U2's Songs of Innocence....Five Year Later

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by americanscientist, Sep 9, 2019.

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  1. via_atx

    via_atx Forum Resident

    Location:
    Austin, TX
  2. Jimmy Mac

    Jimmy Mac Zooropa... better by design

    Best news I will read all week. I don't care who is producing, I just want a new album someday. I know there many rumours they were gonna ride off into the sunset. Glad that might not be the case.
     
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  3. twicks

    twicks Forum Resident

    Location:
    Detroit
    Posted elsewhere: "The best thing about this rumor is that U2 albums almost never end up being finished by the producer they begin with."

    LOL
     
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  4. Polyphenol

    Polyphenol Forum Resident

    Location:
    Frankfurt
    SoI

    What I dislike:
    - the cheesy Larry and his son cover
    - the Joey Ramone song (it‘s ok, but ...)
    - sometimes too much Oh-Oh‘s

    What I like:
    - good to extraordinary songwriting (exception see above)
    - good production
    - free iTunes :D (however, I bought the double CD and the white vinyls later)
     
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2019
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  5. PDK

    PDK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Central Florida
    Has anyone heard the fan club release of the live versions yet?

    I couldn’t find a thread.
     
  6. TaumpyTears

    TaumpyTears Forum Resident

    Location:
    Down under
    One of my favorite u2 albums ever, hands down. The follow up is my second least favorite
     
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  7. twicks

    twicks Forum Resident

    Location:
    Detroit
    Yeah, I suspect the "post-election/Brexit rework" of SOE probably hurt it.
     
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  8. Nomadicarchivist

    Nomadicarchivist Forum Resident

    Location:
    Washington D.C.
    Agreed.. Waaaay too much whining from folks about this album but backlashes almost always happens whenever a band moves into incharted waters of sustained success and popularity that U2 has.

    The best way to be introduced to this album was live.

    The somg that Bono wrote for his mother who died when he was very young and the accompanying video is among their best work and far far better than the vast majority of music that came out that era..
     
    Last edited: Nov 8, 2019
  9. Odysseus

    Odysseus Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    U2 albums (at least since Pop) always take longer for the group to finish than they originally claim when work begins.

    Probably the last U2 to get released without some kind of mega delay was All That You Can't Leave Behind... though I could be wrong.

    I think it's sad that a group with such talent and resources has spent so much time producing inferior product for the last 2-plus decades now.
     
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  10. twicks

    twicks Forum Resident

    Location:
    Detroit
    In their defense, I don't think they claim to work quickly.
     
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  11. Colocally

    Colocally One Of The New Wave Boys

    Location:
    Surrey BC.
    Just need to change your settings it isn’t hard.
     
  12. Partyslammer

    Partyslammer Lord Of The New Church

    I don't find the fact disappointing that much of their work the past 2 decades has been a case of diminished creative returns, but the issue that they spend so much time and effort fussing and fiddling over each album get a collection of music past the finish line that are often not the best versions. One example of over-working a tune is the original version of Glastonbury which was a decent rocker the few times it was played on the 360 tour and then it was retooled to the vastly inferior American Soul. I vastly prefer the "acoustic" versions on the 2nd disc of the SOI album to the album versions. Perhaps equally frustrating is the fact many of the songs blossomed into far better versions once played live.
     
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  13. twicks

    twicks Forum Resident

    Location:
    Detroit
    I think it works both ways...the finished "Every Breaking Wave," while no classic, was probably better than the live version they were playing on the 360 tour.

     
    Last edited: Nov 8, 2019
  14. Odysseus

    Odysseus Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Excellent points. Fussing and fiddling in the studio over songs seems to be a problem for established acts, especially ones that had massive success early in their careers with albums done relatively quickly/cheaply like GNR, The Smashing Pumpkins, Third Eye Blind and others that seem to have a bad history of spending too much time in the studio tweaking arrangements and other such things when they had good, raw versions going in... but each of those cases are examples of 'bands' that are essentially lead by one guy who has complete creative control and final say over the final product.

    U2 seems to be very democratic and yet still has the same results/track record as the above mentioned acts.
     
  15. NunoBento

    NunoBento Rock 'n' Roll Star

    Location:
    London
    The release of the abysmal Songs Of Experience made me realize that I had been in fact too harsh with Songs Of Innocence and it gave a completely new appreciation for the album.
     
  16. Gavaxeman

    Gavaxeman Take me back to dear old Blighty...

    Location:
    West Midlands U.K.
    As ever with U2 the songs work better live ..which is why I think the fan club live release is focussing in these last two albums in isolation..

    Some good songs on both the last two albums ..but no GREAT ones .. the last classic track they released was Moment of Surrender from No line.. which should have been the lead and only single.. instead we got the god awful Boots ..which I still feel has torpedoed them..
     
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  17. JeffMo

    JeffMo Format Agnostic

    Location:
    New England
    I'm shuffling through a playlist in the car of SOI, SOE, and associated acoustic and remixed versions right now.

    You might like SOE songs better in this manner/context.
     
  18. johnny 99

    johnny 99 Down On Main Street

    Location:
    Toronto
    I loved it when I first heard it and still love it now. As far as I'm concerned there's not a weak moment on it. It's a solid and cohesive listen from start to finish. Recently they were showing the "Innocence & Experience" Live In Paris concert on TV and that is (IMO) one of the greatest concert films I've ever seen. The emotion in that arena is off the charts and the new songs work wonderfully well alongside the classics.
    I also understand the intent of the cover; it makes perfect sense in context with the overall theme of the album (U2 revisiting their youth and reflecting on it...)

    [​IMG]



    I have played this album over the years to many old U2 fans who had not heard it and every one of them liked it (for what that's worth)

    The Deluxe Edition of this album's 2nd disc is just wonderful. "Lucifer's Hands" and "The Crystal Ballroom" are terrific songs. Plus, it was nice to get "Invisible" on CD.
     
    Last edited: Nov 8, 2019
  19. NunoBento

    NunoBento Rock 'n' Roll Star

    Location:
    London
    Fire me your playlist, Jeff! :)
     
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  20. NunoBento

    NunoBento Rock 'n' Roll Star

    Location:
    London
    Amen to all of this. Surrender is top tier U2, IMO top 10 ever, whereas Boots should have never seen the light of day. It completely ruins the flow of an otherwise very good album.

    As for SOI, the highlight for me is Sleeping Like A Baby Tonight. That's where U2 took a chance and U2 are often better (and certainly more exciting) when they take chances.

    The only "chance" that they took in SOE was trying to sound like the bad modern version of Coldplay. I can't make it through a damn song.
     
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  21. JeffMo

    JeffMo Format Agnostic

    Location:
    New England
    Will do - what gave me idea was overlap of excellent "Song For Someone/13" on both albums.
     
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  22. TaumpyTears

    TaumpyTears Forum Resident

    Location:
    Down under
    The little things that give you away is an amazing song imo. Definitely top latter day u2.
    But that’s about it from that album
     
  23. Odysseus

    Odysseus Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    You do mean "Magnificent" from No Line, right? Easily one of the best songs in the U2 catalog and yet the only listenable song from that album.

    "Get on Your Boots" is horrid and should've never seen the light of day much less been released as the lead single, but sans "Magnificent" the rest of the album isn't much better than "Boots".
     
  24. Gavaxeman

    Gavaxeman Take me back to dear old Blighty...

    Location:
    West Midlands U.K.
    No I don’t mean Magnificent, as that was a duff single too... never understood the love for that song, it’s a plodder

    Moment of Surrender was THE song on no line
     
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  25. Tim Simmons

    Tim Simmons ___________________

    I just wish they broke Invisible off as its own track. Really annoying to have it after a few seconds of silence. To me, its the best U2 song of the past 10 years. I have the RED DL, but the album version is better.
     
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