Better Album: Backspacer or Lightning Bolt

135

Comments

  • ty914
    ty914 Posts: 6
    Backspacer
    BS by a very slight margin with Fixer and especially Speed of Sound putting it over the top.  I think if you put the best of these two together, it makes a really good single album.  

    Lightning Spacer:

    1.) Getaway
    2.) Got Some
    3.) My Father's Son
    4.) Johnny Guitar
    5.) Just Breathe
    6.) Mind Your Manners
    7.) The Fixer
    8.) Sirens
    9.) Swallowed Whole
    10.) Speed of Sound
    11.) Pendulum
    12.) Unthought Known


  • mr bungle
    mr bungle Posts: 1,425
    Backspacer
    Long Red 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
    Whoa, hold on. Force of Nature is LEAPS AND BOUNDS better than Sleeping By Myself. 
    I agree!
  • iOnlyownMymind
    iOnlyownMymind Posts: 2,961
    Backspacer
    Force of Nature is one of the most underrated songs in the catalog.  Would love to hear it live someday. 
  • BloodMeridian80
    BloodMeridian80 Seattle Posts: 716
    Lightning Bolt
    The lyrics to most of Backspacer, minus JB, Unthought, and the end are just empty. The first 4 songs on BS, I’d rather just have instrumentals. Amongst the Waves and FoN as well. It’s the low point in their discography imo, mostly because of the lyrics.
  • Sparkie
    Sparkie Posts: 6
    Lightning Bolt
    Combined you make a really good, tight 10 song album. As is....Lightning Bolt is the better overall effort IMO. Especially lyrically.
    Although, the production is somewhat deadened on it. (Having said that, I love how songs like Yellow Moon and Pendulum sound.) Just doesn't seem to be energy and life in it. Backspacer's production has a bit of zip to it...and given the brevity of the album, BS makes for an easier listen. But the consistency of LB wins out for me
  • cp3iverson
    cp3iverson Posts: 8,702
    Backspacer
    Im actually really surprised.  I know neither of these are popular amongst the Porch folks, but i thought Backspacer would runaway with this.  
  • Matts3221
    Matts3221 Posts: 658
    Lightning Bolt

    LB Bangers - 8
    Getaway
    Mind Your Manners
    Sirens
    Lighting Bolt
    Infallible
    Swallowed Whole
    Sleeping By Myself
    Future Days


    Back Spacer Bangers - 7
    Got Some
    The Fixer
    Just Breath
    Amongst The Waves
    Unthought Know
    Speed Of Sound
    The End

  • vedpunk
    vedpunk Posts: 961
    Backspacer
    Backspacer and it's not even close.  Don't get the hate for Backspacer.   Tight, fun rockers with actual melodies...best since Yield.   What's not to love?
  • F Me In The Brain
    F Me In The Brain this knows everybody from other commets Posts: 31,886
    Backspacer
    I enjoy both of these records....neither one are in bottom 3, to me.  Glad to see some speaking well of both.  
    I really enjoy the first 2/3 of LB...but BS has (and forever will have) a special spot for me based on where I was when it came out.  (Figuratively)
    The love he receives is the love that is saved
  • pledgeagrievance
    pledgeagrievance Posts: 2,874
    Backspacer

    Lightning Spacer:

    PenduluM

    Gonna see My Friend

    Got Some

    Mind Your Manners

    Unthought Known

    Just Breathe 

    The Fixer

    Swallowed Whole 

    Lightning Bolt 

    Infallible

    Getaway

    Yellow Moon

    The End 

  • tino_11
    tino_11 Posts: 2,189
    Lightning Bolt
    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. Unthought 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 Future Days

    I honestly can't believe that quite a few of you rate GSMF as high as Getaway. Then again, I really like My Fathers Son and that gets a lot of hate around here.

    I like both albums, but LB has more tracks I really like. Agree with comments that BS feels more like cohesive album but not much depth to the lyrics (musically just OK for me too).
    'F*** the pessimists. F*** 'em.' Eddie Vedder
  • Gern Blansten
    Gern Blansten Mar-A-Lago Posts: 22,513
    Lightning Bolt
    I hate to call BS my least favorite album but it is....still a good piece of work though
    Remember the Thomas Nine !! (10/02/2018)
    The Golden Age is 2 months away. And guess what….. you’re gonna love it! (teskeinc 11.19.24)

    1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
    2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
    2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
    2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
    2020: Oakland, Oakland:  2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
    2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
    2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana; 2025: Pitt1, Pitt2
  • jeffbr
    jeffbr Seattle Posts: 7,177
    Lightning Bolt
    A few good songs on both records, but I don't think either are strong albums. So it is a close one for the bottom of the list. Almost a coin toss. Don't ever feel compelled to listen to either one start to finish anymore.
    "I'll use the magic word - let's just shut the fuck up, please." EV, 04/13/08
  • mlcoon23
    mlcoon23 Posts: 32
    Backspacer
    Backspacer is a more complete album.  Lightning bolt has good tunes but I ship more songs on it than backspacer. 
  • KN219077
    KN219077 Montana Posts: 1,201
    edited May 2020
    Lightning Bolt
    Both albums combined would have made one good album if you culled the throwaway tracks 
  • KM73780
    KM73780 Posts: 1,177
    Backspacer
    I’m surprised that LB has more support than BS. I always thought BS was ok until I came to this forum. First three tracks on BS are better than anything on LB except MYM. 
  • 1ThoughtKnown
    1ThoughtKnown Posts: 6,155
    edited May 2020
    Backspacer
    KM73780 said:
    I’m surprised that LB has more support than BS. I always thought BS was ok until I came to this forum. First three tracks on BS are better than anything on LB except MYM. 
    When comparing albums as others have, the BS slow rockers of Just Breathe, Speed of Sound and The End (if you have ever known a person in this situation this song tears you up inside) are far superior IMO than LB’s Future Days, Sleeping By Myself and Yellow Moon. I really only want to hear Yellow Moon, has an Uncle Neil feel to me, Future Days is ok... and SBM (ugh). 



    Post edited by 1ThoughtKnown on
  • Gern Blansten
    Gern Blansten Mar-A-Lago Posts: 22,513
    Lightning Bolt
    vedpunk said:
    Backspacer and it's not even close.  Don't get the hate for Backspacer.   Tight, fun rockers with actual melodies...best since Yield.   What's not to love?
    best since Yield...except for Binaural, Riot Act, and S/T
    Remember the Thomas Nine !! (10/02/2018)
    The Golden Age is 2 months away. And guess what….. you’re gonna love it! (teskeinc 11.19.24)

    1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
    2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
    2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
    2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
    2020: Oakland, Oakland:  2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
    2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
    2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana; 2025: Pitt1, Pitt2
  • JPPJ84
    JPPJ84 Hamburg, Germany Posts: 3,464
    Lightning Bolt
    1ThoughtKnown said:
    KM73780 said:
    I’m surprised that LB has more support than BS. I always thought BS was ok until I came to this forum. First three tracks on BS are better than anything on LB except MYM. 
    When comparing albums as others have, the BS slow rockers of Just Breathe, Speed of Sound and The End (if you have ever known a person in this situation this song tears you up inside) are far superior IMO than LB’s Future Days, Sleeping By Myself and Yellow Moon. I really only want to hear Yellow Moon, has an Uncle Neil feel to me, Future Days is ok... and SBM (ugh). 



    This way of comparing albums doesn’t make much sense to me. What does it matter how both songs 3 compare? You like a song or you don’t and at the end of the album you know how many songs you like
  • PJNB
    PJNB Posts: 13,890
    I am not sure just going head to head with tracklistings and tallying it up is a fair way to say which album is better. Some of those wins could be squeakers while others are huge wins and to weigh them evenly would not make sense imo. 

    I think Pendulum is slightly better than Unthought Known. That gives 1 point to LB and it acts as if Unthought Known is not even on the album since it gets no credit. I know this is just for fun and interesting to see but it is just a thought. 

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