SOE 20 - Sometimes, the end isn't coming...

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Question from someone who didn't see it - is it possible they are just providing standard answers because they don't yet want to give away their plans?
 
I'm always pessimistic when people say that such and such is going to be a big hit.

But I really think this has the potential to be a huge hit.

Also, I know it's super early and I haven't had a long gestation period, but I think this might fall in my top 3 of songs released after 2000.
 
Last edited:
I'm always pessimistic when people say that such and such is going to be a big hit.

But I really think this has the potential to be a huge hit.

Also, I know it's super early and I haven't had a long gestation period, but I think this might fall in my top 3 of songs released after 2000.
Idk! It's too early for me to tell! It's a nice song but it hasn't really grown on me. I'll reserve judgment until I hear the studio version. So far it's average for me or maybe slightly better! I do love the ending though!
 
The thing for me is that the criticism of the build being too slow is fair, especially when it closes a Joshua Tree concert.

In this forum, and certainly in recorded, album form that build is better the longer it goes, and the release is just so epic, and gets bigger right at the end now too.

I love the new lyrics - its like Bono decided that the style of honesty worked well, and he went all the way there for that new last stanza.

In all, this is the most excited I've been for a new U2 song since the first time I heard City of Blinding Lights.
 
I am not getting the hype about the new song either. Sounds like a B side to be honest. Will wait for the album version before I pass my final judgement but it's nothing special so far.
 
I am not getting the hype about the new song either. Sounds like a B side to be honest. Will wait for the album version before I pass my final judgement but it's nothing special so far.



This is the type of post I don't get "am not getting the hype", some people have hype because they enjoy the new song, it's all about personal preference and opinion, there really isn't anything to "get", if you don't enjoy it then that's all good, but some do, such is life
 
Sounds fantastic with good audio, what did the band say about the album?
They said it would have been finished by now but Edge still mixing (I think) and Edge said "a lot" of work to do and jokingly said it will be out within 27 years.... so really, no new information at all.
 
They said it would have been finished by now but Edge still mixing (I think) and Edge said "a lot" of work to do and jokingly said it will be out within 27 years.... so really, no new information at all.



Not looking great for this year is it?, I keep flip flopping between it will defiantly be this year to it won't be this year :-(
 
Not looking great for this year is it?, I keep flip flopping between it will defiantly be this year to it won't be this year :-(
Just seems like they are hesitant about committing to a firm date. I wasn't expecting this album to land until at least October so obviously they are going to work to finish it off over the next few months.
 
It's worth keeping in mind that the band are inevitably going to be cagey about firm details, even if the album is indeed finished.

They'll want to be the ones to announce the album, and it's release date. They probably wouldn't want to openly say "oh yeah, it'll be out in October/November". That would take the punch out of the grand official announcement, when it comes.

Also, if the album is really done, it's probably not that 'romantic' to admit that they want to wait until a tour is done, or wait till the autumn for promotional/sales reasons (or whatever).

So they were never going to openly say "yep, it's done, it'll be out on x date".

I think the good news is they're sort of implying it's completed though, and using Edge's tinkering as the narrative about why it's not out yet.
 
Musically, I don't particularly enjoy much of anything about the track until Edge starts playing guitar. There's something very plastic and anonymous about the instrumentation (particularly the canned keyboard drumbeat), as if anyone could do what they're doing here. Miles and miles away from the evocative sound of Unforgettable Fire and Joshua Tree. Sure, it's live, but it still sounds flat.

But I will say that the lyrics are some of Bono's best in a while. Honest and direct, not overwitten like so much of SOI. I also hear a lot of potential in the climax of the song; you can hear the classic U2 chemistry peeking through.
 
Honestly, all the banter on the show has left me more positive - Edge admitted he'd never finish tweaking, they looked sheepish - it just has to be coming.

On another note - listened to HQ audio on good headphones - plenty of other sounds going on not audible in the concert recordings - some atmospherics (chorus on edge's guitar at the end), and some other noises here and there.

Looks like they are still playing with lyrics, and those changes are well and truly for the better.
 
"All my tasks are so thankless" was the worst line in the song, and it's gone now, so that's great.
"All my thoughts are so reckless" while the same number of syllables sounds way less clunky, and makes more sense.
 
Hands down the best performance of that song so far.

At the very least, I feel like the band CAN'T back away now from the album.

You would think wouldn't you?

But then, remember the Superb Owl, Invisible, playing on the rooftop on Fallon, and then........they became invisible for 6 months!

Please, not again U2!
 
For a few people who have asked - here is a Clyp of the Kimmel performance, but I have tried to reduce some of the dryness in the vocals - not easy on an mp3 rip of a live performance from tv! Basically, it should sound slightly warmer than the broadcast across the board, and I edited out the intro and outro words.

https://clyp.it/jlwnx0yf
 
You would think wouldn't you?



But then, remember the Superb Owl, Invisible, playing on the rooftop on Fallon, and then........they became invisible for 6 months!



Please, not again U2!



Yeah, but if memory serves me right, they clearly stayed away from saying this was off the upcoming album?
 
What does he sing on the new verse during the outro? It ends with 'but I can see you though the tears' but everything else is hard to understand except a couple of words.
 
I think it is:

Sometimes, I wake up looking at shadows
And your the only (thing) that matters.
But I can't see you through these tears.

Not sure about the cadence in the middle line, and "looking" sounds wrong, but I can't make out anything more accurate.
 
Yeah, but if memory serves me right, they clearly stayed away from saying this was off the upcoming album?

True dat. We can take comfort from the fact that I believe every time they have played it so far, it has been introduced in the context of either a song of experience or a song on our next album, or even a song from the new album we have (as in its finished). Would be bat shit crazy to sit on it for a year, but then again........
 
You would think wouldn't you?

But then, remember the Superb Owl, Invisible, playing on the rooftop on Fallon, and then........they became invisible for 6 months!

Please, not again U2!

You never know, but in my view we have a different Larry:

On that rooftop for Invisible, he looked pretty disengaged, at least to me.. .could have been cold night air, could have been the whole process, maybe just a bad day, whatever but he did not seem into it.

Last night he seemed considerable more engaged and enthused, more comfortable visiting with Kimmel and playing the songs, etc.

So, based on Larry's demeanor, SOE in early November.

Or not.
 
Hands down the best performance of that song so far.

At the very least, I feel like the band CAN'T back away now from the album.


I wish they would release it to Radio and as a single. Playing it live to hundreds of thousands of people a week and then to millions on TV seems like a great opportunity to push, what I believe to be, a special song.

I also would love a studio recording!!!!


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference
 
Musically, I don't particularly enjoy much of anything about the track until Edge starts playing guitar. There's something very plastic and anonymous about the instrumentation (particularly the canned keyboard drumbeat), as if anyone could do what they're doing here. Miles and miles away from the evocative sound of Unforgettable Fire and Joshua Tree. Sure, it's live, but it still sounds flat.

But I will say that the lyrics are some of Bono's best in a while. Honest and direct, not overwitten like so much of SOI. I also hear a lot of potential in the climax of the song; you can hear the classic U2 chemistry peeking through.

Yeah it's only the ending that interests me. It takes too long to get interesting.

And I'm not particularly on board with the lyrics either. A few nice lines, but some real clunkers as well, or really obvious lyrics. I've always preferred Bono's abstract lyricism and missed it very much on the more recent albums.

And there is still that curious 7 day break in the tour coming up after the Arlington gig on May 26th and before Chicago on June 3rd? Maybe stadium availability just didn't line up or something?

They've had random week-long gaps in tour schedules in the past that have proven to be nothing, so I'm not anticipating this gap will be filled with anything of importance.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom