Lightning Bolt: The Official Album Thread

[stip]

i haven't listened to this

I listened to it last night and reported on it. I may not listen to it again

where is this report of which you speak

http://forums.theskyiscrape.com/viewtop ... 39#p191239

i too have resolved to complete at least a maiden lightning bolt voyage, though i fear capsizing is inevitable

I think you should take it for a couple turns...

has anyone ever appreciated an album more after more than one listen? I'm being serious but I never have..it either hits me head on or it never does

just about 100% of everything I've ever listened to. Pearl Jam and otherwise.

[harmless]

i haven't listened to this

I listened to it last night and reported on it. I may not listen to it again

where is this report of which you speak

http://forums.theskyiscrape.com/viewtop ... 39#p191239

i too have resolved to complete at least a maiden lightning bolt voyage, though i fear capsizing is inevitable

I think you should take it for a couple turns...

has anyone ever appreciated an album more after more than one listen? I'm being serious but I never have..it either hits me head on or it never does

Every single Pearl Jam album ever made took a while to get into. People joke about having to listen to PJ hundreds of times before you "get it", but I couldn't count the amount of times that's happened for me.

If you have to listen to a song 100 times to like it you are forcing it

Well I didn't have to, so there's that. It's equally silly to assume anything worth listening to will hit you right away. Ironically that's Eddie Vedder's current song writing aesthetic.

[doug rr]

i haven't listened to this

I listened to it last night and reported on it. I may not listen to it again

where is this report of which you speak

http://forums.theskyiscrape.com/viewtop ... 39#p191239

i too have resolved to complete at least a maiden lightning bolt voyage, though i fear capsizing is inevitable

I think you should take it for a couple turns...

has anyone ever appreciated an album more after more than one listen? I'm being serious but I never have..it either hits me head on or it never does

Every single Pearl Jam album ever made took a while to get into. People joke about having to listen to PJ hundreds of times before you "get it", but I couldn't count the amount of times that's happened for me.

If you have to listen to a song 100 times to like it you are forcing it

Well I didn't have to, so there's that. It's equally silly to assume anything worth listening to will hit you right away. Ironically that's Eddie Vedder's current song writing aesthetic.

you calling me silly? punk

[Birds in Hell]

I've enjoyed music more after subsequent listens countless times but only when something's compelled me to return again and again; these songs just don't do that for me.

I've listened to Yellow Moon twice and that was more than enough. I still haven't made it through one full listen to Future Days and I probably never will.

If something just doesn't sound good, or even interesting, to your ear on first listen, it doesn't seem to me there's much to be gained by repeatedly going back to the well.

[verb_to_trust]

i haven't listened to this

I listened to it last night and reported on it. I may not listen to it again

where is this report of which you speak

http://forums.theskyiscrape.com/viewtop ... 39#p191239

i too have resolved to complete at least a maiden lightning bolt voyage, though i fear capsizing is inevitable

I think you should take it for a couple turns...

has anyone ever appreciated an album more after more than one listen? I'm being serious but I never have..it either hits me head on or it never does

Every single Pearl Jam album ever made took a while to get into. People joke about having to listen to PJ hundreds of times before you "get it", but I couldn't count the amount of times that's happened for me.

If you have to listen to a song 100 times to like it you are forcing it

Well I didn't have to, so there's that. It's equally silly to assume anything worth listening to will hit you right away. Ironically that's Eddie Vedder's current song writing aesthetic.

The idea of listening to a song 100 times in order to "like" it is probably more silly to me than the thought of a one and done.

[malice]

I've enjoyed music more after subsequent listens countless times but only when something's compelled me to return again and again; these songs just don't do that for me.

I've listened to Yellow Moon twice and that was more than enough. I still haven't made it through one full listen to Future Days and I probably never will.

I had a real hard time listening all the way through Sirens

[verb_to_trust]

I've enjoyed music more after subsequent listens countless times but only when something's compelled me to return again and again; these songs just don't do that for me.

I've listened to Yellow Moon twice and that was more than enough. I still haven't made it through one full listen to Future Days and I probably never will.

I had a real hard time listening all the way through Sirens

Perfect example of a song I could listen to 1000 times and still loathe

[stip]

i haven't listened to this

I listened to it last night and reported on it. I may not listen to it again

where is this report of which you speak

http://forums.theskyiscrape.com/viewtop ... 39#p191239

i too have resolved to complete at least a maiden lightning bolt voyage, though i fear capsizing is inevitable

I think you should take it for a couple turns...

has anyone ever appreciated an album more after more than one listen? I'm being serious but I never have..it either hits me head on or it never does

just about 100% of everything I've ever listened to. Pearl Jam and otherwise.

songs I loved right away (or within 1-2 listens): Mind your manners, lightning bolt, infallible, pendulum, yellow moon
Every other song took 3-10 listens I would guess. Sirens was the only one that took a while.

[malice]

I've enjoyed music more after subsequent listens countless times but only when something's compelled me to return again and again; these songs just don't do that for me.

I've listened to Yellow Moon twice and that was more than enough. I still haven't made it through one full listen to Future Days and I probably never will.

I had a real hard time listening all the way through Sirens

Perfect example of a song I could listen to 1000 times and still loathe

as a song, it's not terribly offensive, say, playing over the speaker system in the grocery store... but as a Pearl Jam song it's pretty much unforgivable to me.

I'm sure other people like it fine, but it's not making it for me.

[stip]

I've enjoyed music more after subsequent listens countless times but only when something's compelled me to return again and again; these songs just don't do that for me.

I've listened to Yellow Moon twice and that was more than enough. I still haven't made it through one full listen to Future Days and I probably never will.

If something just doesn't sound good, or even interesting, to your ear on first listen, it doesn't seem to me there's much to be gained by repeatedly going back to the well.

I've definitely had that experience (nothing on the first listen). If by like 4-5 listens you don't start to see things opening up (that process can take a while) then it's probably just not a song you'll care about.

[bada]

I haven't made it through Future Days yet. I think I listened to The End once all the way through. The final song on the last three albums have been let downs.

[tk]

Man, I fucking love The End. Such a beautiful song.

[verb_to_trust]

I haven't made it through Future Days yet. I think I listened to The End once all the way through. The final song on the last three albums have been let downs.

I choose to feel how I am

[buckeye24]

Man, I fucking love The End. Such a beautiful song.

[IlluminEddie]

I haven't made it through Future Days yet. I think I listened to The End once all the way through. The final song on the last three albums have been let downs.

The End may be their best closer ever. Release probably gets the nod, but seriously... questioning The End is suicidal. Literally.

[buckeye24]

There are songs on their previous albums that I really didn't care for and never purposely played them. But, after a few years of listening to the album, and sometimes just too lazy or forgetting to skip the song, I began to enjoy the song. So it wasn't forcing myself to listen to it 40 or 50 times but just coming across it dozens of times before it struck a chord. So, it does happen. Although, I guess that would never happen if you don't like at least a couple songs on the album that cause you to listen to it.

[IlluminEddie]

i haven't listened to this

I listened to it last night and reported on it. I may not listen to it again

where is this report of which you speak

http://forums.theskyiscrape.com/viewtop ... 39#p191239

i too have resolved to complete at least a maiden lightning bolt voyage, though i fear capsizing is inevitable

I think you should take it for a couple turns...

has anyone ever appreciated an album more after more than one listen? I'm being serious but I never have..it either hits me head on or it never does

Every single Pearl Jam album ever made took a while to get into. People joke about having to listen to PJ hundreds of times before you "get it", but I couldn't count the amount of times that's happened for me.

If you have to listen to a song 100 times to like it you are forcing it

Well I didn't have to, so there's that. It's equally silly to assume anything worth listening to will hit you right away. Ironically that's Eddie Vedder's current song writing aesthetic.

The idea of listening to a song 100 times in order to "like" it is probably more silly to me than the thought of a one and done.

Yup. B...UUUU...TTTTT....


People here say, they need multiple listens to know "how they feel" about a song. lol

You either like it or not with one listen. Gradients can vary with multiple listens. But, you're liking or not should not.

[darthvedder81]

So what's the general consensus? Are we still creaming over this album? Am I still the only person who thinks it blows?

Other than Getaway, Sirens and Yellow Moon I still think it blows. There's always a chance a few other cuts might grow on me but even allowing for that this will never not be my least favorite album (until "Lightning Bolt 2: Electric Boogaloo in 2019).

[tdove]

I enjoy reading this forum but never post.

Random thoughts on the new album...still haven't heard Infallible or Pendulum yet, I think I'm gonna wait until Tuesday or when I can download the whole thing from the 10C. I listened to (some) of Swallowed Whole cause I read somewhere that it sounds like the Who but may wait until tomorrow or over the weekend to really sit down with it. I've only streamed it through my internal laptop speakers so haven't really gotten to rock it in speakers or headphones, again will wait for the real album. Stereogum's preliminary review of the album was interesting to read, the guy writes that the best part of the album is Lightning Bolt through Swallowed Whole.

I do agree that the tracking is kinda whack.

Getaway: Cool intro and promising but when I first heard the clip I thought it would rock harder...the chorus is abrupt, when Eddie sings "it's OK..." I think they could have gone somewhere else with that. By the way Last Exit is their best opening track ever and probably one of their best songs.

Mind Your Manners: I am in the classic rock school of Pearl Jam, I don't like when they do punk, cause I don't like punk as much as straight up rock, but I like it as track 2 and flows really well after Getaway, the chorus rocks.

My Father's Son: Need to sit down more with this, but I agree that the beginning sounds a bit like Rush (the bass).

Sirens: I am trying to like this but it's so-so at best. Very abrupt track after MFS. I first thought parts of it (the slide guitar) sound like Mazzy Star's Fade Into You and The Wallflowers 6th Avenue Heartache, both of which I like better.

Lightning Bolt: Cool song that builds, still need to sit with this.

Let the Records Play: Promising dirty sick intro/verse and then goes into the chorus that I've read sounds like Shania Twain...that could be, which song exactly? I like the chorus though is very catchy and I don't mind it. It's weird how the song bounces from the verses that paint a certain picture to choruses that paint another picture and give a different mood, I think that happens with Getaway as well to both songs' detriment. I'd rather have a song of straight up blues stomp and another completely different song that has the Shania chorus as part of a larger song that just fits better together.

Sleeping By Myself: I haven't heard Ukelele Songs and once the track list for Lightning Bolt was released I tried to listen to the version on Ukelele Songs but would stop it after 20 seconds cause I didn't like it. I like this version...anyone think this sounds like RHCP's Cabron in some ways?

Yellow Moon: My favorite track so far of the songs I've heard. It's just great, very big sounding, it builds and builds and just straight rocks. I think it represents the best of latter-day Pearl Jam and totally is what I want the band to sound like. Anthemic, big, classic rock. Got that big backbeat. It sounds like Low Light, I get that, but it's a different song for sure and I think is better in some ways, builds more and goes higher...but I love Low Light too. I actually think the beginning sounds a bit like Neil Young's Don't Let It Bring You Down, the rhythm.

I read that Mike thought the song sounded dark, and wanted a solo to bring some light to it, "brightness" a la David Gilmour/Pink Floyd. I don't think the song is dark at all, and actually think parts of the solo are a bit jarring (the second solo that starts so high and almost seems a bit outta place and ends abruptly, shoulda had another 20 seconds of solo or something) but Mikey rules so it's OK.

Future Days: I haven't listened to it yet and don't really want to...I probably should at least give it a chance, but I'm sure the album should have ended with Yellow Moon.

Preliminary thought is that what I've heard of the new album is good, but I'm a loyalist anyway you cut it. Getting myself ready for the album I went back to self-titled and remembered how great Life Wasted (+ reprise), Unemployable, Gone, Inside Job really are, though I liked all those songs when the album came out. Riot Act is great too...Backspacer is fun but still am disappointed at how Amongst the Waves turned out, it was close to a great soaring song but never gets there.

Watching their interviews for Lighting Bolt it sounds like the guys are still gonna be together for a while, which is great. Looking forward to where they take us. I'm still waiting for their Achtung Baby (not in terms of reinventing themselves but solidifying themselves as one of the best rock bands of the last 20-30 years, their latter-day mature pinnacle, Who's Next). Regardless, Pearl Jam's best 20 songs of their quite large catalogue that one chooses can stack up with any of best rock bands ever, period.

[darthvedder81]

Uh oh....Eddie pissed off Fox News.

Do you mean the gun thing?
I made the mistake of reading the comment section of whatever news site I was on and....yeah

As someone who opposes gun control and also has spent many hundreds of dollars on PJ merchandise and fan club dues I appreciate that he only "almost" wishes bad things upon me.