corianderstem
Blue Crack Distributor
Canoodling is such a great word.
Shuttlecock XIX - send $40 now for your opportunity to not get a presale code
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The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
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kiwilad
Refugee
Who do you write for cori?
corianderstem
Blue Crack Distributor
I used to write concert reviews for a locally-based site, but they wanted to shift the focus to local music, which I wasn't interested in reviewing. But a friend in the Bay Area started (? or is the editor, or both? I should know, but don't.) a site and asked if I'd be up for an occasional review. I've written 3 or 4 album reviews there so far.
Writing reviews is a lot harder than I expected it to be. I really struggle to find stuff to say about most bands/albums/shows, especially if the site wants the writing to be a certain way (which happened with the local site). I'd rather put a lot of 'me' into it.
Anyway. I don't have any problem coming up with plenty to say about artists I'm really into - I've done reviews for U2 and Elbow albums and shows and those came pretty easily. I practically had half of this one already in my head before we got the go-ahead to review with an official stream.
It's nice to have some writing I can do as I want, rather than YOU HAVE TO DO THIS.
In other words, thank god I don't get paid for this.
Writing reviews is a lot harder than I expected it to be. I really struggle to find stuff to say about most bands/albums/shows, especially if the site wants the writing to be a certain way (which happened with the local site). I'd rather put a lot of 'me' into it.
Anyway. I don't have any problem coming up with plenty to say about artists I'm really into - I've done reviews for U2 and Elbow albums and shows and those came pretty easily. I practically had half of this one already in my head before we got the go-ahead to review with an official stream.
It's nice to have some writing I can do as I want, rather than YOU HAVE TO DO THIS.
In other words, thank god I don't get paid for this.
namkcuR
ONE love, blood, life
I agree with this. I cannot write about anything without putting 'me' into it. Probably why I hated the few 'dispassionate' writing assignments I had to do in college. God I hated it.
While on the subject of writing style with regards to reviews, I just want to say that one of my biggest pet peeves in this area is when people write in a collective voice, i.e. 'by the time the movie ends, we feel etc etc', or 'this particular thing makes us...'. It's like an implicit assumption that everyone agrees with the reviewer. Drives me up the wall.
My thoughts on SOE are coming. Just giving it another listen(probably #4 or 5 by now).
corianderstem
Blue Crack Distributor
Should have added: the local site is Seattle Music Insider, and the Bay Area one is Riff.
Danny Boy
Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB
LemonMelon
More 5G Than Man
I want to dissect the lyrics of this album a bit so we can discuss them more directly, but I can't find half of them online.
namkcuR
ONE love, blood, life
Sorry about some of the links being ugly, but here you go:
Love Is All We Have Left lyrics by U2 - U2's Song Lyrics
Search results for lights of home - U2's Song Lyrics
Search results for you're the best thing about me - U2's Song Lyrics
Search results for get of your own way - U2's Song Lyrics
Search results for american soul - U2's Song Lyrics
'Summer of Love' song lyrics by U2 - U2's 'Songs of Experience' album lyrics
'Red Flag Day' lyrics by U2 - U2's 'Songs of Experience' album lyrics
U2's The Showman (Much More Better) song lyrics - U2's 'Songs of Experience' album lyrics
U2's 'The Little Things That Give You Away' song lyrics - U2's 'Songs of Experience' album lyrics
Blackout lyrics by U2 from Songs of Experience - U2's 'Songs of Experience' album lyrics
Search results for landlady - U2's 'Songs of Experience' album lyrics
"Love is bigger than anything in its way" U2 Song lyrics - U2's 'Songs of Experience' album lyrics
U2's lyrics "There Is a Light" - U2's 'Songs of Experience' album lyrics
Book Of Your Heart lyrics by U2 - U2's Song Lyrics
LemonMelon
More 5G Than Man
Thanks, Nam! That site looks like it was made in 20 minutes with a wordpress template, but it gets the job done.
EDIT: Worse, it's actually Blogger. Nice. I used to make regular use of that place when it was Blogspot.
EDIT: Worse, it's actually Blogger. Nice. I used to make regular use of that place when it was Blogspot.
cobl04
45:33
That's a good line, cori, hah.
Re: Pitchfork, it's my #1 source for music news and reviews, I don't get why everyone is so snooty about them, I've always found them to be great and reasonably balanced!
They've also been much fairer to U2 than y'all are saying. The NLOTH review is a bit extreme, but everything else has been pretty on the money. I think the fact that they are reviewing them at all is good, considering that they aren't really relevant to their audience. I totally agree with Peef, it's U2's attitude that makes Pitchfork's writing about them seem snarky. The issue is with U2, not with Pitchfork.
This, for example, is a terrific and completely fair piece on them, and one I happen to agree with wholeheartedly: https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1406-u2-are-finally-acting-their-age/
Re: Pitchfork, it's my #1 source for music news and reviews, I don't get why everyone is so snooty about them, I've always found them to be great and reasonably balanced!
They've also been much fairer to U2 than y'all are saying. The NLOTH review is a bit extreme, but everything else has been pretty on the money. I think the fact that they are reviewing them at all is good, considering that they aren't really relevant to their audience. I totally agree with Peef, it's U2's attitude that makes Pitchfork's writing about them seem snarky. The issue is with U2, not with Pitchfork.
This, for example, is a terrific and completely fair piece on them, and one I happen to agree with wholeheartedly: https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1406-u2-are-finally-acting-their-age/
I don't think all of these are accurate... Pretty sure he pulled them out of his ass.
namkcuR
ONE love, blood, life
I've been reading along with the songs. They're mostly accurate. I know that Little Things is missing some lines at the end. Book Of Your Heart as well. But it's mostly right.
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
Haha, “great and reasonably balanced”, let’s remember Fox’s tagline... Choirs liked to be preached to, and this is nothing but low hanging fruit: “Largely deemed the musical equivalent of malware, 2014’s Songs of Innocence was a misstep, and its fumbled rollout made it even easier to mock Bono’s messiah complex and his band’s lack of self-awareness. They misjudged the moment in a very public way, appearing out of touch.”
Before we actually start speaking about the tour remember the malware and the 30 year old “messiah complex” that us great and balanced journalist like to use. It’s honestly the equivalent of Fox trying to write something about Clinton, but making sure they mention emails and Benghazi before getting there.
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
cobl04
45:33
BVS stop sooking for half a second and try to look at it objectively. Is it so wrong? U2 are, and always will be, my favourite band ever, but come on. That's hardly an outrageous sentiment.
Even if you like SoI, a lot of people didn't, including fans of the band. "Misstep" is hardly egregious. "Fumbled rollout" is entirely accurate. The release was extremely out of touch and lacked any shred of self-awareness, I don't know how anyone could argue against that.
To compare Pitchfork to Fox News writing about Hillary's emails says a lot more about you than it does about them.
namkcuR
ONE love, blood, life
And check this out:
I'm not one who jumps on any bad U2 review...in any context, it is unhealthy to quash dissent. But what drives me crazy are lazy bad reviews. The above quote reads like the author actually doesn't know that much of the gestation period he was referring to before. SOI was not mostly produced by Danger Mouse(this is a problem some people have with it), it was 50% produced by him, and the 50% that was produced by him was not the "overcooked attempts at radio success" being referred to(ok, outside Volcano).
And if it wasn't enough to write poorly of U2, they also took a dig at Danger Mouse himself.
cobl04
45:33
But he hasn't been at the cutting edge for about a decade......
And arguing that 50% doesn't equal "mostly" is a huge grasping of the straws.
And arguing that 50% doesn't equal "mostly" is a huge grasping of the straws.
corianderstem
Blue Crack Distributor
Just listened again. I love seeing how songs slip up and down in my rankings with each listen.
After listen #4, 13 is my favorite, listening to Bono talk to his young self, in that last time before his world falls apart. I mean, damn.
After listen #4, 13 is my favorite, listening to Bono talk to his young self, in that last time before his world falls apart. I mean, damn.
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
No “sooking”, it’s just shitty journalism to point at as balanced. If you’re trying to be fair, you don’t start off the conversation with old cliches to remind the audience of who they really are.
The fact that you found THAT to be fair says how much you’re in the choir than it does anything else, and I honestly have nothing against Pitchfork.
cobl04
45:33
That's not a news article mate, it's an oped.......
namkcuR
ONE love, blood, life
My point was that it's indicative that maybe the guy didn't get all that closely acquainted with SOI.
The whole article is like a backhanded-compliment, praising the JT30 tour by comparing it to the band's recent history, which this person writes about with rather acidic tones. There's a difference between language that seeks to dissent against its subject, and language that seeks to tear down its subject. This article is complimentary of the JT30 tour, and it says a lot of things that are true, but it's also a subtle teardown of their recent history going on, with sentences like 'before they fell victim to their own pomposity, U2 were a genuinely exciting band'. Their own pomposity. That's not, imo, the language you use if you want to describe something negatively while remaining thoughtful and fair.
I mean, for one thing, Bono is the only one who could be described as pompous. The others barely talk enough in public to be described like that.
elevated_u2_fan
Blue Crack Supplier
13 and Love Is All We Have Left are my current favs. I was so worried about the Song For Someone call back factor but it really works.
the tourist
Blue Crack Addict
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I’m a few pages late for worst song per album from Zooropa on:
The Wanderer
If God Will Send His Angels
Peace On Earth
Yahweh
Stand Up Comedy
The Miracle (this was the hardest for me as I legitimately don’t dislike a song on this album)
Still holding out til Friday for Songs Of Experience.
The Wanderer
If God Will Send His Angels
Peace On Earth
Yahweh
Stand Up Comedy
The Miracle (this was the hardest for me as I legitimately don’t dislike a song on this album)
Still holding out til Friday for Songs Of Experience.
LemonMelon
More 5G Than Man
If you place The First Time at the bottom, clean your ears. Some of the best lyrics of Bono's career.
cobl04
45:33
Yeah fuck everyone doing that.
HeartlandGirl
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
It's my least fave off Zooropa too, Utah. The music bores me.
Still holding out for Friday as well.
Still holding out for Friday as well.
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