Lightning Bolt- Most Well Organized Album?

pleatherman · October 2013

I've read some criticisms about LB sounding schizophrenic or not cohesive enough. As far as tempo is concerned, pretty much every album has run the gamut. Pearl Jam's strength certainly lies in continuing to push the music in a multitude of directions.

Sequencing on the new album is probably the most obvious example of that. Lightning Bolt is bookended by a trio of songs on either side. The first three are fast, brooding, enveloped in a spitfire guitar attack that provides a direct line to the adrenal gland. The final three are formed by acoustic rumination, coupled with campfire takeaway. In between, three focused back-to-back sets emerge. 'Sirens' and 'Lightning Bolt' (the song) represent PJ at perhaps their most natural, anthemic state. The next two, 'Infallible' and 'Pendulum', are experimental, in the sense of exploring territory with no reference point in their back catalog. And 'Swallowed Whole' and 'Let the Records Play' aim for an upbeat pronouncement, bordering on levity.

Lightning Bolt's track listing contains five sections of music placed side by side. I don't think a librarian could have filed it better. Agree/Disagree?

pjhawks · October 2013

just my opinion but I think the sequencing of this album is terrible

buck502000 · October 2013

pjhawks wrote:

just my opinion but I think the sequencing of this album is terrible

Any suggestions on what it should be?

DeLukin · October 2013

My only complaint would've been the transition between Father's Son and Sirens. It just tastes like drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth. Maybe putting LB or Infallible between the two would've helped. It's not a very serious complaint because I love the album, but those first 3 songs are killer and then Sirens just kind of comes out of nowhere and douses the fire a little too abruptly for me.

Indifference152 · October 2013

This is how my lightning bolt would be

1. Getaway
2. Mind your manners
3. Lightning bolt
4. Infallible
5. Sirens
6. My fathers s son
7. Swallowed whole
8. Let the records play
9. Sleeping by myself
10. Yellow moon
11. Future days
12. Pendulum

DewieCox · October 2013

Completely disagree...The worst sequencing of any PJ album.

I think about everything on the album is at least solid, except for Future Days, but it's a little frontloaded.

Yellow Moon is cool and screams closer, but they put Future Days after it and despite diggin YM and SBM...those 3 songs to close is awful.

Missed chances to slow down and build back up, with some real clashes, MFS>Sirens and LTRP>SBM come to mind. I think Pendulum into Infallible would've been epic. Pendulum starting side 2 of the vinyl is great, but after that it goes steadily downhill with a slight uptick on Yellow Moon, but then a cliff into FD.

I was having a discussion with another vinyl loving friend and we agreed that one of the great things about vinyl is that there are certain songs that you're "forced" into listening. That really works when an album is well sequenced, but if it's not, it can turn into a crappy run of tunes.

pleatherman · October 2013

DeLukin wrote:

My only complaint would've been the transition between Father's Son and Sirens. It just tastes like drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth. Maybe putting LB or Infallible between the two would've helped. It's not a very serious complaint because I love the album, but those first 3 songs are killer and then Sirens just kind of comes out of nowhere and douses the fire a little too abruptly for me.

I know where you're coming from and I can't disagree with that.

pjhawks · October 2013

buck502000 wrote:

pjhawks wrote:

just my opinion but I think the sequencing of this album is terrible

Any suggestions on what it should be?

a quick rough of it off the top of my head but this is how i'd go with it. I still think of albums as side 1 and side 2 so I would sequence in 2 six song sequences.

1 - Pendulum (opening each show with it just shows how great of an opener it is)
2 - Sirens (put these 2 1st building up to the harder edge songs)
3 - Mind Your Manners
4 - My Father's Son
5 - Swallowed Whole
6 - Yellow Moon (end side 1 by coming down abit but not fully down to something like future days)

7 - Lightning Bolt (hit side 2 with a jolt again and take it back down until you get to future days)
8 - Infallible (think the segue on this works well together so leave back to back)
9 - Getaway
10 - Let the Records Play
11 - Sleeping By Myself
12 - Future Days

I think this sequence gives you much more balance. I don't really like the end of the current album. I think from Swallowed Whole thru Future Days just doesn't flow correctly. it's like it's kind of thrown together to me.

SVRDhand13 · October 2013

I like the way it is but also think this would work:

Side A
Getaway
Mind Your Manners
Lightning Bolt
Let The Records Play
Sirens
Future Days

Side B
Pendulum
Infallible
Swallowed Whole
My Father's Son
Sleeping By Myself
Yellow Moon

Btw I think the harsh transition from MFS into Sirens was intentional to show the difference between the love EV has for his wife compared to the despair he feels for his father.

pleatherman · October 2013

DewieCox wrote:

Completely disagree...The worst sequencing of any PJ album.

I think about everything on the album is at least solid, except for Future Days, but it's a little frontloaded.

Yellow Moon is cool and screams closer, but they put Future Days after it and despite diggin YM and SBM...those 3 songs to close is awful.

Missed chances to slow down and build back up, with some real clashes, MFS>Sirens and LTRP>SBM come to mind. I think Pendulum into Infallible would've been epic. Pendulum starting side 2 of the vinyl is great, but after that it goes steadily downhill with a slight uptick on Yellow Moon, but then a cliff into FD.

I was having a discussion with another vinyl loving friend and we agreed that one of the great things about vinyl is that there are certain songs that you're "forced" into listening. That really works when an album is well sequenced, but if it's not, it can turn into a crappy run of tunes.

For better or worse, the sequencing is distinctly categorized. That tends to mean it can lose the ebb and flow from their other releases. It's different, for sure. Personally, I enjoy Future Days and get a lot out of it. I'm glad it exists, however, I agree Yellow Moon would have made a great finale.

colors blend · October 2013

My preferred order right now:

1. Pendulum
2. My Fathers Son
3. Mind Your Manners
4. Let the Records Play
5. Sirens
6. Lightning Bolt
7. Infallible
8. Getaway
9. Swallowed Whole
10. Sleeping by Myself
11. Yellow Moon
12. Future Days

Indifference152 · October 2013

colors blend wrote:

My preferred order right now:

1. Pendulum
2. My Fathers Son
3. Mind Your Manners
4. Let the Records Play
5. Sirens
6. Lightning Bolt
7. Infallible
8. Getaway
9. Swallowed Whole
10. Sleeping by Myself
11. Yellow Moon
12. Future Days

Getaway 8th spot?

shadowcast · October 2013

Drop Future days and Sleeping with myself. Add Of the Earth and Ole. I just don't find this album on repeat like every other PJ album that came out. I don't find myself playing songs on this record to my friends saying "You have to hear this song". I mean it's good but maybe I had huge expectations. I really loved the last three records that came out but this one just falls short for me.

Manitou95 · October 2013

let's get this out of the way...Brendan O'brien is a force in the studio. with that said everyone's listening ears
are different.

If I was in the studio this is what the album would have looked like for the track sequence

1. Getaway
2. Mind Your Manners
3. My Father's Son
4. Sirens
5. Lightning Bolt
6. Infallible
7. Pendulum
8. Of The Earth (Studio version. I used from the 2010 Ireland bootleg show for my playlist)
9. Swallowed Whole
10.Yellow Moon
11. Let the Records Play
12. Future Days (edited..cut piano off front and back to make it less pretty...)

tracks 8,9, 10 have the word "Earth" in the lyrics so I called it the "Of the Earth" trilogy part of the album

This is the tracklist I created in Itunes and burned and play loud on all my devices. I cut "Sleeping by Myself" from the list and replaced it with "of the earth". SBM is good but it just seems like a misfit on the ablum. if they were going to pick an EV uke songs track to put on LB my choice would have been "You're True" (more like "Can't keep" and a fast moving tempo) but again we all have our opinions and listening ears.

Don't get me wrong I think LB is a masterpiece and probably will go down in history as one of the best
albums they've made and maybe in the top 100 of albums of all time!!

But for me I was so looking forward to hearing an "Of the Earth" studio version so I just made my own release and I
really love the flow of the tracks listed above. try it from beginning to end on your own playlist and you'll hear
what I mean.

Maybe they wanted to save "Of the Earth" for a seed song on the next album and use that song to build around. Or
maybe a Lost Dogs 2 is right around the corner after the excitement dies down from the new album.

no matter what...it's all PJ and all good. It's sure fun to be a fan of a band with so much character, depth, moral
code, and bottomline they know how to rock and roll

Cheers PJ amigos

thoughts on this?

RatherBe · October 2013

I'm okay with the sequence.

shadowcast · October 2013

SVRDhand13 wrote:

I like the way it is but also think this would work:

Side A
Getaway
Mind Your Manners
Lightning Bolt
Let The Records Play
Sirens
Future Days

Side B
Pendulum
Infallible
Swallowed Whole
My Father's Son
Sleeping By Myself
Yellow Moon

Btw I think the harsh transition from MFS into Sirens was intentional to show the difference between the love EV has for his wife compared to the despair he feels for his father.

I don't think Ed is singing about his real dad in MFS. I think of that of a more of character Ed created by reading something or seeing something.

RatherBe · October 2013

Yeah, it's his stepfather Ed has a beef with.

DeLukin · October 2013

shadowcast wrote:

I don't think Ed is singing about his real dad in MFS. I think of that of a more of character Ed created by reading something or seeing something.

I agree and feel the same thing about Sirens. I think Future Days is autobiographical.

Gmoney · October 2013

I like everyones suggestions for track lists, they all make sense. I also think the actual track list works too although sirens and yellow moon feel out of place to me... For me, vitalogy-riot act are perfectly sequenced. Yield is hands down the best.

JonnyPistachio · October 2013

I was listening in the car today and felt that the transition between Lightning Bolt and Infallible was weird. Then I realized it was the annoying fade out.

Gmoney wrote:

Yield is hands down the best.

Yup!

aurynsdad · October 2013

I actually like the sequencing on this album more than any PJ album since Ten. For me, it's almost always a complete listen-through, because the songs lead into each other so perfectly.

DewieCox · October 2013

Gmoney wrote:

I like everyones suggestions for track lists, they all make sense. I also think the actual track list works too although sirens and yellow moon feel out of place to me... For me, vitalogy-riot act are perfectly sequenced. Yield is hands down the best.

I think both Vitalogy and No Code kinda peter out at the end, but are kinda saved by a few really great songs in Present Tense and Immortality.

JonnyPistachio · October 2013

DewieCox wrote:

Gmoney wrote:

I like everyones suggestions for track lists, they all make sense. I also think the actual track list works too although sirens and yellow moon feel out of place to me... For me, vitalogy-riot act are perfectly sequenced. Yield is hands down the best.

I think both Vitalogy and No Code kinda peter out at the end, but are kinda saved by a few really great songs in Present Tense and Immortality.

"peter out"

grazman · October 2013

First 7 songs have perfect sequence, from Swallowed Whole onwards it feels like it loses its way abit - Personally i think it needed a big old heavy rocker between Pendulum and Swallowed Whole, and maybe ditch Future Days as final track replaced with Yellow Moon - I like Future Days but its for an Ed Ved solo record not a PJ record. I think the main gripe for me is the slowness of the second half of the LP. Still a great album tho.

SVRDhand13 · October 2013

shadowcast wrote:

SVRDhand13 wrote:

I like the way it is but also think this would work:

Side A
Getaway
Mind Your Manners
Lightning Bolt
Let The Records Play
Sirens
Future Days

Side B
Pendulum
Infallible
Swallowed Whole
My Father's Son
Sleeping By Myself
Yellow Moon

Btw I think the harsh transition from MFS into Sirens was intentional to show the difference between the love EV has for his wife compared to the despair he feels for his father.

I don't think Ed is singing about his real dad in MFS. I think of that of a more of character Ed created by reading something or seeing something.

He must have at least been influenced by his own life. Either way, I think that odd transition from angry song to love song was meant to cause a little uneasiness.

TJ25487 · October 2013

I'm good with the sequencing till the very end. Thats why I changed it up a little. Also some very good suggestions here. It's 2013 people. Make your own CD. Vinyl guys are screwed though. Does vinyl really sound that much better?

Better Dan · October 2013

grazman wrote:

First 7 songs have perfect sequence, from Swallowed Whole onwards it feels like it loses its way abit

I notice that too, but in my opinion it's because the songs after Pendulum aren't as strong as the others on the album. With that said, I like the track listing the way it is. This is such a great album to me!

thefixer9 · October 2013

Better Dan wrote:

grazman wrote:

First 7 songs have perfect sequence, from Swallowed Whole onwards it feels like it loses its way abit

I notice that too, but in my opinion it's because the songs after Pendulum aren't as strong as the others on the album. With that said, I like the track listing the way it is. This is such a great album to me!

Agreed. To me Swallowed Whole after Pendulum is kinda weird..plus you're right, I tend to like the first half of the album better.

Neil Bruce · October 2013

pleatherman wrote:

I've read some criticisms about LB sounding schizophrenic or not cohesive enough. As far as tempo is concerned, pretty much every album has run the gamut. Pearl Jam's strength certainly lies in continuing to push the music in a multitude of directions.

Sequencing on the new album is probably the most obvious example of that. Lightning Bolt is bookended by a trio of songs on either side. The first three are fast, brooding, enveloped in a spitfire guitar attack that provides a direct line to the adrenal gland. The final three are formed by acoustic rumination, coupled with campfire takeaway. In between, three focused back-to-back sets emerge. 'Sirens' and 'Lightning Bolt' (the song) represent PJ at perhaps their most natural, anthemic state. The next two, 'Infallible' and 'Pendulum', are experimental, in the sense of exploring territory with no reference point in their back catalog. And 'Swallowed Whole' and 'Let the Records Play' aim for an upbeat pronouncement, bordering on levity.

Lightning Bolt's track listing contains five sections of music placed side by side. I don't think a librarian could have filed it better. Agree/Disagree?

You make some really good points actually! From a logical point of view (i.e. it being book ended etc.) it is well sequenced...However from a listening point of view it just doesn't 'flow' right at all for me! I know people have already mentioned this, but my mine gripe with the flow of the album is having 'Sirens' after 'My Father's Son' and, the last 3 songs bring the pace down too much imo! I also think that Sirens appears too early in the album too!

pleatherman · November 2013

Neil Bruce wrote:

pleatherman wrote:

I've read some criticisms about LB sounding schizophrenic or not cohesive enough. As far as tempo is concerned, pretty much every album has run the gamut. Pearl Jam's strength certainly lies in continuing to push the music in a multitude of directions.

Sequencing on the new album is probably the most obvious example of that. Lightning Bolt is bookended by a trio of songs on either side. The first three are fast, brooding, enveloped in a spitfire guitar attack that provides a direct line to the adrenal gland. The final three are formed by acoustic rumination, coupled with campfire takeaway. In between, three focused back-to-back sets emerge. 'Sirens' and 'Lightning Bolt' (the song) represent PJ at perhaps their most natural, anthemic state. The next two, 'Infallible' and 'Pendulum', are experimental, in the sense of exploring territory with no reference point in their back catalog. And 'Swallowed Whole' and 'Let the Records Play' aim for an upbeat pronouncement, bordering on levity.

Lightning Bolt's track listing contains five sections of music placed side by side. I don't think a librarian could have filed it better. Agree/Disagree?

You make some really good points actually! From a logical point of view (i.e. it being book ended etc.) it is well sequenced...However from a listening point of view it just doesn't 'flow' right at all for me! I know people have already mentioned this, but my mine gripe with the flow of the album is having 'Sirens' after 'My Father's Son' and, the last 3 songs bring the pace down too much imo! I also think that Sirens appears too early in the album too!

Deliberately placing 3 songs together at the end can possibly mean two things. One, McCready's insistence on including 'Yellow Moon' tipped the scale towards a softer landing as the record winds down. Or two, it reflects the mini-acoustic sets that now have a permanent spot in the set lists. Although some of their best songs are the slower ones, on previous albums they became more of a respite in between rock numbers. It made for a nice flow, but these days equal emphasis is given to the quieter moments as much as the powerhouse ones. If that's the case, then probably the best spot to put a concentrated amount of mellow tunes would be at the tail end.

Lightning Bolt- Most Well Organized Album?

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