Lets Actually Listen to the Album: Lightning Bolt

[Alex]

you people are insane

[darth_vedder]

...with classics like Get Right and Ghost.

Yes. In fact I'd take both Get Right and Ghost over most of their "classics."

Cool.

I actually really like both songs. "Ghost" is a gem. "Get Right" is kinda fun, and better than the "fun" songs on the last few records.

[Release_Me]

I've always been quick to rave about Lightning Bolt and how I believe it's their best album since Vitalogy. I still feel the same way. It ranks number 4 in my list after Vitalogy, Ten and Vs.

Today, I thought I'd point out the flaws which prevent it from being a contender for the top three slots.

1. It has Future Days.

One of the only PJ ballads which doesn't make me feel anything. Well, at least most of the time. I put this in the same bracket as songs such as Around The Bend and Parting Ways. A disappointing way to finish off the album, taking some of the gloss off after the superb Yellow Moon. I don't hate the song, I don't even think it's too cheesy. Heck, I don't even mind the piano. It just isn't a very good song. Just Breathe on Backspacer was actually a good song, despite being what people would call 'cheesy'. I would have preferred something like that to Future Days, which doesn't really go anywhere.

2. The production on the title track is bollocks.

When I heard the live debut of LB, I felt this could be a great song in studio. But when I heard the studio version for the first time, I was underwhelmed. I don't hear what most people hear when they say the production on this album sucks as a whole because Ed is too loud in the mix. I don't mind Ed being loud. He's the reason I listen to this band. But on this particular song, I don't like the way his voice is mixed and I also don't like his delivery in parts. This could've been a GREAT song with better dynamics. Instead, it's just good.

3. It's missing a hard rocking song driven by a classic Stone riff, or punctuated by a face-melting McCready solo.

As far as I'm concerned, these songs ceased to exist for the most part after Vitalogy. There were a few interspersed here and there, but generally, PJ album rockers were never the same. LB the album lacks a memorable guitar riff or a truly epic solo. There are some good solos from Mike nonetheless. Getaway is my favourite rocker on LB and I put it amongst my top 20 PJ songs because Ed kills it and Jeff/Matt complement him perfectly. Who knows how much I'd be in love with it if Stone and Mike had been at the top of their games. And God knows how high LB the album could have placed if they had shone through as much as I'd like on some of the other songs. As it is, some of the songs are still great while the others (barring FD) are consistently good which makes for the 4th best album in their catalogue, for me.

[stip]

Although it's quick, I adore the solo mike plays in LB after the first verse, and I weep for what could have come at the end of that song. otherwise I agree that Mike does underwhelm a bit in the leads department. Even the major solos in stuff like LTRP and Swallowed Whole are not favorites, and I flat out dislike the one in Sirens.

i do think the MYM solo is good.

[Release_Me]

I don't dislike anything Mike or Stone do on LB. I just wish they'd done something spectacular to elevate some of the songs even more. My favourite guitar part on the album is the little interlude in Infallible, where Ed sings over the guitar, before the final chorus. Very simple but beautiful.

[resonance of distance]

1. Getaway is ok, its like a vanilla ice cream. Good but really sorta could use some MikeMcCready sprinkles. Like the modern PJ predictable, middle of the road song.
2.MYM- One of the top tracks on the album, and catchiest The best on the record i think.. Like the solo in that there's a lot going on really quickly in this song. Usually not a fan of EV's vocals on the so called Punk PJ songs, but I dig this one. Also a fav bc I first heard it at twilight on a summer night on HFS driving to OC with my bear dog, and it came on as I was going over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.
3. MFS- I really liked it when it was newer, I still like this darker PJ, but some lyrical klunkers. Gotta a really good GArden+ALive on TMNT ooze and roids feel to it
4. Sierns- not really feeling the "Pink Floyd "-I dont think it sounds like PF solo at all really. would have been cooler if it was about the degradation of our cities instead of another love song.
5.Lighting Bolt- sounds better on the radio surrounded by so much crap.
6. Infallable- eh sorta sticks in my head not sure about it in the middle
7. Pendellum- not sure if this was a good choice after infallable as it plods along. Stone says its about getting in a groove, i think my wheel got stuck in the groove.
8. Swallowed Whole- I always forget about this song, but its prolly the only one I really like at the end of the album. Sorta sounds like a Tom Petty song to me. From the road trip cd with the rocket on it..and the spaceman with the dog
9.Let the Records Play- now from serious songs to some forced fuckin record playing fun. smile damitt we're having fun now. smile enjoy that who record son. enjoy it.
10. Sleeping by Myself - just really not enjoyable, an old song made worse
11. Yellow Moon- my second favorite of side 2, and i dont even like it that much! Maybe at night driving thru pine trees in an Aston Marton as a yellow moon would follow me peeking through the needles, would make this sound better.
12. "Future Days"- Future shit


Once again an uneven offering from pj- who kno we'll buy anything because they are better than godsmack
Raise the bar eh?

[stip]

man, sleeping by myself is one of my favorites. On both albums

[resonance of distance]

man, sleeping by myself is one of my favorites. On both albums

Better on U Songs. I've had it with the modern PJ love songs ugh they are so middle aged and cheeseball fluffy

[McParadigm]

As someone who never bought that uke songs record, and only ever listened to the leaked stuff from yonks back a little bit, Sleeping By Myself is the closest the new album comes to having a song that I just genuinely like and want to hear.

[Strat]

I listened to this the other day. What a frustrating record. What it boils down to for me is that they can't fucking perform it live. ITs a trainwreck. Ed sounds brutal, songs like infallible completely fall flat, and songs like getaway and yellow moon really show just how bland the music is.

It's weird though because I mostly enjoy them on the record but knowing they can't perform them live makes it obvious of all the studio trickery to make average songs sound good. I can't imagine one of those songs was done with a full band take. Too many instrumental and vocal punch ins to have any organic nature to the record. It is annoying.

So, yea.

[VinylGuy]

I listened to this the other day. What a frustrating record. What it boils down to for me is that they can't fucking perform it live. ITs a trainwreck. Ed sounds brutal, songs like infallible completely fall flat, and songs like getaway and yellow moon really show just how bland the music is.

It's weird though because I mostly enjoy them on the record but knowing they can't perform them live makes it obvious of all the studio trickery to make average songs sound good. I can't imagine one of those songs was done with a full band take. Too many instrumental and vocal punch ins to have any organic nature to the record. It is annoying.

So, yea.

True. They fucked up a lot of new songs in the first leg of their tour.

[harmless]

I listened to this the other day. What a frustrating record. What it boils down to for me is that they can't fucking perform it live. ITs a trainwreck. Ed sounds brutal, songs like infallible completely fall flat, and songs like getaway and yellow moon really show just how bland the music is.

It's weird though because I mostly enjoy them on the record but knowing they can't perform them live makes it obvious of all the studio trickery to make average songs sound good. I can't imagine one of those songs was done with a full band take. Too many instrumental and vocal punch ins to have any organic nature to the record. It is annoying.

So, yea.

True. They fucked up a lot of new songs in the first leg of their tour.

This is one of the many reasons I haven't gone back to this album in a long time, in spite of superficially enjoying several songs on it.

[Alex]

As someone who never bought that uke songs record, and only ever listened to the leaked stuff from yonks back a little bit, Sleeping By Myself is the closest the new album comes to having a song that I just genuinely like and want to hear.

i agree

[Kaius]

Sleeping by myself is my favorite track on LB by a fair margin.

[ridleybradout]

I listened to this the other day. What a frustrating record. What it boils down to for me is that they can't fucking perform it live. ITs a trainwreck. Ed sounds brutal, songs like infallible completely fall flat, and songs like getaway and yellow moon really show just how bland the music is.

It wasn't all bad - give this a listen:

http://forums.theskyiscrape.com/viewtop ... =17&t=4044

[Release_Me]

I don't listen to all their live shows, far from it. Whatever I've managed to hear from LB has been pretty good for the most part. There are minor flubs like there are in most of the songs they perform these days. Aside from Getaway which was downtuned and hence didn't even sound like the same song, no other LB song disappointed me live. The best 'live' Getaway is the one on that promotional video. If they'd play it like that, it'd be awesome.

I don't think they improved these songs live but there are good versions of almost every song. I don't get why Infallible is considered a setlist killer. Whatever. It's my favourite on the album and also live. Ed sings it crazy good on the album and pretty good live too.

[aurynsdad]

man, sleeping by myself is one of my favorites. On both albums

Better on U Songs. I've had it with the modern PJ love songs ugh they are so middle aged and cheeseball fluffy

How old are you? They sound fine to this 38 year old.

[aurynsdad]

I listened to this the other day. What a frustrating record. What it boils down to for me is that they can't fucking perform it live. ITs a trainwreck. Ed sounds brutal, songs like infallible completely fall flat, and songs like getaway and yellow moon really show just how bland the music is.

It wasn't all bad - give this a listen:

http://forums.theskyiscrape.com/viewtop ... =17&t=4044

Stoked that I was there for the "good" version of Sirens. Whenever people talk about how much that sucked live, I'm always like "It was great in Portland!"

[resonance of distance]

man, sleeping by myself is one of my favorites. On both albums

Better on U Songs. I've had it with the modern PJ love songs ugh they are so middle aged and cheeseball fluffy

How old are you? They sound fine to this 38 year old.

31 and i am really don't dig that 50 year old love song stuff. Oh well different ppl different lives differenet personalities and tastes.

[Birds in Hell]

I listened to this the other day. What a frustrating record. What it boils down to for me is that they can't fucking perform it live. ITs a trainwreck. Ed sounds brutal, songs like infallible completely fall flat, and songs like getaway and yellow moon really show just how bland the music is.

It wasn't all bad - give this a listen:

http://forums.theskyiscrape.com/viewtop ... =17&t=4044

Listening to this compilation unfortunately just underscored for me how weak a collection of songs this is.

What a pisser.

(No knock on your efforts, Brad, of course.)