American Soul.

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Yup. That's why I usually limit myself. YTBTAM, GOOYOW, American Soul, and The Blackout will be the only studio versions I'll listen to before the album is released. Counting The Little Things, that means I've heard over 1/3 of the album already. Usually I only allow myself two tracks to preserve the "surprise" of the album.
I'm glad though that I've heard the festering groin wart that is American Soul. I can get my anger out on that one now, and listen to the album next month with practised patience when that comes on.
 
I'm glad though that I've heard the festering groin wart that is American Soul. I can get my anger out on that one now, and listen to the album next month with practised patience when that comes on.

I agree with you in theory, though to me, American Soul isn't so much a "festering groin wart" so much as it is an "irritating rash that you'll get over soon enough but convinces you to be a bit safer next time to ensure that this never happens again."

Edited to add: for the record, this has never happened to me. Just saying.
 
Last edited:
I agree with you in theory, though to me, American Soul isn't so much a "festering groin wart" so much as it is an "irritating rash that you'll get over soon enough but convinces you to be a bit safer next time to ensure that this never happens again."

Edited to add: for the record, this has never happened to me. Just saying.
Wow. You really took that and ran with it!
Writing tutors always say 'write what you know' so....

Hope you're feeling better ?
 
Honestly, it weren't for the refu-Jesus verse this song would be fine. I only expected 11 songs, and we all knew SOE was SOI's companion. So to have 2 of 13 re-using parts of SOI songs does not bother me at all, and although the part of Volcano used is a pretty crappy part, it's improved in this context. American Soul is no classic but it's enjoyable enough ... until you get to that one verse, which brings you out of the song like being slapped in the face with a dead dingo's donger.

A little Google search shoes he's actually not the first person to use the term, which surprised me.

Oh god, there are other people out there thinking this is a good idea?

Just insert the Professor Farnsworth "I don't want to live on this planet any more" meme and get it over and done with.
 
I'm very triggered by Jick.

(Wonder what he's going to do now that the atu2 f*r*m is no more.)
 
Jick sounds like Chet's long lost brother who turns up out of nowhere one day for a 'temporary' loan.
 
I read this year's re-subscribers gift is a 7" and a Refujeezuz litho

01 American Soul [Dead Dingo's Donger Remix]
02 A Sort Of Homecoming [Live]

I'm in for $50
 
i was going to write a very serious post and now i just just can't you bunch of clowns :lol:
 
American Soul was up by mistake for a short time. Only way to get it right now is to request it in its request thread.

Oh! OK, I wasn't able to keep up with all of these threads so I missed that detail - thanks!

If anyone is interested. My link with the new songs is still up. I have also done some edits/mixes in there if you want to check them out.

The latest in an "enhanced" Blackout with a little extra punch where it needs it. Subtle but works i think. Also shortened the Easy on me bits by half.

Also, an American Soul with the most offensive lyrics removed. Community, charity, blah blah refujesus... So it that is the worst part of the song for you (as it is for me) enjoy this version!

https://spectrio.egnyte.com/fl/QyoqWm6OOA

And thank you for the link Womanfish!
 
If the band didn't think Glastonbury was worth finishing for SOI (or they felt more confident stripping it for parts to make Volcano), they should have let it stay unfinished. I raised my eyebrow somewhat when I heard the Glastonbury riff and then once we got to the most criticized line from SOI - "You and I are rock and roll", as empty a statement as there is - I started to feel a real strong sense of unease.

I've never understand how the band decided Crystal Ballroom was worth omitting from SOI proper, and somehow this is good enough to be a central track of SOE.
 
If the band didn't think Glastonbury was worth finishing for SOI (or they felt more confident stripping it for parts to make Volcano), they should have let it stay unfinished. I raised my eyebrow somewhat when I heard the Glastonbury riff and then once we got to the most criticized line from SOI - "You and I are rock and roll", as empty a statement as there is - I started to feel a real strong sense of unease.

I've never understand how the band decided Crystal Ballroom was worth omitting from SOI proper, and somehow this is good enough to be a central track of SOE.



Central track?


I don’t think we can assume the band didn’t think it was worth finishing, this band holds on to ideas forever.

It sounds like Edge did some sampling this time around, I wouldn’t be surprised if there isn’t another surprise or two.
 
Exactly - anyone actually complaining about that line hasn't really been listening to U2 for the past 40 years. "I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside" is genius but "you are rock and roll" is where you draw the line? Grow up and get over it. Stop being pretentious jerks.

There's nothing wrong with the lyrics in Streets, that line works fine.

And this taking isolated lyrics from old songs is frankly silly and demonstrative of absolutely nothing...except the importance of placing the lyrics in the context of the song. And also ignores the fact that the way Bono approaches lyrics has changed dramatically, and obviously.

As I and others have pointed out, the problems started when Bono started writing in prose rather than poetry, and the band's songwriting process. I can quote Bob Dylan or Shakespeare to you and it would look ridiculous reading it here. It's the difference between a surrealist painting and something from the realists. They're necessarily judged by different standards. In Bono's case, one works, one doesn't.

So yes, "true colours fly in blue and black, bruised silken sky in burning flag" works perfectly well in the context of the song, even if it doesn't make a lot of sense to you written here. Whereas Bono's clunky prose usually fails.

Now, if all that sounds pretentious to you...well, all I can say is I'm sorry you don't understand. :)
 
well this one completely threw me and caught me by surprise when i first heard it - had been expecting something quite dreamy after the Kendrick Lamar collaboration :lol:

spoken word is awesome and works beautifully i think, and then BAM HOLY FUCK it kicks off into this confident hypnotic intense sexy THING :shifty:

love it, and love the hypnotic repetitions in the words - works really well, trance-like, and steps up with the speedy drums underneath... moves well... really really great beginning to the song in my opinion

(look away now gvox) i'm not offended by the use of the Volcano bits - i actually love the song anyway, always thought it had a nice groove to it, neither am i offended by the Boots sampling :D

i think these elements have been put to really good use here, to make a fully fledged confident rock song :up:
 
This song is fine but it reminds me of Native Son, ie the first attempt at Volcano before they eventually started over and came up with something better.
 
It sounds like Edge did some sampling this time around, I wouldn’t be surprised if there isn’t another surprise or two.

Indeed, I'd bet on more throwbacks to SOI musically before all is said and done.

I know it's not the same as the direct reprise in American Soul, but even GOOYOW feels like it has some of the spirit of Invisible in it. Definitely an aspect of the album I wasn't really expecting, but I think it's an interesting way of linking the two. Pretty much a golden opportunity to try something like this too, given how much we know they experiment with interchanging pieces of songs while writing.
 
Last edited:
I read this year's re-subscribers gift is a 7" and a Refujeezuz litho

01 American Soul [Dead Dingo's Donger Remix]
02 A Sort Of Homecoming [Live]

I'm in for $50

:lol:

There's nothing wrong with the lyrics in Streets, that line works fine.

I don't agree with other parts of your post - "refu-jesus" is stupid in context or isolation, and that Bad lyric is great no matter what - but I totally agree with this. I love the total furphy some of the sadder sacks on this forum peddle, of "hey this lyric would cop loads of shit if Bono sung it now" or "Interference would've hated this if it existed in 1987" or whatever.

Yeah, I'm sure you can prove that. I'm holding myself back from calling some people bellends, but seriously if that's your only comeback to people pointing out how facepalmingly dumb refu-jesus is, you must be pretty shithouse at appreciating any sort of lyrical or written material.

This song is fine but it reminds me of Native Son, ie the first attempt at Volcano before they eventually started over and came up with something better.

Are you suggesting Vertigo is better than Native Son.

Because if so, log off and reconsider your opinion.
 
I am really into the thematic links between the two albums. The idea was to have them work together as a collective piece and if they keep reaching back to SOI I feel they will accomplished that well. I’m curious what other reprises they will tie in. We need more sea gulls!
 
I love this song...much better use of the 'you are rock n' roll' line than in Volcano. This song is heaping helping of 'rawk' like it's rarely been done by U2 in the past 20 years.

Whatever with the lyrics, there's a drive and a conviction to this song. Bash it, bash me for loving it...I think it's throwback and new all in one...:rockon:
 
I am really into the thematic links between the two albums. The idea was to have them work together as a collective piece and if they keep reaching back to SOI I feel they will accomplished that well. I’m curious what other reprises they will tie in. We need more sea gulls!

I like the idea of the tie-ins. It makes sense in the context of these two albums. I just wish the tie-ins tied to an album I liked.
 
I love this song...much better use of the 'you are rock n' roll' line than in Volcano. This song is heaping helping of 'rawk' like it's rarely been done by U2 in the past 20 years.

Whatever with the lyrics, there's a drive and a conviction to this song. Bash it, bash me for loving it...I think it's throwback and new all in one...:rockon:

I agree! I bet you anything, if no one heard volcano, it might still get some hate but not like it is getting now. I think it's much better done here than in valcano. Feel free to bash me too for loving it hehe
 
I would have a better feeling about it if the line made sense in the context of the song, or if the songs had some sort of connection.

Volcano is a song about a young boy filled with grief who taps into his rage and then releases his anger through the catharsis provided by his new band, U2.

American Soul is about America and refugees.

Any connection there, thematically, requires some serious stretching.

"You and I are rock and roll" makes sense in Volcano - the line seems to be about Bono finding a sense of community in the music. But how does the line relate to America?
 
Back
Top Bottom