SOE 35 - it’s finally here, let the debate on how good/bad it is begin!

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That's a fair point. They do attempt to be something different. This is particularly true of the two Zooropa songs mentioned.

Believe it or not mate, I haven't heard it yet. Woke up at 3.30 am, downloaded the HQ leak but decided not to listen to it as I had work in the morning and so I went back to sleep. Just got back from work and have decided to hold out till Friday. The pre album release anticipation and excitement is almost as much fun as listening to the album imo.
Oh man! Power to you - hope you last! I had the highest expactations of my ability to hold out till Friday. Willpower of a limp spinach.
Hope you get buzzed by the new stuff. I seriously didn't expect to be. Was kinda horrified by how little I cared after the singles. But then I live the album and the 2 bonus tracks.
 
Oh man! Power to you - hope you last! I had the highest expactations of my ability to hold out till Friday. Willpower of a limp spinach.
Hope you get buzzed by the new stuff. I seriously didn't expect to be. Was kinda horrified by how little I cared after the singles. But then I live the album and the 2 bonus tracks.

I usually have great willpower - I stick to diets, kicked biting my fingernails when I decided one day I shouldn't do it any more....

This wasn't a willpower issue - it's available, just listen!!!!
 
Oh man! Power to you - hope you last! I had the highest expactations of my ability to hold out till Friday. Willpower of a limp spinach.
Hope you get buzzed by the new stuff. I seriously didn't expect to be. Was kinda horrified by how little I cared after the singles. But then I live the album and the 2 bonus tracks.

I didn't care much for the singles either but the positive reviews have really got me pumped for the album. Funnily enough, had the reviews been lukewarm, I would have probably folded and listened to it by now. The glowing reviews so far has built up my expectations and excitement levels and so am happy to live out those emotions for just a little bit longer. :wink:
 
This is so much more fun than last time. Last time, there was no anticipation or build-up before the album dropped, and arguments about the release strategy dominated the conversation. Made it kinda hard to care about the new music, for me anyway.
 
This is so much more fun than last time. Last time, there was no anticipation or build-up before the album dropped, and arguments about the release strategy dominated the conversation. Made it kinda hard to care about the new music, for me anyway.

Last time I had proper heart palpitations about the fact that they had just done what they had done.

An the album was good. It wasn't great.

This time is better because the music is much better
 
13 is fucking flooring me. Who else thinks this is a deathbed song? It's heartbreaking, almost hard to listen to.
 
Guitar Tunings and Chords:
Tuning listed to the right of the song title, most in regular (E) tuning.


“Love Is All We Have Left” E
Verse: Bm A G Em
Chorus: D A G Em D

“Lights of Home” Drop D? (only top string tuned to D) Maybe D (double flat) chords in regular tuning
Verse: Dm C G
Chorus: Bb F C Bb F C Bb Dm C Gm
Bridge: Dm C Gm Bb C Gm Bb
Outro: D G D C D

“You’re the Best Thing About Me” E (Eb live)
Verse: F#maj7sus4 C#m E F#maj7sus4 F#
Chorus: G D/F# A Bm A

“Get Out of Your Own Way” E
Verse/PreChorus/Chorus: G D A Bm G D A A
Bridge: Em G D

“American Soul” E
Em with a riff

“Summer of Love” E
Verse & Chorus: Em G Am C
Bridge: C Bm Em G

“Red Flag Day” Eb
Verse & Chorus: G#m B E C#m

“The Showman (Little More Better)” E
Verse & Chorus: D A Bm A
PreChorus: G Em G Em
Bridge: G A G A

“The Little Things That Give You Away” Eb
Verse: Bm A G Em
Chorus: D A G Em D A G Em Bm

“Landlady” E
G Em C G

“The Blackout” E
Verse: A F D
PreChorus: F G D
Chorus: Am C D F

"Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way" E
Verse: E B Ab A
Chorus: F#m A E B

“13 (There Is a Light)” E
Verse: G D G F#m G D F#m
PreChorus: G Bm A
Chorus: G D A Bm


“Ordinary Love” Eb
“Book of Your Heart” E
 
I'm just waiting for the pitchfork review. Recent history, for those keeping score of their views on the 00s output:

SOI: 4.6
NLOTH: 4.2
HTDAAB: 6.9
ATYCLB: 5.0


Any predictions? I can't see them bringing themselves to rate U2 above a 5.0 for ANYTHING they put out, but considering HTDAAB got 6.9, I'd be surprised if this album doesn't crack a 6.0.

I'm going for a 6.4, and a grudging acknowledgement that there is genuine quality in there, amongst the senile attempts at pop relevance with the kids.
 
I think Pitchfork may be a little kinder this time. I suspect they were impressed by U2 giving the editor that interview some time back, and Bono confronted and challenged him pretty effecively I thought.
And the album is good. That helps.
 
Okay, I am about to listen to Book of Your Heart for the first time. Excited
 
I still think this album will get, like, 3 or 4 on Pitchfork because they need a punching bag to prove their status as hipster publication.
 
Best record they have done since AB. They finally learned how to write songs instead of building a beautiful landscape. Takes some listening sessions to really appreciate this great effort.
 
I still think this album will get, like, 3 or 4 on Pitchfork because they need a punching bag to prove their status as hipster publication.

Who cares about reviewers on the interweb who only write reviews to appeal to their core audience. Which is for the most part young, spotty and very easily influenced (looking at you NME).
 
Man, just got home from work and have found all the links to the deluxe edition no longer working.

Can anyone help out with a link please?
skentpg@tpg.com.au

Don't want to listen to the facebook rip anymore after knowing a better version is out there.
 
Man, just got home from work and have found all the links to the deluxe edition no longer working.

Can anyone help out with a link please?
skentpg@tpg.com.au

Don't want to listen to the facebook rip anymore after knowing a better version is out there.

Mailed you the songs
 
I'm just waiting for the pitchfork review. Recent history, for those keeping score of their views on the 00s output:

SOI: 4.6
NLOTH: 4.2
HTDAAB: 6.9
ATYCLB: 5.0


Any predictions? I can't see them bringing themselves to rate U2 above a 5.0 for ANYTHING they put out, but considering HTDAAB got 6.9, I'd be surprised if this album doesn't crack a 6.0.

I'm going for a 6.4, and a grudging acknowledgement that there is genuine quality in there, amongst the senile attempts at pop relevance with the kids.
I would also guess between 6 and 7.

Although there's still a decent chance it gets 4.something again. :lol:
 
When was this? The interview?

After No Line. So yeah, they savaged SOI since then but U2 kinda didn't help themselves there.
I think Bono says something about respecting Pitchfork because, at the end of the day, they love music, and U2 love music. And that they're all on the same side really because manufactured pop is destroying music. I think that was it. And I think the Pitchfork guy seemed to accept that.
And this album is at least creative.
Who knows. I honestly couldn't give a fuck. I actually like this album. I'm quite stoked about that.

 
It's just so friggin' hard to try and be restrained and not give in to the hyperbole. I was NEARLY this pumped after getting HTDAAB, and that was a really different time - I was 20, Vertigo was a smash, Miracle Drug coming up next was delicious, and the rest could have been terrible, I wouldn't have known.

NLOTH - I loved, but there was at least a subconscious feeling that the magic was fading.

SOI - seemed like a decent attempt to prolong the career with a good concept, and I was happy to have the songs. It was better than NLOTH, but it seemed a stay of execution.

SOE - I feel totally joyful about these songs. Reviewers are saying it is the best since X album. for me it is AT LEAST ATYCLB, and probably earlier.

ATYCLB has more filler than this, so I am inclined to think this is better

Pop is just a bit too unpolished. I love the ideas, but it is patchy in places.

Zooropa is too inconsistent. Amazing highs, and shocking lows.

I can certainly see why some reviewers are saying best since AB. I'm not there yet, but if this feeling lasts a few months I will be...
 
Thoughts?

I see it in the same ilk as Million Dollar Hotel - dark, intense, but restrained, and haunting. The vocal at the end is just incredible.

Definitely hearing Million Dollar Hotel atmospherics here. Just heard it twice, so have not formed a concrete impression yet. So far loving the slick production. Lyrically strong like most of the album, like how they stuck with the book metaphor.
 
It's just so friggin' hard to try and be restrained and not give in to the hyperbole. I was NEARLY this pumped after getting HTDAAB, and that was a really different time - I was 20, Vertigo was a smash, Miracle Drug coming up next was delicious, and the rest could have been terrible, I wouldn't have known.

NLOTH - I loved, but there was at least a subconscious feeling that the magic was fading.

SOI - seemed like a decent attempt to prolong the career with a good concept, and I was happy to have the songs. It was better than NLOTH, but it seemed a stay of execution.

SOE - I feel totally joyful about these songs. Reviewers are saying it is the best since X album. for me it is AT LEAST ATYCLB, and probably earlier.

ATYCLB has more filler than this, so I am inclined to think this is better

Pop is just a bit too unpolished. I love the ideas, but it is patchy in places.

Zooropa is too inconsistent. Amazing highs, and shocking lows.

I can certainly see why some reviewers are saying best since AB. I'm not there yet, but if this feeling lasts a few months I will be...

It's so hard to have clarity in moments like this! I was so impressed by so much of No Line. I'm on the record somewhere on this site saying it was in their top 3. Apart from those middle songs. Which, over time, rotted the album a bit for me.

This one - trying to be totally sober here - is let down by Best Thing and American Soul. I kinda like Get Out.
And listening to the ethereal nature of the album, I can't fathom why they let those two songs on the album as they are. The acoustic Best Thing would have been better. And American Soul - just a few lyric tweaks would have at least improved it.

Will those two songs rot this album? Who knows, but they're certainly not as bad as Boots and Comedy.
And there's a bigness, a joy, here on this album. But also that pain in 13 and Little Things. No Line was emotional but it was all 'in character'. This is a lot more raw.

I don't know Dan. But I'm loving this buzz and for now, I kinda have to agree with you.
 
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