Lightning Bolt: The Official Album Thread

[McParadigm]

You're a pearl jam 'fan'?

It's a vocation. Or gtfo

No amount of utopian growth or high minded moral achievement can ever propel humanity far enough away from this message board post. It happened, and will be with us forever, now.

[harmless]

My own version of Stone's video:

oh my god yes

[Dugg]

Here are the current predictions, based on early reports:

Pearl Jam (Republic) 160-180k
Paul McCartney (Hear Music) 70-80k
Avett Brothers (American/Republic) 60-65k
Scotty McCreery (19/Interscope) 40-45k
Head and the Heart (Sub Pop) 35-40k
Willie Nelson (Legacy) 27-30k
Gavin DeGraw (RCA) 25-28k
Trivium (Roadrunner) 14-17k
Mary J. Blige (Verve/Interscope) 12-14k

You could add 1 to the total but I've been to 4 f'ing stores that are all sold out (Target, Best Buy, etc). Either they didn't sock enough or Pittsburgh has LB fever.

I just thought it'd be fun to buy in a store but I may go the old-fashioned route and order it online.

[psychobain]

but it loses the kick after Pendulum

well yeah, thats the best song on the record

but what i mean is, the first 7 songs are better than the rest

[dimejinky99]

You're a pearl jam 'fan'?

It's a vocation. Or gtfo

No amount of utopian growth or high minded moral achievement can ever propel humanity far enough away from this message board post. It happened, and will be with us forever, now.

HIPSTER

[evenslow]

Here are the current predictions, based on early reports:

Pearl Jam (Republic) 160-180k
Paul McCartney (Hear Music) 70-80k
Avett Brothers (American/Republic) 60-65k
Scotty McCreery (19/Interscope) 40-45k
Head and the Heart (Sub Pop) 35-40k
Willie Nelson (Legacy) 27-30k
Gavin DeGraw (RCA) 25-28k
Trivium (Roadrunner) 14-17k
Mary J. Blige (Verve/Interscope) 12-14k

Wow - 160-180k would be way more than I was initially expecting. That's pretty damn good for an ancient rock band in today's climate.

[evenslow]

Also, it really exemplifies the power of the Jamily.

Nice work.

Jamily.

[dimejinky99]

Also, it really exemplifies the power of the Jamily.

Nice work.

Jamily.

Poll to rename you 'piss break' initiated

[Sgt. Crackpot]

My own version of Stone's video:

oh my god yes

Fuck you, man. I liked this song, but now I can't unhear that.

[evenslow]

Also, it really exemplifies the power of the Jamily.

Nice work.

Jamily.

Poll to rename you 'piss break' initiated

That's a filthy way for a Jamily member to talk.

[dimejinky99]

Also, it really exemplifies the power of the Jamily.

Nice work.

Jamily.

Poll to rename you 'piss break' initiated

That's a filthy way for a Jamily member to talk.

Are you crunchy or smooth?

Beware. Entry into Jamilton county is dependant on your answer

[Thejambi]

I experienced a ton more targeted marketing online than with Backspacer.

[evenslow]

Also, it really exemplifies the power of the Jamily.

Nice work.

Jamily.

Poll to rename you 'piss break' initiated

That's a filthy way for a Jamily member to talk.

Are you crunchy or smooth?

Beware. Entry into Jamilton county is dependant on your answer

True Jamily members know this is a trick question. Nice try though.

[McParadigm]

Here are the current predictions, based on early reports:

Pearl Jam (Republic) 160-180k
Paul McCartney (Hear Music) 70-80k
Avett Brothers (American/Republic) 60-65k
Scotty McCreery (19/Interscope) 40-45k
Head and the Heart (Sub Pop) 35-40k
Willie Nelson (Legacy) 27-30k
Gavin DeGraw (RCA) 25-28k
Trivium (Roadrunner) 14-17k
Mary J. Blige (Verve/Interscope) 12-14k

Wow - 160-180k would be way more than I was initially expecting. That's pretty damn good for an ancient rock band in today's climate.

It's pretty reasonable. It's a band with a feverishly cultish fanbase that is mostly between the ages of 30 and 40, they had a "remember these guys" documentary come out, they had actual and substantial radio success on the last album and moderate success on the lead-in single to this record, and reviews aren't plus or minus enough to sway people from their already-formed opinions.

Older bands do misleadingly well in terms of sales and chart positions these days, because they are far more likely to have fans who have both the disposable income and the inclination to buy their music. There's a reason careerist artists like Tom Waits are suddenly top 20 and top 10 material...their sales aren't suffering to the same degree that younger artists are.

Figure this: Madonna's Mdna album last year (I didn't know, either) was the 21st biggest selling album of the year worldwide. Rod Stewart's Christmas album was #18. Springsteen's Wrecking Ball was #16. It's not because that's how popular they were...it's because that's how old their fans are.

Having said that, yeah, Pearl Jam is currently doing pretty well relative to their peers. To some degree, that's the payoff of pushing their albums as "events" with media and radio pushes in 2006, 2009, and 2011. They're no longer in that "Pearl Jam? Who's that?" phase...they're back to a place where not media hyping an album can be a media strategy all its own.

[AskEddie]

I just remembered I got more wine left after the weekend .., and this beutiful masterpiece to enjoy. Loving the album, more of a grower than backspacer, which I initially loved and do like... but some of it maybe,.. I got tired of.. The last half of Lightning Bolt I like the most, from Infallible. Getaway is a strong opener though.. a bit like Yield.. Brain of J..hmmm.. PEARL JAM. The only ones left to make it to the stage, are Getaway and SBM (pearl jam-version). Greetings from Norway

[Sgt. Crackpot]

I just remembered I got more wine left after the weekend .., and this beutiful masterpiece to enjoy. Loving the album, more of a grower than backspacer, which I initially loved and do like... but some of it maybe,.. I got tired of.. The last half of Lightning Bolt I like the most, from Infallible. Getaway is a strong opener though.. a bit like Yield.. Brain of J..hmmm.. PEARL JAM. The only ones left to make it to the stage, are Getaway and SBM (pearl jam-version). Greetings from Norway

Welcome to the board

[evenslow]

Here are the current predictions, based on early reports:

Pearl Jam (Republic) 160-180k
Paul McCartney (Hear Music) 70-80k
Avett Brothers (American/Republic) 60-65k
Scotty McCreery (19/Interscope) 40-45k
Head and the Heart (Sub Pop) 35-40k
Willie Nelson (Legacy) 27-30k
Gavin DeGraw (RCA) 25-28k
Trivium (Roadrunner) 14-17k
Mary J. Blige (Verve/Interscope) 12-14k

Wow - 160-180k would be way more than I was initially expecting. That's pretty damn good for an ancient rock band in today's climate.

It's pretty reasonable. It's a band with a feverishly cultish fanbase that is mostly between the ages of 30 and 40, they had a "remember these guys" documentary come out, they had actual and substantial radio success on the last album and moderate success on the lead-in single to this record, and reviews aren't plus or minus enough to sway people from their already-formed opinions.

Older bands do misleadingly well in terms of sales and chart positions these days, because they are far more likely to have fans who have both the disposable income and the inclination to buy their music. There's a reason careerist artists like Tom Waits are suddenly top 20 and top 10 material...their sales aren't suffering to the same degree that younger artists are.

Figure this: Madonna's Mdna album last year (I didn't know, either) was the 21st biggest selling album of the year worldwide. Rod Stewart's Christmas album was #18. Springsteen's Wrecking Ball was #16. It's not because that's how popular they were...it's because that's how old their fans are.

Having said that, yeah, Pearl Jam is currently doing pretty well relative to their peers. To some degree, that's the payoff of pushing their albums as "events" with media and radio pushes in 2006, 2009, and 2011. They're no longer in that "Pearl Jam? Who's that?" phase...they're back to a place where not media hyping an album can be a media strategy all its own.

Right, I agree with all that but I'm still somewhat surprised by that number in 2013. I say the Jamily all pitches in to outdo MDNA and we've done our job we can go home til 2017 (Boom's long-awaited solo record obviously keeping us going during the wait).

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

My own version of Stone's video:

oh my god yes

Fuck you, man. I liked this song, but now I can't unhear that.

I thought it was gonna be that way for me, but listened on the way home and was all good, i can just never watch that version of the video ever again

[Jorge]

I dunno, I'm fairly sure Madonna is pretty fucking popular

[evenslow]

I dunno, I'm fairly sure Madonna is pretty fucking popular

She pulled that bullshit where they bundle the new record with concert tickets so how dare she and go Pearl Jam.