dan_smee
ONE love, blood, life
I feel like Larry got stiffed. Wasn’t on board so Edge allocated him the shit album.
New Album Discussion 9 - Larry needs new arms, ba rum pa pum pum
- Thread starter Headache in a Suitcase
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
ndmaxfield
War Child
Bono is too pitchy to pull off these versions. Plus, here we go with the lyrics. 
trevgreg
Rock n' Roll Doggie
It's up there now. If you can't find it in search, go to the main artist page for the band in iTunes and sort of albums by "Release Date." Songs of Surrender should show up there and has Pride available for download.
Hollow Island
New Yorker
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2011
- Messages
- 2,947
This isn’t a side project - if it was it wouldn’t be getting the full U2 Promotional Push, including a documentary hosted by David Letterman. It should be treated as a low key side project, but U2 are always gonna U2. They’re a bizarre mix of no self awareness and too much self awareness.
This version of Pride is fine. It takes too long to get going. The build should have happened earlier and been developed more.
This version of Pride is fine. It takes too long to get going. The build should have happened earlier and been developed more.
womanfish
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
This is a true statement. And I don't disagree with anyone who doesn't like this version. I'd give it a 5, maybe a 6 cause of the guitar at the end. It's not terrible, it's not outstanding.
I don't want to pre-judge, but this one along with BD, makes me a little wary that there will be too much of the same... feel? style? Like Bono singing in lower hushed tones and replacing electric guitar with piano or acoustic could grow old very fast, especially when there are 40 songs.
Stories for Boys seems much more transformed from the clip we heard. More of that, really deconstructing a song and changing it in a more fundamental way - those songs will be the best IMO. Hoping for more electronic elements as well. more silky atmospheric synths and beats would be a welcome addition to break up acoustic stuff.
ascender_RS
Refugee
Bono’s sounding really good, the stuff we have heard over the last while really shows he’s growing in to his voice as it changes.
I’m excited to hear the rest, but am hoping for a bit of variety in the arrangements.
I’m excited to hear the rest, but am hoping for a bit of variety in the arrangements.
TinKnight
Refugee
I personally am looking for Beautiful Day (Tearful Emo Remix)
womanfish
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Truth on all counts. Especially the no/too much self awareness.
It may be getting the push, cause why not, they spent the time to redo 40+ songs. But in the end I see it as a bonus for long time fans, and maybe a curious thing to check out for past fans...
I don't even think the band could somehow think this would attract new listeners.
TinKnight
Refugee
Exactly my thoughts. I'm all onboard if they were truly reimaginings. U2 is allowed to call them whatever they want, but it seems in their eyes "reimagine" means to take out the electronic instruments and replace them with acoustic ones, and have Bono sing in a quieter register.
I really hope we get to see more variety than that, and maybe thats why I'm so iffy on the whole thing. Ever since SoI we've gotten these half-baked acoustic versions, which, while fine (and some spectacular like EBW), are hardly what I'd call new takes on these songs. Imagine something like Mysterious Ways in the style of flamenco, or The Fly in electropop.
I'm not saying that's what was ever on the table, nor am I prejudging what we haven't got yet, but its just something I'd have liked to see if we're going to be throwing around the word "reimagine"
ascender_RS
Refugee
The band aren’t going to change their ways now, are they? As much as this could have been put together at the start of the pandemic fairly quickly and released digitally for example, they just don’t work like that.
It’s something “new” from the band and for that I am grateful. I’m just still not entirely sure what the plan/hope with it is, but like others have said, it’s very U2 in many ways. Going back to the fact, that they’re too old to change their ways now.
It’s something “new” from the band and for that I am grateful. I’m just still not entirely sure what the plan/hope with it is, but like others have said, it’s very U2 in many ways. Going back to the fact, that they’re too old to change their ways now.
iota
War Child
I get the feeling that a surprise instant release would have gone over better than this long build up.
ndmaxfield
War Child
Songs for Starbucks
womanfish
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
I don't disagree. Cause some people are going to love this version of Pride and some won't and the one's that won't are going to have a bad first impression of the project.
What would be cool is if they released one song every week from here until the full release. 9 songs gives a good variety and there will still be 31 more songs for people to hear.
super fly guy
New Yorker
Anybody else in the UK having trouble ordering the clear vinyl version? Says it's protected content,and I don't have access.
gvox
Ghost of Love
i dunno it matches their look from the era
is this the backside of the jewel case?
(sure hope they dont read interference anymore lol)
OP
OP
greatest hits albums receive promotional pushes, too. i'd still consider them as "side projects." choose whatever terminology you'd like - any way you slice it up - this isn't U2 pushing for relevance with the youths with embarrassing collaborations and overly peppy "radio friendly" songs.
this is the band looking to refresh and reverse the damage to their legacy that was caused by the stupid ass apple release (and most of what came after) by focusing on the thing that made them beloved in the first place - their songs.
***bono's book
***this album
***the letterman thing
***achtung/zootv revival
it's all part of a plan to rebuild their legacy before they release what is hopefully a very mature, adult sounding album to tour the world on.
if that makes them a "legacy" band? who gives a shit. they are. they're old. all old bands are, in some fashion. what did you expect an aging U2 to do? spend their dying days spinning out passenger volumes 2, 3 and 4?
this is the band looking to refresh and reverse the damage to their legacy that was caused by the stupid ass apple release (and most of what came after) by focusing on the thing that made them beloved in the first place - their songs.
***bono's book
***this album
***the letterman thing
***achtung/zootv revival
it's all part of a plan to rebuild their legacy before they release what is hopefully a very mature, adult sounding album to tour the world on.
if that makes them a "legacy" band? who gives a shit. they are. they're old. all old bands are, in some fashion. what did you expect an aging U2 to do? spend their dying days spinning out passenger volumes 2, 3 and 4?
Last edited:
super fly guy
New Yorker
Good shout,the chili peppers released 3 songs before unlimited love was released. Keeps people interested.
gvox
Ghost of Love
womanfish
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Yeah, I mean it's pretty standard now that artists announce an album about 4-5 months before the release and put at least 3 songs out leading up to it. It makes sense chart-wise cause all the streams and pre-orders have a lot longer to build up.
OP
OP
yea i have to imagine we'll see at least one more song - probably more - before March 17.
OP
OP
over the counter PITNOL
super fly guy
New Yorker
Notice the comments about the album on the NME Facebook page are to script.
But if Noel or Liam done this,it would have been the best thing since sliced bread!
But if Noel or Liam done this,it would have been the best thing since sliced bread!
The John Tree
War Child
This sucks.
Gonna Run 2 U
New Yorker
The sampled Bono vocal in the nameeee at the end is a bit cringe. I get what they were going for with mixing/re-imagination here, but it’s a bit of a slap in the face reminder that Bono and Edge can crow on as much as they’d like that Bono finally found his singing voice and sings better than ever now. Um, no, Bono can’t sing like he used to and it’s even more evident when he’s pitching everything low now. We all get older and can’t do things the way we used to and that’s ok!
Hollow Island
New Yorker
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2011
- Messages
- 2,947
Well, I didn’t expect an aging U2 to be coasting on past glories. Bowie, Weller and Cave had/are having the kind of late career I expected U2 to have. Granted I haven’t expected them to be like that for a long time. I’m taking 20-30 years ago. It’s been clear for a while that their late period was going to be more Stones than Bad Seeds.
You really think they’re going so hard into nostalgia because of the Apple thing? And not because they’re old, have less to say, find it more difficult to write, want an easy paycheque and easy applause…you know, the standard reasons old bands glorify their past. It’s not just “the songs” that made them beloved. It’s the sound, arguably more so than the songs. It’s the recordings. And this project strips away a lot of what made the songs beloved. It’s brave, in a lazy and self-glorifying kind of way.
U2 isn’t pushing for relevance with yootz, but this is in no way a side project. It’s a huge U2 album of new recordings made with Bob Ezrin and will have a tie in doc hosted my David Letterman. Those guys don’t get called in for side projects or things designed to be footnotes or curiosities or whatever.
Calling it a side project is a way to dismiss criticism of its quality in the same way that criticism of Your Song Saved My Life was dismissed because it was a soundtrack song for a kids movie and criticism of Ahimsa was dismissed because it was a song with an Indian singer made to commemorate their show in India. U2 didn’t cut themselves slack when making those records because of why they were made, and we shouldn’t either. We should hold them to the same standard they hold themselves to.
Hollow Island
New Yorker
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2011
- Messages
- 2,947
That promo pic of 3 Pop and one TUF portraits is the cover 
Jesus Christ. That’s so weird! Why not use pics from four different eras? Or four new pics? 20something Bono really sticks out among his late 30s bandmates.
Jesus Christ. That’s so weird! Why not use pics from four different eras? Or four new pics? 20something Bono really sticks out among his late 30s bandmates.
suitoflights
Babyface
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2002
- Messages
- 5
What I am really curious about is the new version of The Fly. Will it be the sound of the band planting a new Joshua tree ? I quite like low voiced Bono and this version of Pride. At least we won't be exposed to Ryan Tedder like gloss.
Similar threads
- Locked
