U2 Songs of Innocence

weadick

lukin wrote: »

I can't understand how someone can rate this album above HTDAAB. That was an album that got U2 some of their best reviews ever. Even the notorious U2-hating organ that is NME gave it nine out of ten.
"Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own" is probably the best song U2 have ever done, "Love and Peace or Else", "City of Blinding Lights" and "All Because of You" are stadium anthems most bands would kill for.
There are some very goods songs on this album that will stand the test of time but there are not enough of them in my opinion.

The first five songs on Bomb are great but the rest of it is garbage really. The new one might not have as many hit singles but it's a far better album overall I think.

PropJoe10

lukin wrote: »

I can't understand how someone can rate this album above HTDAAB. That was an album that got U2 some of their best reviews ever. Even the notorious U2-hating organ that is NME gave it nine out of ten.
"Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own" is probably the best song U2 have ever done, "Love and Peace or Else", "City of Blinding Lights" and "All Because of You" are stadium anthems most bands would kill for.
There are some very goods songs on this album that will stand the test of time but there are not enough of them in my opinion.

I can honestly say that the only songs I would go back and listen to from that album are Vertigo, Sometimes You Cant Make It On Your Own and Love And Peace Or Else, the rest is pure and utter U2-by-numbers to my ears. At least they tried something a bit different on this album with the grungy guitar sound. I cannot stand City of Blinding Lights or All Because Of You. Different strokes for different folks eh!

johnpatrick81

Gotta agree. I adored it at the time, but it really has faded(HTDAAB).

lukin

I don't listen to HTDAAB at all now but I still recognise as a great album because at the time it came out I listened to it non-stop. I don't listen to Nirvana's Nevermind now either but if someone asked me was it a great album of course I would say "yes" as when it came out I loved it.
Every album fades with time but that doesn't take away from it's value.

eviltimeban

lukin wrote: »

stadium anthems

Not everyone likes, or wants U2 to do, stadium rock.

PropJoe10

johnpatrick81 wrote: »

Gotta agree. I adored it at the time, but it really has faded(HTDAAB).

Yeah. The second half was very disappointing. I never got into that album at all, thought NLOTH was a step forward from HTDAAB and this new one is a step forward again to my ears. I liked the bonus track Fast Cars though. Really catchy.

johnpatrick81

Yup, generally when U2 are ignoring America they seem to be at their best. Unfortunately most of their fans are probably American so they are gonna be careful in that regard. 2 non US bonus tracks, Ground Beneath her Feet, and Fast Cars, are 2 of the best songs of that era.

PropJoe10

johnpatrick81 wrote: »

Yup, generally when U2 are ignoring America they seem to be at their best. Unfortunately most of their fans are probably American so they are gonna be careful in that regard. 2 non US bonus tracks, Ground Beneath her Feet, and Fast Cars, are 2 of the best songs of that era.

For sure. Its a shame that the band were burned by the fans' reaction to Pop, although apparently they never really got to finish that record, they had to release it prematurely because the Popmart tour had already been booked.

I just wish they'd forget about writing stadium anthems. Its not like they need the money, and people would go and see them no matter what sort of album they released. Something more acoustic based would be great. I'd love to hear what they could come up with.

johnpatrick81

while they are still capable of packing arenas and stadiums I reckon we will have a long wait for that priviledge!

thegreengoblin

lukin wrote: »

I can't understand how someone can rate this album above HTDAAB. That was an album that got U2 some of their best reviews ever. Even the notorious U2-hating organ that is NME gave it nine out of ten.
"Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own" is probably the best song U2 have ever done, "Love and Peace or Else", "City of Blinding Lights" and "All Because of You" are stadium anthems most bands would kill for.
There are some very goods songs on this album that will stand the test of time but there are not enough of them in my opinion.

It's all subjective of course but I honestly don't think that song would make most fans' top 20 U2 songs.

HTDAAB is an album with maybe two or three very good songs and the rest is filler. Regarding what you said about never listening to classic albums anymore, I don't get the idea of listening to an album constantly when it comes out but then never listening to it again. Surely you can't consider it to be that much of a classic? I know what you're saying about Nevermind but I regard it as a classic also yet I would listen to it, or some of it, now and then!

6am7f9zxrsjvnb

Personally, I hope the era of the band striving for daytime MOR radio hits are over. I've had my fill of 'beautiful days in cities in blinding lights where they'll go crazy if they don't go crazy tonight'
I hope they build on the promise of side 2 on SOI and tap into the moody darkness of great songs like 'please, until the end of the world , Bad and Bullet the Blue Sky....God knows,the bizarre level of hate they're getting online might bring out Bono's inner demons!

eviltimeban

I like Beautiful Day, the production on that song (and that album) is great.

HTDAAB, they tried to repeat the formula but the songs were bland and generic. COBL is OK as is LAPOE, but for All Because Of You etc was the direction I really didn't want U2 to be going. One Step Closer is a bit better, similar to The First Time on Zooropa.

The real low for me was Unknown Caller - Breathe - Fez - Go Crazy - Stand Up Comedy and all that from NLOTH. Not great. Cedars of Lebanon was more like it, but we didn't get to hear more stuff like that.

SOI is a real improvement.

6am7f9zxrsjvnb

eviltimeban wrote: »

I like Beautiful Day, the production on that song (and that album) is great.

HTDAAB, they tried to repeat the formula but the songs were bland and generic. COBL is OK as is LAPOE, but for All Because Of You etc was the direction I really didn't want U2 to be going. One Step Closer is a bit better, similar to The First Time on Zooropa.

The real low for me was Unknown Caller - Breathe - Fez - Go Crazy - Stand Up Comedy and all that from NLOTH. Not great. Cedars of Lebanon was more like it, but we didn't get to hear more stuff like that.

SOI is a real improvement.

NLOTH is definitely the runt of the litter,but 'Breathe' is a monster tune. Hands down,the best hard rock song they've written since 'The Fly'

PropJoe10

eviltimeban wrote: »

I like Beautiful Day, the production on that song (and that album) is great.

HTDAAB, they tried to repeat the formula but the songs were bland and generic. COBL is OK as is LAPOE, but for All Because Of You etc was the direction I really didn't want U2 to be going. One Step Closer is a bit better, similar to The First Time on Zooropa.

The real low for me was Unknown Caller - Breathe - Fez - Go Crazy - Stand Up Comedy and all that from NLOTH. Not great. Cedars of Lebanon was more like it, but we didn't get to hear more stuff like that.

SOI is a real improvement.

I really like Breathe and I quite liked Stand Up Comedy too. It was ****e like "Crazy Tonight" that I cant stand. You'd expect that kind of song from Coldplay, not a band that has been as innovative as U2 has been in the past. "Magnificent" wasnt good either. Reminded me of City of Blinding Lights from HTDAAB which I hated. Pure stadium rock by numbers.

thegreengoblin

Skyla Spoiled Macrame wrote: »

NLOTH is definitely the runt of the litter,but 'Breathe' is a monster tune. Hands down,the best hard rock song they've written since 'The Fly'

Breathe is fantastic. I have a bit of a soft spot for NLOTH, I think it gets a lot of unfair stick. Breathe, Moment of Surrender, White As Snow, Fez, Magnificent, Cedars Of Lebanon are all superbly crafted songs. They should have used the single version of the title track, it has far more energy. And I don't know why they didn't use Winter on the album instead of just putting it on the accompanying film Linear. By the way, watching that film adds something to the album in my book, I really enjoyed it.

Unfortunately the duds drag the album down as a whole but it definitely had some inspired moments.

johnpatrick81

I love Unknown Caller:D

I also really liked Winter, it shoulda made the album. But yeah NLOTH has also faded. I think I still prefer the album as a whole to HTDAAB though.

6am7f9zxrsjvnb

johnpatrick81 wrote: »

I love Unknown Caller:D

I also really liked Winter, it shoulda made the album. But yeah NLOTH has also faded. I think I still prefer the album as a whole to HTDAAB though.

Unknown Caller is great. Blatantly rips off the riff of 'Walk On' but it's a lot more interesting and atmospheric than that song.

thegreengoblin

johnpatrick81 wrote: »

I love Unknown Caller:D

I also really liked Winter, it shoulda made the album. But yeah NLOTH has also faded. I think I still prefer the album as a whole to HTDAAB though.

Oops, I meant Winter of course!

neaideabh

I am a fan since Achtung Baby.... And I really really really like this album! I thought nloth and atomic bomb were good not great. After these I believed that U2 will never come up with anything to the standard of the Joshua tree, achtung and their earlier stuff but this new album has blown me away and cemented the fact that U2 are still well able to put together a great album! Can't wait for the tour!

Kangoo Man

I would consider myself a U2 fan and I don't want an itunes account.

There is no way I will pay for a album that half a billion people got for free, I think they made a big mistake by releasing the album this way.

It's like those free albums you get in the newspapers, they're full of great music but people don't respect them because they're free...

TCDStudent1

Kangoo Man wrote: »

I would consider myself a U2 fan and I don't want an itunes account.

There is no way I will pay for a album that half a billion people got for free, I think they made a big mistake by releasing the album this way.

It's like those free albums you get in the newspapers, they're full of great music but people don't respect them because they're free...

Well that's a silly logic. Surely, you would base the amount of respect you give something on the content rather than the price.

Zimmerframe

Kangoo Man wrote: »

I would consider myself a U2 fan and I don't want an itunes account.

There is no way I will pay for a album that half a billion people got for free, I think they made a big mistake by releasing the album this way.

It's like those free albums you get in the newspapers, they're full of great music but people don't respect them because they're free...

So you are a U2 fan, but you don't want the album for free and you don't want the album if you have to pay for it.

Bowlardo

Will they be touring next year? Can we expect another croker stand off?

TCDStudent1

Bowlardo wrote: »

Will they be touring next year? Can we expect another croker stand off?

At the time of the Brooks saga, didnt the GAA say they already had Croke Pk booked for somebody next year? That was the reason they couldnt go with the solution of "Play 5 Brooks concerts this year and nothing next year". Could U2 have booked it already????

Effects

sugarman wrote: »

Slane hopefully!

Why would anyone want to go to Slane? Terrible venue and a nightmare to get to and from.

NIMAN

Does anyone think that U2 tickets wouldn;t be like gold dust any more?

I think everyone who wants to see U2 Live have at this point, and they would do well to fill Croker.

eviltimeban

NIMAN wrote: »

Does anyone think that U2 tickets wouldn;t be like gold dust any more?

I think everyone who wants to see U2 Live have at this point, and they would do well to fill Croker.

People, especially in Ireland, will always want to see U2. Even if they haven't bought a record in years. Same with Pearl Jam, they sell out in minutes, but their records aren't huge sellers anymore.

old_aussie

BY EVEN MORE POPULAR DEMAND

Some days, you just can't give an album away for free.

Apple release tool to remove Songs OF Innocence

http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/392138,yes-you-can-remove-that-u2-album.aspx?eid=19&edate=20140916&utm_source=20140916&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=daily_newsletter&nl=daily

johnpatrick81

eviltimeban wrote: »

People, especially in Ireland, will always want to see U2. Even if they haven't bought a record in years. Same with Pearl Jam, they sell out in minutes, but their records aren't huge sellers anymore.

Not to mention the massive demand from people around the World to see U2 in their hometown. I think there was more foreigners the last time I saw U2 at Croke Park on the Vertigo tour!

They'd sell 3 nights in Croke Park easily. Many of their fans would be ones who would go to multiple nights too. AND they haven't toured in 5 years, 6 by the time the tour starts.

Whether they go stadiums worldwide is another question. But even on the scaled back Elevation tour they did 2 Slanes in Ireland cos of the demand.

eviltimeban

I'm not really bothered where they play, I probably won't see them. I've seen them on each tour from Popmart - but didn't bother with 360. I'd rather just listen to the records.

I think when they look back they'll realise the "now its in your library" method on iTunes didn't work. They weren't expecting such a negative backlash. If they had just made it a free iTunes download, they would've actually had a lot more positive responses, and perhaps better reviews. Just goes to show you though that most music journalists will just jump upon whatever the trend is, ie. hating U2. Unlike someone like David Fricke who'll just review it for what it is.

What they need to do is pull back a bit from this, with the next release, and hope the controversy quietly goes away.