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Better Album: Backspacer or Lightning Bolt

KM73780KM73780 Posts: 1,131
in The Porch
Which album is better?

Better Album: Backspacer or Lightning Bolt 177 votes

Backspacer
47%
Amantriafall by the waysidemcgruff10fsu2626maverickNiko80HailHailVitalogyTHEBIBLEISTENbootlegger10T-Bone 82TerryibleMoonpigmr bunglenycmalePJammer4lifeon2legsvedpunkKevinmanspankyMPiOnlyownMymind 84 votes
Lightning Bolt
52%
Vedd HeddpjhawksjeffbrNewJPageevenflow82robbiedreamcodeneutron baumRed MosqitoE-G-A-GspnooneLedbetterman10KasBettermanNitropjpitt89Gibsonrafono codeogre1213goldrush 93 votes
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Comments

  • nadahombrenadahombre Brooklyn Posts: 458
    Lightning Bolt
    I have very little time for Backspacer. Then again LB is nowhere near their best. I'm just happy that I have found GT IMO their best album effort since Riot
  • Glorified KCGlorified KC KCMO Native Posts: 2,759
    edited May 2020
    Backspacer
    I go back-and-forth on these two, but I don't think any of the tracks on LB really stand out for me.  With BS, I can at least say Unthought Known is one of my all-time favorites of theirs.  Both albums are on my bottom 2.
    Post edited by Glorified KC on
    I wish I was a sacrifice, but somehow still lived on.
  • edoconedocon Posts: 333
    Backspacer
    I did a track-by-track listenability comparison. In my opinion:

    1. Gonna See My Friend > Getaway
    2. Got Some == Mind Your Manners
    3. The Fixer > My Father's Son
    4. Johnny Guitar < Sirens
    5. Just Breathe > LIghtning Bolt
    6. Amongst the Waves > Infallible
    7. Unkthought Known > Pendulum
    8. Supersonic == Swallowed Whole
    9. Speed of Sound > Let The Records Play
    10. Force of Nature == Sleeping By Myself
    11. The End  == Yellow Moon and/or Future Days
     
    Backspacer 6
    Lightning Bolt 1
    Toss-up 4
  • iOnlyownMymindiOnlyownMymind Posts: 2,884
    Backspacer
    edocon said:
    I did a track-by-track listenability comparison. In my opinion:

    1. Gonna See My Friend > Getaway
    2. Got Some == Mind Your Manners
    3. The Fixer > My Father's Son
    4. Johnny Guitar < Sirens
    5. Just Breathe > LIghtning Bolt
    6. Amongst the Waves > Infallible
    7. Unkthought Known > Pendulum
    8. Supersonic == Swallowed Whole
    9. Speed of Sound > Let The Records Play
    10. Force of Nature == Sleeping By Myself
    11. The End  == Yellow Moon and/or Future Days
     
    Backspacer 6
    Lightning Bolt 1
    Toss-up 4
    IMO Pendulum is the best song over any others on either album and I like Force of Nature way more than SBM. Those are my only strong opinions from your list.
  • Hawk123Hawk123 Posts: 2,300
    Lightning Bolt
    I went with lightning bolt, to me backspacer is at the bottom but I still enjoy it and think there are some great songs on it
  • Jumb0Jumb0 Posts: 910
    Backspacer
    Backspacer by a nose
  • cp3iversoncp3iverson Posts: 8,702
    Backspacer
    i have Backspacer as my 2nd favorite album of this century by PJ (behind Gigaton).

    Backspacer is lean and fun.  They went for hooks.  Lightning Bolt is kind of directionless to me.   
  • JimmyVJimmyV Boston's MetroWest Posts: 19,339
    There was a time when Lightning Bolt would have been my easy answer, but I don't know how well it has held up over the years. I'd still take it over Backspacer but it is much closer now than it once was.
    ___________________________________________

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  • cp3iversoncp3iverson Posts: 8,702
    Backspacer
    Backspacer is a very easy listen.  It's actually gained a lot of traction with me in the past 10 years.  It's one of the easiest PJ albums to throw on 
  • JPPJ84JPPJ84 Hamburg, Germany Posts: 3,464
    Lightning Bolt
    I hardly ever put on Backspacer. I genuinely like 3 or 4 songs, the rest is bla. Now on LB I like 7 songs
  • E-G-A-GE-G-A-G Posts: 237
    Lightning Bolt
    Backspacer is the only effort of PJ’s that doesn’t connect with me. That’s as nicely as I can say it. I’ll stop there. 

    LB is far from perfect but it has some cool songs I like to hear live on it. 

    I would argue these (Backspacer and Lightning Bolt)are their two weakest albums. I am 44 years old, so factor the OMG 90s into my outlook for sure. 

    All of this said, I am very happy with Gigaton and it has me very excited for the band’s releases moving forward. 
  • KM73780KM73780 Posts: 1,131
    Backspacer
    This is surprising to me. I always kinda liked Backspacer but didn’t enjoy Lightning Bolt at all. I didn’t realize the perception of Backspacer until I started hanging around the forum. 
  • KM73780KM73780 Posts: 1,131
    Backspacer
    E-G-A-G said:
    Backspacer is the only effort of PJ’s that doesn’t connect with me. That’s as nicely as I can say it. I’ll stop there. 

    LB is far from perfect but it has some cool songs I like to hear live on it. 

    I would argue these (Backspacer and Lightning Bolt)are their two weakest albums. I am 44 years old, so factor the OMG 90s into my outlook for sure. 

    All of this said, I am very happy with Gigaton and it has me very excited for the band’s releases moving forward. 
    I would agree they are the two weakest. I just always thought LB was weaker, which is why I was curious about the fan’s/forum’s perception of the two. And also agree, very happy with Gigaton. 
  • E-G-A-GE-G-A-G Posts: 237
    Lightning Bolt
    To me, there’s not a single song on Backspacer I’m hoping to appear on a setlist. And frankly there’s a few I’m praying won’t be on there. 

    The overall runtime of Backspacer also speaks volumes to me. It’s under 37 minutes... it just felt uninspired and rushed to me. There’s some quote from and during that time that kinda hinted at not working on those songs as much whereas in the past he’s made more of a time investment to write... I’ll dig it up. 

    I’m still a huge fan. Still go to as many shows as I can every year depending of my life that year. I just dislike that album, entirely. I want to like everything they do but I’m not gonna lie about how I feel. Not to myself or anybody else. 

    When they play those songs live, I take pictures or look around. So it all works out. 
  • rummyrummy British Columbia, Canada Posts: 4,458
    edocon said:
    I did a track-by-track listenability comparison. In my opinion:

    1. Gonna See My Friend > Getaway
    2. Got Some == Mind Your Manners
    3. The Fixer > My Father's Son
    4. Johnny Guitar < Sirens
    5. Just Breathe > LIghtning Bolt
    6. Amongst the Waves > Infallible
    7. Unkthought Known > Pendulum
    8. Supersonic == Swallowed Whole
    9. Speed of Sound > Let The Records Play
    10. Force of Nature == Sleeping By Myself
    11. The End  == Yellow Moon and/or Future Days
     
    Backspacer 6
    Lightning Bolt 1
    Toss-up 4
    I just realized that the best song on both is track 7!
  • vitovito Chicago Posts: 2,029
    Backspacer
    Neither and Gigaton proves just how average both of those albums truly are. 
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  • PJNBPJNB Posts: 13,595
    edited May 2020
    rummy said:
    edocon said:
    I did a track-by-track listenability comparison. In my opinion:

    1. Gonna See My Friend > Getaway
    2. Got Some == Mind Your Manners
    3. The Fixer > My Father's Son
    4. Johnny Guitar < Sirens
    5. Just Breathe > LIghtning Bolt
    6. Amongst the Waves > Infallible
    7. Unkthought Known > Pendulum
    8. Supersonic == Swallowed Whole
    9. Speed of Sound > Let The Records Play
    10. Force of Nature == Sleeping By Myself
    11. The End  == Yellow Moon and/or Future Days
     
    Backspacer 6
    Lightning Bolt 1
    Toss-up 4
    I just realized that the best song on both is track 7!
     I agree too. Also Gonna See My Friend  > Getaway and Force of Nature = Sleeping By Myself? Come on! 
  • F Me In The BrainF Me In The Brain this knows everybody from other commets Posts: 31,597
    Backspacer
    Like then both more than Gigaton.
    The love he receives is the love that is saved
  • BrainofBGABrainofBGA Australia Posts: 4,435
    Lightning Bolt
    In a nutshell, I like more songs from LB than I do Backspacer. Don’t dislike either album, don’t necessarily love them either. I rank LB about 7th or 8th. Backspacer probably nearer the bottom. 
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  • Tim SimmonsTim Simmons Posts: 8,577
    Lightning Bolt
    I have to go with which album has me skipping songs more. I skip less on LB than BS. The highs on BS are better, but I’ve gone back to LB more. 
  • KN219077KN219077 Montana Posts: 1,164
    Lightning Bolt
    I visit Backspacer for unthought, amongst, and just breathe. Supersonic too sometimes. But I generally stick around for more of the LB album. This is a tough one. I’d put LB slightly ahead but not by much. The highs are less high but the lows are less low for me.
  • rummyrummy British Columbia, Canada Posts: 4,458
    PJNB said:
    rummy said:
    edocon said:
    I did a track-by-track listenability comparison. In my opinion:

    1. Gonna See My Friend > Getaway
    2. Got Some == Mind Your Manners
    3. The Fixer > My Father's Son
    4. Johnny Guitar < Sirens
    5. Just Breathe > LIghtning Bolt
    6. Amongst the Waves > Infallible
    7. Unkthought Known > Pendulum
    8. Supersonic == Swallowed Whole
    9. Speed of Sound > Let The Records Play
    10. Force of Nature == Sleeping By Myself
    11. The End  == Yellow Moon and/or Future Days
     
    Backspacer 6
    Lightning Bolt 1
    Toss-up 4
    I just realized that the best song on both is track 7!
     I agree too. Also Gonna See My Friend  > Getaway and Force of Nature = Sleeping By Myself? Come on! 
    True that!
  • rummyrummy British Columbia, Canada Posts: 4,458
    I gotta admit that I don’t revisit either of these albums. I’ll just enjoy a few songs from each when I hear them in a bootleg.
  • ElEl Posts: 139
    Backspacer
    It depends on the day for me. But currently:  So looks like Backspacer takes the top spot between the two. 

    1. Gonna See My Friend > Getaway
    2. Got Some == Mind Your Manners
    3. The Fixer > My Father's Son
    4. Johnny Guitar < Sirens
    5. Just Breathe < Lightning Bolt
    6. Amongst the Waves > Infallible
    7. Unkthought Known > Pendulum
    8. Supersonic > Swallowed Whole
    9. Speed of Sound > Let The Records Play
    10. Force of Nature == Sleeping By Myself
    11. The End  < Yellow Moon and/or Future Days
    Music is what feelings sound like.
  • HailHailVitalogyHailHailVitalogy Posts: 5,525
    edited May 2020
    Backspacer
    Backspacer. This shouldn’t even be a contest. 

    Yield > Vitalogy > Vs > No Code > Ten > BACKSPACER > Gigaton > Riot Act > Binaural > Lightning Bolt
    2003: Uniondale, MSG x2 | 2004: Reading | 2005: Gorge, Vancouver, Philly | 2006: East Rutherford x2, Gorge x2, Camden 1, Hartford | 2008: MSG x2, VA Beach | 2009: Philly x3 | 2010: MSG x2, Bristow | 2011: Alpine Valley x2 | 2012: MIA Philly | 2013: Wrigley, Charlottesville, Brooklyn 2 | 2014: Milan, Amsterdam 1 | 2016: MSG x2, Fenway x2, Wrigley 2 | 2018: Rome, Krakow, Berlin, Wrigley 2 | 2021: Sea Hear Now | 2022: San Diego, LA x2, MSG, Camden, Nashville, St. Louis, Denver | 2023: St. Paul 1, Chicago x2, Fort Worth x2, Austin 2 | 2024: Las Vegas 1, Seattle x2, Indy, MSG x2, Philly x2, Baltimore, Ohana 2
  • JPPJ84JPPJ84 Hamburg, Germany Posts: 3,464
    Lightning Bolt
    HailHailVitalogy said:
    Backspacer. This shouldn’t even be a contest. 

    Yield > Vitalogy > Vs > No Code > Ten > BACKSPACER > Gigaton > Riot Act > Binaural > Lightning Bolt
    In your mind maybe 
  • HailHailVitalogyHailHailVitalogy Posts: 5,525
    Backspacer
    JPPJ84 said:
    HailHailVitalogy said:
    Backspacer. This shouldn’t even be a contest. 

    Yield > Vitalogy > Vs > No Code > Ten > BACKSPACER > Gigaton > Riot Act > Binaural > Lightning Bolt
    In your mind maybe 
    Unthought Known, Force of Nature, Johnny Guitar, Got Some, and Amongst the Waves are better than any song on LB
    2003: Uniondale, MSG x2 | 2004: Reading | 2005: Gorge, Vancouver, Philly | 2006: East Rutherford x2, Gorge x2, Camden 1, Hartford | 2008: MSG x2, VA Beach | 2009: Philly x3 | 2010: MSG x2, Bristow | 2011: Alpine Valley x2 | 2012: MIA Philly | 2013: Wrigley, Charlottesville, Brooklyn 2 | 2014: Milan, Amsterdam 1 | 2016: MSG x2, Fenway x2, Wrigley 2 | 2018: Rome, Krakow, Berlin, Wrigley 2 | 2021: Sea Hear Now | 2022: San Diego, LA x2, MSG, Camden, Nashville, St. Louis, Denver | 2023: St. Paul 1, Chicago x2, Fort Worth x2, Austin 2 | 2024: Las Vegas 1, Seattle x2, Indy, MSG x2, Philly x2, Baltimore, Ohana 2
  • JPPJ84JPPJ84 Hamburg, Germany Posts: 3,464
    Lightning Bolt
    HailHailVitalogy said:
    JPPJ84 said:
    HailHailVitalogy said:
    Backspacer. This shouldn’t even be a contest. 

    Yield > Vitalogy > Vs > No Code > Ten > BACKSPACER > Gigaton > Riot Act > Binaural > Lightning Bolt
    In your mind maybe 
    Unthought Known, Force of Nature, Johnny Guitar, Got Some, and Amongst the Waves are better than any song on LB
    Sure, in your mind and that’s fine 😎 is it really that hard not to take your opinions as fact?
  • cp3iversoncp3iverson Posts: 8,702
    edited May 2020
    Backspacer
    I remember one of the kids was a teen at the time and BS was the first PJ album they connected with.  Their friends too.  It was cool.  The Fixer video was all over VH1 at the time.  Casual fans and non-PJ fans loved The Fixer and Just Breathe.  I will never have a problem with radio friendly PJ songs.  
  • Long RedLong Red NY Posts: 185
    Backspacer
    edocon said:
    I did a track-by-track listenability comparison. In my opinion:

    1. Gonna See My Friend > Getaway
    2. Got Some == Mind Your Manners
    3. The Fixer > My Father's Son
    4. Johnny Guitar < Sirens
    5. Just Breathe > LIghtning Bolt
    6. Amongst the Waves > Infallible
    7. Unkthought Known > Pendulum
    8. Supersonic == Swallowed Whole
    9. Speed of Sound > Let The Records Play
    10. Force of Nature == Sleeping By Myself
    11. The End  == Yellow Moon and/or Future Days
     
    Backspacer 6
    Lightning Bolt 1
    Toss-up 4
    Whoa, hold on. Force of Nature is LEAPS AND BOUNDS better than Sleeping By Myself. 
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