Rosebud
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Breathe is a "darkest song"?????
Are you nutter butters?
Are you nutter butters?
The Whole better than the parts?
- Thread starter jphelmet
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
solemole
War Child
How do you interpret Breathe?
It sounds like a one man vs. another man song, saying f-off? IMO
It sounds like a one man vs. another man song, saying f-off? IMO
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Rosebud
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Hmm..that's interesting. It could definitely be taken as a "fuck off", but I just read that as one character telling the travelling salesperson to fuck off. 
Hey, to each their own. Either way though, I just don't get how it could be heard as "dark". It has one of the most joyful pre-chorus/choruses that they've ever done IMO.
Hey, to each their own. Either way though, I just don't get how it could be heard as "dark". It has one of the most joyful pre-chorus/choruses that they've ever done IMO.
solemole
War Child
Hi Rosebud,
If you have any more thoughts or input, I started a thread in Musical Journey about Breathe.
Thanks,
mole
If you have any more thoughts or input, I started a thread in Musical Journey about Breathe.
Thanks,
mole
rihannsu
Refugee
Well it might help to realize that when Bono talks about enemies he never sees people as enemies. The enemies that he talks about are things like his own limitations or negative qualities. Bono's enemies are all things within himself not people or outside influences.
Dana
last unicorn
Blue Crack Addict
I agree about the cohesion. I like the flow of the album, I don't skip any songs. The songs are strong themselves, but the whole is just stronger.
solemole
War Child
Well, that's what Bono has always been saying in the interviews. But still, IMHO (correct me if I'm wrong) I don't really see anything in the lyrics that leads up to say that the whole song are internal subject matter. I mean, it starts off with concrete images and goes on that way almost past half way through.
Anyways, Breathe still bothers me... mainly because I can't figure out what he's saying. It actually sounds like he's talking for himself, rather than a character. And using "a man at the door", first person "I", and third person "you"... makes it sound pretty schizophrenic (I'm not saying Bono is so, but the song comes off that way)...
I'm trying to see Breathe as a whole song, but Bono seems to have mixed pronoun references, which makes it frustrating for me, because he never identifies/defines clearly the "three characters": "the man at the door", the first person "I", and third person "you."
Man at the Door: Bono
First person "I" : Bono
"You" : ???
I'm sorry if I'm beating a dead horse, but though it sounds joyous and all, it might as well be in the similar vein to Smile or Crumbs, or what have you.
I hear three chapters. Someone else on this forum opened my mind to this.
1-4
5-7
8-11.
Spot on!
1-4 Opener
5-7 Stadium songs
8-11 Heavy/dark/deep? finish (although struggle with Breathe there a bit....)
The the album's final four songs might make it, if nothing else, their best closing album. What do you guys think?
Here are some other contenders off the top of my head: haha...actually, I did mean to put something here but then when I really thought about it, it seemed as if there was no contest
. NLOTH has the best final third of any U2 album. I guess AB and JT would put up a decent fight but each are held back by a weaker song that (in my opinion) isn't found in NLOTH's final four.
Here are some other contenders off the top of my head: haha...actually, I did mean to put something here but then when I really thought about it, it seemed as if there was no contest
. NLOTH has the best final third of any U2 album. I guess AB and JT would put up a decent fight but each are held back by a weaker song that (in my opinion) isn't found in NLOTH's final four.Yeah, even before we heard any clips I remember that we had some theories going about this "album in 3 sections" just based on the descriptions. This appears to have played out in reality even better than in theory, and it makes the album even more enjoyable for me. I love the idea of suites in albums (i.e. Beach Boys' "Smile" and more recently Deerhunter's "Microcastle"). The suite concept also makes the middle 3 songs "fit" better by giving them their own little niche, if that makes any sense.
boystupidboy
Refugee
I really dont like WAS or COL....plodding,self indulgent,garbage IMO...but looks like i'm in the minority on this forum
BsB
I really dont like WAS or COL....plodding,self indulgent,garbage IMO...but looks like i'm in the minority on this forum
BsB
Yeah, I've seen many other people say WAS does nothing for them (and it's not doing well in the least favorite song poll). I find the vocal melody very compelling (probably why it's lasted for hundreds of years as a traditional hymn) and the production is fantastic. The ebb and flow of the song with the french horns and the creepy guitar lines later on is just flawless. I also love the concept of the song, which certainly seems to give it added power (the thoughts running through the head of a soldier during 4+ minutes he bleeds to death after being hit by a roadside bomb).
COL seems like it's hand in glove for those of us who
over Love is Blindness, Wake Up Deadman, If You Wear..., etc.--the slow, creepy dark songs with low Bono vocals. Despite it's low, slow nature, I think the beat and vocal delivery make it very compelling and the lyrics are fantastic. But I can certainly see that this song isn't for everyone.
Zoo_Fly
Acrobat
This is a good topic, because I found myself thinking this for the past couple days. I don't have a huge desire to listen to each individual song so much as to relax for an hour and listen through the album. I can't explain it, it's not like the songs are bad, nor do they NEED to be listened together. I mean, I do like to listen to Breathe and Magnificent and Crazy Tongiht et. al individuallly, but my desire is to hear the album start to finish. It's more of a feeling than anything
boystupidboy
Refugee
Yeah, I've seen many other people say WAS does nothing for them (and it's not doing well in the least favorite song poll). I find the vocal melody very compelling (probably why it's lasted for hundreds of years as a traditional hymn) and the production is fantastic. The ebb and flow of the song with the french horns and the creepy guitar lines later on is just flawless. I also love the concept of the song, which certainly seems to give it added power (the thoughts running through the head of a soldier during 4+ minutes he bleeds to death after being hit by a roadside bomb).
COL seems like it's hand in glove for those of us who
I just wish U2 would steer clear of such songs but they always seem to put a couple of slow,death like,tracks on every album
.Such a waste when they can write such glorious ditties as NLOTH and Magnificent.ho hum
BsB
I just wish U2 would steer clear of such songs but they always seem to put a couple of slow,death like,tracks on every album
ho hum
BsB
I can definitely agree with you about the glory of NLOTH and Magnificent (which might be one of my very fav all-time U2 songs).
Salome
you are what you is
agree 100%My thoughts exactly. This album has an extraordinary cohesiveness, which is something I was really hoping for with this album. But not only is the whole fantastic -- every damn song is awesome. Now that is a feat.
OP
OP
jphelmet
Refugee
I just wish U2 would steer clear of such songs but they always seem to put a couple of slow,death like,tracks on every album
ho hum
BsB
i understand that feeling, but the last three songs are my favorite part of the album by far. for me, one step closer was my favorite song on the the bomb and is in my top 15 u2 songs of all time. i love the slower, more reflective songs they do.
if they were all like magnificent it would be a weak album, imo. i love the ending precisely because of the slow serious -was, then the uplift of breathe, and then the somber col to end. that is part of what makes the album so great.
EPandAmerica
New Yorker
I feel the opposite. I love a couple of parts, like a couple more, but I don't see myself (right now anyway) putting this album on and listening straight through over and over.
Which I can do with other U2 albums.
Can we kick Eno out of the band already.
Which I can do with other U2 albums.
Can we kick Eno out of the band already.
boystupidboy
Refugee
each to his own i suppose but 11 x magnificent type songs would be immense IMO
OP
OP
jphelmet
Refugee
Can we kick Eno out of the band already.
i found this very funny from someone with EPandAmerica as a screen name. Isn't Eno pretty much directly responsible for that song?
AtomicBono
ONE love, blood, life
Can we kick Eno out of the band already.
I'm thinking more along the lines of, U2, please never make another album without Eno...Eno and Lanois, ftw.Definitely agree with this thread. Though I have started to listen to songs in isolation now, the first 8 or so times I listened straight through, and I still find myself doing that more than not. And I feel like, I don't know if this album has any classics quite like BD or WOWY (I know I know, people will argue with me here, I do think there are a number of contenders), but as a whole it's U2's most consistent album. There's not a single track I feel like skipping. Furthermore, I seem to have a new favourite track every 10 minutes. Basically, whichever song I'm listening to at the moment
When I first read this thread title I thought maybe it was referring to the songs themselves ... I said this in the Edge's solos thread, about how maybe the individual band members aren't clearly the best in whatever song, but the songs themselves transcend the parts. But I kind of take that back because I think Bono is absolutely extraordinary
but he wouldn't be as amazing without the music to back him up, so 
Catman
Rock n' Roll Doggie
Definitely. I just ran the "U2 Album Rate" program, and the album tied for 3rd with Zooropa... but when you factor in the cohesiveness of the record, it's that much more enjoyable. God I love this album...My thoughts exactly. This album has an extraordinary cohesiveness, which is something I was really hoping for with this album. But not only is the whole fantastic -- every damn song is awesome. Now that is a feat.
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