Lightning Bolt: the official album thread

[harmless]

I remember someone from the band saying something about Backspacer and that they made a conscious decision to actually have the material written before they hit the studio, seemingly ST was written whilst in the studio.
If true that would explain these long periods between sessions, writing on the fly while in the studio would be frustrating as well as expensive.

According to an interview BoB did at the time the band wrote the songs, then spent a lot of time working on getting them "just right" in a rehearsal studio (with him involved). Then, the actual recording took just a few weeks (most of it was done in 9 days).

He and the band talked a lot about the writing and arranging being done beforehand on Backspacer. This album, we're getting more of the old "we had x number of ideas..." talk, and no mention of prep work. Who knows.

And 7 weeks is shit-tons better than 9 days!

[McParadigm]

Thanks, Enimmi. It really does sound like Bo'B is a nice guy

Yeah, maybe people tend to paint him black too much

moves like jagger

[dimejinky99]

Thanks, Enimmi. It really does sound like Bo'B is a nice guy

Yeah, maybe people tend to paint him black too much and blame him for whatever a little too fast. I think he was also pleasantly surprised by the questions he got from all the fans. I remember someone who was in Berlin saying that all the questions came from fans and none from the 'real' journalists. One other thing I remember now and that I forgot to mention is that B really wanted to get PJ to record in a studio away from their homes. I really got the impression he thought they could have made a greater effort if they wouldn't have had the distraction of their kids and such.

I Think he's dead right about that. Do it away from home where you can focus and commit to work.

[McParadigm]

And 7 weeks is shit-tons better than 9 days!

Not if there was significantly less prep, this time.

Honestly, studio time has always been slight with this group. One of the most annoying things about Binaural is that they kind of tossed in the towel on the sessions and never saw it through, when really the whole process had taken them just a few months (which included a big break for Christmas). Who the fuck gives up that fast? Seriously?

Really, what I notice more than the amount of time they invested is this:

Binaural: "We had around 25 songs..."
Riot Act: "We had written maybe 20-25 songs..."
S/T: "Altogether, there were 25 songs..."
Backspacer: "We had a lot of ideas and demos. Everybody had been super productive, and it took a while to go through them all."
Lightning Bolt: "15 songs (1 that's already on a record)."

[harmless]

I'm not sure he'll be gone for the next one, if there is a next one. I also highly doubt he didn't know it was on Uke Songs. There's no other reason they'd be so reluctant to record a studio version initially.

But as well as his premium, he'd be getting points on the album.
Naturally he's going to want and push for as many radio friendly tunes as possible.
Ups his stake and return in the game. That's an agenda on its own, and obviously if he is pushing for the more accessible/radio friendly songs (and the BS about 'reminding people they like pj and new people discovering them. That's the goal of the whole thing')
That's his mission statement alone not the bands I don't think.

I don't know whether that's true but it's the feeling I get as well. Regardless, I was just doubting what you said about him not having heard the song before. I'm sure he knew it was on Uke Songs because he talks about them finding it difficult to record a version they liked, and he had to push for it. Anyway, I've always said it depends how it sounds as to whether I'll like it; I'm not dismissing it because a 1:30 minute uke 'sketch' of it was on Ed's solo album. And it sounds like they've made it way over-the-top "happy" quite deliberately. If it sounds at all self-mocking I'll probably enjoy it.

[tk]

Busy at work for the past 12 hours.

Summary?

[Rangi Guy]

Busy at work for the past 12 hours.

Summary?

Backspacer may have leaked.....

[dimejinky99]

I'm not sure he'll be gone for the next one, if there is a next one. I also highly doubt he didn't know it was on Uke Songs. There's no other reason they'd be so reluctant to record a studio version initially.

But as well as his premium, he'd be getting points on the album.
Naturally he's going to want and push for as many radio friendly tunes as possible.
Ups his stake and return in the game. That's an agenda on its own, and obviously if he is pushing for the more accessible/radio friendly songs (and the BS about 'reminding people they like pj and new people discovering them. That's the goal of the whole thing')
That's his mission statement alone not the bands I don't think.

I don't know whether that's true but it's the feeling I get as well. Regardless, I was just doubting what you said about him not having heard the song before. I'm sure he knew it was on Uke Songs because he talks about them finding it difficult to record a version they liked, and he had to push for it. Anyway, I've always said it depends how it sounds as to whether I'll like it; I'm not dismissing it because a 1:30 minute uke 'sketch' of it was on Ed's solo album. And it sounds like they've made it way over-the-top "happy" quite deliberately. If it sounds at all self-mocking I'll probably enjoy it.

SBM is a sad song though. 'I should have known there was someone else...'
How they made that happy, if it is, is a wonder.

Anyways, he just looks bossy does BOB

[harmless]

And 7 weeks is shit-tons better than 9 days!

Not if there was significantly less prep, this time.

Not necessarily, but there is 4 years of writing and getting their heads in the right space to finish it. Time away from the process to gather your thoughts can't be undervalued as a way of making your stuff better. And also, that's no "prep" involving Brendan O'Brien changing all your songs. If these guys just brought them in and played them this time, that's probably a win-win (allowing for the fact that one or two might've been slightly tweaked with piano).

I didn't mean to ignore the rest of your post btw, just wanted to respond to this bit. I think the lack of extra songs for Backspacer (and possibly this one) is due to the fact that they want a less arduous process for them. That could be good, it could be bad; we had mixed results last time.

[dimejinky99]

Quit with the fucking phone mike, and concentrate!

[dimejinky99]

And 7 weeks is shit-tons better than 9 days!

Not if there was significantly less prep, this time.

Not necessarily, but there is 4 years of writing and getting their heads in the right space to finish it. Time away from the process to gather your thoughts can't be undervalued as a way of making your stuff better. And also, that's no "prep" involving Brendan O'Brien changing all your songs. If these guys just brought them in and played them this time, that's probably a win-win (allowing for the fact that one or two might've been slightly tweaked with piano).

I didn't mean to ignore the rest of your post btw, just wanted to respond to this bit. I think the lack of extra songs for Backspacer (and possibly this one) is due to the fact that they want a less arduous process for them. That could be good, it could be bad; we had mixed results last time.

Not 4 years though. PJ have toured quite regularly for about 3 of those years.
They should start recording on the road again.

[harmless]

I'm not sure he'll be gone for the next one, if there is a next one. I also highly doubt he didn't know it was on Uke Songs. There's no other reason they'd be so reluctant to record a studio version initially.

But as well as his premium, he'd be getting points on the album.
Naturally he's going to want and push for as many radio friendly tunes as possible.
Ups his stake and return in the game. That's an agenda on its own, and obviously if he is pushing for the more accessible/radio friendly songs (and the BS about 'reminding people they like pj and new people discovering them. That's the goal of the whole thing')
That's his mission statement alone not the bands I don't think.

I don't know whether that's true but it's the feeling I get as well. Regardless, I was just doubting what you said about him not having heard the song before. I'm sure he knew it was on Uke Songs because he talks about them finding it difficult to record a version they liked, and he had to push for it. Anyway, I've always said it depends how it sounds as to whether I'll like it; I'm not dismissing it because a 1:30 minute uke 'sketch' of it was on Ed's solo album. And it sounds like they've made it way over-the-top "happy" quite deliberately. If it sounds at all self-mocking I'll probably enjoy it.

SBM is a sad song though. 'I should have known there was someone else...'
How they made that happy, if it is, is a wonder.

Anyways, he just looks bossy does BOB

You can't tell he looks bossy from a pic with his hand out. He might be shushing the room to listen to something; totally normal. And how could a very sad song sound "happy"? Irony. You've heard "Last Kiss" right? They achieved that irony with perfection there, let's hope it's similar here.

[harmless]

And 7 weeks is shit-tons better than 9 days!

Not if there was significantly less prep, this time.

Not necessarily, but there is 4 years of writing and getting their heads in the right space to finish it. Time away from the process to gather your thoughts can't be undervalued as a way of making your stuff better. And also, that's no "prep" involving Brendan O'Brien changing all your songs. If these guys just brought them in and played them this time, that's probably a win-win (allowing for the fact that one or two might've been slightly tweaked with piano).

I didn't mean to ignore the rest of your post btw, just wanted to respond to this bit. I think the lack of extra songs for Backspacer (and possibly this one) is due to the fact that they want a less arduous process for them. That could be good, it could be bad; we had mixed results last time.

Not 4 years though. PJ have toured quite regularly for about 3 of those years.
They should start recording on the road again.

Just because they've toured regularly doesn't mean they weren't writing / thinking / scribbling notes while they were. Down-time / leisure / time away is essential to the writing process, especially if you're experiencing a creative lull, and I think it's obvious to all and sundry that they have been.

[dimejinky99]

I'm not sure he'll be gone for the next one, if there is a next one. I also highly doubt he didn't know it was on Uke Songs. There's no other reason they'd be so reluctant to record a studio version initially.

But as well as his premium, he'd be getting points on the album.
Naturally he's going to want and push for as many radio friendly tunes as possible.
Ups his stake and return in the game. That's an agenda on its own, and obviously if he is pushing for the more accessible/radio friendly songs (and the BS about 'reminding people they like pj and new people discovering them. That's the goal of the whole thing')
That's his mission statement alone not the bands I don't think.

I don't know whether that's true but it's the feeling I get as well. Regardless, I was just doubting what you said about him not having heard the song before. I'm sure he knew it was on Uke Songs because he talks about them finding it difficult to record a version they liked, and he had to push for it. Anyway, I've always said it depends how it sounds as to whether I'll like it; I'm not dismissing it because a 1:30 minute uke 'sketch' of it was on Ed's solo album. And it sounds like they've made it way over-the-top "happy" quite deliberately. If it sounds at all self-mocking I'll probably enjoy it.

SBM is a sad song though. 'I should have known there was someone else...'
How they made that happy, if it is, is a wonder.

Anyways, he just looks bossy does BOB

You can't tell he looks bossy from a pic with his hand out. He might be shushing the room to listen to something; totally normal. And how could a very sad song sound "happy"? Irony. You've heard "Last Kiss" right? They achieved that irony with perfection there, let's hope it's similar here.

It's probably my favourite song on the uke record. I'd rather not have that beautiful bittersweet sentiment tarnished by a Mumford n sons vibe. Thanks.

And he looks bossy. Jus sayin

[tk]

Busy at work for the past 12 hours.

Summary?

Backspacer may have leaked.....

Verizon Clips.

[dimejinky99]

And 7 weeks is shit-tons better than 9 days!

Not if there was significantly less prep, this time.

Not necessarily, but there is 4 years of writing and getting their heads in the right space to finish it. Time away from the process to gather your thoughts can't be undervalued as a way of making your stuff better. And also, that's no "prep" involving Brendan O'Brien changing all your songs. If these guys just brought them in and played them this time, that's probably a win-win (allowing for the fact that one or two might've been slightly tweaked with piano).

I didn't mean to ignore the rest of your post btw, just wanted to respond to this bit. I think the lack of extra songs for Backspacer (and possibly this one) is due to the fact that they want a less arduous process for them. That could be good, it could be bad; we had mixed results last time.

Not 4 years though. PJ have toured quite regularly for about 3 of those years.
They should start recording on the road again.

Just because they've toured regularly doesn't mean they weren't writing / thinking / scribbling notes while they were. Down-time / leisure / time away is essential to the writing process, especially if you're experiencing a creative lull, and I think it's obvious to all and sundry that they have been.

Some of the interviews Jeff did for RNDM would suggest otherwise.

[harmless]

I'm not sure he'll be gone for the next one, if there is a next one. I also highly doubt he didn't know it was on Uke Songs. There's no other reason they'd be so reluctant to record a studio version initially.

But as well as his premium, he'd be getting points on the album.
Naturally he's going to want and push for as many radio friendly tunes as possible.
Ups his stake and return in the game. That's an agenda on its own, and obviously if he is pushing for the more accessible/radio friendly songs (and the BS about 'reminding people they like pj and new people discovering them. That's the goal of the whole thing')
That's his mission statement alone not the bands I don't think.

I don't know whether that's true but it's the feeling I get as well. Regardless, I was just doubting what you said about him not having heard the song before. I'm sure he knew it was on Uke Songs because he talks about them finding it difficult to record a version they liked, and he had to push for it. Anyway, I've always said it depends how it sounds as to whether I'll like it; I'm not dismissing it because a 1:30 minute uke 'sketch' of it was on Ed's solo album. And it sounds like they've made it way over-the-top "happy" quite deliberately. If it sounds at all self-mocking I'll probably enjoy it.

SBM is a sad song though. 'I should have known there was someone else...'
How they made that happy, if it is, is a wonder.

Anyways, he just looks bossy does BOB

You can't tell he looks bossy from a pic with his hand out. He might be shushing the room to listen to something; totally normal. And how could a very sad song sound "happy"? Irony. You've heard "Last Kiss" right? They achieved that irony with perfection there, let's hope it's similar here.

It's probably my favourite song on the uke record. I'd rather not have that beautiful bittersweet sentiment tarnished by a Mumford n sons vibe. Thanks.

And he looks bossy. Jus sayin

That depends whether you think Mumford & Sons ever reach bittersweet sentiment. Hell, that depends whether you like Mumford & Sons. They're just a folk band, and SBM is just a folk song when you add the band. Even if you hate this version, you still have the uke songs version. I can't tell you BO'B is bossy just from this perfectly standard picture of them in the studio, but if you can, have at it.

[HardTI]

They guy is clearly just playing the air piano.

[dimejinky99]

I'm not sure he'll be gone for the next one, if there is a next one. I also highly doubt he didn't know it was on Uke Songs. There's no other reason they'd be so reluctant to record a studio version initially.

But as well as his premium, he'd be getting points on the album.
Naturally he's going to want and push for as many radio friendly tunes as possible.
Ups his stake and return in the game. That's an agenda on its own, and obviously if he is pushing for the more accessible/radio friendly songs (and the BS about 'reminding people they like pj and new people discovering them. That's the goal of the whole thing')
That's his mission statement alone not the bands I don't think.

I don't know whether that's true but it's the feeling I get as well. Regardless, I was just doubting what you said about him not having heard the song before. I'm sure he knew it was on Uke Songs because he talks about them finding it difficult to record a version they liked, and he had to push for it. Anyway, I've always said it depends how it sounds as to whether I'll like it; I'm not dismissing it because a 1:30 minute uke 'sketch' of it was on Ed's solo album. And it sounds like they've made it way over-the-top "happy" quite deliberately. If it sounds at all self-mocking I'll probably enjoy it.

SBM is a sad song though. 'I should have known there was someone else...'
How they made that happy, if it is, is a wonder.

Anyways, he just looks bossy does BOB

You can't tell he looks bossy from a pic with his hand out. He might be shushing the room to listen to something; totally normal. And how could a very sad song sound "happy"? Irony. You've heard "Last Kiss" right? They achieved that irony with perfection there, let's hope it's similar here.

It's probably my favourite song on the uke record. I'd rather not have that beautiful bittersweet sentiment tarnished by a Mumford n sons vibe. Thanks.

And he looks bossy. Jus sayin

That depends whether you think Mumford & Sons ever reach bittersweet sentiment. Hell, that depends whether you like Mumford & Sons. They're just a folk band, and SBM is just a folk song when you add the band. Even if you hate this version, you still have the uke songs version. I can't tell you BO'B is bossy just from this perfectly standard picture of them in the studio, but if you can, have at it.

I'm just kidding. They should go the other way totally with the next record and get a total sycophant in like Cameron Crowe. He'll do exactly what he's told and we'll get the best or at least most interesting Pj record ever. And itd probably be a double too

[harmless]

They guy is clearly just playing the air piano.

"Guys, guys, shhh, the Fixer bridge is coming up!"