Lightning Bolt: The Official Album Thread

[Thejambi]

I have to consult Rolling Stone to see how I feel about Coldplay.

[matt reeder]

I'm pretty sure all of you other than Stip are going to hate this within 6 months.

Why do haters try so hard to make haters out of everyone else?

Because that's what the internet is for, dumbass!

Ugh, people are going to like what they like, and I'm not bothered. But I'm pretty bored with those 'People are going to hate this in six months' and 'Replace Ed with another singer and..." arguments. Those arguments are the rhetorical equivalent of Coldplay.

Very true. I like a lot of stuff I'm sure a lot of people here would not. Chacun son goût!
I still can't help but feel that most of you wouldn't like this if another band released it, and I'll stand by that argument even if it's dickish and unnecessary.

What can I say? Pearl Jam is one of my favorite bands but the things I most love about them are primarily concentrated in the Jack Irons era. I don't want them to sound like that again but I also don't want them to sound like this. "Sirens" sounds like something I used to hear when I went to church youth group events.

Parachutes is a great Coldplay album. A Rush of Blood... was a good Coldplay album. Everything else is mediocre to bad.

Viva La Vida is, believe it or not, actually pretty good. The two big singles ("Lost" and "Viva La Vida") overshadow some excellent songs (particularly "Strawberry Swing").

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

It's the arrangements. Most of the songs are MOR soft rock with Eddie Vedder singing. Remove his voice and substitute Chris Martin - would any of you actually like this?

You have to listen to it 27 more times. Then it will "click" and become your favorite album ever.

for the amount of 'this album had to grow on me and now it's my favorite' posts we get around here I'm surprised people feel so outraged by this notion.

I'm on my 5th listen now, and I still don't hear anything that make want to go back and listen again. It's a snooze-fest of epic proportions. How does somebody even get to the point of listening to this album 25 times and finally "getting it"? It sounds to me like you people want DESPERATELY to like it and will go to any length to enjoy it. I knew within two or three listens whether I liked No Code, whether I liked Binaural, whether I HATED Avocado, and those opinions haven't changed at all. I can't imagine listening to Lightning Bolt 10 more times will change my opinion much. It's a torturous, pointless exercise every time.

And as I've said before...there are examples of albums that are multi-layered and take several listens to sort out what's going on. That doesn't apply here!

[stip]

It's the arrangements. Most of the songs are MOR soft rock with Eddie Vedder singing. Remove his voice and substitute Chris Martin - would any of you actually like this?

You have to listen to it 27 more times. Then it will "click" and become your favorite album ever.

for the amount of 'this album had to grow on me and now it's my favorite' posts we get around here I'm surprised people feel so outraged by this notion.

I'm on my 5th listen now, and I still don't hear anything that make want to go back and listen again. It's a snooze-fest of epic proportions. How does somebody even get to the point of listening to this album 25 times and finally "getting it"? It sounds to me like you people want DESPERATELY to like it and will go to any length to enjoy it. I knew within two or three listens whether I liked No Code, whether I liked Binaural, whether I HATED Avocado, and those opinions haven't changed at all. I can't imagine listening to Lightning Bolt 10 more times will change my opinion much. It's a torturous, pointless exercise every time.

And as I've said before...there are examples of albums that are multi-layered and take several listens to sort out what's going on. That doesn't apply here!

nobody says 25 listens except for people who are trolling this position. If you gave an album from a band you like 5 listens and it doesn't make you want to go back more then stop. Life will go on. Some songs I loved on first listen. Others I loved on 2 or 3. Others like future days or sirens took quite a few, but after those first few listens there was still a nagging feeling that something might reveal itself with more listens. Other songs I may never care about no matter how many more times I listen to them.


Or, by not liking something you like, or it taking me long to make up my mind on something than you, I'm just a deluded or desperate idiot. Who is to say?

[WaitingForBluey]

How does somebody even get to the point of listening to this album 25 times and finally "getting it"? It sounds to me like you people want DESPERATELY to like it and will go to any length to enjoy it.

It only took me one listen to know that I liked the album... so maybe "you people" should just....

[harmless]

I still can't help but feel that most of you wouldn't like this if another band released it, and I'll stand by that argument even if it's dickish and unnecessary.

It's not so much dickish and unnecessary as the third totally obvious fallacy you've mentioned that get said every time someone doesn't like a PJ song. The fact is, some people like these songs because they think they're good songs played by the band Pearl Jam. I wouldn't necessarily like these songs played by another band, no, which is why I don't really enjoy it when other bands cover Pearl Jam songs. I also think PJ are a better band than most of my other favourite bands, so I'm obviously going to prefer listening to those songs, even if they're not "the norm" (whatever the norm is).

[stip]

jimmy fallon this week taught me that I wouldn't like alive or corduroy if they were played by some other band.

[stip]

I should probably talk with Wendy Carlos' Twin regarding how much more I like Lightning Bolt and Backspacer than Binaural.

[epilogue]

How does somebody even get to the point of listening to this album 25 times and finally "getting it"? It sounds to me like you people want DESPERATELY to like it and will go to any length to enjoy it.

It only took me one listen to know that I liked the album... so maybe "you people" should just....

Yeah, I fully admit to wanting to like Backspacer and really forcing that one more than I should have. But not this one. This one I was way into during the first listen. I love this album.

[harmless]

It's the arrangements. Most of the songs are MOR soft rock with Eddie Vedder singing. Remove his voice and substitute Chris Martin - would any of you actually like this?

You have to listen to it 27 more times. Then it will "click" and become your favorite album ever.

for the amount of 'this album had to grow on me and now it's my favorite' posts we get around here I'm surprised people feel so outraged by this notion.

I'm on my 5th listen now, and I still don't hear anything that make want to go back and listen again. It's a snooze-fest of epic proportions. How does somebody even get to the point of listening to this album 25 times and finally "getting it"? It sounds to me like you people want DESPERATELY to like it and will go to any length to enjoy it. I knew within two or three listens whether I liked No Code, whether I liked Binaural, whether I HATED Avocado, and those opinions haven't changed at all. I can't imagine listening to Lightning Bolt 10 more times will change my opinion much. It's a torturous, pointless exercise every time.

And as I've said before...there are examples of albums that are multi-layered and take several listens to sort out what's going on. That doesn't apply here!

I took fucking years to like Binaural and Riot Act. And I thought Yield was pretty bad the first few times I heard it. That said, you don't need to try so desperately to belittle people who like these songs. It's not a mental deficiency or anything, stop acting like it is one.

[epilogue]

jimmy fallon this week taught me that I wouldn't like alive or corduroy if they were played by some other band.

Or maybe just those other bands.

[McParadigm]

oh good more of this

[harmless]

jimmy fallon this week taught me that I wouldn't like alive or corduroy if they were played by some other band.

[BurtReynolds]

what if I hate it at first, then like it on listen 3, but hate it again on listen 7? what is the code?!

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

you don't need to try so desperately to belittle people who like these songs. It's not a mental deficiency or anything, stop acting like it is one.

You sound like a defensive, paranoid lunatic. Get over it.

[WaitingForBluey]

It really pisses me off when someones tries to imply that I can't be serious when I fuckin' love new material from Pearl Jam. Damnit, that really pisses me off. So fuckin' what if you don't like it? And so fuckin' what if I do like it? So what's the point of all this nonsense?

Its the haters vs. the apologists ad nauseam

And by the looks of this thread, the haters have more energy (or free time) these days...

[harmless]

you don't need to try so desperately to belittle people who like these songs. It's not a mental deficiency or anything, stop acting like it is one.

You sound like a defensive, paranoid lunatic. Get over it.

[stip]

jimmy fallon this week taught me that I wouldn't like alive or corduroy if they were played by some other band.

Or maybe just those other bands.

nope. all other bands, ever.

except coldplay, obviously.

[harmless]

It really pisses me off when someones tries to imply that I can't be serious when I fuckin' love new material from Pearl Jam. Damnit, that really pisses me off. So fuckin' what if you don't like it? And so fuckin' what if I do like it? So what's the point of all this nonsense?

Its the haters vs. the apologists ad nauseam

And by the looks of this thread, the haters have more energy (or free time) these days...

The worst thing about Pearl Jam fandom definitely isn't Pearl Jam.

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

And by the looks of this thread, the haters have more energy (or free time) these days...

Are you serious?