Songs of Innocence - Album Discussion Pt.2

[Yahweh]

Better than Love is Blindness?
Better than All I want is You?

I think The Troubles is at least the equal of those songs yes.

 

[BoyOnTheHorizon]

I think The Troubles is at least the equal of those songs yes.

Better even than Yaweh??

 

[dan_smee]

While The Troubles is a wonderful song, and a wonderful album closer, to say it is definitively better than AIWIY or LIB this early is just insane. That isn't to say it will stay that way, but less than three weeks on to declare it better than some all time classics takes some gall.


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[DomCobb]

Ahem, Mothers of the Disappeared.

 

[Yahweh]

U2 will have to fight a battle of nostalgia for old material from the majority of their fans, that is just the reality.

Music taste is purely subjective and time generally does good things for songs that are well known. I still say The Troubles as a piece of music is just as good as Love is Blindness and All I Want Is You.

 

[CosmoKramer]

All I Want is You is an amazing song, classic U2. For me, it can't be touched by Troubles.

Best closers(87 to present):

1-AIWIY
2-Mothers
3-LIB
4-Troubles
5-Yawah
6-Grace
7-Wanderer
8-Ceaders
9-WUDM

Its too early yet to really gauge the Troubles but it could make top 3 or even 2 on my list




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[Nick66]

All I Want is You is an amazing song, classic U2. For me, it can't be touched by Troubles.

Best closers(87 to present):

1-AIWIY
2-Mothers
3-LIB
4-Troubles
5-Yawah
6-Grace
7-Wanderer
8-WUDM

Its too early yet to really gauge the Troubles but it could make top 3 or even 2 on my list

Cedars?

 

[CosmoKramer]

Cedars?

Clearly didn't make an impression on me

I would put Ceaders below Wanderer and above WUDM.


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[Nick66]

Poor NLOTH...already Interference's unwanted stepchild.

 

[dan_smee]

Poor NLOTH...already Interference's unwanted stepchild.

Gotta say, I jumped on the corpse early, but then I listened the other day, and didn't feel as negatively about it afterwards. I liken it to Rocky V - awful movie when it has the pressure of being the end of the franchise, but when the sixth movie (far superior) came along, you forgave the issues a bit.


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[Nick66]

I liken it to Rocky V

 

[dan_smee]

Didn't say it was a perfect analogy


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[dan_smee]

Actually, no. Movie franchise that was critically and popularly huge, but polarising. Waned in its later years, though hardcore fans clung into the hope that there was still life in it, latest (final) instalment considered something of a renaissance, combining elements of what drew people to it initially by advancing in some areas, and relying on heavy introspection and nostalgia in others. There is a fair few decent comparisons that can be drawn there.


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[Fumbleitis]

Better than Love is Blindness?
Better than All I want is You?

Definitely better than Love is Blindness. But All I Want....... you may have me there.

 

[LadySpinHead]

Definitely better than Love is Blindness.

Whoa whoa whoa whoa. Hold up there.

I love The Troubles and all, but Love Is Blindness, come on.

 

[Irvine511]

All I know is I can't stop listening and I wake up every morning with a different song stuck in my head.

I don't think this has happened with past releases. But it's been so long, who can remember what those first few heady weeks are like?

And I really need this album right now.


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[Jippu71]

I've listened now the album about 15 times. At the moment I think this might be their best after AB and JT. Reason I say this is that I'm not skipping any songs (well, I've skipped Song for someone once, because it's a bit boring) when listening. I think this might be one of their most consistent albums. On the other hand it means that there are not many real "stand out" songs. Hard to tell if there will be future classics. The Troubles might be closest to "One of this album". I hope they release it as a single.

 

[last unicorn]

I don't understand why people always have to make comparisons with other songs. It's like making life more complicated than it actually has to be. Just enjoy what you have now and take it for what it is.

 

[aMansAman]

I don't understand why people always have to make comparisons with other songs. It's like making life more complicated than it actually has to be. Just enjoy what you have now and take it for what it is.

You know, that is almost impossible. Everyone here has expectations in which direction U2 should go or how the songs should sound like (often comparing new songs to your favourite songs from the past)

To listen to a new U2 album, totally unbiased, is a hard thing to do ... but I tried this time with Songs of Innocence ... and this album works for me .. I can listen to SoI from start to finish without thinking "why did this crap song make it on the album" ... that happened quite often with the 2000+ releases

 

[Jippu71]

I don't understand why people always have to make comparisons with other songs. It's like making life more complicated than it actually has to be. Just enjoy what you have now and take it for what it is.

I wish I could do it but after listening almost 30 years to U2 that is impossible. With every new album I can't be without comparing it to previous albums. That's just how I work.. But this is a really good album. No fillers at all. And I think some songs may even be future classics; troubles, EBW, Iris and Sleep like a baby tonight. For some reason at the moment the weakest song in my opinion is Volcano. It sounds like a The Strokes left over.

 

[loudreamer]

Achtung Baby, The Joshua Tree, The Unforgettable Fire...after so many years, at last you have company: Songs Of Innocence.
Right now I'm pretty sure that Songs Of Innocence deserves a place in the top 3.
Achtung Baby is still number 1 and probably always will be...but I gotta say, for me Songs Of Innocence is at the very level of The Joshua Tree and The Unforgettable Fire. Yes. This is U2 at their very best. These songs are THAT F**** GOOD.

 

[CosmoKramer]

Gotta say, I jumped on the corpse early, but then I listened the other day, and didn't feel as negatively about it afterwards. I liken it to Rocky V - awful movie when it has the pressure of being the end of the franchise, but when the sixth movie (far superior) came along, you forgave the issues a bit.


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You mean the one Rocky where he doesn't actually fight in a ring? That movie was bad on day 1 and is bad now...but like U2, because it's Rocky....I'll watch it! Lol


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[lemonfly]

It'll be interesting to hear what Danger Mouse has to say. I hope he gives a candid assessment of his time working with U2 and what he thinks of the final product. Overworked, watered-down, or exactly what he was hoping for? Maybe all three? Lanois said he heard some "amazing things" when Bono played him the album a year ago...maybe now he can tell us which songs he found "amazing".

 

[jeevey]

All I know is I can't stop listening and I wake up every morning with a different song stuck in my head.

I don't think this has happened with past releases. But it's been so long, who can remember what those first few heady weeks are like?

And I really need this album right now.


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I'm glad to hear this, because as I recall you were feeling rather dour about the album and deliberately keeping your expectations low.

 

[Irvine511]

True.


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[ozeeko]

I don't think this album would lose anything in getting rid of Volcano and going straight from Iris to Raised By Wolves

 

[CosmoKramer]

I don't think this album would lose anything in getting rid of Volcano and going straight from Iris to Raised By Wolves

I love Volcano! You're a Volcanophob...or is it anti-volcanite....either way there is too much negativity towards one of the best songs on the album!!!


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[Hewson]

Down with Volcanophobia, up with Volcanomania!

 

[ozeeko]

I love Volcano! You're a Volcanophob...or is it anti-volcanite....either way there is too much negativity towards one of the best songs on the album!!!


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It's just another dumb "rock" song. It's not even as good as Vertigo, and I don't even like Vertigo.

Plus RBW and Cedarwood do the rock thing better. And thematically, RBW seems darker after being lost and abandoned by Iris, from the safety of the womb, shoved into the bloody streets of Dublin.

 

[CosmoKramer]

It's just another dumb "rock" song. It's not even as good as Vertigo, and I don't even like Vertigo.



Plus RBW and Cedarwood do the rock thing better. And thematically, RBW seems darker after being lost and abandoned by Iris, from the safety of the womb, shoved into the bloody streets of Dublin.

But that's what makes Volcano perfect after Iris and before Wolves. Volcano is about his anger and not giving a shit after losing his mom and grandpa. Then that leads into him growing up more to experience the blood on the streets and war zone without his mom....it's a perfect fit after iris!

I find it to be a much "deeper" and personal song than vertigo .

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