Lightning Bolt: The Official Album Thread

[Thejambi]

Kid A, Amnesiac and In Rainbows are completely wonderful albums even aside from the "experimentation". Just from a song standpoint.

I like Radiohead well enough but I'd say each of those albums has 3-4 songs I would want to listen to same as RA- Backspacer.

Huh, for me these 3 albums are some of my absolute favorites and I want to listen to them fully everytime. Oh well, tastes. Which songs do you like?

It's been awhile but off the top of my head: national anthem, optimistic, 15 Step, Knives Out, Bodysnatchers, Pyramid Song.

[Lament]

I don't think any band's fanbase is as hung up about what Pitchfork has to say about their beloved as Pearl Jam's are.

[harmless]

The Pitchfork review was kind of odd. Seemed a fair and honest account of how that person felt about the album, not an attempt to bash on Pearl Jam for kicks. But it also seemed to disregard the number of songs that really are interesting or different. There aren't any sonic U-turns on the album, but if you accept that just about every band will put out albums that in many ways sound like that band did previously, I think there are at least five songs on LB that are departures from what one might expect from Pearl Jam. One could argue that more than half the album qualifies as such, even if you don't believe each attempt is successful. The sweatpants line was pretty funny, but I'm not quite sure it's on solid ground.

Agreed. They didn't even mention Infallible or Pendulum which are two songs where PJ are actually trying something different and succeeding. My Father's Son is another one which they mentioned in passing and merely used it to pass a snide remark about how Jeff has been sidelined. It's like when they listen to the albums, their mind is already made up about the band. They just have to figure out which songs to talk about in the review to best reinforce their perception of Pearl Jam.

I agree with this. I always find this generally true of reviewing in general.

Yep. It's all about what narrative the publication is following. Pitchfork is generally writing that I can hardly stomach. It's usually such a chore to read through them.

Here's what I feel about a review - anytime the writer spends a paragraph or two on "context" - going into their past, talking about the so-called narrative of the band, it blatantly goes in the way of arriving to the conclusion first and filling in the details later. It's lazy writing. I want to know how the writer FEELS. What images and emotions is the music evoking? They could learn alot from stip, actually.

I'm not sure. That approach can also lead to some pretty shoddy writing And, you know, if you don't like something, it's probably because it's not evoking a lot of feelings and images for you. People who write in a very rich and detailed way about what they're hearing are usually doing so because they're enjoying the listening experience.

[warehouse]

I don't think any band's fanbase is as hung up about what Pitchfork has to say about their beloved as Pearl Jam's are.

we're talking about radiohead here, c'mon man

[Lament]

I don't think any band's fanbase is as hung up about what Pitchfork has to say about their beloved as Pearl Jam's are.

we're talking about radiohead here, c'mon man

How Can You Be Sure is an awesome song.

[harmless]

I don't think any band's fanbase is as hung up about what Pitchfork has to say about their beloved as Pearl Jam's are.

That's because they're hipsters, and hipsters are just so coolly unaffected by everything! They're not even human, in a way.

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

I don't think any band's fanbase is as hung up about what Pitchfork has to say about their beloved as Pearl Jam's are.

i havent been following this thread much this afternoon, but are people really worried? i thought it was a decent but totally expected write up by them, i dont think they will ever like a PJ album but i could care less

[Revelator]

So my apologies I'm a bit behind and sorry if this has already been discussed ad nauseam, but was it ever discussed what the difference between the 10C version of LB is compared to the "regular" release? I'm assuming it may just be the packaging/CD booklet. I didn't see any additional content in my account today since release. I thought there was supposed to be bonus digital content or something....

[harmless]

couldn't*

[stip]

Lament's still right. Knowing that an influential magazine is almost certainly going to hate your record is just a little annoying.

[stip]

So my apologies I'm a bit behind and sorry if this has already been discussed ad nauseam, but was it ever discussed what the difference between the 10C version of LB is compared to the "regular" release? I'm assuming it may just be the packaging/CD booklet. I didn't see any additional content in my account today since release. I thought there was supposed to be bonus digital content or something....

thus far just a sub par live performance of MYM

[Heathen]

I don't think any band's fanbase is as hung up about what Pitchfork has to say about their beloved as Pearl Jam's are.

That's because they're hipsters, and hipsters are just so coolly unaffected by everything! They're not even human, in a way.

This guy looks pretty affected to me

Spoiler: show

[stip]

look at those elvis costello wanna be glasses!

[harmless]

I don't think any band's fanbase is as hung up about what Pitchfork has to say about their beloved as Pearl Jam's are.

That's because they're hipsters, and hipsters are just so coolly unaffected by everything! They're not even human, in a way.

This guy looks pretty affected to me

Spoiler: show

"Jorge hears the sirens and runs. Criminal."

[Lament]

I don't think any band's fanbase is as hung up about what Pitchfork has to say about their beloved as Pearl Jam's are.

i havent been following this thread much this afternoon, but are people really worried? i thought it was a decent but totally expected write up by them, i dont think they will ever like a PJ album but i could care less

It seems to have been getting discussed in greater length than every other review. And before it dropped there were pretty regular references to when/if Pitchfork would review it.

Hipsters stopped caring about Pitchfork in like 2007 guys. This just shows how unhip you all are. Sheesh.


SIDE NOTE: Since people who prefer the "Middle Period" are constantly called "Hipsters" on here, I think people who prefer the non-"Middle Period" stuff should be called "Stipsters." Can we make this happen?

[harmless]

Jorge still hasn't told me what music publication he writes for. I bet it's Pitchfork.

[Revelator]

So my apologies I'm a bit behind and sorry if this has already been discussed ad nauseam, but was it ever discussed what the difference between the 10C version of LB is compared to the "regular" release? I'm assuming it may just be the packaging/CD booklet. I didn't see any additional content in my account today since release. I thought there was supposed to be bonus digital content or something....

thus far just a sub par live performance of MYM

ok thanks man. About what I expected....

[Thejambi]

I don't think any band's fanbase is as hung up about what Pitchfork has to say about their beloved as Pearl Jam's are.

i havent been following this thread much this afternoon, but are people really worried? i thought it was a decent but totally expected write up by them, i dont think they will ever like a PJ album but i could care less

95% of the people I've ever met have not been impressed that I am a Pearl Jam fan. I really don't care what most reviewers have to say.

[stip]

I don't think any band's fanbase is as hung up about what Pitchfork has to say about their beloved as Pearl Jam's are.

i havent been following this thread much this afternoon, but are people really worried? i thought it was a decent but totally expected write up by them, i dont think they will ever like a PJ album but i could care less

It seems to have been getting discussed in greater length than every other review. And before it dropped there were pretty regular references to when/if Pitchfork would review it.

Hipsters stopped caring about Pitchfork in like 2007 guys. This just shows how unhip you all are. Sheesh.


SIDE NOTE: Since people who prefer the "Middle Period" are constantly called "Hipsters" on here, I think people who prefer the non-"Middle Period" stuff should be called "Stipsters." Can we make this happen?

Guys, I'm tearing up here. It's nice knowing that, come what may, I'll always have this legacy.

[Lament]

Guys, I'm tearing up here. It's nice knowing that, come what may, I'll always have this legacy.

You're such a Stipster.