New Album Discussion 9 - Larry needs new arms, ba rum pa pum pum

[DeVaul]

“Low Energy Larry”

 

[dan_smee]

A few of us have posted our genuine opinions, as you requested. If you don't want us posting our genuine opinions (if you're going to counter every opinion that doesn't jive with yours), please don't make this request.

I’ve said a few times (many) that if people don’t like it it’s fine. I’ve called out the logic behind opinions from a few usual suspects who selectively interpret things. Mine was a call for discussion, not for pinning up things to a notice board for no interaction or discourse.

 

[dan_smee]

I think my feelings on both tracks is that they're not doing them much favors by releasing them as singles. On their own they're too short, too sonically one dimensional from what we expect. But even just listening to them back to back there's already a better appreciation for what they're doing, how the two are both different from one another in the same way they are different from the originals. This album will really be a greater than the sum of its parts situation. I don't need to hear a 3 minute acoustic version of WOWY. But a 2 hour run through of their career where they do different a different approach for each song (as shown in the snippets) will be an interesting listen.

This is pretty much exactly how I feel. I think some people are mistaking calling out the world-ending hyperbole and asking for balance as providing a blanket excuse for them doing any old shit and calling it gold. It’s not. Pride was fine, but took too long to build into the interesting bit. Bad choice for an intro to the project. WOWY has more to it, and as a song it works better with the slow build up. It ends way too abruptly.

I’ve been calling out comments like “Bono’s voice is shot” or people calling this lazy. There’s a difference between releasing a greatest hits album and this. There’s a difference between an acoustic album and this. Like it or hate it - both opinions are fine - the fact they did it the way they did - multiple guitar tracks, synths, new guitar lines, new melodies, new lyrics - none of those things are lazy. For a group of guys in their early 60s, that shows incredible commitment to the concept because they could have shat out a greatest hits to support the book, made wad of cash and said “fuck you” to everyone. They didn’t.

 

[DeVaul]

They’re Lazy, But Not *That* Lazy.

 

[dan_smee]

They’re Lazy, But Not *That* Lazy.

On the whole - they certainly are lazy. But it’s lazy to criticise someone for being lazy just because they are often lazy but the thing being called lazy isn’t actually lazy at all. Or something.

 

[dan_smee]

you are, actually. i've already said "alternate take" as well, but you just keep harping on the one post and your own personal definition.

the literal dictionary fucking definition is something recorded and left out. so no, it doesn't mean that it's a rough, unproduced cut.

but keep on keeping on. i'm sure you'll respond to this with "lol nobody's saying that"

I think there is confusion over the difference between outtake and demo. See my earlier post re not reading/misinterpreting, and then arguing against what was assumed as the point rather than what was actually said.

 

[DaveC]

Songs of Laziness

 

[Hewson]

Songs of Ennui

 

[DeVaul]

on the whole - they certainly are lazy. But it’s lazy to criticise someone for being lazy just because they are often lazy but the thing being called lazy isn’t actually lazy at all. Or something.

 

[lazarus]

I was expecting the Vegas shows to be Zoo Dot Com or something - Zoo TV updated for this era. If they tie it into SOS it’ll be more like Zoo Dot Calm because this stuff is so chill.

And we thought Bono’s recent writing was corny.

 

[DaveC]

ZooCPAP

 

[TinKnight]

I’m just waiting for them to go back and rename all their old albums “Songs of”

There is a non-0% chance that Bono wants to rename the Joshua Tree “Songs of America”

 

[DaveC]

R&H would become Songs of Heartland for sure.

 

[DaveC]

Songs of Discotheque would be a way better album title than Pop tbh

 

[DeVaul]

Songs of Additional Keyboards by will.i.am

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Songs of Smelling Baby's Heads

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

This Songs Of Is Not A Rebel Songs Of

 

[pacemaker]

Songtober

 

[maycocksean]

Incredible range? Huh? His his range isn’t incredible for by age, and his timbre certainly hasn’t improved.

His youthful energy subsided decades ago, I’m not sure what that has to do with his diminished voice. I still like it but he’s a shadow of what he was. Which is fine. He’s 63, smoked and drank, and sang with terrible technique back in the day. We don’t need to buy into U2 PR that his voice has improved in any way or that this project has anything to do with “youthful energy” subsiding. That energy subsided decades ago, and 1/4 of these songs were recorded by men in their 50s.

I agree by and large with all of this. I would add that I think he's better a singer now than he was when he was younger, but his voice is not as good, if that makes sense. The peak of his singing voice in my opinion was the Joshua Tree era. But, the fact that he learned how to sing properly has made a huge difference and bought him decades. I will never forget hearing him sing "Miss Sarajevo " in Tokyo in 2006 and singing Pavarotti's parts too --and nailing it. The younger Bono would not have known how to do that.

It could always be worse. He could be Axl Rose.

On the whole I'm enjoying the "re-imaginings" for what they are. I've only listened to WOWY once, but right now I like Pride better. I find it growing on me, and I'm hearing it in my head after I 've played it.

My only gripe with both songs is that they both feel so short. Just when they're getting going they're done.

 

[pacemaker]

I was half expecting/half dreading that the bulk of the songs would be Sad Movie Trailer versions, which... they basically are. But there are elements of both that I like. The new Pride riff was stuck in my head for a few days (though I can't remember it now ).

They definitely fucked up releasing these two songs first. Maybe one or both of the next two will be a little more adventurous. There's gotta be SOME really good shit in these 40 songs, right?

Whatever the outcome, I still appreciate the effort especially in place of another greatest hits collection. At this point I just want to see them live at least one more time, and for them to open the vaults.

 

[CosmoKramer]

They are not fun or original. They're just slow meandering watered down versions of the originals. Like something you'd hear at an open mic night.

There's no imagination to these "re-imaginings"

Exactly how I feel. I listened to Pride 2x and it's not horrible but very meh. The original is a 10/10 but this is a 5/10 for me.

With or without you on the other hand I listened to today for the first time and thought it was terrible. Everything I love about the original is absent in this version. The original is a 10/10 but this is a 3/10 for me.

Won't buy the album but will likely give all the songs a spin in Apple Music in the hopes there are some cool versions.

 

[JWR1992]

Ya know this project and anything this band does is kind of doomed to be heavily criticized by the hardcore fan base no matter what now.

1. If they release a new album it will just end up being labeled as their weakest album. People are going to complain they haven’t done anything good since Bomb or even as far back as POP.

2. If they were releasing a greatest hits album it would just be labeled as a lazy cash grab.

3. They release an album of re-recordings and everybody freaks out. They’ve ruined their legacy, they need to call it quits!

4. They want to do a residency at a new arena in Vegas and they get labeled as an out of touch nostalgia act.

There is just no winning for U2 in 2023. They could probably get Brian Eno to produce a new ambient art rock album for them and we would still bitch.

 

[Irvine511]

While I’d always prefer a new album, I am not at all mad at this project and am very much looking forward to more.

 

[lazarus]

ZooCPAP

WELCOME TO SNOOZE TV Y'ALL

You didn't come here to fall asleep now did ya

 

[DaveC]

these orthopedic shoes make goin' for a walk look like easy work, man!

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

Funny seeing people who don’t post hardly ever coming here to trash it and the regulars defending the band relentlessly.

Bono’s really exploring his lower register! So many layers of atmosphere deep in the songs! He sounds like he did in the ‘80s for a second there! It’s just a fun record leave them alone they’re in there ‘60s!

STINKS!

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Early Bird Special

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I think there is confusion over the difference between outtake and demo. See my earlier post re not reading/misinterpreting, and then arguing against what was assumed as the point rather than what was actually said.

To be fair, if a few people stopped arguing against what was assumed as the point rather than what was actually said they'd have nothing left to contribute.

This is pretty much exactly how I feel. I think some people are mistaking calling out the world-ending hyperbole and asking for balance as providing a blanket excuse for them doing any old shit and calling it gold. It’s not. Pride was fine, but took too long to build into the interesting bit. Bad choice for an intro to the project. WOWY has more to it, and as a song it works better with the slow build up. It ends way too abruptly.

I’ve been calling out comments like “Bono’s voice is shot” or people calling this lazy. There’s a difference between releasing a greatest hits album and this. There’s a difference between an acoustic album and this. Like it or hate it - both opinions are fine - the fact they did it the way they did - multiple guitar tracks, synths, new guitar lines, new melodies, new lyrics - none of those things are lazy. For a group of guys in their early 60s, that shows incredible commitment to the concept because they could have shat out a greatest hits to support the book, made wad of cash and said “fuck you” to everyone. They didn’t.

Ding ding ding ding ding.

Exactly. The songs are fine. A nice diversion, and I appreciate that they tried something different vs. simply mailing it on with Greatest Hits vol. 12.

 

[TinKnight]

I just don't know.

In the streaming age, no one is going to give a shit about a normal ass Greatest Hits album. It shouldn't be on the table.

But I just really feel like this ain't gonna be it either. I really wish they had let someone not close to the band give them the tapes and let them give a Beatles Love treatment. I always hoped U2 would do that, but the release of Songs of Surrender pretty much means that'll never happen, at least not with the band living.

The only real thing I can think of is these guys are really trying to prepare people for the Vegas shows. I don't know anything, but it really is sounding like they agreed to do a Zoo TV style throwback concert, and then for whatever reason, a lack of interest or a lack of ability, are scrambling to scale it back.

This is just the first time in a long time that I've felt that these guys don't have a lot of heart into the whole U2 thing. It's always been the Edge and Bono show, but Larry and to a lesser extent, Adam, could squelch their worst tendencies.

 

[ndmaxfield]

I’ve said a few times (many) that if people don’t like it it’s fine. I’ve called out the logic behind opinions from a few usual suspects who selectively interpret things. Mine was a call for discussion, not for pinning up things to a notice board for no interaction or discourse.

So let's have a discussion. I think it's absolutely fair to call this project lazy.

The band was recording these tracks, anyway, to produce the audio version of Bono's book.

Bono decided to go on tour with his book, so he already developed at least partial "reworkings" of these songs to sing solo onstage along with his narration.

Now he wants to sell us full, recorded versions of those "reworkings" as an album.

So Bono is triple-dipping here ("Hey, we recorded these tracks for the audiobook (which he's selling), and I'm singing a little bit of this on-stage with some "new atmospherics" (for which he's selling tickets), so why don't we record these and sell them as a record of "reimagined" songs" by the whole band (revenue stream #3)). How can anyone not call this a cash grab?

That would have been fine had they taken this a little more seriously as an explicit album release. But I'm disappointed in this project (so far) because it sounds (to me) like Bono sang these as audiobook takes (things he only intended for us to hear, in little chunks, in the background of the audiobook). Now, he's trying to sell us these takes in their entirety (and asking us to pay $125 for 40 songs of that - I only buy their stuff on vinyl at this point).

What's my evidence that Bono could have give us better vocal takes? He produced much better vocals, at this same register, on their last proper album just a few years ago. He's still capable of doing that. This has nothing to do with age. He just didn't take the time to do it for this release. And, like I mentioned in a previous post, they could have recruited someone like Eno to develop some really dazzling ambient background stuff if they really intended this to be a "reimaginings" projects.

To call this a creative endeavor by U2 makes me think some people here are in serious denial about U2's current mindset as a band. I know I don't need to remind anyone here that this is the band that came out with AB, and Zooropa, and Passengers, and Pop.

I also pretty much hate when Bono tries to sing like a pop singer. Forget all of the vocal play and subtle melodic progressions; he's at his best as a rock singer.