Songs of Experience - 1 Year Later

[lazarus]

My current SOE playlist is different from what I proposed 18 months ago. I was adamant before about switching Lights of Home and Love Is Bigger, because I was so frustrated that the latter's outro didn't go on long enough for a show-stopper, whereas Lights of Home has that longer, Hey Jude-esque outro.

But after further consideration, Lights of Home is much more of a mission statement, or more to the point, it tells the story of Bono's bike accident and having to come to terms with dying. This crisis hovered like a spectre over the sessions (and a lot of the subsequent material) so it makes sense to put it at the beginning (not to mention that Love Is Bigger is a really strong credo to leave the listener with at the end).

My one caveat, that I know a lot of people share, is that the album version doesn't quite have enough impact. I think the vocal melody is a little too staccato and not engaging enough for the first proper song on the album. So I'm using the String Version, which at least gives it more gravitas.

The only song I actively hate is Get Out, so I removed everything up until right where the guitar part that accompanies Kendrick's vocal starts, and it actually sounds totally normal as an intro to American Soul. I labeled it "Preacher's Blessing".

1. Love Is All
2. Lights of Home (St. Peter's String Version)
3. Best Thing
4. The Showman
(Preacher's Blessing)
5. American Soul
6. The Blackout
7. Summer of Love
8. Red Flag Day
9. Landlady
10. Book Of Your Heart
11. Little Things
12. Love Is Bigger
13. There Is A Light

I tried to make sure there weren't any wild stylistic variances from song to song, so it flows nicely. And in terms of lyrical content, I grouped the more personal songs at the beginning (Lights-Best Thing-Showman), then went into a political section (Soul-Blackout-Summer-Red Flag) for the middle, and then back to the personal for the last third (Landlady-Book-Little Things-Bigger-Light).

I know some people really dislike The Showman, but if you're not going to cut it, it's ridiculous to have that catchy/poppy of a song buried in the second half, so I gave it a more prominent placement. Mikal said above that Book Of Your Heart doesn't fit anywhere, but Landlady does have a spacey sound and a keyboard backing which I think goes into Book's pulsating electronic style well, and then Book's ending with Bono's dramatic vocal and that little beeping matches the processed/muffled beat at the beginning of Little Things.

Give it a try.

[allaras]

I loved Experience and had it on repeat for a month. I haven’t listened to it since. Sad.

[MissCandyGirl]

I shall be listening to "Songs Of Experience" soon. I love all the albums [that I've listened to] of U2. These are:

1. Achtung Baby
2. Pop
3. The Best Of 1980 - 1990
4. The Best Of 1990 - 2000
5. How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
6. Songs Of Innocence
7. All That You Can't Leave Behind

I love all these albums, but no. 7 is my favourite. It speaks from Bono's heart and just is emotional and heartfelt. My absolute favourite by U2. I am going to be listening to their entire catalogue, too. And that is in no way boring.

[DaveC]

okay now i'm 100% convinced this has to be an alter.

[LuckyNumber7]

Deems do some digging

[lazarus]

Originally Posted by DaveC

okay now i'm 100% convinced this has to be an alter.

Yeah, this is one giant troll.

[Hewson]

Originally Posted by DaveC

okay now i'm 100% convinced this has to be an alter.

No question.

Claims to be from London, but local time is Central time zone. London, Illinois by way of Atlanta, Germany perhaps?

[DaveC]

i have a strong feeling of who it is but i don't want to say because i don't really have any solid evidence.

[mikal]

If it’s Redhill, that would be grand bitchin!

[marik]

Remember after SOI when Bono was hyping SOE to come, he talked about a new format-changer technology they were working on (hinted that it was along with Apple) for SOE that would change how albums are experienced and tracked (at the time, it sounded to me like viewable artwork along with the audio, and/or something about each listen being tracked (aka streaming) for smaller bands to use to figure out their demographic etc).

.........

[superchuk5]

Originally Posted by marik

Remember after SOI when Bono was hyping SOE to come, he talked about a new format-changer technology they were working on (hinted that it was along with Apple) for SOE that would change how albums are experienced and tracked (at the time, it sounded to me like viewable artwork along with the audio, and/or something about each listen being tracked (aka streaming) for smaller bands to use to figure out their demographic etc).

.........

They must have hidden that with the HBO documentary they announced alongside I+E Live in Paris

[lazarus]

Speaking of I+E live in Paris, whatever happened to E+I live in Berlin?

I can understand why the home video release of JT30 was delayed (you don't want to give Oceania and Asia a reason to skip seeing the show in person), but surely the window on SOE interest isn't staying open indefinitely.

It makes no sense to me why E+I didn't come out earlier this year. They were doing nothing for 6 months in 2019 before this tour extension/reboot/desperation jukebox was announced.

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Originally Posted by lazarus

Speaking of I+E live in Paris, whatever happened to E+I live in Berlin?

I can understand why the home video release of JT30 was delayed (you don't want to give Oceania and Asia a reason to skip seeing the show in person), but surely the window on SOE interest isn't staying open indefinitely.

It makes no sense to me why E+I didn't come out earlier this year. They were doing nothing for 6 months in 2019 before this tour extension/reboot/desperation jukebox was announced.

Because they don't want to release it prior to the announcement of next year's e+I+a tour

[lazarus]

SOA winds up getting delayed 3 years after Trump's re-election so the band can make sure the material is POLITICALLY RELEVANT.

 

Muldfield

[lazarus]

...

[Iggy Fizz]

Originally Posted by lazarus

Speaking of I+E live in Paris, whatever happened to E+I live in Berlin?

I can understand why the home video release of JT30 was delayed (you don't want to give Oceania and Asia a reason to skip seeing the show in person), but surely the window on SOE interest isn't staying open indefinitely.

It makes no sense to me why E+I didn't come out earlier this year. They were doing nothing for 6 months in 2019 before this tour extension/reboot/desperation jukebox was announced.

recall that the 360 Rose Bowl video was delayed significantly because of editing issues, or something like that. and instead of ultimately getting a great video that benefitted from the extra production time, instead we got a shit, lame DVD that cut the opening song of the show. A disgrace.

these guys can't stop twittling with anything. in the search for perfection they suck the life out of their albums, too many of their live shows and as of late their video releases as well.

meanwhile, other bands are out there releasing huge amounts of their live catalogues - warts and all - because that's part of the live experience... and U2 do the opposite.... it's depressing...

ok, rant over.

[zoocarolina]

Originally Posted by marik

Remember after SOI when Bono was hyping SOE to come, he talked about a new format-changer technology they were working on (hinted that it was along with Apple) for SOE that would change how albums are experienced and tracked (at the time, it sounded to me like viewable artwork along with the audio, and/or something about each listen being tracked (aka streaming) for smaller bands to use to figure out their demographic etc).

.........

Yup, still waiting for whatever that was/is, Bono never exaggerates now does he.

[lazarus]

Originally Posted by Iggy Fizz

recall that the 360 Rose Bowl video was delayed significantly because of editing issues, or something like that. and instead of ultimately getting a great video that benefitted from the extra production time, instead we got a shit, lame DVD that cut the opening song of the show. A disgrace.

these guys can't stop twittling with anything. in the search for perfection they suck the life out of their albums, too many of their live shows and as of late their video releases as well.

meanwhile, other bands are out there releasing huge amounts of their live catalogues - warts and all - because that's part of the live experience... and U2 do the opposite.... it's depressing...

ok, rant over.

I think you often go overboard with your criticisms, but you're right on the money here. I never thought Breathe was a good opener, but you'd think they'd have the courage of their convictions and not drop it from the official release. What idiocy.

[Iggy Fizz]

I have been accused of worse...

what got me thinking more about the frustrating U2 approach to everything (over-production, copy/paste live shows, holding back old live recordings) was this article on Neil Young.... a fascinating read.... I love his philosophy on music and you can almost hear his disdain for much of the modern music industry (incuding U2, but not specifically called out) flow through the article.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/20/m...sultPosition=1

[AndrewCowley]

Originally Posted by lazarus

I think you often go overboard with your criticisms, but you're right on the money here. I never thought Breathe was a good opener, but you'd think they'd have the courage of their convictions and not drop it from the official release. What idiocy.

I was thinking, which (if any) of their live concert releases are not unaltered or copy and pasted in some way. Only one I can think of is Mexico PopMart.

It is just their way and it’s not going to change.