Ranking U2 albums after 1 year SOI

[MrPryck2U]

I love those titles actually.

But come on, Songs of Experience???

I don't really get what's so bad about the title. It's the other half of a recurring theme. They're in their mid 50's. They've obviously got plenty of experience.


I think How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb is a worse title.

 

[BVS]

I love those titles actually.

But come on, Songs of Experience???

Sure you do now. But If you're just judging a title without anything else; SOE is much better than hearing an album is being named after a tree.


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[BVS]

Explain! Why is that important?

It started the whole theme of this era.


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[BarefootDancer]

Sure you do now. But If you're just judging a title without anything else; SOE is much better than hearing an album is being named after a tree.

Well, to my knowledge, it's not just an ordinary tree. Wikipedia says: "The name Joshua tree was given by a group of Mormon settlers who crossed the Mojave Desert in the mid-19th century. The tree's unique shape reminded them of a Biblical story in which Joshua reaches his hands up to the sky in prayer"
Makes sense when it comes to U2.

And I'm old enough to have heard the title Achtung Baby for the first time when it came out. Loved it immediately. Especially the title, but also the record, though it had to grow on me as a eighties U2 fan.

I don't really get what's so bad about the title. It's the other half of a recurring theme. They're in their mid 50's. They've obviously got plenty of experience.

I think How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb is a worse title.

Agree on this one.

Find it hard to describe my dislike of SOE in words, it's more a feeling. Will give it a try one day.

 

[BarefootDancer]

It started the whole theme of this era.

Again, enlighten me! I'm probably not so well informed as you seem to be..

 

[MrPryck2U]

Find it hard to describe my dislike of SOE in words, it's more a feeling. Will give it a try one day.

Well, the album hasn't even come out yet, so I don't know how you can dislike it. If you're alleging to be a U2 fan, than surely you can attempt to keep an open mind.

 

[BVS]

Well, to my knowledge, it's not just an ordinary tree. Wikipedia says: "The name Joshua tree was given by a group of Mormon settlers who crossed the Mojave Desert in the mid-19th century. The tree's unique shape reminded them of a Biblical story in which Joshua reaches his hands up to the sky in prayer"
Makes sense when it comes to U2.

And I'm old enough to have heard the title Achtung Baby for the first time when it came out. Loved it immediately. Especially the title, but also the record, though it had to grow on me as a eighties U2 fan.

You're kinda making my point. You had to look up some meaning or context in order for it to make sense. When AB was announced people were already yelling sellout before hearing a second of music, here's this earnest band that's hardly ever used the word baby in their songs and now it's in their title. It got a lot of flack.


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[BVS]

Again, enlighten me! I'm probably not so well informed as you seem to be..

William Blake is one of Bono's favorite poets and he has a collection of poems called Songs of Innocence and another called Songs of Experience, which was later combined into one book. Bono started talking about it when Songs of Ascent was being thrown around.

The whole tour's theme was based on this innocence and experience bookends idea.


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[BarefootDancer]

Well, the album hasn't even come out yet, so I don't know how you can dislike it. If you're alleging to be a U2 fan, than surely you can attempt to keep an open mind.

Don't worry, I just said that I don't like a title like that, not the album as a whole. How could that be possible as it isn't out yet?

You're kinda making my point. You had to look up some meaning or context in order for it to make sense.

Well, not being a biologist, not being an American (as these trees only grow there) and not being religious, I had no clue what a Joshua Tree is, so I looked it up (well, did already that a long time ago, but quoting wiki is a bit easier than typing it all out myself). I don't see any harm in that.
For me, it's an intriguing title, makes me curious. Knowing what it means makes me wonder about the songs, it's subject/theme if any. No line on the horizon to me is as strong and intriguing as an title. Songs of Experience, by itself, just isn't.

When AB was announced people were already yelling sellout before hearing a second of music, here's this earnest band that's hardly ever used the word baby in their songs and now it's in their title. It got a lot of flack.

Do you really suggest, I should like SOE as a title, because no one seems to have a problem with that or lots of people agree it's a great title?? Like vice versa I shouldn't have liked AB as lots of people were complaining about it? Come on!

 

[LemonMelon]

I think the Songs of Innocence/Experience/Ascent concept is really interesting and I'm glad they're trying it. U2 albums work best with some kind of theme in mind.

I feel like part 2 of the series should place us somewhere in the thick of their heyday, late 80s/early 90s and maybe they can put some of those wild stories in U2 at the End of the World to music. That could be fun. It could be a very interesting reflection on what success and celebrity did to/for them. Put them in a very Gone frame of mind. Then Ascent can be more spiritual and introspective, like October but through a more abstract lens, like TUF. Really get that William Blake influence in there.

Absolutely none of this will happen, it's just what I would like to see.

 

[BVS]

Do you really suggest, I should like SOE as a title, because no one seems to have a problem with that or lots of people agree it's a great title?? Like vice versa I shouldn't have liked AB as lots of people were complaining about it? Come on!

Say what?! I'm not sure how you came up with that...

My point is that U2 has had some titles that without the aesthetic and music didn't make sense on their own. The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, zooropa are all pretty bad without the context.



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[LemonMelon]

How is The Joshua Tree a bad title? You know exactly what the setting and influences are without any context because those trees only grow in one place. Furthermore, it's a specific, concrete image. It's not like they called it DESERT AMERICAN ALBUM. It's one of their coolest titles.

Songs of Innocence is fine too, maybe overly descriptive but at least it's tied to another famous work so there's a potential point of comparison.

 

[MrPryck2U]

Kind of begs the cliché, don't judge an album by its title. Or by its cover even.

 

[BarefootDancer]

Thanks for clarifying about William Blake and his books, BVS. I can totally go with the idea of multiple albums describing a man's/a band's life, especially if they can pull it off the way LM described. That would be amazing!

But just by itself, I can't get myself to like SOE as a title. It's so pompous, so ungracious in a way. (shit, wish I was a native English speaker to be able to describe better what it makes me feel).

I guess I have to get used to it, as they probably are stuck to it now, naming the tour I&E and all.

Spoiler

Well, better an album with a lousy title over no new album at all!

 

[BVS]

How is The Joshua Tree a bad title? You know exactly what the setting and influences are without any context because those trees only grow in one place. Furthermore, it's a specific, concrete image. It's not like they called it DESERT AMERICAN ALBUM. Shit, that's one of their coolest titles.

Songs of Innocence is fine too, maybe overly descriptive but at least it's tied to another famous work so there's a potential point of comparison.

Once again you have some context. If you're a high schooler or college student in the 80s in other parts of the country it's just a fucking tree. For those folks it doesn't make sense until you see and hear the album.


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[LemonMelon]

Once again you have some context. If you're a high schooler or college student in the 80s in other parts of the country it's just a fucking tree. For those folks it doesn't make sense until you see and hear the album.


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I mean, that's true, you didn't exactly have Google back then. Easy to take that for granted in 2015.

 

[BarefootDancer]

Say what?! I'm not sure how you came up with that...

Well, read what I quoted you on. You were the one bringing up what others had to say about an title, and judging the entire album by it. I don't do that. I'm just not happy with SOE as a title.

We just don't agree on how important we think an album title is, I guess.

Yep, when JT came out, I couldn't check Google for its meaning. In those days we had to rely on journalists doing their jobs. Or wait a few more years for the internet to be available for more people.
Anyways, the release of JT was a bit before my time. I came in after R&H was released. Speaking about a fun title if you ask me. And easier to look up it's meaning as we had dictionaries in those days..

 

[BVS]

I mean, that's true, you didn't exactly have Google back then. Easy to take that for granted in 2015.

lol, right? I do it all the time.


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[BVS]

Well, read what I quoted you on. You were the one bringing up what others had to say about an title, and judging the entire album by it. I don't do that. I'm just not happy with SOE as a title.

No, it wasn't so much about judging the entire album by it. It was about judging the title without the context of the album.

Um, you started the title discussion. You seemed to think it was important enough to complain about it, right?



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[Oregoropa]

Plus I like the idea of U2 sticking to a theme.

As much as it pains me, I'm giving you some props for this Discussion about SOE.

 

[BarefootDancer]

Um, you started the title discussion. You seemed to think it was important enough to complain about it, right?

As the discussion of this thread went into complaining about lyrics and all, and the last remark before I stepped in was LM's wish for more "frank, interesting" ones on SOE over SOI's, so yeah, I thought I could mention my dislike of the title SOE.

 

[BVS]

As much as it pains me, I'm giving you some props for this Discussion about SOE.

lol, what happens in fym stays in fym




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[bobsaget77]

As much as it pains me, I'm giving you some props for this Discussion about SOE.

I suddenly hate the idea of a theme and the name "Songs of Experience". Scratch the whole project.



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[BigMacPhisto]

True fan here.

1. Joshua Tree
2. All That You Can't Leave Behind
3. Achtung Baby
4. Unforgettable Fire
5. Zooropa
6. War
7. October
8. Boy
9. No Line On The Horizon
10. How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
11. Original Soundtracks I
12. Rattle & Hum
13. Pop
14. Songs of Innocence

Only thing that's really changed is Pop falling below Rattle & Hum for me. I listened to it before attending the SOI concerts and there's just far too much unforgivable schlock and little that's anywhere near the best songs on R&H.

The SOI tour had greatly improved versions of "Iris" and "Every Breaking Wave" but that's about it. It's still mostly a bore to listen to.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

It was a tough call but I put SOI above it. It's more of a complete album than its 2000 predecessors. It will age well.

Right, so the album with the worst reviews of their career from both critics and average listeners and an album that most of its proponents say lacks a truly great song will somehow loom large in the band's discography.

Need to buy a bridge? Or some more Kool-Aid?

 

[MrPryck2U]

Right, so the album with the worst reviews of their career from both critics and average listeners and an album that most of its proponents say lacks a truly great song will somehow loom large in the band's discography.

Need to buy a bridge? Or some more Kool-Aid?

Settle down, Big Mac. Survivor will be returning soon.

 

[bobsaget77]

Right, so the album with the worst reviews of their career from both critics and average listeners and an album that most of its proponents say lacks a truly great song will somehow loom large in the band's discography.



Need to buy a bridge? Or some more Kool-Aid?

Being named Rolling Stone's #1 album of the year is a pretty bad accomplishment.


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[BVS]

Right, so the album with the worst reviews of their career from both critics and average listeners and an album that most of its proponents say lacks a truly great song will somehow loom large in the band's discography.



Need to buy a bridge? Or some more Kool-Aid?

We get it; Pitchfork told you not to like it.


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[MrPryck2U]

Being named Rolling Stone's #1 album of the year is a pretty bad accomplishment.

Give Big Mac some credit. His dislike for SOI hasn't wavered once in a year. Not everybody can (cough, cough) drink the Kool Aid. Oh yeah!

 

[LemonMelon]

Being named Rolling Stone's #1 album of the year is a pretty bad accomplishment.


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Rolling Stone AOTY is the U2/Bruce Springsteen award. Other artists just get to hold it when neither of them put out an album.

And it is the worst-reviewed album of U2's career, at least in metacritic's existence. By some distance at that. Whole lot more outlets than Pitchfork and RS on there.