Songs of Experience 36 - Now with 20% fewer acronyms

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BVS said:
Sting is mailing out his vhs tapes later today.
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Oh I PVRed it but I dont have the setup to get the PVRed version to the computer unfortunately :)
 
Please forgive my ignorance, but I've been wrapped up in Christmas stuff the past few weeks and haven't visited much. What is the context of "What's Going On"? Is there anywhere to download a FLAC copy of it?

Also, when were these performances done, and for what purpose? Just marketing for the album? Or were they performances on a show like the BBC or something?

Sorry again for being out of it, and thanks in advance to anyone who answers.
 
The u2 BBC special is repeated over Christmas. It's on for 1 hour and 20 minutes. So 20 minutes more then tomorrow nights showing.

Thursday December 28th 11.10pm - 12.30am
 
Panama Jack said:
Please forgive my ignorance, but I've been wrapped up in Christmas stuff the past few weeks and haven't visited much. What is the context of "What's Going On"? Is there anywhere to download a FLAC copy of it?

Also, when were these performances done, and for what purpose? Just marketing for the album? Or were they performances on a show like the BBC or something?

Sorry again for being out of it, and thanks in advance to anyone who answers.
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It's a live inside the studio thing they did for Spotify.
 
I'll hold out for a full version of the BBC thing to hunt for it online. Hopefully it'll show up on U2torrents or something.

Full version? Longer version? I'm so confused as to what's aired and what's going to air later.
 
finally able to get back on line brought the start of my review, hopefully finish. Trouble w my tablet)

dazzledbylight said:
Finally found the album(CD) last Fri. Listened to it about 7-8 times (skipping TBT since I knew that well enough).

There is not a single song on this record that I'd go ehh, meh, blarg, or outright hate (rare- like Miami, which I've softened on) about. A first for me! :D

I think SOE is an excellent record- even sublime at times! Right now it ties with NLOTH which is my 3rd favorite after AB (1), JT (2).

Here come the acronyms (HIAS) :wink:
GOOYOW, RFD- Good
TBT, AS - Very Good
LIAWHL, ShowmanLMB, TLT, LIBT, 13 - Excellent
LOH, SOL, TLL, TB, BOYB - sublime!

It's been interesting reading people's opinions not knowing what the songs were (except for TBT, GOOYOW, AS) till I heard the record. Well, did listen to TLT live performance (they gotta work on that- found the recorded version more compelling, especially the slower, softer first half). And with TB couldn't hear well enough in the video to make a conclusion at the time.

I read all the lyrics and Bono's comments first before I listened. It made it an even more interesting, emotional experience.
Unlike Nick this is one of those times for me where (for the most part) the music and the lyrics mesh well, and enhance each other.
-posting and will continue (I've bounced out at times thorough the years before I could finish typing , slowish)

And who ever complained about Bono being too high in the mix, oh, pish ( :) ). This is some of the most powerful, beautiful, gentle, interesting expressiveness in tonal inflections singing he's ever done. And there are a few songs where he is more in the mix, instead of being out front of it.


Won't have time to extoll all the excellent and sublime songs tonight ( library closing) but must talk about LOH and TB.

LOH - omg what a song! U2 meets :hmm: ?Jack White.
Snakey guitar from Edge (slide?). The cymbals right at the start When A dam comes in in the second verse with the Bass of Doom ( considering both the personal &political dangers he's singing about). Wow. The deeply plainitive "if I can't get an answer, I can see it in your eyes" so moving.
And then- like a jet flying through and upwards past a storm and breaking through above to the sun blue sky with the "if only you could see yourself" section. It was startling at first and then become a transcendent joyous hope.
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I couldn't get in before wondering whether while "born from a screaming sound" was about literal birth the most likely choice- yet losing his mother (collapsed from a stroke at her father's (B's grandad)) funeral- I imagined he and other people could have screamed. And since he has said her death effected him so profoundly- that he be came a different person (physiological birth).

The Blackout a sublime rock song ( while nothing really alike except in the part of people maybe becoming better selves in real darkness or dark times - reminds me of the incredibly sublime rock song "Pure & Easy" by The Who (privileged to have heard that live!).

Love the beginning sonics! Then Larry strikes up the beat and Adam starts up with a funky bass line. Yeah!

Before I got to hear the full lyrics - saw folks here having fun with (making fun of?) the name rhyming- but I wonder if it was his way of "whistling past the graveyard" sort of punning?

The "go easy" lyrics, I love Edge's guitar. Rising, yearning notes/sonics under the words. And then that pulsing deep sonics before the lyrics and musical bridge? When Bono sings that "so glad we are still here, Heeeere" in that intense, extended way. So powerful. Edge's pounding, more raw guitar w B at the end then song narrowing down to just one lone voice: the light go out. Well, he was alone when he had the bicycle accident, and I'm guessing blacked out.
 
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SOL As I said I read the lyrics and bono's comments before I listened to the album. It really made a more meaningful experience. "Thinking of the west coast, not the one..." So poignant. I' be been listening to public radio's coverage of that refugee crisis for the several years- so this song rings sadly extra for me, but w Bono's defiant joy in the ? lovers, husband and wife daring to brave the sea voyage to a better place. "Oh, when all is lost...." what beautiful singing. And that delicate guitar!
What was Larry using, not a typical drum sound in the beginning?

BOYH Someone posted here " they saved the best for last". Definitely in the he Sublime category for me. The (in general terms) trials, and deep love a committed partnership can go through. The kind of Spanish sounding guitar (a passionate culture, represents in their arts).

Landlady The whole "... landylady takes me up to the sky..." a lovely melody with great singing above it! I think someone didn't like the ? vocoder part, but I somewhat think it fit's in w the "telescope" metaphor (no, I wouldn't have wanted he when le song like that!).

I'll just add a few more things- tired of tylong.

TLT sounds solo good on record, I hope they can get it up to standard live, wasn't hat impressed w the original live debut.

Showman Oh what a slyly funny song! Great singing, with a kind of humorous musical take as well.

RFD The chorus is quite catchy! And like the rest of the lyrics. What is more interesting to me on this one is my reaction to the production... while Adam's bass sounds like a War cut, the rest of it kind of thin (can't quite put it into words) sound - reminds me of Boy; an album I was not very impressed with BUT absolutely loved IWF/OOC!
So I don't think it will get above a good rating by me (but it didn't get a "meh" reaction either! :lol: I can see the arena song ng along to the chorus!

I really liked Song for Someone, and I really like the iteration of it on 13. Very interesting.

Guess that's about it. :) Now at least I can read some more of people's posts, and catch majorly over the latter part of the week/weekend.
 
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Still haven't relistened after stopping more than a week ago. Want to give it more time.
 
This album is now our everyday companion...... me, my 12 years old boy & my 10 years old girl. Tears come to my eyes when I see them singing Little Things together.
 
SOE still holding up really well after multiple listens.

As it stands it's still their best album since AB for me. Not as daring or experimental as Zooropa/Pop, but as a complete album it's better than anything they've done since AB.
 
The best album since Achtung (well, since JT) is Passengers.

Don't @ me.
 
If you don't love Your Blue Room, Slug, Always Forever Now, and Beach Sequence, let's be honest, you don't deserve this band.
 
Axver said:
If you don't love Your Blue Room, Slug, Always Forever Now, and Beach Sequence, let's be honest, you don't deserve this band.
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yes!

the only problem I have with the album is that it's too long, and Elvis Ate America doesn't fit and isn't good. The first nine tracks are as good as U2 ever were.
 
The ambient tracks 12-14 fit the album well, but Corpse and Elvis Ate America immediately beforehand makes the end of the album feel like it drags a bit. Sometimes I'll just listen to the first 6 or 7 tracks and don't feel the need to listen any further. If Corpse / EAA were replaced by something a little more better / upbeat, it'd be difficult to top.
 
Axver said:
If you don't love Your Blue Room, Slug, Always Forever Now, and Beach Sequence, let's be honest, you don't deserve this band.
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To be fair, those are probably the listenable tracks on there for me. And Miss Sarajevo, of course.

Otherwise... yeah.
 
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