, fade in/out, etc...

Now this is an album

If only i could fix the chorus in LTRP. And maybe put a little fuzz on the chorus in Infallible.

I could get behind this.

FD is a great tune, with very nice production once the piano bookends are gone. And I mean completely gone. It totally changes the complexion of the song.

LB after MFS works much, much better. Sirens should be later, it's just awkward after that abrupt stop to MFS, it takes away from Sirens.

SBM is just way out of place here. All the way out. Gone. It's an xmas single, pure and simple. I get trying to put it together, its a nice tune and i like much much better here than as a uke song only. But, c'mon, on this album? What?

[WtOB?]

listening now...

[hlniv]

Easily their worst album ever for me.

For me too, so far.

Where did Backspacer and Self Titled sit for the two of you?

S/T worst & Backspacer 2nd worst

Thanks. Yours and Kevin's opinions are in the half dozen or so I was keeping an eye out for on this Board. And considering your rankings this doesn't bode well for my appreciation of Lightning Bolt (yet to listen to it).

The fact that the songs sound like lame re-writes of old PJ songs is only part of the problem. They've done that before and succeeded. I think the problem here is that the resulting songs just aren't any good. No memorable hooks, no exceptional lyrics, no risks. I have no desire to "go back" and listen to any of the songs again. This is the first time that has happened for me with a PJ album.

I'm not sure I hear the rewrites thing. Which LB songs sound like which other songs from the catalogue exactly?

Yes, I'm struggling with making sense out of that comment as well. Please help me

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

I'm not sure I hear the rewrites thing. Which LB songs sound like which other songs from the catalogue exactly?

I really don't want to listen to it again to refresh my memory, but there are references all over the place. Part of the first song is the chorus of World Wide Suicide. One song is a ripoff of Tremor Christ. Another sounded just like Low Light. There are little references all over the place. There are a few other places where I recognized chord sequences from other bands' songs as well. Someone noted the lead guitar part from that Shania Twain song in one song which I noticed immediately and it put me right off.

And as I said, that's not really the point. They could still reference past songs and do a good job of it. That doesn't happen here.