Shuttlecock III: Raped by Wolves

[intedomine]

It feels like I've only heard negativity about the album, whether it be online in news articles or in face to face conversation with U2 non-fans or casual fans. Comments have been rash and irrational, but generally pretty scathing for the most part.

They've got a performance on Jools Holland coming up... Surely that won't be acoustic?!


Sent from a barge floating through the docks of Dublin

 

[lazarus]

As well as Peace on Earth, in an especially bizarre line that I've never been able to unravel.

It's a great line, though.

The Peace On Earth fanclub has to be one of the smallest on Interference, but I've always loved it. The watery guitar on the verses, the wounded, desperate chorus (with great drumming by Larry), and the whole bitter tone of the whole thing. It's a rare perspective compared to Bono's usual optimism, and fits nicely alongside Wake Up Dead Man. Not sure why people dislike it so much, as if the lyric is as sentimental as the title would have you believe.

 

[Axver]

I could buy the argument that they're wanting people to shell out for the deluxe copy .. I mean, some people do like the acoustic stuff. EBW might be worth the price of admission, of the acoustic stuff.

I don't buy this argument for two reasons. First, the promo appearances have not put strong emphasis on the deluxe edition. I don't think there was any mention of "hey the deluxe edition's out now, so go buy it" on Jo Whiley's show today, or if there was then it wasn't a central point. If they were doing this specifically to promote the deluxe edition, you'd think they'd make a point of saying "if you think this acoustic version is really beautiful and heartfelt, it can be all yours if you buy the deluxe edition". Second, if they wanted to promote the deluxe edition, it seems to me the obvious way to do that would be to include Lucifer's Hands or The Crystal Ballroom in the set. Somebody not paying close attention would just hear acoustic EBW and think "oh here's a sleepy version of a song I've already got", while if they heard The Crystal Ballroom they might actually sit up and take notice and wonder how they can get this new U2 song.

If they're still doing this in the US, when (as some have speculated) that they'll be promoting a tour and wanting folks to buy tickets, I would hope it'd be full band.

I'm starting to wonder if this little suggestion of mine is turning into an Interference fact. Not suggesting you're doing it (you obviously indicate it was speculative!), but I've noticed other people repeating it as if it's going to happen.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Also, I know Imperor's not around, but no one else was shocked at the Angel Deradoorian appearances on the bonus disc?

THE DOO!

I'm pretty happy with that, too. She's great, although I will always be a bigger supporter of THE COFF!

 

[martha]

The Peace On Earth fanclub has to be one of the smallest on Interference, but I've always loved it. The watery guitar on the verses, the wounded, desperate chorus (with great drumming by Larry), and the whole bitter tone of the whole thing. It's a rare perspective compared to Bono's usual optimism, and fits nicely alongside Wake Up Dead Man. Not sure why people dislike it so much, as if the lyric is as sentimental as the title would have you believe.

I like it too.

 

[bono_212]

It feels like I've only heard negativity about the album, whether it be online in news articles or in face to face conversation with U2 non-fans or casual fans. Comments have been rash and irrational, but generally pretty scathing for the most part.

Obviously individual people will have individual experiences that color their perception. I hadn't had much of a negative impact in my experience, so it seemed pretty OK. Clearly not everyone has had the same experience.

 

[LemonMelon]

The gap between outside opinion and Interference opinion hasn't been this large for a new album since Pop. Even NLOTH was met with indifference and confusion instead of outright disdain.

 

[Kieran McConville]

It's a great line, though.

The Peace On Earth fanclub has to be one of the smallest on Interference, but I've always loved it. The watery guitar on the verses, the wounded, desperate chorus (with great drumming by Larry), and the whole bitter tone of the whole thing. It's a rare perspective compared to Bono's usual optimism, and fits nicely alongside Wake Up Dead Man. Not sure why people dislike it so much, as if the lyric is as sentimental as the title would have you believe.

I actually dug it out just now to remind myself of what it actually sounds like. Ok, better than I expected. Certainly it's a departure in not being optimistic...

but... I remember what always rubbed me wrong about it, the lyrics and the delivery aren't sentimental as such, but the melody has a tear-jerker quality about it that I can't get on board with. That's a personal taste. I dislike Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own for similar reasons.

And that whole 'their lives are bigger than any big idea'. On the one hand, yes, of course, of course that's true. On the other hand, really? This from the guy who moved in the upper echelons of politics, he must know it is big ideas that move the world. For better or for worse. So I guess I'm being more harsh than I ought, over a line that just feels like a cop out.

Interesting mention of 'Wake Up Dead Man' in connection with it, because that is the sound of rock bottom. That's 'show yourself, you fuck', stripped of any rock star balm.

 

[cobl04]

It's a great line, though.

The Peace On Earth fanclub has to be one of the smallest on Interference, but I've always loved it. The watery guitar on the verses, the wounded, desperate chorus (with great drumming by Larry), and the whole bitter tone of the whole thing. It's a rare perspective compared to Bono's usual optimism, and fits nicely alongside Wake Up Dead Man. Not sure why people dislike it so much, as if the lyric is as sentimental as the title would have you believe.

nicely said.

I like Peace on Earth quite a bit as well. But I love pretty much the whole album, Elevation is the only song I don't really like, but even if they'd just put the Tomb Raider Mix on there that would have solved it.

 

[lazarus]

I don't buy this argument for two reasons. First, the promo appearances have not put strong emphasis on the deluxe edition. I don't think there was any mention of "hey the deluxe edition's out now, so go buy it" on Jo Whiley's show today, or if there was then it wasn't a central point. If they were doing this specifically to promote the deluxe edition, you'd think they'd make a point of saying "if you think this acoustic version is really beautiful and heartfelt, it can be all yours if you buy the deluxe edition". Second, if they wanted to promote the deluxe edition, it seems to me the obvious way to do that would be to include Lucifer's Hands or The Crystal Ballroom in the set. Somebody not paying close attention would just hear acoustic EBW and think "oh here's a sleepy version of a song I've already got", while if they heard The Crystal Ballroom they might actually sit up and take notice and wonder how they can get this new U2 song.

Well-said.

I'm pretty happy with that, too. She's great, although I will always be a bigger supporter of THE COFF!

TEAM COFF 4-LYFE

I like it too.

The gap between outside opinion and Interference opinion hasn't been this large for a new album since Pop. Even NLOTH was met with indifference and confusion instead of outright disdain.

I'm not so sure about that. You're acting like the album was universally panned. Take away the knee-jerk indie hater reviews and it's been well-received on average. The Metacritic user score is 7.4, a 4-star average on Amazon, and 3.5 on iTunes.

 

[lazarus]

And that whole 'their lives are bigger than any big idea'. On the one hand, yes, of course, of course that's true. On the other hand, really? This from the guy who moved in the upper echelons of politics, he must know it is big ideas that move the world. For better or for worse. So I guess I'm being more harsh than I ought, over a line that just feels like a cop out.

In context, isn't he just saying that the idea of Irish independence isn't worth killing a bunch of kids over? If you take it at face value, yeah it sounds a little obtuse.

 

[LemonMelon]

I'm not so sure about that. You're acting like the album was universally panned. Take away the knee-jerk indie hater reviews and it's been well-received on average. The Metacritic user score is 7.4, a 4-star average on Amazon, and 3.5 on iTunes.

Nearly every album has those user scores. The critic reviews are a lot harsher and the general feeling on the band itself hasn't been this low in a long time. It is absolutely the worst reviewed U2 album since Pop. Whether or not that means it's a "hated" album is relative, I suppose. The band and release method have overshadowed the music, which happens when the music isn't that well received.

Also, if you're going to chuck out indie hater outliers, do the same for the bullshit Q and Rolling Stone reviewers receiving kickbacks with every release.

 

[Kieran McConville]

In context, isn't he just saying that the idea of Irish independence isn't worth killing a bunch of kids over? If you take it at face value, yeah it sounds a little obtuse.

Oh sure, the context is Ireland and business of his home country. I accept that. Again, it's a personal taste in these things as often as not.

 

[lazarus]

Nearly every album has those user scores. The critic reviews are a lot harsher and the general feeling on the band itself hasn't been this low in a long time. It is absolutely the worst reviewed U2 album since Pop. Whether or not that means it's a "hated" album is relative, I suppose.

Obviously these things are objective, but I'm really surprised. It's just as accessible as ATYCLB but it's certainly more fun, and while both albums share a single-heavy first half, the second half of SOI destroys its counterpart in terms of quality.

One wonders how it would have fared review-wise without the controversy.

And as for POP, I seem to remember it doing very well critically. It was the backlash on the album/tour and the idiotic American market that killed its reputation.

 

[youarenotimmune]

Glad I'm not alone on that one. Like, I was shocked at how much power was coming out of him. A shame he couldn't sustain it through that entire performance, or do it on the album version.

I'm getting annoyed at the hyperbole EBW is receiving, people acting like it's the next One. Good luck with that. And it isn't fit to hold Moment Of Surrender's jockstrap.

Yea, I don't get the lovefest for EBW. I mean I don't hate it or anything; I actually like all the songs on SOI. But EBW is probably the least interesting track on there, even more so than Song For Someone (which is saved from being completely bland and forgettable by Bono's vocal delivery and Edge's wonderful harmonization).

EBW is fine and all, but I'm surprised how many people are elevating it to the pantheon of U2 classics.

The best song on SOI is TIWYCRMN. And to think Edge actually had to fight for it to be on the album. Sigh.

 

[LemonMelon]

Obviously these things are objective, but I'm really surprised. It's just as accessible as ATYCLB but it's certainly more fun, and while both albums share a single-heavy first half, the second half of SOI destroys its counterpart in terms of quality.

One wonders how it would have fared review-wise without the controversy.

And as for POP, I seem to remember it doing very well critically. It was the backlash on the album/tour and the idiotic American market that killed its reputation.

The furor over the release method was absurd. I'm surprised people are self-centered enough to shit on the band for giving them free music, but I suppose I shouldn't be. It should have been a non-issue IMO and certainly not overshadowed the music, but then I don't have my head a mile up my ass. Maybe a few yards.

It's tough to gauge the Pop reception in a numerical sense because they're not archived but the wiki reviews average out somewhere in NLOTH range.

 

[lazarus]

The central point that doesn't get brought up enough is the automatic iCloud download thing. Apple should have programmed it so it didn't automatically go to people's computers/phones and that it had to be actively/manually downloaded. And this is why so many people are outraged whereas others are like "whatever, no big deal". Because if you didn't have that option toggled, nothing was forced on you at all and it's a non-issue.

Had they seen this coming (or maybe they did, and didn't give a shit), they could have alleviated all of this mess.

Hypothetically, if it was only the lead single that went to everyone's devices and computers, it probably wouldn't have been as big a deal, either.

 

[lazarus]

Yea, I don't get the lovefest for EBW. I mean I don't hate it or anything; I actually like all the songs on SOI. But EBW is probably the least interesting track on there, even more so than Song For Someone (which is saved from being completely bland and forgettable by Bono's vocal delivery and Edge's wonderful harmonization).

EBW is fine and all, but I'm surprised how many people are elevating it to the pantheon of U2 classics.

The best song on SOI is TIWYCRMN. And to think Edge actually had to fight for it to be on the album. Sigh.

Agree with every word here.

 

[PhilsFan]

I didn't mean it as a slight against you, Mikal. I think we both know at this point that you are someone I respect here who knows what he's talking about. I think you and I simply would disagree with that point. I'm mostly talking about the people over there who think criticizing U2's release strategy or promo strategy is sacrilege. I actually didn't even consciously realize I was responding to a post you had made. I guess I feel like I've seen that post something like a dozen times over there. My patience for that forum is very thin today for some reason.

The "bad press is better than no press" has its place in certain contexts. I don't think it applies here, and I think there are way too many people over there who latch on to whatever the idea that would show U2 in a good light is.

So I apologize for making it seem like I was attacking you. I genuinely did not mean it. I will not apologize, however, for appearing to have a sense of superiority over EYKIW because I do feel a sense of superiority over most of the crowd over there. For every level-headed person making a decent point who is willing to criticize the band now and again while still appreciating the majority of its work, there are 50 sycophants, shut-ins, and idiots who make scrolling through to have an actual discussion a nightmare.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

The best song on SOI is TIWYCRMN. And to think Edge actually had to fight for it to be on the album. Sigh.

I hadn't heard that. What article/interview is that tidbit from? It's crazy how little I've followed the press cycle surrounding this album compared to HTDAAB and NLOTH. And I like this album significantly more than NLOTH.

 

[PhilsFan]

With Every Breaking Wave, I love the melody and I think the lyrics are actually pretty solid. I think it's a strong track. The middle-8 is a little weird. You'd think with all the time they spent on it they could have figured out something a little better. But the verses and chorus are very good in my book. That chorus is a major improvement over the 2010 live version, and it's a much more appropriate use of slide guitar than Edge's attempts to use it in, say, the solo on Magnificent.

Here's how I'd rank the tracks at this juncture:
1. The Troubles
2. Where You Can Reach Me
3. Sleep Like a Baby Tonight
4. California
5. Every Breaking Wave
6. Cedarwood Road
7. Volcano
8. The Miracle
9. Iris
10. Song for Someone
11. Raised by Wolves

 

[cobl04]

Also, if you're going to chuck out indie hater outliers, do the same for the bullshit Q and Rolling Stone reviewers receiving kickbacks with every release.

This is quite a pertinent point. U2 could release 50 minutes of Stand Up Comedy type shit and they'd still review it highly.

Not sure why people would be surprised about the criticism re the release method either. We're talking about one of the biggest bands in the world, one that is incredibly easy to mock. They teamed up with a mega-corporation. They were always going to be criticised for it.

 

[Kieran McConville]

I think Rolling Stone actually gave it five stars. Incredible. I'm not even claiming it's all awful; I've said I like The Troubles, Sleep Like A Baby Tonight and a few others quite a lot.

Five stars.

 

[U2DMfan]

And as for POP, I seem to remember it doing very well critically. It was the backlash on the album/tour and the idiotic American market that killed its reputation.

It absolutely did. At first. The thing was critically beloved until the tour started. Then the revisionist history began and has never stopped.

 

[Kieran McConville]

Even that POP backlash might have looked a bit silly if they had been a well-oiled machine out of the gate on Las Vegas opening night. If they had delivered a Mexico City performance, let's say.

 

[U2DMfan]

Backlash or not, the problem was that POP, the album itself, took shit for things not on the album. And retroactively, at that.

In other words, once it became cultural joke after the fact, they retrofit their views of the music because these are not musical opinions. They are pop cultural opinions.

 

[Kieran McConville]

Backlash or not, the problem was that POP, the album itself, took shit for things not on the album. And retroactively, at that.

In other words, once it became cultural joke after the fact, they retrofit their views of the music because these are not musical opinions. They are pop cultural opinions.

Oh absolutely.

I'd add that ATYCLB took credit for things not on that album. The great post 9/11 healing moment.

 

[lazarus]

For every level-headed person making a decent point who is willing to criticize the band now and again while still appreciating the majority of its work, there are 50 sycophants, shut-ins, and idiots who make scrolling through to have an actual discussion a nightmare.

CUE EFF TEA

With Every Breaking Wave, I love the melody and I think the lyrics are actually pretty solid. I think it's a strong track. The middle-8 is a little weird. You'd think with all the time they spent on it they could have figured out something a little better. But the verses and chorus are very good in my book. That chorus is a major improvement over the 2010 live version, and it's a much more appropriate use of slide guitar than Edge's attempts to use it in, say, the solo on Magnificent.

Here's how I'd rank the tracks at this juncture:
1. The Troubles
2. Where You Can Reach Me
3. Sleep Like a Baby Tonight
4. California
5. Every Breaking Wave
6. Cedarwood Road
7. Volcano
8. The Miracle
9. Iris
10. Song for Someone
11. Raised by Wolves

Not to start a whole flurry of ranking posts, but we share the same Top 4, albeit in a different order.

After that, it's dicier, but if you simply switched Raised By Wolves and EBW we'd be pretty close.

Also curious to see where people would rank Invisible and The Crystal Ballroom. I'm not sure the album version of the former is an improvement (much to my chagrin), but it still makes my Top 3-5 depending on how I'm feeling. The latter is without a doubt getting overpraised ("Should be a single!" "Should have been track 1 on the album!" "There's no way they're not playing this live!"), I'll take it over The Miracle, SFS, EBW, and Iris.

I'll cockify to offset the tired process of ranking:

1. Reach Around
2. The Doubles
3. Invisicock
4. Called A Forfeit (This Is No Way To Win)
5. Suck Out A Baby
6. Raised By Whores
7. Volleycano
8. Morning Wood Load
9. Mister Balls-deep
10. The Testicle
11. Schlong of Some Bum
12. Anus (Hold Your Nose)
13. Every Broken Serve

I don't dislike anything, and the final 3 are all very close together in that they're good but have elements I don't care for.

 

[Kieran McConville]

I think I really dig This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now quite a lot. Musically, definitely. Lyrically... it's not like there's things wrong with the lyrics but I guess I find it hard to see how anyone who isn't the members of U2 would find them that striking. I can hear them and think, ok, cool. That's how it was for you guys when you started the band and your dad thought you were a fool.

So, chalk one up in the 'completely autobiographical' category.

 

[lazarus]

"If you won't let us in your world/your world just isn't there" is one of the best lines on the album.