Shuttlecock!

[bono_212]

But the piece of tape, tho

 

[IWasBored]

Zooropa (the song)



(and the album for that matter)

mainly that album and october (unbelievably) were more instrumental in getting me to listen to u2 than any of the usual suspects, but for some reason i was always just very lukewarm on the title track.

in the category of other u2-related opinions that are so uncharacteristically positive that you guys will pretend i never expressed them: do you feel loved through gone is probably one of my favorite stretches on any u2 album. fuck discotheque, and it all goes to complete shit once miami starts up, but that segment between is one that is great.

 

[corianderstem]

But the piece of tape, tho

But no, tho.

 

[lazarus]

Spoiler

lol, why did it have to be the two songs that were body part names?

You know, forced to choose between the Testicle and the Anus, I might have to go with the former.

I never understood the backlash and, in light of U2 releasing one of their most conservative albums, it's even more inexplicable. NME gave NLOTH some backhanded praise while shitting all over the new album, so I guess I'm not alone in missing that sonic adventurousness.

I know you said "one of", but I don't think this is more conservative than Atomic Bomb or ATYCLC. Even the first side is daring in that they actually risked total ridicule for even working with Tedder and Epworth.

No Line is maybe the quintessential mixed-bag album. It's almost as if two different bands made it, like a bad mash-up. The peaks on it are really high, but damn that inconsistency makes it a tough album to love. Songs of Innocence is a hell of a lot more consistent, that's for sure. I think Sleep Like a Baby and The Troubles will eventually work their way to the level of appreciation I have for Breathe and Moment of Surrender.

And on this point, how is No Line any more of a mixed-bag or sounding like two different bands than SOI? Because the shitty, desperate songs are stuffed in the middle? The U2 on tracks 1-5 of SOI really does not sound like it's cut from the same cloth as rest of the album.

Holy shit, did anyone else see Pitchfork's attempt at "humor" yesterday?

The Discarded Tracklist for U2's New Album, Songs of Innocence | The Pitch | Pitchfork

I'm changing my tune, no way this album gets above a 4.

Do they usually write comical articles like this where the whole thing is just making fun of an artist? This is a new low. And like, their snark is usually a lot funnier. This reads like some idiot in EYKIW wrote it.

If I could play devil's advocate, maybe they decided to give it a decent review, but as a consensus to the haters let them post that takedown as well.

Spoiler

Yeah, I'm not too confident either.

 

[lazarus]

So are we thinking that this is just artwork for this digital release, that there will be actual artwork with the physical release? I haven't read too closely, but I was getting the impression that people think this is what it is.

If the free release hadn't come with the digital booklet, I'd say maybe there would be new artwork with the CD/vinyl.

But that looks pretty put-together and all from the same design idea.

 

[Hewson]

i do my beast?

Thats illegal in 46 states.

 

[powerhour24]

Hmm. On basically my third listen, I don't dislike much of anything on SOI, but I don't really love anything on it either. It's solidly crafted and the most consistently not embarrassing set of Bono lyrics in ages, but I'm not bubbling over with excitement here.

Fuck the consensus, NLOTH--->Magnificent--->Moment of Surrender got me really excited to be a U2 fan again. Not to mention Fez and Cedars being so strange and great. And Breathe was so much fun. I'd rather have standouts and shit than a bunch of 7/10 decent stuff.

It's early days, perhaps I'll come around to appreciate the craft and solidity here.

This sums up my feelings exactly. Though I'm digging the latter half of this more and more with each listen.

 

[IWasBored]

Thats illegal in 46 states.

not in canada!

 

[powerhour24]

No Line is maybe the quintessential mixed-bag album. It's almost as if two different bands made it, like a bad mash-up. The peaks on it are really high, but damn that inconsistency makes it a tough album to love. Songs of Innocence is a hell of a lot more consistent, that's for sure. I think Sleep Like a Baby and The Troubles will eventually work their way to the level of appreciation I have for Breathe and Moment of Surrender.

I always used to think it would have gone over better in its original form, but upon reflection I think the type of people that didn't like it probably wouldn't have cared. A lot of us apologists wish for the earlier sounds and cherish those that made it mostly through, and cringe about the middle 3. But the people who dismiss it seem to do so wholesale, including the greatness lurking in there.

It's a damn shame, because they tried to appease too many people and tampered with it and still didn't appease those folks. And given how they talked about it in 2010 on it's like they let the songs' reception by the radio casuals on 360/modern top 40 listeners change their level of pride for the work. Now it's likely to be orphaned by them like Pop.

 

[LemonMelon]

Hey, if anyone in the Cock Force feels like writing a review for SOI, I'm putting together a collection for the front page. 500-1000 words, doesn't matter if it's positive or negative. I'd actually like a range in there. I'll probably be one of the bland, middle ground people. Maybe Axver/djerdap/IWB can shit on it. And then I'll get a crazy from the Other Place to blow the band incessantly. It'll be great.

Recommendation: use cockified titles in any entries. Not a requirement, but it would mix things up.

 

[Hewson]

And then I'll get a crazy from the Other Place to blow the band incessantly.

Meow

 

[powerhour24]

Speaking of the Other Place, I just got called an ass swipe for deigning to say that discussion of The Killers was out of place and questioning the "amazing voice" of Brandon Flowers, by some guy that's been registered here for over a decade with less than 100 posts. Nice.

 

[Hewson]

You know, forced to choose between the Testicle and the Anus, I might have to go with the former.

Balls Across The Nose.avi - YouTube

 

[corianderstem]

No, ph - you got called an azzwipe.

Totally different, dude.

 

[mikal]

Hey, if anyone in the Cock Force feels like writing a review for SOI, I'm putting together a collection for the front page. 500-1000 words, doesn't matter if it's positive or negative. I'd actually like a range in there. I'll probably be one of the bland, middle ground people. Maybe Axver/djerdap/IWB can shit on it. And then I'll get a crazy from the Other Place to blow the band incessantly. It'll be great.

Recommendation: use cockified titles in any entries. Not a requirement, but it would mix things up.

Dan Smee wrote a pretty nice one in that awful critic reviews thread.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[Axver]

Hey, if anyone in the Cock Force feels like writing a review for SOI, I'm putting together a collection for the front page. 500-1000 words, doesn't matter if it's positive or negative. I'd actually like a range in there. I'll probably be one of the bland, middle ground people. Maybe Axver/djerdap/IWB can shit on it. And then I'll get a crazy from the Other Place to blow the band incessantly. It'll be great.

Recommendation: use cockified titles in any entries. Not a requirement, but it would mix things up.

Mine might not be as negative as you'd expect, but sure I'll do one.

 

[bono_212]

Speaking of the Other Place, I just got called an ass swipe for deigning to say that discussion of The Killers was out of place and questioning the "amazing voice" of Brandon Flowers, by some guy that's been registered here for over a decade with less than 100 posts. Nice.

I'm just guessing which user it was and if it's who I think it was, basically that's the Killers biggest fan.


Also, Brandon's voice is amazing, you azzwipe

 

[IWasBored]

Just like when invisible came out, I guess I can see how people who know almost nothing about music other than U2 might compare it to the killers.

You know, there was a time where having 100 posts after being here a long ass time was considered better than 10k after 1 year. But I'm pretty sure people still had dial up Internet then, too.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Tracks 2-5 are really sugary (the EBW chorus is ridiculously sugary to me) but I find myself enjoying them as much as the second half of the album, and even if I would not hesitate to say that the 2nd half is stronger.

 

[PhilsFan]

Hey, if anyone in the Cock Force feels like writing a review for SOI, I'm putting together a collection for the front page. 500-1000 words, doesn't matter if it's positive or negative. I'd actually like a range in there. I'll probably be one of the bland, middle ground people. Maybe Axver/djerdap/IWB can shit on it. And then I'll get a crazy from the Other Place to blow the band incessantly. It'll be great.

Recommendation: use cockified titles in any entries. Not a requirement, but it would mix things up.

I can do this, just remind me tomorrow when I'm sober.

 

[powerhour24]

I'm just guessing which user it was and if it's who I think it was, basically that's the Killers biggest fan.


Also, Brandon's voice is amazing, you azzwipe

No, ph - you got called an azzwipe.

Totally different, dude.

Damn. The truth hurts.

 

[powerhour24]

Just like when invisible came out, I guess I can see how people who know almost nothing about music other than U2 might compare it to the killers.

Oh geez, I'd blocked all that shit from February out of my memory, but you're exactly right.

You know, there was a time where having 100 posts after being here a long ass time was considered better than 10k after 1 year. But I'm pretty sure people still had dial up Internet then, too.

 

[mobvok]

Part of Where You Can Reach Me's chorus melody (chimey "complete surrender" part) is too cheery for the tone of the melody during the verses and the rest of the song and it's nagging me in a song I think I really otherwise enjoy. At it's best it's kind of a U2 cousin to Jigsaw Falling Into Place, and then it just gets too bright and I'm not sure about that.

California is a big fat slow pitch of anthemy U2 that usually drives me fucking crazy (City of Blinding Lights, Magnificent) with its calculation, but something about that subgenre finally stuck with me this go round. I'll even apologize for the Whoaoaoah parts.

 

[bono_212]

No P4K today

 

[lazarus]

An optimist would say they're taking time to thoroughly listen. A pessimist would say they're delaying it to show that don't consider it important enough to feature it the next day.

I'm gonna roll the dice and stick with 7.1

COME AT ME

 

[IWasBored]

Maybe I'll listen to this thing again, because it made such little an impression on me that if I was going to spew forth 500 words about it now, it would be more about the fact that I the more I think about the stealth free on iTunes release, the more I like that they did that, and less about the album. I'd wind up sounding like those p4k tools who review the band instead of the album, and I can't in good conscience do that. Not even for lm's blog collection.

 

[intedomine]

"This is where you can reach around".

I actually think that this is the real title whenever I think of it.

Thank you, Shuttlecockers


Sent from a barge floating through the docks of Dublin

 

[Hewson]

I can do this, just remind me tomorrow when I'm sober.

Write it while you're inebriated, will be a more fun read.

 

[Hewson]

"This is where you can reach around".

I actually think that this is the real title whenever I think of it.

Thank you, Shuttlecockers

 

[iron yuppie]

And like, their snark is usually a lot funnier. This reads like some idiot in EYKIW wrote it.

Yeah that Pitchfork thing was totally devoid of comic value. I don't know what they stand to gain from posting such bullshit.