Can We Give Lightning Bolt The Love It Deserves?

pearljammr78

A lot of people on this board are always bad mouthing Lightning Bolt. I would put it above Riot Act, Self Titled, and the bottom of the PJ discography, Backspacer. Half of Binaural is not as good as Lightning Bolt. The worst song on Lightning Bolt (Sleeping By Myself) is better than Mankind by infinity. I love Riot Act and Self Titled, those albums are classics but when ranking PJ albums I would put Lightning Bolt above those two albums for sure. From the opening of Getaway to the closer Future Days it rocks. Infallible is one of my all time favorites. Yellow Moon is awesome. And so many in between. I love Lightning Bolt. There is no such thing as a bad PJ album, even though Backspacer is as close as bad gets for them. But Backspacer is still better than 96% of the music out there. And I could never come close to writing anything as good as anything they have put out besides Mankind. I think a drunken dead monkey wrote Mankind. 

Lightning Bolt rules. That’s just reality speaking. I’m done. Peace

PB11041

I was all about this post, but you are dead to me for backing up over Mankind.

PJ_Soul

pearljammr78 said:

A lot of people on this board are always bad mouthing Lightning Bolt. I would put it above Riot Act, Self Titled, and the bottom of the PJ discography, Backspacer. Half of Binaural is not as good as Lightning Bolt. The worst song on Lightning Bolt (Sleeping By Myself) is better than Mankind by infinity. I love Riot Act and Self Titled, those albums are classics but when ranking PJ albums I would put Lightning Bolt above those two albums for sure. From the opening of Getaway to the closer Future Days it rocks. Infallible is one of my all time favorites. Yellow Moon is awesome. And so many in between. I love Lightning Bolt. There is no such thing as a bad PJ album, even though Backspacer is as close as bad gets for them. But Backspacer is still better than 96% of the music out there. And I could never come close to writing anything as good as anything they have put out besides Mankind. I think a drunken dead monkey wrote Mankind. 

Lightning Bolt rules. That’s just reality speaking. I’m done. Peace

There are few posts that I disagree with so completely, lol.

And I too really enjoy Mankind.

pearljammr78

Mankind is so bad. I think I heard a Post Malone song the other day that was skipping followed by a Cardi B song on repeat that was better than Mankind. Mankind was a fuck you we are the biggest band in the world and can put out a flaming abortion of a song on what is the masterpiece called No Code and people will eat it up like Popeyes chicken sandwiches because the rest of the album is so good. If I ever go to a PJ show and Mankind is played I will actually go get a beer and I don’t drink. I would then pour the beer on my head and sit in the filth. That would be better than hearing Mankind. 

On a side note. Lightning Bolt RULES!!!!

JPPJ84

Love Mankind! Also love Lightning Bolt although I wouldn't put it above ST or Riot Act. Especially Riot Act has grown on me immensely

bootlegger10

I will disagree that Backspacer is better than 96% of the music out there.  It is not.  It isn’t terrible music but not the cream of the crop (top 4%). 

In what universe is Gonna See My Friend good?

Of The Aggie

Lightning Bolt deserves no love at all.  It is at the bottom of the PJ discography for me.  And Mankind is awesome!

brianlux

I kind of liked a few of the songs- what were they?  I don't have a clue any more.  Sold that one off a ways back.

tusevun

Riot Act is way better. It is the second worst PJ album behind the piece of dung known as Backspacer. 

F Me In The Brain

All Pearl Jam records are good, IMO, and LB is not at the bottom.  
Love it   I know it is cool here to dump on it.
(I do not like Yellow Moon, though.  At all.)

mookieblalock

Of The Aggie said:

Lightning Bolt deserves no love at all.  It is at the bottom of the PJ discography for me.  And Mankind is awesome!

This says it all

mookeywrench

pearljammr78 said:

Mankind is so bad. I think I heard a Post Malone song the other day that was skipping followed by a Cardi B song on repeat that was better than Mankind. Mankind was a fuck you we are the biggest band in the world and can put out a flaming abortion of a song on what is the masterpiece called No Code and people will eat it up like Popeyes chicken sandwiches because the rest of the album is so good. If I ever go to a PJ show and Mankind is played I will actually go get a beer and I don’t drink. I would then pour the beer on my head and sit in the filth. That would be better than hearing Mankind. 

On a side note. Lightning Bolt RULES!!!!

I think I've listened to Hollywood's Bleeding more than Lightning Bolt.

KN219077

I skip more songs on it than any other album 

deadendp

I'm a Riot Act girl.

pearljammr78

bootlegger10 said:

I will disagree that Backspacer is better than 96% of the music out there.  It is not.  It isn’t terrible music but not the cream of the crop (top 4%). 

In what universe is Gonna See My Friend good?

I like Gonna See My Friend way more than Got Some or The Fixer. The Fixer just annoys me. 

If not annoyed is a 0 and Mankind is a 10 then The Fixer is a 6 on the scale of 🤮 

Ukuleddie Vegger

I agree with the OP, Lightening Bolt is a great album!  Gettaway, Father’s Son and Lightning Bolt are my favorites amongst many other great tracks:) I grew up hating Mankind. I use to get embarrassed when I blasted No Code and that song came on. Sunburn on the other hand is a great song.

bootlegger10

While I agree Mankind is not a great song, it weirdly fits the No Code feeling to me.  

3days

Never understood the hate for Lightning Bolt. Strong album, great concept... It was pretty solid. Pendulum, Getaway, My Father's Son, Infallible, and Yellow Moon were all top tier for me. Several honorable mentions as well. 

pearljammr78

Finally some Lightning Bolt love. I’m so happy. So many great songs on that album. Pendulum was a great opener live. Such a great album!

And the line about Ovaltine in Mankind gives me Douche chills every time. The only Pearl Jam studio song I don’t download to my iPhone. 

lastexitlondon

deadendp said:

I'm a Riot Act girl.

Im a riot act boy.

brianlux

lastexitlondon said:

deadendp said:

I'm a Riot Act girl.

Im a riot act boy.

Me too! 

aurelgugus

As we every album since Binaural, I had to see/hear the songs performed live to enjoy them.
There are some great tracks in Lighting bolt but the track sequencing does not help.For example, Pendulum would have been better as the opener. It’s only after hearing it live that really started to pay attention to it.
Sleeping by myself is a meh ... and I kind of agree for Manking, it’s fun and goofy but it should not have been included in No code. It’s a lost dogs for me.

Ukuleddie Vegger

Agree, I always felt Pendulum should have been the opener

rummy

Getaway and Pendulum...and maybe Infallible. That's it for me on this one.

rummy

Riot Act is solid...very solid. Mankind....not so much (but there are worse PJ tunes out there).

lastexitlondon

rummy said:

Getaway and Pendulum...and maybe Infallible. That's it for me on this one.

Same

josevolution

I like Mankind better than any song on LB , I just don’t like the album at all Backspacer too ...

KM73780

Lightning Bolt stinks. Case closed. 

PB11041

I hate you all. Lightning Bolt rules.  So does Mankind. Knives out.

mcgruff10

Lighting bolt the song is amazing live.  

Spiritual_Chaos

mcgruff10 said:

Lighting bolt the song is amazing live.  

And you say You Are is cheesy..?