Lightning Bolt: The Official Album Thread

[Lounge Lizard]

SBM is a kind of an embarrassment

[Lounge Lizard]

I can hear the 'Lowlite' references in YM

[Noonie]

MFS could be a Soundgarden song

I like Infallible. The verses are dark and quirky and then the chorus kind of turns into 90s Aerosmith, which I happen to enjoy, so

Pendulum is nice, needs to listen to it a few more times, but I thing I'm on my way to loving it

SBM has no business being on this album… but I kinda LOVE this version, which I was not expecting at all. Reminds me a little of I'll Follow the Sun… I mean, obviously nowhere near as good, but that's still a huge compliment from me. Seriously I did not see it coming. Like everyone says, it should have been a B side/ Christmas single, but I'll take it anyway.

Yellow Moon is great, and it's the final song on this album as far as I'm concerned.

I never expect a coherent album from PJ, so really, as long as it has some songs on it that I like/ potentially love, I'm good. It's already better than BS for me.

[Lounge Lizard]

SBM & FD - throwaway tracks

LTRP a low point

The rest is great

[ridleybradout]

I swear, 95% of the complaints about the "negativity" on this board are based around vague ideas about things that have never actually been said on here. It's like there's some weird imaginary enemy people come here to fight against, and rather than stop when they realize said enemy doesn't actually exist, they just keep throwing punches into the wind.

Absolutely.

The "I'm the rare person who actually likes Pearl Jam on this Pearl Jam message board" schtick is more tired than a Sgt. Crackpot gif of chud posting dog pictures while Ruddo stands in the background getting pissed off at a thread where someone makes a joke about stip liking The Fixer.

Get off of the fucking cross people.

I'm a new member so if I'm retreading that line, I didn't mean to. I'm just a bit frustrated that some people seem to not want to give the material a chance and it seems to me that shitting all over Future Days and Sirens is getting tired too. They may or may not be the greatest songs in the PJ catalog but they don't deserve endless bashing.

Why don't they deserve endless bashing? There are as many if not more well-written, articulate criticisms of these songs than there are praises. I think a well-thought out, well-explained criticism of ANYTHING is preferable to mindless rah rah-ing of whatever material is in question. Why is "THIS SONG IS GREAT!" with nothing adding to it any less stupid than "THIS SONG SUCKS" without any context? I'll never get "tired" of somebody giving a thoughtful explanation of their feelings on a song/album, positive or negative. I don't think the problem is people liking or disliking anything; The only problem is people who can't add something intelligent/interesting/funny/clever to their assessment. That's the line that needs to be drawn in here at this point, people who are capable of posting something that is worthwhile in ANY terms whatsoever versus those who can't.

lament, in fairness, most of the criticism is hardly well written and articulate. please point some out to me if you see it

the vast majority of the last 15 pages I read was people slagging on the new material, and with no dogs to offset it.

Note I'm not saying they shouldn't do that, but I also understand why, when you feel like celebrating a new record, it is discouraging within HOURS of the release.

I didn't join in until I posted that dog a few pages back, and only scrolled back to bask in the glory of chud's immaculate run, so I apologize if the amount of well-written praises greatly outnumber the well-written criticisms, but based on (limited) history alone, I would imagine the majority of this is still meaningless ranting on both sides of the spectrum.

no doubt. But it's the first day. It's the first few hours. It's okay to tone it down a little bit so people can enjoy themselves. We have four years to destroy this thing


(I don't personally care. I know who is ripping the album apart and it is precisely who I expected)

Oh stip, don't be such a goober.

Why should any of the posters here feel like they should moderate their opinions? If people like the songs, I'd hope that their sense of satisfaction isn't so fragile that reading a Wendy Carlos's Twin post won't send them to the floor shaking and crying.

I don't think "this song rules!" has inherently more worth as an opinion than "this song is garbage!" and I don't see why criticism of the album should be held to any higher standard than praise.

I mean, honestly, who cares?

Haha. Goober.

[C4lukin]

I disagree.

[flannelking]

This will likely go around in circles, but I'm judging the album based on the quality of the songwriting, not the production or sound quality. I just don't think there is any substance to the songs. If this was the Stones catalog, it would be Pearl Jam's "Dirty Work". I would say that it was their "Presence" if we were talking about Led Zeppelin, though there is nothing on Lightning Bolt even remotely as triumphant as "Achilles Last Stand".

I've only listened to Lighting Bolt live, Future Days live and MYM but I'm 99% sure your post is utterly full of BS. Why not just be honest about it? Presence? Even worse, Dirty Work?!!!! Come on, what's your ulterior motive? WHAT ARE YOU SOME KIND OF FREAKING TROLL? lol

[Lounge Lizard]

This will likely go around in circles, but I'm judging the album based on the quality of the songwriting, not the production or sound quality. I just don't think there is any substance to the songs. If this was the Stones catalog, it would be Pearl Jam's "Dirty Work". I would say that it was their "Presence" if we were talking about Led Zeppelin, though there is nothing on Lightning Bolt even remotely as triumphant as "Achilles Last Stand".

I've only listened to Lighting Bolt live, Future Days live and MYM but I'm 99% sure your post is utterly full of BS. Why not just be honest about it? Presence? Even worse, Dirty Work?!!!! Come on, what's your ulterior motive? WHAT ARE YOU SOME KIND OF FREAKING TROLL? lol

yeah that looked like negating for the sake of negating

[BootsToAsses]

I'm kinda surprised at all this negativity. Sure, there's some weak moments on the record but there are weak moments on every PJ record. I love Vs, but Leash is one of the corniest bland song I've ever heard in my life. Ruins the end of that record for me, but the rest is still great.

I listened to LB once through last night in bed and it immediately went ahead of Riot Act, S/T and Backspacer. There's a lot of quality stuff going on in this one.

[stip]

I swear, 95% of the complaints about the "negativity" on this board are based around vague ideas about things that have never actually been said on here. It's like there's some weird imaginary enemy people come here to fight against, and rather than stop when they realize said enemy doesn't actually exist, they just keep throwing punches into the wind.

Absolutely.

The "I'm the rare person who actually likes Pearl Jam on this Pearl Jam message board" schtick is more tired than a Sgt. Crackpot gif of chud posting dog pictures while Ruddo stands in the background getting pissed off at a thread where someone makes a joke about stip liking The Fixer.

Get off of the fucking cross people.

I'm a new member so if I'm retreading that line, I didn't mean to. I'm just a bit frustrated that some people seem to not want to give the material a chance and it seems to me that shitting all over Future Days and Sirens is getting tired too. They may or may not be the greatest songs in the PJ catalog but they don't deserve endless bashing.

Why don't they deserve endless bashing? There are as many if not more well-written, articulate criticisms of these songs than there are praises. I think a well-thought out, well-explained criticism of ANYTHING is preferable to mindless rah rah-ing of whatever material is in question. Why is "THIS SONG IS GREAT!" with nothing adding to it any less stupid than "THIS SONG SUCKS" without any context? I'll never get "tired" of somebody giving a thoughtful explanation of their feelings on a song/album, positive or negative. I don't think the problem is people liking or disliking anything; The only problem is people who can't add something intelligent/interesting/funny/clever to their assessment. That's the line that needs to be drawn in here at this point, people who are capable of posting something that is worthwhile in ANY terms whatsoever versus those who can't.

lament, in fairness, most of the criticism is hardly well written and articulate. please point some out to me if you see it

the vast majority of the last 15 pages I read was people slagging on the new material, and with no dogs to offset it.

Note I'm not saying they shouldn't do that, but I also understand why, when you feel like celebrating a new record, it is discouraging within HOURS of the release.

I didn't join in until I posted that dog a few pages back, and only scrolled back to bask in the glory of chud's immaculate run, so I apologize if the amount of well-written praises greatly outnumber the well-written criticisms, but based on (limited) history alone, I would imagine the majority of this is still meaningless ranting on both sides of the spectrum.

no doubt. But it's the first day. It's the first few hours. It's okay to tone it down a little bit so people can enjoy themselves. We have four years to destroy this thing


(I don't personally care. I know who is ripping the album apart and it is precisely who I expected)

Oh stip, don't be such a goober.

Why should any of the posters here feel like they should moderate their opinions? If people like the songs, I'd hope that their sense of satisfaction isn't so fragile that reading a Wendy Carlos's Twin post won't send them to the floor shaking and crying.

It shouldn't. But it is certainly less fun for some people to come celebrate a major event and have to do so in an environment of rote complaining and negative posturing. And I would say that it's not unreasonable to expect people to reign that in a bit within, say the first 24 hours because it can poison something like that. And that has nothing to do with your personal take on the album. It has something to do with wanting to share it. and yes, several pages of wendy carlos rants (Not that he did this) can mess that up.

I think that's what that poster was getting at. but I'm speculating.

I don't think "this song rules!" has inherently more worth as an opinion than "this song is garbage!" and I don't see why criticism of the album should be held to any higher standard than praise.

Neither do I? Has anyone made that argument?

I mean, honestly, who cares?

well, you, for one. Or you would not have responded. And whatever new poster made that complaint. And I guess me on a matter of principle, although I'm not personally fazed by any of this.

[stip]

The most disappointing thing about this album is that it CLEARLY could have been an amazing return to form after Backspacer, and in many ways it is: there are some killer tracks on this album that I'll end up really liking. But the bad songs are so cringeworthingly self-parodying that it makes the good songs seem like a joke.

I would pay a million dollars to have the word cringe and its cringeworthy sister removed from the English language.

[Lament]

The most disappointing thing about this album is that it CLEARLY could have been an amazing return to form after Backspacer, and in many ways it is: there are some killer tracks on this album that I'll end up really liking. But the bad songs are so cringeworthingly self-parodying that it makes the good songs seem like a joke.

I would pay a million dollars to have the word cringe and its cringeworthy sister removed from the English language.

Is cringe's sister "Crunge"? Like the terrible Led Zeppelin song? Cause then I'd like to have it removed from the English language too.

(I wonder what the new posters who have already written me off as a mindless Pearl Jam hater would think about me being 100% Team Pearl Jam in that whole ridiculous Pearl Jam-Led Zeppelin thread. I don't want them to hurt their brains trying to process that though...)

[Birds in Hell]

I'm kinda surprised at all this negativity.

Goobers, one and all!

Most people seem to be digging the album from what I've seen.

As usual, it seems there's more posts complaining about negativity than there is legitimately negative posts - and even if 80% of the posters here did hate the album, so what? Who fuckin' cares?

Head, wall, bangin'.

[Lounge Lizard]

The most disappointing thing about this album is that it CLEARLY could have been an amazing return to form after Backspacer, and in many ways it is: there are some killer tracks on this album that I'll end up really liking. But the bad songs are so cringeworthingly self-parodying that it makes the good songs seem like a joke.

I would pay a million dollars to have the word cringe and its cringeworthy sister removed from the English language.

Sometimes i know,
sometimes i rise
Sometimes i fall,
sometimes i don't
Sometimes i cringe

[ridleybradout]

This will likely go around in circles, but I'm judging the album based on the quality of the songwriting, not the production or sound quality. I just don't think there is any substance to the songs. If this was the Stones catalog, it would be Pearl Jam's "Dirty Work". I would say that it was their "Presence" if we were talking about Led Zeppelin, though there is nothing on Lightning Bolt even remotely as triumphant as "Achilles Last Stand".

I've only listened to Lighting Bolt live, Future Days live and MYM but I'm 99% sure your post is utterly full of BS. Why not just be honest about it? Presence? Even worse, Dirty Work?!!!! Come on, what's your ulterior motive? WHAT ARE YOU SOME KIND OF FREAKING TROLL? lol

yeah that looked like negating for the sake of negating

I don't think there's anything 'trolling' about saying he doesn't connect with the songwriting or find any substance in the songs. Sounds like a calm and considered opinion to me. And in any case, as Spenno said - why do negative opinions need to be justified any more than positive ones?

People need to just be okay with enjoying the new album without wasting their time trying to convince others who clearly don't connect with where PJ is at songwriting-wise. Put your opinions out there, you'll find people who agree and others who don't - that's what interneting is for.

[Lament]

As usual, it seems there's more posts complaining about negativity than there is legitimately negative posts - and even if 80% of the posters here did hate the album, so what? Who fuckin' cares?

Everyone on RM hates Pearl Jam. Didn't you know this?

[fishbob]

MFS could be a Soundgarden song

why, because the start TOTALLY rips off Dusty?

[stip]

I would feel better if goober replaced cringe.

[ridleybradout]

I would feel better if goober replaced cringe.

Yes! Goober is a perfectly cromulent word.

[stip]

I would feel better if goober replaced cringe.

Yes! Goober is a perfectly cromulent word.

not in the least bit cringe worthy