Which of the two new songs do you prefer?

[Earnie Shavers]

You know what? I'm usually the type to make fun of a song like Glastonbury, but hey, it's pretty great. An absolutely great chord progression, catchy beat, a lot of nice little details. Lyrics definitely need some work, but overall far less embarrassing than crap like Stand Up Comedy. North Star is decent too. Very pretty, but the backing vocals are all out of sorts, and the lyrics are extremely corny. It has potential. Last is Stingray, which is neither here nor there...pretty much just the band jamming. Fun, I would like it live, but listening to it in my own home is pointless.

Sames. Glastonbury is no great song, but sitting in that 7th or 8th spot on an album - pretty solid, if it's produced/mixed right (i.e. not soulless like a 00s rocker.)

North Star is a decent skeleton of a decent work in progress, but one that could so easily go in one direction or the other, perhaps spectacularly so. Depends on how it's tightened up/finished off, and whether they record it as a beautiful song, or a bombastic song.

And yeah, Stingray, that's not a song. There is some history to it, I know, but it still sounds like something they could have just stumbled into there and then as a warm up.

So I'd give Glastonbury a 7 - it will hopefully end up nailing the brief, and you can't ask for more than that.

I'd give North Star a 5 - it's sitting right on the fence. Could boom up, could tumble down.

And Stingray... as a sequence of chords, it's fine. What else is there?

 

[Batfink27]

North Star has potential but at the moment its a bit of a mess.

I dont mind Glastonbury but i played it to someone who isnt a U2 fan last night and they said "is that U2,do they realise that song is totally rubbish?". Its really not the best song and would be best kept for a b-side.

I quite like Stingray but again it shouldnt really be anywhere near an album.

The new songs overall are fairly poor when compared to U2 stuff from the past.

 

[mikal]

i agree with LemonMelon about Glastonbury. now that we have a great Frankfurt recording, i've doing a lot of rocking out in the car to this one.

 

[Registered Dude]

i agree with LemonMelon about Glastonbury. now that we have a great Frankfurt recording, i've doing a lot of rocking out in the car to this one.

is this audio only? or is there video of it available?

 

[Catman]

Every Breaking Wave...

 

[purpleoscar]

Every Breaking Wave...

I hope they aren't afraid to release SOA this Christmas. I wouldn't mind a Zooropa sister album to NLOTH. Records don't sell like they used to so 2 - 3 million records isn't bad.

 

[buzzkill27]

Yep Every Breaking Wave looks like it renders the other two songs to the back seat

 

[Airseven]

I want to like Glastonbury...there's something mildly interesting and emotive about it. But in the end, it comes up flat much like All Because Of You or Stand Up Comedy. It just sounds like they're trying too hard. 4/10

North Star has a captivating melody not unlike Stuck In A Moment. If they can avoid the temptation of a huge orchestral recording and improve the clunky lyrics, it has potential. 6/10

 

[Vlad n U 2]

The question is now which of the four new songs do you prefer?

For mine it's EBW.

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

Every Breaking Wave has the U2 effortlessness that has been missing from their sound for the past decade. It just sounds so natural of them. I bet that song was the easiest one out of the three for them to write. Its simply brilliant and cant wait for them to (hopefully) release it.

 

[Rachel D.]

I would have to say that EBW and NS (new songs, new acronyms!) are the best; I'm having a hard time getting too excited about "Glastonbury" and I can't really say why. Maybe because it's too Vertigo-ABOY-Boots-SUC. But I know that all of these will probably be a lot different on an album than they are live, especially EBW and NS, so we'll see. I'm also interested to see what form "Return of the Stingray Guitar" takes on the next album.

 

[shart1780]

Every Breaking Wave is definitely better than the other two (which isn't necessarily saying much). Still, I'm not super psyched about it in its current form. But it has the potential to be great, unlike the craptastic Glastonbury.

 

[U2girl]

North Star and Stingray ahead of Glastonbury and Every breaking Wave for me.

 

[Batfink27]

north star from Helsinki sounds amazing.

 

[Visiongfx]

I don't understand why glastonbury is so bad to people here. Bono is actually putting his whole voice into the song and the song actually means something to him. I think it's much more interesting than the other new songs.. but North Star is really catchy and a very good slow song to break the mood. I just don't get why everybody isn't on here going crazy about U2 actually playing new songs and trying them out? You shouldn't bash anything because they are finally trying out what every person on this board seemed to want happen at some point in the tours. =\

 

[purpleoscar]

I don't understand why glastonbury is so bad to people here. Bono is actually putting his whole voice into the song and the song actually means something to him. I think it's much more interesting than the other new songs.. but North Star is really catchy and a very good slow song to break the mood. I just don't get why everybody isn't on here going crazy about U2 actually playing new songs and trying them out? You shouldn't bash anything because they are finally trying out what every person on this board seemed to want happen at some point in the tours. =\

Some people like to compare the best of U2 with the new songs so you can expect negativity.

 

[nirniva]

Every Breaking Wave is EPIC. If SOA has this, Soon, and North Star, it will destroy minds.

 

[catlhere]

EBW is at the top. Beautiful song even in its bare bone state. I'm excited to see where they go with it. What NS could have been.

Glastonbury/ROTS further down. Fun rockers that give the crowd some energy. They get the job done. Stingray could go many directions from here.

NS Boring, slow, repetitive. Needs a lot of work. Makes me miss Stuck/Stay which are actually good. EBWs ugly acoustic sister.

 

[medley]

I don't understand why glastonbury is so bad to people here. Bono is actually putting his whole voice into the song and the song actually means something to him. I think it's much more interesting than the other new songs..

It seems that these people just don't like this kind of songs as they don't either like Vertigo, Elevation, LAPOE, GOYB, ABOY... So that's just normal that they won't like Glastonbury as well and they probably won't like any song, good or bad, that will sound like it. I always thought that Bono was exagerating when stating that U2 is not really a rock n'roll band but it certainly seems that at least many of their fans really don't like those more traditional sounding, even if still modern and original by some aspects, rock n'roll songs ... That's a question of personal tastes of course but as a very big fan of Led Zeppelin for example I'm certainly not one of them.

EBW... I don't know. Just like NS it's really hard to make an opinion with just acoustic versions.

 

[Salome]

people who think Glastonbury is anything like Vertigo or Boots or Elevation shouldn't even be allowed to buy music
which says nothing about the quality of Glastonbury

 

[medley]

people who think Glastonbury is anything like Vertigo or Boots or Elevation shouldn't even be allowed to buy music
which says nothing about the quality of Glastonbury

Obviously and thankfully they all have their own identity but at least Vertigo, GOYB and Glastonbury are all loud and full of energy modern rockers, with very traditional and heavy rock n'roll riffs. I wouldn't put Elevation in the exact same cathegory though.

 

[BVS]

people who think Glastonbury is anything like Vertigo or Boots or Elevation shouldn't even be allowed to buy music
which says nothing about the quality of Glastonbury

Well, I would say they can buy, they just can't comment on it...

 

[sony]

I cant stop listning to Glastonbury, rock`n roll all the way!!!LOve it!!!

 

[U2girl]

The question is now which of the four new songs do you prefer?

For mine it's EBW.

Updated reply: EBW has grown on me. It's a close second just behind North Star (that chorus has that Beatles-like effortless quality). An album in this vein would be made of win IMO.


Glastonbury a little down and Stingray last.

 

[last unicorn]

I think Glasto is great fun. I don't exactly love it, but don't hate it either. I was pretty excited when I heard it live and the band, especially Bono, seems to put a lot of energy into it. I quite like the "flowering rose" chorus, even though I have been unable to figure out yet what the song is really about It's a good live rocker that fits the show and adds some energy to the set. Apart from that, I'd gladly take both slow new songs over Glasto every day. Bono's singing is magical and I totally love these songs, they are so epic and beautiful.

 

[jphelmet]

It seems that these people just don't like this kind of songs as they don't either like Vertigo, Elevation, LAPOE, GOYB, ABOY... So that's just normal that they won't like Glastonbury as well and they probably won't like any song, good or bad, that will sound like it.

i don't really put those songs all together, but i see your point.

i think its not what U2 does best, and when compared to what they do well the look poor in comparison. As far as rock songs, i much prefer U2 doing NLOTH, Gone, Until the End... type rock songs over 3 minute big riff type songs- simply because they are so much better at the other. Give my dirty day or the fly over any of the songs you mentioned any day. edge is not that guy, he's made his career on not being a big riff guy, so its a little weird he seems to be more and more into that these days.

while i do love zeppelin (and many others), that is not what i want from u2. if i want big riffs, i will listen to queens of the stone age, because they do those songs much better than U2.

i don't mind most of those songs, but none stand out as some of their best.

 

[ozeeko]

I'm all for experimentation. I think if Edge absorbed Page's influence properly and found a way to somehow use the Zepellin riffs well, then great! That would be awesome! But IT DOESN'T WORK! IT JUST DOESN'T WORK! (for me). But he seems rather stubborn about it, like he's still still trying to make it work. We get it. You hung out with Jimmy Page. You mastered Bo Diddley riffs in the past, you mastered rave culture, you mastered gospel, you mastered ambient, you mastered punk, you mastered virtually everything, Edge. You are definitely talented and versatile as a guitarist. But, sorry, this is just one thing that doesn't work for you. Jimmy Page and Edge do not work well together. Sorry. Move the F on!!

 

[medley]

i don't really put those songs all together, but i see your point.

Just to be clear about that: I'm totally aware that there are many differences between those songs but how is this fact supposed to contradict what I say? If anything it proves my point that if you don't like any of those songs despite all their differences that's certainly because you just don't like this kind of loud rock songs at all.

i think its not what U2 does best, and when compared to what they do well the look poor in comparison. As far as rock songs, i much prefer U2 doing NLOTH, Gone, Until the End... type rock songs over 3 minute big riff type songs- simply because they are so much better at the other. Give my dirty day or the fly over any of the songs you mentioned any day. edge is not that guy, he's made his career on not being a big riff guy, so its a little weird he seems to be more and more into that these days.

while i do love zeppelin (and many others), that is not what i want from u2. if i want big riffs, i will listen to queens of the stone age, because they do those songs much better than U2.

i don't mind most of those songs, but none stand out as some of their best.

Vertigo is one of their best for me and I have given many reasons previously in this thread why I think so while you are just repeating your point of view without any explanation… I respect your opinion but you act like it's obvious that those tracks aren't as good as your favorite ones but it's not.

Whatever, I couldn’t disagree more with you about the fact that The Edge shouldn’t try to make big riff songs just because that’s not the kind of music he used to create. U2 has always been about experimentation, trying to find new kind of sounds... So Edge composing very different kinds of melodies IS Edge and U2 looking for new inspirations IS U2. There is so much diversity in their discography how can you say that they should focus to a very specific kind of tunes? They have never done that and if they had NLOTH, Gone, Until the End and many others of those songs that you say you like so much would have been written to begin with.

 

[medley]

I'm all for experimentation. I think if Edge absorbed Page's influence properly and found a way to somehow use the Zepellin riffs well, then great! That would be awesome! But IT DOESN'T WORK! IT JUST DOESN'T WORK! (for me). But he seems rather stubborn about it, like he's still still trying to make it work. We get it. You hung out with Jimmy Page. You mastered Bo Diddley riffs in the past, you mastered rave culture, you mastered gospel, you mastered ambient, you mastered punk, you mastered virtually everything, Edge. You are definitely talented and versatile as a guitarist. But, sorry, this is just one thing that doesn't work for you. Jimmy Page and Edge do not work well together. Sorry. Move the F on!!

Perhaps it doesn't work for you but Vertigo again has been a huge success, sold millions of copies of HTDAAB, is now one of their biggest hits and a classic live. So can you really say that a song that is so incredibly catchy, at least, "doesn't work"?

 

[nielsgov]

Perhaps it doesn't work for you but Vertigo again has been a huge success, sold millions of copies of HTDAAB, is now one of their biggest hits and a classic live. So can you really say that a song that is so incredibly catchy, at least, "doesn't work"?

He clearly says that it's his opinion.

Personally, I like all the 2000's rockers, save for SUC but not much more than that. I enjoy them but when I listen to U2 I expect a bit more than just enjoyment.