Rate the Song: Invisible
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
redhill
Refugee
Reggae
To answer your question, I would want them to release an off the cuff and quickly recorded (a la Zooropa) Reggae album with the old team (you know who) soon after a big release.
If you think I'm joking check out DTYGTT and the Reggae tinged TTTYAATW.
Both were sublime and suited them perfectly. Tongue in cheek and silliness welcomed throughout the album.
I'm not joking.
To answer your question, I would want them to release an off the cuff and quickly recorded (a la Zooropa) Reggae album with the old team (you know who) soon after a big release.
If you think I'm joking check out DTYGTT and the Reggae tinged TTTYAATW.
Both were sublime and suited them perfectly. Tongue in cheek and silliness welcomed throughout the album.
I'm not joking.
purpleoscar
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
boooooooooooooo!
redhill
Refugee
OK, then what? More halfhearted music that has some elements of experimentation without really going for it?
I'd rather they just do something entirely different.
Tranquilfire
The Fly
I've listened to it practically non-stop since yesterday morning (good for workouts, by the way). I'll give it 8/10 right now. Good melody. Uplifting arena rock. Sounds like U2. Not sure what people are talking about with "too much synthesizer" and such (not that that should be an issue if the song is good anyway. What are we, Luddites?). I don't find it to even be that prominent. It sounds like Edge is just using effects like normal. And Larry's probably just using an electronic drum set. Just wish they'd mix him a little higher than they have since 2000. And good rant by Headache in a Suitcase. It's not groundbreaking, but it sure sounds good to my ears.
Invisible has moved down a bit in the rankings, compared to 2012 votes. It is now in 96th place, just after If You Wear That Velvet Dress, and just before Unknown Caller. It does, however, have 186 votes right now. That is more than two times the votes in any round in 2012 Rate the Song.
purpleoscar
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
How about do good songs you CAN do instead of forcing yourself into weird molds just to be different. If they can make a great reggae album then do it, but follow the inspiration first.
As you can tell from the recent interviews they are getting to the point of REM where it's like "what haven't we done?" "what more is there to say?" If they have something to say then they'll say it otherwise they need to hang it up.
So your answer to the "what should they do now?" question I asked is that a group of Irish folk should Mae a reggae album.
I honestly don't know if you're taking the piss here. I hope you are. If you're not... if you are serious, then I suppose we've reached the ole "agree to disagree" phase of this argument quicker than any argument in the history of mankind.
Sent from my android cause iphones are for old people
redhill
Refugee
U2 Don't Take Your Guns to Town (A Tribute to Johnny Cash) - YouTube
Listen to this and the "baby" version of TTTYAATW.
You can say you don't like the idea all you want but these songs are played in a fun, natural, and lighthearted way and they also happen to sound great. Please tell me how they sound "forced." I hear the exact opposite.
purpleoscar
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
B-sides. I like B-sides but I like A-sides better.
redhill
Refugee
Works for me. I stand by the idea and think it would be the most inspired record they have released for a long time.
redhill
Refugee
So? A lot of their best tracks have been b-sides and unreleased songs. Besides, I was asking how these two examples sound forced...
I can't imagine anyone listening to them and being honestly able to say that.
Come to think of it, I vastly prefer their cover of DTYGTT to OL or Invisible. Sorry to be a downer but both are painfully mediocre and even sound forced at times.
purpleoscar
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
First Don't take your guns to town is not their song. Second an entire ALBUM of A-sides in a reggae format would be difficult for anyone to do better than Exodus. The Police come close but U2 would probably be best doing ONE song as an A-side and I think that could be done.
Secondly they tried in Fez to do a Moroccan style and they flat out said they didn't want to be an ethnic band.
I think the best they could do would be like Arcade Fire:
Flashbulb Eyes - Arcade Fire - YouTube
redhill
Refugee
I didn't say it had to be the best "rock band doing a reggae album" of all time. I said that's what I would like and I think it would be exceptional and would fit them perfectly somehow. I hear it as being more lighthearted than Police but with some intricate drum patterns from Larry which would be quite welcome.
BTW, I'm quite aware I used a cover as an example. So what? It's the sound I'm talking about and they really pulled it off. The flavor they put on it was all theirs as well.
I like the "POP meets reggae" style and I would love to hear an album of it. Picture an electro reggae album done in a (mostly) lighthearted way with a few serious tracks.
ozeeko
Refugee
I think they should explore moody ballads more like Moment of Surrender and White As Snow. I think their singles need more moodiness in general. I'd say Magnificent came close to capturing that heavenly spirit but something went wrong in the execution. Would love to hear a fast rock song or love song with a haunting vibe, a la Acrobat or Stay. Would love to hear a song like Being Born, except with a killer hook, on the radio (nothing against Being Born, it's one of the few I love on NLOTH) What I'm saying is...they already got their token uplifting stadium tune (Invisible) to get the entire crowd chanting, and there's no need for another one when they can always play COBL or IGCIIDGCT or Miracle Drug or Magnificent or Beautiful Day or, most importantly, Where The Streets Have No Name. I would just love to hear the guys get trippy again. And Bono's voice needs to be within the mix more. He always sounds disconnected lately, like a kareoke performance. More lushness in the vocals...mixed in with the music more. And wouldn't you just love a song without the word soul or heart in it for once?
purpleoscar
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Why don't you get a laundry list of things you want them to do. I would love for you to be the producer of this record and tell Larry what drum patterns he should play. "Larry! More intricate!" If you want to you can decide what drum kit he should buy and what pedals Edge should use. I've had dreams with cool melodies that don't exist that would fit U2 perfectly.
Who knows maybe the next album will have one song that has a clash reggae influence? Cross your fingers.
dan_smee
ONE love, blood, life
My impression having had a few listens and some time to digest is that invisible succeeds where magnificent failed. That missing X factor from magnificent just leaves you feeling a bit strange, not how you would think it should make you feel. It did from the very first listen. It was like "wow this sounds like it could be incredible" I think invisible had the missing x factor
ozeeko
Refugee
I agree that Magnificent failed. IMO, it peaked too early. It should've taken it's time to get to that chorus. On the beach clip it sounded like a slow burn, but I guess that was just me hearing what I thought I heard over the waves and seagulls and French guys puking etc. That said, I find the song itself infinitely more interesting. If that chorus was executed to the T (is that how the expression goes?) it could've been magical. Even Edge's solo gives me goosebumps, and the synths sound like shadows moving over a vast crystal lake. So it has some transcendent parts, which makes the song all the more frustrating.
Invisible sounds like the kind of tune the boys can knock out during a coffee break. Yes, I know, they do flirt with a few quirky things: Cool Depeche Modey synths, cool joy division fake out intro, semi decent synth/guitar riff, sure...I'll give it that...but the song is about as edgy as something from the Christian Rock category. The "there is no them, only us" leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It feels extremely coercive. Almost cultish. I actually feel a little icky listening to it.
At least with Magnificent they were trying to paint the Sistine Chapel. Invisible is the sound of them doodling with a magic marker.
On a positive note, I listened to most of NLOTH over the past hour, and it was a rather pleasing experience. Of course I skipped over Crazy Tonight and Stand Up Comedy like any sane person would. But the rest are holding up nicely these days.
The Slow Loris
War Child
Even though I don't quite agree with your assessment of 'Invisible', I can certainly appreciate your viewpoint, and had a great laugh reading your stance on 'Crazy Tonight' and 'Stand Up Comedy'. NLOTH would have been a near masterpiece if they had removed 'Boots' and 'Stand Up Comedy' (I actually think 'Crazy Tonight works quite well after 'Unknown Caller'), and replaced them with 'Winter'. My goodness, what an amazing album that would have been
LemonMelon
More 5G Than Man
I much prefer Magnificent to Invisible. It hits all of the same buttons but the production doesn't feel so cold and plastic. Also, far fewer lines set my teeth on edge (ie: none) whereas I'm still struggling through the execution of Invisible to get to the message. Both of them are unabashed U2 pop songs, but Magnificent is warmer and more ambitious in its arrangement.
As far as U2's next direction is concerned, I want a full band sequel to MDH.
As far as U2's next direction is concerned, I want a full band sequel to MDH.
redhill
Refugee
I've had dreams with cool melodies that don't exist that would fit U2 perfectly.
Who knows maybe the next album will have one song that has a clash reggae influence? Cross your fingers.
Are you ever going to reply about how those two songs sound "forced" or does your ignorance concede defeat?
U2_Neat
Acrobat
In my head, Invisible is the tale of a young arrogant Bono telling his dad off for not believing his new band can take over the world.
I love the song, I am still not sure about the production.
And one thing I am certain of, as with every other U2 song ever recorded,
it will sound 10x better LIVE!
I love the song, I am still not sure about the production.
And one thing I am certain of, as with every other U2 song ever recorded,
it will sound 10x better LIVE!
The Us and Them outro is starting to strike me as ridiculously forced and artificial. It's kinda cringeworthy, like they decided "Ooh we need to tack on something that screams deep U2-ey world peace and harmony message that will hopefully be a sing-a-long thingy for the fans who don't go for a bathroom break when we play it live". Ugh. Discotheque's Boom-Cha outro tends to get a lot of heat, but this one is about several million times worse.
Nick66
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Almost all U2 songs sound better live, more than any other band, it's where they really come alive. I almost exclusively listen to live stuff when I'm listening to U2.
edgeplaytheblue
War Child
Well may be I am wrong here, but it sounds TOO computerized for U2 (read that very well ... for U2 standards). I have tried to listen too it again yesterday even with the subwoofer on and it still feels like a drumcomputer and same with the synthesizer edge. Is that really Edge playing there? I tried to imagine the song with real sounding drums and guitar then it could sound great. But at the moment the song is not catching me. I think this might be the first time as far as I can remember. God Part II is a very cool song, but those drums don't sound like a drumcomputer. Ah well I will give it try this afternoon when I'm back at home. Or maybe I'm expecting different songs when Bono keeps saying that Edge is on fire.
U2_Neat
Acrobat
Almost all U2 songs sound better live, more than any other band, it's where they really come alive. I almost exclusively listen to live stuff when I'm listening to U2.
same here, all my U2 setlists are soundboards
..and Acrobat, sitting there, all alone...
Tyagu_Anaykus
New Yorker
the "I am here" and the litle edge solo its fantastic. The song just explodes there. It would be a 7 if not for that!
Nick66
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
same here, all my U2 setlists are soundboards
..and Acrobat, sitting there, all alone...
Not alone. It has Red Hill Mining Town to keep it company.
And as long as there is an Interference, Acrobat will never truly be alone.
purpleoscar
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
I never said their performance was forced. Finding enough material for a full reggae album would be forced for U2. You're obviously a troll so get lost.
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