namkcuR
ONE love, blood, life
Oh dear god please don't let this lead to a dick-ification meme. Cock-ification is already more than enough.
Shuttlecock XVII - The Best Title That Ever Happened a Thread
- Thread starter LemonMelon
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The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
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lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
Knowing his recent syllable-cramming history I'm surprised the line isn't "the best thing to happen to a blue-eyed boy".
the tourist
Blue Crack Addict
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Yeah, that's okay. But I definitely like The Blackout better. I think the first half of the chorus where the music kinda stops is the worst part of the song. And even though it's stupidly simple, I really like the little guitar solo/breakdown a lot. The real star of the song, again, is Adam.
iron yuppie
ONE love, blood, life
Is Edge the one singing the "why am I running away" line? Bono realizes the love - Edge is frightened but realizes he should go with it.
There's the explanation.
GirlsAloudFan
Blue Crack Addict
You're the best thing about me
Even better than the best thing
Chiiiiiiiiild
Even better than the best thing
Chiiiiiiiiild
GirlsAloudFan
Blue Crack Addict
You're the best thing about me
You're the best Peach that ever happened a me...Mario!
You're the best Peach that ever happened a me...Mario!
OP
OP
LemonMelon
More 5G Than Man
Edge's rhythm guitar on The Best Thing reminded me a lot of this track:
Probably the first and last time I compare anything related to Big Star to U2.
Probably the first and last time I compare anything related to Big Star to U2.
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
He did that with "Twilight" 36 years ago.
elevated_u2_fan
Blue Crack Supplier
cobl04
45:33
Well I don't think it's at all disastrous as some here, but the best I can say about it is that it is reasonably catchy and passes by without me having any negative visceral reactions. If it's the worst song on the album, then SoE might be salvageable.
But really liked iYup's post in the previous thread:
So spot on. You can tell that this and many of their recent songs are just so incredibly overproduced and overdone, they do genuinely sound like they're trying to stitch together these anthems from an almost scientific point of view. I would bet the songs they spent the least amount of time on from SoI were The Troubles and Sleep, and they're about the only good ones.
Also really liked LM's comment about wasn't this meant to be a reflective piece about being old and experienced? Not just random shit?
Hahaha. Agreed.
But really liked iYup's post in the previous thread:
So spot on. You can tell that this and many of their recent songs are just so incredibly overproduced and overdone, they do genuinely sound like they're trying to stitch together these anthems from an almost scientific point of view. I would bet the songs they spent the least amount of time on from SoI were The Troubles and Sleep, and they're about the only good ones.
Also really liked LM's comment about wasn't this meant to be a reflective piece about being old and experienced? Not just random shit?
Hahaha. Agreed.
cobl04
45:33
That NYTimes article is enlightening. They just have to overcook everything.
cobl04
45:33
Could they possibly be any more tone deaf?
corianderstem
Blue Crack Distributor
Oh, I don't think that last statement is tone deaf at all. He's not wrong. It sounds a little naive, but there's great joy in observing the little good things when everything else seems to have turned to shit.
cobl04
45:33
I hear that and completely agree with you, but I think U2 putting out an okay-at-best song about your girlfriend and claiming it's some inspirational political statement is a bit naff.
My girlfriend's take on the song: "You can go on the U2 forum and tell them I give it five steaming shits out of five. It's shit. If I heard that on the radio I would change the station. It sounds like a song by a band that's two years old, not one that's been around that long."
My girlfriend's take on the song: "You can go on the U2 forum and tell them I give it five steaming shits out of five. It's shit. If I heard that on the radio I would change the station. It sounds like a song by a band that's two years old, not one that's been around that long."
iron yuppie
ONE love, blood, life
Ranking the lead singles, just for the hell of it (by song quality):
1. New Year's Day
2. With or Without You
3. The Fly
4. Beautiful Day
5. Desire
6. Pride
7. Numb
8. Discotheque
9. Vertigo
10. A Day Without Me
11. Fire
12. The Miracle
13. Boots
14. The Best Thing
I didn't even know until now that something other than I Will Follow led from Boy.
1. New Year's Day
2. With or Without You
3. The Fly
4. Beautiful Day
5. Desire
6. Pride
7. Numb
8. Discotheque
9. Vertigo
10. A Day Without Me
11. Fire
12. The Miracle
13. Boots
14. The Best Thing
I didn't even know until now that something other than I Will Follow led from Boy.
Dalton
Blue Crack Addict
I'd forgotten that Numb was a lead single.
david
ONE love, blood, life
I think the song is about Leo. Why did Bono walk away from him?
Oh god, an album of long song titles? For fuck's sake. Sometimes it's necessary; ISHFWILF wouldn't really make sense if it were just called I Still Haven't Found. But this is the band who were dense enough not to use the more obvious titles Stuck in a Moment, Crazy Tonight, The Best Thing, Little Things...
At least The Blackout sounds like Bono's trying to say something of significance, even if it is ultimately about the band itself. The Best Thing is, as Cobbler says, naff. But then Bono is the coward who keeps telling audiences that "we'll reach common ground when we reach for higher ground", even after a fucking neo-Nazi killed a protester with a car. Fuck off Bono, some people I don't want common ground with. And right now I don't think we need a big U2 single about the best thing to happen a boy. We need the band that once had fire in its belly.
Yep, she's a keeper.
By song quality:
1. New Year's Day
2. The Fly
3. With or Without You
4. Pride
5. Numb
6. Fire
7. A Day Without Me
8. Desire
9. Beautiful Day
10. Discotheque
11. Vertigo
12. The Miracle
13. The Best Thing
14. Get on Your Boots
But in terms of being good lead singles, Vertigo and Beautiful Day would go right to the top five and I'd knock ADWM and Fire down quite some way.
As awful and messy as Best Thing is, at least Bono doesn't sing "sexy boots".
At least The Blackout sounds like Bono's trying to say something of significance, even if it is ultimately about the band itself. The Best Thing is, as Cobbler says, naff. But then Bono is the coward who keeps telling audiences that "we'll reach common ground when we reach for higher ground", even after a fucking neo-Nazi killed a protester with a car. Fuck off Bono, some people I don't want common ground with. And right now I don't think we need a big U2 single about the best thing to happen a boy. We need the band that once had fire in its belly.
Yep, she's a keeper.
By song quality:
1. New Year's Day
2. The Fly
3. With or Without You
4. Pride
5. Numb
6. Fire
7. A Day Without Me
8. Desire
9. Beautiful Day
10. Discotheque
11. Vertigo
12. The Miracle
13. The Best Thing
14. Get on Your Boots
But in terms of being good lead singles, Vertigo and Beautiful Day would go right to the top five and I'd knock ADWM and Fire down quite some way.
As awful and messy as Best Thing is, at least Bono doesn't sing "sexy boots".
I seriously can't believe how bad this song is, guys. I had hoped to be maybe a little enthusiastic about some new U2, and I sure didn't want something to deride, but... here we are. Normally if a new U2 single were out, I'd at least want to give it a spin the next morning. Today I just want to avoid it. I listened to it five times last night, and I promise you that if it were by a band I didn't know, rather than one that has been such a massive part of my life, it's unlikely I would have even got to the end of my first listen. That's the real test.
Instead I put on Boy (not a boy) this morning. Obviously U2 aren't young men any more, and most bands go to shit the older they get, but it's crazy to think that this group of teenagers with almost no formal musical knowledge put out an album with eleven songs that, today, are still more vital, energetic, and well-composed than a song they just released after over forty years' experience. At least when other musicians I like have got old and put out boring albums, they're fine in a compositional sense. The new Neil Finn and Paul Kelly albums don't excite me. But you can tell these guys know their shit and still have something to say. The Best Thing sounds like a band who took a knock to the head and now can't quite remember how to use their songwriting tools.
Instead I put on Boy (not a boy) this morning. Obviously U2 aren't young men any more, and most bands go to shit the older they get, but it's crazy to think that this group of teenagers with almost no formal musical knowledge put out an album with eleven songs that, today, are still more vital, energetic, and well-composed than a song they just released after over forty years' experience. At least when other musicians I like have got old and put out boring albums, they're fine in a compositional sense. The new Neil Finn and Paul Kelly albums don't excite me. But you can tell these guys know their shit and still have something to say. The Best Thing sounds like a band who took a knock to the head and now can't quite remember how to use their songwriting tools.
All of this.
The conservatism of their political choices in recent years bears uncanny resemblance to the conservatism of their artistic choices.
bono_212
Blue Crack Distributor
Just had this fun interaction with my boss (who is also a big fan):
Me: "Hey, have you heard the new U2 song yet?"
Him: "You know what, I have, but I didn't really do it justice, I was listening to it on my phone speakers"
*turns it on, we sit and listen to it*
Him: *Pauses for a few moments*..."well...it won't be my favorite song on the album...."
Me: "Hey, have you heard the new U2 song yet?"
Him: "You know what, I have, but I didn't really do it justice, I was listening to it on my phone speakers"
*turns it on, we sit and listen to it*
Him: *Pauses for a few moments*..."well...it won't be my favorite song on the album...."
iron yuppie
ONE love, blood, life
The thing for me is the band really needs to ask themselves if they have anything left to say, especially amid the myriad of poignant, introspective, and innovative artists out there right now. If you want to be a pure pop band and sing about how great it is to be in love, fine. But for fuck's sake don't go on to anyone who will listen about how you tailored the album specifically to a chaotic, frightening world situation and then release this piece of gleeful vapidity as the lead statement.
I guess you and a few other posters have already said something to that effect, but holy hell it needs to be repeated.
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corianderstem
Blue Crack Distributor
The things they say mostly go in one ear and out the other for me now, so it doesn't bother me.
If they want to keep putting out music, cool. I just want to like it. I'm tired of overanalyzing what they do or don't do.
They're an exhausting band to love, but I'll put up with it as long as I still like the tunes.
If they want to keep putting out music, cool. I just want to like it. I'm tired of overanalyzing what they do or don't do.
They're an exhausting band to love, but I'll put up with it as long as I still like the tunes.
cobl04
45:33
I'm fully prepared for Songs of Experience. I don't like Songs of Innocence, so I've already had that moment of finally disconnecting from the band. They will always be my favourite band ever, always, and they have a wealth of music I dearly love, they played an amazing concert just a few months ago that I got to see twice, I'm happy, however much this new album sucks.
GirlsAloudFan
Blue Crack Addict
Did any of the articles/interviews that came out today have an album track list? Or any other track titles from the album? I'm guessing no but just want to be sure I didn't miss anything.
corianderstem
Blue Crack Distributor
No, I don't think so.
namkcuR
ONE love, blood, life
I love SOI, but at this point I'm always prepared. I won't judge SOE by two tracks, I'll wait to hear the whole thing. If I like it, great, if I'm underwhelmed, that's the way it goes.
No matter what, they've given us at least three all-timers(UF, JT, AB), maybe a couple more than that depending on opinion. No one can ever take that away from them. It's more than most bands can say.
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
Honestly, I'm amazed you played it that many times. I listened to it right when I woke up this morning, and have been afraid to go back to it for fear of disliking it even more.
I'll watch the Fallon performance and a clip of when they eventually play it at a JT show. But I'm avoiding this studio version until the album comes out, I'll just play The Blackout (which I really like) if I need a fix.
This is it, in a nutshell. Really disheartening. It's at the point where I question whether they actually believe their own bullshit.
Mack_Again
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
long titles? is U2 trying to be Red Sparrrows?
Surely this is proof they pulled the plug in 2016 not for whatever political reason they're trying to sell, but because they simply weren't done. The problem, it seems to me, is that U2 have got so big they can delay. Who's going to tell them no? If they had kept tinkering and tinkering in the eighties, they would've been screwed. I don't think they realise that the longer they work on something and the further they get from that original moment of inspiration, the worse their music tends to sound.
I didn't want to be slagging off a song from a one-listen hot take, even though I'd happily do that if some band I didn't like had put out exactly the same song. And god each listen just revealed more about how shoddily composed this track is. It's like they learnt nothing from Boots.
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