resonating with people (who actually take the time to listen)
I'm sorry, did I imagine those four times I played the album in full?
resonating with people (who actually take the time to listen)
Great review. This album is kind of a kick in the pants for society right now, which is currently wallowing in negativity and misery. It seems to be resonating with people (who actually take the time to listen) in a way that U2 albums since ATYCLB have failed to do.
That is literally your opinion, and I struggle to understand it. I strongly dislike Song for Someone, and not a fan of that line in this song either. But take that away and you're left with what is very good songwriting.13 is literally the worst song on the album.
Well, except for American Soul and Best Thing. But I'd rather not deign to acknowledge their existence.
13 is literally the worst song on the album.
Well, except for American Soul and Best Thing. But I'd rather not deign to acknowledge their existence.
Yeah, American Soul is easily the worst in my opinion, it's borderline SUC territory so I will copy your ignore it exists policy!
13 isn't a favourite of mine either. U2 are past masters at ending albums brilliantly,
LIBTAIIW stared them right into the face as the obvious - and epic - closer, but alternate SFS got the vote instead.
Second least favourite for me, with the Showman in the pits.
I actually think The Troubles is very personal, that it's connected to Sleep Like A Baby, and that they shoehorned Reach Around in-between the two to throw people off the scent.I really like it a lot. The piano is so understated and sad. And I love the swelling keyboards like some kind of siren/horn in the background on the chorus. Nice work with the mallets by Larry throughout as well.
One thing I find odd is that in the second verse, the final line is Bono just going "da da da da da..." instead of the previous verse's "darkness gathers around the light" and one wonders if he meant to put something else there but couldn't think of anything.
I still feel The Troubles is a better track overall, but this one is considerably more personal and it has a particular resonance.
I actually think The Troubles is very personal, that it's connected to Sleep Like A Baby, and that they shoehorned Reach Around in-between the two to throw people off the scent.
Yea I think that's bullshit.They shoehorned Reach Around in-between because they made the baffling decision to take it out of the opener slot fearing the intro was too long and people wouldn't know it was U2 right away.
Yea I think that's bullshit.
Didn't seem to matter on Joshua Tree or Zooropa.
What does that have to do with anything?The album format was a tad more popular back then.
Just in terms of people not necessarily going to take the time to hear the whole thing like they might've back then. Reach Me Now doesn’t exactly have the epic type of intro Streets does either to sort of rein them in. So therefore, there's a bit of logic in trying to get their attention in case they’re just taking a listen to the first track, then making their minds up right away without hearing the rest if they're bored. On top of that, it's the song they were promoting first anyway, which was probably part of the reason too.
On top of that, it wasn't an album people went out to by with the intention of hearing most or all of it. It was given away (or, yes, downloaded right away). The circumstances there are a lot different than walking into a store or paying $10+ for 12 songs on iTunes knowing you're doing so.
Maybe it wasn't that many people who'd be in that "first track only" position ultimately, but yeah... I get why.
Can't you just ignore her instead of insisting on posting poop emojis after each of her posts? Don't be mean, yo.
That is literally your opinion, and I struggle to understand it. I strongly dislike Song for Someone, and not a fan of that line in this song either. But take that away and you're left with what is very good songwriting.
It is pretty old fashioned and safe songwriting but it's good. I know you're in a band: have you ever tried to write a melody that works while being more narrative in nature, than repetitive?
It's fucking impossible.
Coming up with melodic ideas and repeating them, ie A Sort of Homecoming, is much easier. (Not that I'm disparaging that song and no, I have no hope in hell of ever getting near the music of U2's farts from the Unforgettable Fire era).
The lyric is also good. Not to everyone's taste, sure. It's literal. Prose. Overstated. All things I dislike about Bono's post-Zooropa lyrics. But it's done well on this song.
And the words/lines themselves are really poignant. We have a 16 year old a 22 year old. That message of trying, pleading with them to not completely forgo the childhood version of themselves as more adult forces arrive is really hard to convey. It's heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time - at least that's what we find - but very hard to sum up concisely. Bono has done a very good job of that here.
Like Laz mentioned the restrained and well placed piano is magic.
As are the swelling synth/hunting calls.
Yeah, American Soul is easily the worst in my opinion, it's borderline SUC territory so I will copy your ignore it exists policy!
13 isn't a favourite of mine either. U2 are past masters at ending albums brilliantly, Love Is Blindness, The Wanderer, Wake Up Dead Man, The Troubles 40 all spring to mind. 13 is nowhere near as good as them but at least it's an improvement on SFS.
I like U2Girl and never understood the hate she receives from many here.
I'm sorry, did I imagine those four times I played the album in full?
Take it easy, Captain Cranky. I wasn’t even talking to you.
Yeah but I like pointing out bad takes.
Signed,
Capt. Cranky
New Zealand Expeditionary Force - Fifth Column, Australia
I still don't know what you're ticked off about, but I suppose you won't make it to Admiral if you stop now.
You suggested the album resonates with people who "take the time to listen".
I've played that damn thing four times - and I wouldn't have played it more than once if it were by practically anybody else - and it sure isn't resonating. But perhaps my time doesn't count? Or I didn't really listen? I've seen advocates of albums make that argument here before, I even made it myself about HTDAAB back in the day. It's as spurious now as it was then.
And I look forward to my promotion to a higher cranky rank, yes.
Mate, between Barnaby Joyce and me, Australia will soon be the West Island of New Zealand.
You suggested the album resonates with people who "take the time to listen".
I've played that damn thing four times - and I wouldn't have played it more than once if it were by practically anybody else - and it sure isn't resonating. But perhaps my time doesn't count? Or I didn't really listen?
I'm confused by your point about the song being more narrative than repetitive, especially by taking ASOH as an example of the opposite. ASOH definitely has a less defined structure than 13, the latter of which is pretty conventional really. 13 is hardly a narrative like what you get out of ASOH or from storyteller musicians.