SOE 35 - it’s finally here, let the debate on how good/bad it is begin!

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I have a much different take on tracks 3 through 5 than most here… I think Best Thing and Get Out absolutely belong on this record, and fit and flow well. The two tracks that I think stick out, thematically, are an obvious and not so obvious choice – American Soul and Summer of Love. Now I don’t hate American Soul as much as others, and I think Summer of Love is a great tune – but they’re both clearly about current events, whereas the rest of the album is incredibly personal in nature.

The first two tracks floor me in every possible way. This is the strongest 1-2 punch from a U2 album since Achtung Baby. First with Love Is All We Have Left – an ethereal song about one’s own mortality. But Lights of Home (and btw I’ll differ again in that I MUCH prefer the album version to the strings version, which doesn’t work for me) is where it really kicks in, especially when you tie it back to Iris. This song could go so many different ways in interpretation (Bono’s best lyrics always do) – but I think this is Bono contemplating death, the afterlife, and if his mom will recognize him in heaven. He references the bike crash pretty directly here…
“shouldn’t be here ‘cause I should be dead”…
”thought my head was harder than ground”…
“hey, I’ve been waiting to get home a long time…”
“do you know my name? … in your eyes I see it, the lights of home”

Then with the callback to Iris… specifically a part that was written as if it was Bono’s mom talking to him “see yourself to be yourself”… almost as if his mom is calling down to him telling him he’s going to be okay.

And with this thought, Best Thing makes much more sense… especially the start… “when you look so good, the pain in your face doesn’t show”. Very tongue and cheek reference to his cracked face. This life altering event took place, and now he’s reflecting back.

Get Out has always been more personal in nature than political… and I’ve changed my mind about who the letter is written to. I don’t think it’s a letter to his daughters (nor did I ever think it was a silly letter to America). I think it’s a letter to himself. The Kendrick Lamar part actually makes significantly more sense when you look at the song this way.

American Soul is where it changes… but I guess when you consider Bono and how politically active he is it’s hard to think of him not dragging politics into it somehow. As I said earlier, I don’t hate American Soul as much as many… but if there’s a clunker, this is it. I’d have been happy if the political diversion was left at Summer of Love.

Summer of Love is a terrific tune – thematically it doesn’t fit the album, but it would have been a shame to have left it out. It also is one of those lyrics that people could see as a love song rather than a song about Aleppo, so it works better than American Soul in that vein.

Red Flag Day is a nice transition out of the political diversion – I can see it as a song about refugees fleeing Syria, but I can also see it as a song about Ali – with a little tie back to Every Breaking Wave “I’ll meet you where the waves are breaking”. Another one of Bono’s lyrics that can be read in different ways.

The Showman & The Little Things That Give You Away are partners. Showman is the upbeat, tongue and cheek critique of singers – a self-deprecating look at Bono’s struggles. I do wonder if Bono maybe struggled with depression – and that’s tied into this mysterious ailment that nobody seems to want to talk about. Showman talks about being up late at night, unable to sleep - which ties directly to Little Things, which is absolutely gorgeous and a stunner. I absolutely think this one is also autobiographical – with younger Bono talking to current self through the first half, and then the “sometimes…” part is the current Bono talking about his inner demons. The end… “the pane of glass shatters, and you’re the only thing that matters, but I can’t see you through the tears…” is now about Ali helping him get through these demons.

Which comes into Landlady… a beautiful take on coming to the realization that you’ve been taking your loved one for granted. I think it’s intentional that this is the start of “part 3” of the album and not merely a timing thing. This is now the letters to his loved ones part of the album.

I don’t see Blackout as political whatsoever. Sure, maybe he tweaked a lyric to make it have multiple meetings, but Blackout is Bono’s letter to the Adam, Larry and Edge – their struggle for late career relevance and the missteps (see Songs of Innocence & Apple), the uncertainty over Bono’s future (be it from the bike crash or whatever other incident may have occurred... when the lights go out could be taken literally about bono’s noggin or metaphorically about celebrity) … but don’t you ever doubt the light that we can really be.

Love Is Bigger is to his kids. This is the cliché’ song, but the music and message is beautiful and it works.

13 I think is current Bono writing a letter to himself – specifically his 13 year old self, the last year of his life before his mom died and his life turned upside down, and this whole crazy journey started.

This is a terrific album – musically and lyrically. It’s been a long time since they’ve put out something this cohesive from top to bottom. As good as Songs of Innocence was, it never had that “magic” that really good U2 albums have. It’s as if it was polished away in the studio. This also seems like one work, built from the group up with a mission and theme and that they stuck with it, as opposed to the disjointed nature of Innocence and No Line On The Horizon, where the split in producers, where they knew they were going to go in a different direction, is evident and brings down both works.

This is a deep and dark album, but not depressingly so, with touches of joy throughout. It reconnects with the ethereal/classic U2 sound without being derivative, remaining fresh and modern sounding. There are warts, but they’re fewer and further between than the past two works.

As for criticisms? Yea, American Soul sticks out as the clunker of the bunch, but it’s not as bad as a Boots or Stand Up Comedy. I also think that Bono’s voice sounds so good that they probably did a lot of studio magic on it, and I’m not sure how some of the songs will translate live (Love Is Bigger, for example). And the single choices aren’t reflective of the album at all (even though I think Best Things and Get Out work well on the album). If they needed an uptempo number for the first single, Lights of Home or Red Flag Day would have been my choices. Alas… I’m hoping they really explore some of the tracks beyond Best Thing and Get Out on these upcoming promo appearances (and please god that doesn’t mean American Soul). If it were up to me I’d have them play Little Things and Lights of Home for SNL, and then drop in Best Thing as the “third song during the closing credits” if they get it.

I think I’ve gone on long enough now :reject:



Awesome post.

The more I listen to the album the more I come to think of it as a miracle of sorts. Brilliance born out of so much pain and adversity.
 
I have a much different take on tracks 3 through 5 than most here… I think Best Thing and Get Out absolutely belong on this record, and fit and flow well. The two tracks that I think stick out, thematically, are an obvious and not so obvious choice – American Soul and Summer of Love. Now I don’t hate American Soul as much as others, and I think Summer of Love is a great tune – but they’re both clearly about current events, whereas the rest of the album is incredibly personal in nature.

The first two tracks floor me in every possible way. This is the strongest 1-2 punch from a U2 album since Achtung Baby. First with Love Is All We Have Left – an ethereal song about one’s own mortality. But Lights of Home (and btw I’ll differ again in that I MUCH prefer the album version to the strings version, which doesn’t work for me) is where it really kicks in, especially when you tie it back to Iris. This song could go so many different ways in interpretation (Bono’s best lyrics always do) – but I think this is Bono contemplating death, the afterlife, and if his mom will recognize him in heaven. He references the bike crash pretty directly here…
“shouldn’t be here ‘cause I should be dead”…
”thought my head was harder than ground”…
“hey, I’ve been waiting to get home a long time…”
“do you know my name? … in your eyes I see it, the lights of home”

Then with the callback to Iris… specifically a part that was written as if it was Bono’s mom talking to him “see yourself to be yourself”… almost as if his mom is calling down to him telling him he’s going to be okay.

And with this thought, Best Thing makes much more sense… especially the start… “when you look so good, the pain in your face doesn’t show”. Very tongue and cheek reference to his cracked face. This life altering event took place, and now he’s reflecting back.

Get Out has always been more personal in nature than political… and I’ve changed my mind about who the letter is written to. I don’t think it’s a letter to his daughters (nor did I ever think it was a silly letter to America). I think it’s a letter to himself. The Kendrick Lamar part actually makes significantly more sense when you look at the song this way.

American Soul is where it changes… but I guess when you consider Bono and how politically active he is it’s hard to think of him not dragging politics into it somehow. As I said earlier, I don’t hate American Soul as much as many… but if there’s a clunker, this is it. I’d have been happy if the political diversion was left at Summer of Love.

Summer of Love is a terrific tune – thematically it doesn’t fit the album, but it would have been a shame to have left it out. It also is one of those lyrics that people could see as a love song rather than a song about Aleppo, so it works better than American Soul in that vein.

Red Flag Day is a nice transition out of the political diversion – I can see it as a song about refugees fleeing Syria, but I can also see it as a song about Ali – with a little tie back to Every Breaking Wave “I’ll meet you where the waves are breaking”. Another one of Bono’s lyrics that can be read in different ways.

The Showman & The Little Things That Give You Away are partners. Showman is the upbeat, tongue and cheek critique of singers – a self-deprecating look at Bono’s struggles. I do wonder if Bono maybe struggled with depression – and that’s tied into this mysterious ailment that nobody seems to want to talk about. Showman talks about being up late at night, unable to sleep - which ties directly to Little Things, which is absolutely gorgeous and a stunner. I absolutely think this one is also autobiographical – with younger Bono talking to current self through the first half, and then the “sometimes…” part is the current Bono talking about his inner demons. The end… “the pane of glass shatters, and you’re the only thing that matters, but I can’t see you through the tears…” is now about Ali helping him get through these demons.

Which comes into Landlady… a beautiful take on coming to the realization that you’ve been taking your loved one for granted. I think it’s intentional that this is the start of “part 3” of the album and not merely a timing thing. This is now the letters to his loved ones part of the album.

I don’t see Blackout as political whatsoever. Sure, maybe he tweaked a lyric to make it have multiple meetings, but Blackout is Bono’s letter to the Adam, Larry and Edge – their struggle for late career relevance and the missteps (see Songs of Innocence & Apple), the uncertainty over Bono’s future (be it from the bike crash or whatever other incident may have occurred... when the lights go out could be taken literally about bono’s noggin or metaphorically about celebrity) … but don’t you ever doubt the light that we can really be.

Love Is Bigger is to his kids. This is the cliché’ song, but the music and message is beautiful and it works.

13 I think is current Bono writing a letter to himself – specifically his 13 year old self, the last year of his life before his mom died and his life turned upside down, and this whole crazy journey started.

This is a terrific album – musically and lyrically. It’s been a long time since they’ve put out something this cohesive from top to bottom. As good as Songs of Innocence was, it never had that “magic” that really good U2 albums have. It’s as if it was polished away in the studio. This also seems like one work, built from the group up with a mission and theme and that they stuck with it, as opposed to the disjointed nature of Innocence and No Line On The Horizon, where the split in producers, where they knew they were going to go in a different direction, is evident and brings down both works.

This is a deep and dark album, but not depressingly so, with touches of joy throughout. It reconnects with the ethereal/classic U2 sound without being derivative, remaining fresh and modern sounding. There are warts, but they’re fewer and further between than the past two works.

As for criticisms? Yea, American Soul sticks out as the clunker of the bunch, but it’s not as bad as a Boots or Stand Up Comedy. I also think that Bono’s voice sounds so good that they probably did a lot of studio magic on it, and I’m not sure how some of the songs will translate live (Love Is Bigger, for example). And the single choices aren’t reflective of the album at all (even though I think Best Things and Get Out work well on the album). If they needed an uptempo number for the first single, Lights of Home or Red Flag Day would have been my choices. Alas… I’m hoping they really explore some of the tracks beyond Best Thing and Get Out on these upcoming promo appearances (and please god that doesn’t mean American Soul). If it were up to me I’d have them play Little Things and Lights of Home for SNL, and then drop in Best Thing as the “third song during the closing credits” if they get it.

I think I’ve gone on long enough now :reject:

:applaud:
 
Beautiful review, Headache. I agree re: most everything, minus finding it hard still not to hear Blackout as Bank of America Bono.

Beautiful album.
 
How did you guys get a hold of the cd quality leak?

edit: Actually don't bother. A simple google search suffices...but I think I'll still wait until Friday.
 
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I have a much different take on tracks 3 through 5 than most here… I think Best Thing and Get Out absolutely belong on this record, and fit and flow well. The two tracks that I think stick out, thematically, are an obvious and not so obvious choice – American Soul and Summer of Love. Now I don’t hate American Soul as much as others, and I think Summer of Love is a great tune – but they’re both clearly about current events, whereas the rest of the album is incredibly personal in nature.

The first two tracks floor me in every possible way. This is the strongest 1-2 punch from a U2 album since Achtung Baby. First with Love Is All We Have Left – an ethereal song about one’s own mortality. But Lights of Home (and btw I’ll differ again in that I MUCH prefer the album version to the strings version, which doesn’t work for me) is where it really kicks in, especially when you tie it back to Iris. This song could go so many different ways in interpretation (Bono’s best lyrics always do) – but I think this is Bono contemplating death, the afterlife, and if his mom will recognize him in heaven. He references the bike crash pretty directly here…
“shouldn’t be here ‘cause I should be dead”…
”thought my head was harder than ground”…
“hey, I’ve been waiting to get home a long time…”
“do you know my name? … in your eyes I see it, the lights of home”

Then with the callback to Iris… specifically a part that was written as if it was Bono’s mom talking to him “see yourself to be yourself”… almost as if his mom is calling down to him telling him he’s going to be okay.

And with this thought, Best Thing makes much more sense… especially the start… “when you look so good, the pain in your face doesn’t show”. Very tongue and cheek reference to his cracked face. This life altering event took place, and now he’s reflecting back.

Get Out has always been more personal in nature than political… and I’ve changed my mind about who the letter is written to. I don’t think it’s a letter to his daughters (nor did I ever think it was a silly letter to America). I think it’s a letter to himself. The Kendrick Lamar part actually makes significantly more sense when you look at the song this way.

American Soul is where it changes… but I guess when you consider Bono and how politically active he is it’s hard to think of him not dragging politics into it somehow. As I said earlier, I don’t hate American Soul as much as many… but if there’s a clunker, this is it. I’d have been happy if the political diversion was left at Summer of Love.

Summer of Love is a terrific tune – thematically it doesn’t fit the album, but it would have been a shame to have left it out. It also is one of those lyrics that people could see as a love song rather than a song about Aleppo, so it works better than American Soul in that vein.

Red Flag Day is a nice transition out of the political diversion – I can see it as a song about refugees fleeing Syria, but I can also see it as a song about Ali – with a little tie back to Every Breaking Wave “I’ll meet you where the waves are breaking”. Another one of Bono’s lyrics that can be read in different ways.

The Showman & The Little Things That Give You Away are partners. Showman is the upbeat, tongue and cheek critique of singers – a self-deprecating look at Bono’s struggles. I do wonder if Bono maybe struggled with depression – and that’s tied into this mysterious ailment that nobody seems to want to talk about. Showman talks about being up late at night, unable to sleep - which ties directly to Little Things, which is absolutely gorgeous and a stunner. I absolutely think this one is also autobiographical – with younger Bono talking to current self through the first half, and then the “sometimes…” part is the current Bono talking about his inner demons. The end… “the pane of glass shatters, and you’re the only thing that matters, but I can’t see you through the tears…” is now about Ali helping him get through these demons.

Which comes into Landlady… a beautiful take on coming to the realization that you’ve been taking your loved one for granted. I think it’s intentional that this is the start of “part 3” of the album and not merely a timing thing. This is now the letters to his loved ones part of the album.

I don’t see Blackout as political whatsoever. Sure, maybe he tweaked a lyric to make it have multiple meetings, but Blackout is Bono’s letter to the Adam, Larry and Edge – their struggle for late career relevance and the missteps (see Songs of Innocence & Apple), the uncertainty over Bono’s future (be it from the bike crash or whatever other incident may have occurred... when the lights go out could be taken literally about bono’s noggin or metaphorically about celebrity) … but don’t you ever doubt the light that we can really be.

Love Is Bigger is to his kids. This is the cliché’ song, but the music and message is beautiful and it works.

13 I think is current Bono writing a letter to himself – specifically his 13 year old self, the last year of his life before his mom died and his life turned upside down, and this whole crazy journey started.

This is a terrific album – musically and lyrically. It’s been a long time since they’ve put out something this cohesive from top to bottom. As good as Songs of Innocence was, it never had that “magic” that really good U2 albums have. It’s as if it was polished away in the studio. This also seems like one work, built from the group up with a mission and theme and that they stuck with it, as opposed to the disjointed nature of Innocence and No Line On The Horizon, where the split in producers, where they knew they were going to go in a different direction, is evident and brings down both works.

This is a deep and dark album, but not depressingly so, with touches of joy throughout. It reconnects with the ethereal/classic U2 sound without being derivative, remaining fresh and modern sounding. There are warts, but they’re fewer and further between than the past two works.

As for criticisms? Yea, American Soul sticks out as the clunker of the bunch, but it’s not as bad as a Boots or Stand Up Comedy. I also think that Bono’s voice sounds so good that they probably did a lot of studio magic on it, and I’m not sure how some of the songs will translate live (Love Is Bigger, for example). And the single choices aren’t reflective of the album at all (even though I think Best Things and Get Out work well on the album). If they needed an uptempo number for the first single, Lights of Home or Red Flag Day would have been my choices. Alas… I’m hoping they really explore some of the tracks beyond Best Thing and Get Out on these upcoming promo appearances (and please god that doesn’t mean American Soul). If it were up to me I’d have them play Little Things and Lights of Home for SNL, and then drop in Best Thing as the “third song during the closing credits” if they get it.

I think I’ve gone on long enough now :reject:

good review, similar to my own thoughts.

i'll get around to posting a review later tonight. I've been trying not to OD on the album yet, but it's tough.
 
I have a much different take on tracks 3 through 5 than most here… I think Best Thing and Get Out absolutely belong on this record, and fit and flow well. The two tracks that I think stick out, thematically, are an obvious and not so obvious choice – American Soul and Summer of Love. Now I don’t hate American Soul as much as others, and I think Summer of Love is a great tune – but they’re both clearly about current events, whereas the rest of the album is incredibly personal in nature.

The first two tracks floor me in every possible way. This is the strongest 1-2 punch from a U2 album since Achtung Baby. First with Love Is All We Have Left – an ethereal song about one’s own mortality. But Lights of Home (and btw I’ll differ again in that I MUCH prefer the album version to the strings version, which doesn’t work for me) is where it really kicks in, especially when you tie it back to Iris. This song could go so many different ways in interpretation (Bono’s best lyrics always do) – but I think this is Bono contemplating death, the afterlife, and if his mom will recognize him in heaven. He references the bike crash pretty directly here…
“shouldn’t be here ‘cause I should be dead”…
”thought my head was harder than ground”…
“hey, I’ve been waiting to get home a long time…”
“do you know my name? … in your eyes I see it, the lights of home”

Then with the callback to Iris… specifically a part that was written as if it was Bono’s mom talking to him “see yourself to be yourself”… almost as if his mom is calling down to him telling him he’s going to be okay.

And with this thought, Best Thing makes much more sense… especially the start… “when you look so good, the pain in your face doesn’t show”. Very tongue and cheek reference to his cracked face. This life altering event took place, and now he’s reflecting back.

Get Out has always been more personal in nature than political… and I’ve changed my mind about who the letter is written to. I don’t think it’s a letter to his daughters (nor did I ever think it was a silly letter to America). I think it’s a letter to himself. The Kendrick Lamar part actually makes significantly more sense when you look at the song this way.

American Soul is where it changes… but I guess when you consider Bono and how politically active he is it’s hard to think of him not dragging politics into it somehow. As I said earlier, I don’t hate American Soul as much as many… but if there’s a clunker, this is it. I’d have been happy if the political diversion was left at Summer of Love.

Summer of Love is a terrific tune – thematically it doesn’t fit the album, but it would have been a shame to have left it out. It also is one of those lyrics that people could see as a love song rather than a song about Aleppo, so it works better than American Soul in that vein.

Red Flag Day is a nice transition out of the political diversion – I can see it as a song about refugees fleeing Syria, but I can also see it as a song about Ali – with a little tie back to Every Breaking Wave “I’ll meet you where the waves are breaking”. Another one of Bono’s lyrics that can be read in different ways.

The Showman & The Little Things That Give You Away are partners. Showman is the upbeat, tongue and cheek critique of singers – a self-deprecating look at Bono’s struggles. I do wonder if Bono maybe struggled with depression – and that’s tied into this mysterious ailment that nobody seems to want to talk about. Showman talks about being up late at night, unable to sleep - which ties directly to Little Things, which is absolutely gorgeous and a stunner. I absolutely think this one is also autobiographical – with younger Bono talking to current self through the first half, and then the “sometimes…” part is the current Bono talking about his inner demons. The end… “the pane of glass shatters, and you’re the only thing that matters, but I can’t see you through the tears…” is now about Ali helping him get through these demons.

Which comes into Landlady… a beautiful take on coming to the realization that you’ve been taking your loved one for granted. I think it’s intentional that this is the start of “part 3” of the album and not merely a timing thing. This is now the letters to his loved ones part of the album.

I don’t see Blackout as political whatsoever. Sure, maybe he tweaked a lyric to make it have multiple meetings, but Blackout is Bono’s letter to the Adam, Larry and Edge – their struggle for late career relevance and the missteps (see Songs of Innocence & Apple), the uncertainty over Bono’s future (be it from the bike crash or whatever other incident may have occurred... when the lights go out could be taken literally about bono’s noggin or metaphorically about celebrity) … but don’t you ever doubt the light that we can really be.

Love Is Bigger is to his kids. This is the cliché’ song, but the music and message is beautiful and it works.

13 I think is current Bono writing a letter to himself – specifically his 13 year old self, the last year of his life before his mom died and his life turned upside down, and this whole crazy journey started.

This is a terrific album – musically and lyrically. It’s been a long time since they’ve put out something this cohesive from top to bottom. As good as Songs of Innocence was, it never had that “magic” that really good U2 albums have. It’s as if it was polished away in the studio. This also seems like one work, built from the group up with a mission and theme and that they stuck with it, as opposed to the disjointed nature of Innocence and No Line On The Horizon, where the split in producers, where they knew they were going to go in a different direction, is evident and brings down both works.

This is a deep and dark album, but not depressingly so, with touches of joy throughout. It reconnects with the ethereal/classic U2 sound without being derivative, remaining fresh and modern sounding. There are warts, but they’re fewer and further between than the past two works.

As for criticisms? Yea, American Soul sticks out as the clunker of the bunch, but it’s not as bad as a Boots or Stand Up Comedy. I also think that Bono’s voice sounds so good that they probably did a lot of studio magic on it, and I’m not sure how some of the songs will translate live (Love Is Bigger, for example). And the single choices aren’t reflective of the album at all (even though I think Best Things and Get Out work well on the album). If they needed an uptempo number for the first single, Lights of Home or Red Flag Day would have been my choices. Alas… I’m hoping they really explore some of the tracks beyond Best Thing and Get Out on these upcoming promo appearances (and please god that doesn’t mean American Soul). If it were up to me I’d have them play Little Things and Lights of Home for SNL, and then drop in Best Thing as the “third song during the closing credits” if they get it.

I think I’ve gone on long enough now :reject:

This is the post I've been waiting for from you! Great read. And really good insights. It has helped me to appreciate Lights to Home even more. The last "chorus" section didn't sit well with me at first, but now i see it as the most important part.

I also think TBT and Get Out are perfectly comfortable on this album, and TBT continues to surprise me, in just how good a song it is.

Same feeling on American Soul. Probably a 6 out of 10 for me. But if that is the rock bottom worst song on the album. That is saying something.

If anything, after repeated listens, I'm liking songs more and not less. Showman is growing on me slowly, Lights is climbing, 13 is skyrocketing up, and I somehow am liking Landlady even more than i did initially. And I loved it off the bat.


Hopefully in the next week, i can do a proper full review, maybe after the first and everyone has heard the album, and i have been able to sit with it for a while.
 
I have a much different take on tracks 3 through 5 than most here… I think Best Thing and Get Out absolutely belong on this record, and fit and flow well. The two tracks that I think stick out, thematically, are an obvious and not so obvious choice – American Soul and Summer of Love. Now I don’t hate American Soul as much as others, and I think Summer of Love is a great tune – but they’re both clearly about current events, whereas the rest of the album is incredibly personal in nature.

The first two tracks floor me in every possible way. This is the strongest 1-2 punch from a U2 album since Achtung Baby. First with Love Is All We Have Left – an ethereal song about one’s own mortality. But Lights of Home (and btw I’ll differ again in that I MUCH prefer the album version to the strings version, which doesn’t work for me) is where it really kicks in, especially when you tie it back to Iris. This song could go so many different ways in interpretation (Bono’s best lyrics always do) – but I think this is Bono contemplating death, the afterlife, and if his mom will recognize him in heaven. He references the bike crash pretty directly here…
“shouldn’t be here ‘cause I should be dead”…
”thought my head was harder than ground”…
“hey, I’ve been waiting to get home a long time…”
“do you know my name? … in your eyes I see it, the lights of home”

Then with the callback to Iris… specifically a part that was written as if it was Bono’s mom talking to him “see yourself to be yourself”… almost as if his mom is calling down to him telling him he’s going to be okay.

And with this thought, Best Thing makes much more sense… especially the start… “when you look so good, the pain in your face doesn’t show”. Very tongue and cheek reference to his cracked face. This life altering event took place, and now he’s reflecting back.

Get Out has always been more personal in nature than political… and I’ve changed my mind about who the letter is written to. I don’t think it’s a letter to his daughters (nor did I ever think it was a silly letter to America). I think it’s a letter to himself. The Kendrick Lamar part actually makes significantly more sense when you look at the song this way.

American Soul is where it changes… but I guess when you consider Bono and how politically active he is it’s hard to think of him not dragging politics into it somehow. As I said earlier, I don’t hate American Soul as much as many… but if there’s a clunker, this is it. I’d have been happy if the political diversion was left at Summer of Love.

Summer of Love is a terrific tune – thematically it doesn’t fit the album, but it would have been a shame to have left it out. It also is one of those lyrics that people could see as a love song rather than a song about Aleppo, so it works better than American Soul in that vein.

Red Flag Day is a nice transition out of the political diversion – I can see it as a song about refugees fleeing Syria, but I can also see it as a song about Ali – with a little tie back to Every Breaking Wave “I’ll meet you where the waves are breaking”. Another one of Bono’s lyrics that can be read in different ways.

The Showman & The Little Things That Give You Away are partners. Showman is the upbeat, tongue and cheek critique of singers – a self-deprecating look at Bono’s struggles. I do wonder if Bono maybe struggled with depression – and that’s tied into this mysterious ailment that nobody seems to want to talk about. Showman talks about being up late at night, unable to sleep - which ties directly to Little Things, which is absolutely gorgeous and a stunner. I absolutely think this one is also autobiographical – with younger Bono talking to current self through the first half, and then the “sometimes…” part is the current Bono talking about his inner demons. The end… “the pane of glass shatters, and you’re the only thing that matters, but I can’t see you through the tears…” is now about Ali helping him get through these demons.

Which comes into Landlady… a beautiful take on coming to the realization that you’ve been taking your loved one for granted. I think it’s intentional that this is the start of “part 3” of the album and not merely a timing thing. This is now the letters to his loved ones part of the album.

I don’t see Blackout as political whatsoever. Sure, maybe he tweaked a lyric to make it have multiple meetings, but Blackout is Bono’s letter to the Adam, Larry and Edge – their struggle for late career relevance and the missteps (see Songs of Innocence & Apple), the uncertainty over Bono’s future (be it from the bike crash or whatever other incident may have occurred... when the lights go out could be taken literally about bono’s noggin or metaphorically about celebrity) … but don’t you ever doubt the light that we can really be.

Love Is Bigger is to his kids. This is the cliché’ song, but the music and message is beautiful and it works.

13 I think is current Bono writing a letter to himself – specifically his 13 year old self, the last year of his life before his mom died and his life turned upside down, and this whole crazy journey started.

This is a terrific album – musically and lyrically. It’s been a long time since they’ve put out something this cohesive from top to bottom. As good as Songs of Innocence was, it never had that “magic” that really good U2 albums have. It’s as if it was polished away in the studio. This also seems like one work, built from the group up with a mission and theme and that they stuck with it, as opposed to the disjointed nature of Innocence and No Line On The Horizon, where the split in producers, where they knew they were going to go in a different direction, is evident and brings down both works.

This is a deep and dark album, but not depressingly so, with touches of joy throughout. It reconnects with the ethereal/classic U2 sound without being derivative, remaining fresh and modern sounding. There are warts, but they’re fewer and further between than the past two works.

As for criticisms? Yea, American Soul sticks out as the clunker of the bunch, but it’s not as bad as a Boots or Stand Up Comedy. I also think that Bono’s voice sounds so good that they probably did a lot of studio magic on it, and I’m not sure how some of the songs will translate live (Love Is Bigger, for example). And the single choices aren’t reflective of the album at all (even though I think Best Things and Get Out work well on the album). If they needed an uptempo number for the first single, Lights of Home or Red Flag Day would have been my choices. Alas… I’m hoping they really explore some of the tracks beyond Best Thing and Get Out on these upcoming promo appearances (and please god that doesn’t mean American Soul). If it were up to me I’d have them play Little Things and Lights of Home for SNL, and then drop in Best Thing as the “third song during the closing credits” if they get it.

I think I’ve gone on long enough now :reject:
Headache... this is championship material man. This could go on the liner notes on Friday. I agree with so much of this. My only gripe is I would swap in the acoustic best thing. I agree that best thing fits lyrically, but for me its jarring sonically. All the other songs have space while that feels congested.

What I love about your review are the interpretations of blackout and 13. Brilliant. The blackout thing was on the tip of the my mind's tongue and I knew where you were going with it while I was reading. I was wildly off when it came out first. As a letter addressed to his bandmates it is one of the most personal ever.
 
I don't want to disparage Songs of Innocence, because it's an important building block for Songs of Experience, but god damn does SOE make it look foolish in comparison.

Eh, I dunno. I don't think anything can make EBW, The Troubles, Iris, SLABT, or RBW look foolish. It definitely doesn't have that "thing" that this album has. But i still think SOI stands in the top 6 or 7 albums of their career.
 
I'm convinced that this album would be a monster success if the band were still in their 20s or 30s but given their age I doubt that will happen, or at least it's much harder to say. It will probably be more of a slow burner outside the U2 fan base.

If these guys were in their 20's and 30's and put this album out today, it wouldn't do very much. This is not a statement about the quality of the album, but more about the state of the music industry today. Great music that few people ever hear, and rarely buy.
 
I gotta tell ya. I think that everyone needs to step back and reevaluate the "singles" again.

I know that I have been unfairly harsh on them after hearing the rest of the album. I listened to them a ton. They were heard out of the context of the album and scrutinized by us here over and over down to the last note and word. I just listened to the whole album through again, no skipping the 3 single section, and it holds up well. TBT is a damn good song, and fits well, as does Get Out. Get Out is a big song, that i think got a bit ignored cause we were all getting impatient for the album.
American Soul? Well, not my favorite, but definitely better within the album. If that is the weakest, then it comes nowhere near the lows of pretty much any album of theirs in the last 20 years.

Are you including ATYCLB? I guess Grace would be lower for me than American Soul.
 
Best Thing-Get Out-American Soul is the weakest part of the album and I'm happy they got it out if the way early. I wish that they'd ditched those songs and included Book of Your Heart and used the orchestral version of Lights of Home, but it's still a great album. It's a killer headphone album too.

I can't get over how great Bono is on this album. He sounds like he's coming from the heart in a way he hasn't since Pop. It's seemed to me like he's been holding back,but not any more. Bono's back! I hope he sticks around.

Interesting, I thought Pop sounded pretty cold. For me, this album harkens back to some of ATYCLB in terms of emotion.
 
Are you including ATYCLB? I guess Grace would be lower for me than American Soul.

That's what i mean. American Soul isn't great, but it isn't terrible. There are worse songs, I would say on pretty much every prior album back to Achtung Baby (NO not on Achtung Baby).
 
Good album but not as good as the last one. Bono sounds really strong though and there are some epic moments. I don’t care for acoustic guitar, so my enjoyment of SOE is weighed down by my baggage there.
 
Would love to hear more from you on the album RD. If you're up for it sometime.

thanks :wave:

not sure I have much to offer - this is a wonderful record for reasons that many here have already articulated so well.

I like all the songs; I love most of them. Just a simple, mature and well crafted album. My favorite moment is the breakdown in Red Flag Day, with the band in full flight and Bono oh-oh-ohing his heart out as they head for the outro. I get tingles every time.

I am happy for U2 and happy for Interference. It's the record this jaded, grizzled, hopeful group of fans deserves.
 
I’m hoping they really explore some of the tracks beyond Best Thing and Get Out on these upcoming promo appearances (and please god that doesn’t mean American Soul). If it were up to me I’d have them play Little Things and Lights of Home for SNL, and then drop in Best Thing as the “third song during the closing credits” if they get it.

Agreed, but I don't think Little Things is that good of a live track, honestly. I think it's a great song, but it takes too long to pay off, especially for a TV performance; it'll work better on the tour if people know the song well.

Lights of Home would be terrific, though (I'm imagining them bringing in HAIM or some sort of choir to sing background vocals for the last part, and it's making me shiver), and I think Summer of Love is like the track from this album to make a big impact. It's extremely contemporary and catchy, but downbeat and reflective enough to contrast with the rockier Lights of Home and poppier Best Thing. Could be a great live song too; shouldn't be too much of a strain on Bono's voice, so I think he'd handle it well (maybe even without having to transpose it down!!).
 
One thing that I really appreciate is that other than American Soul, The Edge doesn’t really try to force his inner Jimmy Page onto the album. I am really enjoying different sounds from him this time around.
 
thanks :wave:

not sure I have much to offer - this is a wonderful record for reasons that many here have already articulated so well.

I like all the songs; I love most of them. Just a simple, mature and well crafted album. My favorite moment is the breakdown in Red Flag Day, with the band in full flight and Bono oh-oh-ohing his heart out as they head for the outro. I get tingles every time.

I am happy for U2 and happy for Interference. It's the record this jaded, grizzled, hopeful group of fans deserves.


That's awesome that you say that about Red Flag Day. I just posted this over on the RFD thread.

Just an incredible song. The first 10 seconds or so, I was like, uuuuuuhhhhh, is this the right song??? Then, ooooooohhhh, yeah, that's it. And from there it just keeps getting better and better. More vocal and instrument layers, culminating in the NO, NO, NOOOOOOOO part at 2:30 which... I'm gonna be honest, brought a little swelling of tear to my eye when i heard it the first time. Not because it is an emotional lyric,
but the song was so good, that part in particular hit me. Just appreciative of how good it was

We've been sitting and anticipating this album for so long. Not knowing if it was going to be good or bad or blah or great, or whatever.

And they give us THIS. One of my favorite albums of their career, with songs like this.


And yes, we Interferencers do deserve this album. :up::applaud:
 
The outro to "The Little Things..." has me almost breathless. I have heard the song. I have watched the youtube of the Kimmel show and the multicam of the first concert performance a hundred times, but I have yet to sit and put the earphones in and feel it. I was writing an email to a friend with a song by song breakdown like a lot of people here have posted, and I just...am slayed by this, knowing Bono's brush with mortality, feeling my own 45 year old self facing the end is near and am I ready, have I made the improvements I need to make, am I the self I want represented when I pass? I don't know that I can say I am...and this is both comforting to hear someone with so much have the same struggles, and slaying me to have it put to words...

Sometimes
I can't believe my existence
I see myself on a distance
I can't get back inside
Sometimes
The air is so anxious
All my thoughts are so reckless
And all of my innocence has died
Sometimes
I wake at four in the morning (God, I feel this one like a punch)
Where all the darkness is swarming
And it covers me in fear
Sometimes, sometimes, sometimes...
Sometimes
I’m full of anger and grieving
So far away from believing
That any sun will reappear
Sometimes
The end is not coming
It's not coming
The end is here
Sometimes, sometimes, sometimes...
Sometimes

(Not picking up this lyric correctly, so I will omit - when I'm taken by shadows?)
and you're the only thing matters
and I can't see it through the tears
Sometimes
The end isn't coming
It's not coming
The end is here
Sometimes
 
One thing that I really appreciate is that other than American Soul, The Edge doesn’t really try to force his inner Jimmy Page onto the album. I am really enjoying different sounds from him this time around.

I totally agree with you hear. Everyone has been wondering "where is the Edge" the past couple albums.. But on SOE, he isn't front and center, but he's the best I've heard him in many years. Really appreciating every member this time around.
 
In terms of song craft, this is definitely the tightest, most consistently good U2 album in years. Maybe since Achtung Baby. Just not sure if I can be objective, or if any of that really matters.

I thought--and maybe still think--that The Troubles and Crystal Ballroom were the best two songs U2 has done in 20 years. And when I heard Kygo's vocal chop version of Best Thing, I was ready to say the same thing about that song. But only 1 of the 3 made it onto an album and none had any kind of impact, even among many U2 fans, so what the hell do I know.
 
thanks :wave:

not sure I have much to offer - this is a wonderful record for reasons that many here have already articulated so well.

I like all the songs; I love most of them. Just a simple, mature and well crafted album. My favorite moment is the breakdown in Red Flag Day, with the band in full flight and Bono oh-oh-ohing his heart out as they head for the outro. I get tingles every time.

I am happy for U2 and happy for Interference. It's the record this jaded, grizzled, hopeful group of fans deserves.

that you moment you point out is my favorite too....:up:
 
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