Lightning Bolt: the official album thread

[stip]

I've disliked more than I've liked, but Future Days has been my favorite from first listen.

what have you liked, B?

[harmless]

I hated LB at Wrigley, but saw the potential if the studio version was cleaned up. There's too much gloss on it for me, but otherwise, the studio version has met that potential. I wonder whether FD will do the same; it'll be interesting to see...

[B]

I've disliked more than I've liked, but Future Days has been my favorite from first listen.

what have you liked, B?

As of right now this is my order. I won't say I hate anything, but I see myself skipping or ignoring Swallowed Whole a lot.

Future Days
Getaway
MYM
Let The Records Play
Lightning Bolt
Sirens
Swallowed Whole

What's the one I'm missing?

[stip]

that's all of em. Some people count sleeping by myself since we know the basic song structure

[Jorge]

"Swallowed Whole" is by far my favorite song of the bunch

[stip]

I'm being conservative right now and giving it a 3.5. I kinda want to give it a 4, which would actually put lightning bolt (on average) over backspacer for me.

[B]

I'm being conservative right now and giving it a 3.5. I kinda want to give it a 4, which would actually put lightning bolt (on average) over backspacer for me.

This on 5 stars or out of 10?

[PHATJ]

If we are going to start ranking the songs we have thus far, here is where I'm at:

Lightning Bolt
Getaway
Sirens
Mind Your Manners
Let the Records Play
Swallowed Whole
Future Days

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

I kinda feel like Im most excited to hear let the records play out of the 4 song leak because of the seemingly bad reaction to it, but even though I've been avoiding reading too much description of the songs i have read about the riff of stone's in it and Im really wanting to know how it is

[verb_to_trust]

I haven't heard any of the songs other than MYM, Sirens and Wrigley songs, but allow me to rank them anyway...

1. Getaway
2. Swallowed Whole
3. Let The Records Play
4. Lightning Bolt
5. MYM
6. Future Daze
7. Sirens

[Jorge]

Swallowed Whole
Mind Your Manners
Sirens
Lightning Bolt
Future Days
Getaway
Let the Records Play

[Thejambi]

"Swallowed Whole" is by far my favorite song of the bunch

It is by far the best song of the bunch.

[stip]

I'm being conservative right now and giving it a 3.5. I kinda want to give it a 4, which would actually put lightning bolt (on average) over backspacer for me.

This on 5 stars or out of 10?

Nope, 5. I think every song is good so far

[Ledbetterdays]

I think so much has to do with when you got on board with the band and what kept you here. I like most of what I have heard but none of it will be as impressive or important as pre-Binaural. I have too much history with those songs and that band. People want Pearl Jam to be a lot of different things and I think many fans have been let down for the past ten years with those expectations. I still think the Star Wars analogy is a good one. If you grew up with the first three movies you will never love the last three. Or the next ten Disney will put out, but there will be hope and curiosity and for some that will be enough and for others it will not. Some bands find a way to reboot well into their careers but it requires commercial success. I do not think Sirens or anything else they have done comes close to that level of selling out.

the problem with this analogy is that the prequels are just wretchedly awful by almost any possible standard and fail most of the basic fundamental tasks of good storytelling. But your point about what you're looking for is still well taken

I know but that is kinda the point. Kids who started with those movies look at the old ones as dated and kinda boring. I think a lot of people who got on board with Pearl Jam later have an easier time embracing the new style.

those kids are just idiots (not for finding the older movies dated or boring, but for thinking that the newer films are in any way superior. Maybe none of them are worthwhile, but I just can't even begin to envision how the later wold be preferable to anyone

I'm not sure when you became a fan may matter much here. Just about everyone has been committed for a long while. I think Digster's point about how much you care about those middle records (which are much more insular affairs) is probably the critical factor here. Pearl Jam's current music is much more immediate and extroverted than those albums. That may be a complete turn off for some who have hated all of it. There may be others who were fine with that approach for a record or two but will lose interest with more of it. Others may not like it as much as what they see as pearl jam's best stuff, but still think the albums are good. And then others (like me) may think it makes for better records than the middle period albums

I also mentioned why people are still on board. Without Yield I probably would have jumped ship. That album and tour cemented it for me. I see the movies being more about cultural relevance and a persons maturity when they interact with it. Generally people appreciate their early experiences and compare everything to that. That is why I can appreciate No code and Binaural now more than when they were released. Comparing them to the first three albums is what drove most people away. With the proper aging they are not so bad.

[BurtReynolds]

love:
still waiting...

like:
Getaway
MYM

bleh:
Swallowed Whole

hate:
Sirens
Lightning Bolt
Let the Records Play
Future Days

[Fuzzcharger]

love:
still waiting...

like:
Getaway
MYM

bleh:
Swallowed Whole

hate:
Sirens
Lightning Bolt
Let the Records Play
Future Days

You probably just need to listen to every single song on here over and over until you get it.

[BurtReynolds]

love:
still waiting...

like:
Getaway
MYM

bleh:
Swallowed Whole

hate:
Sirens
Lightning Bolt
Let the Records Play
Future Days

You probably just need to listen to every single song on here over and over until you get it.

Sirens has actually aged worse for me (it was a 'bleh'). I don't hear how its a grower.

[Fuzzcharger]

love:
still waiting...

like:
Getaway
MYM

bleh:
Swallowed Whole

hate:
Sirens
Lightning Bolt
Let the Records Play
Future Days

You probably just need to listen to every single song on here over and over until you get it.

Sirens has actually aged worse for me (it was a 'bleh'). I don't hear how its a grower.

Don't say that out loud! Stip will freak out!

[Noaheb]

love:
still waiting...

like:
Getaway
MYM

bleh:
Swallowed Whole

hate:
Sirens
Lightning Bolt
Let the Records Play
Future Days

You probably just need to listen to every single song on here over and over until you get it.

Sirens has actually aged worse for me (it was a 'bleh'). I don't hear how its a grower.

Don't say that out loud! Stip will freak out!

nah

[evenslow]

love:
still waiting...

like:
Getaway
MYM

bleh:
Swallowed Whole

hate:
Sirens
Lightning Bolt
Let the Records Play
Future Days

You probably just need to listen to every single song on here over and over until you get it.

Sirens has actually aged worse for me (it was a 'bleh'). I don't hear how its a grower.

Don't say that out loud! Stip will freak out!

Awwwwww, what a sweet little support group. It's okay guys, you'll still be talking about things you don't like together on a message board tomorrow.