super fly guy
New Yorker
Brundle fly.
New Album Discussion 10 - Songs of Sir, this is a Wendy's, durr
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- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
womanfish
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Seriously. It is not difficult. 6 years ago you looked cool as shit, so keep doing that!
david
ONE love, blood, life
super fly guy
New Yorker
To be fair he is sounding great,so I can forgive the granny shades. Just.
RoKKeR
Refugee
- Joined
- Nov 21, 2013
- Messages
- 1,891
Happened to have a ton of time in the car today and I'm really so impressed with the overall package. Some misses, but more of this works than not and it has some moments that really soar. It's so refreshing to hear the sparse/raw production, I think the mix and overall direction (even on the vocals, with a few exceptions) is fantastic.
Only one listen in but can't filter/sort the songs yet, but I think this album/project will age incredibly well.
Only one listen in but can't filter/sort the songs yet, but I think this album/project will age incredibly well.
What is this from?? I can’t watch March madness and keep up with the u2 content machine.
It’s from the Disney Letterman special with the band. (Bono and edge)
They wrote the tune when Dave was there and looks like put together a quick little record.
The special was nice. Bono sounded great. I’d prefer to hear the end of Invisible at the show vs switch to the pub but it was a nice and heartfelt show.
I’m really hopeful that the band truly does not care about being top of the charts anymore and instead exploring their new sense of songwriting as a secure group. They clearly still have tons of inspiration
ndmaxfield
War Child
It’s from the end of the Disney+ special.
bono_man2002
Blue Crack Addict
Everyone needs to drive a vehicle, even the very tall.
gweeps
War Child
Love it. It's weird as hell.
dan_smee
ONE love, blood, life
Spontaneity. MORE OF THIS! Also, the EBW studio thing they did was EPIC. I want to see more of the cool vocal effects and beats and vibes in new music.
allaras
Acrobat
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2014
- Messages
- 346
Love this album. Too many favorites
dan_smee
ONE love, blood, life
If 40 Foot Man is just some nonsense they can shit out in a day and throw away like that, I hope there is some gold in what they’ve been writing.
Is no one here busy watching NCAA march madness? I love U2, but I love MM and it's live event... I haven't had time to watch yet. Don't you guys know to wait for me!
Anyway that's fucking awesome.
Where is there box set with 4 disc that is just the shit they rejected? Do we have to wait everyone is dead like the JFK files???
maycocksean
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
I started off a underwhelmed. I really did not care much for the SOS Streets, In general the early songs were okay. The first song that gave me goosebumps was Bad. That's always been my favorite U2 song and it remained so, even with the lyric changes.
Overall, I'd say I'm reminded of how much I really like U2's songs. There are very, very few U2 songs I actively dislike ("Hands that Built America" I'm looking at you) and so I just really enjoyed hearing some really great songs.
I really liked the reimagined "Desire"--very different, and I immediately wanted to hear it again. I've only listened to whole album once and I'd like to give it a few more spins (though at 40 songs, listening all the way through is a significant commitment).
Here's my favorite tracks after first listen:
1.Bad
2. Red Hill Mining Town
3. Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own
4. City of Blinding Light
5. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
6. Electrical Storm
7. If God Will Send His Angels
8. Desire
9. All I Want Is You
10. Stay
11. 40
My list will probably change as I listen more. I'm quite happy with album.
Overall, I'd say I'm reminded of how much I really like U2's songs. There are very, very few U2 songs I actively dislike ("Hands that Built America" I'm looking at you) and so I just really enjoyed hearing some really great songs.
I really liked the reimagined "Desire"--very different, and I immediately wanted to hear it again. I've only listened to whole album once and I'd like to give it a few more spins (though at 40 songs, listening all the way through is a significant commitment).
Here's my favorite tracks after first listen:
1.Bad
2. Red Hill Mining Town
3. Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own
4. City of Blinding Light
5. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
6. Electrical Storm
7. If God Will Send His Angels
8. Desire
9. All I Want Is You
10. Stay
11. 40
My list will probably change as I listen more. I'm quite happy with album.
trevgreg
Rock n' Roll Doggie
I'm only about halfway through the third disc, but so far I'm quite pleased. While I don't love every song, I respect the attempts to do something for different for these. And when they hit, they really hit.
Highlights so far: 11 O'Clock Tick Tock, Bad, Red Hill
Highlights so far: 11 O'Clock Tick Tock, Bad, Red Hill
40 Foot Man
Mercy
Winter
Wave Of Sorrow (Birdland)
The Crystal Ballroom
Lucifer's Hands
Just some examples of great songs they just threw away
dan_smee
ONE love, blood, life
sixtoe
The Fly
Is "Peace On Earth" sung by Edge?
namkcuR
ONE love, blood, life
After giving it a couple of full listens, I very much enjoy...most of it. I think about 75% of it is fantastic. I think Edge is the star of this thing, and it feels like he's the most creatively engaged he's been in a long time. His performance on both guitar and piano/keyboards is stellar, and his vocals, when present, shine.
They did a really good job with the arrangements in terms of building them around Bono's current vocal ability. I don't mean to be overly critical, but I do believe his voice has had a significant decline starting with E+I in 2018(it was much stronger even during I+E in 2015 and JT30 in 2017), and I can't agree with those who don't hear it. That said, it's not a huge issue on this album because they've obviously arranged everything around what he can still do vocally, and he also had help from Edge in some places and, frankly, from some fairly noticeable autotune and whatnot in a few spots.
I've always wanted to see what an MTV Unplugged with U2 would sound like, and this is probably the closest we'll get, so I'm happy with it.
Peace On Earth is a revelation. Edge is given the opportunity to sing it and absolutely hits it out of the park. This is superior to the album version. The production on the original version was a bit saccharine, but this (basically) acoustic guitar only arrangement with Edge's soaring vocal - crystal clear and making much use of his vibratto - transforms a frequent skip into a gem for me. I know I'm in the minority here, and most of you aren't very excited by this one, but I love it. It's so good.
Two Hearts Beat As One is another Edge vocal. I mean, I'm like 90% sure it's Edge. It sounds like him. And he nails it. The production on the original is a bit dated, but this piano-based arrangement freshens it up in a big way. One of the highlights of the album.
Miracle Drug is a song that I always felt suffered for Lillywhite's production on the original. This is a far superior version. It just feels more alive. More Edge singing in the chorus, and again he nails it. The only issue here is that they gave Edge's verse at the end back to Bono...I guess to contrast with Edge singing the chorus.
Electrical Storm is a song I was excited to see on the tracklist, and it didn't disappoint. Especially the second half where...again, Edge takes the third verse and chorus and nails it(that is Edge, isn' it?). Missed the 'baby don't cry' outro, but that's a minor quibble. Very solid version.
Desire was one of the surprises of the album to me. It's like, 'what if Desire was a Prince song'. I was NOT expecting that, but it really really works very well, even if I feel like there was a lot of studio magic in that vocal of Bono's.
This version of Still Haven't Found is like if Johnny Cash covered it for his 'American' series. It really sounds like that to me, and it's a really interesting take. I like that delivery of the chorus melody via riff.
The Fly is fantastic. If the new version of Desire was a Prince song, this is The Fly as a Massive Attack song, and it is a fucking home run. It'd be tough to make an acoustic version of it, so the idea of stripping down to a trip-hop flavored thing was a great choice.
UTEOTW is pretty straightforward acoustic rendition, but it is absolutely GORGEOUS. Also, that coda - which is melodically a bit different to the original - has to be an homage to Lady With The Spinning Head, right? It's too similar to be an accident.
They didn't really do much new with Horses, but they didn't need to. It's a beautiful unplugged version of the song, and the real highlight and selling point is Edge's vocal harmonies; those harmonies have been a staple of live performances, but until now they've never been present in a studio recording(and the harmonies in the middle 8 are a brand new addition, as well). You always hear about how they were never satisfied with either the album or temple bar versions of the song; maybe this is finally the version they'll be satisfied with.
Vertigo is another highlight. I didn't really know what to expect with this one. That banjo version from 2004 always gets made fun of, and that's kind of what I was envisioning, but this isn't that. This is really, really good. It's mostly straight acoustic guitar, but the cellos in the second verse are striking. This is more exciting than it had any right to be. Also, good choice getting rid of 'uno dos tres cuatro'.
Pride was easily the best of the tracks that were released before the album. The first two minutes are a lovely straightforward acoustic take, and the last minute is the single most poignant moment on the album. I can't tell if it's Bono or Edge singing the final refrains, but whoever it is, making it a duet with Bono's original 1984 vocal is the most emotional moment of the album for me. Just a powerful illustration of the passage of time.
Red Hill Mining Town is essentially a studio rendering of the JT30 version. If you liked that version, you'll like this. I liked that version, so I like this.
Invisible and Ordinary Love were the best of the SOI material here, imo. Invisible has always been an underappreciated song, and it holds up so well without all the production around it. And I believe this is the best version of Ordinary Love now.
Stay is haunting. The first verses where Bono is in the low register and Edge is harmonizing are magic. I kind of wish it would've kept going like that for the verses after the first chorus, but I get they were trying to build up to the end. I appreciate how they incorporated the little melodic adjustments from the live versions into the second chorus. I do wish Bono would've gone for that last high note, but I get why he didn't.
If God Will Send His Angels is a beautiful piano arrangement that gives the song a different emotional pitch entirely. My only small complaint is the 'you're blowing a fuse/and the cartoon network turns into the news' line that is such a release on the original is a bit too subdued here. I just felt like that one little bit didn't quite hit. Otherwise, it's really good. I wish they would've touched more of Pop, and I'm glad we have this.
I think all three SOE tracks are home runs. They transformed Get Out Of Your Own Way from a tepid Beautiful Day 2.0 flavored track into something that sounds like it could've been on War, with that percussion and rhythmic strumming. I would give this the 'most improved' award for the album. I see little reason to ever listen to the original again. Lights Of Home and Little Things are also brilliantly done. Between these, Summer Of Love, 13, Landlady, and the existing acoustic versions of Best Thing and Love Is Bigger, we can put together a sort of fully stripped-down version of that album now.
Likewise, all four Boy tracks(inc. 11OTT) are also home runs. There's something really special in listening to them re-interpret some of their earliest songs 40+ years later and still manage to make them sound fresh. I love the guitar and improved lyrics in OOC, the sparseness of SFB, and strings in IWF, and all of 11OTT. The original studio version of 11OTT was never thought of too highly around here, and this is probably an improvement over that. My only minor quibble is that I wish they would've done the 'call out my name bit' at the end, but oh well.
40 is chilling. I feel like I'm at the band's funeral or something listening to this. It's so soulful, but sad. Alongside Pride, the most poignant moment of the album.
This rendition of Stuck In A Moment reminds me mostly of the way they played it during the latter legs of the Vertigo tour(and on Conan during that time period) in that it starts acoustic and builds to a more filled-out but still stripped-down version. This is fine by me because I've always considered that Conan version to be the best live performance of the song.
COBL is pretty straight-forward, but it's great to hear what it sounds like so naked. There's a real bittersweet quality here that I don't necessarily get from the original.
I love the original WOWY way too much to be objective with any other version - it's my single favorite U2 track and imo Bono's single greatest studio vocal performance. So this doesn't match that monumental track. But it still works well. They've somehow made it even more intimate than the original, and Bono's vocal is appropriately restrained rather than trying to match his 1987 take.
I feel like the band had a specific motive in mind with Walk On here - to dissociate it from Aung San Suu Kyi after her fall from grace. I think they succeed. The altered lyrics work, and the acoustic nature of the track is very warm, inviting, and comforting. Also, I'm glad they kept the 'home' bridge, since they've omitted it in more recent live versions.
I'll be concise about SBS - I loved the instrumentation(all the guitar parts - riff, chords, solo, etc - in acoustic form are soooooo good) and Edge's vocals in the chorus. I didn't love Bono's vocal here - I can't put my finger on it, it just doesn't quite work for me. But the rest of it is so good I can forgive it.
I guess I'm going to be a dissenting voice with regards to Bad. Edge does great on it, the instrumentation is perfect, but I don't love the new lyrics. I find the 'you could only have it all/if you give it all away' part to be particularly jarring(since it just doesn't exist on any other version of the song). It's a very solid rendition, but I'm seeing people say that it's better than the original studio version, and I certainly cannot agree with that.
Dirty Day - I love love love this song, but this arrangement is almost too sparse. I was expecting it to be a variation on the E+I version, and it's basically that minus the speechifying. The string section during the bridge is great, and the outro is good too, with that sort of psychedelic vibe, but there just isn't much to the rest of it imo.
AIWIY - Bono's vocal just holds it back a bit. Not quite top tier for me, despite good guitar work from Edge.
One - One of the biggest disappointments for me. The 'love is a temple' part is great, but the rest of it just seems like they're sleepwalking through it. The AB Kindergarten version is imo a much better unplugged version of the song(even if it is just a glorified demo). I was hoping this would be acoustic guitar based like that.
Streets - I was also initially disappointed in this, but I think it's also one of the ones with the most potential to grow on me. So much of this borders on Bono doing acappella. There's something compelling about it, but it needs more listens.
Miracle/EBW/Cedarwood/SFS - So these are all well done. My issue is that we already had acoustic/stripped down versions of all of them. These are slots that could've been given to other tracks. They just seem unnecessary. Miracle is the exception, they did something new and interesting with it, but even there, I agree with the people who think the original chorus is better.
SYCMIOYO - the general critique about this song has long been that it takes too long to build up to its climax, and I just feel like that issue is magnified on this stripped down version. Also, it contains the most glaring autotune glitch(when he sings 'you don't have to go it alone' leading into the first chorus).
Beautiful Day - I would've liked a little more instrumentation here. Some acoustic guitar or something. It's basically just bass and synths and simple piano chords for the most part. It's not bad, I just can't get as into it as most of the others.
I'm very much enjoying this, and I'm pleased to say that, because I was worried after One and BD were released.
They did a really good job with the arrangements in terms of building them around Bono's current vocal ability. I don't mean to be overly critical, but I do believe his voice has had a significant decline starting with E+I in 2018(it was much stronger even during I+E in 2015 and JT30 in 2017), and I can't agree with those who don't hear it. That said, it's not a huge issue on this album because they've obviously arranged everything around what he can still do vocally, and he also had help from Edge in some places and, frankly, from some fairly noticeable autotune and whatnot in a few spots.
I've always wanted to see what an MTV Unplugged with U2 would sound like, and this is probably the closest we'll get, so I'm happy with it.
Peace On Earth is a revelation. Edge is given the opportunity to sing it and absolutely hits it out of the park. This is superior to the album version. The production on the original version was a bit saccharine, but this (basically) acoustic guitar only arrangement with Edge's soaring vocal - crystal clear and making much use of his vibratto - transforms a frequent skip into a gem for me. I know I'm in the minority here, and most of you aren't very excited by this one, but I love it. It's so good.
Two Hearts Beat As One is another Edge vocal. I mean, I'm like 90% sure it's Edge. It sounds like him. And he nails it. The production on the original is a bit dated, but this piano-based arrangement freshens it up in a big way. One of the highlights of the album.
Miracle Drug is a song that I always felt suffered for Lillywhite's production on the original. This is a far superior version. It just feels more alive. More Edge singing in the chorus, and again he nails it. The only issue here is that they gave Edge's verse at the end back to Bono...I guess to contrast with Edge singing the chorus.
Electrical Storm is a song I was excited to see on the tracklist, and it didn't disappoint. Especially the second half where...again, Edge takes the third verse and chorus and nails it(that is Edge, isn' it?). Missed the 'baby don't cry' outro, but that's a minor quibble. Very solid version.
Desire was one of the surprises of the album to me. It's like, 'what if Desire was a Prince song'. I was NOT expecting that, but it really really works very well, even if I feel like there was a lot of studio magic in that vocal of Bono's.
This version of Still Haven't Found is like if Johnny Cash covered it for his 'American' series. It really sounds like that to me, and it's a really interesting take. I like that delivery of the chorus melody via riff.
The Fly is fantastic. If the new version of Desire was a Prince song, this is The Fly as a Massive Attack song, and it is a fucking home run. It'd be tough to make an acoustic version of it, so the idea of stripping down to a trip-hop flavored thing was a great choice.
UTEOTW is pretty straightforward acoustic rendition, but it is absolutely GORGEOUS. Also, that coda - which is melodically a bit different to the original - has to be an homage to Lady With The Spinning Head, right? It's too similar to be an accident.
They didn't really do much new with Horses, but they didn't need to. It's a beautiful unplugged version of the song, and the real highlight and selling point is Edge's vocal harmonies; those harmonies have been a staple of live performances, but until now they've never been present in a studio recording(and the harmonies in the middle 8 are a brand new addition, as well). You always hear about how they were never satisfied with either the album or temple bar versions of the song; maybe this is finally the version they'll be satisfied with.
Vertigo is another highlight. I didn't really know what to expect with this one. That banjo version from 2004 always gets made fun of, and that's kind of what I was envisioning, but this isn't that. This is really, really good. It's mostly straight acoustic guitar, but the cellos in the second verse are striking. This is more exciting than it had any right to be. Also, good choice getting rid of 'uno dos tres cuatro'.
Pride was easily the best of the tracks that were released before the album. The first two minutes are a lovely straightforward acoustic take, and the last minute is the single most poignant moment on the album. I can't tell if it's Bono or Edge singing the final refrains, but whoever it is, making it a duet with Bono's original 1984 vocal is the most emotional moment of the album for me. Just a powerful illustration of the passage of time.
Red Hill Mining Town is essentially a studio rendering of the JT30 version. If you liked that version, you'll like this. I liked that version, so I like this.
Invisible and Ordinary Love were the best of the SOI material here, imo. Invisible has always been an underappreciated song, and it holds up so well without all the production around it. And I believe this is the best version of Ordinary Love now.
Stay is haunting. The first verses where Bono is in the low register and Edge is harmonizing are magic. I kind of wish it would've kept going like that for the verses after the first chorus, but I get they were trying to build up to the end. I appreciate how they incorporated the little melodic adjustments from the live versions into the second chorus. I do wish Bono would've gone for that last high note, but I get why he didn't.
If God Will Send His Angels is a beautiful piano arrangement that gives the song a different emotional pitch entirely. My only small complaint is the 'you're blowing a fuse/and the cartoon network turns into the news' line that is such a release on the original is a bit too subdued here. I just felt like that one little bit didn't quite hit. Otherwise, it's really good. I wish they would've touched more of Pop, and I'm glad we have this.
I think all three SOE tracks are home runs. They transformed Get Out Of Your Own Way from a tepid Beautiful Day 2.0 flavored track into something that sounds like it could've been on War, with that percussion and rhythmic strumming. I would give this the 'most improved' award for the album. I see little reason to ever listen to the original again. Lights Of Home and Little Things are also brilliantly done. Between these, Summer Of Love, 13, Landlady, and the existing acoustic versions of Best Thing and Love Is Bigger, we can put together a sort of fully stripped-down version of that album now.
Likewise, all four Boy tracks(inc. 11OTT) are also home runs. There's something really special in listening to them re-interpret some of their earliest songs 40+ years later and still manage to make them sound fresh. I love the guitar and improved lyrics in OOC, the sparseness of SFB, and strings in IWF, and all of 11OTT. The original studio version of 11OTT was never thought of too highly around here, and this is probably an improvement over that. My only minor quibble is that I wish they would've done the 'call out my name bit' at the end, but oh well.
40 is chilling. I feel like I'm at the band's funeral or something listening to this. It's so soulful, but sad. Alongside Pride, the most poignant moment of the album.
This rendition of Stuck In A Moment reminds me mostly of the way they played it during the latter legs of the Vertigo tour(and on Conan during that time period) in that it starts acoustic and builds to a more filled-out but still stripped-down version. This is fine by me because I've always considered that Conan version to be the best live performance of the song.
COBL is pretty straight-forward, but it's great to hear what it sounds like so naked. There's a real bittersweet quality here that I don't necessarily get from the original.
I love the original WOWY way too much to be objective with any other version - it's my single favorite U2 track and imo Bono's single greatest studio vocal performance. So this doesn't match that monumental track. But it still works well. They've somehow made it even more intimate than the original, and Bono's vocal is appropriately restrained rather than trying to match his 1987 take.
I feel like the band had a specific motive in mind with Walk On here - to dissociate it from Aung San Suu Kyi after her fall from grace. I think they succeed. The altered lyrics work, and the acoustic nature of the track is very warm, inviting, and comforting. Also, I'm glad they kept the 'home' bridge, since they've omitted it in more recent live versions.
I'll be concise about SBS - I loved the instrumentation(all the guitar parts - riff, chords, solo, etc - in acoustic form are soooooo good) and Edge's vocals in the chorus. I didn't love Bono's vocal here - I can't put my finger on it, it just doesn't quite work for me. But the rest of it is so good I can forgive it.
I guess I'm going to be a dissenting voice with regards to Bad. Edge does great on it, the instrumentation is perfect, but I don't love the new lyrics. I find the 'you could only have it all/if you give it all away' part to be particularly jarring(since it just doesn't exist on any other version of the song). It's a very solid rendition, but I'm seeing people say that it's better than the original studio version, and I certainly cannot agree with that.
Dirty Day - I love love love this song, but this arrangement is almost too sparse. I was expecting it to be a variation on the E+I version, and it's basically that minus the speechifying. The string section during the bridge is great, and the outro is good too, with that sort of psychedelic vibe, but there just isn't much to the rest of it imo.
AIWIY - Bono's vocal just holds it back a bit. Not quite top tier for me, despite good guitar work from Edge.
One - One of the biggest disappointments for me. The 'love is a temple' part is great, but the rest of it just seems like they're sleepwalking through it. The AB Kindergarten version is imo a much better unplugged version of the song(even if it is just a glorified demo). I was hoping this would be acoustic guitar based like that.
Streets - I was also initially disappointed in this, but I think it's also one of the ones with the most potential to grow on me. So much of this borders on Bono doing acappella. There's something compelling about it, but it needs more listens.
Miracle/EBW/Cedarwood/SFS - So these are all well done. My issue is that we already had acoustic/stripped down versions of all of them. These are slots that could've been given to other tracks. They just seem unnecessary. Miracle is the exception, they did something new and interesting with it, but even there, I agree with the people who think the original chorus is better.
SYCMIOYO - the general critique about this song has long been that it takes too long to build up to its climax, and I just feel like that issue is magnified on this stripped down version. Also, it contains the most glaring autotune glitch(when he sings 'you don't have to go it alone' leading into the first chorus).
Beautiful Day - I would've liked a little more instrumentation here. Some acoustic guitar or something. It's basically just bass and synths and simple piano chords for the most part. It's not bad, I just can't get as into it as most of the others.
I'm very much enjoying this, and I'm pleased to say that, because I was worried after One and BD were released.
TinKnight
Refugee
Probably an overreaction, but 40 Foot Man is the most inspired U2 has sounded in a decade (and this is coming from someone who loves SOE).
It’s like Rattle and Hum meets TUF meets 2023.
It’s like Rattle and Hum meets TUF meets 2023.
TinKnight
Refugee
Also saw the Unforgettable Fire tonight and they were absolutely incredible. What an absolutely fun St. Patrick’s day
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