The warning signs on Lightning Bolt

[joostone]

'Backspacer' and 'Lightning Bolt' are my two least favorite PJ records. I enjoy them both for what they are and see them as welcoming additions to their catalogue but my love for them is not as significant as with the other records.

On this board I see a couple of interesting threads on these records, about it's major flaws or best moments. Reading them made me also realize (again) that we are in a new PJ era.

If backspacer poses a question, is Lightning Bolt its answer?? In my opinion 'S/T' was the answer to 'Riot Act' in many ways, you could say it was PJ's political era.

But I don't think 'Backspacer' poses any questions. It's basically an exclamation mark. It's the record where they choose to have some fun. As Stephen Thomas Erlewine (allmusic) puts it:

This means, all things considered, Backspacer is a party record for Pearl Jam -- a party that might consist of nothing but philosophical debates till the wee hours, but a party nonetheless -- and if 18 years is a long, long wait for a band to finally throw a party, it's also true that, prior to Backspacer, Pearl Jam wouldn't or couldn't have made music this unfettered, unapologetically assured, casual, and, yes, fun.

There was nothing to be answered. PJ's is reinventing themselves now. When you selftitle your record it always means something. It means: 'this is us, and this is what we do best, cause we have been doing this for years!'. Backspacer is the adding to that by saying: 'But hey! We can have some fun too!!'.

'Lightning Bolt' sounds like a question mark after an exclamation mark. Basically they said in interviews that it was the logical extension to Backspacer. That is true with songs like: Getaway, Mind Your Manners, Sirens, Lightning Bolt, Sleeping By Myself, Swallowed Whole, Let The Records Play, Future Days. The problem is that those add less to their catalogue, it's not answering Backspacer, it's following it's footsteps. Future Days is the sequel to 'Just Breathe', but the latter was better executed. Both 'Supersonic' and 'LTRP' are fun filler tracks written by Stone. Unthought Known sets the premise to 'Lightning Bolt'(song). With 'Getaway' and 'MYM' they even answer some questions from the 'political era'. In my opinion 'Lightning Bolt' only leaves us with four songs that cover new ground: My Father’s Son, Infallible, Pendulum, Yellow Moon. These songs don't answer anything they are posing another question. Pearl jam has made confusing records before (No Code, Binaural) but those always covered new ground for the band althought on thin ice. I consider 'Lightning Bolt' the first truly transitional record the band has ever made. Not confusing because you're entering new territory but because you have no idea on where to go next. In a way it's like The Who's 'face dances', 'Tattoo You' by 'The Rolling Stones'. or 'Life' by Neil Young & Crazy Horse, 'Human Touch' by Springsteen or 'End hits' by Fugazi and some more. The problem with 'transitional' records is not that there are no question or exclamation marks, it's that there are warning signs.
The band is reinventing themselves and it could very well be that they have no idea where to go next. Things could stay the same and will get another logical extension of Backspacer or thing could change, more power to Jeff or different producer etc...Either way, it's an uncertain time...so: achtung! achtung baby!!

[ABNorman]

Which song does he sing on? And is he related to The Edge?

[rick malone]

Great insights, 5/5, would read again

[stip]

Backspacer may pose more questions than you're giving it credit for. I've always taken it as a record that explores those initial moments when you finally let go of some burdens and realize that you're free. But there are, being pearl jam, still some moments of doubt--fears that you aren't worthy of the gifts that you've been given, or that you'll find some way to ruin it. In that respect Speed of Sound and The End become the tracks that are most (thematically) anticipatory of Lightning Bolt.

There are a few basic thematic strains that are interwoven throughout backspacer. There's a sense of gratitude for and celebration of what you have (which, prior to Backspacer, is largely new--the joyous moments in pearl jam were always somewhat anticipatory, celebrating the promise of what was to come more than what we have right now), and a sense of fear that you're going to lose it. Some of that is an external story, which is where some of the more socially/politically oriented songs slot in, and some of it is personal--a fear that you'll blow it, or that you're not worthy of it. Joy to be found in what you have, and the anxious dread that you could lose it all and end up alone again. These themes come together in interesting ways in songs like Mind Your Manners or Infallible, which are political critiques about people standing by doing nothing to safeguard the better world that the people you love deserve, more than they are condemnations of the people screwing it up (which are largely taken as a given). You can't afford to think of yourself as powerless or disconnected when there are other people who are depending on you. Learned helplessness is a narcissistic luxury you can no longer afford.

In all of these ways Lightning Bolt is easily their first 'middle aged' record since it's the first one that's clearly being written from the perspective of parents.

And so you're right, in some respects whatever follows has the potential to develop new ground since the first 9 records (Ten through Backspacer) are all essentially the working out of a single story, or the first phase of a life. Or it could be that these are initial ideas that they haven't exactly worked through yet. There are important thematic differences in the Ten-Vitalogy, No Code-Yield, and Binaural-Riot Act stretches of records, but in all of those cases we have core ideas that take a few records to really work out before moving on to the next stage. Lightning bolt is the first record in phase 2 (Backspacer seems to mark the thematic pivot where we conclude part I and begin part 2), and it's hard to get a sense with one record of where it's going yet. The increased time between albums also means that the albums are less likely to document a real time journey and are more likely to include gaps between albums--like having the band that wrote Vs. also being the band that wrote No Code without having vitalogy in between

[joostone]

Backspacer may pose more questions than you're giving it credit for. I've always taken it as a record that explores those initial moments when you finally let go of some burdens and realize that you're free. But there are, being pearl jam, still some moments of doubt--fears that you aren't worthy of the gifts that you've been given, or that you'll find some way to ruin it. In that respect Speed of Sound and The End become the tracks that are most (thematically) anticipatory of Lightning Bolt.

There are a few basic thematic strains that are interwoven throughout backspacer. There's a sense of gratitude for and celebration of what you have (which, prior to Backspacer, is largely new--the joyous moments in pearl jam were always somewhat anticipatory, celebrating the promise of what was to come more than what we have right now), and a sense of fear that you're going to lose it. Some of that is an external story, which is where some of the more socially/politically oriented songs slot in, and some of it is personal--a fear that you'll blow it, or that you're not worthy of it. Joy to be found in what you have, and the anxious dread that you could lose it all and end up alone again. These themes come together in interesting ways in songs like Mind Your Manners or Infallible, which are political critiques about people standing by doing nothing to safeguard the better world that the people you love deserve, more than they are condemnations of the people screwing it up (which are largely taken as a given). You can't afford to think of yourself as powerless or disconnected when there are other people who are depending on you. Learned helplessness is a narcissistic luxury you can no longer afford.

In all of these ways Lightning Bolt is easily their first 'middle aged' record since it's the first one that's clearly being written from the perspective of parents.

And so you're right, in some respects whatever follows has the potential to develop new ground since the first 9 records (Ten through Backspacer) are all essentially the working out of a single story, or the first phase of a life. Or it could be that these are initial ideas that they haven't exactly worked through yet. There are important thematic differences in the Ten-Vitalogy, No Code-Yield, and Binaural-Riot Act stretches of records, but in all of those cases we have core ideas that take a few records to really work out before moving on to the next stage. Lightning bolt is the first record in phase 2 (Backspacer seems to mark the thematic pivot where we conclude part I and begin part 2), and it's hard to get a sense with one record of where it's going yet. The increased time between albums also means that the albums are less likely to document a real time journey and are more likely to include gaps between albums--like having the band that wrote Vs. also being the band that wrote No Code without having vitalogy in between

Yeah the timeframe is different nowadays. But that's also because they are a bit less invested (not a critique!) now. But that doesn't mean they are scratching records Neil Young style. They are still taking similar steps it only takes longer.
Well, the idea that the band has a tabula rasa for it's future and new record excites me as much as its scares me

[epilogue]

For better or worse, I think unburdened is the best way to describe Backspacer.

[verb_to_trust]

You guys have just put more work into analyzing Backspacer than the band put into actually making the record, me thinks.

[Kevin Davis]

You guys have just put more work into analyzing Backspacer than the band put into actually making the record, me thinks.

That's probably the case with all their albums, really.