SOE Songs Live - How Do They Sound?

[ChurchBay]

The Best Thing should be performed plugged in. The song had some fun poppy elements that can translate well live but the acoustic performance takes All a of that away and we are left with the core of a song that is just not very exciting without those extras.

I think they should end the show with Little Things personally as 13 is such a boring/downer of a song live.


I don’t mean to be so negative but as I mentioned before, U2 have made a lot of decisions around the album/tour/promotional appearances that are just so.....un-U2 and it has me very frustrated and conflicted.

IMO....It’s like they lost what made them so special and I’m hoping it’s just s blip that will go away but man have they done some stupid things.

Yeah, you're right. There was nothing wrong with Best Thing when it was plugged in and it did have electric elements that made the best of a song that doesn't exactly display Bono's quality for melody and power.

I'm a big fan of 13 as a closer and as a song. And I say so as someone who really doesn't think much of Song for Someone. It's heartfelt without being sentimental - all in all quite lovely! But I think Little Things would work perfectly after the anxiety of Acrobat - a nice dark and introverted section of the show it would be. Instead, as Axver said on the first page, an acoustic Best Thing represents a whiplash within the show. In that format it's best suited to the sofa of Jimmy Kimmell/Fallon and let's be honest, no one wants that.

But all in all I agree with you - U2 have made some really bizarre decisions no better exemplified by their single choices during this album/touring cycle and it's all the more disappointing given that I'm a massive fan of Songs of Experience. Innocence never had the lasting power or replay value (and was terribly produced by the overrated Danger Mouse) and NLOTH was a compromised mess so SOE very much represented a return to the form that first captured me back in the early 00s with the easy listening charm of All That You Can't Leave Behind and a good chunk of HTDAAB. Their tv promotions, with the exception of the excellent Live at the BBC, have been dire with uninspired tunes rolled out on insipid uninspired tv shows, but given that they chose those songs as singles/promos they kind of anchored themselves into that black hole. It's a problem they've had since NLOTH and they seem rooted to the problem.

All in all it's just really disappointing that they've hid away or even failed to recognise the strengths of the album they released which I continue to believe (more as a collection of individual songs as opposed to a holistic piece of work), to be their best in a long time.

 

[jphelmet]

For the love of god replace The Best Thing with Little Things! Who cares if it was the first single?!

yes.

and then replace american soul with landlady (or any other u2 song)

 

[CosmoKramer]

Their tv promotions, with the exception of the excellent Live at the BBC, have been dire with uninspired tunes rolled out on insipid uninspired tv shows, but given that they chose those songs as singles/promos they kind of anchored themselves into that black hole. It's a problem they've had since NLOTH and they seem rooted to the problem.

I agree with you about the BBC as that was a beautiful performance and speaks to my disappointment/frustration for songs like LOH where when there is a live orchestra it sounds marvelous and powerful but canned it sounds cheap and lifeless.

Even today the dumb/lazy decisions continue. On Ellen they performed Love is Bigger, which in my opinion is one of the best tunes on SOE, sounded wonderful on the BBC special and is the standout “A” performance on the tour of the new songs and what do they do on Ellen.......... Bono and Edge acoustic. Strings? Who needs them. Pounding drums? Stay home Larry. Anthemic electric guitar? Nah....let’s show the world we can play this beautiful new single with just an acoustic guitar because acoustic performances are U2s strength!

Don’t get me wrong, Bono sang it well and Edge didn’t miss a note but it was very vanilla, no bite, not memorable and the awkward “put your hands in the air” moment at the end is the perfect exclamation point in the “Guy Osery- Live U2 era” moment.

 

[superchuk5]

https://youtu.be/ittz5af-onq

showman sounding fantastic.

play this song

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

Cosmo you have to see it live. There is this feeling of creepiness about it. The shadows coming towards the screen and then BOOM, there is the band live playing. The crowd went wild at Vegas. Most rocking intro I've seen from them since Mofo.

The reception of Love Is All, Blackout, Lights was very welcoming from the crowds in Vegas.

The whole theme of 'Blackout' then finding the 'Lights Of Home' is pretty cool.

So responding to zoopop and Cosmo here's my take on the opener:

LIAWHL is not a bad opener, but the transition to The Blackout could be more exciting...I guess the 'surprise' of them all being in the walkway is cool, but they're stiff. Bono can't really move and get the crowd excited.

I like the slower opening into the faster song...ala Pearl Jam...

But I can understand if that's not everyone's cup o' tea...

 

[david]

Little Things, Showman and Summer Of Love could easily be dropped into the set list.

 

[wolbersu2]

Just drop all the acoustics and play plugged. I would have loved a complete symphonic orchestra on stage joining them. They had a momentum with this BBC-special and they left it with that. The band sounded so powerful then...

 

[jphelmet]

After seeing the show last night:

Improved Live

Lights of home and Blackout were significant improvement live. Not a big fan of either song, but both sounded great. Blackout is a track I usually skip, but really enjoyed it live (although the staging was pretty poor). The strings sounded good live on LOH, where I was. Not a big fan of the strings backing tape, but the song sounded very good to me. It was a very pleasant surprise.

Love Is Bigger- maybe slightly better, was very solid live song, and enjoyed it greatly.

Worse Live
Get Out- Worse live, just not a great live song. Wasn't terrible, but nothing great.

Your The Best Thing- worse. The version is just weird, and make a poor song even worse.

Best Thing & Get Out, were not only bad choices for singles, they are just not good live songs. Don't think there is anything they can do to either that makes them translate in a live setting. Get Out, seems like a poor man's version of Walk On (which is not that great to begin with). They were trying hard to have it be the same feel as Walk On- from 360, but the song is just not that good.

American Soul- Terrible song, and still sucks live. The band sounded fine, if it were instrumental it might be ok. The bullhorn, paired with the extending outro is just terrible. Easily the worst song of the night, and really the only song that was not enjoyable. Even Best Thing seemed good by comparison.

No Change

13- If you like this song, I think you enjoy live. I do like it, it was fine. Should never be closing though. It seems like sacrificing something great for the narrative.

Love is All We Have Left- pretty much listening to album version anyway. Not better or worse.

 

[mofo82]

Saw the STL & both Chicago shows (now at 23 overall total) and I’d say like typical U2 fashion they improved most all of their songs in the live setting from the album with the exception of You’re the Best Thing and that’s mainly because of the acoustic arrangement instead of plugged in full band. Still played it well as a duo and all songs felt to me like they were performed well to amazing.

Amazing:
The Blackout - balls to the wall. It’s a loud jolt and great way to really jump start the show, perfect compliment to Love is all we have left. Brings in audio and visual references to The Fly, such as the silhouettes on the screen doing the Fly pose from Eevation 2001 against the light wall, which is always a good thing. Maybe Europe will get The Fly...

Red Flag Day - I was able to ask Edge before the show outside the arena before Chicago 2 ‘Is Red Flag Day as much fun to play as it sounds?’ and he replied ‘Yeah actually it is’. They need to make this one a setlist staple

Most improved over album:
American Soul - the oh oh ooohhhhhh breakdown before You are rock n roll sent chills my spine in Chicago GA. Our area up front was all in on it and Bono & Edge shared some great looks right then like holy shit Chicago will like anything! first Pop now Am Soul LOL

Most visceral:
Love is all we have left- starting with the MRI scans of the brain with the screeching sounds of the MRI scans was chilling, especially if you’ve ever needed MRIs for major medical reasons. Then seeing Bono move very mechanically like a cyborg and nearly lifeless was very telling of his ordeal eithoutbknow exact details. This guy has said he can’t stop moving so seeing him move very slowly like he’s a stringed marionette puppet was stunning, couldn’t take your eyes off of him.

Most unexpectedly liked SOE song:
American Soul- I couldn’t stand the SNL performance but mostly because SNL has had terrible audio problems for seems like over 10 years now. The bullhorn live wasn’t as bad as on tv but he doesn’t really need it if you ask me

Most lump-in-throat song:
13 - as a Dad of a toddler & losing my Mom within the past 2 years, I was having flashes of my childhood while Bono was singing about his and then thinking of my daughter how I have become a lot like my parents. It’s a tricky way to end a show but I liked it. We were by The Edge so it was cool to see the rest of band just huddle and brood through the song opposite from Bono. Great use of stage space and I liked how he walked off the stage in the same area where he walked on for Joey Ramone on i/e- returning to Innocence.

Most satisfying new song:
Red Flag Day- you can just see the cool ooze off the band as they play it like they knew all along this song was ace.

I don’t have nor want to go into too many negatives but I will say Get out of your own way seems a little too mid-tempo and trying to get the crowd to sing the refrain at the start of the song for being a new song feels a little forced right now. I still joined in LOL It’d be cool if they could figure this one out but it’s not super explosive so not sure it’ll improve much. I got pretty attached to the album version so it’s a bit of a downer that it didn’t take off a little more live.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Best Thing acoustic is the best thing they could’ve done with that song without scrapping it.

 

[hasin73]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjYQlZtBIB5/

Red Flag Day is excellent in any form.

 

[popacrobat]

Best Thing acoustic is the best thing they could’ve done with that song without scrapping it.

disagree. it's a fun, energetic song with a pretty cool climax with Edge's mini solo/verse, and it lacks all life throughout the whole song. it's this tour's Every Breaking Wave insofar as it's a song I genuinely enjoy, but they've made it the snooze button of the show.

 

[Mack_Again]

where's Paul Oakenfold remix of Best Thing that everyone is waiting for?

 

[Macfistowannabe]

In my heretical opinion, the string version of Lights of Home is perfectly fine - maybe even preferable. I like the drum work. If you like the "rock" version, great. I do, too. But that's what the album is for. [ducks for the shoes and tomatoes]

I also thought The Best Thing sounded great. They probably tried working it out full band in rehearsals, only to decide a more acoustic-based arrangement was preferable.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

Best thing and Get out are clearly the 2 worse song that U2 could pull out. They can t even play them better live... which is supposed To be their strenghts. Skip them. Horrible