Reviews of Pearl Jam's Lightning Bolt

Just a Note...

One thing that was somewhere in the back of my mind in writing my own review of "Lighting Bolt" (like a word that's on the tip of your tongue that you cannot remember until it comes to you out of nowhere later that night, when it is obviously well past it's usefulness, and when all you want to do is clear your mind of the day's thoughts and get some sleep) was that "My Father's Son", a song that ranks as one of my very favorites from the album, reminded me a great deal of something from the band's past. Yes, it definitely smacked of something, although I could not quite get it out of my thoughts in time to add it to the review.

But it came to me, perhaps a bit ironically, when I reread the first review (mostly negative) on this list, by Matthew Kemp of the Associated Press. Specifically, it was this:

"The solid "Getaway" is piggybacked by furiously kinetic first single "Mind Your Manners" — a close cousin to the band's 1994 track "Spin the Black Circle" — and accusatory scream-a-long "My Father's Son.""

Now, why did my thought come to me, and allow me to articulate it, with this line?

I think it is because he talks about a specific song from the band's past, in the same sentence as when he mentions "My Father's Son", although he does not outright make the comparison with that song to earlier works from the band. But "My Father's Son" really reminded me of "Rearviewmirror". I was able to hint at the thought that I was trying to articulate, by talking about Vedder's more mature observations regarding his rather fucked up past, but it is not in the same rage that he once possessed. Here, in his album, and at this age, he is coming to peace with finally dropping the emotional baggage of that past, and moving on with his life. That, I think, is what I was trying to say, but could not quite get out.

So, now that I have, here are some other reviews (mixed reviews, it should be noted), that seemed it would be appropriate to share:



Other Reviews of Pearl Jam's "Lightning Bolt"

This guy was clearly not a fan of the album, and probably not of the group.

While he does compliment a strong start up to the first three songs, he says that the album seems to lose it after that, seeming to get lost or, even worse, lack direction altogether.

There are individual songs that possess certain strength, he says, but which lack cohesion with any concept of an album as a whole.

But that is not the worst, according to him. Any and all momentum, or perhaps saving grace, is lost with the final four songs of the album, going so far as to suggest that these tracks will provide many Pearl Jam fans the opportunity to walk away and take a break in concerts that they will attend during the upcoming tour:

"Let The Records Play" (lyrics include, "With the volume up, he goes and fills his cup and lets the drummer's drum take away the pain") and ballads "Sleeping By Myself," ''Yellow Moon" and "Future Days" — tracks that will provide plenty of opportunities for fans to trek to the bar at their upcoming gigs.

Pretty dismissive and brutal stuff. Here is the link to that particular review:


Review: Pearl Jam's 'Lightning Bolt' fizzles out by Matthew Kemp, Associated Press,  Monday, October 14, 2013:

http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Review-Pearl-Jam-s-Lightning-Bolt-fizzles-out-4894180.php




Okay, so one so-so review. But it's not all bad news, right? I mean, I liked the album and, granted, there is a lack of objectivity on my end, given my status as a loyal fan of Pearl Jam. But someone else had to like it, surely, right? Well, another mixed (but mostly negative) review lurks from none other than Rolling Stone magazine. He does praise Pearl Jam, kind of, with a rather backhanded compliment: "Unlikely though it seems, the grunge survivors are now — Bruce Springsteen excepted — America's foremost torchbearers of classic rock."

He clarifies this reluctant credit to the band, by clarifying what he means a little bit:

"Pearl Jam have become their heroes, but, like Springsteen, clearly do not want to become fat Elvis. So on their 10th LP, they overthink, overemote and overreach — fruitfully. If the party line on 2009's Backspacer was that it was PJ having "fun," Lightning Bolt is the sound of anger and brooding depression. In Pearl Jam terms, this is reason to be happy."

Will Hermes, the author of this review, does seem to like individual tracks on the album. He points out that "Sirens" is more or less a copy of eighties style ballads, yet suggests that Vedder's lends the track an emotional quality in his singing that prevents this from simply being, in his words, "cheesy". He suggests another word, "creepy" to describe "Pendulum" and "Yellow Moon".

Overall, though, his review is more favorable that that of Mathew Kemp, and he sums up his review of this album with an outright compliment of Pearl Jam, claiming that "Let the Records Play" (a song that Kemp singled out in particular) revealed that Vedder's turning to the technology of spinning a record and allowing music for inner healing is "an ancient healing practice utilizing modern technology. That pretty much describes Pearl Jam, too."

"Pearl Jam Lightning Bolt Monkeywrench/Universal" by Will Hermes of Rolling Stone, October 15, 2013:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/lightning-bolt-20131015





A less qualified, almost exclusively positive review of the album can be found, though. He opens up with a statement tying Pearl jam's longevity, with a nod to this album as a prime example of how they have been able to last this long:

"Pearl Jam are enjoying their third decade together with a renewed commitment that isn't just invigorating, but remarkably free of nostalgia."

Overall, he gives it four of five stars, and claims that, overall, "Lightning Bolt, the Seattle five-piece's 10th studio album, doesn't just articulate the band's sound, it subtly furthers it."

I'd say that's a pretty positive review. You can check it out for yourself, by following the link below:

"Review: Lightning Bolt - Pearl Jam" by Craig Mathieson of the Entertainment Section for Stuff.co.nz (a New Zealand publication), October 8, 2013:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/album-reviews/9256960/Review-Lightning-Bolt-Pearl-Jam






Like Mathieson, Dustin Pardue of the Winston-Salem Music Examiner gives the album four out of five stars, and a generally positive review of "Lightning Bolt".


It’s been more than four years since Pearl Jam laid their 9th studio album “Backspacer” upon the world. Since that time, they’ve toured extensively, released a documentary, and involved themselves in a variety of side projects. Scattered throughout this, famed producer Brendan O’Brien put in a lot of work to get all five members in a studio and 100% focused on recording their 10th album “Lightning Bolt.”


"Love them or hate them, Pearl Jam have continued to make records and sell out arenas worldwide for 23 years and counting and their music is aging like the finest wine in southern Italy. Each record, from their multi-million selling debut “Ten” to their 2006 self-titled “Pearl Jam” and beyond has its own sound and its own mood. This formula is what sustains Pearl Jam as one of the most creative forces in music still today."

He adds that too many people criticize the band, because they don't sound the same as they did with "Ten", and adds that nobody sounds the same as they used to, nor should they. He cites the Beatles as an example of a band that successfully continued to make albums that, unquestionably, did not sound like their former albums, and were hardly criticized for it. As a loyal and thankful Pearl Jam who feels that the band has largely rewarded me well for being a fan all these years, I couldn't agree more. True, their recent albums don't sound like their first three albums, particularly their hugely successful first album. But why should they? After all, plenty of other bands out there copied that sound already, and Pearl Jam is talented and innovative enough not to have to follow suit and repeat themselves, right? It is a new Pearl Jam sound, and should be judged on it's own merits, and not systematically compared to "Ten", which worked for the band at a moment in time that is now more than two decades past. As Pardue pointed out, their older music has aged well. But as huge as the impact that their earlier stuff had, it should not cast such a shadow that the band is not free to continue to make music in the present day.

Pardue concludes that this is, so far, the album of the year, by his estimation!

He goes into a song-by-song breakdown, which I recommend to all Pearl Jam fans, and anyone else interested in getting this album.

Here is the link to the review, so you can see for yourself:

"Review: Pearl Jam's "Lightning Bolt" leaves others at the red light", by Dustin Pardue of the Winston-Salem Music Examiner, October 8, 2013:

http://www.examiner.com/review/review-pearl-jam-s-lightning-bolt-leaves-others-at-the-red-light






Another overall positive review can be found by Tessa Jeffers of Premier Guitar. Mentioning the band's phenomenal success in the past is almost unavoidable when discussing the band, but she does so in tasteful style while reviewing the album's first single, and perhaps what will prove to be it's biggest hit (although not necessarily, according to her):

"The inspired double-time rocker “Mind Your Manners” brings a familiar energy, and a few other tunes share that signature mid-tempo Pearl Jam mojo that flannel and combat boot dreams are made of. But what’s really special is that, while PJ has produced quite a few mediocre songs over the last decade, here there are more than a half-dozen tracks that could be breakout hits."

She goes on to add that the band continues to push the boundaries of sound with experimentation that marks this album as atypical:

"The guitar work shows experimental growth, too. The epic “Infallible” builds not with typical PJ mystique, but with an edgier, more modern feel."

Here's the link to that review:

"Pearl Jam's "Lightning Bolt" Album Review" by Tessa Jeffers of Premier Guitar, October 8, 2013:

http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/print/19771-album-review-pearl-jams-lightning-bolt




I think I am going to stop here. Of course, there are tons of reviews, and if you want to keep reading more, then go ahead on your own and go to your favorite search engine (mine is still Yahoo!, after all these years, and sometimes, I'm not entirely sure why), and getting as many results for the new album as possible. My girlfriend is sick (come to think of it, I sort of feel a little stuffy now myself) and watching a show that, like this band, was yet another nineties icon, "Friends". She already has called out and asked what exactly I'm doing on the computer, all by my lonesome. So, that's it for now. And if you're still on the fence about getting the album or not, read these reviews (and mine too, please!), which may help make up your mind. But ultimately, keep in mind that this is not "Ten", or even "Versus" or Vitalogy", and that it should be judged on it's own merits. It is a good album on it's own, and shows a band that has grown up, with music to reflect this growth!