Early song rankings

[Chrisedge]

California is my fav, so far.

Same (or at least towards the top), surprised to see it so low on most peoples rankings.

 

[purpleoscar]

Same (or at least towards the top), surprised to see it so low on most peoples rankings.

There's a lot of competition

 

[birdman]

Same (or at least towards the top), surprised to see it so low on most peoples rankings.

California and The Miracle give glimpses into a new vocal character, which is amazing.

 

[saltlick]

This doesn't really mean to much, not that big of a difference between 1 and 11 to me, like the whole album ALOT


1. This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now
2. Every Breaking Wave
3. Volcano
4. Cedarwood Road
5. Raised by Wolves
6. Iris (Hold Me Close)
7. The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)
8. Sleep Like a Baby Tonight
9. The Troubles
10. California
11. Song for Someone

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Pretty Good:

1. California
2. This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now
3. Every Breaking Wave (mostly because of the production)
4. The Troubles (ditto)

Have Some Intriguing Elements But Aren't That Interesting:

5. Sleep Like A Baby Tonight
6. Volcano
7. Raised By Wolves
8. Iris (Hold Me Close)

Meh:

9. Cedarwood Road
10. The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone) - This one's kind of funny because it's exactly what you'd expect them to do.
11. Song for Someone


Like No Line On The Horizon, the album lacks any real classic track (something that most posters here seem to agree on regarding this new album). Unfortunately, it also lacks a single great track and in a world where I listen to hundreds of new albums every year, only keeping the great ones in my collection, this album just doesn't really stand up with the best of what's out there today.

"California" is an obvious single for what it's worth and probably the biggest "hit" of the bunch although we all realistically know that their days of smash singles are behind them. "EBW" is a close second in that regard.

It's probably a 6/10 overall as an album. Merely good, a bit forgettable.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

So, rankings are all over the damn place. That's consistent with an album that's pretty consistent.

Consistently good? Consistently bad? Consistently samey?

It clearly has more to do with the album lacking a real peak (a comment echoed regularly in the main thread for the album). For what it's worth, Atomic Bomb was probably the last LP from the boys that had songs that were instant classics that connected with the public ("Vertigo", "City", etc.). I didn't mind that No Line On The Horizon lacked such a song as it was a more consistently great effort than its predecessor, but as a fan of this band's incredible live shows, it was kind of disappointing going into them without really being excited about hearing any of the new material.

"California" seems to be this album's "Crazy Tonight"...it's obviously the catchiest, most radio friendly track in the entire batch, but also the sort of thing that will get dumped on around here. I do find it hilarious when people here will post things along the lines of "Raised By Wolves is going to be huge!"...radio isn't going to touch most of this record.

 

[Roland of Gilead]

Okay, 3 full listens on blue tooth hearing aids blasting to the max.

Plus, a bootle of wine.

The outright love:

1. Raised by Wolves
2. This Is Where You Can Reach Me
3. The Miracle

The good love:

4. Song For Someone
5. The Troubles
6. Iris

Liking:

7. Every Breaking Wave
8. Sleep Like A Baby

Time to grow:

9. Volcano
10. Cedarwood Road
11. California

There is nothing cringe worthy here. I'm just embarrassed to rank Cali last. I'm just not feeling it. ...yet.

 

[Yahweh]

Consistently good? Consistently bad? Consistently samey?

It clearly has more to do with the album lacking a real peak (a comment echoed regularly in the main thread for the album). For what it's worth, Atomic Bomb was probably the last LP from the boys that had songs that were instant classics that connected with the public ("Vertigo", "City", etc.). I didn't mind that No Line On The Horizon lacked such a song as it was a more consistently great effort than its predecessor, but as a fan of this band's incredible live shows, it was kind of disappointing going into them without really being excited about hearing any of the new material.

"California" seems to be this album's "Crazy Tonight"...it's obviously the catchiest, most radio friendly track in the entire batch, but also the sort of thing that will get dumped on around here. I do find it hilarious when people here will post things along the lines of "Raised By Wolves is going to be huge!"...radio isn't going to touch most of this record.

Radio is outdated technology as is physical media. I agree radio likely wont play this record with any mass but really I don't think that makes one bit of difference these days.

The band has seemed to realize they are now in their 50s and are making music for the sake of the love of music not for a #1 hit necessarily.

 

[JUSTinPUSHPLAY]

Raised By Wolves
Volcano
The Miracle
Every Breaking Wave
Cedarwood Road
This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now
The Troubles
Iris
California
Sleep Like A Baby Tonight
Song For Someone
Song For Someone

 

[LyricalDrug]

It's a Danger Mouse album, through and through - wow. It's exciting to hear U2 sound so different because of it, too.

1) Iris
2) Song for Someone
3) Raised by Wolves

...but it's still early and this will surely change based on live versions, etc.

 

[cookepuss]

Bad
12. Album Artwork -- oh wait that's not a song... but still! Come on!

It's funny because it's so nondescript that we might end up calling it U2's "White Album," much in the same way that people refer to Metallica's self-titled 1991 Album "The Black Album" because the cover is black and fairly nondescript.

What I DO like about the cover is that, since they're trying to evoke their youth, the white sleeved vinyl does seem a bit appropriate. I just wish that, at the very least, there as some art on that exposed center label.

 

[LyricalDrug]

It's funny because it's so nondescript that we might end up calling it U2's "White Album," much in the same way that people refer to Metallica's self-titled 1991 Album "The Black Album" because the cover is black and fairly nondescript.

What I DO like about the cover is that, since they're trying to evoke their youth, the white sleeved vinyl does seem a bit appropriate. I just wish that, at the very least, there as some art on that exposed center label.

I think the no-artwork cover is a nod to the fact that there was no hype, no pre-release hoopla or advance press, leading up to the release. BOOM - they just dropped it on us digitally.

 

[birdman]

My first raw reaction.
1. California
2. Volcano
3. Cedarwood Road
4. The Miracle
5. Raised by Wolves
6. Iris
7. The Troubles
8. Sleep
9. Song for Someone
10. This is Where
11. Every Breaking Wave

My first edit
1. California
2. Volcano
3. Cedarwood Road
4. The Miracle
5. Sleep
6. Iris
7. Song for Someone
8. Raised by Wolves
9. This is Where
10. The Troubles
11. Every Breaking Wave.

 

[SpiralStaircase]

Subject to change after many - MANY - more listens

1 Raised by wolves
2 California
3 Every breaking wave
4 Song for Someone
5 This is where you can reach me
6 Iris
7 Volcano
8 Cedarwood Road
9 The Miracle
10 Sleep like a baby tonight
11 The troubles

I seem to have more-or-less gone for side a then side b

 

[SpiralStaircase]

I might actually like California best, I think it does some very interesting things and the beginning in particular is fantastic

 

[Axver]

This is my early reaction.

Actually Awesome U2 Listening
1. Cedarwood Road

... heaps of fucking daylight ...

Pretty Decent U2 Listening
2. Every Breaking Wave
3. Volcano
4. Iris
5. The Troubles

Average U2 Listening
6. This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now
7. Raised By Wolves
8. The Miracle
9. Sleep Like a Baby Tonight

Mediocre U2 Listening
10. Song For Someone

Shithouse U2 Listening
11. California

 

[dan_smee]

EBW
The Troubles
Iris
Raised By Wolves
Volcano
Cedarwood Road
Song for Someone
Sleep Like a Baby
California
The Miracle
TIWYCRM

 

[birdman]

Although EBW is vital for setting the tone of the album, I am on my knees hoping that all of these songs go through further transformations.

 

[dan_smee]

OK, so, being a bit of a stats nerd, I ranked the ratings so far. Some interesting results: Based on a 1st place scoring 11, 2nd gets 10 etc... Here is the cumulative list so far from 25 lists:


1 - Every Breaking Wave 200
2 - Raised by Wolves 192
3 - The Troubles 183
4 - Volcano 169
5 - TIWYCRMN 166
6 - Iris 156
7 - Sleep Like a Baby 137
8 - Cedarwood Road 120
9 - Song for Someone 116
10 - California 115
11 - The Miracle 96

What is most interesting is the range - all songs except Iris, Song For Someone and The Miracle have topped someone's list. All songs except Raised By Wolves, Volcano and Iris bottomed someone's list.

 

[SpiralStaircase]

What is most interesting is the range - all songs except Iris, Song For Someone and The Miracle have topped someones list. All songs except Raised By Wolves, Volcano and Iris bottomed someones list.

For sure. This would seem to indicate it's a consistent album which is how it strikes me on first impressions. No real standouts, no real clunkers!

 

[Axver]

How Cedarwood Road isn't the forum-dominating, chart-topping standout is just beyond me.

 

[birdman]

How Cedarwood Road isn't the forum-dominating, chart-topping standout is just beyond me.

Further edits of my list will entirely depend on how these songs end up live, therefore it is as loose as something of mine on a Tuesday afternoon.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

Was away 5 days and there is our so-wanted present.... ))))))))

Listened to everything 3 times only, very fresh sound, new but yet still U2 ish.... lot's of 70's guitar sound, Bono's voice is great, not a lot of guitar solo, if not at all, but interesting work indeed.... hard to tell which one will be the 1st single, lot's of good melodies, I'll go with California....

Here's my ranking so far:

1. Iris (Hold me close)
2. Volcano
3. California
4. Raised by wolves
5. Sleep like a baby tonight
6. The Miracle
7. Cedarwood Road
8. The Troubles
9. This is where you can reach me
10. Every breaking waves
11. Song for someone

Only the last 2 are very average..... the rest is very solid and the middle part of the album is very very strong with Iris, Volcano, Raises by Wolves, Cedarwood and Sleep like a baby tonight..... 5 great songs!!!!!

Excited!

 

[Fly-2000]

1 - Raised by Wolves
2 - Iris (Hold Me Close)
3 - Volcano
4 - Cedarwood Road
5 - This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now
6 - The Troubles
7 - Sleep Like a Baby Tonight
8 - Song for Someone
9 - Every Breaking Wave
10 - California (There Is No End to Love)
11 - The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)

I think 5 and 6 here are likely interchangeable to be honest.

 

[Mr. Happy]

1. Every Breaking Wave
2. The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)
3. Sleep Like a Baby Tonight
4. This Is Where You Can Reach Me
5. Song for Someone
6. Cedarwood Road
7. California (There is No End to Love)
8. The Troubles
9. Iris
10. Volcano
11. Raised by Wolves

My first impression of the album was overwhelmingly negative, but it's been growing on me slowly after playing it a good four or five times throughout the day. I think I'll end loving at least the first six on this list eventually, especially 1-4. There's some really good stuff in those.

The last three on here are really all interchangable with each other. I'm not fond of those ones at all

 

[AndrewCowley]

How Cedarwood Road isn't the forum-dominating, chart-topping standout is just beyond me.

For me The Troubles is the standout.

 

[Sken]

This album is such a surprise and looks to be a grower.

Cedarwood Road is rocking!

High praise to EBW, Volcano, Sleep, Troubles, Iris and Volcano.

I think the only song I am not feeling is California.

 

[Larry's girl]

For me The Troubles is the standout.

Iris for me. Fantastic song.

 

[pulle30]

Fully agree with Axver. Cedarwood rd!!!!!

 

[birdman]

Let it be known, that I put Cedarwood Rd third.