Lightning Bolt: The Official Album Thread

[Got Some]

Record store opens in an hour here in Australia.

My 18 month just sung along with lightning bolt

[solace]

Brendan has certainly shit all over his share of late era Springsteen albums :/

[Lounge Lizard]

It's easier to blame someone else for Pearl Jam not being what they once were, is what I'm saying.

But this album's got better moments than much of the stuff they've made since 2000. So who's to blame for that?

BOB didn't want YM on the record but pushed for SBM.
Is this guy mad or what?
And I don't mean mad as a compliment

[benton netty]

It's easier to blame someone else for Pearl Jam not being what they once were, is what I'm saying.

But this album's got better moments than much of the stuff they've made since 2000. So who's to blame for that?

Absolutely the band is at fault too, I just assume BOB has some sort of vampire spell over the idiots. its just an ugly situation all around, really.

I see a lot of the "vampire spell" stuff going around.

Honestly, it seems like this idea, that some creep is keeping our band hostage, is a way of dealing with the fact that they are just not as good as they once were.

I wonder if Aerosmith fans went through the same thing in the 90's.

[Thejambi]

It's easier to blame someone else for Pearl Jam not being what they once were, is what I'm saying.

But this album's got better moments than much of the stuff they've made since 2000. So who's to blame for that?

BOB didn't want YM on the record but pushed for SBM.
Is this guy mad or what?
And I don't mean mad as a compliment

Both are good.

[harmless]

I would say this:

I don't think that collaborating with a guy who made a bunch of Train records is the best idea for PJ. But I assume their comfort zone at this point is clearly-defined, and a challenge with a new producer that would push them to be gritty and tough would be difficult.

This we can agree with. PJ don't seem very interested in exploring the outer reaches of sonic boundaries anymore.

[stupidmop]

Like I said, "In Hiding" has piano all over it.

The guy's sonic influence isn't the problem with the band. The band is the problem with the band. Whereas Eddie might once have rejected "Better Man" because Brendan liked it, now he goes along to get along.

Because they're 50.

It's a mixture of both. Eds a sentimental dork and instead of a producee reigning it in, we've got one sprinkling piano dick cheese all over everything to make them 'beautiful' and 'bring in more fans'

[Birds in Hell]

New PJ albums always tend to rank falsely high for me at first just because "OH MY GOD NEW PEARL JAM THIS IS THE GREATEST THING EVER!!!!!!" then after a while I calm down and remember that Yield and Vs. will forever be champions. The fact that LB is the first time this hasn't happened tells me something.

Vs. isn't as good as that. It's got a handful of great songs on it.

Vs is my favourite Pearl Jam album.

(Tied w/ No Code.)

[benton netty]

It's easier to blame someone else for Pearl Jam not being what they once were, is what I'm saying.

But this album's got better moments than much of the stuff they've made since 2000. So who's to blame for that?

BOB didn't want YM on the record but pushed for SBM.
Is this guy mad or what?
And I don't mean mad as a compliment

No. He's a producer whose job it is to get the band to record strong material.

SBM could easily be a radio hit, while YM is a minor track.

Structurally, sonics-wise, commercial-wise, it's a hit song.

I'd be shocked if it wasn't the third single.

[harmless]

It's easier to blame someone else for Pearl Jam not being what they once were, is what I'm saying.

But this album's got better moments than much of the stuff they've made since 2000. So who's to blame for that?

Absolutely the band is at fault too, I just assume BOB has some sort of vampire spell over the idiots. its just an ugly situation all around, really.

I see a lot of the "vampire spell" stuff going around.

Honestly, it seems like this idea, that some creep is keeping our band hostage, is a way of dealing with the fact that they are just not as good as they once were.

I wonder if Aerosmith fans went through the same thing in the 90's.

How many articles / interviews / videos about and featuring Bob have you seen? This is more than just the band not being as good as they once were. Believe me, the options aren't mutually exclusive; no one is letting off the band for their occasional mediocrity.

[Birds in Hell]

Like I said, "In Hiding" has piano all over it.

The guy's sonic influence isn't the problem with the band. The band is the problem with the band. Whereas Eddie might once have rejected "Better Man" because Brendan liked it, now he goes along to get along.

Because they're 50.

It's a mixture of both. Eds a sentimental dork and instead of a producee reigning it in, we've got one sprinkling piano dick cheese all over everything to make them 'beautiful' and 'bring in more fans'

The buck stops with the band ultimately, it's their record.

If Brendan's cheesy piano is on a song, they wanted it there.

They want the hits too (for better or worse).

[solace]

hit song != any good

[Birds in Hell]

I'll return to both King Animal and Jeff's recent solo LP a lot more than I will this in the future.

Oh well.

[harmless]

It's easier to blame someone else for Pearl Jam not being what they once were, is what I'm saying.

But this album's got better moments than much of the stuff they've made since 2000. So who's to blame for that?

BOB didn't want YM on the record but pushed for SBM.
Is this guy mad or what?
And I don't mean mad as a compliment

No. He's a producer whose job it is to get the band to record strong material.

SBM could easily be a radio hit, while YM is a minor track.

Structurally, sonics-wise, commercial-wise, it's a hit song.

I'd be shocked if it wasn't the third single.

One of the issues is that he's convinced that "hit song" and "radio hit" and "single" are synonymous with great music. You might think they are, but that means this conversation is probably pointless. The idea that you can set "minor track" against all of the above is ridiculous. Even more ridiculous is the idea that such things should be BoB's decision.

[Release_Me]

I would say this:

I don't think that collaborating with a guy who made a bunch of Train records is the best idea for PJ. But I assume their comfort zone at this point is clearly-defined, and a challenge with a new producer that would push them to be gritty and tough would be difficult.

This we can agree with. PJ don't seem very interested in exploring the outer reaches of sonic boundaries anymore.

I said this before but I feel Infallible is their best ever attempt at something experimental or atypical, to my ears. My Father's Son and Pendulum are also hugely successful. I would be game for more of such exploration. I never got into the BoB discussion because it just doesn't interest me. Even now, my point is peripheral to that.

[Thejambi]

I would say this:

I don't think that collaborating with a guy who made a bunch of Train records is the best idea for PJ. But I assume their comfort zone at this point is clearly-defined, and a challenge with a new producer that would push them to be gritty and tough would be difficult.

This we can agree with. PJ don't seem very interested in exploring the outer reaches of sonic boundaries anymore.

I don't know what this means but I feel like I want to argue it with MFS, SBM and Infallible.

[stupidmop]

Like I said, "In Hiding" has piano all over it.

The guy's sonic influence isn't the problem with the band. The band is the problem with the band. Whereas Eddie might once have rejected "Better Man" because Brendan liked it, now he goes along to get along.

Because they're 50.

It's a mixture of both. Eds a sentimental dork and instead of a producee reigning it in, we've got one sprinkling piano dick cheese all over everything to make them 'beautiful' and 'bring in more fans'

The buck stops with the band ultimately, it's their record.

If Brendan's cheesy piano is on a song, they wanted it there.

They want the hits too (for better or worse).

Yeah I just meant they both encourage each others lamer tendencies, apparently.

[Lounge Lizard]

It's easier to blame someone else for Pearl Jam not being what they once were, is what I'm saying.

But this album's got better moments than much of the stuff they've made since 2000. So who's to blame for that?

BOB didn't want YM on the record but pushed for SBM.
Is this guy mad or what?
And I don't mean mad as a compliment

No. He's a producer whose job it is to get the band to record strong material.

SBM could easily be a radio hit, while YM is a minor track.

Structurally, sonics-wise, commercial-wise, it's a hit song.

I'd be shocked if it wasn't the third single.

wow-wah-wee-wah

[stupidmop]

Classic Rock Magazine, Nov 2013 - article/interview.





The review was already posted i think:

"Pearl jam wanted to record quickly and set up a tour but it became clear Vedder wasn't happy with much of the material'

Iiiiiinteresting.

What were the first session songs again? I remember them being the better ones, but that was before we heard everything.

And stone says they wanted the album not to be too polished. Um.

[harmless]

I would say this:

I don't think that collaborating with a guy who made a bunch of Train records is the best idea for PJ. But I assume their comfort zone at this point is clearly-defined, and a challenge with a new producer that would push them to be gritty and tough would be difficult.

This we can agree with. PJ don't seem very interested in exploring the outer reaches of sonic boundaries anymore.

I don't know what this means but I feel like I want to argue it with MFS, SBM and Infallible.

You're right, and actually this record does show a step in the right direction. I might not like all of the sonic experimentation (what BoB has done to FD is mostly a sentimental mess) but I appreciate that this record is at least more interesting than Backspacer.