SOE- 27: And SOE it Begins

[Hollow Island]

I for one wish they had the emotional daring of Radiohead. People have the misconception that Radiohead is all about experimentalism and soundscapes, especially since Kid A.

I dont know where that misconception about Radiohead comes from. They write traditional songs. It's not like they made OST1 or anything...

The studio version of True Love Waits was devastating Even before the context of recording AMSP was known.

 

[Mack_Again]

I think Edge has mentioned some mainstream rock bands like Royal Blood it's not like they're totally away fro rock. but it's not like they've said "dude have you heard of this band Protomyrter? they're fucking awesome dude"

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I dont know where that misconception about Radiohead comes from. They write traditional songs. It's not like they made OST1 or anything...

The studio version of True Love Waits was devastating Even before the context of recording AMSP was known.

Okay... I'll rephrase.

I don't want U2 to make pretentious bullshit.

 

[womanfish]

Okay... I'll rephrase.

I don't want U2 to make pretentious bullshit.

I agree. These two bands diverged in the 2000's and both of them went too far down their chosen path than I would like. I like a band that I can listen to songs that have a structure and at least a melody and chorus. But you've got Radiohead, where an album can become a string of droning, scattered pieces. And the band quickly becomes a very pigeon holed, odd for the sake of being odd, critical darling, pretentious group.

And you've got U2 that want to strip away a lot atmosphere and extras that have made their music different and special. And the songs (especially lyrics) became too simple and straight forward.

I think if they could pop both bands in a blender, you'd come out with a pretty amazing mix.

 

[rennowba]

The hipster straw man that lurks here needs to be dismantled, as does the notion that Radiohead are some experimental band. They're no more experimental than U2 were.

Come on ,have you not listened to radiohead since ok computer / kid a ?

U2 always changed it up in the 80's then experimented in the 90's.

U2 90's have never gone anywhere close to where radiohead have took their music since kid a. I'm not saying it's better I prefer u2 all day every day. The last couple of radiohead albums in my opinion are that experimental there unlistenable. In rainbows was great but the last two I just haven't connected with at all.

U2 are my favourite band but I do love radiohead aswell. I'm of the opinion that after ok computer radiohead went down the achtung/zooropa and were inspired by u2 to experiment and mix it up but they took it to whole new levels , levels that u2 never took it to. Which is a good thing cause I'm not a fan of recent radio head

 

[popacrobat]

no, not necessarily. putting too many different ideas in a blender = bad.

the quotes in Rolling Stone don't bother me. it's all old news to me. we knew Barlow, Thomas, Lee and Lillywhite were involved already. Tedder has been involved for awhile. we knew all of this already.

i'm a fan of everything i've heard from SOE so far to varying degrees. hopefully they'll start pumping out more information on SOE before 10/25 when Joshua Tree ends.

 

[SpaceBoy]

The comment about further mixing on TBT is not surprising, at all. The only question is if it will be a mere final polish as intended for the rest of the album, or something more significant. I dislike the production on it overall, but there are things I think I'd want to hear fixed even if I was a fan. One example is how Edge abruptly drops out in an edit on his guitar part during the first transition from chorus back to verse. It's sloppy, and sounds like the result of the song being mixed overnight.

The whole mindset about their sound feels like a contradiction. He doesn't want the more natural, 'roomy' kind of quality their recordings used to have, but also wants the songs to be closer to the feel they might eventually have live. Like he wants heavy modern production, yet doesn't want to sound produced. It's really no wonder these records take song damn long to come together these days.

 

[purpleblackeye]

I don't know how you could characterize A Moon Shaped Pool as unlistenable/experimental. That album is a work of beauty, especially after learning that Yorke's former partner and mother of his children passed away from cancer just months after it was released. Anyway, don't want to turn this into Radiohead discussion.

Although I love the Achtung Baby/Zooropa/POP era the most, I actually really liked SOI (rate it much higher than any of their work of the post-2000 era), and the new songs from SOE have great potential. I've grown to appreciate The Best Thing for what it is and enjoy listening to it very much.

 

[lazarus]

Come on ,have you not listened to radiohead since ok computer / kid a ?

U2 always changed it up in the 80's then experimented in the 90's.

U2 90's have never gone anywhere close to where radiohead have took their music since kid a. I'm not saying it's better I prefer u2 all day every day. The last couple of radiohead albums in my opinion are that experimental there unlistenable. In rainbows was great but the last two I just haven't connected with at all.

U2 are my favourite band but I do love radiohead aswell. I'm of the opinion that after ok computer radiohead went down the achtung/zooropa and were inspired by u2 to experiment and mix it up but they took it to whole new levels , levels that u2 never took it to. Which is a good thing cause I'm not a fan of recent radio head

Passengers is as experimental as anything Radiohead has done.

And I agree with others that putting King of Limbs and Moon Shaped Pool under the same umbrella makes no sense. They're very different albums.

 

[Iggy Fizz]

"We don't need the pop kids." LOL.

Does that now sound quaint, absurd, blasphemous or prophetic?

Or, all of the above, none of the above, or something else?

 

[rennowba]

Passengers is as experimental as anything Radiohead has done.

And I agree with others that putting King of Limbs and Moon Shaped Pool under the same umbrella makes no sense. They're very different albums.

Passengers wasn't u2 And for me passengers is absolute garbage but that's just my opinion. Just because it's experimental doesn't mean it's any good.likewise with radiohead. People say that albums proper out there experimental, but is it any good ?? That's the main question and in my opinion the last two albums haven't been. There not different records to me there both rubbish.

The music has to be good regardless whatever path they go down.

And I love radiohead by the way, went to see them in Manchester a few months back and it was one of the best gigs I've been to. Special band live . Bends and ok computer are as good as anything anyone has ever done. In rainbows is great,Pablo honey is decent, kid a I liked bits of ,hail to the thief is decent enough,Amnesiac not to keen on. Then king of the limbs and man shaped pool I just don't like at all

 

[AndrewCowley]

I think I'm one of the few in here that didn't really care for SOI. Only song I truly hate is SFS, but the rest are good songs....I just didn't really connect with any. There's something missing from the band, and as Edge put it, it's because they're trying to make every song lean.

You're not the only one.

 

[BVS]

"We don't need the pop kids." LOL.

Does that now sound quaint, absurd, blasphemous or prophetic?

Or, all of the above, none of the above, or something else?

Something else; in the context of the 90's alternate was becoming the cool, so dissing that word was easy and safe.

 

[HansaTonImbiss]

Weirdo? No, you just have bad taste.



Isn't it too late? The single has been out for long enough that its chart trajectory and cultural impact should be clear by now.



What Nellee Hooper stuff on Pop? Does he have anything more than a partial credit on like one track?

You're right, I totally meant Flood there. Don't post until fully caffeinated.

 

[Iggy Fizz]

Something else; in the context of the 90's alternate was becoming the cool, so dissing that word was easy and safe.

you're right. but in the context of where they are today, what do you think?

 

[DaveC]

as we all know Bono lies.

most underrated meme in interference history

 

[PopFly]

Except we didn't know they're still tinkering with TBT.

Given that the reception to the Best Thing single was about 75% negative on this board, isn't this is a good thing? The more straight-forward funky-rock version they played live seems like the better idea.

 

[kabigon]

Given that the reception to the Best Thing single was about 75% negative on this board, isn't this is a good thing? The more straight-forward funky-rock version they played live seems like the better idea.

I'm all for making songs better so yes.

 

[Jarvio]

Given that the reception to the Best Thing single was about 75% negative on this board, isn't this is a good thing? The more straight-forward funky-rock version they played live seems like the better idea.

As far as this board goes, and well maybe the internet as a whole tbh, every song U2 will ever release in this day and age will get at least 75% negative posts. This is because the internet has turned everyone sour and bitter. The internet age is pure venom, people love to hate.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

Can we at least wait until we hear the album before people go ape shit?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

you're right. but in the context of where they are today, what do you think?

It's not about the context of where they are today, it's the context of the music scene then. It was cool to be anti establishment then, so the whole "we don't need the pop kids" thing being held up as an example of U2 not caring about how they're percieved is simply wrong.

 

[Axver]

Can we at least wait until we hear the album before people go ape shit?

Can I send this post back in time so that Past KFC can read it?

I also want to take this moment to say laz's opinion on Gone is fucking shit and the New Mix is clearly superior by any measure.

 

[Hollow Island]

It's not about the context of where they are today, it's the context of the music scene then. It was cool to be anti establishment then, so the whole "we don't need the pop kids" thing being held up as an example of U2 not caring about how they're percieved is simply wrong.

It's always been cool to be anti establishment.

U2 cares what people thought but I think they knew that some people's opinions mattered more than others.

 

[Y2K]

New interview with Bono, courtesy of Rolling Stone's resident U2 geek Andy Greene. Haven't read it yet but Greene called it "extensive" the other day.

Bono on U2's New Album, Taking On Donald Trump - Rolling Stone

 

[PRB216]

New interview with Bono, courtesy of Rolling Stone's resident U2 geek Andy Greene. Haven't read it yet but Greene called it "extensive" the other day.

Bono on U2's New Album, Taking On Donald Trump - Rolling Stone

Nice thank you for sharing this! Been wanting to read it.

Of note- we now know that "Love Is All We Have Left" is SOE's opening track!

That same conversation also opens the album with a song called" Love Is All We Have Left." My favorite opening line to a U2 album: "There's nothing to stop this being the best day ever."

 

[TinKnight]

New interview with Bono, courtesy of Rolling Stone's resident U2 geek Andy Greene. Haven't read it yet but Greene called it "extensive" the other day.

Bono on U2's New Album, Taking On Donald Trump - Rolling Stone

I'm halfway through this, and god damn, Bono knows a lot of words.

 

[Y2K]

Bono seems to think Flood was credited as a producer on Achtung Baby. I think he means Zooropa?

 

[PRB216]

Going back to an earlier discussion in this thread, we now have a more in-depth explanation of how The Blackout started about Bono's "brush with mortality" and then segued into Trump & the fall of democracy:

"The Blackout," which started off its life about a more personal apocalypse, some events in my life that more than reminded me of my mortality but then segued into the political dystopia that we're heading towards now. "Dinosaur, wonders why it still walks the earth. A meteor promises it's not going to hurt" would have been a funny line about an aging rock star. It's a little less funny if we're talking about democracy and old certainties – like truth. The second verse "Statues fall, democracy is flat on its back, Jack. We had it all and what we had is not coming back, Zac. A big mouth says the people they don't want to be free for free. The blackout, is this an extinction event we see?" goes straight to the bigger picture of what's at stake in the world right now.

 

[Y2K]

Of note- we now know that "Love Is All We Have Left" is SOE's opening track!

So... we have "Summer of Love", "Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way", and "Love is All We Have Left".

3 songs with love in the title.

Am I missing any?

 

[Iggy Fizz]

It's not about the context of where they are today, it's the context of the music scene then. It was cool to be anti establishment then, so the whole "we don't need the pop kids" thing being held up as an example of U2 not caring about how they're percieved is simply wrong.

The uber point is irony. Because it is indeed about the context of where they are today. Which is desperately chasing the pop kids, and working with those same pop kids to craft their sound.