Lightning Bolt: The Official Album Thread

[Coach]

As time goes on, Pendulum and Yellow Moon in particular feel more away from the pack in terms of album highlights.

Mind Your Manners has remained one of the better songs, in my eyes, which surprises me considering how I felt when I first heard it.

Agree with all of this right here.

[Mine]

I think on a different album it would have worked well as a little interlude/non song, the problem as it is, is that the music is so different/ much more interesting than the rest of lb so it stands out too much to do that here.

That i think is a weakness and the weakness in the song writing at it. It seems to me that while what they originally come up with, the down tuned doorbell rip off here for instance i have absolutely no issue with that but they don't seem to have the skills to make more than a non song out of it and the fact that they needed someone to guide them only confirms it. I think despite all the praise Jeff's songs from LB get here they live mostly off of the vocal performances they rely on them too much even and i really love those vocal performances mind you. This is why i wouldn't be particularly exited by an album with exclusively Jeff/Stone music. They're fairly average if you consider this is their 4th decade as recording artists. I mean Pendulum isn't complex to the point you'd think it's above their skill sets.

I don't think they were trying to come up with an amazingly complex song and this was the best they could do though, I think they just put together a cool bit of music. Both Jeff and stone have written proper 'song' songs, good ones. Plus I'd take some more vague not exactly songs over more songs with a thousand parts, structured verse-verse-prechourus-chorus-solo-verse-bridge-prechorus-chorus-chorus-outro like LB or something.

I wouldn't expect they aren't capable of writing a song after doing this all their life but i would also expect they could write something like Pendulum without external guidance. There's a lot of ground between Pendulum and LB. Pendulum could have had more going on without turning into something completely different.

[warehouse]

I think on a different album it would have worked well as a little interlude/non song, the problem as it is, is that the music is so different/ much more interesting than the rest of lb so it stands out too much to do that here.

That i think is a weakness and the weakness in the song writing at it. It seems to me that while what they originally come up with, the down tuned doorbell rip off here for instance i have absolutely no issue with that but they don't seem to have the skills to make more than a non song out of it and the fact that they needed someone to guide them only confirms it. I think despite all the praise Jeff's songs from LB get here they live mostly off of the vocal performances they rely on them too much even and i really love those vocal performances mind you. This is why i wouldn't be particularly exited by an album with exclusively Jeff/Stone music. They're fairly average if you consider this is their 4th decade as recording artists. I mean Pendulum isn't complex to the point you'd think it's above their skill sets.

did u call pendulum a "non song"?

Well stupidmop did. It's a song all right. I don't think it's a non song, i think it could have been more of a song than it is cool music with a vocal line on top of it. It's better than what something like that would have been in the past.

Is it? If it's "better", I wonder whether that's just because of what's surrounding it. There was a time when it would've been a "filler" track.

if it was half as long and didnt have a solo or the vocal chant outro it could have been "filler" on something like vitalogy. what it is on the album is a pretty fully realized song. my only complaint is its not longer. they could have put another solo at the end, or just let ed do another chant.

[harmless]

I think on a different album it would have worked well as a little interlude/non song, the problem as it is, is that the music is so different/ much more interesting than the rest of lb so it stands out too much to do that here.

That i think is a weakness and the weakness in the song writing at it. It seems to me that while what they originally come up with, the down tuned doorbell rip off here for instance i have absolutely no issue with that but they don't seem to have the skills to make more than a non song out of it and the fact that they needed someone to guide them only confirms it. I think despite all the praise Jeff's songs from LB get here they live mostly off of the vocal performances they rely on them too much even and i really love those vocal performances mind you. This is why i wouldn't be particularly exited by an album with exclusively Jeff/Stone music. They're fairly average if you consider this is their 4th decade as recording artists. I mean Pendulum isn't complex to the point you'd think it's above their skill sets.

I don't think they were trying to come up with an amazingly complex song and this was the best they could do though, I think they just put together a cool bit of music. Both Jeff and stone have written proper 'song' songs, good ones. Plus I'd take some more vague not exactly songs over more songs with a thousand parts, structured verse-verse-prechourus-chorus-solo-verse-bridge-prechorus-chorus-chorus-outro like LB or something.

I wouldn't expect they aren't capable of writing a song after doing this all their life but i would also expect they could write something like Pendulum without external guidance. There's a lot of ground between Pendulum and LB. Pendulum could have had more going on without turning into something completely different.

Especially if (as appears to be the case) BoB didn't like it, so didn't want to be involved. Shit, I hope BoB doesn't like anything they bring in for the next album.

[Mine]

I think on a different album it would have worked well as a little interlude/non song, the problem as it is, is that the music is so different/ much more interesting than the rest of lb so it stands out too much to do that here.

That i think is a weakness and the weakness in the song writing at it. It seems to me that while what they originally come up with, the down tuned doorbell rip off here for instance i have absolutely no issue with that but they don't seem to have the skills to make more than a non song out of it and the fact that they needed someone to guide them only confirms it. I think despite all the praise Jeff's songs from LB get here they live mostly off of the vocal performances they rely on them too much even and i really love those vocal performances mind you. This is why i wouldn't be particularly exited by an album with exclusively Jeff/Stone music. They're fairly average if you consider this is their 4th decade as recording artists. I mean Pendulum isn't complex to the point you'd think it's above their skill sets.

did u call pendulum a "non song"?

Well stupidmop did. It's a song all right. I don't think it's a non song, i think it could have been more of a song than it is cool music with a vocal line on top of it. It's better than what something like that would have been in the past.

Is it? If it's "better", I wonder whether that's just because of what's surrounding it. There was a time when it would've been a "filler" track.

It's better for me because the vocal elevates it above that. I perceive it, and it was produced/mixed that way, as a decent melody with a great delivery with some really cool backing behind it. The melody glues the whole thing together for me and this is why i don't dislike it.
To give you an example of what i think could elevate it. It could turn into percussion and vocal only at some point and then go back. Some interesting things could have been done with it without fucking up the mood of the song or they could have worked a key change raising that riff a step making sort of a bridge and that would add room for a brilliant vocal performance etc.

[Mine]

I think on a different album it would have worked well as a little interlude/non song, the problem as it is, is that the music is so different/ much more interesting than the rest of lb so it stands out too much to do that here.

That i think is a weakness and the weakness in the song writing at it. It seems to me that while what they originally come up with, the down tuned doorbell rip off here for instance i have absolutely no issue with that but they don't seem to have the skills to make more than a non song out of it and the fact that they needed someone to guide them only confirms it. I think despite all the praise Jeff's songs from LB get here they live mostly off of the vocal performances they rely on them too much even and i really love those vocal performances mind you. This is why i wouldn't be particularly exited by an album with exclusively Jeff/Stone music. They're fairly average if you consider this is their 4th decade as recording artists. I mean Pendulum isn't complex to the point you'd think it's above their skill sets.

I don't think they were trying to come up with an amazingly complex song and this was the best they could do though, I think they just put together a cool bit of music. Both Jeff and stone have written proper 'song' songs, good ones. Plus I'd take some more vague not exactly songs over more songs with a thousand parts, structured verse-verse-prechourus-chorus-solo-verse-bridge-prechorus-chorus-chorus-outro like LB or something.

I wouldn't expect they aren't capable of writing a song after doing this all their life but i would also expect they could write something like Pendulum without external guidance. There's a lot of ground between Pendulum and LB. Pendulum could have had more going on without turning into something completely different.

Especially if (as appears to be the case) BoB didn't like it, so didn't want to be involved. Shit, I hope BoB doesn't like anything they bring in for the next album.

but the guy who "guided the idea" is one of B'OB's and so if he wasn't producing LB there would be no Pendulum.

On the other hand BOB not liking what they're bringing in would be a good start.

[stupidmop]

I think on a different album it would have worked well as a little interlude/non song, the problem as it is, is that the music is so different/ much more interesting than the rest of lb so it stands out too much to do that here.

That i think is a weakness and the weakness in the song writing at it. It seems to me that while what they originally come up with, the down tuned doorbell rip off here for instance i have absolutely no issue with that but they don't seem to have the skills to make more than a non song out of it and the fact that they needed someone to guide them only confirms it. I think despite all the praise Jeff's songs from LB get here they live mostly off of the vocal performances they rely on them too much even and i really love those vocal performances mind you. This is why i wouldn't be particularly exited by an album with exclusively Jeff/Stone music. They're fairly average if you consider this is their 4th decade as recording artists. I mean Pendulum isn't complex to the point you'd think it's above their skill sets.

I don't think they were trying to come up with an amazingly complex song and this was the best they could do though, I think they just put together a cool bit of music. Both Jeff and stone have written proper 'song' songs, good ones. Plus I'd take some more vague not exactly songs over more songs with a thousand parts, structured verse-verse-prechourus-chorus-solo-verse-bridge-prechorus-chorus-chorus-outro like LB or something.

I wouldn't expect they aren't capable of writing a song after doing this all their life but i would also expect they could write something like Pendulum without external guidance. There's a lot of ground between Pendulum and LB. Pendulum could have had more going on without turning into something completely different.

Well I guess it depends on what they meant by guiding, really. He could have had a big hand it it or barely at all. It ended up sounding good anyway though, maybe they should toss bob for this dude. I do wish the end had carried on longer or something though.

As for it being a non song/filler song, I pulled that outta my ass really, I kinda put in the same area as Bugs, which feels like more of a song than aye davanita/pry to....but less than the other ones? In my head anyway. That has nothing to do with its quality anyhow, as according to the ranking thread Bugs is my 3rd favorite track on vitalogy

[digster]

I'm not really sure how Pendulum is a 'non-song.' The fact that there's not more 'going on' in it is one of its strengths.

[LetMeSleep]

Guys it was a throw away comment which has since been played down.

[digster]

Fair enough, I admittedly started reading from the end. Maybe I was reading it wrong, but it just seemed like the argument was that Pendulum is weak cause it doesn't have more parts, or something.

[LetMeSleep]

From what I gather it was meant as Pendulum was a soundscape musical idea which Ed threw some lyrics over. It was a studio project and not a 'song' per se, similar to some of the Vitalogy tracks.

[Mine]

Well I guess it depends on what they meant by guiding, really. He could have had a big hand it it or barely at all. It ended up sounding good anyway though, maybe they should toss bob for this dude. I do wish the end had carried on longer or something though.

As for it being a non song/filler song, I pulled that outta my ass really, I kinda put in the same area as Bugs, which feels like more of a song than aye davanita/pry to....but less than the other ones? In my head anyway. That has nothing to do with its quality anyhow, as according to the ranking thread Bugs is my 3rd favorite track on vitalogy

Bugs probably doesn't fit the definition of song but it's brilliant.

[Mine]

Fair enough, I admittedly started reading from the end. Maybe I was reading it wrong, but it just seemed like the argument was that Pendulum is weak cause it doesn't have more parts, or something.

the current consensus is that yes the fact that there isn't more going on with it is one of it's strengths but it should have been longer and have a couple of more parts.

[Anders]

I'm quite certain that the next album would be their best in a while, if we got more Ament/Gossard songs. Less guidance from BO'B please.

[Mine]

I'm quite certain that the next album would be their best in a while, if we got more Ament/Gossard songs. Less guidance from BO'B please.

I wish it was and was full of Big Waves and Supersonics

[stupidmop]

From what I gather it was meant as Pendulum was a soundscape musical idea which Ed threw some lyrics over. It was a studio project and not a 'song' per se, similar to some of the Vitalogy tracks.

I'm quite certain that the next album would be their best in a while, if we got more Ament/Gossard songs. Less guidance from BO'B please.

I wish it was and was full of Big Waves and Supersonics

They should crossbreed big wave with pendulum and do an album of mutant psychedelic surf and beach songs about death and depression and with much bongos.

[stip]

After listening to this twice today I have come to the conclusion that this is Eddie's best vocal performance in forever. At least yield.

[Birds in Hell]

They should crossbreed big wave with pendulum and do an album of mutant psychedelic surf and beach songs about death and depression and with much bongos.

That sounds amazing.

[stip]

were you two separated at birth?

[Thenews15]

After a month of this album, guess what. I still love it. It's not perfect, but I'm not going to overanalyze it. Only part I don't like is BoB's piano playing. I'm all for PJ having piano and organ as it can add depth but the way he plays it is hard on the ears. Why does he feel the need to strick down on the keys so friggin hard in "Future Days"? Relax when playing it dude.

Other then that, it's in my top 3 for sure. I'm a No Code/Yield guy as they are my favorite, this is right behind them. My least favorite are Backspacer for obvious reasons, and Riot Act, mostly because I feel Ed mailed it in on that one just to get it done to get off of Epic, imo. I'm pleasantly surprised by LB, it's better then I thought it would be. That's impressive for a 10th album, they're not supposed to be very good.

My 2 cents.