Rate The Album: Songs of Innocence (2 1/2 months later)

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I got tired of the album, haven't listened to it in two or three weeks, and have been listening to the whole back catalogue instead.

Finally I listened to it the other day... still not a weak song, even more, the two songs I didn't loved at first (California/Iris) I enjoyed even more than before.

Definitely best since Achtung.
 
Bad Exit said:
I got tired of the album, haven't listened to it in two or three weeks, and have been listening to the whole back catalogue instead.

Finally I listened to it the other day... still not a weak song, even more, the two songs I didn't loved at first (California/Iris) I enjoyed even more than before.

Definitely best since Achtung.
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You know, I keep waiting for "listening fatigue" to set in but it hasn't yet. I am listening robot less than the beginning but I still enjoy almost every song (ceaderwood road is a skipper). I'm still finding love for the b-sides!!!! The alt Sleep Like a Baby, TCB, Invisible and EBW acoustic are songs I gravitate to in addition to the album tracks.


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If Invisible and TCB were on the album....maybe best since Zooropa. But, once again, poor track listing and song selection held it back and I'd say it's best since Pop or maybe Leave Behind.
I honestly have no idea what I'm talking about, I haven't listened to any songs from the album in a month or so.


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Still not tired of it. Every breaking wave and Cedarwood Road still my favourits.

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Three months in, I'm still amazed a band at this point in their career could make such a great album. Definitely their best since Achtung. As time goes on and the controversy about the album's release fades, it will grow in popularity.


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For me, the reason I love this album is there are no really bad songs, except maybe Volcano. One reason that JT and AB are my favorite albums are there are no bad tracks on either album (I will give So Cruel a pass).

The reason SOI does not rise to the level of those 2 is the the best tracks on SOI are very good but not great, except maybe EBW. It seems the well may have run dry as far as the band producing classic tracks, but come on they have been at this for 35 years! There is a lot of really good stuff on SOI. I am not expecting anything more from the band at this stage in their careers. Can't wait for the live shows!
 
Fumbleitis said:
For me, the reason I love this album is there are no really bad songs, except maybe Volcano. One reason that JT and AB are my favorite albums are there are no bad tracks on either album (I will give So Cruel a pass).

The reason SOI does not rise to the level of those 2 is the the best tracks on SOI are very good but not great, except maybe EBW. It seems the well may have run dry as far as the band producing classic tracks, but come on they have been at this for 35 years! There is a lot of really good stuff on SOI. I am not expecting anything more from the band at this stage in their careers. Can't wait for the live shows!
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Lots of fans use this phrase and it bugs me to no end. So, yes, you are bugging me! :wink:

SOI is much more than expected in every way. It is autobiographical on purpose, so those who say that the lyrics cover well trod ground sound a bit snobbish. They cover the stuff of life, the genesis of the band, their motivations at the start. These lyrics tell a story that is at once intimate and universal - and do so in a most memorable way.

This work is one of the top albums of the year and that is among bands of ALL ages.
 
ImNotSleeping said:
Lots of fans use this phrase and it bugs me to no end. So, yes, you are bugging me! :wink:
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Not sure what other people meant by that (using the Age Card).
But I tend to use it a lot, and I don't think it means that their music is "good for guys that old".

What I usually mean is that I don't expect them to come up with a revolutionary album like Achtung Baby anymore. That's not them anymore. If someone is expecting them to do something like that, I feel like they'll be disappointed.

This has nothing to do with how good music can they create or how good an album can be.

ImNotSleeping said:
This work is one of the top albums of the year and that is among bands of ALL ages.
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I agree with this.
 
Gave it a spin yesterday after a month or so. It still kept my attention more or less. I skipped California though. California and Volcano are my least fav songs here. But I don't hate them as much as Boots though.
 
Musikwala said:
Gave it a spin yesterday after a month or so. It still kept my attention more or less. I skipped California though. California and Volcano are my least fav songs here. But I don't hate them as much as Boots though.
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Agreed. I still enjoy California and Volcano but they are the weakest tracks on SOI for me too.
 
I've been listening to it on an off since release, but lately I've been really into War for the first time in a few years (I just found out that The Refugee is a pretty cool song).

I'm just now finishing my first complete back-to-back of the album in maybe 3, 4 weeks, and I can't believe I'm not tired of it yet. Not one song annoys me. Sure, I'm not into all of them as much, but I like all the songs. It's been what, four months. I don't think this happened with HTDAAB and NLOTH (although I'd have to check my post history).
Most prominent growers for me are California, Song for Someone and Raised by Wolves.
I put Cedarwood Road in my initial top 5, but I think it's one of the weaker tracks now. I still like it though.

Interestingly, and this might be controversial, if there is one song that I am a bit tired of, it's The Crystal Ballroom. I'm really, really happy they left it off the album. It's a perfect example of Bono's 'Interesting, but is it a good song?' point: Sure, it sounds good, but the chords don't take me there, the melody doesn't stay with me. Great lyrics though.

My only criticism is that the production is a little too clean, and that it lacks a real 'U2 anthem' (Like Invisible, Magnificent, City of Blinding Lights, Beautiful Day, etc). If Invisible was the opening track it would be the best U2 album since Achtung Baby. Now, it's just the best since Zooropa.

So, my 4 month rating of Songs of Innocence: 9/10, love it, can't wait for the tour.
 
God Part III said:
I've been listening to it on an off since release, but lately I've been really into War for the first time in a few years (I just found out that The Refugee is a pretty cool song).
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:) I enjoy both Red Light and The Refugee. War is an album that I forget about for months or years, then suddenly re-discover it one day and I love most of it and consider it an all-time classic! It's just that the production on my copy is quite muddy. I didn't splurge for the remastered version.

God Part III said:
Most prominent growers for me are California, Song for Someone and Raised by Wolves.
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For me, surprisingly EBW is the one that has grown on me the most until now. Initially, it sounded cool and reminded me of WOWY. But I very soon got bored of it. It came off as a cliche typical U2 anthem type song. But it has grown on me quite a bit. I find myself going back again and again to listen to EBW. And I much prefer the studio version to the acoustic or live acoustic versions. No contest.

God Part III said:
Interestingly, and this might be controversial, if there is one song that I am a bit tired of, it's The Crystal Ballroom. I'm really, really happy they left it off the album. It's a perfect example of Bono's 'Interesting, but is it a good song?' point: Sure, it sounds good, but the chords don't take me there, the melody doesn't stay with me. Great lyrics though.
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I somewhat agree with you although I'm not tired of Crystal Ballroom yet. I haven't listened to it that many times to make me sick of it. But I do agree that it doesn't feel like it belongs on the album. It sounds like a very good b-side.

God Part III said:
My only criticism is that the production is a little too clean, and that it lacks a real 'U2 anthem' (Like Invisible, Magnificent, City of Blinding Lights, Beautiful Day, etc). If Invisible was the opening track it would be the best U2 album since Achtung Baby. Now, it's just the best since Zooropa.
Click to expand...

Invisible definitely should have been on the album. Not sure if it would have become an anthem along the lines of BD, COBL or Magnificent but it would have been a very strong track on the album. It sure as hell sounds much more like an A side than Crystal Ballroom or Lucifer's Hands.
 
I've been listening sporadically, picking out songs here and there since the release. I have a short ride home from work, so I usually try and play the few I'm feeling at the time. I had to drive about 160 miles the other day so listened front to back again- and really listened.

I can say confidently, 4 months on, that there is a vitality here that has been lacking for a long, long time. I love the early day, youthful U2 energy present on so many of these songs- Raised by Wolves, Cedarwood Rd, Reach Me Now, Iris and Volcano. The soaring EBW and California, the heartfelt Song for Someone, the chilling Troubles and Sleep...., even the riffs of the Miracle offer something exciting and vital and not quite the same old, same old from U2.

Song for song, there is nothing weak here.

The criticism of there being no "classics" rings somewhat true, but Iris, EBW and I think the underdog or the sleeper here is California. I could see that catching on big time. It has that soaring, anthemic U2 quality and the lyrics truly are touching and mean a lot to me and many others who can relate.

Invisible I think has the classic potential, too.

I don't think the material lacks "big song" potential. I think it's just the changing times and our band's constant (and well discussed here in these parts) struggle to come to terms with that and find the success they used to enjoy in the charts.
 
It's too early to tell on a lot of these songs. Classics are mostly defined by how they're played live. Would songs like Please, Kite, 11 O Clock Tick Tock, etc would be considered classics by many? Or would Streets and Bad be considered legendary if they were so-so live? Obviously not.
I think Invisible, Iris, Troubles, and Reach could be really spectacular live. While EBW, RBW, Sleep Like A Baby and TCB all have the potential to be great (if played). Some will rise and some will fall based on how they're played.
Take for example, NLOTH. Magnificent is a great studio song, solid live. But nothing spectacular. MOS was about the same, but I think was wasted live. It was not a great closer, should've segued into something like Streets. The rest of the album was not very good live. I'll Go Crazy and Boots were decent, but nothing worth bringing to the next tour. Fez and WAS could've been great, but were never played. I think the fact that the album flopped live is a big reason it isn't well regarded among U2 fans. On the contrary, take ATYCLB. Nothing to even say here, we all know the tour was amazing. Helped the album significantly.


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U2387 said:
I've been listening sporadically, picking out songs here and there since the release. I have a short ride home from work, so I usually try and play the few I'm feeling at the time. I had to drive about 160 miles the other day so listened front to back again- and really listened.

I can say confidently, 4 months on, that there is a vitality here that has been lacking for a long, long time. I love the early day, youthful U2 energy present on so many of these songs- Raised by Wolves, Cedarwood Rd, Reach Me Now, Iris and Volcano. The soaring EBW and California, the heartfelt Song for Someone, the chilling Troubles and Sleep...., even the riffs of the Miracle offer something exciting and vital and not quite the same old, same old from U2.

Song for song, there is nothing weak here.

The criticism of there being no "classics" rings somewhat true, but Iris, EBW and I think the underdog or the sleeper here is California. I could see that catching on big time. It has that soaring, anthemic U2 quality and the lyrics truly are touching and mean a lot to me and many others who can relate.

Invisible I think has the classic potential, too.

I don't think the material lacks "big song" potential. I think it's just the changing times and our band's constant (and well discussed here in these parts) struggle to come to terms with that and find the success they used to enjoy in the charts.
Click to expand...

:up:
 
U2 always write good songs (with the exception of a few total clunkers on NLOTH) and rarely release a song that's a worthless composition. Therefore, I find it hard to judge post-1991 U2 albums based on the songs. Since maybe Pop, I think U2 could have cut 1/2 the songs on each album and replaced them with B-sides and I wouldn't have noticed any difference in quality. As they've gotten older, they've gotten better as pop craftsmanship, and having enough good songs is never an issue.

So, what I tend to evaluate their albums on now is mainly the performances and the production. And based on that, 'Songs of Innocence' is the best release since 'Zooropa'. It has by far the best 'sound' and production-style since then, and it's the first album since then not to sound labored and over-produced / over-calculated. It probably doesn't have as many first-rate songs as even, say, 'Atomic Bomb', but it's just as listenable and has infinitely better production and an overall 'sound'. It's a very good record.
 
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I was one of these people that played the album to death probably up until December time. Then I had a rest,I listened to the album again today and I still love it. In fact I love it a lot. The only track I skipped was raised by wolves. I don't mind the Verse but the chorus part is a stinker.

This album is a solid 8.5/9 for me still. I think I'll always go back to it!


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Yeah, I still really love this album. Can't believe it's been out for almost 5 months already.

I'd say right now I'd give it an 8.2495814350814/10
 
If I'm being honest, all the songs have slipped a tiny bit for me. I don't listen to the whole album at all now. I still like a lot of the songs, but nothing blows me a way. There are no mind-blowing musical moments. The strongest parts are still the lyrics. I worry a bit if SOI is enough to carry a tour - or even the first part of a tour. I worry that it'll be yet another tour (arguably the third in a row) that is being carried by the greatest hits. Second tour in a row for sure.

That's why I really hope SOE surfaces in time for the shows. I think more good material is needed.
 
Still great. Plays at least EBW, Iris, California, Troubles, Cedarwood and SLABT several days a week.

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I wouldn't say the vertigo tour was a greatest hits tour. Diehards,casuals and day trippers all wanted to hear the htdaab material. Well the large majority did anyway.


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