Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
I wouldn't go worst in 2 decades (Song For Someone takes that title for me), but I have zero use for Love is Bigger...
Next Album Rumours Thread IV - 2 Sing 2 Furious
- Thread starter pacemaker
- Start date
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I wouldn't go worst in 2 decades (Song For Someone takes that title for me), but I have zero use for Love is Bigger...
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
I think it's almost a showstopper; as I've said before they should have had at least one more repeat on the choral refrain before the end, and I don't like how they then cut the music before the little "whoa whoa whoa-oh oh-oh" coda; it should have been just a fade out.
At least when they do it live they repeat it a couple more times, they must have realized the end of a concert needs a bigger sendoff.
ascender_RS
Refugee
I've got a Pop mix which has all of that, plus Holy Joe, I'm Not Your Baby etc, but starts with the Pop Muzik radio edit straight in to Mofo with no gap between them.
womanfish
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
This is my SOI tracklist:
1. Invisible
2. Every Breaking Wave
3. California
4. Miracle
5. Volcano
6. Iris
7. Raised By Wolves
8. Cedarwood Road
9. Reach
10. The Crystal Ballroom
11. Sleep Like A Baby
12. The Troubles
The only song I don't like on the album is SFS, so I booted that.
I LOVE Crystal Ballroom, and Invisible is ok, a bit too standard U2 for my taste, but good enough to be on the album. And while Miracle wasn't a good lead single choice, I do think it makes a decent album cut.
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I'm on the same page. This is the album I would want played as my time is running out. Like I have the choice of dying in a bed and I get one album to choose, after the last song fades out so do I.
The album is so dark, rough, and feels like you've lived an entire life by the time you to those Wake Up chords.
I do feel the same way about In Rainbows from Radiohead, similar journey. Kinda warm and playful at the start and then just gets darker and darker. Both albums end on a pretty down note.
womanfish
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Yes, POP is somehow more perfect because of it's "flaws". And ending with Wake Up Dead Man... It's just so right, and in a bigger picture, that song closing out the trilogy of Achtung, Zooropa and POP is pretty much perfection.
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
So is Meghan Trainor now the enemy of art?
phanan
Blue Crack Addict
I see what you did there.
dan_smee
ONE love, blood, life
In brighter news, the new Coldplay album is quite possibly the biggest, steamiest pile of dogshit ever released. Takes a lot of the focus of U2’s missteps.
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
"Sung" from "outer space" yesterday?
OP
OP
pacemaker
Refugee
OP
OP
pacemaker
Refugee
Also, Pop is my favorite album of all time so I never muck with the track listing. But if I had to, I’d put HMTMKMKM between Playboy Mansion and Velvet Dress. After deciding that, I also came to the conclusion that those three songs somehow form a meta-trilogy that echoes the 90s albums, or at least just a concise retelling of Pop.
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
Hold Me doesn't belong on Pop. That crunchy guitar is really out of place compared to the rest of the album.
The B-sides fit a lot better.
But you're right, it's the last U2 tracklisting IMO that doesn't need any adjustments and totally works as-is.
The B-sides fit a lot better.
But you're right, it's the last U2 tracklisting IMO that doesn't need any adjustments and totally works as-is.
the tourist
Blue Crack Addict
- Joined
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You mean the album that has more unique guitar tones than any other U2 album? There’s no place for that one tone among the many dozens of others?
OP
OP
pacemaker
Refugee
womanfish
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
nice! Still worried about style of this Sing 2 song... But nice to hear about getting back in the studio.
As much as I like the last two albums, here's hoping that they are putting the " Songs of" period to rest, getting away from any set themes and maybe, just maybe, a dash of dreaming it all up again.
prbiker15
Blue Crack Addict
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
2030 it is.
womanfish
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
I gotta say, I’m very trepidatious about how things are lining up for the beginnings of this next album.
For me, my least favorite U2 is the happy, everybody come together, hold hands and love, love , love….
The last things we’ve gotten are Bono’s little quarantine ditty, which was well, most of the things above and just… bad. The Ahimsa song that sounds like Coldplay wrote and produced, The Euro2020 song that is catchy but all the things listed above (which i can forgive because of what the song is written for) but still.
And then a song for an animated kids movie, which i’m guessing isn’t in the neighborhood of Wake Up Dead Man or Exit.
On top of that, IF this is the final album, which it may not be , All signs would point to Bono wanting it to be most of those things listed above. And not a dark artistic stroke like Bowie’s Dark Star.
Then god help us if this isn’t wrapped before 2024 and American politics and Trump would get thrown in the mix.
SOI’s best moments were the darker turns, Raised By Wolves, Sleep like a Baby, The Troubles, EBW a bit. Bono’s health scare, a possible bout of depression, the fragility of parenthood and fear of growing old and becoming insignificant were the only things that kept SOE from becoming a saccharine, over-sappy mess.
So we shall see. But the tea leaves are pointing in a perilous direction.
I know that a mediocre release won’t kill their legacy overall, because many people feel like their last 15 years has been fairly mediocre, but a last surprising stunner would be so gratifying. Fingers crossed.
For me, my least favorite U2 is the happy, everybody come together, hold hands and love, love , love….
The last things we’ve gotten are Bono’s little quarantine ditty, which was well, most of the things above and just… bad. The Ahimsa song that sounds like Coldplay wrote and produced, The Euro2020 song that is catchy but all the things listed above (which i can forgive because of what the song is written for) but still.
And then a song for an animated kids movie, which i’m guessing isn’t in the neighborhood of Wake Up Dead Man or Exit.
On top of that, IF this is the final album, which it may not be , All signs would point to Bono wanting it to be most of those things listed above. And not a dark artistic stroke like Bowie’s Dark Star.
Then god help us if this isn’t wrapped before 2024 and American politics and Trump would get thrown in the mix.
SOI’s best moments were the darker turns, Raised By Wolves, Sleep like a Baby, The Troubles, EBW a bit. Bono’s health scare, a possible bout of depression, the fragility of parenthood and fear of growing old and becoming insignificant were the only things that kept SOE from becoming a saccharine, over-sappy mess.
So we shall see. But the tea leaves are pointing in a perilous direction.
I know that a mediocre release won’t kill their legacy overall, because many people feel like their last 15 years has been fairly mediocre, but a last surprising stunner would be so gratifying. Fingers crossed.
Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
If U2 were to write an album on par with JT or AB … would anyone know? Could it ever be acknowledged as such? Who decides what’s great anymore? More importantly, how would they see it as a success? Is there anyone reviewing albums now that has any weight like Rolling Stone did in 1993? I suppose an amalgamation of ratings like on Metacritic? Ticket sales? But then does anyone care?
OP
OP
pacemaker
Refugee
I want to believe that they've been getting this out of their system prior to the next album, but being optimistic with U2 rarely pays off anymore. But... new decade, new '2?
As for album reviews mattering anymore, I think they do for bands like U2... but just barely. As far as I can tell, we are in the midst of an era where the lead up to an album seems to matter more than the album itself. Most recently, look at Lorde, Kanye and Drake. No one really seemed to give a fuck about any of those albums once they were actually out. U2 could never pull off a drawn out release, the Yoots would get sick of that shit right away. However, releasing an album to glowing reviews that catch on, coupled with some strategic promo performances is something they could realistically achieve these days if they just chilled out a bit about needing a hit.
JamietheEdgefan
Refugee
I'm a sucker for big, joyful pop songs these days, so I'd personally be really happy if they wrote another 'Beautiful Day' style song fit for stadiums. I'd certainly prefer it to the classic rock sound they've been pursuing.
Having said that, there's a difference between the soundscapey, melodic stadium tracks of their back catalogue vs... whatever it is they've written with Ryan Tedder. I believe they can still write an ambitious stadium song without it coming off as cynical, calculated, and unsure of itself (imo that's how all their singles have sounded since 'Boots'). They just need a clear, confident direction, playing to their strengths - minimalist guitar riffs and atmosphere.
It'll be interesting to see what they try next. Will they take another shot at a chat-topping number 1 hit, or will they accept that's not looking likely, and make something more adventurous, free from the burdens and pressures of 'reapplying for the title of biggest band in the world'?
One of the first clues may be who they choose as producer... I'm really hoping it's not Ryan Tedder (though I have a strong feeling he's produced their 'Sing 2' track).
Having said that, there's a difference between the soundscapey, melodic stadium tracks of their back catalogue vs... whatever it is they've written with Ryan Tedder. I believe they can still write an ambitious stadium song without it coming off as cynical, calculated, and unsure of itself (imo that's how all their singles have sounded since 'Boots'). They just need a clear, confident direction, playing to their strengths - minimalist guitar riffs and atmosphere.
It'll be interesting to see what they try next. Will they take another shot at a chat-topping number 1 hit, or will they accept that's not looking likely, and make something more adventurous, free from the burdens and pressures of 'reapplying for the title of biggest band in the world'?
One of the first clues may be who they choose as producer... I'm really hoping it's not Ryan Tedder (though I have a strong feeling he's produced their 'Sing 2' track).
OP
OP
pacemaker
Refugee
My Lillywhite senses are going off re: Sing 2.
super fly guy
New Yorker
Yep,would fit in with what he said a few month back.
Nothing terrible has happened in the last two years so I'm sure they'll have nothing but rainbows and lollipops to write about.
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
B sides about puppies and bunnies.
womanfish
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
LOL. There's plenty terrible to write about. But the problem is that they don't write about it these modern political problems well. One need look no further than Get Out and American Soul. And people are annoyed enough already with Bono. Getting preachy about Trump and stuff really doesn't attract anyone.
And these type of issues don't result in the "darker" U2 I'm talking about. They just throw some cliche's into a bouncy song about love will heal it all and... splat.
I think they still could have some Dirty Day's, or Sleep Like a Baby Tonight's, or Stay's or Running to Stand Still's in them. It's getting real emotion back behind them, letting the Edge break loose again, and steering well clear of the latest bullshit that's going on. Even their biggest hits like WOWY, Still Haven't Found, and One... They all have a bit of this darker edge of desperation, longing, struggle about them. THAT's what they have been about.
Not:
Fight back
Don't take it lyin' down, you got to bite back
The face of liberty's startin' to crack
She had a plan until she got a smack in the mouth
And it all went South
Like freedom
The slaves are lookin' for someone to lead 'em
The master's lookin' for someone to need him
The promised land is there for those who need it most
And Lincoln's ghost said
Get out of your own way
I think there one shot at doing something great, but something they will never do. Pull a Zooropa, and shut themselves away with 1 or 2 producers, and whatever comes out in 2 months is the final album. I personally think that if they still have any goodwill with Eno or Lanois, that teaming one of them up with maybe Barlow or Flood could yield interesting results. Leave Lillywhite and obviously Tedder out of it for once.
dan_smee
ONE love, blood, life
Had a thought - All My Life may be a perfect tune for Sing 2 - fits the character Bono is meant to be playing, joyful, uplifting, catchy… probably the kind of song they like but don’t know what to do with…
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