SOE 21 - It comes down to this...

[BVS]

What's everyone's opinion of Lucifer's Hands? I wonder if that's any hint on where they're headed.

Given the descriptions and The Best Thing, I think LH and Crystal Ballroom might be some indication of where they're going.

 

[super fly guy]

Love LH, great riff. Wouldn't like a whole album of it though.

 

[lazarus]

American Soul released July 4th

Surely they wouldn't...

 

[BVS]

Love LH, great riff. Wouldn't like a whole album of it though.

Yeah, I wouldn't like a whole album of any one song

This isn't AC/DC

 

[BVS]

Surely they wouldn't...

That's the whispering I'm hearing.













in my head












Maybe, we'll see.

 

[lazarus]

C U Next Tuesday!

 

[super fly guy]

Yeah, I wouldn't like a whole album of any one song

This isn't AC/DC

Vertigo x12.

 

[intedomine]

I enjoyed Stingray Guitar in its original live composition, but LH was a bit of let down for me.

I would dearly love for the new album to head down the same route as Sleep Like A Baby Tonight.

I highly doubt it will (it wasn't even given a run live), but it is one of U2's most impressive post-2000 songs for me.

 

[lazarus]

None of the last 3 songs were given a legitimate run, considering how quickly The Troubles was abandoned.

I don't know if I can ever remember such a disconnect between the quality songs on an album and what they decided to play live. EBW and SFS are the most generic things on there. I'm actually amazed that Raised By Wolves made the set. Even something really catchy like Volcano (whatever you think of it) couldn't even make the regular rotation because we needed to hear some glorified Coldplay crap like Isis every night.

Had the band not changed the opening track from Reach Around to Joey Ramone (simply because of the album giveaway), the former would likely have been opening all the shows and it would have received its shot at glory instead of being relegated to the dustbin.

 

[Bubble]

I just can't get my head around the fact they could tour North America for a 3rd time in 4 years next year with the way they are bleeding the market for this Joshua tree tour

I doubt very much it's going to be "Rock hottest ticket"

 

[BEAL]

How Reach was never played live doesn't make sense. It's the song off the album meant for live setting.

Maybe edge never liked his guitar parts in live setting

 

[lazarus]

Since the only real "hit" from SOI was EBW, maybe they'll try to mix things up when the tour starts up again. As much as I love Invisible, I'd be surprised if it returns, for example.

 

[corianderstem]

because we needed to hear some glorified Coldplay crap like Isis every night..

LOL Isis

How is it a surprise Raised By Wolves was played? It was a thematic lynchpin of the whole first set.

 

[BVS]

I enjoyed Stingray Guitar in its original live composition, but LH was a bit of let down for me.

I would dearly love for the new album to head down the same route as Sleep Like A Baby Tonight.

I highly doubt it will (it wasn't even given a run live), but it is one of U2's most impressive post-2000 songs for me.

Sleep was never recorded for the purposes to play live, come on?!

 

[gareth brown]

LOL Isis

How is it a surprise Raised By Wolves was played? It was a thematic lynchpin of the whole first set.

Yeah the way the first set was structured I think it would have been a pretty glaring omission!

As for Sleep Like A Baby, it does seem to come up once in a while that the album should have been more like that on the whole, and was perhaps reigned in a bit when they freaked out (again).

Really deserved a go live, can't believe it was never even attempted. One of the few songs on the album that would have needed no rearranging as well!

 

[Hewson]

Vertigo x12.

They have Vertigo X15 finished, just trying to figure out how to whittle it down to 12 tracks.

 

[lazarus]

How is it a surprise Raised By Wolves was played? It was a thematic lynchpin of the whole first set.

I mean thematically, yes. But it's a fairly abrasive, staccato song. Not uplifting or very catchy.

 

[kabigon]

They have Vertigo X15 finished, just trying to figure out how to whittle it down to 12 tracks.

They're trying to nail the perfect ratio of Native Son to Vertigo. At the moment everyone except Edge is satisfied with NS 5: V 7.

 

[kabigon]

None of the last 3 songs were given a legitimate run, considering how quickly The Troubles was abandoned.

I don't know if I can ever remember such a disconnect between the quality songs on an album and what they decided to play live. EBW and SFS are the most generic things on there.

I'd disagree if EBW got a full band version, but yeah. (I didn't see it in person but) Iris/SFS/Cedarwood was a bit of a downer compared to what was left out.

 

[ascender_RS]

I really wished they'd played all of SOI live, there's some great songs on there, particularly Sleep Like A Baby and The Troubles (which got abandoned). I'd love to see what they did with them because Cedarwood Road was transformed in to something much more powerful in the live setting.

And while it was nice to hear Stingray in some form, I thought it worked better as the short piece we heard on tour, Lucifer was a bit of a "paint by numbers" U2 track for my liking both in terms of sound and structure.

 

[super fly guy]

They're trying to nail the perfect ratio of Native Son to Vertigo. At the moment everyone except Edge is satisfied with NS 5: V 7.

I heard a banjo version is a hidden track,fingers crossed.

 

[CosmoKramer]

At this point, I am 95% confident that we will have an album this year.

1-Bono said in an official U2.com video that there would be an album this year

2-They have on several occasions confirmed that the album is either done or almost done (Bono and Edge talk about "tinkering" and Adam I believed said it was done.

3-sources "close" to the band or industry have heard single in September and album on 12/1 (U2 Songs, Registered Dude..I count him )

4-Headache is optimistic about the album coming out and he is usually a downer when it comes to that stuff

5-They are playing songs off the album for the media and executives

6- Never feed them after midnight....wait, that's from another list and I think it's an important one.

7- the 12/1 date is very specific, is after the JT tour wraps and falls in line with holiday sales. True, holiday sales are not what they used to be but the industry as a whole is way down and that time of year is still the "gem" of sales time.


Yes, they can change their mind but at the moment, I firmly believe that the intent is to release a new album in November or December of this year

 

[gareth brown]

4-Headache is optimistic about the album coming out and he is usually a downer when it comes to that stuff

Haha charming!

 

[TheWanderingFly]

I was skeptical about July from the moment I first read about that rumor. Really bad timing for promo, whereas September gives some wiggle room if the album is supposed to drop in December.

Just please don't let it be Little Things. Not that I hate the song, it's just not first single material. Needs to be more upbeat, like Red Flag Day if the guy who supposedly heard it is being honest.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Upbeat rockers have worked out so well the last two albums

 

[georgemccauley]

I really don't think it's a good move to go with "The Best Thing" as a lead single. I think the most obvious and sensible thing to do is release the studio / album version of "Little Things" as a lead single. It's already familiar with those involved with this tour and U2 fans, I reckon it'd sell much better than the relatively unknown "Best Thing"

 

[cseggleton]

Upbeat rockers have worked out so well the last two albums

I'm of the mindset if the album where on par with JT AB or ATYCLB you can release whatever and then once people access the album that'll be the judge if it is worthy. If you go for a catchy first single for the sake of catchy first single and the rest of the album does not deliver then whatever. I'm more interested if U2 can deliver another masterpiece regardless of album sales.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I compartmentalize. On one hand, I don't give a shit about the SOI release debacle cause the album gave me The Troubles and a fantastic tour.

On the other hand, I'm tired of having to defend the band against stupid marketing decisions and would like them to be smart about it for the first time in over a decade.

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

I really don't think it's a good move to go with "The Best Thing" as a lead single. I think the most obvious and sensible thing to do is release the studio / album version of "Little Things" as a lead single. It's already familiar with those involved with this tour and U2 fans, I reckon it'd sell much better than the relatively unknown "Best Thing"

I get your logic but it's not a lead single.

 

[cseggleton]

I compartmentalize. On one hand, I don't give a shit about the SOI release debacle cause the album gave me The Troubles and a fantastic tour.

On the other hand, I'm tired of having to defend the band against stupid marketing decisions and would like them to be smart about it for the first time in over a decade.

Agreed