I'm sorry, did I imagine those four times I played the album in full?
Songs of Experience 37 - now with bonus orchestra
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I'm sorry, did I imagine those four times I played the album in full?
hasin73
Refugee
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.
kiwilad
Refugee
I'll add another plug for 13. Was just happy it wasn't a simple Song for Someone clone at first.
But over time I've picked up the melody and lyrics, and it's the song I find myself humming and singing the most.
It's very subtle, but really it's pretty well executed.
I'd prefer Edge to have added something guitary, but otherwise I think it's very very good.
But over time I've picked up the melody and lyrics, and it's the song I find myself humming and singing the most.
It's very subtle, but really it's pretty well executed.
I'd prefer Edge to have added something guitary, but otherwise I think it's very very good.
kiwilad
Refugee
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.
An Cat Gav
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
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.
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.
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.
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
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.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.
Didn't seem to matter on Joshua Tree or Zooropa.
trevgreg
Rock n' Roll Doggie
The album format was a tad more popular back then.
What does that have to do with anything?
If the issue is with streaming, and thus shuffling, it doesn't matter where on a track list a song is placed...
trevgreg
Rock n' Roll Doggie
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.
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.
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The point of getting the album in as many libraries as possible was so that songs would randomly pop up in people's shuffle... it was also to introduce the music to people who wouldn't otherwise buy a U2 album, or didn't necessarily know much about the band.
So in all of those examples, changing the first track to something more U2ey is irrelevant.
I'm not saying my theory on the closing tracks is definitely correct... but if they moved Reach Me because the intro was too long, or they thought it boring, well... that's pretty stupid
super fly guy
New Yorker
This album is still a winner for me,sure there are a couple of weaker songs but overall I still love it. Played American soul to my brother who is a big gnr fan. Says it sounded like shacklers revenge,not hearing it myself!
corianderstem
Blue Crack Distributor
Can't you just ignore her instead of insisting on posting poop emojis after each of her posts? Don't be mean, yo.
CosmoKramer
Rock n' Roll Doggie
- Joined
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I like U2Girl and never understood the hate she receives from many here.
With that said, Headache has single handedly made today 10x better now that the preview picture for this thread is a GIF of a giant smiling walking piece of shit...
It's one of the most boring, go-nowhere songs U2 have ever written. It's also the one instance where the self-plagiarism bothers me. I may not like American Soul but from the outset I had no problem with the reuse of Volcano (I just wished they'd reused something worth reusing). Iris in Lights of Home is done even better. But this is awful, it's just a couple of new verses and even less interesting music shoehorned around Song for Someone. They should've just called it SFS II: More Boring for Someone.
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.
Yep. U2 have usually been very good at closers. But this one is a real snoozer, and Love Is Bigger or Little Things are both clearly better choices even if you rate 13.
Because her takes are usually dreadful?
Rachel D.
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
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
Rachel D.
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
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.
dan_smee
ONE love, blood, life
dan_smee
ONE love, blood, life
The member for New Zeangland?
On the topic though - Ax has been more than willing to stand up for Songs he likes in the face of popular opinion - people should just own their opinions and leave others alone for theirs.
hasin73
Refugee
SOE resonated with me from the very first listen and it just increased with each listen. If it doesn't connect with you that's alright. It's your opinion. But it doesn't count for others who have found profound and meaningful connection with the album's lyrics. One such song is 13 which many of us love. Deal with it, General.
kiwilad
Refugee
The melody, Private Cranky, the melody.
A Sort of Homecoming, that opening line, 'so you know it's time to go'. Those notes, in that order, repeat constantly throughout the song. It's great, but it isn't rocket science.
In 13 the verse melody isn't one repeating motif like that. It's a winding, flowing whole, more a narrative.
I wouldn't call 13 a masterpiece. But it's beautiful and heavy.
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