Yahweh_OMG
New Yorker
Best thing, Amercian soul and GOOYOW are really 3 horrible songs in a great album.... and they are the 3 singles 
***SPOILERS*** U2 eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour - Rehearsals/Soundcheck Thread #2
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TheGeekyU2Fan
War Child
Best thing, Amercian soul and GOOYOW are really 3 horrible songs in a great album.... and they are the 3 singles
Yeah. My dad and i were falling asleep during best thing, but he liked GOOYOW and Amersican Soul.
I really don't think any of them are terrible... they just shouldn't have been the singles.
American Soul would probably have gone over much better if not for the rehashing of Volcano. I also think XXX being such a good song and having such a different vibe (more jazzy than rock) didn't help.
Obviously they're going to highlight singles in the show, so while I get why people are upset that these are the singles, I don't get why people think that they're going to magically disappear.
American Soul would probably have gone over much better if not for the rehashing of Volcano. I also think XXX being such a good song and having such a different vibe (more jazzy than rock) didn't help.
Obviously they're going to highlight singles in the show, so while I get why people are upset that these are the singles, I don't get why people think that they're going to magically disappear.
womanfish
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
I don't think they will disappear. I totally understand them doing Best Thing. It was a minor radio hit for them. But Get Out and American Soul totally bombed, which might tell them... Hey, lets move on. We have Summer of Love, Red Flag and Little Things that we could release and promote on tour. Glad to see that Love is Bigger is being highlighted in the encore.
womanfish
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Best thing, Amercian soul and GOOYOW are really 3 horrible songs in a great album.... and they are the 3 singles
I also don't think any of them are horrible. Best Thing really is a good tune, Get Out is pretty solid, but just bland and too middle of the road U2 we've heard before. American Soul. Same I guess. I really like Volcano. Something about American Soul just doesn't hit me right. It's fine. But just seems like the obligatory rawk tune that they feel they always need to put on the album for the last 17 years.
ImOuttaControl
Refugee
Best thing, Amercian soul and GOOYOW are really 3 horrible songs in a great album.... and they are the 3 singles
I would disagree with calling them horrible... I think had You're The Best Thing About Me been released by ATYCLB, HTTAAB, or NLOTH U2, it would have been a hit. It's catchy as hell and actually has some depth to it. I just think that at this point U2 are too old and the SOI release method burned too many bridges but yet the band was still able to have a modest hit. I know a lot of people would call it selling out, but I wish U2 would have pushed to have the song featured in a movie...this would have saved us from another crummy U2 video and exposed the song to millions of people, because the thing is damn catchy.
Get Out Of Your Own Way is a good- not great U2 song. It is nowhere nearly as bad as it's made out to be on this site. I love the guitar tones that Edge uses, but I do think the song would have benefited from a bridge though.
American Soul- Haters hate it, but I actually like it. I have literally no problem with the call back to Volcano and actually enjoyed Glastonbury. It sounds like it really takes off live.
In the end, U2 could have released any combination of singles that don't include Best Thing, Get Out and American Soul and U2 still wouldn't have a massive hit, and people would be arguing that "if only they had released (insert title here), U2 would have had a smash it....they are terrible at choosing singles!"
trevgreg
Rock n' Roll Doggie
Agreed. There’s probably a reason it’s the one single of theirs that I’ve actually heard get some decent radio airplay since the HTDAAB era.
“Good, not great” is a nice way to describe it. It’s pleasant enough, even if it doesn’t set the world on fire. Heck, my only real problem with it is that it’s basically a retread of the G-A-D-Bm progression already used in The Best Thing’s chorus.
A few of the people who were actually at the shows said it came across better live, so I’m a bit hopeful on this pme, even though it’s my least favorite on the album. I’m certainly not going to frown just because there’s a prominent guitar and think that’s not what a “rock” band is supposed to do for some reason.
Just like every band’s message board out there!
TinKnight
Refugee
Ding, ding, ding.
No song on SoE was going to be a hit. Best Thing was their best chance, and it was a minor hit. That's as good as we're going to get with a band as decisive as U2, as old as U2, and in a pop music landscape dominated by hip-hop.
Just enjoy what we're getting. American Soul is a fucking blast live too.
womanfish
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
I rather like Best Thing. I rate a whopping nine songs on this album about an 8 or a 9, and I would put Best Thing around a 7.
I think it was a solid single choice. I do think that Summer of Love or Red Flag Day would have done just as well, and are better songs in my opinion. But like we all know, U2 isn't going to have major hit anymore. Best Thing did remarkably well considering.
This time around, I think that the band is really suffering from not putting out a cohesive marketing campaign around a song or songs. The Best Thing was clear. Here is the first single. Lyric video, band video, pushed hard at radio.
But after that. Wow. It was hard to tell what was going on. All sorts of different songs given to radio in different countries. A video shot but never released. One song released to Alternative Radio, another to rock. It was all so random that it just sort of fell flat.
I think it was a solid single choice. I do think that Summer of Love or Red Flag Day would have done just as well, and are better songs in my opinion. But like we all know, U2 isn't going to have major hit anymore. Best Thing did remarkably well considering.
This time around, I think that the band is really suffering from not putting out a cohesive marketing campaign around a song or songs. The Best Thing was clear. Here is the first single. Lyric video, band video, pushed hard at radio.
But after that. Wow. It was hard to tell what was going on. All sorts of different songs given to radio in different countries. A video shot but never released. One song released to Alternative Radio, another to rock. It was all so random that it just sort of fell flat.
Yahweh_OMG
New Yorker
Could not disagree more. Best thing is an ok song but the other 2 are 3rd zone songs. So bad. Remember u2???
Yeah they're going to be done every night of this leg and anything else would be a huge shock.
There is more hope in Europe. Poorly performed singles have disappeared from the setlist before (case in point: ABOY). It is insanely rare for a lead single to miss a show on its debut tour so we're stuck with Blurst Thing for as long as EI runs - though it is pretty crazy it's being done acoustic, no other lead single has had that treatment on its debut tour. But I wouldn't be shocked if they sidelined American Soul somewhere down the track.
Also, I have to wonder if they're regretting the choice of Best Thing over Blackout as lead single now, because Blackout makes perfect sense in the live set while Best Thing feels completely expendable, like it should be rotating a la 2015's e-stage.
superchuk5
Refugee
doctorwho
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
I saw the last two San Jose shows. My quick review is below.
As most know, the format is the same as the SOI tour, but there are some cool effects. For example, I'd love to hear Hold Me...Kill Me live too, but the remix they do in that break REALLY works well (and it even has a humorous moment or two). I like that remix so much I hope it's released soon.
The app works for the screen pre-concert but ONLY if you are directly in front of the screen. Angles, I found, don't work (at least not on my phone).
Cedarwood Road is exactly as it was last tour and it's followed by Raised by Wolves. The combination works well, but I have never been a huge fan of those songs. To me, they are like Bullet the Blue Sky. I never really cared for the song on the album, but it's a good performance in concert. If there are any JT era songs that would fit this setlist and theme, Bullet would be it (that said, Streets might be a great way to start the encore).
I feel that You're the Best Thing... is one of the best songs they've released lately (despite the hate on this site), in terms of a first single. I was surprised it didn't cross over. U2 perform a nice semi-acoustic version. Staring at the Sun is also acoustic and it was nice hearing ANY song from POP.
I don't want to give away all the spoilers and everyone can see the setlists, but overall, despite no JT songs, it really works. Bono's voice is very strong, the band played beautifully and the setlist really just rocks. As another person said, they mix slow with fast nicely. The show does "just end" a bit abruptly. They did this on Zoo TV where I recalled U2 performing Love Is Blindness in the dark (because, you know, blind) and then the show just ended. Unless U2 change that, be prepared
Overall, I really enjoyed the shows - very very strong. And I went to the shows with separate people who enjoy U2 but probably aren't huge fans. They all really liked it too, which is nice.
As most know, the format is the same as the SOI tour, but there are some cool effects. For example, I'd love to hear Hold Me...Kill Me live too, but the remix they do in that break REALLY works well (and it even has a humorous moment or two). I like that remix so much I hope it's released soon.
The app works for the screen pre-concert but ONLY if you are directly in front of the screen. Angles, I found, don't work (at least not on my phone).
Cedarwood Road is exactly as it was last tour and it's followed by Raised by Wolves. The combination works well, but I have never been a huge fan of those songs. To me, they are like Bullet the Blue Sky. I never really cared for the song on the album, but it's a good performance in concert. If there are any JT era songs that would fit this setlist and theme, Bullet would be it (that said, Streets might be a great way to start the encore).
I feel that You're the Best Thing... is one of the best songs they've released lately (despite the hate on this site), in terms of a first single. I was surprised it didn't cross over. U2 perform a nice semi-acoustic version. Staring at the Sun is also acoustic and it was nice hearing ANY song from POP.
I don't want to give away all the spoilers and everyone can see the setlists, but overall, despite no JT songs, it really works. Bono's voice is very strong, the band played beautifully and the setlist really just rocks. As another person said, they mix slow with fast nicely. The show does "just end" a bit abruptly. They did this on Zoo TV where I recalled U2 performing Love Is Blindness in the dark (because, you know, blind) and then the show just ended. Unless U2 change that, be prepared
Overall, I really enjoyed the shows - very very strong. And I went to the shows with separate people who enjoy U2 but probably aren't huge fans. They all really liked it too, which is nice.
doctorwho
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
Oh, and we got to hear the first live performance of Red Flag Day, which was really good. U2 just seem really tight, musically, on this tour. Very well rehearsed.
brooklynmike
Refugee
They do seem to be enjoying themselves up there. Very loose.
superchuk5
Refugee
That’s the result of spending the last year playing together. I wonder if on some level they feel liberated by playing a show full of recent material vs. the tour last year in which they were bound to a hard 11 song core sequence.
Hollow Island
New Yorker
- Joined
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They really seem to be having a great time. Larry & Bono looked like they were having the time of their lives playing Red Flag Day. It was so nice to see.
RoKKeR
Refugee
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- Nov 21, 2013
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Agreed, it's great. Watched that RFD performance a few times and it's really quite good for their first time playing it. I really think it keeps the energy up in that section despite being a new tune, and I hope the positive response it got convinces them that it should stay in the set.
It's my 2nd favorite off the album after Little Things, so I'm glad they haven't neglected it!
brooklynmike
Refugee
I gotta say, I was in the exact same spot at the e-stage in San Jose in 2015, and the crowd was WAY better at this year’s shows. Everyone was into it, like a big happy party. I was shocked at how many people were singing along with the new stuff.
I think the band felt that energy and fed it right back.
During the Macphisto in the iPad bit I caught Edge lean over to see it on the big screen as he was lightly noodling the intro.
I think the band felt that energy and fed it right back.
During the Macphisto in the iPad bit I caught Edge lean over to see it on the big screen as he was lightly noodling the intro.
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
Everybody got a copy of the album with their ticket, so that helps them know new material.
brooklynmike
Refugee
True. But EVERYBODY got a copy of the previous album as well.
Could be that they’re playing more sing along type stuff from this album.
RoKKeR
Refugee
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Yeah, I think the songs on SOE are much more live friendly than SOI. The only real up-tempo, sing-along song on SOI that they played is Miracle. The other staples aren't really the type of up tempo/karaoke stuff that many of the SOE songs are.
TinKnight
Refugee
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
Bring back the "Mirrorball Man" as well? "You know somethin? I'm fuckin beautiful!"
Like on one hand playing this many songs off the last two albums says "we're not going to pack it in and be the U2 jukebox we always said we'd never be"
On the other hand, the set screams "we're too lazy to mix up the set whatsoever and will just play the same shit over and over again, like a jukebox, just one where the buttons for Joshua Tree are broken"
I don't have any issues with the core of the set, and I don't have issues with dropping Joshua Tree altogether. But refujesus christ mix things up a little.
There should be rotating slots between Lights of Home and the Dublin set, rotating spots on the e stage out of intermission, and damn it rotate the encore a little so that people don't fall asleep.
That the set is getting more static as the tour progresses instead of less is ridiculous.
On the other hand, the set screams "we're too lazy to mix up the set whatsoever and will just play the same shit over and over again, like a jukebox, just one where the buttons for Joshua Tree are broken"
I don't have any issues with the core of the set, and I don't have issues with dropping Joshua Tree altogether. But refujesus christ mix things up a little.
There should be rotating slots between Lights of Home and the Dublin set, rotating spots on the e stage out of intermission, and damn it rotate the encore a little so that people don't fall asleep.
That the set is getting more static as the tour progresses instead of less is ridiculous.
RoKKeR
Refugee
- Joined
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Nearly lost my drink at "refujesus christ" lmao
Agreed with all of this. I'm still pumped for both of my shows but hope that things aren't quite as static by then. I'm not anticipating that being the case unfortunately.
