Songs of Experience - 1 Year Later

[The_acrobat]

Mexico City does have a lot of little things edited out from the original broadcast, but all the songs are present.

I totally forgot that elevation Boston and Slane are both not the full shows in the DVD.

Wasn’t there a rumor that E+I Berlin would be announced in September for a release later in the fall? I sure hope so. I can’t imagine anything being cut from that, because each song was so important to the NARRATIVE!

 

[kabigon]

That version of Mysterious Ways buried in the Slane DVD extras is top stuff

 

[Desert Dog]

Where the fuck is a R& H anniversary release with a full Tempe show?

 

[AndrewCowley]

I think it’s been said that U2 likely don’t own the R&H footage. If true then full Tempe or Denver may never happen.

Even so, the biggest travesty is the lack of an offical Lovetown video release.

Maybe they are holding back on the nostalgia given these remaining JT30 shows. Going forward though, there are no excuses. Release the damn stuff. Don’t take it to your graves.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I'd guess e/i video release in time for black Friday, as they still care about shit like that for some reason. They'll then release the audio from the show as the 2020 fan club gift.

JT30 video next year at some point. Probably in time for Christmas again, cause U2. JT30 audio as fan club gift for 2021.

No sniff of new album talk until the end of 2020, at which point we'll hear that the edge is on fire, they're lost in the music, it's some of the best stuff they've ever recorded, it'll be on a special new format that implants a fucking chip into your brain, blah blah blah.

They'll say they're close but needed to rewrite some songs to account for the shocking election of Bill de Blasio. They'll rewrite one fucking song to include references about being tall and late or some shit. This will be the single.

Actual new music will feature a neutered edge (with one rawk song of crunchy rawk riffs... probably the aforementioned Tall And Late In America), have moments of brilliance but ultimately be frustrating, and will not be implanted into your brain.

Release rumored/planned for late 2021 but not actually released until spring 2022, cause Edge is waiting on gzus to walk into the portico or some shit like that #U2022

Revolutionary arena tour will begin in late 2022... in the US... and will feature a giant video screen and a stage that brings the crowd "closer than ever before." Some dope here will think that the show will involve giant holographic Bono's, but they'll really just take the vertigo stage and put the i/e/i screen over it and call it a day. With lasers.

Tour will to through summer of 2023. Rumors will then start about taking the show to Australia. This won't happen, because the band feels they need to get back right away and record, as they've been writing on tour with new producer Lil Nas X and feel they can release the new album right away.

Right away turns to 2025. In between they celebrate the anniversary of No Line On The Horizon by playing the album in full on the #3601090210 Tour.

They go back on tour again with a new stage, which is the same as the last tour, but, like, green this time. They don't play any No Line songs on tour because of the last tour. Nobody notices. They still don't play Australia.

 

[bono_man2002]

Headache has been to the future. And, it’s better.

 

[rennowba]

Headache has been to the future. And, it’s better.

The future needs a big kiss

 

[Iggy Fizz]

if that's the future (I don't doubt it) then it doesn't need a kiss, it needs to be avoided.

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

Headache...that was...poetic...

 

[Desert Dog]

Unless they can coax Eno and Lanois into the studio for one more go round, they outta nix the idea of another album and just start opening the vault.

 

[dan_smee]

Andy Barlow was an absolute winner on SOE. He was involved in Red Flag Day, and drove or completely produced Love is all we have left, Little Things, Landlady and Book of You Heart.

He and Declan Gaffney are the two producers who have really gelled with the sound over the last 10 years. I want to see what a cohesive album would sound like with them in control.

 

[zoocarolina]

Andy Barlow was an absolute winner on SOE. He was involved in Red Flag Day, and drove or completely produced Love is all we have left, Little Things, Landlady and Book of You Heart.

He and Declan Gaffney are the two producers who have really gelled with the sound over the last 10 years. I want to see what a cohesive album would sound like with them in control.

100% agree and I listened to a few tracks from SOE lastnight, The Blackout, Love is All We Have Left and 13, and I’m falling in love with this album all over again. Brings back so many memories from the tour and I think this album will be more and more appreciated as the years go by and truly feels like a bookend to the next chapter.

 

[womanfish]

Andy Barlow was an absolute winner on SOE. He was involved in Red Flag Day, and drove or completely produced Love is all we have left, Little Things, Landlady and Book of You Heart.

He and Declan Gaffney are the two producers who have really gelled with the sound over the last 10 years. I want to see what a cohesive album would sound like with them in control.

Well said. Those are probably my top 5 from SOE (I include Book of your heart on mine).
While the album overall has some other great songs (13, Lights of Home, Summer of Love)
Those stand out to me.

I would love to see them at the helm next time around.

 

[Iggy Fizz]

Frustrating because those are some great songs and yet the album as a whole falls apart becuase there is so much unlistenable, cringe-inducing crap that destroys any sense of flow or cohesiveness, not to mention credibility...

 

[dan_smee]

Frustrating because those are some great songs and yet the album as a whole falls apart becuase there is so much unlistenable, cringe-inducing crap that destroys any sense of flow or cohesiveness, not to mention credibility...

Which is exactly why I want Barlow in charge with no lillywhite/pop fanboy muddying of the waters.

Dec Gaffney is a genius - imagine getting him to work on song development to give it a Fish Out of Water style structural rethink, but with Barlow’s production and atmosphere.

My personal dream has been a mini album of 8 great songs, and a second disc with Fish Out Of Water rethinks of every song.

 

[pacemaker]

Barlow/Gaffney/Flood please.

I also had an idea that it would probably be really cool if Jeff Lynne produced a U2 record, but I think that would have happened already (c. R&H), if ever at all.

 

[The_acrobat]

I think Jeff Lynne is more of a songwriter's producer. U2 just don't write songs in that way very often. The same reason Rick Rubin didn't work out.

I'd like for U2 to just stick with 1 or 2 producers next time, for cohesion purposes.

 

[BEAL]

I actually think Rick Rubin is the blame for the shift in style for the band.

They’re so focused on crafting a tight pop song, and that’s never been their strength. They’ve had a few successes

But their biggest hits are still so unique compared to the 3 min verse chorus bridge chorus format they’ve been doing since ATYCLB

 

[Flying FuManchu]

I actually think Rick Rubin is the blame for the shift in style for the band.

They’re so focused on crafting a tight pop song, and that’s never been their strength. They’ve had a few successes

But their biggest hits are still so unique compared to the 3 min verse chorus bridge chorus format they’ve been doing since ATYCLB

Unfortunately, b/c of the dominance of hip hop, mainstream relevance can only be attained by a rock band through a tight pop song.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

A rock band in their 60s can write the tightest fucking pop song in the history of tight pop songs and they still wouldn't attain chart relevance.

 

[zoocarolina]

A rock band in their 60s can write the tightest fucking pop song in the history of tight pop songs and they still wouldn't attain chart relevance.

Which is extremely sad, but that’s reality and hope U2 just says screw it, make something really out there and no matter what they put out people will still come out to see them play.

 

[lazarus]

Most people who come to see them at this point are not there because of the album they're currently touring.

Look at how poorly No Line performed commercially, and yet they still had a record-breaking tour for it.

So yes, people will still come.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Which is extremely sad, but that’s reality and hope U2 just says screw it, make something really out there and no matter what they put out people will still come out to see them play.

It's not that sad.

Popular music is a young person's game. Always has been, always will be. U2 had a longer time in the game than just about any other rock band ever. They should be commended for that. But because they beat the odds with the third run in the 2000s, they've had a difficult time accepting their place as well statesmen

 

[lazarus]

They could have beat the odds again, even after the subpar reception of No Line.

And they blew it.

But they're not accepting their place because they believe they still have the songs, which they did with SOI and SOE. They just haven't promoted the right ones, and promoted that first album horrendously in general.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

A rock band in their 60s can write the tightest fucking pop song in the history of tight pop songs and they still wouldn't attain chart relevance.

They need to get Diane Warren. Is she still alive?

 

[superchuk5]

A rock band in their 60s can write the tightest fucking pop song in the history of tight pop songs and they still wouldn't attain chart relevance.

Can't do it by themselves. They would need to be featured on some other artists' big single and I can't see them doing it for a single. XXX. probably the most they would do.

Heck, they could be the ones who write the song but they'd still need the big artist to be the main credited artist for branding purposes.

 

[namkcuR]

They need to get Diane Warren. Is she still alive?

Can't do it by themselves. They would need to be featured on some other artists' big single and I can't see them doing it for a single. XXX. probably the most they would do.

Heck, they could be the ones who write the song but they'd still need the big artist to be the main credited artist for branding purposes.

I have no desire to see either of these things.

They just need to stop worrying about being in the zeitgeist.

 

[namkcuR]

They could have beat the odds again, even after the subpar reception of No Line.

And they blew it.

But they're not accepting their place because they believe they still have the songs, which they did with SOI and SOE. They just haven't promoted the right ones, and promoted that first album horrendously in general.

Yeah, they've done an almost inconceivably bad job promoting all of their post-Bomb albums.

Picking Boots as lead-off single for NLOTH

The guyliner and the 2009 grammy performance which probably sunk the album for a lot of people before it was even released

Not having the nerve to release MOS or the title track as singles
--
The false start of releasing Invisible in February on Superbowl Sunday and then not capitalizing on it, not releasing the album until September

The whole Apple release

Making the slow version of EBW the single instead of the album version, and doing right after SFS was a single, two slow ballads in a row. I love the slow version of EBW, but they either needed to make the album version the single or not release SFS as as single. Doing both in a row hurt.

Not releasing California as a single when it was begging for it. Same for Volcano.

Not only not releasing Crystal Ballroom as a single, but leaving it off the album
--
Making Get Out and American Soul the heavily promoted singles, while Summer Of Love and Love Is Bigger, both better songs, are the last singles and barely promoted. I didn't even know until recently that Summer Of Love and Love Is Bigger(and Lights Of Home) were singles at all. That should tell you something.

Not only not releasing (a perhaps edited version of) Little Things as a single, but not playing it at all on the tour, when it might be the best song on the album, and certainly the most reminiscent of classic U2.

 

[CosmoKramer]

they believe they still have the songs, which they did with SOI and SOE. They just haven't promoted the right ones, and promoted that first album horrendously in general.

While we likely disagree on which songs, I agree with your overall take.

Every Breaking Wave, Little Things, Black Out and Love is Bigger are all really great songs.

Every Breaking Wave was DOA due to the Apple release and Bono injury(I think the latter was more impactful as they couldn’t promote it properly but with how the “promotional” decisions have gone since 2014....perhaps that was a good thing)

Little Things is top tier U2 IMO and save for the manufactured sounding drum that opens the song, is just beautiful. Not only do they not release it as a single but they don’t even play it live....the best song on the album and they don’t play it live...ugh. The Spotify single recording was a cool touch but alas...

Blackout was such a cool preview of SOE. It rocked had a cool video that garnered attention. They also were playing clips of it during the MLB playoffs..it was a good start! Then that was it ad they go all in with Best Thing. This was likely the plan all along but it just squashed the momentum being built by Blackout (not much but there was some).

Love is Bigger was played very well live and actually received decent airplay compared to most other songs since NLOTH but they didn’t promote it. They went on Ellen, which was genius because you reach an audience that otherwise wouldn’t listen to “new U2” and instead of bringing the big guns...they play a weak stripped down version of the song. This is a band whose sum is greater than its parts and the bulk of the promo around SOE was with only parts of the band. The remixes were in large part absolute garbage and the video was God awful with a great message but terrible execution.

 

[Hollow Island]

While we likely disagree on which songs, I agree with your overall take.

Every Breaking Wave, Little Things, Black Out and Love is Bigger are all really great songs.

Every Breaking Wave was DOA due to the Apple release and Bono injury(I think the latter was more impactful as they couldn’t promote it properly but with how the “promotional” decisions have gone since 2014....perhaps that was a good thing)

Little Things is top tier U2 IMO and save for the manufactured sounding drum that opens the song, is just beautiful. Not only do they not release it as a single but they don’t even play it live....the best song on the album and they don’t play it live...ugh. The Spotify single recording was a cool touch but alas...

Blackout was such a cool preview of SOE. It rocked had a cool video that garnered attention. They also were playing clips of it during the MLB playoffs..it was a good start! Then that was it ad they go all in with Best Thing. This was likely the plan all along but it just squashed the momentum being built by Blackout (not much but there was some).

Love is Bigger was played very well live and actually received decent airplay compared to most other songs since NLOTH but they didn’t promote it. They went on Ellen, which was genius because you reach an audience that otherwise wouldn’t listen to “new U2” and instead of bringing the big guns...they play a weak stripped down version of the song. This is a band whose sum is greater than its parts and the bulk of the promo around SOE was with only parts of the band. The remixes were in large part absolute garbage and the video was God awful with a great message but terrible execution.

Blackout got playes during baseball games because of corporate synergy.

Love is Bigger live was basically karaoke and I think Ellen's audience is exactly the group that would be interested in new(tered) U2.

The remixes were indees awful and embarrassing and while the vid had a good message it seemed like U2 were co-opting the cause as a wayvto get attention. As with much of what they've done for 15-20 years it seemed forced and inauthentic. Like they were doing what a focus group thought "U2" would do.