Lightning Bolt or Backspacer?

General Pearl Jam discussion.
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LoathedVermin72
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Re: Lightning Bolt or Backspacer?

Post by LoathedVermin72 »

B wrote:I'm just curious. Give me an example of an AWESOME song title.
Not "Infallible"
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epilogue
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Re: Lightning Bolt or Backspacer?

Post by epilogue »

LoathedVermin72 wrote:
B wrote:I'm just curious. Give me an example of an AWESOME song title.
Not "Infallible"
Nah, you're right. Waves is way better.
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Re: Lightning Bolt or Backspacer?

Post by PHATJ »

durdencommatyler wrote:
LoathedVermin72 wrote:
B wrote:I'm just curious. Give me an example of an AWESOME song title.
Not "Infallible"
Nah, you're right. Waves is way better.
Do you guys actually care about the titles of songs? And I'll ask what B asked, what is an example of an AWESOME song title?
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Re: Lightning Bolt or Backspacer?

Post by LoathedVermin72 »

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Norah
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Re: Lightning Bolt or Backspacer?

Post by Norah »

I thought Binaural had some pretty sharp song titles.
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LoathedVermin72
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Re: Lightning Bolt or Backspacer?

Post by LoathedVermin72 »

cutuphalfdead wrote:I thought Binaural had some pretty sharp song titles.
I think their titles were fine before Avocado.
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Re: Lightning Bolt or Backspacer?

Post by epilogue »

LoathedVermin72 wrote:
cutuphalfdead wrote:I thought Binaural had some pretty sharp song titles.
I think their titles were fine before Avocado.
So... Alone is good. But Gone isn't? Even Flow is good but Pendulum isn't? Leash is good but Getaway sucks?

Why? What makes them good or bad for you?
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LoathedVermin72
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Re: Lightning Bolt or Backspacer?

Post by LoathedVermin72 »

durdencommatyler wrote:
LoathedVermin72 wrote:
cutuphalfdead wrote:I thought Binaural had some pretty sharp song titles.
I think their titles were fine before Avocado.
So... Alone is good. But Gone isn't? Even Flow is good but Pendulum isn't? Leash is good but Getaway sucks?

Why? What makes them good or bad for you?
You should know by now that I am crazy
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epilogue
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Re: Lightning Bolt or Backspacer?

Post by epilogue »

LoathedVermin72 wrote:
durdencommatyler wrote:
LoathedVermin72 wrote:
cutuphalfdead wrote:I thought Binaural had some pretty sharp song titles.
I think their titles were fine before Avocado.
So... Alone is good. But Gone isn't? Even Flow is good but Pendulum isn't? Leash is good but Getaway sucks?

Why? What makes them good or bad for you?
You should know by now that I am crazy
:lol:

Weird thing is... I kinda get it. I was just hoping you could explain it to me.
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Re: Lightning Bolt or Backspacer?

Post by tragabigzanda »

pearl jam sucks now
Last edited by tragabigzanda on Fri January 02, 2026 9:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Lightning Bolt or Backspacer?

Post by epilogue »

I think Spin the Black Circle is a terrible song title.
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Re: Lightning Bolt or Backspacer?

Post by PHATJ »

durdencommatyler wrote:
LoathedVermin72 wrote:
durdencommatyler wrote:
LoathedVermin72 wrote:
cutuphalfdead wrote:I thought Binaural had some pretty sharp song titles.
I think their titles were fine before Avocado.
So... Alone is good. But Gone isn't? Even Flow is good but Pendulum isn't? Leash is good but Getaway sucks?

Why? What makes them good or bad for you?
You should know by now that I am crazy
:lol:

Weird thing is... I kinda get it. I was just hoping you could explain it to me.
Black is good? Jeremy? Once? Rats? Sometimes?...

What makes a good title? Or is it as arbitrary as "I think In My Tree sounds cool; therefor its a good title."
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epilogue
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Re: Lightning Bolt or Backspacer?

Post by epilogue »

PHATJ wrote:
durdencommatyler wrote:
LoathedVermin72 wrote:
durdencommatyler wrote:
LoathedVermin72 wrote:
cutuphalfdead wrote:I thought Binaural had some pretty sharp song titles.
I think their titles were fine before Avocado.
So... Alone is good. But Gone isn't? Even Flow is good but Pendulum isn't? Leash is good but Getaway sucks?

Why? What makes them good or bad for you?
You should know by now that I am crazy
:lol:

Weird thing is... I kinda get it. I was just hoping you could explain it to me.
Black is good? Jeremy? Once? Rats? Sometimes?...

What makes a good title? Or is it as arbitrary as "I think In My Tree sounds cool; therefor its a good title."
For me a good song title makes me want to hear the song. And then when I hear it, I think a "good" title versus just a title, is that the good title illuminates the song in some way. Or it's entertaining in some way (ironic or comedic or whatever).

But, like anything, it is ultimately subjective. And I don't put too much stock into it. Mostly it's how it goes with the song and how it sounds on my ear. Arbitrary, really.
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LoathedVermin72
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Re: Lightning Bolt or Backspacer?

Post by LoathedVermin72 »

LLLLLOIIIIGGGGJJJTTTTNNJNINNNGGGG BBBBOOOOLLLLTTTYYY
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epilogue
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Re: Lightning Bolt or Backspacer?

Post by epilogue »

LoathedVermin72 wrote:LLLLLOIIIIGGGGJJJTTTTNNJNINNNGGGG BBBBOOOOLLLLTTTYYY
That does not sound like a song I want to hear.
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Re: Lightning Bolt or Backspacer?

Post by chewm »

Backspacer:

GSMF -1
Got Some +1
The Fixer 0
Johnny Guitar +1
Just Breathe -1
Amongst The Waves +1
Unthought Known 0
Supersonic 0
Speed Of Sound +1
Force Of Nature +1
The End 0

TOTAL: +3

Lightning Bolt:

Getaway +1
Mind Your Manners 0
My Father's Son +1
Sirens +1
Lightning Bolt +1
Infallible 0
Pendulum 0
Swallowed Whole 0
Let The Records Play 0
Sleeping By Myself 0
Yellow Moon +1
Future Days -1

TOTAL: +4

Here it says I prefer LB but Im not sure, Future Days is a lot worse than the bad songs from Backspacer, and the good songs from Backspacer are better than the ones from LB I think.
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Re: Lightning Bolt or Backspacer?

Post by samiad »

Backspacer is FUN. And I like it all - although I find "Just Breathe" to be a little cheesy, and "Force of Nature" sounds a little forced. (Excuse the pun).

Lightning Bolt has better standout tracks - but overall doesn't hang together as well. And it generally feels a bit like "Dad Rock".

So Backspacer.

I'd happily put on Backspacer if I was having some friends over, or having a BBQ, or driving on a sunny day. Great stuff.

I can't think of an occasion I'd really choose to listen to LB front to back. I do really like "Getaway" "MYM" & "Pendulum" - and I happen to think "Future Days" is kinda sweet, and works much better than "Just Breathe". But on the other hand "The End" is BEAUTIFUL.

So Backspacer.
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Re: Lightning Bolt or Backspacer?

Post by Norah »

Never go to a bbq hosted by samiad.
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Kevin Davis
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Re: Lightning Bolt or Backspacer?

Post by Kevin Davis »

B wrote:I'm just curious. Give me an example of an AWESOME song title.
Mogwai's "Stupid Prick Gets Chased By the Police and Loses His Slut Girlfriend" is a great title. Pearl Jam's titles have always been serviceable and plain, and they generally do the exact same thing now that they've always done -- serve as easy ID badges for the songs by echoing memorable words or phrases from them. There's never been any real art to it. I imagine LV would think better of the titles if he thought better of the songs.
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Re: Lightning Bolt or Backspacer?

Post by BurtReynolds »

Mogwai is the king of good song titles.
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