Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way appreciation thread

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The "BIGNESS" of the song is certainly aided by that almost apocalyptic sounding instrument at the beginning and punctuating the chorus. I don't have the quality recording yet, so I can't even tell what that is. A treated guitar? A synth? It sounds like those super-loud mysterious sounds you'd hear in the TV series Lost, or any number of JJ Abrams movies.
 
The "BIGNESS" of the song is certainly aided by that almost apocalyptic sounding instrument at the beginning and punctuating the chorus. I don't have the quality recording yet, so I can't even tell what that is. A treated guitar? A synth? It sounds like those super-loud mysterious sounds you'd hear in the TV series Lost, or any number of JJ Abrams movies.



This last time I listened to it, it sounded like it might be a distorted vocal. Whatever it is, it works.
 
I’m still waiting for this one to hit me. The bridge is great, but the verse and chorus aren’t resonating with me yet.
 
I know it's still the honeymoon phase with this album, but every time I listen to this and the 'If the moonlight caught you crying on Killiney Bay...' part hits, damn. Feels like one of the biggest moments on a U2 record ever.



(Opinion subject to change with time)
 
The processed vocal hook heard throughout the song reminds me of the processed vocal hook in the studio version of Magnificent.

This song was immediately appealing the first time I heard it, the catchiest one on the album. But it doesn't have a lot of depth on repeat listens. I predict this song will become another target for fans who lament U2's post-2000 attempts at writing sugary pop (alongside stuff like California, Crazy Tonight, Stuck in a Moment, etc).
 
The processed vocal hook heard throughout the song reminds me of the processed vocal hook in the studio version of Magnificent.

This song was immediately appealing the first time I heard it, the catchiest one on the album. But it doesn't have a lot of depth on repeat listens. I predict this song will become another target for fans who lament U2's post-2000 attempts at writing sugary pop (alongside stuff like California, Crazy Tonight, Stuck in a Moment, etc).



Oh God... is it pop? Without question. But it’s far better than any of those three.
 
The first two, I'll give you. We'll see if I grow to like it more than Stuck. (I have no problem with U2 doing sugary pop, if it's done well... for example, Love is Bigger and Stuck.)
 
To my ears this song has them sounding like they're old and on a proper career-ending casino tour, and I hate to admit that. It's beyond cheesy and desperate sounding. Its U2 trying TOO hard. I get it. There's wisdom in the concept/theme, but oh my the delivery is bad.
Luckily, its the only song on the album (or in their catalogue) that makes me "feel" this way. I'm glad others are captured by this song, but I skip it every time. How this was chosen over The Book of Your Heart is unbelievable to me.
I've said this before ; I do love this album.
 
Still loving it. They dove head-first into pop music on this one, and came out with a perfectly crafted tune.

I would be interested to see the divide in opinions on this one among people who have children vs those who don’t.

I’m guessing those who of us who kids are relating to it much, much more.
 
It might sound absurd, but there's something about this song that immediately evoqued "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" to me when I first listened to it: the main riff which is very similar melodically to the "Ooh Ooh Oooooooh"'s in "Stay" final section; and the way and melody of Bono singing "Oh" reminds me a lot of his singing in "Staaaaaaaaayyy".
 
This one is still near the bottom for me. It's just too much cheese, too much pop. But I can understand people liking it.
 
I was singing this to myself earlier and absentmindedly sang the chorus as "Love is evolution's very best day."

:rockon:
 
I would be interested to see the divide in opinions on this one among people who have children vs those who don’t.

I’m guessing those who of us who kids are relating to it much, much more.


I think you’re onto something here. I have kids, and this song resonates incredibly strongly. I don’t find it cheesy, I find it honest. Plus it’s big, lyrically tremendous and well constructed.

Great song, best on the album for me, and for me, where I am in my life currently, could be my favourite U2 song ever.
 
Sounds like something post-2000 a-ha would do. Which is a compliment.

Oh my goodness - thank you Hawkmoon! This is exactly what I thought first when hearing it for the first time last night only I thought I was the only one hearing it instead of the lazy and obvious Coldplay comparisons.

The pulsating synths sound like something you'd find on their excellent Foot of the Mountain record and many of their 80s and early 90s records. The vocal hooks are almost designed to the inch for Morten Harket to bellow and the melody has that little dash of melancholy that comes naturally to the songs of Pal Waaktaar. Of course it's not the first time U2 have been compared to a-ha with many noting the similarities to Beautiful Day and The Sun Always Shines On Tv.

I'm a big fan of a-ha and they are, in the words of none other than Adam Clayton, one of the most misunderstood bands. That Morrissey and Johnny Marr are also fans is a testament to their quality.
 
Honestly, I did not expect to like this. I'd read tons of stuff about it before I listened, mostly about how poppy it is, with a fair few dinging it for trying too hard. And I get it. I get that this is U2 consciously TRYING to be anthemic. I get that it's cheesy.

BUT.

Every time I listen, it moves up in my estimation. It's just TOO catchy, too joyful, for me to do anything but love it. It's gonna be a great one live; I agree with whoever said they could see it as a closer too, even though they usually prefer the downbeat ends. It's just big, unadorned, unhidden joy and I love it.
 
Honestly, I did not expect to like this. I'd read tons of stuff about it before I listened, mostly about how poppy it is, with a fair few dinging it for trying too hard. And I get it. I get that this is U2 consciously TRYING to be anthemic. I get that it's cheesy.

BUT.

Every time I listen, it moves up in my estimation. It's just TOO catchy, too joyful, for me to do anything but love it. It's gonna be a great one live; I agree with whoever said they could see it as a closer too, even though they usually prefer the downbeat ends. It's just big, unadorned, unhidden joy and I love it.

And it makes no sense, because some of the critics, and even some of the people here, pretend that there weren't catchy or anthemic songs on Achtung Baby or other critical darlings of U2's career. It's revisionist history at its worst.
 
First listen and it's my favorite song I haven't already heard... may move up to 1.... it's such a song that roles over the movies credits song... and if you know me, 90% of my favorite songs of all time are from movies and TV -- most of them play under the credits as they role.
 
And it makes no sense, because some of the critics, and even some of the people here, pretend that there weren't catchy or anthemic songs on Achtung Baby or other critical darlings of U2's career. It's revisionist history at its worst.

Agree completely. Reviews are so stupid. How dare a song be anthemic or overly melodic. It's so pretentious on the part of the writer. Have they ever heard the Beatles? I can only imagine Frank Sinatra or Miles Davis or Elton John refusing a song with "nope, just too damn catchy." And I know there are silly lines here and there, but as a big fan of great writers like Bob Dylan, Tom Waits and Elvis Costello, I can tell you that all writers have their share of silly lines.

This is a really good album full of well crafted, ultra tight songs that are going to appeal to a whole new generation of U2 fans. It's funny, because I'm so damned old, I still think of Boy and October as early U2, War and UF as mid-career-U2 and everything after the Joshua Tree as late-career-U2. It shocks me whenever I encounter fans who discovered them with albums as recent as HTDAAB! It shocks me even more when I realize that was 13 YEARS AGO!!!

I graduated in '82. That means that HTDAAB from a high schooler's perspective is how I thought of music from 1969 (The Beatles and CCR). The thought leaves me slackjawed.
 
Only song I don't think is fantastic. Not bad at all but a litttle bit to cheesy for me.
 
Makes the top 3 for me along with Landlady and Little things. Would be a fitting closer instead of 13...
 
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