SOE FAN + industry reviews only

[womanfish]

It’s been out over three years but to me SOI never gets boring. I think you described it well. I might be coming from a different place than most with SOE. SOI sets a high bar. I think most reviewers will have the mindset that “well it’s better than SOI at least...”

That’s my one fear about SOE.
It has to have the ache, the yearning, the emotion that pulls me in. So far it has paled to SOI.

The fear and imagery that is created on RBW, the dark creeping of SLABT, the aching of The Troubles, the yearning of EBW, the passion of Iris, hell even Volcano conveys that something in Bono voice. I have said before, Volcano feels like Boy and American Soul feels like Bomb. And I know what one I would choose.

So far Little Things is the one with the ache.
And Blackout gives a great dark trippy atmosphere.

But the rest... not so much

Fingers crossed

 

[purpleoscar]

Not sure what a track recorded in 1984 save for the vocal has to do with No Line, but ok.

It came out before No Line and I ended thinking that the couple breaking up in Disappearing Act could be the addicted couple from Moment of Surrender, and then after the breakup the guy is suicidal in Unknown Caller. I made up the connection and enjoyed it ever since. I still listen to Stand Up Comedy and Crazy Tonight but only once in a while.

 

[purpleblackeye]

That perfectly captures my thoughts on SOI.

To me this part in Iris was one of the more emotional and touching moments from U2 in a long time. Incredible lyrics.

The stars are bright
But do they know
The universe is beautiful but cold
You took me by the hand
I thought that I was leading you
But it was you made me your man
Machine, I dream where you are
Iris standing in the hall
She tells me I can do it all
Iris wakes to my nightmares
Don’t fear the world
It isn't there

Iris playing on the Strand
She buries the boy beneath the sand
Iris says that I will be the death of her
It was not me

Iris, Iris
She said free yourself to be yourself
If only you could see yourself
Free yourself to be yourself
If only you could see

 

[womanfish]

That perfectly captures my thoughts on SOI.

To me this part in Iris was one of the more emotional and touching moments from U2 in a long time. Incredible lyrics.

The stars are bright
But do they know
The universe is beautiful but cold
You took me by the hand
I thought that I was leading you
But it was you made me your man
Machine, I dream where you are
Iris standing in the hall
She tells me I can do it all
Iris wakes to my nightmares
Don’t fear the world
It isn't there

Iris playing on the Strand
She buries the boy beneath the sand
Iris says that I will be the death of her
It was not me

Iris, Iris
She said free yourself to be yourself
If only you could see yourself
Free yourself to be yourself
If only you could see

Really beautiful stuff.

For all the standard complaints we give about this band, SOI really avoided most of them in my opinion (other than leading with a mediocre rock song)

Track names were quite strong and lyrics were really well done. Songs didn’t feel stilted. (Maybe a little on SFS , although pretty good lyrics)

Even the poppiest song, California had some really deep, affecting lyrics

I didn't call you
Words can scare a thought away
Everyone’s a star in our town
It’s just your light gets dimmer
If you have to stay
In your bedroom, in a mirror
Watching yourself cry like a baby
California, blood orange sunset
Brings you to your knees
I've seen for myself
There’s no end to grief
That’s how I know

That’s how I know
And why I need to know
That there is no
Yeah, there is no end to love

 

[ChurchBay]

Really beautiful stuff.

For all the standard complaints we give about this band, SOI really avoided most of them in my opinion (other than leading with a mediocre rock song)

Track names were quite strong and lyrics were really well done. Songs didn’t feel stilted. (Maybe a little on SFS , although pretty good lyrics)

Even the poppiest song, California had some really deep, affecting lyrics

I didn't call you
Words can scare a thought away
Everyone’s a star in our town
It’s just your light gets dimmer
If you have to stay
In your bedroom, in a mirror
Watching yourself cry like a baby
California, blood orange sunset
Brings you to your knees
I've seen for myself
There’s no end to grief
That’s how I know

That’s how I know
And why I need to know
That there is no
Yeah, there is no end to love

Probably the worst produced song in U2's history. Sounded like a demo at best. Could have been a pop single if it was reworked and produced to a higher standard. Granted, some will say the song was bad enough that it could never be produced to a good standard but when I first listened to it I remember thinking it was quite catchy and not catchy in a bad way.

 

[Airseven]

California is atrocious on all levels. Iris is just boring. Woahahahahaha

 

[U2freakboy]

California is atrocious on all levels. Iris is just boring. Woahahahahaha

I would rank California in their top 5 best songs of the 2000's and Iris in the top 10. I guess this is yet another example of why this band has so much trouble pleasing all their fans.

 

[Scorpionac]

Iris is wonderful. U2's old school, driving, sprawling sound brought back and done right. I'm glad it wasn't edited down to be another 4 min. pop song. Some of the lyrics are a bit eh, but some are very good as well.

California might have been good if it wasn't so damn loud and overbearing. I much prefer the acoustic take, which actually breathes and has a sweet, joyful sound.

 

[purpleblackeye]

I see Airseven is continuing to spread holiday cheer.

SOI has some of Bono’s best lyrics - of any of their albums.

 

[hasin73]

I see Airseven is continuing to spread holiday cheer.

SOI has some of Bono’s best lyrics - of any of their albums.

Exactly. It is my 3rd most favourite album tied with JT. No. 1 & 2 are AB & POP respectively.

 

[purpleblackeye]

Exactly. It is my 3rd most favourite album tied with JT. No. 1 & 2 are AB & POP respectively.

We have the same rankings!

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

SOI is great. Iris is wonderful.

 

[U2387]

I agree about its spirit and somewhat with its daring. I think ATYCLB has its daring parts. They were coming off of POP after all. And it was a very different sound than anything before. Even if it was more... tame.

No line definitely had its daring moments as well.

Bomb, not so much

I’m not sure it’s the daring of SOI I love. But how I think that they finally put together a great hybrid of old and new sounds and made it sound bright and fresh. And added some new sounds to the pallet.

Completely agree on all of this. Especially SOI. Old and new were blended well, a little new ground was broken and the whole thing sounded energetic, vital and cohesive.

They pulled off something that was not at all easy in that stage of their career.

It’s been out over three years but to me SOI never gets boring. I think you described it well. I might be coming from a different place than most with SOE. SOI sets a high bar. I think most reviewers will have the mindset that “well it’s better than SOI at least...”

That's the thing with these reviews. I personally, and I think a lot of fans, set a high bar to clear with SOI. However, most reviewers and a lot of the general public look at it as the I Phone album with that single about Joey Ramone or whatever else Bono was droning on about. So when I see "better than SOI" I want to think we're in for a masterpiece. However, I have to remind myself that most of these reviewers are setting a bar so low that clearing it is almost a given.

Part of the reason it's hard to get an accurate picture from reviews this time.

In some ways, the sporadic use of snare drums and general percussion - as well as industrial guitar - of Achtung Baby harkens back to the spirit of War, albeit on a much grander and complex scale. Like a spliced up, funked up, electro-War, if that makes any sense. War scratches at some of the romanticism more profoundly explored on Achtung Baby as well, though not on such a personal level (a much broader, sort of wide-eyed romanticism). There is a sort of romantically personal, almost furious furver, found on Achtung Baby that mimics the romantic - yet furious - somewhat politically driven furver found on War. There is definitely a connection between the two albums that runs deeper than simply the band that made them. I believe this is the element - the urgency behind that romantic ferver - that so many U2 fans seem to be missing with the post-2000s U2.

WOW! What an excellent analysis of the similarities between what, in my mind, are 2 of the 3 U2 masterpieces. The other being JT. I never viewed the albums as connected by any more than the 4 guys who made them and the very, very broad sounds and themes their career has explored. This really is a perfect, concise connection of the 2!

 

[U2girl]

Volcano whoops American Soul. Don’t hate American Soul, but at the bottom of the pack of what we’ve heard so far.

I like both. Anyone listened to Volcano and A. Soul in a row ?

The bridge in Volcano >>>> bridge in American soul, "You and I are rock and roll" chorus works better in A. Soul - somehow it goes along with the lyric where in Volcano it ruined the song, Volcano's bass is great - A. Soul verses are some of Edge's finest work in years.

That said the verses, in particular that first minute or so in A. Soul, smoke the verses in Volcano. It should be a monster live.

 

[travelleru2]

I like both. Anyone listened to Volcano and A. Soul in a row ?



The bridge in Volcano >>>> bridge in American soul, "You and I are rock and roll" chorus works better in A. Soul - somehow it goes along with the lyric where in Volcano it ruined the song, Volcano's bass is great - A. Soul verses are some of Edge's finest work in years.



That said the verses, in particular that first minute or so in A. Soul, smoke the verses in Volcano. It should be a monster live.

The first verse is grooving.

 

[rennowba]

You like Stand Up Comedy, Crazy, and Boots, more than Winter and Soon??

It was more the "if you replaced these 3 with those 3 the record would be up there with zooropa and unforgettable fire(I think that was one) that's the bit I totally disagree with. Everyone has different opinions though

 

[atomicblade]

I like both. Anyone listened to Volcano and A. Soul in a row ?

The bridge in Volcano >>>> bridge in American soul, "You and I are rock and roll" chorus works better in A. Soul - somehow it goes along with the lyric where in Volcano it ruined the song, Volcano's bass is great - A. Soul verses are some of Edge's finest work in years.

That said the verses, in particular that first minute or so in A. Soul, smoke the verses in Volcano. It should be a monster live.

Pretty much agree with this! I find American Soul a far more exciting song! I like Volcano too but prefer AS.

 

[danm]

For me it’s the chorus that lets down Volcano.

 

[CosmoKramer]

Another fan of 13!

 

[The Slow Loris]

When are we going to hear about the bonus track, 'Book of Your Heart'??! That one is apparebtly has an amazing buildup and old school Bono singing toward the end.

 

[womanfish]

When are we going to hear about the bonus track, 'Book of Your Heart'??! That one is apparebtly has an amazing buildup and old school Bono singing toward the end.

The Sean O’ Enigma guy on Twitter gave his impressions a few weeks ago

 

[lazarus]

When are we going to hear about the bonus track, 'Book of Your Heart'??! That one is apparebtly has an amazing buildup and old school Bono singing toward the end.

When are you going to stop talking about it and asking rhetorical questions?

 

[Frenchie44]

Sunday Times author who interviewed Bono thinks track "Lights from home" is terrific. Great interview by the way about mortality, way people will remember him etc.

 

[cseggleton]

View attachment 11582



Another fan of 13!

I think U2 are fans of Stranger Things!

 

[The Slow Loris]

When are you going to stop talking about it and asking rhetorical questions?

When someone like Womanfish (thankyou Womanfish) answers the question. By the way Lazurus, you're full of good vibes.

 

[The Slow Loris]

Completely agree on all of this. Especially SOI. Old and new were blended well, a little new ground was broken and the whole thing sounded energetic, vital and cohesive.

They pulled off something that was not at all easy in that stage of their career.



That's the thing with these reviews. I personally, and I think a lot of fans, set a high bar to clear with SOI. However, most reviewers and a lot of the general public look at it as the I Phone album with that single about Joey Ramone or whatever else Bono was droning on about. So when I see "better than SOI" I want to think we're in for a masterpiece. However, I have to remind myself that most of these reviewers are setting a bar so low that clearing it is almost a given.

Part of the reason it's hard to get an accurate picture from reviews this time.



WOW! What an excellent analysis of the similarities between what, in my mind, are 2 of the 3 U2 masterpieces. The other being JT. I never viewed the albums as connected by any more than the 4 guys who made them and the very, very broad sounds and themes their career has explored. This really is a perfect, concise connection of the 2!

Thanks, U22837! Much appreciated! I just always felt a connection there between War and AB, but had never tried to articulate it before. I think there's also a connection between some songs on the Unforgettable Fire album and Achtung Baby as well. The poetic landscape of So Cruel and Wild Horses (the bridge of, "Heaven's white rose and the river laughing at you and me," for example) is painted by some of the same colours found in Promenade and the Umforgettable Fire title track.... Achtung Baby is almost like a hybrid of War and The Unforgettable Fire if those early pilgrims had grown up in Manchester is the early 90s...

 

[The Slow Loris]

The Sean O’ Enigma guy on Twitter gave his impressions a few weeks ago

Thanks Womanfish It'll be interesting to see how different this track is to the rest of the album!

 

[lazarus]

When someone like Womanfish (thankyou Womanfish) answers the question.

Thanks Womanfish It'll be interesting to see how different this track is to the rest of the album!

You overdo everything, apparently.

 

[The Slow Loris]

It was more the "if you replaced these 3 with those 3 the record would be up there with zooropa and unforgettable fire(I think that was one) that's the bit I totally disagree with. Everyone has different opinions though

Ah, fair enough. NLOTH was to me a modern day Zooropa with some of the poetic flair of the Unforgettable Fire (especially if it had included Winter and Soon)...

The Unforgettable Fire (even Joshua Tree cinamatography)...

The yellow sun
Well, it took the hand
Of a country boy
To a city in a far-off land

We made no mark
No shadow at all
On the ancient, holy streets
Where I learned to crawl

The broken and the bruised
The young and the used
The sure and confused
All here...


The silence in the foreign ground
Listening to the thunder
The sky is strange
Stretched over everyone



And Zooropa-esque philosophical sloganeering...

Sing yourself on down the street
Sing yourself right off your feet
Sing yourself away from victory
And from defeat

Sing yourself with fife and drum
Sing yourself to overcome
The thought that someone has lost
And someone else has won...

 

[The Slow Loris]

You overdo everything, apparently.

What? Perhaps Womanfish didn't see my thanking her in YOUR post...so can you please stop poo-pooing on posts for no reason? Or are you like this in real life, too?