Songs of Innocence - Album Discussion Pt.2

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mikal said:
Good idea. I'm going to give it a break this weekend, possibly longer.


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I've taken a few days off but have been listening to it this am as background music. The "awkward" moments feel less so now (rbw, volcano, parts of iris). Aside from miracle (trying to love it but it's not connecting) I'm really loving this ALBUM. It is a grower, and better top to bottom than anything since AB. There, I said it and it feels good. :applaud:

That's not to say that I'd rank it ahead of zooropa, pop, or atyclb because some songs on those albums just resonate so much with me, and more so than I think troubles, iris, and slabt will in the long term. But the low points really aren't that low. There is nothing here that bothers me.
 
ChargedVT said:
Maybe it's only me that thinks this but it seems like the vocals on this album have been EQ'ed to have more treble. The result is a clear vocal but quite piercing with headphones on.
California is a great song with a great vocal but it almost sounds like the vocal was recorded at a step lower then pitch corrected up to fit the song.

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IMO the mix is awful with revealing components. It actually sounds better to me on crap headphones vs my better stuff. The album is unlistenable on my ultimate ears IEMs. Looking forward to the physical releases!
 
Just thought I'd share my thoughts on the album (I post on here about as often as U2 releases albums).

My very first listen was in my car while driving to work. I heard the first 5 songs and I actually wasn't that impressed and felt a bit underwhelmed. On the way home from work I heard the second half of the album and it was a bit more up-beat but I still felt unsure, nothing was standing out as a favourite song. I remember thinking 'Sleep Like a Baby Tonight' sounded very odd.

Over the next few days I listened to the album a few more times and then things started to click. I'm now in love with this album and think it's their most consistent effort since Achtung Baby. I'm not skipping any of the tracks, which is very unusual for me with U2, there's always 1 or 2 songs on their albums that irritate me.

It may not have any epic hits like Pride, Beautiful Day, etc, but it also doesn't have any clunker songs or clunker lyrics, which has been a problem in all the previous albums after Pop. I haven't heard any 'new born baby's head' or 'little old lady's' yet on this new album.

One issue I have with the album would be that Bono's voice seems a tad too loud in the mix on some of the songs. And I while it's a decent song, I've never been a massive fan of 'Every Breaking Wave', it doesn't seem to flow as well as most of the other songs.

The first 4 songs are pretty good, but for me the album kicks up a gear from Iris onwards. I love Volcano, starting to love Raised by Wolves, and Cedarwood Road gets better every time I hear it too. Once I understood the meaning behind Sleep like a Baby it then became one of my favourites too, very cool and creepy. This is Where You Can Reach Me Now is one of their grooviest tracks since Mysterious Ways, and The Troubles is just brilliant.

I wish they could release all of them as singles, but in a way they don't really even need singles with the huge Apple promotion.
 
Been letting it breathe also, just playing couple tracks here and there. Listened to Iris last night. Hair was standing straight up on my arms, unreal. Lyrics are overpowering, brilliant fucking song. Is it their best track since the 90s? MOS and Kite off the top of my head are standing in the way. I guess time will tell...
 
pepokiss said:
What I really like is the sense of TODAY MUSIC that I hear

I can hear these songs (or most of them) playing out against the radio friendly bands of today (Imagine dragons, Vampire Weekend, etc)

Like them coming down to play the kids at their own game.


The Miracle - The more I hear it, the less I like it. It's a good tune, but it IS an ad song. Live it could kill any momentum of the show. 7/10

Every Breaking Wave - I just love it and can't get enough of it. The rough ending could've been better - 9/10

California - THE BEST SONG IN THE ALBUM. Show stealer, show opener, it has everything a 2014 U2 song should have. - 10/10

Song For Someone - It's growing and growing on me. I like the choruses, though the guitar solo seems too Coldplay for me- 8/10

Iris - and then the album just collapses... The build up is great, the pre chorus too... and then: "uUuUuUuU.. Iris..." AAAAAGH!!! I HATE IT, LIKE HELL!!! Worst chorus ever, and I'm counting The Refugee... the guitar sucks, the bass OH MY GOD WHAT?!?! and Bono... It was going to be great, but then shot down in flames. Let's hope the live version can save it - 2-3/10

Volcano - great rock tune, but I could do without the weird voices and specially without that stupid VOL - CA - NO... that being said, the "Now you don't wanna you don't wanna know!" part is amazing. The first of the "will be great live" trio - 6/10

Raised By Wolves - I love how rock and roll this song and album is, I just wish it would be more obvious. - 7/10

Cedarwood Road - Great great tune! I has somewhat of a Muse vibe. This is U2 going Metal (in their world, of course... I just can see the headbanging during this song live) - 7/10

Sleep Like a Baby Tonight - no no no no :( ... just a weird lullaby with an even weirder falsetto. I just can't take it. - 2/10

This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now - It's growing on me, especially the drums. I like the "haunted house" sounds. It reminds me of "Home By The Sea" of Genesis. But it has nothing to do with the rest of the album, to me. Just a B-Side. - 5/10

The Troubles - amazing. Amazing. If there were more diverse lyrics, Id' love it even more. The only "social" song of the album (to me). The "Someone else is in control" line gives me the chills... if they return from Encore with this then Bullet The Blue Sky, it will be gold! - 9/10



This album is not TOP 5 for me, but is a good album anyway. Sometimes it seems like a lot of singles mixed together, ever more so than HTDAAB. Sure, after hearing it like a 100 times you start to notice the differences, but the first ones just gave me the felling like they were all the same song, or just too identycal.

The first 4 can stand up on their own
The Rock trio (Volcano-Wolves/Cedarwood) will be killer live
The Troubles is great, just great.

I guess we can call it a 6-7/10
Not bad, really


I want to hear California live. That's all I need right now :hyper:
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While I don't agree with you on some of the other songs, I couldn't agree with you more on California. What a song. Pure joy. It must be the 2nd or at worst, 3rd single.


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Miracle killing momentum live?? Miracle is going to rock your socks off live in my opinion
 
Simon Le Bon: "Well my favourite track on @U2's Songs of Innocence is "Song For Someone". It's the kind of thing I wish DD'd written.


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U2freakboy said:
Simon Le Bon: "Well my favourite track on @U2's Songs of Innocence is "Song For Someone". It's the kind of thing I wish DD'd written.


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Curious he'd say that (and not Raised by Wolves, haha). He actually did a podcast not too long ago where he was asked what song he could have pictured Duran writing, and he chose One, surprisingly.
 
trevgreg said:
Curious he'd say that (and not Raised by Wolves, haha). He actually did a podcast not too long ago where he was asked what song he could have pictured Duran writing, and he chose One, surprisingly.
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At least he's not full of uncontrolled envy like Ian McCulloch.


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pepokiss said:
Iris - and then the album just collapses... The build up is great, the pre chorus too... and then: "uUuUuUuU.. Iris..." AAAAAGH!!! I HATE IT, LIKE HELL!!! Worst chorus ever, and I'm counting The Refugee... the guitar sucks, the bass OH MY GOD WHAT?!?! and Bono... It was going to be great, but then shot down in flames. Let's hope the live version can save it - 2-3/10


Sleep Like a Baby Tonight - no no no no :( ... just a weird lullaby with an even weirder falsetto. I just can't take it. - 2/10
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FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFU

*calms down*

I respect your opinion and all but... I'm having a hard time doing that. :D Those two are my absolute favorites. Easily amongst some of the best they've written in the past 20 years.

Anyways, really interested to see how things shake out with the physical release. Still loving the album despite taking a break from it this week.
 
Cedarwood has become one of my favorites....the ending rocks. Edge Larry and Adam really in a groove. Why aren't any of these songs being played in Los Angeles? Easily better than crap already being played. Backlash? The troubles has hit written all over it.
 
On that note...would u2 ever entertain the idea of adding a female voice to the band? She could sing troubles each night and add backup on many other songs...especially from this album
 
Oh shi, if they had a female back up singer(s) they could do Red Light, Surrender and the RAH version of ISHFWILF, amongst other possibilities.
 
Reggie Thee Dog said:
GREAT song...the backlash is because it's the first single and it's in the vein of Vertigo/GOYB...but completely different...:rockon:

I've played this song the most...and I can't get it out of my head. Love the simple chanting chorus...:yes:
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This song is fantastic. My native language is not English, so I have to read the lyrics to learn them, but Miracle has that special quality that made me sing along without reading the lyrics not once.
It doesn't have the Vertigo radio power, but to me is even nicer than Vertigo. Just love it. They just nailed the song. Fantastic tune.
 
I didn't like EBW. Didn't think it had any spark. At the first two or three listens I found it even cheesy. So please someone explain to me, WHY THE HELL I KEEP COMING BACK TO IT EVERYTIME I LISTEN TO SONGS????? What does this song has???
 
When I first heard california, the opening made me cringe(Santa Barbara) but once I got to my 3rd listen, I actually liked it. Now it's one of my favorite tracks. The violin sound is awesome.


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