Early Song Rankings

[Jarvio]

Just because people will get riled up at the fact that we're ranking all 13 songs too soon without hearing it in full quality. Pinch of salt yeah?

1 - Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way
2 - You're The Best Thing About Me
3 - The Blackout
4 - The Showman (Little More Better)
5 - 13 (There Is A Light)
6 - Love Is All We Have Left
7 - The Little Things That Give You Away
8 - Get Out Of Your Own Way
9 - Lights Of Home
10 - Summer Of Love
11 - Red Flag Day
12 - Landlady
13 - American Soul

 

[BANZAI]

VERY GOOD
Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way
The Blackout
Landlady
Love Is All We Have Left
The Little Things That Give You Away
Summer Of Love
Red Flag Day

GOOD
The Showman (Little More Better)
13 (There Is A Light)
Lights Of Home

OK
Get Out Of Your Own Way
American Soul
You're The Best Thing About Me

 

[purpleoscar]

Right now with bad sound quality:

The Showman (Little More Better)
Summer Of Love
Red Flag Day
Landlady
Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way
The Little Things That Give You Away
Get Out Of Your Own Way
The Blackout
Lights Of Home
You're The Best Thing About Me
13 (There Is A Light)
Love Is All We Have Left
American Soul

I’ll listen again when there’s a better copy with no talking

 

[RABIDLAMB]

Tough one from one listen.

Love is bigger
The Showman
Lights of Home
Love is all we have left
The Blackout
Red Flag Day
You're the Best Thing
Summer of Love
The Little Things
American Soul
Landlady
13
Get Out Of Your Own Way

 

[Hollow Island]

Nice to see that the songs they've released so far ranking in the bottom half

 

[popacrobat]

I’d say American Soul is my least favorite.

Again, need to hear everything in better quality but I think that’ll probably end up holding true.

 

[POPMatt]

Hmmm... tough to be objective when it's so fresh and hasn't had time to fully digest, but here's a first blush ordering:

The Little Things
The Showman
Summer of Love
Blackout
Landlady
Lights of Home
Love is Bigger
Red Flag Day
13
Love is All We Have Left
The Best Thing
Get Out Of Your Own Way
American Soul

Agreed that American Soul is easily at the bottom. I'm really enjoying the rest - they're tough to rank.

 

[mikal]

I need to hear a better rip and let the songs fit in with the already released material because I really love Get Out Of Your Own Way and Blackout, but the excitement is too high regarding the rest of the album.

With that said, Love Is Bigger and Little Things are clearly standouts for me.

 

[dan_smee]

First up, from 2 full runs through.

1. TLTTGYA
2. RFG
3. LOH
4. The Blackout
5. 13
6. The Showman
7. LIBTAIIW
8. LIAWHL
9. Landlady
10. GOOYOW
11. American Soul
12. Summer of Love
13. TBT

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

Summer Of Love has like a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack vibe to it. Different in a way for the band but I don’t think it’s necessarily a great tune.

 

[dan_smee]

Summer Of Love has like a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack vibe to it. Different in a way for the band but I don’t think it’s necessarily a great tune.

It's probably the only song that hasn't grabbed me through a few listens. Probably means it will be my favourite!

 

[dabiggestu2fan]

THe standouts for me are:
Love is all we have left
Book of your heart
Lights of home (string version)
Summer of love
Red flag day

But my favorite so far are:
Book of your heart
Lights (string version)

This may very well change esp since I listened only 3 times to a less than perfect quality rip.

 

[Jarvio]

THe standouts for me are:
Love is all we have left
Book of your heart
Lights of home (string version)
Summer of love
Red flag day

But my favorite so far are:
Book of your heart
Lights (string version)

This may very well change esp since I listened only 3 times to a less than perfect quality rip.

How have you heard Book of your heart, and where can we hear it?

 

[u2behind]

The showman has me up and moving. Above and beyond the best song on the album.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

Well.... it s a tough call. Have been listening to the album all day long. No weak track , that s 2 albums in a row.

First day ranking: (7 listenings)

1. The little things that gave you away (most u2 ish but the only one that gives me goosebumps and makes me weird... so beautiful)
2. Red flag day (is this band really close to 60?!)
3. The Blackout (loved that song from the start)

Then it gets too difficult.... The next 4 songs are at the moment on the same scale...

4-7. Lights of home
4-7. Summer of love
4-7. The Showman
4-7. Love is bigger than anything in its way

Same thing with the next 4....

8-11. Love is all we have left
8-11. American soul (would be higher without the Volcano part. I love u2 rock songs)
8-11. Landlady
8-11. 13 (too bad song for someone exists... this is much better)
12. You re the best thing about me
13. Get out of your own way

My top 3 is clear.... my bottom 2 as well.... The rest is all very solid. Not much anything they have done before.... it is surprising, sometimes makes me even smile. Next ranking after the real stuff comes with a good sound!!!

 

[Maroon Bells]

Love is all we have left sounds remarkably like Destroyer.

 

[BANZAI]

VERY GOOD
Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way
The Blackout
Landlady
Love Is All We Have Left
The Little Things That Give You Away
Summer Of Love
Red Flag Day

GOOD
The Showman (Little More Better)
13 (There Is A Light)
Lights Of Home

OK
Get Out Of Your Own Way
American Soul
You're The Best Thing About Me

Here's a new try after 8-10 listening sessions today...

Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way (8,5/10)
The Blackout (8,5/10)
Landlady (8/10)
Love Is All We Have Left (8/10)
The Little Things That Give You Away (8/10)
Summer Of Love (8/10)
Red Flag Day (8/10)
The Showman (Little More Better) (7,5/10)
13 (There Is A Light) (7,5/10)
Lights Of Home (7,5/10)
Get Out Of Your Own Way (7/10)
American Soul (6,5/10)
You're The Best Thing About Me (6/10)

AVERAGE = 7.6/10

I'm really satisfied, better than expected

 

[dabiggestu2fan]

How have you heard Book of your heart, and where can we hear it?

I don’t think anyone recorded it. Maybe today as he is streaming the album again?

 

[Maroon Bells]

Trivial songwriting thing that annoys me about late-stage U2...

Summer of Love (pretty good song here, reminds me a little of A Man and a Woman, which is one of my all time faves):

I've been thinking bout the West Coast/
Not the one that everyone knows/
Sick of living in the Shadows/
We've one more chance before the light goes/

Every one of those "O" words in this "climb" before the chorus goes up an octave and is met with an Edge falsetto. It's nice once or twice, but on every line? I especially wouldn't do it on the last one. Let that one be sung naturally as it heads into the chorus.

Just comes off a little like designing in bold-faced type. Or large capital letters. Large capital letters. Needs pace. Hierarchy.

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

I’m getting a 311 vibe from Red Flag Day. Such a fun song!

 

[hpantazo]

I’m getting a 311 vibe from Red Flag Day. Such a fun song!

Red Flag Day is more like classic Duran Duran 80's sound, and I love it!

 

[gvox]

The Showman is dead bottom of the heap. Booze break for me.

Blackout and American Soul are meh for me, but it’s no secret that i don’t like their recent 70s-rock stuff. File this with Volcano etc

The rest of the album is GREAT. Love is Bigger, Landlady, and Little Things are stellar, stellar tracks. I actually enjoy Get Out and The Best Thing in the context of the album better than when I first heard them in their own. Love is All We Have Left, There is a Light, Lights of Home, Summer of Love, are all quite enjoyable.

The letter L is a strong theme in this album lol

 

[mikal]

The Showman is dead bottom of the heap. Booze break for me.

Blackout and American Soul are meh for me, but it’s no secret that i don’t like their recent 70s-rock stuff. File this with Volcano etc

The rest of the album is GREAT. Love is Bigger, Landlady, and Little Things are stellar, stellar tracks. I actually enjoy Get Out and The Best Thing in the context of the album better than when I first heard them in their own. Love is All We Have Left, There is a Light, Lights of Home, Summer of Love, are all quite enjoyable.

The letter L is a strong theme in this album lol

My exact feelings with the exception of living Blackout too because I’d put that more along the lines of their 90’s work than the 70’s RAWK influences.

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

Landlady still takes the cake for me as best on the album. Granted I was pretty drunk last night - the song still hits home today.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

Blackout is 90 s all the way.... not 70 s....

 

[mikal]

Ok here’s an early take:

Love is Bigger Than AnythingIn Its Way
The Little Things That Give You Away
The Blackout
Red Flag Day
Love Is All We Have Left
Get Out Of Your Own Way
Summer Of Love
Lights Of Home
Landlady
13
You’re The Best Thing About Me
The Showman
American Soul

 

[Catman]

Excluding the tunes we've already heard, here's my ranking:

Love is Bigger...
Red Flag Days
-
Summer of Love
Lights of Home
-
Love is All We Have Left
The Showman
-
13
Landlady (though I really do love the ending)

All in all... not bad! Was kinda worried after not really enjoying a few of the recently released tunes, but the songs are, for the most part, all pretty wonderful. Granted, there are a few clunkers (*cough*AmericanSoul*cough*), but I'm happy to report that most of this stuff is pretty solid.

 

[SpaceBoy]

Upper tier:
Love Is Bigger
Landlady
LIAWHL
Get Out
The Little Things
The Blackout
Lights of Home
13

Middle:
American Soul
Summer of Love
The Showman

Lower:
Red Flag Day
The Best Thing


Not a bad haul.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

Upper tier:
Love Is Bigger
Landlady
LIAWHL
Get Out
The Little Things
The Blackout
Lights of Home
13

Middle:
American Soul
Summer of Love
The Showman

Lower:
Red Flag Day
The Best Thing


Not a bad haul.

You dont like red flag????? Why???

 

[SpaceBoy]

You dont like red flag????? Why???

I don't not like it, it's just one of the ones I'm not as crazy about. Feels like they're trying a bit hard with the super-kinetic 'riffiness' of it, but I do like Edge's backing vocals and the last third when Larry kind of recalibrates the groove.