Better Album: Backspacer or Lightning Bolt

cp3iverson

Backspacer

Gern Blansten said:

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

I’ll take BS and Gigaton over those 3 albums, Gern.  

Its a fun listen.  Maybe because The Fixer is such a dividing tune that it set the stage for all of this.  IMO The Fixer is one of Ed’s best choruses ever.  “Fight to get it back again” defines PJ

KM73780

Backspacer

You’re right, it’s a great chorus. Pearl Jam fans are still interested in full albums..a lot of people aren’t anymore. 

Gern Blansten

Lightning Bolt

cp3iverson said:

Gern Blansten said:

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

I’ll take BS and Gigaton over those 3 albums, Gern.  

Its a fun listen.  Maybe because The Fixer is such a dividing tune that it set the stage for all of this.  IMO The Fixer is one of Ed’s best choruses ever.  “Fight to get it back again” defines PJ

I'm glad that you see it that way...it is interesting how many of us prefer certain albums over others.

For me BS just doesn't have the same staying power as the others.  It seemed quickly put together...and I believe at the time Brendan O'Brien even said something to the effect that he wished the band would play together more instead of doing side projects.

To me Gigaton is miles above BS and quite a way above LB....not above S/T though...and nowhere near Binaural or RA.  Yield will likely always be my favorite PJ album.  Maybe because of what was going on in my life at the time with kids, job, etc.

KM73780

Backspacer

S/T has grown on me. I wasn’t huge on it back in the day. Still can’t stand Parachutes. 

Tim Simmons

Lightning Bolt

A few years ago I made a playlist of my favorite tracks from both records and made an album that I play pretty often. Flows pretty well IMO. Sometimes I add Pendulumorphisis to open. Kinda neat intro to Pendulum IMO

Pendulum
Getaway
Got Some
Just Breathe
Infallible
The Fixer
Amongst the Waves
Lightning Bolt
Supersonic
Yellow Moon
Unthought Known
Future Days

1ThoughtKnown

Backspacer

JPPJ84 said:

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

It doesn’t have to make sense to you. To me it’s apples to apples.  

JPPJ84

Lightning Bolt

1ThoughtKnown said:

JPPJ84 said:

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

It doesn’t have to make sense to you. To me it’s apples to apples.  

That’s exactly what I said, „to me“ 

Matts3221

Lightning Bolt

JPPJ84 said:

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

Exactly , some may like the more songs on BS and others LB , either way some will like one album over the other.

mcgruff10

Backspacer

Backspacer.  Unthought known and lightening bolt are my two favorite songs.  

pjhawks

Lightning Bolt

surprised how many chose Backspacer. I think most of it are throw away rockers.  i think there are only 3 keepers on Backspacer; Unthought Known, Just Breathe and Amongst the Waves. I like Force of Nature as well but pretty the rest is pretty blah to me.  I think on Lightning Bolt the first 8 songs are really good to solid.    If you cut out Let the Records Play and Sleeping by Myself that would be a really solid 10 song album. I think the few extra fluff on Lightning Bolt hurts it in some people's eyes. 

1ThoughtKnown

Backspacer

JPPJ84 said:

1ThoughtKnown said:

JPPJ84 said:

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

It doesn’t have to make sense to you. To me it’s apples to apples.  

That’s exactly what I said, „to me“ 

Of all the posts comparing the two albums (which is what this whole thread is) mine is the only way that doesn’t make sense to you 😂.
Its been compared nine ways til Tuesday and comparing songs that are actually the same tempo makes no sense. 

Paradoxical.

vito

Backspacer

JPPJ84 said:

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

👍

matt84

Lightning Bolt

Listened to Backspacer recently for the first time in years. Upon it's initial release I thought it was pretty good, but after my recent listening experience I think it’s their weakest album. 

JimFletcherPearlJam

Backspacer

I don't know -- it's really close between Backspacer and Lightning Bolt.  If I had to rank the Pearl Jam studio albums, my list would be:
(1) Ten -- easily the best (my favorite album of all time)
(2) Yield -- whole thing is great
(3) Riot Act -- Save You is one of my five favorite Pearl Jam songs
(4) No Code -- Too young to completely appreciate it in 1996 but love it now
(5) Versus -- great second album
(6) Vitalogy -- some bizarre stuff (Bugs) but some excellent stuff too
(7) Gigaton -- best Pearl Jam album in 18 years (since Riot Act)
(8) Pearl Jam (Avocado) -- really solid from beginning to end
(9) Binaural -- good but not great by Pearl Jam standards
(10) Backspacer -- just a bit better than Lightning Bolt
(11) Lightning Bolt -- good but doesn't measure up to the rest on this list
P.S. - If Lost Dogs was a studio album, it'd be number three on this list!

JPPJ84

Lightning Bolt

1ThoughtKnown said:

JPPJ84 said:

1ThoughtKnown said:

JPPJ84 said:

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

It doesn’t have to make sense to you. To me it’s apples to apples.  

That’s exactly what I said, „to me“ 

Of all the posts comparing the two albums (which is what this whole thread is) mine is the only way that doesn’t make sense to you 😂.
Its been compared nine ways til Tuesday and comparing songs that are actually the same tempo makes no sense. 

Paradoxical.

Each to their own of course PJNB put it well though... even if I put Unthought Known slightly above Pendulum, it totally discards a song that I personally think is better than the entire rest of Backspacer. No matter the tempo. Just because it had the bad fortune of being in 7th spot as well.
 It’s no big deal though. Again, each to their own

KM73780

Backspacer

Just my personal rankings:

Vs (my intro to PJ when I was in fifth grade)

Vitalogy

No Code

Yield

Binaural

Ten (too young to appreciate it when it came out so I missed the boat on this one)

Riot Act

Gigaton 

Pearl Jam

Backspacer 

Lightning Bolt

Pap

Backspacer

Backspacer is full of gems and rhinestones...

1ThoughtKnown

Backspacer

Pap said:

Backspacer is full of gems and rhinestones...

😂 well done! 

static111

no contest it has Johnny guitar

BrainofBGA

Lightning Bolt

The next thread should be Yield vs No Code or Ten vs VS. Riot Act vs Binaural.