Radio Radio - Moment of Surrender

[kpod]

A few years from now when we are all waiting for news an a new U2 project, I suspect that Moment of Surrender will by THE song from No Line for all music lovers - not just U2 fans. U2 should embrace the "miracle" [according to Eno] that it is and release it to radio. It may not be the most conventional single but who cares. Radio should conform to the song - the song should not conform to the radio. It may be lost on most programmers but it may finds its way into a few more souls.

Elvis Costello had it right:

I was tuning in the shine on the light night dial
doing anything my radio advised
with every one of those late night stations
playing songs bringing tears to me eyes
I was seriously thinking about hiding the receiver
when the switch broke 'cause it's old
They're saying things that I can hardly believe.
They really think we're getting out of control.

Radio is a sound salvation
Radio is cleaning up the nation
They say you better listen to the voice of reason
But they don't give you any choice
'cause they think that it's treason.
So you had better do as you are told.
You better listen to the radio.

I wanna bite the hand that feeds me.
I wanna bite that hand so badly.
I want to make them wish they'd never seen me.


Some of my friends sit around every evening
and they worry about the times ahead
But everybody else is overwhelmed by indifference
and the promise of an early bed
You either shut up or get cut out;
they don't wanna hear about it.
It's only inches on the reel-to-reel.
And the radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools
tryin' to anaesthetise the way that you feel

 

[zwervers2]

Seeing your first child being born is a miracle

Moment of Surrender is a nice song, nothing more nothing less and definately NOT the incredible classic some people in here keep talking about. Oh wait, it is just MY opinion to avoid the same old same old "who are you to" or "that is YOUR" etc

Thank you for reminding me to go to the cashmachine by the way

 

[kpod]

Excellent point - no song is a miracle - some are just more meaningful than others. The reference to "miracle" was to Eno's point of how the song just came together for the band. I happen to think it is the best of the lot. My only point is I think they should release to radio the songs they are most proud of.

Cheers.

 

[Rafiennes]

Seeing your first child being born is a miracle
QUOTE]

But seeing your first child being born, come out playing guitar and singing 'Moment Of Surrender'...now THAT'S a miracle!

 

[LyricalDrug]

Eno says it, Lanois says it -- the best song on the album and an absolute epic. The lyrics are a million times more haunting than anything Bono has written before.

 

[ndmaxfield]

Excellent point - no song is a miracle - some are just more meaningful than others. The reference to "miracle" was to Eno's point of how the song just came together for the band. I happen to think it is the best of the lot. My only point is I think they should release to radio the songs they are most proud of.

Cheers.

are you Brian Eno?

 

[U2@NYC]

And wait until they start playing Moment of Surrender live... all lights off, cell phones on and Bono kneeling towards the end.

 

[U2girl]

Make the radio happy with Magnificent, then hit it with MOS, even if it has to be edited.

 

[Salome]

since 4 minute songs already get edited I shudder to think what they'd do to MOS

 

[mikal]

since 4 minute songs already get edited I shudder to think what they'd do to MOS

agreed. i think of this song as more of a "Bad", where it never really gets the radio play, but is still know as a huge hit.

i can only imagine the magic that could happen live with this song.

 

[adypole]

this is THE song.

THE best song U2 have ever written. give the radio the damned thing now!

 

[Dalton]

Bad -> RTSS -> WGRYWH -> Stay - SATS -> MOS

It comes from a proud line.

 

[Rob33]

agreed. i think of this song as more of a "Bad", where it never really gets the radio play, but is still know as a huge hit.

i can only imagine the magic that could happen live with this song.

This song would be downright scary live....holy shit....

 

[mikal]

This song would be downright scary live....holy shit....

i think the live setting will allow them to add more dynamics to the song just like they did with "Bad". MOS will steal the show this tour.

 

[Rob33]

i think the live setting will allow them to add more dynamics to the song just like they did with "Bad". MOS will steal the show this tour.

You seem pretty confident that they will even play it...I've always had my doubts for some reason...hopefully you're right

 

[mikal]

You seem pretty confident that they will even play it...I've always had my doubts for some reason...hopefully you're right

they'll definitely play it. i would be shocked if they didn't.

 

[MrBTH]

Ive a strong feeling that MOS would do really well on radio - I think Eno's instinct that it should have been the first single was spot on. imagine the kudos and critical acclaim the band would have received for releasing an almost 7 minute "epic" as their first single of the camapign... How anti-mainstream and yet still accessible to the casual listener. The buzz about the album would have been much greater and the whole tone of U2's current incarnation would have been firmly set. I love GOYB but I really think that they dropped the ball when it came to single choice. It's just too difficult and unrepresentative of the album to have had a positive effect on the U2 buzz...

 

[LastNameonEarth]

^ I've got to disagree. People would've said, "boring", "self-indulgent", "irrelevant", "lacking impact" etc etc. The song would've been over-analysed, and probably over-criticised. (I love Moment of Surrender though, and I really hope it's released as a single...maybe a minute-and-a-half or so shorter though, which could easily be done) GOYB hasn't proved to be a great lead single, but the song itself doesn't matter hugely in the grander scheme of the album. In some way, it's a better song to take the pounding. The only lead single alternatives I can hear were NLOTH or Magnificent.

 

[MrBTH]

^ I've got to disagree. People would've said, "boring", "self-indulgent", "irrelevant", "lacking impact" etc etc.

I honestly can't fathom how anyone who would actually listen to the song could come up with such reactions... I realize there are some who will always criticize for criticizm's sake, but MOS really does stand up to analysis and scrutiny. It's certainly not "boring" - 7 minutes goes by in a flash. It's not "self indulgent" - its supremely elegant and stripped down (by U2 standards). It's relevancy wouldnt really be an issue as U2 always operate in an orbit of their own and anyone who would claim that MOS is "lacking impact" would have to have no heart in them whatsoever. This is a song that people fall absolutely head-over heels in love with, a song that genuinely brings people to tears...

I know you're only stating what "people would say", but really, MOS is a strong enough song to counter any criticism.

And it's only my 4th favourite on the album...!

 

[rihannsu]

I think that U2 was well aware that they were teetering on the edge of U2 backlash. That combined with the age thing that is starting to really be a problem because some of the stuff that they do now will be automatically considered uncool or trying to hard simply because of either their age or the fact that they are a big group that's been around for a long time. I think releasing Boots was the perfect strategy precisely because it is the weakest most easily dismissed song on the album. A lot of the haters shot their amunition on Boots and revealed themselves as the biased idiots that they are. While they can still criticise the album they are usually forced to admit begrudingly that Boots is not indicative of the album as a whole and the rest of it is much better. They literally cannot slam the rest of it quite as badly. Magnificent got a few bashing comments on the pretentiousness of calling a song Magnificent but by and large it has been well recieved but had it been the first single it would have been the focus for all of the haters who were just slavering at the bit to tear into U2. I think Boots did a great job of absorbing a lot of the undeserved criticism that the band was in for and will allow the better songs to get a much fairer hearing.

Dana

 

[PopMart2005]

Eno says it, Lanois says it -- the best song on the album and an absolute epic. The lyrics are a million times more haunting than anything Bono has written before.

Over Wake up Dead Man or IGWSHA?

 

[sue4u2]

Eno says it, Lanois says it -- the best song on the album and an absolute epic. The lyrics are a million times more haunting than anything Bono has written before.

Bad -> RTSS -> WGRYWH -> Stay - SATS -> MOS

It comes from a proud line.

It's relevancy wouldnt really be an issue as U2 always operate in an orbit of their own and anyone who would claim that MOS is "lacking impact" would have to have no heart in them whatsoever. This is a song that people fall absolutely head-over heels in love with, a song that genuinely brings people to tears...

I know you're only stating what "people would say", but really, MOS is a strong enough song to counter any criticism.

And it's only my 4th favourite on the album...!

still first for me..

Over Wake up Dead Man or IGWSHA?

Yes.
and I never, ever thought that would happen.

 

[Rosebud]

I think that U2 was well aware that they were teetering on the edge of U2 backlash. That combined with the age thing that is starting to really be a problem because some of the stuff that they do now will be automatically considered uncool or trying to hard simply because of either their age or the fact that they are a big group that's been around for a long time. I think releasing Boots was the perfect strategy precisely because it is the weakest most easily dismissed song on the album. A lot of the haters shot their amunition on Boots and revealed themselves as the biased idiots that they are. While they can still criticise the album they are usually forced to admit begrudingly that Boots is not indicative of the album as a whole and the rest of it is much better. They literally cannot slam the rest of it quite as badly. Magnificent got a few bashing comments on the pretentiousness of calling a song Magnificent but by and large it has been well recieved but had it been the first single it would have been the focus for all of the haters who were just slavering at the bit to tear into U2. I think Boots did a great job of absorbing a lot of the undeserved criticism that the band was in for and will allow the better songs to get a much fairer hearing.

Dana

This. A thousand times over.

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

since 4 minute songs already get edited I shudder to think what they'd do to MOS

they could always just cut it in half and release it as two singles, the first half will be NLOTH's second single and the second half will be the album's third single. If the general population / average radio listener is too simple minded and station programmers too cowardly to have a 7 minute song as a single then why not?

 

[ultraviolet353]

they'll definitely play it. i would be shocked if they didn't.

I think it's 60/40 that they will not play it live. Especially since it is a stadium tour. U2 has always tailored their set list for the masses, not the hardcore fans. I think the song has three things going against it being played live. Mellow. Long. --and doesn't really "go anywhere" as far as having a signature U2 crescendo. The mellow ballads that work in a live setting (for the masses) are always the ones that have some sort of "peak" towards the end--MOS does not. I wouldn't be surprised if maybe they try it for a while and then it gets ditched. I do not think the audience en mass will get it--and while I really like it, I do not believe it is a U2 classic.

 

[alanah]

they'll definitely play it. i would be shocked if they didn't.

This song will be great live, they'll play it.

 

[IrishDawg]

You seem pretty confident that they will even play it...I've always had my doubts for some reason...hopefully you're right

There are quite a few synths. I always hate when they using backing tracks live, and they have for most of the songs from this album (the piano in Breathe, the synth intro for Magnif). They should either teach piano how to play the piano or get brian or daniel to help them out during the tour.

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

There are quite a few synths. I always hate when they using backing tracks live, and they have for most of the songs from this album (the piano in Breathe, the synth intro for Magnif). They should either teach piano how to play the piano or get brian or daniel to help them out during the tour.

teach who to play piano?

I think Bono played piano on "sweetest thing" on the first leg of Elevation Tour.

 

[mikal]

I think it's 60/40 that they will not play it live. Especially since it is a stadium tour. U2 has always tailored their set list for the masses, not the hardcore fans. I think the song has three things going against it being played live. Mellow. Long. --and doesn't really "go anywhere" as far as having a signature U2 crescendo. The mellow ballads that work in a live setting (for the masses) are always the ones that have some sort of "peak" towards the end--MOS does not. I wouldn't be surprised if maybe they try it for a while and then it gets ditched. I do not think the audience en mass will get it--and while I really like it, I do not believe it is a U2 classic.

see, i consider it a "Lock" to be played on tour. it's too grand of a song for the band not to take it on tour with them. like i said, i'd be in absolute shock if this song isn't in the opening night setlist.

 

[ultraviolet353]

see, i consider it a "Lock" to be played on tour. it's too grand of a song for the band not to take it on tour with them. like i said, i'd be in absolute shock if this song isn't in the opening night setlist.

"played" and "nightly staple" are two different things. I am sure it will get played at first, and then maybe ditched or jettisoned to acoustic edit status.

I just picture a mass exodus to get beer/bathroom breaks if they play this on a nightly basis--