American Soul.

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
Hollow Island said:
U2 have never recycled riffs or lyrics, never mind entire sections of songs that appeared on an album. The only other instance that's comparable is Spinning Head, and that was a b-side for a single from that album.
Click to expand...



I haven't listened to this song yet and will try not to until the album comes out.

I do think it would be odd to use the same riff and or lyrics in an album song as was used in another album song. To your point if it is a b-side that they took from then that makes sense as they built on the b-side to become an a-side.

They did steal lyrics though before, very recently, and thought it was strange at the time but after a while I was okay with it and thought it was kinda cool. I am referring to Boots and Fez Being Born (Let me in the Sound).

Again, I haven't heard the song but I do agree that it's rare for U2 to do what is being described.
 
CosmoKramer said:
I haven't listened to this song yet and will try not to until the album comes out.

I do think it would be odd to use the same riff and or lyrics in an album song as was used in another album song. To your point if it is a b-side that they took from then that makes sense as they built on the b-side to become an a-side.

They did steal lyrics though before, very recently, and thought it was strange at the time but after a while I was okay with it and thought it was kinda cool. I am referring to Boots and Fez Being Born (Let me in the Sound).

Again, I haven't heard the song but I do agree that it's rare for U2 to do what is being described.
Click to expand...

Its certainly VERY obvious in this song lol. It is volcano 2 and I can totally see how people would not like this or think it's lazy. Somehow this doesn't bother me with this song. It's got great energy otherwise. Someone here said (forgot who) that if volcano wasn't released this might be a killer song. I think they are right. I think this is better than volcano but too similar to volcano as well. After listening a few times, I still love it bit I don't know if I will love it in a year or not. I worry when I instantly love a song cos these are the songs that I tend to not like over time. Now as for gooyow I like it but I am not crazy for it, this might actually be a good sign that I will love it later on.
 
CosmoKramer said:
They did steal lyrics though before, very recently, and thought it was strange at the time but after a while I was okay with it and thought it was kinda cool. I am referring to Boots and Fez Being Born (Let me in the Sound).

Again, I haven't heard the song but I do agree that it's rare for U2 to do what is being described.
Click to expand...

I forgot about that and stand corrected. Creating thematic unity on an album is totally different from recycling an entire section across two albums released three years apart, on two songs that are about different things
 
Hollow Island said:
I forgot about that and stand corrected. Creating thematic unity on an album is totally different from recycling an entire section across two albums released three years apart, on two songs that are about different things
Click to expand...

They are companion albums though, which makes it acceptable to me.
 
American Soul is fucking atrocious. The lyrics are fucking awful. The lyrics are literally like a Bono interview with Charlie Rose pasted over the Volcano You & And I Are Rock & Roll riff...it's really, really bad IMO. I liked the other tunes on the album so far but this one sucks.

This feels like the end to me.
 
Yeah the companion album thing, i get it. I think they went too far but they're U2, it might work better in an album context and I'll give them the benefit of the doubt till then.

The cliche slogan lyrics though... Bono is eloquent, well read, intelligent and has written so many great lyrics. Is his head really just full of slogans now? Or is he being ironic? Am i missing something.

Still miffed Edge didn't use a song like to play something fast and brutal. Quiet a few critics while adding to the song.
 
I have no idea how to access this song but I'm getting the impression that I don't want to access it
 
They've reused bits and pieces before, just not to this blatantly. The 'dream out loud' lyric was used a couple times. That Rejoice lyric came back in Lucifer's Hands. HTDAAB was an entire album about kneeling. Crumbs From Your Table is like, 80% the live arrangement of Walk On with different words. LWTSH was an early version that became something else, like Always and Native Son.

There's likely a million versions of songs in the vault frankenstein'd together with pieces of others just by virtue of how they work. They probably had two tracks stewing that used the same part and decided this was the time to run with it given the connection between the records.
 
Ok so the only reason why this is so weird is because of the gap between albums. If they came.out at the same time or close together, like a Use Your Illusion kinda thing... Then the, I dunno, sampling? Borrowing?... would make more sense.

The press releases did describe it as a "companion" album to SOI. So I guess it makes sense
 
Yeah it's really not that bad to my ears. But refu-jesus really is that bad. SUC bad.
 
digitize said:
I have no idea how to access this song but I'm getting the impression that I don't want to access it
Click to expand...



I haven't heard it either and will hold off until the album comes out but from what I have read in this thread....it's either the best song yet from SOE or a piece of garbage...there is no in between unless Headache finds middle ground.
 
Hallucination said:
Volcano is a cool song and your answer explaining why it's embarrassing is pretentious as fuck.
Click to expand...

You are an utter mug, but lets play along because game 7 is turning into a blowout and Im bored.

Yes, Im pretentious. Yes, Im gorgeous and yes Im also quite wealthy. Additionally, as you can deduce I have an extremely high opinion of myself.

And yet, I think this song and Volcano are two of the most disgusting things U2 have ever put out. It’s bad enough that I would stop myself from telling anyone that I periodically listen to U2 in case they’d heard these audio holocausts for themselves.
 
Last edited:
Headache in a Suitcase said:
I actually like it, refu-jesus aside

If we didn't hear volcano, it wouldn't be as odd.
Click to expand...

I agree! If volcano never existed, I think this would be a kick ass song. I think maybe u2 tried to do something a little like pink Floyd the wall ei, all the different versions of another brick on the wall. But unlike the wall, those songs were all connected while this appears to be two different songs all together.
 
Last edited:
Axver said:
Liberals don't want you to have any American soul. Sad!
Click to expand...

Failing U2 just released "American Soul", a Bono beauty. There's never been such ANGER & UNITY in the fandom. Very 'weak' (and bad for our country) song...

....That re-uses part from Volcano. I want original parts!
 
I guess I like the song? Refu-Jesus is, erm, not the best lyric ever, but nothing else really offends me.

It's somewhat bizarre that this is the third song to have Glastonbury's chorus, but, if I ignore the self-plagiarism, I don't dislike the chorus any more than I did on its other two iterations, and the verses are probably better than on those songs.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Scorpionac
Songs that would fit better on SOI vs. SOE?
Replies
1
Views
409
Headache in a Suitcase
Headache in a Suitcase
dan_smee
I listened to No Line on the Horizon right through tonight for the first time in about 10 years…
2 3
Replies
83
Views
2K
lazarus
lazarus
R
Instrumental Songs in the waiting area?
Replies
11
Views
968
ARMOGI
A
Reggie Thee Dog
Are we NOT discussing the Dolby Atmos Mix of Achtung Baby?
Replies
13
Views
1K
count rushmore
count rushmore
W
A Boy Falls From the Sky is some U2's best work
Replies
3
Views
2K
zoocarolina
Z

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom