BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
This is the one I look forward to the most live.
The "BIGNESS" of the song is certainly aided by that almost apocalyptic sounding instrument at the beginning and punctuating the chorus. I don't have the quality recording yet, so I can't even tell what that is. A treated guitar? A synth? It sounds like those super-loud mysterious sounds you'd hear in the TV series Lost, or any number of JJ Abrams movies.
The processed vocal hook heard throughout the song reminds me of the processed vocal hook in the studio version of Magnificent.
This song was immediately appealing the first time I heard it, the catchiest one on the album. But it doesn't have a lot of depth on repeat listens. I predict this song will become another target for fans who lament U2's post-2000 attempts at writing sugary pop (alongside stuff like California, Crazy Tonight, Stuck in a Moment, etc).
Is it just me or could this be a Journey song?
"This song is fuckin' ep...epic!"
I would be interested to see the divide in opinions on this one among people who have children vs those who don’t.
I’m guessing those who of us who kids are relating to it much, much more.
Sounds like something post-2000 a-ha would do. Which is a compliment.
Honestly, I did not expect to like this. I'd read tons of stuff about it before I listened, mostly about how poppy it is, with a fair few dinging it for trying too hard. And I get it. I get that this is U2 consciously TRYING to be anthemic. I get that it's cheesy.
BUT.
Every time I listen, it moves up in my estimation. It's just TOO catchy, too joyful, for me to do anything but love it. It's gonna be a great one live; I agree with whoever said they could see it as a closer too, even though they usually prefer the downbeat ends. It's just big, unadorned, unhidden joy and I love it.
And it makes no sense, because some of the critics, and even some of the people here, pretend that there weren't catchy or anthemic songs on Achtung Baby or other critical darlings of U2's career. It's revisionist history at its worst.