New Album Discussion 10 - Songs of Sir, this is a Wendy's, durr

[Headache in a Suitcase]

that's morally corrupt bootlicking lib rube wonks to you, sir

 

[koci]

Back in the day

So impatient. Back in the day all we had were shitty beach clips at times like these. The good old days.

 

[danm]

Well, not all reviews are going to be positive, and this one below certainly isn't. I think the reviewer totally misses the point though, and forgets that this is MEANT to be a very stripped down, minimalistic reinvention. I do agree that some songs could have had more - Streets, One and WOWY in particular - but reading Edge's comments, they were intentionally being minimalistic.

https://www.popmatters.com/u2-songs-of-surrender-review

U2 HAVE NEVER SOUNDED MORE DEFEATED THAN ON ‘SONGS OF SURRENDER’
U2’s sense of surprise was exchanged for maddeningly consistent predictability in their later career, and ‘Songs of Surrender’ sounds how you think it would.

By John Garratt / 15 March 2023

In 2002, Island and Interscope Records released a U2 compilation for the 1990s, plainly named The Best of 1990-2000. Its companion release, The Best of 1980-1990, released in 1998, was a fairly straightforward collection in that the first CD had all of U2’s noteworthy hits, and the limited edition disc was full of B-sides. But when it came time to assemble the tracks for The Best of 1990-2000, things got a little weird. The limited edition CD, which billed itself as a B-side compilation, was crammed full of confusing remixes, including remixes of B-sides, remixes of covers, an “original” version of a new song (a remix of “Electrical Storm” was on the first disc), and a regular album track (“Your Blue Room”).

The first CD, the actual product meant to document U2’s output in the 1990s, was even more confusing. When it came to representing the band’s glittery 1997 album Pop and thrillingly experimental Zooropa from 1993, the powers-that-be decided to give four of these songs a “new mix”. Not a remix but a “new mix”. If you haven’t heard The Best of 1990-2000, you probably wonder what the difference is. The best way I can describe it is this: someone at Island or Interscope leaned over and whispered into U2’s collective ears, “hey, people weren’t really digging those weird sounds you guys were chasing on Zooropa and Pop. We better make them more palatable.”

So, everything that made songs like “Gone”, “Numb”, and “Discothèque” interesting was siphoned away only to be replaced with nothing. U2 revisionism had begun. Jabba the Hut had broken out of his palace and was slithering all over downtown Dublin. Years later, lead singer Bono would give an interview in which he expressed a desire to go back and re-record Pop from top-to-bottom, which should be enough to ponder whether or not we took all of Pop’s color and character for granted.

Fast forward to 2023, and prompted by Bono’s memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, U2 have cast their revisionist net far and wide. Depending on which edition you buy, Songs of Surrender features 16, 20, or 40 songs from U2’s past, all performed on acoustic guitars and piano. With the exception of October, No Line on the Horizon, and Original Soundtracks Vol. 1 (credited to Passengers), U2 drew from every one of their records for the material, in addition to a few non-album singles. Many of them are slower and quieter than their original counterparts.

Some find Bono singing in a lower octave or a different key altogether, depending on the current shape of his voice. Bits of lyrics are altered here and there, and some stanzas double their length by stretching out the words being sung. One thing they all have in common is that they repeat the same mistake made 21 years prior when The Best of 1990-2000 was regrettably peppered with “new” mixes – they just aren’t that interesting.

To their credit, U2’s selection process for Songs of Surrender isn’t limited to only their biggest hits. In addition to three songs from their spunky debut, Boy, they also include the old buried nugget “11 O’clock Tick Tock”, which doesn’t sound too bad with its 12-string chime set against a piano. They tackle a few standalone singles that casual fans may have missed, like “Ordinary Love” and “Invisible”. Even their much-maligned Songs of Innocence and its companion release, Songs of Experience, are well-represented here, with four from the former and three from the latter. Of course, the newer a song is, the less it has been “lived-in”, giving the listener suspicion to believe it may not yet be ripe for reinterpretation. But there is humor in placing the song “One” first and the 40th one being “40”.

When it comes to songs like “Bad”, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, and “With or Without You”, I’m sure U2 can’t help but feel the need to change things up after having played them for decades in stadiums across the world. Yet when they get their chance to reinvent them, they apply only the most trivial of changes. What alterations exist hardly justify the existence of the boxset, let alone all the studio time required to make it all happen.

There are bits of window dressing dragged out from time to time, like the horn section on “Red Hill Mining Town”, the added strings on “Vertigo” and “Dirty Day”, the vocal echo applied to “City of Blinding Lights”, and Bono’s wince-inducing vocal cracks in “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses”. His decision to sing all of “Desire” in falsetto was likely an attempt for some soul, but unfortunately, he comes off sounding like the devil (Him!) in Powerpuff Girls.

“Two Hearts Beat As One” finds the Edge achieving a funky groove in this setting, which is admirable considering how dead the rest of the material sounds. But how did he make “The Fly” sound so dull? Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr., one of post-punk’s most enduring rhythm sections, seem only to be involved on a peripheral level. Sometimes they’re there; sometimes, they’re not. For his part, Bono never goes by half-measures. Whether he’s singing a song memorized by almost every living adult the world over or a song he wrote when he was 18, the earnestness in his delivery is the same, and over two hours and 45 minutes, the ear begs for a changeup.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Just because a band decide to go “unplugged” temporarily doesn’t mean that the music has to wind up sounding like open mic night at your local pub. There are pockets in the rock ‘n’ roll landscape filled with artists who could think outside the usual wooden box of “hey, let’s just replace the electric guitar with an acoustic and make the tempo a little slower”.

For some sad reason, U2 feel like they can’t embrace this freedom. They started as punks, a genre that prided itself on ignoring rules and criticism. In the 1990s, they morphed into a futuristic juggernaut that could peek around musical corners before their protégés even had a chance. But somewhere along the way, that all changed. Their sense of surprise was exchanged for maddeningly consistent predictability. We are left with Songs of Surrender, a quadruple album that sounds exactly how you think it would.

RATING: 5

 

[DeVaul]

Between the book tour and sphere rehearsals, Bono may not have time to hit the French Riviera and leak another great-sounding song that never sees release

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

So impatient. Back in the day all we had were shitty beach clips at times like these. The good old days.

I think every album leaked at least a week before release, if not sooner, up until Songs of Innocence.

 

[david]

Yeah, I am an Apple Music subscriber and I get Friday releases at 9pm PST Thursdays so I can wait.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

so, Friday New York time?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

it's only 21 hours until the album goes live in Australia

 

[TinKnight]

Reviews trickling out is proving to be exactly like SoE's: smaller newspapers and big mainstream publications giving it positive reviews, with more music-oriented publications being more critical.

That's life

 

[clerks]

Between the book tour and sphere rehearsals, Bono may not have time to hit the French Riviera and leak another great-sounding song that never sees release

Oh shit, which one didn't get released? I am now having a flashback... and remembering great songs, but thought they did come out.

Same way I remember Kygo U2 mix leaking and I had it for a bit, lost it, and they released it, but I swear it's not the same leaked version of BEST THING ABOUT ME that came out.... but now I can't find it again and I'm sad inside.

 

[Registered Dude]

1091 posts.

so what happens if we dont start a new thread, and just keep the chatter going here?

will interference break?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

the mods gave up years ago

 

[DeVaul]

Oh shit, which one didn't get released? I am now having a flashback... and remembering great songs, but thought they did come out.

All My Life, babe

https://youtu.be/EO8arThAKfk

 

[TinKnight]

All My Life, babe

https://youtu.be/EO8arThAKfk

ugh what a loss

 

[iota]

ugh what a loss

We comfort ourselves by pretending it will be on Songs of Ascent.

 

[DeVaul]

We comfort ourselves by pretending it will be on Songs of Ascent.

Yes, this and not a “look at us being simple and Beatles-esque” song called Smile that is probably not as good as the one they already released.

 

[danm]

Album credit details: https://www.u2songs.com/news/songs_of_surrender_the_credits

 

[danm]

The Fly clip on youtube, different to the itunes preview:

[youtube]/W5r4-Vgrj_M[/youtube]

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Spoiler

One:
Music by U2 / Lyrics by Bono

Vocals: Bono. Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Drums, Percussion, Piano: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Background Vocalist: Abe Laboriel Jr.

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Vocal Arranger: Abe Laboriel Jr.
Engineer: Alastair McMillan, Duncan Stewart. Additional Engineer: Julian Shank. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixed by: Duncan Stewart.

Where the Streets Have No Name
Music by U2 / Lyrics by Bono

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Rhodes, Vocals: The Edge. Synthesizer: Declan Gaffney. Synthesizer: Duncan Stewart. Cello: HAUSER.

Producer: The Edge. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Declan Gaffney, Duncan Stewart, Richard Rainey. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixed by: Duncan Stewart.

Stories for Boys
Music by U2 / Lyrics by Bono

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge.

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Duncan Stewart, The Edge. Additional Engineer: Bobby Mota, Jonathan Pfarr, Julian Shank. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo.
Mixed by: Duncan Stewart.

11 O’Clock Tick Tock
Music by U2 / Lyrics by Bono

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Bass Programming, Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge.

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Alastair McMillan, Alisse Laymac, Declan Gaffney, Duncan Stewart. Additional Engineer: Nicole Schmidt. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixed by: Duncan Stewart.

Out of Control
Music by U2 / Lyrics by Bono

Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Additional Keyboards: Terry Lawless.
Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: The Edge, Duncan Stewart. Mixed by Duncan Stewart. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo.

Beautiful Day:
Music by U2 / Lyrics by Bono

Vocals: Bono. Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Synthesizer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Keyboards: Duncan Stewart.
Choir: Anil Sebastian, Anna Holloway, Caitlin Sinclair, Cerian Holland, Connor Going, Didier Rochard, Jeremy Franklin, Kate Westall, Liv Barath, Lydia Clowes. Background Vocalist: Chloe Dale Poswilo, Hollis Howard. London
Producer: The Edge, Duncan Stewart, Bob Ezrin. Engineers: Alastair McMillan, Duncan Stewart, Jonathan Pfarr, Toby Alington. Additional Engineer: Julian Shank, Rab McAllister. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixed by Duncan Stewart. Contemporary Voices taken from U2 Live At The BBC. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios. First broadcast on 19th December 2017.

Bad:
Written by U2. Lyrics by Bono / The Edge

Vocals: Bono. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Drums and Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Cello: Peter Gregson.

Produced by The Edge. Co-Produced by Bob Ezrin. Additional production by Duncan Stewart. Engineered by Duncan Stewart, Declan Gaffney, Alastair McMillan, and The Edge. Additional Engineer: Nicole Schmidt. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixed by Duncan Stewart and Alastair McMillan.

Every Breaking Wave:
Music by Bono. Lyrics by Bono and The Edge.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Brass Band: John Metcalfe.

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Alastair McMillan, Declan Gaffney, Duncan Stewart. Additional Engineer: Nicole Schmidt. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Horn Arranger: John Metcalfe. Mixed by Declan Gaffney and Duncan Stewart.

Walk On (Ukraine)
Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Additional Keyboards, Programming: Duncan Stewart. Cello: Peter Gregson

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineers: Alastair McMillan, Declan Gaffney, Duncan Stewart, Richard Rainey. Additional Engineer: Julian Shank. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Duncan Stewart.

Pride (In the Name of Love)
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Choir: Hillspring Children’s Choir (Mumbai). Choir: Kamakshi Khanna. Bells, Choir Arranger, Orchestra: Karsh Kale.

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineers: Alastair McMillan, Duncan Stewart, The Edge. Additional Engineers: Jonathan Pfarr, Julian Shank. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Duncan Stewart.

Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge.

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Engineers: Alastair McMillan, Alisse Laymac, Duncan Stewart, The Edge. Additional Engineers: Jonathan Pfarr, Julian Shank. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo.

Get Out of Your Own Way
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge.

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineers: Alastair McMillan, Duncan Stewart, The Edge. Additional Engineer: Jonathan Pfarr. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Duncan Stewart.

Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono and The Edge.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Tambourine: Ezra Mullen.

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineers: Alastair McMillan, Alisse Laymac, Duncan Stewart. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Duncan Stewart.

Red Hill Mining Town
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone: Dan Oestreicher. Brass Band: Rori Coleman. Brass Band: Trombone Shorty. Tenor Saxophone: Yirmayah Yisrael.

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart, Richard Rainey. Engineers: Alastair McMillan, Duncan Stewart, Paul Schoen, Richard Rainey. Additional Engineer: Julian Shank. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Duncan Stewart.

Ordinary Love
Music by Brian Burton and U2 / Lyrics by Bono and Brian Burton.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge.

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Alastair McMillan, Declan Gaffney, Duncan Stewart, The Edge. Additional Engineer: Bobby Mota, Jonathan Pfarr, Julian Shank. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Duncan Stewart.

Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Percussion: Andres Forero. Organ: Duncan Stewart.

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Alisse Laymac, Duncan Stewart. Additional Engineer: Julian Shank. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Rob Kinelski. Assistant Mixer: Eli Heisler.

Invisible
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono and The Edge

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Dulcimer, Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Guitar: Duncan Stewart.

Producer: The Edge. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Alastair McMillan, Duncan Stewart. Additional Engineer: Julian Shank. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Duncan Stewart.

Dirty Day
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono and The Edge.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Cello: HAUSER.

Producer: Declan Gaffney, The Edge. Engineer: Declan Gaffney, Duncan Stewart, The Edge. Additional Engineer: Jonathan Pfarr. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Declan Gaffney.

The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono and The Edge.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Background Vocalist, Synthesizer: Duncan Stewart.

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Alastair McMillan, Alisse Laymac, Declan Gaffney, Duncan Stewart, Richard Rainey. Additional Engineer: Julian Shank, Nicole Schmidt. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Alastair McMillan, Duncan Stewart, Richard Rainey.

City of Blinding Lights
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge.

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Duncan Stewart, The Edge. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Duncan Stewart.

Vertigo
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Cello: HAUSER.

Producer: The Edge. Additional Producer: Declan Gaffney. Engineer: Alastair McMillan. Engineer: Declan Gaffney. Engineer: Duncan Stewart. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Declan Gaffney.

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Background Vocalist: Brian Eno. Background Vocalist: Daniel Lanois. Wurlitzer electric piano: Duncan Stewart. Fender Bass: Stuart Morgan.

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Alastair McMillan, Alisse Laymac, Duncan Stewart, Richard Rainey. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Duncan Stewart.

Electrical Storm
Music by The Edge. Lyrics by Bono.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Bass Programming, Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Wurlitzer Electric Piano: Duncan Stewart.

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Alastair McMillan, Alisse Laymac, Duncan Stewart, The Edge. Additional Engineer: Julian Shank, Nicole Schmidt. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Rob Kinelski. Assistant Mixer: Eli Heisler.

The Fly
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Bass, Dulcimer, Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge.

Producer: The Edge. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Alastair McMillan, Alisse Laymac, Duncan Stewart, Richard Rainey. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Duncan Stewart.

If God Will Send His Angels
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono and The Edge.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Marimba: Duncan Stewart.

Producer: The Edge. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Duncan Stewart, The Edge. Additional Engineer: Julian Shank, Nicole Schmidt. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Duncan Stewart.

Desire
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Bass, Dulcimer, Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Drum Programming, Synthesizer Programming: Duncan Stewart.

Producer: Duncan Stewart, The Edge. Engineer: Declan Gaffney, Duncan Stewart. Additional Engineer: Jonathan Pfarr, Nicole Schmidt. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Duncan Stewart.

Until the End of the World
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge.

Producer: The Edge. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Alastair McMillan, Alisse Laymac, Declan Gaffney, Duncan Stewart. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Duncan Stewart.

Song for Someone
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono and The Edge.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Piano: Declan Gaffney.

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Alastair McMillan, Declan Gaffney, Duncan Stewart, Richard Rainey. Additional Engineer: Bobby Mota, Jonathan Pfarr, Julian Shank. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Duncan Stewart.

All I Want is You
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Organ: Bob Ezrin.

Producer: Bob Ezrin, The Edge. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Alastair McMillan, Duncan Stewart. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Rob Kinelski. Assistant Mixer: Eli Heisler.

Peace on Earth
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Drum Programming, Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge.

Producer: The Edge. Engineer: The Edge. Additional Engineer: Julian Shank. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Duncan Stewart.

With or Without You
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Rhodes, Vocals, Wurlitzer Electric Piano: The Edge. Rhodes, Wurlitzer Electric Piano: Duncan Stewart.

Producer: Bono, The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Alastair McMillan, Duncan Stewart, Richard Rainey, The Edge. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Duncan Stewart.

Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Acoustic Guitar, Sound Effects, Strings: Bob Ezrin. Acoustic Guitar: Duncan Stewart. Strings: John Metcalfe.

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Alastair McMillan, Declan Gaffney, Duncan Stewart. Additional Engineer: Julian Shank, Nicole Schmidt. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. String Arranger: Bob Ezrin, John Metcalfe. Mixer: Duncan Stewart.

Sunday Bloody Sunday
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Ukulele, Vocals: The Edge.

Producer: The Edge. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Alastair McMillan. Engineer: Duncan Stewart. Additional Engineer: Nicole Schmidt, Rab McAllister. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Duncan Stewart.

Lights of Home
Music by U2 / Alana Haim / Danielle Haim / Este Haim / Ariel Rechtshaid. Lyrics by Bono.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Flute, Keyboards, Organ: Duncan Stewart.

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Alastair McMillan, Declan Gaffney, Duncan Stewart, The Edge. Additional Engineer: Julian Shank, Nicole Schmidt. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Duncan Stewart.

Cedarwood Road
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono and The Edge.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Piano: Declan Gaffney.

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Alastair McMillan, Declan Gaffney, Duncan Stewart. Additional Engineer: Bobby Mota. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Duncan Stewart.

I Will Follow
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Additional Keyboards: Terry Lawless.

Producer: The Edge. Additional Producer: Declan Gaffney, Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Declan Gaffney, Duncan Stewart. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Declan Gaffney, Duncan Stewart.

Two Hearts Beat As One
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Bass Guitar, Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals, Wurlitzer Electric Piano: The Edge. Background Vocalist, Hand Claps, Percussion: Duncan Stewart.

Producer: Duncan Stewart, The Edge. Engineer: Alastair McMillan, Duncan Stewart, Richard Rainey. Additional Engineer: Bobby Mota, Jonathan Pfarr, Julian Shank. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Duncan Stewart, Richard Rainey.

Miracle Drug
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge.

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Alastair McMillan, Duncan Stewart, Richard Rainey, The Edge. Additional Engineer: Julian Shank. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Bob Ezrin, Duncan Stewart.

The Little Things That Give You Away
Written by U2.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Vocals: The Edge. Additional Keyboards: Andy Barlow. Additional Keyboards, Guitar: Jolyon Thomas.

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Alastair McMillan, Alisse Laymac, Duncan Stewart, Richard Rainey. Additional Engineer: Bobby Mota, Julian Shank. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Alastair McMillan, Duncan Stewart.

“40”
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono.

Bass Guitar: Adam Clayton. Vocals: Bono. Drums, Percussion: Larry Mullen, Jr. Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Ukulele, Vocals, Wurlitzer Electric Piano: The Edge. Cello: Bob Ezrin.

Producer: The Edge. Co-Producer: Bob Ezrin. Additional Producer: Duncan Stewart. Engineer: Alastair McMillan, Duncan Stewart. Mastering Engineer: Scott Sedillo. Mixer: Duncan Stewart.

 

[Irvine511]

Of all U2 albums, reviews really don’t matter on this one. Honestly, who cares? This is a side project. If you like it, great; if you don’t, these songs are still out there in original form. It’s nice when critics like what you like, but this isn’t an album asking for relevance or to be taken seriously as an example of 2023 popular music.

It is interesting to note that most of the reviews, good or less good, are written by people familiar with their vast catalogue, and also that vast catalogue comes with the burden of a long history that is divisive by design.

 

[mikal]

I would just like to see one review that doesn't realize that these songs are reimagined.

 

[womanfish]

The Fly clip on youtube, different to the itunes preview:

[youtube]/W5r4-Vgrj_M[/youtube]

Hmmm... I quite like that.

 

[Hewson]

Got my shipping notice from U2.com

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Got my shipping notice from U2.com

2024 it is

 

[super fly guy]

The Fly clip on youtube, different to the itunes preview:

[youtube]/W5r4-Vgrj_M[/youtube]

The fly sounds great.

 

[super fly guy]

That's my vinyl been shipped through royal mail,hope they don't try and squeeze it through the letter box.[emoji1787]

 

[dan_smee]

The album has landed..

Nice. Enjoy!

Was there a download link in the sleeve, and if so, is it live?

 

[danm]

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-03-15/u2-bono-edge-songs-of-surrender-interview

‘We have all quiet quit U2 over the years’: A conversation with Bono and the Edge

BY ROB TANNENBAUM
MARCH 15, 2023 12:31 PM PT

“I’ve written a book with a title I’ve yet to fathom or properly grasp,” U2 singer Bono inscribed on the title page in my copy of his recent memoir, “Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story.” U2’s long, blockbuster career — 14 studio albums that have sold 170 million copies worldwide, plus 22 Grammys — is rooted in a similar quixotic ideal of trying to fathom big topics like love, faith and community.

From their origins as a guileless, almost emo Irish post-punk band to their mulleted mainstream success in the late ’80s through their subsequent decades as stalwart rock elders who can sell out stadiums, they’ve asked questions of us and themselves, then rejected the answers in favor of more questions. They’ve never settled for big when they could aim for huge and epic.

Bono’s memoir also inspired a new album, “Songs of Surrender,” to be released on Friday, on which U2 — or more specifically, Bono and guitarist the Edge; bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. are mostly absent — revisit 40 of their previous songs, as far back as their debut album, and not only strip down the arrangements, but in several cases revise the lyrics as well.

In separate Zoom interviews — Bono, 62, from his Los Angeles hotel and the Edge, 61, from his Malibu home — some personality differences were obvious. The guitarist, in a gray hoodie and his ever-present beanie, spoke prosaically and held his cards close to the vest. The singer, in a black T-shirt and his ever-present circular purple sunglasses, spoke floridly, often poking fun at himself and his bandmates, and leaned in close to the camera when he got excited — which is his characteristic state. (Shortly after the interview, he Fed Ex’ed me the signed copy of his memoir, unprompted.)

Our topics included the arrogance of great songwriting, Bono’s new uncharacteristic vocal style and whether Mullen is “quiet quitting” U2.

The simpler arrangements on “Songs of Surrender” reminded me of MTV’s “Unplugged” series. Does an “Unplugged” analogy seem accurate to you?
Bono: Yeah it does, although we made a point of including some songs that weren’t unplugged. The overarching theme is intimacy, and the way to achieve it was mostly through acoustic instruments. If we were to strip songs down to just voice and guitar, or voice and piano, we’d find out if the emperor was wearing any clothes. We’d at least see what the naked self looks like. Songwriting wasn’t our preoccupation when the Edge and I were younger.

What was your preoccupation?
Bono: The impact, the sonic blast, the feelings, and staking our claim on new territory, emotionally and musically. We were that obnoxiously inclined.

With Adam and Larry mostly absent from “Songs of Surrender,” is this U2 reinterpreting U2 songs, or is it Bono and the Edge reinterpreting U2 songs?
Edge: Ooh, a very good question. Adam and Larry’s contributions were not as big because we were trying to come up with the minimum arrangement we could get away with. Everyone’s personality is there, and also the songs are U2 songs — so of course it’s a U2 album.

Bono: They didn’t need to play on all the songs, because then we’d be just a rock band.

These songs mean a lot to a lot of people. Why change them?
Edge: We didn’t go out of our way to change them, as such. In the case of, say, “Stories for Boys,” it was written when we were boys, and it explains what we were going through. It’s hard for a 60-year-old man to make those lyrics believable, so we rewrote the song. It’s got a pathos now, where the original version had exuberance and bravado.

One of the new lyrics in “Stories for Boys” is, “In my imagination, there’s only static and flow/No yes or no” instead of, “Sometimes a hero takes me/Sometimes I don’t let go.” What does the change signify?
Edge: That’s about self-acceptance. At the time of our first album, we were, like most kids, self-doubting and self-critical. We were inspired by “Lord of the Flies” and by a beautiful movie called “If.” The new lyric acknowledges that we were way too hard on ourselves. It’s a little pat on the head.

Once you decided to reinterpret the songs, how did the process start?
Edge: Mostly the tracks started with me. I’d make a simple outline — what’s the key, what’s the tempo, add some acoustic guitar or piano. When Bono started singing, we knew instantly if it was working.

Bono sounds much more sedate and understated on these versions.
Edge: U2 songs quite famously have an emotional connection. The new versions often got too drenched, too sentimental, so Bono quite consciously kept his singing a little more deadpan than normal. With “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” we reined it in so much, it’s almost like a Johnny Cash country song.

Bono, when you revisited those older lyrics, what did you think of the young man who wrote them?
Bono: I have been a little red-faced at the outpouring [of emotions]. I’ve had phases of embarrassment, but I’m out the other side of it now. That’s the job of our music presently: Can we be as barefaced, as defiant, as vulnerable as we used to be? Can we be as uncool?

Edge: We were aware, back then, of being way too open-hearted.

U2 started out as a post-punk band, a style that’s inherently “cool,” in the Marshall McLuhan sense of classifying media, but you flipped it around and made it “hot,” right?
Edge: That might be the Irish influence. There was always a kind of opera, and an emotional intensity to our work.

We met [U2 producer] Brian Eno in the mid-’80s, after he worked with David Bowie and then Talking Heads, who definitely were on the cool side of media. Eno said to us, “It would be a mistake for you guys to try and be cool, because what you are is hot and passionate.” At the time, we did want to be a bit cool.

Bono: I remember Eno saying, “What’s unique about your music is that a lot of it is not influenced by Black music.” And we’d say, “Large swaths of it are, Brian.” He’d say, “No. Small swaths of it are. And that’s the least interesting thing about you, anyway.” (laughs) That was the end of the argument. He’d point to “Pride (in the Name of Love),” “The Unforgettable Fire” or “Beautiful Day” and say, “You own that. That’s your territory.”

So is being uncool part of what characterizes U2?
Bono: Our first album is really an ode to innocence, whereas if you’re in a band, you’re usually trying to deface your innocence. It’s sex in the back seat of a Cadillac. Here’s these Irish teenagers saying, no, we want to hold on to our innocence. I’m amazed at how audacious that was.

I’m a huge U2 fan. I saw one of your first six or so American shows and most of the tours since then. But a few years ago, to be blunt, I realized I was losing interest in U2, as well as some other artists. It dawned on me what those artists had in common: straight white men who were bellowing their emotions. Was there any similar impulse for you, that led to the more sedate approach on “Songs of Surrender?”
Bono: I wish I had the courage and phraseology to say exactly that. We have an internal parlance within the band: “Hello, I’m having a feeling.” It’s one of our descriptions of our music. (laughs) I think it’s OK to ask the question, “Do I need any more of that? Haven’t I felt that from you before?” If you have, I could argue, change the channel as fast as you did. We can take the punches, so throw them any time.

On our last two studio albums, I wanted to go back to first principles: “Don’t bore us, get us to the chorus.” I was tiring of our songwriting. Rock had gotten so unambitious. The Beatles never thought like that! They wanted the whole world: melodies, words, those revelatory moments. They were generous.

But you’re right to be hard on singer-songwriters, especially ones that are overtly confessional. Elvis Costello refers to this music as “f— me, I’m sensitive.” (laughs) I’m a little tired of the “Hello, I’m having a feeling” situation, including when it’s me singing.

One of the most marked reinterpretations is “Two Hearts Beat as One,” which you turned into a kind of pared-down Philly soul/disco track. How did that evolve?
Edge: That’s me singing it. I did a demo vocal on pretty much everything, and on a couple of occasions Bono would go, “That sounds great. I’m happy for you to sing that one.” It happened with “Stories for Boys,” “Two Hearts,” “Desire” and “Peace on Earth.” We worked so fast. I recorded “Peace on Earth” in my bedroom with two microphones and a laptop. It took literally 10 minutes.

Some songs took longer. The first version of “Pride (in the Name of Love)” was too insipidly nice. We didn’t want this to be U2 Light.

Which versions of these songs will you be playing later this year at your Las Vegas residency?
Edge: Probably a combination. It’s going to be a rock ‘n’ roll show, for sure, and we’ll probably dip into these interpretations for part of it.

Bono: Some people say that the lifeblood of U2 is concerts, not our albums — which is very hurtful. (laughs)

Your Las Vegas residency, tentatively scheduled for the fall, will be your first live shows since December 2019. You’re initiating the MSG Sphere, which is being touted as a state-of-the-art concert hall. What’s different about it?
Bono: At the Sphere, the entire building is a speaker. We should be able to get to levels of intimacy that we’ve never had before in concert. That’s going to be interesting. Edge said to me, “You know, we rely on a certain degradation of signal.” I said, “I think I know what you mean, but go on.”

He said, “If we have full fidelity, we may not like what we sound like.” (laughs) We haven’t put tickets on sale because we don’t know yet that we can fulfill the potential of the place. Edge has gone in there with his hard hat — and his hard head — and so far, the results are good.

For the Vegas shows, you have Bram van den Berg on drums instead of Larry, who can’t play, reportedly due to neck and elbow injuries. In November, he gave a prickly interview in which he described the band as a dictatorship rather than a democracy and seemed very unhappy. Is Larry quiet quitting U2?
Bono: We have all quiet quit U2 over the years. After the article appeared, Larry texted me and said, “You probably won’t be asking me to do many interviews after this.” (laughs) He has a funny side, despite being caricatured as a surly fella. When I’m mouthing off about some disaster in the world and how we might be able to help, he’s looking at his watch and saying, “Hurry up. I want to see my kids, Bono.” That’s partly humor.

In the interview, he said the band had turned into a dictatorship, to which Edge replied, “There are four dictators in U2.”

Larry also said “Everyone has their limits. And you only do this if it’s a great time you’re having,” which sounds like a threat, doesn’t it?
Edge: Anyone can have a bad day, and I’m sure Larry was frustrated by not being able to perform with us in Vegas.

Is there a chance that I’ll wake up one morning and “Songs of Surrender” will have been automatically downloaded into my iTunes, as you did in 2014 with “Songs of Innocence”?
Bono: God bless Apple for allowing me to talk them into that, even if it went far past where it was meant to go. I hope we don’t stop looking for ways to get our music across. Slipping it under the pillows of our audience would be better for “Songs of Surrender” because they’re whispers, not screams, these songs.

It’s been 45 years since U2 first played in public. What does it take to keep the same four people together for so long?
Edge: It takes a lot of good luck. In our case, the origins of the band were based on friendship. As we got older, there was a sense of group purpose. We took on a band ego and left our own egos checked at the door because if the collective wins, we all win. That makes it so much easier to deal with each other’s idiosyncrasies. Most bands break up because one or more members decides they’d be better off being solo. It’s more every man for himself.

There’s a Gore Vidal quote: “It’s not enough to succeed, what you really want is for your friends to fail.” That’s not the case for us.

Gore Vidal also said, “Never miss a chance to have sex or appear on television.”
Edge: I fundamentally disagree. I think you have to be super-selective in both cases. (laughs)

The band has mentioned two new albums in progress: “Songs of Ascent” and something Bono calls a “noisy, uncompromising, unreasonable guitar album.” What’s the difference between the two?
Bono: “Songs of Ascent” is a reflective, lyrical album, very different from the unreasonable guitar record, which is not to say they might not end up mating. We didn’t want to put either album out before we could play live, so we were waiting for our drummer to heal.

Edge, here are three things Bono writes about you in his memoir: “Edge is the silence inside every noise,” “Edge is not a complainer and doesn’t do melodrama” and “Edge is from the future.” Are all of them true?
Edge: (laughs) The first two I’ll own up to. And “from the future” is a joke we’ve used a few times. Bono means I live in the future. I’ve come back here to reassure people that the future is, in fact, going to be OK.

He also says that when you were 15, your favorite album was “Close to the Edge” by Yes. Is that true?
Edge: It was one of my favorites. I probably learned how to play harmonics because of Steve Howe. Weirdly, my nickname was given to me a bit later, and I don’t think it was in reference to that album.

The biggest change on “Songs of Surrender” is in “Walk On,” which you released in 2000 and wrote for Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese political prisoner who won a Nobel Peace Prize and was later criticized, after she gained high office in Myanmar, for not objecting to the country’s persecution of Muslims. You rewrote it and now it’s about Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky. Why did you make that change?
Bono: Once I got the line, “If the comic takes the stage and no one laughs,” I had to finish it. President Zelensky, the most important person standing up for freedom, was a stand-up comic. I’m not surprised, because comedians are the truth-tellers of our time, more than rock stars are.

I felt so let down by Aung San Suu Kyi, like many people did. So I gave the song to another figure. Then President Zelensky invited us to Kyiv, and we went off to Ukraine [in May 2022] to sing it for him. You can’t do much as artists, but you can show solidarity.

The funniest thing was, we were busking on a train station platform and it was perfectly lit. We’re in the middle of a war! Who’s lighting the buskers like this? But, of course, Zelensky is an actor and comedian. His No. 2 is a film producer. Storytelling is essential for their survival, and he wanted it to look right.

Even before U2 had a record deal, we played an anti-apartheid show. We were insufferable from a very early age. (laughs) This is the arrogance of great songwriting. John Fogerty had it. Bob Dylan, Kendrick Lamar, John Lennon, Bob Marley … If U2 communicated anything, outside of the personal conversations of our songs, I hope it was: The world is more malleable than you think. These immovable objects are not immovable.

So it’s always been important for you that the music is of some use?
Bono: We try to, but if it’s a s– song, it’s like, “No! Don’t make things worse! No more U2 songs!”

 

[womanfish]

Bono: “Songs of Ascent” is a reflective, lyrical album, very different from the unreasonable guitar record, which is not to say they might not end up mating. We didn’t want to put either album out before we could play live, so we were waiting for our drummer to heal.

 

[clerks]

Mysterious Ways would have been great for SOS.