Red Mosquito • View topic - Lets Actually Listen to the Album: Lightning Bolt

hlniv · **Posted:** Thu February 13, 2014 7:21 pm

bada wrote:

stip wrote:

Lighting Bolt:

I think this is one of the best anthems in their catalog.

I tend to agree with stip on this one. The live versions kill.

But, it is a prime example of a track on LB that is completely ruined by the production decisions (fade out), instrumentation choices (fucking shakers), and the way in which it was recorded and mixed (is that a piano? laser? guitar? kazoo? can't tell).

bada · **Joined:** Tue January 01, 2013 5:53 pm **Posts:** 12082

I can see enjoying the song but I don't really think Corduroy, Alive, Last Exit, Black and Lightening Bolt are in the same conversation. Maybe Lightening Bolt is among the best after 50 other songs.

digster · **Joined:** Thu January 03, 2013 1:10 am **Posts:** 3879

Ed's tended to have one anthem-by-numbers on the last three records (Severed Hand, Unthought Known, LB). This is definitely the best of the three, though it still feels kind of forced. I feel like this is definitely what Unthought Known was attempting to do.

stip · **Joined:** Thu December 13, 2012 6:31 pm **Posts:** 39917

Love boat captain, too

stip · **Joined:** Thu December 13, 2012 6:31 pm **Posts:** 39917

bada wrote:

I can see enjoying the song but I don't really think Corduroy, Alive, Last Exit, Black and Lightening Bolt are in the same conversation. Maybe Lightening Bolt is among the best after 50 other songs.

Well most songs don't belong in the same conversation as those, period

bada · **Joined:** Tue January 01, 2013 5:53 pm **Posts:** 12082

stip wrote:

bada wrote:

I can see enjoying the song but I don't really think Corduroy, Alive, Last Exit, Black and Lightening Bolt are in the same conversation. Maybe Lightening Bolt is among the best after 50 other songs.

Well most songs don't belong in the same conversation as those, period

Does Force of Nature? When you say that is a 5 star song I am equally confused cause it doesn't measure up. I enjoy the last few albums in a vacuum but matched up against the older material they don't compare. Rats.

BurtReynolds · **Posted:** Thu February 13, 2014 10:14 pm

Quote:

My biggest concern was that it be good enough to do something about the interminable Backspacer bitching that had come to define RM.

In a way I think it was successful at that. Some here who were at a breaking point (myself included) mostly walked away after Lightning Bolt failed to reignite the flame. At the same time it lacked the outright repulsiveness that would have at least kept the hate train rolling.

Mission accomplished, pearl jams.

stip · **Joined:** Thu December 13, 2012 6:31 pm **Posts:** 39917

Well look, I think FON stacks up well against many if their best songs. But the very top of the heap is in a class all by itself

bada · **Joined:** Tue January 01, 2013 5:53 pm **Posts:** 12082

So there are five star songs and FIVE star songs? Maybe the little 5 should be a 4.

McParadigm · **Joined:** Wed January 02, 2013 1:56 am **Posts:** 21846

It's too late when we die to admit we don't see eye to eye

bada · **Joined:** Tue January 01, 2013 5:53 pm **Posts:** 12082

All I need is you McP.

stip · **Joined:** Thu December 13, 2012 6:31 pm **Posts:** 39917

bada wrote:

So there are five star songs and FIVE star songs? Maybe the little 5 should be a 4.

But it's better than a 4. Stop exposing flaws in the 5 star ranking system!

Jorge · **Posted:** Thu February 13, 2014 11:04 pm

Time for a new tier. Six-star songs.

bada · **Joined:** Tue January 01, 2013 5:53 pm **Posts:** 12082

Stip is too easy of a grader and it's starting to become a real problem!

Jorge · **Posted:** Thu February 13, 2014 11:11 pm

Norris · **Posted:** Thu February 13, 2014 11:52 pm

stip · **Joined:** Thu December 13, 2012 6:31 pm **Posts:** 39917

I keep trying to get that number lower

aurynsdad · **Joined:** Fri January 03, 2014 10:22 pm **Posts:** 206

Any rating system is flawed because it assumes objectivity for what is a 100% subjective experience. The other day I was listening to BS and ATW was a total 5 for me. Almost every time I listen to Pendulum, it's a 5 for me. Are both of those songs 5s? Some of the time. Same applies for a song like Alive. Sometimes, I'm kind of sick of it and it plods. Most of the time though, I love the heck out of it.

sabermetric · **Joined:** Mon January 13, 2014 3:13 am **Posts:** 1

Spun time and again

Failing to fully embrace

Middling Lightning Bolt.

Sgt. Crackpot · **Posted:** Fri February 14, 2014 1:54 am

sabermetric wrote:

Spun time and again

Failing to fully embrace

Middling Lightning Bolt.

Nice Haiku. Welcome to RM.

Lets Actually Listen to the Album: Lightning Bolt

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