Songs of Surrender - New album discussion - 6

[dan_smee]

And heads up, even if they did record EVERYTHING you could charitably call a hit or a classic - I count 27 at best - there’s still 13 songs left, which is over a full album’s worth, that has to come from lesser known or more minor songs:

I will follow
Out of control
SBS
NYD
Pride
Bad
Street
still haven’t found
Wowy
Bullet
Angel
Desire
Aiwiy
The fly
Mysterious ways
One
Wild horses
Real thing
Stay
Discotheque
Sweetest thing
Beautiful day
Stuck
Elevation
Walk on
Vertigo
Cobl

 

[mikal]

I thought Taco Bell breakfast was an awful idea. But then I tried it and DAMN! Fucking brilliant idea.

 

[Hollow Island]

Nah, Taco Bell, breakfast included, was a great idea. Awful execution, though.

 

[Hollow Island]

I suppose what I’m saying, and I believe headache and mikal are saying, is that being so closed off to the thought that something might not be as extreme or binary as being an absolute good or bad idea before we know what it is, what the basic concept it is, what’s on it, what it sounds like, how it’s been done etc is, in and of itself, a very bad idea.

Well here's the thing: I think the album will be good. They're a good band playing old songs, and they don't have very many bad songs. It would be kind of hard to fuck it up. I still think that what has been described is pointless though because...well, I've said why. It'll have about as much worth as the acoustic bonus disc for SOI, the RSD Mercy, or the versions of Pop and Zooropa songs on 1990-2000.

 

[Hollow Island]

And heads up, even if they did record EVERYTHING you could charitably call a hit or a classic - I count 27 at best - there’s still 13 songs left, which is over a full album’s worth, that has to come from lesser known or more minor songs:

I will follow
Out of control
SBS
NYD
Pride
Bad
Street
still haven’t found
Wowy
Bullet
Angel
Desire
Aiwiy
The fly
Mysterious ways
One
Wild horses
Real thing
Stay
Discotheque
Sweetest thing
Beautiful day
Stuck
Elevation
Walk on
Vertigo
Cobl

I'd add a few fan favorites to that list of songs that have no business being rerecorded. I think that only songs that are unfinished or that a strong case can be made for their being failures should be touched, and even then it's not a good idea.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Got it. Hollow Island thinks it's a bad idea out of principle. Actually hearing any of it be damned.

 

[dan_smee]

Glad you get it. He’s said it a few times now.

 

[dan_smee]

I'd add a few fan favorites to that list of songs that have no business being rerecorded. I think that only songs that are unfinished or that a strong case can be made for their being failures should be touched, and even then it's not a good idea.

Your constant and unwavering black hatting is as stale as you claim this album concept to be. We get the point. You’re no longer contributing to a discussion.

 

[womanfish]

One thing that does give me hope is them going from SFS to 13. The first being my least fave on SOI, and the latter being one of my top 4 on SOE.

Sure, I don't think that they will transform them that much, but if they transform the mood, or phrasing, instrumentation, maybe a few lyrics. There could be some really interesting stuff here.

I think my biggest fear is redoing the real classic classics - WOWY, SBS, Pride, NYD, STreets, BD, Vertigo, Bullet, MW, One, etc... It's like if someone wants to remake The Godfather or something. It can be painful. I do think the lesser hits, Stay, Horses, Even Better, Stuck, Sometimes you Can't Make it, AIWIY, COBL etc... would be more fertile ground.
And the deeper cuts even more so.

Only 3-4 more months til we hear something...

Edit. There is literally no way they could do something better with a new version of AIWIY.

 

[david]

I liked the 2018 update to New Years Day though.

 

[dan_smee]

I definitely don’t think they can make the classics better. No chance. But again, I don’t think that’s the point. There’s probably a mix of reimagining familiar songs as an intellectual exercise/curiosity, fixing some songs they didn’t nail, and just having some fun. Im all for all of those things, even if NONE of them end up “better” than the originals.

 

[womanfish]

I definitely don’t think they can make the classics better. No chance. But again, I don’t think that’s the point. There’s probably a mix of reimagining familiar songs as an intellectual exercise/curiosity, fixing some songs they didn’t nail, and just having some fun. Im all for all of those things, even if NONE of them end up “better” than the originals.

Yeah, that is how to approach this. The new versions will hopefully be interesting, and maybe have some parts that really shine, but most likely would never top the original, especially to fans like us who have them etched in our brains and hearts.

 

[Registered Dude]

Well here's the thing: I think the album will be good. They're a good band playing old songs, and they don't have very many bad songs. It would be kind of hard to fuck it up. I still think that what has been described is pointless though because...well, I've said why. It'll have about as much worth as the acoustic bonus disc for SOI, the RSD Mercy, or the versions of Pop and Zooropa songs on 1990-2000.

the Why may simply be that they believe that there are arrangements of these songs that offer a new interpretation or allow us to "hear" something different in some kind of tangible/emotional way.

I dont think we got this from the examples you cite - acoustic SOI doesn't do much for me, for example. The closest we get to something new in that set is the narrative shift in the new lyrics for SLABT. I guess there's an argument that this is something unique, and an excuse for an alternate version.

But I agree that if we get a similar set of largely uninspired reinterpretations, we can question the point of the project.

I think Song for Someone / 13 may be a good touchstone for how this thing might be done well. You can say that 13 is a different interpretation of the same song.. given the lyrical and melodic callbacks. While I dont think all 40 songs for SOS will be this radical,I do think we'll see some songs where they take things this far

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

But I agree that if we get a similar set of largely uninspired reinterpretations, we can question the point of the project.

this is a sort of important part of the entire discussion and why bashing the project now is so silly.

let's, uh, hear it first.

 

[dan_smee]

And it’s a part of the discussion I don’t think anyone disagrees with - this isn’t obstinately negative vs obstinately positive. It’s obstinately negative vs “I don’t have enough evidence to form an opinion, but considering I like the band and their music, I will approach it with optimism.”

 

[super fly guy]

Adam is recovering from COVID in Dublin, and took calls for an hour. He confirmed that they have recordings that will be coming out between now and the new year but few details beyond that. Said they are looking forward to getting out on tour again when it happens.

Snippet from U2 songs on Twitter,Adam was on U2 radio X.

 

[super fly guy]

He did confirm an album of new material would follow what comes out this fall. When asked about favourite songs he named "Bullet the Blue Sky" and "The Crystal Ballroom". Nice to hear the latter mentioned, as it's a favourite here!

More from U2 Songs.

 

[pacemaker]

I’m sure I’m reading into it, but mentioning those two songs could be a wink that they’re part of Songs of Surrender. Both are Ali-related, to an extent iirc.

 

[super fly guy]

I’m sure I’m reading into it, but mentioning those two songs could be a wink that they’re part of Songs of Surrender. Both are Ali-related, to an extent iirc.

I did wonder about that,bit random to name they 2 songs as his favorites from their career.

 

[cbanksy9]

After a decent break I just listened to SOE. I still firmly believe if you removed GOOYOW and American Soul it is a fantastic album.

LIAWHL, LOH, SOL, RFD, Landlady, Blackout, LIBTAIIW, Book of Your Heart and of course Little Things. It’s actually really good.

I think this running order really works

1 - LIAWHL
2 - LOH
3 - TBT
4 - Landlady
5 - The Blackout
6 - SOL
7 - RFD
8 - Book of Your Heart
9 - Love is Bigger
10 - Ordinary Love
11 - Little Things
12 - There is a Light

It is an indeed master work of theirs, sonically, lyrically and production was a little bit over baked but they don’t get the credit they deserve for writing a true masterpiece

 

[DaveC]

"a true masterpiece" lmao

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

"a true masterpiece" lmao

A true masterpiece…of pie

 

[AndrewCowley]

Good to see some love for SOE. I echo the masterpiece sentiment.

 

[dan_smee]

To clarify - I’m not calling it a masterpiece. I think if they didn’t make some serious blunders, it would have been a wonderful late career effort.

 

[Hewson]

If SOE is a masterpiece, then what classification do Achtung Baby and Joshua Tree get?

 

[lazarus]

Yeah. I think I like SOE more than most here but it's pretty fucking far from a masterpiece. At least one song that's a travesty and near the bottom of their entire recorded output (Get Out), and a couple others that are marred by some awful elements (American Soul, Best Thing).

 

[womanfish]

I love SOI and really like SOE. SOE unfortunately has the No Line problem. No Line would be a brilliant (not masterpiece) album if not for 3 songs. Same goes for SOE in my opinion. Get Out, American Soul and The Showman just are really lackluster. I think The Best Thing is pretty cool.

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

The Best Thing was an awful choice for the lead single. I remember when radio premiered it the DJs basically were like well, that’s that. Similar to Boots.

 

[lazarus]

I've said this before: the section beginning at 2:56, which somehow gets even worse when those processed guitars come in at 3:05 (probably played by one of those random losers credited in the liner notes), is close to rock bottom for this band. Almost as cringe-worthy as Bono's "haven't hearrrd" in Crazy Tonight.

An embarrassing example of overproduction from people who have no clue what's special about the band's studio alchemy.

 

[phanan]

Get Out and American Soul are truly the nadir of that album. I never listen to them.

I don’t mind Best Thing. It’s harmless enough.