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

[Registered Dude]

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.

well said!

 

[womanfish]

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.

EBW and Crystal Ballroom and The Troubles are modern U2 Classics IMO.

It will be interesting to see what the "classics" are to me on SOE. Little Things, 13, Landlady, Red Flag Day, Love is All... So many great tunes.

 

[jameskinsella]

With regards to American Soul - I must've listened to the album over 15 times now and with each listen the song does sound increasingly better in the context of the album.

It's not a bad song, either on it's own and not in the context mentioned above, but I would agree that it is probably the weakest track on the record but that is only relatively speaking. It has two main problems for me: firstly the refrain 'Came here looking for American Soul' sounds unnatural and forced (I would've changed it to simply 'Came here lookin' the American Soul', but that would've introduced another Irishism a la 'happened a boy'...and many have a problem with that line it seems). Secondly, the fact that it was released a single which I find a little baffling. This meant that it has just taken time not to think of it individually.

Others have mentioned that The Best Thing sounds jarring after Lights of Home and I agree with this to a degree. For me however this only lasts until the drums kick in and after that I forget about it. My appreciation for tracks 3, 4 and 5 have increased a lot after repeated listens to the album.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

American Soul has not been released as an official single until there's such a statement from the band declaring so. Just because it has a lyric video doesn't mean anything, especially in this day and age.

 

[Wide Awake n AZ]

I can say I did not expect the level of emotion I feel listening to this album. I thought it would be a disjointed experience like most of the more recent albums have been for me, where there is gold, then skip, then gold, then maybe a lot of skip. This album has little skip. Even the ehh songs are worthy of me letting them play. I'll skip to certain songs on most listens...we all do. But I can put this on, walk away, and feel comfortable with it playing cover to cover.

So, an album. Not a collection of songs.

I really didn't think they had the capability anymore of doing this...

 

[cbanksy9]

I will up that to, 6 to 13. What a string of amazing material.

Touchè. You’re right

 

[Gilead12]

I keep getting through the energy and emotion wringer that is SOL->Landlady, then forgetting I have LIBTAIIW and 13 to look forward to.

Album has a deep bench.

 

[hpantazo]

With regards to American Soul - I must've listened to the album over 15 times now and with each listen the song does sound increasingly better in the context of the album.

It's not a bad song, either on it's own and not in the context mentioned above, but I would agree that it is probably the weakest track on the record but that is only relatively speaking. It has two main problems for me: firstly the refrain 'Came here looking for American Soul' sounds unnatural and forced (I would've changed it to simply 'Came here lookin' the American Soul', but that would've introduced another Irishism a la 'happened a boy'...and many have a problem with that line it seems). Secondly, the fact that it was released a single which I find a little baffling. This meant that it has just taken time not to think of it individually.

Others have mentioned that The Best Thing sounds jarring after Lights of Home and I agree with this to a degree. For me however this only lasts until the drums kick in and after that I forget about it. My appreciation for tracks 3, 4 and 5 have increased a lot after repeated listens to the album.

Is that the explanation for “the best thing a boy”? It’s an Irishism? Is that a common Irish phrasing?

 

[DeVaul]

TLTTGYA: "the only thing matters" is a clunky bit that could've been done as "the one thing that matters". One last edit, c'mon!

 

[CosmoKramer]

I said in another thread I probably won't buy this album - just stream it. Fuck that. I'm buying the extended deluxe and putting on the wall as a totem of musical resilience through a 40 year career.
Well done lads.

To me, this is the best of all the positive comments I have read. Someone who had no intentions of spending hard earned cash on the music listened to it and felt it was so good that hey now want to go out and buy it....wow!

The 2nd best endorsement was Hollow Island being what I interpreted as somewhat blown away with how good the album is, given how incredibly down he was on the singles for he past 2 months.

When was the last time a U2 album had the ability to change people’s minds around here like this....I am very excited to hear this album but I still have 3 days to go.

 

[womanfish]

To me, this is the best of all the positive comments I have read. Someone who had no intentions of spending hard earned cash on the music listened to it and felt it was so good that hey now want to go out and buy it....wow!

The 2nd best endorsement was Hollow Island being what I interpreted as somewhat blown away with how good the album is, given how incredibly down he was on the singles for he past 2 months.

When was the last time a U2 album had the ability to change people’s minds around here like this....I am very excited to hear this album but I still have 3 days to go.

Don't forget Zoomerang!! I was blown away by that one.

 

[TinKnight]

TLTTGYA: "the only thing matters" is a clunky bit that could've been done as "the one thing that matters". One last edit, c'mon!

Yeah. At least in the Kimmel version you could reasonably hear "you're the only thing'at matters"

 

[CosmoKramer]

Don't forget Zoomerang!! I was blown away by that one.

Wait...what????

No way he liked this album, seriously? Point me to his post!

 

[jameskinsella]

American Soul has not been released as an official single until there's such a statement from the band declaring so. Just because it has a lyric video doesn't mean anything, especially in this day and age.

True. I suppose the fact it has such a video made fans treat it as a single.

Is that the explanation for “the best thing a boy”? It’s an Irishism? Is that a common Irish phrasing?

Pretty much yeah. I'm not sure if it's the actual explanation for it but certainly to Irish ears that line doesn't jar. Whilst the line "You're the best thing about me...the best thing that ever happened a boy" would be "You're the best thing about me...the best thing that ever happened to a boy" using proper English, it would be fairly common in parts of Ireland to leave out the word 'to' in a sentence like that whilst speaking.

So my suggestion of 'Came here lookin' the American Soul' would basically be a substitute for 'Came here looking for the American Soul'.

 

[TinKnight]

Stop trying to make Ordinary Love happen guys.

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

To me, this is the best of all the positive comments I have read. Someone who had no intentions of spending hard earned cash on the music listened to it and felt it was so good that hey now want to go out and buy it....wow!

The 2nd best endorsement was Hollow Island being what I interpreted as somewhat blown away with how good the album is, given how incredibly down he was on the singles for he past 2 months.

When was the last time a U2 album had the ability to change people’s minds around here like this....I am very excited to hear this album but I still have 3 days to go.

Yeah, I'm holding out like you Cosmo...I've got a big day planned for Friday...

However I did download the CD leak and listened to the first 30 seconds of each song...so I cheated slightly...but all the POSITIVE reactions on this forum made me overly curious...luckily I got a small fix and I'm back to waiting.

VERY EXCITED to put this on Friday...

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

DeVaul: not on board.

 

[Peterrrrr]

Are there any 320 mp3 available yet?

 

[Gilead12]

I can't control the impulse to talk about how actually good this album is.

"Landlady" outro is still my favorite part, followed closely by "Little Things" outro. Just a powerhouse couple of songs. I would seriously have to reach back at least as far as Kite->IALW, and possibly further, to find 2 songs back to back I like as much.

 

[topplehatU2]

Stop trying to make Ordinary Love happen guys.

Always thought it was weird how they keep bringing this one out when Invisible was actually great.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

I will up that to, 6 to 13. What a string of amazing material.

Yes... 1, 2 and 6-13 is WOW.

I already skip 3-5. I think they don t fit.

 

[RABIDLAMB]

Invisible would have been great without that electronic guff and heavier guitar.
Loose that stupid outro as well and have a 3rd chorus.

 

[BVS]

Invisible would have been great without that electronic guff and heavier guitar.
Loose that stupid outro as well and have a 3rd chorus.

Just getting around to this song?

 

[The John Tree]

I owe this band an apology.

I was a naysayer. I'd heard the singles and, while I like Best Thing and GOOYOW and Blackout, I wasn't blown away. I figured that this album was going to be a safe pop record of uninspiring U2-by-numbers songs. I thought the gas was out of the tank.

I was so wrong.

They've finally done it. They've managed to meld that spiritual uplift and joy they've been producing with 90s-era experimentation and atmospherics. This album sounds *fresh*. It sounds *inspired*. It's emotional. It's incredible.

The funny thing is, even the songs I was lukewarm on sound better in the context of the album. The Best Thing, GOOYOW, and American Soul were a bit "light" for my tastes but they're so necessary in their spots because this album is heavy. It's sonically dense, but it's also emotionally weighty. This is an album from a man who's realized that he's in the 4th quarter of his life and he's taking stock. It sounds like dying - and I mean that in the best way possible. It's joyous, it's sad, it's so many things in between. An incredible album and, in my opinion, a late-period classic.

"Love Is All We Have Left" sets the tone perfectly. The string samples, the sped up vocal sample before the chorus, the vocal effects, it all sounds new. It's a quiet hymn, and Bono clearly singing to his younger self in the first half, and to his current self in the second verse. The vocal melody is haunting. Achtung Baby was dark because it mined themes of sex, love, and infidelity. This album, appropriately, is dark in a different way - mortality and time are the themes here and this song is the perfect introduction to that.

"Lights of Home" is actually one of my favorites. I was surprised that it got lukewarm reviews in the early listening session writeups. This one, again, is just a heavy tune. It almost sounds like something Noel Gallagher would write, but with that U2 otherness that makes it special. The chorus is gorgeous and bittersweet.

After that one-two punch, "YTBTAM", "GOOYOW", and American Soul are a welcome break. I'll also note that the mix on the album versions are slightly different and, in my opinion, better - the songs have more lift.

"Summer of Love" is a beautiful tune and the best thing about it is that I can see the song. I can see the dry, bombed out landscape and I can almost feel the heat and taste the dust when I hear it. The band really committed to the atmospherics for this album, and it's all the better for it. Edge does some beautiful work on this song - it's incredibly tasteful and, most importantly, doesn't overstay its welcome.

Speaking of not overstaying its welcome, I could listen to "Red Flag Day" for 8 hours straight. This song sounds simultaneously new and old. The song, again, sounds joyous but somehow sad at the same time. And goddamn, that chorus is incredible. The entire band brings it, Adam obviously being the star on this one. This chorus is the best on the album and, in my opinion, one of the best Bono's ever written. He sounds incredible on this entire album, but especially on this tune. The "no, no, no" section sounds like it came straight out of the 80s. And that is a great thing.

What else to say about The Showman? It's fun as shit and I love it. I could see The Killers taking on this one, and Bono delivers a superb vocal - "there's a level of shadow that you just can't fake" is delivered with so much playfulness and personality that it took me by surprise. I love this song. It drew Beach Boys comparisons, but for me that chorus is Beatles Twist and Shout-worthy. Also, "I lie for a living, I love to let on, but you make it true when you sing along" is a perfect example of a lyric that I cringed at when I read it on paper, but fits perfectly in the context of the song.

I listened to this album at 2:30 in the morning while driving through Baltimore. "The Little Things That Give You Away" came on and I experienced something that only a few U2 songs had done for me before: I actually teared up while listening to it. This new version, in my opinion, is the best version. It's incredible. The atmospherics, the steady build, everything is perfect for me.

I'm surprised to hear that Landlady got lukewarm early reviews as well. To me, it's one of the highlights of the album. It's also the first song I went back to listen to for a second time once the album was done. Maybe I'm a sap - some of the reviews found this song to be overly saccharine. Not to me - I think this is one of the most beautiful songs Bono's ever written and - again this word - the atmospherics are pitch perfect. This song hit me like a ton of bricks. Bono's falsetto leading into the epic ending is sublime.

I'm pleased to see that the callbacks to the SoI for the most part make sense. (I'm still not seeing the correlation between the Volcano lyric and American Soul, but whatever). Iris dealt with Bono's mother's death - and he resurrects her advice to "free yourself" in a song about dealing with his own mortality in Lights of Home. Similarly, Every Breaking Wave gets a few callbacks - one in Red Flag Day and another in Landlady - which seem to be songs about Ali. I know that this was billed as an album filled with letters to Bono's loved ones but really, to me, most of the album stands as a long love letter to Ali. And I think that's beautiful, because it ties the albums together for me as well.

3 years ago, I was in a relationship with someone I loved very much. Her name, coincidentally, was Ali. We broke up in September of 2014 and I was devastated. It was the hardest time of my life. We remained close through that autumn, but it was just too hard. Losing that relationship broke me - I haven't been the same since. Songs of Innocence was released the week after we broke up and songs like Every Breaking Wave and Song For Someone really helped me through that time. To this day, I love Song For Someone because it makes me think of (my) Ali and it takes me right back to that point in time. "If there is a light, don't let it go out" was like my motto to Ali - don't let this slip away.

That breakup sent me down a path of self examination and, for the first time, I've tried to deal with the clinical depression I've had for my entire life. To put it mildly, it's been a tough, *tough* 3 years. And it's been a tough 31 years. There have been times this week that I'd had a hard time getting out of bed. "Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way" sounds like getting up. It sounds silly, but hearing Bono sing "when you think you're done, you've just begun" is comforting to me. I know that's odd for an adult man to say, but it's true. It's the second time this album made me tear up. It's a "hold on" anthem that I needed.

Which of course leads me to "13 (There Is A Light)." "Song For Someone" started as my song for Ali. "13" bookends not only Songs of Innocence, but for me, it kind of caps off the last 3 years of my life. I guess in the last 3 years, I've just felt so sad and empty and alone and hopeless. And so to hear Bono sing "this is a song for someone...someone like me." I guess I'm someone like him too. When he asks a question "to the child in of you, before it leaves" I just broke down crying (that's a hat trick for this album). It's perfect. I don't mean to get to emotional on a fucking U2 message board, but this album brought it out in me.

Tl;dr: Beautiful album, boys. All I could have hoped for.

 

[Haywa1979]

I owe this band an apology.

I was a naysayer. I'd heard the singles and, while I like Best Thing and GOOYOW and Blackout, I wasn't blown away. I figured that this album was going to be a safe pop record of uninspiring U2-by-numbers songs. I thought the gas was out of the tank.

I was so wrong.

They've finally done it. They've managed to meld that spiritual uplift and joy they've been producing with 90s-era experimentation and atmospherics. This album sounds *fresh*. It sounds *inspired*. It's emotional. It's incredible.

The funny thing is, even the songs I was lukewarm on sound better in the context of the album. The Best Thing, GOOYOW, and American Soul were a bit "light" for my tastes but they're so necessary in their spots because this album is heavy. It's sonically dense, but it's also emotionally weighty. This is an album from a man who's realized that he's in the 4th quarter of his life and he's taking stock. It sounds like dying - and I mean that in the best way possible. It's joyous, it's sad, it's so many things in between. An incredible album and, in my opinion, a late-period classic.

"Love Is All We Have Left" sets the tone perfectly. The string samples, the sped up vocal sample before the chorus, the vocal effects, it all sounds new. It's a quiet hymn, and Bono clearly singing to his younger self in the first half, and to his current self in the second verse. The vocal melody is haunting. Achtung Baby was dark because it mined themes of sex, love, and infidelity. This album, appropriately, is dark in a different way - mortality and time are the themes here and this song is the perfect introduction to that.

"Lights of Home" is actually one of my favorites. I was surprised that it got lukewarm reviews in the early listening session writeups. This one, again, is just a heavy tune. It almost sounds like something Noel Gallagher would write, but with that U2 otherness that makes it special. The chorus is gorgeous and bittersweet.

After that one-two punch, "YTBTAM", "GOOYOW", and American Soul are a welcome break. I'll also note that the mix on the album versions are slightly different and, in my opinion, better - the songs have more lift.

"Summer of Love" is a beautiful tune and the best thing about it is that I can see the song. I can see the dry, bombed out landscape and I can almost feel the heat and taste the dust when I hear it. The band really committed to the atmospherics for this album, and it's all the better for it. Edge does some beautiful work on this song - it's incredibly tasteful and, most importantly, doesn't overstay its welcome.

Speaking of not overstaying its welcome, I could listen to "Red Flag Day" for 8 hours straight. This song sounds simultaneously new and old. The song, again, sounds joyous but somehow sad at the same time. And goddamn, that chorus is incredible. The entire band brings it, Adam obviously being the star on this one. This chorus is the best on the album and, in my opinion, one of the best Bono's ever written. He sounds incredible on this entire album, but especially on this tune. The "no, no, no" section sounds like it came straight out of the 80s. And that is a great thing.

What else to say about The Showman? It's fun as shit and I love it. I could see The Killers taking on this one, and Bono delivers a superb vocal - "there's a level of shadow that you just can't fake" is delivered with so much playfulness and personality that it took me by surprise. I love this song. It drew Beach Boys comparisons, but for me that chorus is Beatles Twist and Shout-worthy. Also, "I lie for a living, I love to let on, but you make it true when you sing along" is a perfect example of a lyric that I cringed at when I read it on paper, but fits perfectly in the context of the song.

I listened to this album at 2:30 in the morning while driving through Baltimore. "The Little Things That Give You Away" came on and I experienced something that only a few U2 songs had done for me before: I actually teared up while listening to it. This new version, in my opinion, is the best version. It's incredible. The atmospherics, the steady build, everything is perfect for me.

I'm surprised to hear that Landlady got lukewarm early reviews as well. To me, it's one of the highlights of the album. It's also the first song I went back to listen to for a second time once the album was done. Maybe I'm a sap - some of the reviews found this song to be overly saccharine. Not to me - I think this is one of the most beautiful songs Bono's ever written and - again this word - the atmospherics are pitch perfect. This song hit me like a ton of bricks. Bono's falsetto leading into the epic ending is sublime.

I'm pleased to see that the callbacks to the SoI for the most part make sense. (I'm still not seeing the correlation between the Volcano lyric and American Soul, but whatever). Iris dealt with Bono's mother's death - and he resurrects her advice to "free yourself" in a song about dealing with his own mortality in Lights of Home. Similarly, Every Breaking Wave gets a few callbacks - one in Red Flag Day and another in Landlady - which seem to be songs about Ali. I know that this was billed as an album filled with letters to Bono's loved ones but really, to me, most of the album stands as a long love letter to Ali. And I think that's beautiful, because it ties the albums together for me as well.

3 years ago, I was in a relationship with someone I loved very much. Her name, coincidentally, was Ali. We broke up in September of 2014 and I was devastated. It was the hardest time of my life. We remained close through that autumn, but it was just too hard. Losing that relationship broke me - I haven't been the same since. Songs of Innocence was released the week after we broke up and songs like Every Breaking Wave and Song For Someone really helped me through that time. To this day, I love Song For Someone because it makes me think of (my) Ali and it takes me right back to that point in time. "If there is a light, don't let it go out" was like my motto to Ali - don't let this slip away.

That breakup sent me down a path of self examination and, for the first time, I've tried to deal with the clinical depression I've had for my entire life. To put it mildly, it's been a tough, *tough* 3 years. And it's been a tough 31 years. There have been times this week that I'd had a hard time getting out of bed. "Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way" sounds like getting up. It sounds silly, but hearing Bono sing "when you think you're done, you've just begun" is comforting to me. I know that's odd for an adult man to say, but it's true. It's the second time this album made me tear up. It's a "hold on" anthem that I needed.

Which of course leads me to "13 (There Is A Light)." "Song For Someone" started as my song for Ali. "13" bookends not only Songs of Innocence, but for me, it kind of caps off the last 3 years of my life. I guess in the last 3 years, I've just felt so sad and empty and alone and hopeless. And so to hear Bono sing "this is a song for someone...someone like me." I guess I'm someone like him too. When he asks a question "to the child in of you, before it leaves" I just broke down crying (that's a hat trick for this album). It's perfect. I don't mean to get to emotional on a fucking U2 message board, but this album brought it out in me.

Tl;dr: Beautiful album, boys. All I could have hoped for.

Wow, brilliant.

 

[Bluedater]

I owe this band an apology.

I was a naysayer. I'd heard the singles and, while I like Best Thing and GOOYOW and Blackout, I wasn't blown away. I figured that this album was going to be a safe pop record of uninspiring U2-by-numbers songs. I thought the gas was out of the tank.

I was so wrong.

They've finally done it. They've managed to meld that spiritual uplift and joy they've been producing with 90s-era experimentation and atmospherics. This album sounds *fresh*. It sounds *inspired*. It's emotional. It's incredible.

The funny thing is, even the songs I was lukewarm on sound better in the context of the album. The Best Thing, GOOYOW, and American Soul were a bit "light" for my tastes but they're so necessary in their spots because this album is heavy. It's sonically dense, but it's also emotionally weighty. This is an album from a man who's realized that he's in the 4th quarter of his life and he's taking stock. It sounds like dying - and I mean that in the best way possible. It's joyous, it's sad, it's so many things in between. An incredible album and, in my opinion, a late-period classic.

"Love Is All We Have Left" sets the tone perfectly. The string samples, the sped up vocal sample before the chorus, the vocal effects, it all sounds new. It's a quiet hymn, and Bono clearly singing to his younger self in the first half, and to his current self in the second verse. The vocal melody is haunting. Achtung Baby was dark because it mined themes of sex, love, and infidelity. This album, appropriately, is dark in a different way - mortality and time are the themes here and this song is the perfect introduction to that.

"Lights of Home" is actually one of my favorites. I was surprised that it got lukewarm reviews in the early listening session writeups. This one, again, is just a heavy tune. It almost sounds like something Noel Gallagher would write, but with that U2 otherness that makes it special. The chorus is gorgeous and bittersweet.

After that one-two punch, "YTBTAM", "GOOYOW", and American Soul are a welcome break. I'll also note that the mix on the album versions are slightly different and, in my opinion, better - the songs have more lift.

"Summer of Love" is a beautiful tune and the best thing about it is that I can see the song. I can see the dry, bombed out landscape and I can almost feel the heat and taste the dust when I hear it. The band really committed to the atmospherics for this album, and it's all the better for it. Edge does some beautiful work on this song - it's incredibly tasteful and, most importantly, doesn't overstay its welcome.

Speaking of not overstaying its welcome, I could listen to "Red Flag Day" for 8 hours straight. This song sounds simultaneously new and old. The song, again, sounds joyous but somehow sad at the same time. And goddamn, that chorus is incredible. The entire band brings it, Adam obviously being the star on this one. This chorus is the best on the album and, in my opinion, one of the best Bono's ever written. He sounds incredible on this entire album, but especially on this tune. The "no, no, no" section sounds like it came straight out of the 80s. And that is a great thing.

What else to say about The Showman? It's fun as shit and I love it. I could see The Killers taking on this one, and Bono delivers a superb vocal - "there's a level of shadow that you just can't fake" is delivered with so much playfulness and personality that it took me by surprise. I love this song. It drew Beach Boys comparisons, but for me that chorus is Beatles Twist and Shout-worthy. Also, "I lie for a living, I love to let on, but you make it true when you sing along" is a perfect example of a lyric that I cringed at when I read it on paper, but fits perfectly in the context of the song.

I listened to this album at 2:30 in the morning while driving through Baltimore. "The Little Things That Give You Away" came on and I experienced something that only a few U2 songs had done for me before: I actually teared up while listening to it. This new version, in my opinion, is the best version. It's incredible. The atmospherics, the steady build, everything is perfect for me.

I'm surprised to hear that Landlady got lukewarm early reviews as well. To me, it's one of the highlights of the album. It's also the first song I went back to listen to for a second time once the album was done. Maybe I'm a sap - some of the reviews found this song to be overly saccharine. Not to me - I think this is one of the most beautiful songs Bono's ever written and - again this word - the atmospherics are pitch perfect. This song hit me like a ton of bricks. Bono's falsetto leading into the epic ending is sublime.

I'm pleased to see that the callbacks to the SoI for the most part make sense. (I'm still not seeing the correlation between the Volcano lyric and American Soul, but whatever). Iris dealt with Bono's mother's death - and he resurrects her advice to "free yourself" in a song about dealing with his own mortality in Lights of Home. Similarly, Every Breaking Wave gets a few callbacks - one in Red Flag Day and another in Landlady - which seem to be songs about Ali. I know that this was billed as an album filled with letters to Bono's loved ones but really, to me, most of the album stands as a long love letter to Ali. And I think that's beautiful, because it ties the albums together for me as well.

3 years ago, I was in a relationship with someone I loved very much. Her name, coincidentally, was Ali. We broke up in September of 2014 and I was devastated. It was the hardest time of my life. We remained close through that autumn, but it was just too hard. Losing that relationship broke me - I haven't been the same since. Songs of Innocence was released the week after we broke up and songs like Every Breaking Wave and Song For Someone really helped me through that time. To this day, I love Song For Someone because it makes me think of (my) Ali and it takes me right back to that point in time. "If there is a light, don't let it go out" was like my motto to Ali - don't let this slip away.

That breakup sent me down a path of self examination and, for the first time, I've tried to deal with the clinical depression I've had for my entire life. To put it mildly, it's been a tough, *tough* 3 years. And it's been a tough 31 years. There have been times this week that I'd had a hard time getting out of bed. "Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way" sounds like getting up. It sounds silly, but hearing Bono sing "when you think you're done, you've just begun" is comforting to me. I know that's odd for an adult man to say, but it's true. It's the second time this album made me tear up. It's a "hold on" anthem that I needed.

Which of course leads me to "13 (There Is A Light)." "Song For Someone" started as my song for Ali. "13" bookends not only Songs of Innocence, but for me, it kind of caps off the last 3 years of my life. I guess in the last 3 years, I've just felt so sad and empty and alone and hopeless. And so to hear Bono sing "this is a song for someone...someone like me." I guess I'm someone like him too. When he asks a question "to the child in of you, before it leaves" I just broke down crying (that's a hat trick for this album). It's perfect. I don't mean to get to emotional on a fucking U2 message board, but this album brought it out in me.

Tl;dr: Beautiful album, boys. All I could have hoped for.

Beautifully written. Thanks for sharing man!

 

[corianderstem]

This thread is making me happy.

I kind of hate to say this, as I don't wish illness or tragedy on anyone, but dang. Whatever that health scare was, it's the best thing to happen for Bono's songwriting in aaaaaaages. .

Glad it could be something that was only a scare and not something permanent. I wouldn't be saying that if there were any question about his health, but with back-to-back tours, signs point to Bono being just peachy.

 

[womanfish]

Wait...what????

No way he liked this album, seriously? Point me to his post!

From Zoomerang yesterday:

I’m justified for being disgusted with American Soul, Joey Ramone, etc, when they pull out songs like this (that was poorly put considering the aforementioned song is on this album). This is probably their best album since Pop.

Its about fucking time

 

[womanfish]

I owe this band an apology.

I was a naysayer. I'd heard the singles and, while I like Best Thing and GOOYOW and Blackout, I wasn't blown away. I figured that this album was going to be a safe pop record of uninspiring U2-by-numbers songs. I thought the gas was out of the tank.

I was so wrong.

They've finally done it. They've managed to meld that spiritual uplift and joy they've been producing with 90s-era experimentation and atmospherics. This album sounds *fresh*. It sounds *inspired*. It's emotional. It's incredible.

The funny thing is, even the songs I was lukewarm on sound better in the context of the album. The Best Thing, GOOYOW, and American Soul were a bit "light" for my tastes but they're so necessary in their spots because this album is heavy. It's sonically dense, but it's also emotionally weighty. This is an album from a man who's realized that he's in the 4th quarter of his life and he's taking stock. It sounds like dying - and I mean that in the best way possible. It's joyous, it's sad, it's so many things in between. An incredible album and, in my opinion, a late-period classic.

"Love Is All We Have Left" sets the tone perfectly. The string samples, the sped up vocal sample before the chorus, the vocal effects, it all sounds new. It's a quiet hymn, and Bono clearly singing to his younger self in the first half, and to his current self in the second verse. The vocal melody is haunting. Achtung Baby was dark because it mined themes of sex, love, and infidelity. This album, appropriately, is dark in a different way - mortality and time are the themes here and this song is the perfect introduction to that.

"Lights of Home" is actually one of my favorites. I was surprised that it got lukewarm reviews in the early listening session writeups. This one, again, is just a heavy tune. It almost sounds like something Noel Gallagher would write, but with that U2 otherness that makes it special. The chorus is gorgeous and bittersweet.

After that one-two punch, "YTBTAM", "GOOYOW", and American Soul are a welcome break. I'll also note that the mix on the album versions are slightly different and, in my opinion, better - the songs have more lift.

"Summer of Love" is a beautiful tune and the best thing about it is that I can see the song. I can see the dry, bombed out landscape and I can almost feel the heat and taste the dust when I hear it. The band really committed to the atmospherics for this album, and it's all the better for it. Edge does some beautiful work on this song - it's incredibly tasteful and, most importantly, doesn't overstay its welcome.

Speaking of not overstaying its welcome, I could listen to "Red Flag Day" for 8 hours straight. This song sounds simultaneously new and old. The song, again, sounds joyous but somehow sad at the same time. And goddamn, that chorus is incredible. The entire band brings it, Adam obviously being the star on this one. This chorus is the best on the album and, in my opinion, one of the best Bono's ever written. He sounds incredible on this entire album, but especially on this tune. The "no, no, no" section sounds like it came straight out of the 80s. And that is a great thing.

What else to say about The Showman? It's fun as shit and I love it. I could see The Killers taking on this one, and Bono delivers a superb vocal - "there's a level of shadow that you just can't fake" is delivered with so much playfulness and personality that it took me by surprise. I love this song. It drew Beach Boys comparisons, but for me that chorus is Beatles Twist and Shout-worthy. Also, "I lie for a living, I love to let on, but you make it true when you sing along" is a perfect example of a lyric that I cringed at when I read it on paper, but fits perfectly in the context of the song.

I listened to this album at 2:30 in the morning while driving through Baltimore. "The Little Things That Give You Away" came on and I experienced something that only a few U2 songs had done for me before: I actually teared up while listening to it. This new version, in my opinion, is the best version. It's incredible. The atmospherics, the steady build, everything is perfect for me.

I'm surprised to hear that Landlady got lukewarm early reviews as well. To me, it's one of the highlights of the album. It's also the first song I went back to listen to for a second time once the album was done. Maybe I'm a sap - some of the reviews found this song to be overly saccharine. Not to me - I think this is one of the most beautiful songs Bono's ever written and - again this word - the atmospherics are pitch perfect. This song hit me like a ton of bricks. Bono's falsetto leading into the epic ending is sublime.

I'm pleased to see that the callbacks to the SoI for the most part make sense. (I'm still not seeing the correlation between the Volcano lyric and American Soul, but whatever). Iris dealt with Bono's mother's death - and he resurrects her advice to "free yourself" in a song about dealing with his own mortality in Lights of Home. Similarly, Every Breaking Wave gets a few callbacks - one in Red Flag Day and another in Landlady - which seem to be songs about Ali. I know that this was billed as an album filled with letters to Bono's loved ones but really, to me, most of the album stands as a long love letter to Ali. And I think that's beautiful, because it ties the albums together for me as well.

3 years ago, I was in a relationship with someone I loved very much. Her name, coincidentally, was Ali. We broke up in September of 2014 and I was devastated. It was the hardest time of my life. We remained close through that autumn, but it was just too hard. Losing that relationship broke me - I haven't been the same since. Songs of Innocence was released the week after we broke up and songs like Every Breaking Wave and Song For Someone really helped me through that time. To this day, I love Song For Someone because it makes me think of (my) Ali and it takes me right back to that point in time. "If there is a light, don't let it go out" was like my motto to Ali - don't let this slip away.

That breakup sent me down a path of self examination and, for the first time, I've tried to deal with the clinical depression I've had for my entire life. To put it mildly, it's been a tough, *tough* 3 years. And it's been a tough 31 years. There have been times this week that I'd had a hard time getting out of bed. "Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way" sounds like getting up. It sounds silly, but hearing Bono sing "when you think you're done, you've just begun" is comforting to me. I know that's odd for an adult man to say, but it's true. It's the second time this album made me tear up. It's a "hold on" anthem that I needed.

Which of course leads me to "13 (There Is A Light)." "Song For Someone" started as my song for Ali. "13" bookends not only Songs of Innocence, but for me, it kind of caps off the last 3 years of my life. I guess in the last 3 years, I've just felt so sad and empty and alone and hopeless. And so to hear Bono sing "this is a song for someone...someone like me." I guess I'm someone like him too. When he asks a question "to the child in of you, before it leaves" I just broke down crying (that's a hat trick for this album). It's perfect. I don't mean to get to emotional on a fucking U2 message board, but this album brought it out in me.

Tl;dr: Beautiful album, boys. All I could have hoped for.

Thank you. Yes. I never thought they would come and hit me in the gut like Kite hits me. But Love is All, Little Things, and 13 have all moved me to tears.
I'm dealing with my own relationship troubles for some time now. Trying to be the man I should be, and often failing. This album is like a hand on my shoulder. A guide, a warning, a reminder... of what is important.

Loved your review. probably my favorite so far.

 

[CMIS]

A very feelgood time, this .

And Cori, I was thinking the same. Happy that the fucker is okay.