Middle Eastern Sounds

[Niadh]

Hi this is my first post, been a lurker for a while
Anyway I haven't listened to the album yet as I decided to wait to get the CD in my hands.
I have read that there are some middle eastern strings in Moment of Surrender and Breathe. Is this correct and what other songs have some Middle Eastern sounds?

I am interested in that type of music and find it interesting that U2 decided to include this influence on the album.

Cheers!

 

[fall125]

The middle eastern influence was definitely exaggerated by the band and the producers.


There are a few "middle eastern touches." Some ambient noise, some strings, some synth bits done in odd keys, but that's about it.

 

[paulrg]

I think there are a lot of middle eastern touches and influences its just that a lot of them are subtle and mixed with other layers of sound. Some of the vocal flourishes are reminiscent of good Arabic singers.

The band also spoke of being moved by the music they heard at the festival they attended in Fez - and they have certainly poured a lot of emotion into this work.

 

[last unicorn]

The band never said there would be much of that. In fact, Edge said quite early in the process that they wouldn't make "world music" and that they don't want to be "musical tourists", thus the influences on the album would be subtle, and they certainly are. UC and FBB are, IMO, the most obvious ones.

 

[kafrun]

Get out of my head, I was just thinking about this I especially love the beginning of Unknown Caller. It just takes me somewhere else..

 

[quadcaster]

the middle eastern influence seems to be mostly on the drums, with a number of songs employing the use of bongo's/other odd drum choices

 

[bathiu]

Middle Eastern? Why would there be any middle eastern sounds? Morocco's right "below" Spain, in Africa.

 

[quadcaster]

Middle Eastern? Why would there be any middle eastern sounds? Morocco's right "below" Spain, in Africa.

Morocco's culture is very much middle eastern

 

[Aardvark747]

Yeah