Lightning Bolt: The Official Album Thread

[WaitingForBluey]

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.

Well he's actually got a good point. If you said "I really hate the new material and I can't understand why anyone would want to listen to it" that's a million times different than saying "You people can't seriously like this shit. There must be something wrong with you."

[McParadigm]

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.

Must be a real rough ride, that.

[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.

Well he's actually got a good point. If you said "I really hate the new material and I can't understand why anyone would want to listen to it" that's a million times different than saying "You people can't seriously like this shit. There must be something wrong with you."

I'm a paranoid lunatic, that's what's "wrong with me". I don't think WCT wants to confront whatever's wrong there.

[matt reeder]

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).

It's obviously a fallacy. People are going to like what they are going to like. I'm just saying that I can't tell if people are talking themselves into liking this because it's PJ or if they actually like it. I've been on the other side of this argument defending albums a lot of people hated in the past so I get where everyone is coming from in this debate. If I'm coming off like a dick, it's mostly because I hate this album far more than I expected to. Disappointment + the internet + having the day off + being sick makes me kind of grumpy and argumentative.

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

I think this is the first day I've posted in this thread.

I'm on my second listen and I like this less than I did the first time. I accept that a lot of people are going to like this but I certainly doubt I'll be one of them.

[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.

Must be a real rough ride, that.

Unless it's one of the few posters on here that I just ignore anyway

[BurtReynolds]

honestly, if a friend introduced Lightning Bolt to me as from a brand new band who's lead singer sounded shockingly like Ed Vedder, I'd probably give it one listen, say a couple of songs are kinda cool, and be amazed at how the lead singer sounds like Ed Vedder, then go back to whatever I was doing, since this doesn't really sound like the thing I listen to.

not sure what that says, about me or the band.

[McParadigm]

I bet Burt Reynolds does call him "Ed Vedder." And chews gum while he says it.

[stip]

honestly, if a friend introduced Lightning Bolt to me as from a brand new band who's lead singer sounded shockingly like Ed Vedder, I'd probably give it one listen, say a couple of songs are kinda cool, and be amazed at how the lead singer sounds like Ed Vedder, then go back to whatever I was doing, since this doesn't really sound like the thing I listen to.

not sure what that says, about me or the band.

probably nothing

[stip]

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.

Must be a real rough ride, that.

Look, just because your heart is made of legos should be doesn't mean that other people don't have feelings

[BurtReynolds]

I bet Burt Reynolds does call him "Ed Vedder." And chews gum while he says it.

Fuckin' Ed Vedder.

[McParadigm]

It really pisses me off when someones tries to imply that my heart is made of legos when I fuckin' have a human heart. Damnit, that really pisses me off.

Spoiler: show

[stip]

It really pisses me off when someones tries to imply that my heart is made of legos when I fuckin' have a human heart. Damnit, that really pisses me off.

Spoiler: show

I bet that jar really does a piss poor job capturing the room noise and feel of a heart beating in a chest.

[matt reeder]

I think the overall lesson here is that Pearl Jam is heading towards a place (or already arrived there years ago) that some fans like and others don't. I that's about as diplomatic as I can put it. I'm just not there anymore, or I'm not on their train anymore. Most of what I listen to these days is punk rock and rap. My favorite "current" bands are Arcade Fire and Titus Andronicus. Maybe it's me, not them.

I was just hoping I would like this a lot more.

[harmless]

I listen to all that stuff, plus Pearl Jam. I think the mistake some people are making is thinking that Pearl Jam fans are just listening to this shit, instead of the more clever, complex, interesting shit they are now listening to. Most existing PJ fans are listening to them, in the full knowledge that they're not as complex, idiosyncratic, edgy or interesting as they used to be. The fact that some feel the need to insult our intelligence makes me wonder whether they think we're blind to the fact that PJ have changed.

[Rangi Guy]

My biggest concern with Lightning Bolt was that I really liked it on the first few listens. In the past I've found immediately accessable stuff to grow thin rapidly, but currently at least I'm finding myself enjoying this more on each listen. Sure it's not the Pearl Jam I was listening to in my teens, but fuck it's still good!

[stip]

I listen to all that stuff, plus Pearl Jam. I think the mistake some people are making is thinking that Pearl Jam fans are just listening to this shit, instead of the more clever, complex, interesting shit they are now listening to. Most existing PJ fans are listening to them, in the full knowledge that they're not as complex, idiosyncratic, edgy or interesting as they used to be. The fact that some feel the need to insult our intelligence makes me wonder whether they think we're blind to the fact that PJ have changed.

They may be less complex (probably, although regarding your list: complexity (the alleged 'complexity' on some earlier records is vastly overrated), edgy (was PJ ever edgy?), idiosyncratic (most of the albums have a pretty clear identity, but none feel THAT far removed from others) or interesting (I don't know what this means). I do think the current stuff is more emotionally engaging, uplifting, enjoyable, often better written (not always, obviously), and not just good, but PREFERABLE to quite a bit of the older stuff.

I'm a lot of things, and my musical tastes may not reflect those of many here, but I'm a pretty careful and critical listener.

'they're not as good but I don't care, I still like it' is a step above what you're responding to, but still...

[Thejambi]

I don't want them to sound like that again but I also don't want them to sound like this

I don't want them to sound like that again but I also don't want them to sound like this

I don't want them to sound like that again but I also don't want them to sound like this

I don't want them to sound like that again but I also don't want them to sound like this

I don't want them to sound like that again but I also don't want them to sound like this

I don't want them to sound like that again but I also don't want them to sound like this

I don't want them to sound like that again but I also don't want them to sound like this

I don't want them to sound like that again but I also don't want them to sound like this

[stip]

I think the overall lesson here is that Pearl Jam is heading towards a place (or already arrived there years ago) that some fans like and others don't. I that's about as diplomatic as I can put it. I'm just not there anymore, or I'm not on their train anymore. Most of what I listen to these days is punk rock and rap. My favorite "current" bands are Arcade Fire and Titus Andronicus. Maybe it's me, not them.

I was just hoping I would like this a lot more.

Feeling disappointed is totally legit

[stip]

I don't want them to sound like that again but I also don't want them to sound like this

I don't want them to sound like that again but I also don't want them to sound like this

I don't want them to sound like that again but I also don't want them to sound like this

I don't want them to sound like that again but I also don't want them to sound like this

I don't want them to sound like that again but I also don't want them to sound like this

I don't want them to sound like that again but I also don't want them to sound like this

I don't want them to sound like that again but I also don't want them to sound like this

I don't want them to sound like that again but I also don't want them to sound like this

I just want pearl jam to change and challenge me in a way that I find comfortable and familiar and easy to quickly digest.

[WaitingForBluey]

I think the overall lesson here is that Pearl Jam is heading towards a place (or already arrived there years ago) that some fans like and others don't. I that's about as diplomatic as I can put it. I'm just not there anymore, or I'm not on their train anymore. Most of what I listen to these days is punk rock and rap. My favorite "current" bands are Arcade Fire and Titus Andronicus. Maybe it's me, not them.

I was just hoping I would like this a lot more.

Sure I like those bands too. I'm going to see Titus next month actually. In fact, Pearl Jam sounds nothing like the other bands I listen to. Some of my favorites right now are stuff like Dirty Projectors, The Walkmen, Flaming Lips, Tame Impala, Yo La Tengo, Atoms For Peace, etc. Perhaps there is some loyalty to PJ that allows me to enjoy the new stuff more so than I would otherwise... But even if there is some of that at play, it's only a very small factor. The bottom line is that I really enjoy the new album and the fact that it sounds so different than all of the other music that I listen to makes it all the more appealing to me. The fact that it's music that I enjoy that's being produced by a band that I have enjoyed for 23 years makes it even great.