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

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Hopefully the band is following social media and can see the immediate love for the song. In fact, I can't think of a new U2 song/single in the last 10 years or so that seems to have the universal positive reaction that this one does. Sure, there's a sprinkle of folks that don't care for it, but overall it's been an extremely positive reaction.

I also wouldn't jump to conclusions on their comments last night. The band is playing a song from their new album on tour, and as the closing song. That's very telling that a release will happen sooner than later. But remember, right now they're touring for The Joshua Tree. It's not very smart marketing to cross reference a release date for SOE. They're building buzz around a new song, and once the Joshua Tree Tour winds down, then they can transition into full new album marketing. The way they answered the questions last night will only add more buzz by more questions being asked.
 
So you might be suggesting U2 is known for smart marketing?

Could probably have a whole thread on that topic alone... I don't think they are very good at it personally and it goes beyond the SOI misfire with iTunes.

The new song was great last night... I wonder if they'll come up with a radio friendly edit that is shorter.
 
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.

I was on the rooftop for Fallon.

It was fucking freezing up there. the high during the day was below freezing, and this was after the sun went down - with a lot of wind, 90 stories in the sky.
 
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.

that's much better for the climax than repeating "waiting for any song to reappear"
 
it would be cool if, as a supplement to the album, they made alternate versions available as a download. Like, the version they were planning on releasing last fall and member's favorite tracks that didn't make the album, or Bono's preferred version. It'll never happen, obviously, and isn't even a good idea for the band but it would be interesting to hear.

Little Things is still being worked on and had they released it last week we'd be saying "ah, this new version is better, they should have waited!" I have faith in them right now that the tweaking is for the best.
 
that's much better for the climax than repeating "waiting for any song to reappear"



Agreed.

I think we need to wait for another version to find out what he says, because it's like he got some of it wrong. It just doesn't sound right with what he actually said. This fits a bit better:

Sometimes, I wake up jumping/staring/screaming at shadows
When only yours really matters
But I can't see you through the tears.
 
they have - but it's odd on such a short tour.

Actually, it's really not that out of the ordinary for a U2 stadium jaunt around North America. Of course, you can say that those past tours ended up having two North American legs, but nobody knew this when tickets went on sale (even if fans assumed it). The first North American leg of 360, for example, was actually one show shorter.

The European leg sticks out quite a bit more as abnormally short.
 
it would be cool if, as a supplement to the album, they made alternate versions available as a download. Like, the version they were planning on releasing last fall and member's favorite tracks that didn't make the album, or Bono's preferred version. It'll never happen, obviously, and isn't even a good idea for the band but it would be interesting to hear.

Little Things is still being worked on and had they released it last week we'd be saying "ah, this new version is better, they should have waited!" I have faith in them right now that the tweaking is for the best.



I mean, it's hard to argue when two days since the last version Bono has fixed one line and completely changed a stanza for the better.

I just wish they hurried up!
 
Two more random thoughts before I go to sleep:
1 - Bonos delivery after edge's solo is as emotional as anything we've heard from him since Kite after Bob's death.
2 - singing about things that make him vulnerable and that humanise him is the real way to win back some public favour.
 
Agreed.

I think we need to wait for another version to find out what he says, because it's like he got some of it wrong. It just doesn't sound right with what he actually said. This fits a bit better:

Sometimes, I wake up jumping/staring/screaming at shadows
When only yours really matters
But I can't see you through the tears.

I hear myself
"Sometimes,
I wake up in the shadows
And you're the only thing matters
But I can't see you through the tears"

He stumbles a few times, probably because they're different from what he's been singing. But an improvement nonetheless.
 
If they change lyrics "on the fly" .. from one live performance to the next ... I don't know if they are ready to release Little Things in some form soon. But they should ....
 
Two more random thoughts before I go to sleep:
1 - Bonos delivery after edge's solo is as emotional as anything we've heard from him since Kite after Bob's death.
2 - singing about things that make him vulnerable and that humanise him is the real way to win back some public favour.



Unfortunately nothing will change the public opinion that Bono is a tax avoiding twat.

I think he's fine with it because he knows the good he is doing. It has been many years since I've met a person who has said they LIKE U2 when favorite bands come up. Closest praise I'll hear "I liked the Joshua Tree "

It is what it is. It's why I don't care how great of a song they write, it won't get played due to how polarizing he is, and the fact they're too old to break into popular radio.
 
it would be cool if, as a supplement to the album, they made alternate versions available as a download. Like, the version they were planning on releasing last fall and member's favorite tracks that didn't make the album, or Bono's preferred version. It'll never happen, obviously, and isn't even a good idea for the band but it would be interesting to hear.

Sort of like what The Bravery did with their second album... first releasing the usual album, then a deluxe version shortly afterward with significantly different versions of the final tracks. If the similar 'remix CD' rumor has any truth to it, it's an interesting concept for sure.

Little Things is still being worked on and had they released it last week we'd be saying "ah, this new version is better, they should have waited!" I have faith in them right now that the tweaking is for the best.

Yep. It's easy to overanalyze going off of what's said in interviews and whatever the final product is, but a lot of the last minute decisions can ultimately be good ones. The key change in The Troubles from what it likely was in the original version, for example.
 
Also, the synth sound during Edges end "solo" is really beautiful and lifts the song even more.

I feel that the concerns of it "missing something" during the live performance will be put to rest when/of a studio recording surfaces.

I'm a fan of this song for sure.


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i love how they can do that in a song, that rare U2 intensity, where it gets so overwhelming it makes grown people lose their shit and scream like that haha

makes me happy to see that response to a new song, it's lovely :heart:
 
so what's the over-under of this song getting the Invisible treatment?

I think that really depends on whether SoE gets delayed (again) beyond autumn 2017.

Right now, "Little Things' is being presented explicitly as a tune from Songs of Experience, which the band keeps promising is coming, and coming fairly soon.

In contrast, 'Invisible' was released as a standalone single tied into promoting the (RED) foundation, and the band tried to downplay any talk of an album. They certainly didn't say it was connected at all.

I'd imagine the version of 'The Little Things' we get might be slightly different to what we're hearing now (they're clearly still working on it - Bono's changing the lyrics, Edge added shimmer at the end of the guitar solo, Larry's started coming in a bit earlier etc), but if SoE successfully gets released this autumn, and if the rumours are true that the album is done and mixed, I'd bet this will be on it.
 
It's actually grown on me a lot. I still think there's poor bits in it like the first "sometimes" that I dont think sounds right or merges properly into the 2nd part of the song but the chorus and verses are great and the atmospheric synths at the end are brilliant as well. Miles better than EBW.
 
Thanks for the clyp, dan. It's grown on me a lot too. I didn't care for it when I first heard it in Vancouver, but the clearer versions and the emotion that comes through have made a world of a difference for me.

I still think the next big announcement will be the extension of JT to South America, but hopefully 2018 will be all SOE.
 
i agree that the front half of the song is generic, but they seem to have been trending this way for the past 15 years.

i also wish he'd find something else for "big mouth."

but it sure does conjure up some of that U2-only emotion at the end where you're soaring and sinking at the same time.
 
Changing lyrics and when parts start in the song still indicates the album isn't done yet. Will this song change as drastically as EBW, probably not, but I'm not going to place any bets on this being released in 2017.
 
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