Lightning Bolt: the official album thread

[tommymtcom]

My optimism has faded quite a bit with those two new tracks. They aren't awful or anything, they just sound WAY too much like Backspacer tracks.

[Coach]

I'm not trying to be a smart ass and by no means do I think this is the worst thing in the world, but it does seem that this new record is in fact a logical extension to backspacer. I think it's backspacer w more meat on the bone

[EJ]

If that is the case, then that's almost a worst case scenario for me. They really had a prime opportunity to take a left turn after Backspacer.

[stupidmop]

I'm not trying to be a smart ass and by no means do I think this is the worst thing in the world, but it does seem that this new record is in fact a logical extension to backspacer. I think it's backspacer w more meat on the bone

Sounds about right, which is sad because it was the perfect time for them to something else

I really wanted to really like this album, and its not looking like i will now.

All i ask for now is one song i like as much as any of the 2000 and before material.

C'mon soundcheck song.

[---]

after hearing those two new songs, i'm kind of excited about how bad this record is going to be

[E.H. Ruddock]

So assuming Of the Earth is on this album, we've heard 4 songs so far. Meh.

[EJ]

after hearing those two new songs, i'm kind of excited about how bad this record is going to be

"mid-tempo schlock."

[harmless]

My main feeling about Backspacer was that it was OK, but it needed more meat on the bone. *shrug* I never expected them to go left-field and experimental, and any chat about that from Mike (no less) was immediately dismissed as Bullshit. Backspacer was mostly let down by how insubstantial the songs were, and how bright and shiny the songs were produced. The most worrying thing here, in that respect, is the fucking horrible Brendan piano that bookends the other song. At least they're being honest with us this time: bring in Brendan right from the start so that people can begin the mourning process now.

[---]

An instrumental chorus would have been really cool. Or at least, so much better than LIGHTNING BOLT! LIGHTNING BOLT!

To hammer the point home, they had a set of lightning bolt shaped lights behind them going off while he screeched that.

someone please tell me this is true

[harmless]

The other reason I think it was naïve to expect a total left turn is that although every album does sound different, we're exaggerating how different. Versus is basically a more nuanced Ten. Vitalogy is a darker and more mature Versus. No Code is a left turn, admittedly. Yield wasn't a million miles from No Code, and on and on. I don't think I ever thought Backspacer would be an entire one-off experiment in every aspect. I might wish it had been, but that's different.

[broken iris]

Lightning Bolt is bad, Future Days is not. These were the first live runs through the material. Give it a chance.

[harmless]

Yeah. I'm just not sure why 'the first live runs through the material' have to sound worse than the 75th. If you've rehearsed them properly...

[Revelator]

I know I'm new, but not really getting all the negativity about the new songs. I mean yeah the chorus of Lightning Bolt is weak, but the verses sound solid, even if I can't quite make out the lyrics yet. I try not to pin too much on live debuts of songs...for starters, the quality is almost always on the crappy side with people chit chatting and shit in addition to the acoustics of a large venue.

That said, I'm not really digging Future Days at all and side with those who are hoping that it's not part of the new album and rather a track from Out Of The Furnace. It came off rather cheesy and sounds like something we've already heard a dozen times now from Ed. Lightning Bolt on the other hand has some promise, IMO, it's a bit light like something off of Backspacer and also has a very Who-ish quality, but I have a good feeling the studio version will outshine the live debut (especially if they didn't cut or fade out Mike's solo at the end).

We'll know soon enough, I don't think it's time to bury the band yet though, haha, far from it.

[harmless]

I know I'm new, but not really getting all the negativity about the new songs. I mean yeah the chorus of Lightning Bolt is weak, but the verses sound solid, even if I can't quite make out the lyrics yet. I try not to pin too much on live debuts of songs...for starters, the quality is almost always on the crappy side with people chit chatting and shit in addition to the acoustics of a large venue.

That said, I'm not really digging Future Days at all and side with those who are hoping that it's not part of the new album and rather a track from Out Of The Furnace. It came off rather cheesy and sounds like something we've already heard a dozen times now from Ed. Lightning Bolt on the other hand has some promise, IMO, it's a bit light like something off of Backspacer and also has a very Who-ish quality, but I have a good feeling the studio version will outshine the live debut (especially if they didn't cut or fade out Mike's solo at the end).

We'll know soon enough, I don't think it's time to bury the band yet though, haha, far from it.

So you don't get all the negativity, but you agree with it when it comes to Future Days? Got it!

[stupidmop]

Other than MYM maybe being a little too heavy for it, everything thing else we've heard sounds like it would have fit on backspacer just fine. For the most part i don't think that wasn't the case on the earlier albums. If you picked a song from one album it wouldn't fit with the songs on the album before or after, i don't think.

So far its like we've just got the leftover songs that were too long for backspacer. And that future days song that would fit on there perfectly.

However, still the rest of the album to come yadda yadda yadda, need studio versions to judge properly yadda yadda yadda.

I'd bet money that soundcheck song is actually the out of the furnace song.

[verb_to_trust]

Ed described this song as the one he wants to play in the car for his friends and whip out live right away. Clearly he wrote this one. I wonder if secretly Stone and Jeff know this stuff is kinda lame? Clearly, Matt is bored....

[Iowaska_Experience]

Other than MYM maybe being a little too heavy for it, everything thing else we've heard sounds like it would have fit on backspacer just fine. For the most part i don't think that wasn't the case on the earlier albums. If you picked a song from one album it wouldn't fit with the songs on the album before or after, i don't think.

So far its like we've just got the leftover songs that were too long for backspacer. And that future days song that would fit on there perfectly.

However, still the rest of the album to come yadda yadda yadda, need studio versions to judge properly yadda yadda yadda.

I'd bet money that soundcheck song is actually the out of the furnace song.

'Soundcheck Song' is clearly best of breed. It better be on the album.

[harmless]

When Backspacer came out, some of us were saying that Unthought Known was a retread of Love Boat Captain. So yeah, I think there was follow on. If you take away the shiny production of Backspacer, you just get some (admittedly mediocre) PJ songs. If they'd been produced like a rock album instead of a pro-tools pop album, chances are we'd like them more. So if this album has a different approach to production, I'm hoping the songs of a similar quality improve to the ear.

[---]

i'm going to go listen to insignificance and no way and try to flush the memories of these two unfortunate vedderdroppings from my system

[stupidmop]

Other than MYM maybe being a little too heavy for it, everything thing else we've heard sounds like it would have fit on backspacer just fine. For the most part i don't think that wasn't the case on the earlier albums. If you picked a song from one album it wouldn't fit with the songs on the album before or after, i don't think.

So far its like we've just got the leftover songs that were too long for backspacer. And that future days song that would fit on there perfectly.

However, still the rest of the album to come yadda yadda yadda, need studio versions to judge properly yadda yadda yadda.

I'd bet money that soundcheck song is actually the out of the furnace song.

'Soundcheck Song' is clearly best of breed. It better be on the album.

Thats 99% of the reason i think it won't be. The other 1% is cause its begging to be on a trailer or something, very cinematic.