SOE Songs Live - How Do They Sound?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
dan_smee

dan_smee

ONE love, blood, life
Joined
Nov 22, 2004
Messages
14,235
Location
Canberra, Australia
What are your thoughts on how these new songs are sounding so far on the tour? Have they met your expectations?

For mine, I think The Blackout, Love is Bigger, and now Red Flag Day actually surpassed my expectations.
 
The Best Thing sounds fucking awful. The transition from Acrobat is one of the clumsiest things U2 have attempted. It's whiplash in setlist form.

Most of the others sound pretty decent. Love Is Bigger is fantastic as an encore number.

I'm not entirely sure Lights of Home is holding its own. Won't be surprised if it gets rotated out of the set some way down the track.
 
I already said this in another thread, but You’re the Best Thing About Me got the Every Breaking Wave treatment, and I’m not happy about that. They nailed the electric version after a few shows on last year’s tour, a shame they didn’t continue with it.

Love is Bigger is the standout, at the moment - perfect setlist placement and although I haven’t listened to it in person, it’s sounding really good.
 
Love is All We Have Left - Dope opener. Understated.

The Blackout - I was meh on the album version, but the live version is pretty great. I love the screen visuals, and the energy. Good shit.

Lights of Home - Not sure why this isn't clicking. Fine, passable, but not a monster like it could be.

Red Flag Day - Sounds great. You can tell the band enjoyed playing it as well.

Best Thing - Not as awful as some are making out to be, but definitely does not belong on the setlist in this version, period.

Get Out Of Your Own Way - Middling. Fine.

American Soul - Insanely fun. Call me crazy, but maybe my favorite live SoE song?

Love is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way - Also might be my favorite new song live. Great energy, sounds great. Dig it

13 - Also also might be my favorite new song live. I do wish they'd close the main set out with it, so people are more impacted rather than confused. Hard to mess up since it's understated, but I like the imagery, and you can tell it really means something to Bono.
 
I'll say it again about Lights of Home: it's plodding. It doesn't have enough drive for a song in the #2 slot. The drama of it works, but it's being placed there for thematics and sonically it doesn't fit. Same problem I have with it on the album. Every Breaking Wave doesn't belong in that spot either.
 
Just heard the IEM bootleg from St. Louis and Lights of Home is underwhelming... they must drop the strings version and actually play the song.
 
Simply move Lights of Home to a mid-set spot, basically where Red Flag Day was played, and it probably wouldn't stick out so much.
 
TinKnight said:
Love is All We Have Left - Dope opener. Understated.

The Blackout - I was meh on the album version, but the live version is pretty great. I love the screen visuals, and the energy. Good shit.

Lights of Home - Not sure why this isn't clicking. Fine, passable, but not a monster like it could be.

Red Flag Day - Sounds great. You can tell the band enjoyed playing it as well.

Best Thing - Not as awful as some are making out to be, but definitely does not belong on the setlist in this version, period.

Get Out Of Your Own Way - Middling. Fine.

American Soul - Insanely fun. Call me crazy, but maybe my favorite live SoE song?

Love is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way - Also might be my favorite new song live. Great energy, sounds great. Dig it

13 - Also also might be my favorite new song live. I do wish they'd close the main set out with it, so people are more impacted rather than confused. Hard to mess up since it's understated, but I like the imagery, and you can tell it really means something to Bono.
Click to expand...

This seems to be how I'm reading most of the songs too, just by the video I saw. I'll be in Omaha next weekend, so hopefully some of these take off a bit more for me live than on the album. The 2015 tour dates made me appreciate some of the SOI songs a bit more as a result, so hopefully it's the same thing here.
 
I think LOH suffers form the same thing as EBW - I think a full band rockier arrangement would be fine. The riff is needed to drive that song live. You can probably make a hybrid where the strings take over for the second verse.
 
lazarus said:
I'll say it again about Lights of Home: it's plodding. It doesn't have enough drive for a song in the #2 slot. The drama of it works, but it's being placed there for thematics and sonically it doesn't fit. Same problem I have with it on the album. Every Breaking Wave doesn't belong in that spot either.
Click to expand...

I also have a problem with it on the album...the song plods along with its little acoustic guitar riff. Since the album came out I've had the my playlist set to LIAWHL, Blackout, Lights of Home (string version) and that works FAR better IMO. I was happy they went with this running order for the tour.

I disagree though that there needs to be more "drive" in the #3 slot. (It's not in the #2 slot) My last Pearl Jam concert started with Oceans/Footsteps//Off He Goes/Betterman before kicking into some high energy songs and it was amazing. For U2, I'd take drama/thematics over simply rawking out for the sake of rawking out anyday. Then again, I haven't and won't be seeing them live on this tour for the first time since the Elevation Tour so I can't really speak with first hand experience.
 
The Best Thing is probably the worst thing I've heard in a U2 concert... this version is awful. What are they doing?? Their full band version on JT was fine.
On the other hand, American Soul feels vibrant and fresh. Good surprise in a live setting, I must say.
 
Axver said:
The Best Thing sounds fucking awful. The transition from Acrobat is one of the clumsiest things U2 have attempted. It's whiplash in setlist form.

Most of the others sound pretty decent. Love Is Bigger is fantastic as an encore number.

I'm not entirely sure Lights of Home is holding its own. Won't be surprised if it gets rotated out of the set some way down the track.
Click to expand...
Play the album version of lights of home,not the weak ass string version.
 
I haven’t see the live show yet but with what I have seen on YouTube as it relates to LOH:

I am of the opinion that the Strings version is superior to the album version....with that said:

Are these guys serious with this live version? The string instruments in the song are as prominent a feature/element as the guitar, drums or bass and one could argue even more so. With that said, are those “canned”/ pre-recorded strings that are being played?

Would it kill theses guys to bring 2-3 musicians on stage during the LIVE show vs a pre-recoded version? You can then use those musicians for TBT, Blackout and LIBTAIIW or not but the strings in the string version are a massive part of the song and to have them playing pre-recorded is embarrassing.

I get that U2 has always been about the 4 of them but if that is the case....DONT PLAY THE STRINGS VERSION!!

The pre-recorded horns for RHMT on JT30 were cringeworthy but they were not the or a main component of the song like the strings in the STRING VERSION of LOH.

For $350 a ticket you get a lip syncing Bono and no band to kick off the show and a version of LOH where the featured instruments are pre-recorded.

Now if Bono starts singing Running to Stand Still on the B-stage while wearing that top hat.....U2 will have jumped the shark completely... that Sir Topham Hatt looking mother #%{^%.

(Sorry, the decisions these guys have been making over the past several months have me irritated and things keep adding up.)
 
CosmoKramer said:
(Sorry, the decisions these guys have been making over the past several months have me irritated and things keep adding up.)
Click to expand...

Witness in real time the natural progression for The Classic U2 Fan. You've moved from Discovery to Adoration to Obsession to Frustration.

From here, you'll either move into Acceptance or Antipathy
 
Registered Dude said:
Witness in real time the natural progression for The Classic U2 Fan. You've moved from Discovery to Adoration to Obsession to Frustration.



From here, you'll either move into Acceptance or Antipathy
Click to expand...



Lol. I used to argue(converse really) with people here and elsewhere in defense of U2s decisions but over time there have been so many little things that I’m on the other side of the coin now.
 
CosmoKramer said:
Lol. I used to argue(converse really) with people here and elsewhere in defense of U2s decisions but over time there have been so many little things that I’m on the other side of the coin now.
Click to expand...

Me too. The singles from this album (which I largely like- the album not the singles) especially promoting American Soul and its prominent place in the set has pushed me over the edge.
 
A couple of things:

LOH kicked ass during the 5/8 show...just OK the night before...but would be better guitar driven in a live setting.

I hate that they start The Blackout from the screen/walkway thing...a song that should should just 'go off' is muted because no one knows wtf is going on...and it feels removed from the crowd.
 
Reggie Thee Dog said:
I hate that they start The Blackout from the screen/walkway thing...a song that should should just 'go off' is muted because no one knows wtf is going on...and it feels removed from the crowd.
Click to expand...



U2s show entrances are usually a highlight of the live experience.

-Streets for JT
-Zoostation for Zoo TV
-Pop Music/Mofo for Pop
-Elevation for Elevation (basic but man I loved this one with the switch from PA version to Live
-COBL on Vertigo
-Breathe for 360 (not the best opening but the one by one entrance was cool)
-JR on ie....

This entrance is muted severely by first seeing Bono appear and mime/sing live(at least most recently I think) a very very slow U2 song, which if you like it great but live it’s not an “electrifying” moment and then he disappears.

So the whole “There’s Bono” moment is gone like a fart in a hurricane and they start playing inside a screen where you hear the music but don’t see the band and instead see images that are not live or the band and people are left wondering “is it them? Well, they are playing a new song but I don’t see them” and then the chorus kicks in and you get glimpses......so the whole “there’s the band” moment is muted.

They sound very good playing The Blackout but the “wow” factor that comes from the first glance of the band at a show is artificially muted by their own decisions. It’s like they are putting technology more in focus than the band/music.

Reggie, I haven’t been to a show yet so maybe it’s different live but you seem to back up my fears.
 
CosmoKramer said:
U2s show entrances are usually a highlight of the live experience.

-Streets for JT
-Zoostation for Zoo TV
-Pop Music/Mofo for Pop
-Elevation for Elevation (basic but man I loved this one with the switch from PA version to Live
-COBL on Vertigo
-Breathe for 360 (not the best opening but the one by one entrance was cool)
-JR on ie....

This entrance is muted severely by first seeing Bono appear and mime/sing live(at least most recently I think) a very very slow U2 song, which if you like it great but live it’s not an “electrifying” moment and then he disappears.

So the whole “There’s Bono” moment is gone like a fart in a hurricane and they start playing inside a screen where you hear the music but don’t see the band and instead see images that are not live or the band and people are left wondering “is it them? Well, they are playing a new song but I don’t see them” and then the chorus kicks in and you get glimpses......so the whole “there’s the band” moment is muted.

They sound very good playing The Blackout but the “wow” factor that comes from the first glance of the band at a show is artificially muted by their own decisions. It’s like they are putting technology more in focus than the band/music.

Reggie, I haven’t been to a show yet so maybe it’s different live but you seem to back up my fears.
Click to expand...


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.
 
CosmoKramer said:
-Breathe for 360 (not the best opening but the one by one entrance was cool)
Click to expand...

I considered it a reversal of how they went out during the previous Vertigo tour, where they all left one by one during 40.

It was like a delayed encore. Very cool.
 
ChurchBay said:
For the love of god replace The Best Thing with Little Things! Who cares if it was the first single?!
Click to expand...



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.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

O
Better late than never “they” say…
Replies
1
Views
285
Headache in a Suitcase
Headache in a Suitcase
Scorpionac
Songs that would fit better on SOI vs. SOE?
Replies
1
Views
409
Headache in a Suitcase
Headache in a Suitcase
K
U2 Show Logistics Question/Theories
Replies
7
Views
741
lazarus
lazarus
N
NBA 2023-24 Thread
11 12 13
Replies
366
Views
10K
Hewson
Hewson
Headache in a Suitcase
  • Locked
Songs of Songs, Books & Fat Puns - New Album Discussion #8
33 34 35
Replies
1K
Views
53K
Headache in a Suitcase
Headache in a Suitcase

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom