Every Breaking Wave - Song Discussion

[Moser]

I think it's not the chord progression that people are referring to.

It's the intro's heavy bass, subtle drumming, and sustained notes that reminds them of WOWY.

 

[dan_smee]

I think it's not the chord progression that people are referring to.

It's the intro's heavy bass, subtle drumming, and sustained notes that reminds them of WOWY.

Fair enough. I'm not hearing it at all.


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[gvox]

Sorry, but to be fair the similiarity it´s pretty obvious

No way.


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[dan_smee]

No way.


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Agreed. The similarity is a lazy comparison because of certain very common structural components. Nothing to do with sound.


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[jeevey]

I don't know about that--the bass line plus infinite guitar sound is pretty signature of WOWY.

 

[Musikwala]

I think it's not the chord progression that people are referring to.

It's the intro's heavy bass, subtle drumming, and sustained notes that reminds them of WOWY.

Exactly! You don't have to explain by writing out the chords. It is not something as concrete and factual as that. It is a feeling some people get from that intro that reminds them of WOWY. You cannot explain a feeling for factual comparison.

 

[Aygo]

My least favourite song in the album. Not a fan of this song. I mean, not a fan of this version.
Based on the description we read about this song in late 2008/2009, based on the stripped live versions and based on the "full band version" a fan made taking one of those live performances, this final version is disappointing.
One of the characteristics of the album that leads me to rank it in the 13th place is the random feel, the impression that the songs are pretty generic and that some could be U2-emulating-band-X-when-band-X-is-emulating-U2. "Every Breaking Wave" is one of the worst of these cases to me. Someone above reffered that this sounded like Snow Patrol sounding like U2. I would agree. But it could also be The Killers or One Republic or even Coldplay sounding like U2 in some moments.

But the worst, to me, is the lyrical changes. If there's one thing I like in this album is Bono's lyrical effort, which is the strongest item of the album. Bono really avoided the technique of putting together random lines/ideas written in a napkin of his private jet ("Vertigo", "Crazy Tonight" being the worst case).
But Bono fell into the trap of doing exactly the same he did to "Mercy". Sure "Mercy" wasn't a lyrical masterpiece and had less brilliant lines, but I actually think that it was all pretty much okay, because it wasn't obvious. He messed it up with the:

You wanna kill me and I wanna die
We were meant for each other, you and I / We’re a perfect match, you and I
(...)
I'm not sorry, you’re not gonna cry
You put the blue back in my eye
It’s just us
Because, because, because we can
We must

The same with the:
If you go your way and I go mine
Are we so helpless against the tide
Baby, every dog on the street
Knows that we’re in love with defeat

Hew it all makes me cringe and almost feel ashamed. I really hate when Bono (or Bono with Edge's help) go this way.

I maintain that I'd rather have "Every Breaking Wave" with the old structure (with no chorus) and in a paced mood (that's where the lyrics lead my mind to). Pretty much like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wap_eBUJO4

 

[thavidesco]

I think it's not the chord progression that people are referring to.

It's the intro's heavy bass, subtle drumming, and sustained notes that reminds them of WOWY.

 

[dan_smee]

Can I just declare my undying love for this song, and offer to carry its babies in some sort of Arnold Schwarzenegger/Junior type situation? I've already got a case of Expectane, and I'm ready to go...


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[gvox]

Why yes, you may. Let us know if you decide to find out b/g at the ultrasound!


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[dan_smee]

Why yes, you may. Let us know if you decide to find out b/g at the ultrasound!


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But then I couldn't walk around saying: "I'm going to call it joonier, because I don't know if it will be a boy, or a gyerl".


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[Mr. Happy]

Every Breaking Wave - A, C#m, E, B
With or Without You - D, A, Bm, G

Not only are the chords totally different, the figure is very different. The only similarity is that there are four chords. And that Adam plays a root note figure. A lot of songs for that bill that aren't With it Without You.

It's the exact same four chords, except they're in a different order and in a different key (which is really a nothing difference). If you put Every Breaking Wave down a second, you get:

G l Bm l D l A

It has the exact same feel as the With or Without You progression, especially when you also consider that they're both a mid-tempo ballad and that root note figure. You could literally sing With or Without You over that if you tried. The only chord that might clash a little is the last one.

I don't personally hear With or Without You in Every Breaking Wave, but technically they are very similar.

 

[dan_smee]

It's the exact same four chords, except they're in a different order and in a different key (which is really a nothing difference). If you put Every Breaking Wave down a second, you get:

G l Bm l D l A

It has the exact same feel as the With or Without You progression, especially when you also consider that they're both a mid-tempo ballad and that root note figure. You could literally sing With or Without You over that if you tried. The only chord that might clash a little is the last one.

I don't personally hear With or Without You in Every Breaking Wave, but technically they are very similar.

Changing the key and order if notes is fairly significant though. This song is exactly like Master of Puppets, only in a different key, and with different chords.

Nah, I get what you're saying, but it is still very different. But you could sing just about any four chord song over any other four chord song.

http://youtu.be/oOlDewpCfZQ


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[stray dog]

My least favourite song in the album. Not a fan of this song. I mean, not a fan of this version.
Based on the description we read about this song in late 2008/2009, based on the stripped live versions and based on the "full band version" a fan made taking one of those live performances, this final version is disappointing.
One of the characteristics of the album that leads me to rank it in the 13th place is the random feel, the impression that the songs are pretty generic and that some could be U2-emulating-band-X-when-band-X-is-emulating-U2. "Every Breaking Wave" is one of the worst of these cases to me. Someone above reffered that this sounded like Snow Patrol sounding like U2. I would agree. But it could also be The Killers or One Republic or even Coldplay sounding like U2 in some moments.

But the worst, to me, is the lyrical changes. If there's one thing I like in this album is Bono's lyrical effort, which is the strongest item of the album. Bono really avoided the technique of putting together random lines/ideas written in a napkin of his private jet ("Vertigo", "Crazy Tonight" being the worst case).
But Bono fell into the trap of doing exactly the same he did to "Mercy". Sure "Mercy" wasn't a lyrical masterpiece and had less brilliant lines, but I actually think that it was all pretty much okay, because it wasn't obvious. He messed it up with the:

You wanna kill me and I wanna die
We were meant for each other, you and I / We’re a perfect match, you and I
(...)
I'm not sorry, you’re not gonna cry
You put the blue back in my eye
It’s just us
Because, because, because we can
We must

The same with the:
If you go your way and I go mine
Are we so helpless against the tide
Baby, every dog on the street
Knows that we’re in love with defeat

Hew it all makes me cringe and almost feel ashamed. I really hate when Bono (or Bono with Edge's help) go this way.

I maintain that I'd rather have "Every Breaking Wave" with the old structure (with no chorus) and in a paced mood (that's where the lyrics lead my mind to). Pretty much like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wap_eBUJO4

This sounds unfinished. I am glad they finished it with the version on SOI.

 

[stray dog]

Changing the key and order if notes is fairly significant though. This song is exactly like Master of Puppets, only in a different key, and with different chords.

Nah, I get what you're saying, but it is still very different. But you could sing just about any four chord song over any other four chord song.

The Axis of Awesome: 4 Chords Official Music Video - YouTube


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Been done before and much better

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gHvVBdby2s

 

[dan_smee]

Been done before and much better



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gHvVBdby2s

Well sure, but I bet I can piss higher up a wall than you...

My point was the whole 'you can sing any melody over four chords' not 'this is the greatest example of a mashup that highlights the similarities between songs'.


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[stray dog]

And you took it and pointed it the wrong way as you placed your bet. My point is you can sing any melody over the same rhythym...Well sure. Sorry I took that video you posted as a bit of mashup. I should of taken it more seriously.

 

[dan_smee]

And you took it and pointed it the wrong way as you placed your bet. My point is you can sing any melody over the same rhythym...Well sure. Sorry I took that video you posted as a bit of mashup. I should of taken it more seriously.

But every gambler knows that to lose is what you're really there for...

Sorry, was a bit of overreaction on my part (I actually find the video I posted kind of annoying), but it's the best way to highlight the point I was making


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[stray dog]

But every gambler knows that to lose is what you're really there for...

Sorry, was a bit of overreaction on my part (I actually find the video I posted kind of annoying), but it's the best way to highlight the point I was making


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It's all good my friend.

 

[stray dog]

Now back to the song discussion...I can see that this song reminds some of WOWY...but lots of Dylan songs remind me of other Dylan songs...it's not a crime to be yourself...and U2 is very much themselves on this album. The shore reference like WOWY...but other than that... and then thematically ...other than that this song has it's own identity. And all The Who music sounds alike.

 

[dan_smee]

Now back to the song discussion...I can see that this song reminds some of WOWY...but lots of Dylan songs remind me of other Dylan songs...it's not a crime to be yourself...and U2 is very much themselves on this album. The shore reference like WOWY...but other than that... and then thematically ...other than that this song has it's own identity. And all The Who music sounds alike.

Not to mention Oasis...


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[stray dog]

Led Zeppelin sounds like black artists without a good lawyer.

 

[Moser]

This sounds unfinished. I am glad they finished it with the version on SOI.

Heeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy naaaaaaaaaaoooooooooooooowwww

heeyheeey naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaoooooow

I yawn now after hearing the superior version.

 

[U2FAN4LIFE]

I think it's not the chord progression that people are referring to.

It's the intro's heavy bass, subtle drumming, and sustained notes that reminds them of WOWY.

I can see the similarity in this context, but its a stretch to even bring this up since WOWY was released over 27 years ago!

Cedarwood is way similar to SUC than EBW is to WOWY, and the fat bass on IRIS reminds me of early U2.

 

[Galeongirl]

I miss the acoustic 2010 version. They ripped it from its essence with this new version. Waste.

 

[Aygo]

This sounds unfinished. I am glad they finished it with the version on SOI.

Why? Because it doesn't have a proper chorus?
There are plenty U2 songs that do not. Plus, if I remember, this track was excluded from NLOTH's tracklist in the last minute.
I find funny that the songs that are outtakes or in ancient versions, folks here say "don't like it, it's unfinished". I remember that many say that about "Mercy"'s 1st version. Well, "Mercy" is the exact opposite: 6 minutes, it has a chorus, lots of different parts... And it "sounds unfinished"?
Oh, okay, in both cases, the songs were uptaded by havinf Bono wrote the cheesyest and sillyest chorus and the tracks were made to fit adult contemporary radios, but diehards seem to like it - I suppose that it's when "it sounds finished".

 

[thavidesco]

Why? Because it doesn't have a proper chorus?
There are plenty U2 songs that do not. Plus, if I remember, this track was excluded from NLOTH's tracklist in the last minute.
I find funny that the songs that are outtakes or in ancient versions, folks here say "don't like it, it's unfinished". I remember that many say that about "Mercy"'s 1st version. Well, "Mercy" is the exact opposite: 6 minutes, it has a chorus, lots of different parts... And it "sounds unfinished"?
Oh, okay, in both cases, the songs were uptaded by havinf Bono wrote the cheesyest and sillyest chorus and the tracks were made to fit adult contemporary radios, but diehards seem to like it - I suppose that it's when "it sounds finished".

Regardless how much I admire the original Waves, I must admit after a few listens to the album version, it is superior. The same is valid about Mercy live version.

It doesn´t mean U2 doesn´t screw up when they produce tracks. They overproduced whole ATYCLB and they ruined a few of NLOTH with radio friendly random U2 production, while that album meant to be experimental.

 

[Nick66]

Why? Because it doesn't have a proper chorus?
There are plenty U2 songs that do not.

Sure there are...as Danny Lanois said, With or Without You doesn't really have a proper chorus. A traditional chorus isn't a prerequisite to a song being great (though generally speaking it's a prerequisite to a song being a hit).

But that said, I prefer the version of EBW we've got. This fascination with all these mystery, unreleased, unfinished, alternate versions is just manifest Mercy syndrome. Let me guess...you prefer Native Son? Or CCR's Fortunate Son?

 

[Galeongirl]

Regardless how much I admire the original Waves, I must admit after a few listens to the album version, it is superior. The same is valid about Mercy live version.

It doesn´t mean U2 doesn´t screw up when they produce tracks. They overproduced whole ATYCLB and they ruined a few of NLOTH with radio friendly random U2 production, while that album meant to be experimental.

While I agree with you on Mercy, in the case of EBW I don't think the album version is superior at all. The live version was brilliant, haunting, the slow guitar arpeggio notes created a mad atmosphere. The album version has a generic drum track under it and the haunting guitar has been replaced by various other sounds. It completely lacks the haunting feeling the original live version gave me.

 

[thavidesco]

Now back to the song discussion...I can see that this song reminds some of WOWY...but lots of Dylan songs remind me of other Dylan songs...it's not a crime to be yourself...and U2 is very much themselves on this album. The shore reference like WOWY...but other than that... and then thematically ...other than that this song has it's own identity. And all The Who music sounds alike.

It is a bit lazy to rob yourself, I don´t know why they decided to go with this version´s intro, it could be done 100 different ways and the song´s beauty would remain the same. Every single person in the studio who had ears should notice it warn them that they will be an easy target when they´ve chosen this intro. But maybe in the en,d U2 is smart enoug they did it intentionally to mock everybody.