Songs of Innocence - Album Discussion Pt.3

[Irvine511]

It's my favorite U2 song since Gone.

I’ve wondered what Pop might have been had Gone been the first single. It has so much rage and defiance and menace and it’s the best mix of rock-meets-techno-sounds on the album … come out blazing and pair it with a video that isnt Village People drag, and then consome us with some of that SATS uplift, and we have a very compelling alternate universe U2 on our hand.

 

[womanfish]

I’ve wondered what Pop might have been had Gone been the first single. It has so much rage and defiance and menace and it’s the best mix of rock-meets-techno-sounds on the album … come out blazing and pair it with a video that isnt Village People drag, and then consome us with some of that SATS uplift, and we have a very compelling alternate universe U2 on our hand.

Yes, Gone has always been my first choice of POP's first single, but I think maybe lazarus made a good case for Last Night On Earth as well. Which after going back and listening to it some more, I must say, could have been a good lead off too.

And yes there's definitely more to it than Discotheque. The video, the Kmart thing, the ridiculous ABC special, all of it together was just a mess. I've said it many times. The best lead singles represent the album. Vertigo great, WOWY great, BD great, Desire good. Miracle not right, Disco bad, Boots horrible.

Gone or Last Night would have been strong openers, with SATS as a follow up and then whichever wasn't the lead as the third single.

I am one that was dissapointed with U2 going "back to the basics" after POP. But imagine being U2, probably not having a non-sold out show, possibly ever, or at least for a couple decades. and then having 18,000 people show up at some stadium shows. It had to be pretty devastating and an oh shit moment. Yes they also played to 150,000 people at one show in Italy, but you know them and America.

 

[the tourist]

I’ll always say they should have saved Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me and it should have been Pop’s first single. As is the production doesn’t fit but had it been recorded during the Pop sessions, it would have. That not being an option, Last Night On Earth would be my choice.

 

[womanfish]

I’ll always say they should have saved Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me and it should have been Pop’s first single. As is the production doesn’t fit but had it been recorded during the Pop sessions, it would have. That not being an option, Last Night On Earth would be my choice.

Hmmmm... I know that this has been discussed about HMTMKMKM not really fitting on POP. And yes the tone of the production is a bit sharper than the more rounded edges of the production on POP. Try putting it between Gone and Miami. I think it works pretty well.

 

[the tourist]

Hmmmm... I know that this has been discussed about HMTMKMKM not really fitting on POP. And yes the tone of the production is a bit sharper than the more rounded edges of the production on POP. Try putting it between Gone and Miami. I think it works pretty well.

I think the whole mix of Hold Me... is just much more mid-rangy. I still think it works on Pop, but some have said the tones and mixing are out of place, so if we’re imagining alternate timelines, a timeline where Hold Me... was recorded in the Pop sessions would sound more in line with the production of the rest of the record. And then that version would be the perfect lead single for Pop.

 

[lazarus]

I’ve wondered what Pop might have been had Gone been the first single. It has so much rage and defiance and menace and it’s the best mix of rock-meets-techno-sounds on the album … come out blazing and pair it with a video that isnt Village People drag, and then consome us with some of that SATS uplift, and we have a very compelling alternate universe U2 on our hand.

Yes, Gone has always been my first choice of POP's first single, but I think maybe lazarus made a good case for Last Night On Earth as well. Which after going back and listening to it some more, I must say, could have been a good lead off too.

Gone may be the best thing on Pop, but it's not a single.

I don't think it gets people to buy the album any more than Discotheque did.

The only answer is indeed LNOE.

 

[MrPryck2U]

If I was choosing the singles for SOI, I would have chosen these:

1st- Every Breaking Wave
2nd- Cedarwood Road
3rd- Iris
4th- Reach Around
5th- Troubles

But, ahhh, fuck it.

They never played Reach Around live (as far as I know) and it's my favorite track on the album. I remember when they played Iris on the SOI tour and they played film of Bono's mom on a loop. I almost lost my shit. I couldn't stop looking at the footage (which, naturally, was the point). As morbid as this sounds, her dying when Bono was 14 (and the angst that followed) is a major reason why we love him. He's been through some shit. I really connected with the SOI material. (Btw, my mother is still alive) I think it has some of their best songwriting since at least ATYCLB.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

Every Breaking Wave is great, but if you’re going for overall charting, gotta be Iris IMO. None of them would make it that far though. But for respect? The Troubles and Sleep Like a Baby Tonight.

 

[MrPryck2U]

Every Breaking Wave is great, but if you’re going for overall charting, gotta be Iris IMO. None of them would make it that far though. But for respect? The Troubles and Sleep Like a Baby Tonight.

Yes, I would have loved to have seen Sleep Like Baby as a single.

 

[womanfish]

For POP. There was just so much wrong with the rollout, single choices, imagery (Village People, Kmart). But also, the name of the album. Larry not being on board was spot on.

Imagine coming off of Achtung and Zooropa. Both critically acclaimed successes. Hugely successful tours.

Then the instead of POP, they release - The Last Night On Earth album.

Singles:

1. Title Track
2. Staring at the Sun
3.Gone
4. Do You Feel Loved or Mofo

Have actual good videos for them.

You have to think about the time period too. While I don't know if Gone would be the best first single, I do think it is definitely single material. Much more of a single than Please.

Other songs around that time - Foos - Everlong, monkey Wrench, Pumpkins Bullet with Butterfly Wings, The end is the Beginning... Live - Lakini's Juice, DM - Barrel of Gun, NIN - Perfect Drug, Green Day - Hitchin a Ride, Prodigy - Smack My Bitch Up, Chemical Brother - Block Rockin Beats....

Lots of really ROCK songs. Many with electronic elements. The atmosphere was just set up for a ROCK focused album - like... POP is. Hell, if they would have gone this route, maybe they could have done 5 singles like Achtung Baby.

I think U2 was so focused on the ironic, skewering of commercialism, pushing the electronica/rave culture angle, that they didn't realize that they made a monster rock album.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I absolutely think Gone is a single, and that 747 screaming guitar sound would have made for a hell of an entry.

I have no issue with Last Night On Earth coming first, either - but they would have had to come up with a less dumb video to go with it, as those things still mattered.

It also would have been good if, ya know, they were capable of playing the lead two singles from the album at the album press conference instead of playing a fucking B side (poorly).

 

[MrPryck2U]

The other day, (9/9) SOI celebrated 10 freakin' years of existence. We all know what happened. Lol! Regardless, I'll always hold it in high regard. Time sure flies.

 

[mikal]

The other day, (9/9) SOI celebrated 10 freakin' years of existence. We all know what happened. Lol! Regardless, I'll always hold it in high regard. Time sure flies.

I agree. Scale back all the iPhone stuff, and I still really like the album as a whole.

 

[phanan]

With some changes it's not a bad album.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i would still like to hear the original Danger Mouse version.

all of my favorite songs from that era tend to be the ones that he was more heavily involved in. i feel - like much of U2's creative output from No Line on - that SOI (marketing aside) was another "almost," watered down by their (possibly Rick Rubin created) insecurities.

 

[mikal]

It is pretty interesting though how U2 has been unable to release a song/single with any sort of major impact since Bomb. Even though I do really like this album as a whole, there's not a song here that would have made a heavy impact even if they didn't have the bad press. They still continue to struggle to find that song after many horrible attempts. One big single and no scandal could have really done a lot for them...and yeah I know they still sell out venues so it's not like their career hit some horrible nose dive.

 

[phanan]

They had it for this - it was Invisible. They just totally botched it.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

It is pretty interesting though how U2 has been unable to release a song/single with any sort of major impact since Bomb. Even though I do really like this album as a whole, there's not a song here that would have made a heavy impact even if they didn't have the bad press. They still continue to struggle to find that song after many horrible attempts. One big single and no scandal could have really done a lot for them...and yeah I know they still sell out venues so it's not like their career hit some horrible nose dive.

well - i think Invisible had a chance, but they tanked the promotion the second they got nominated for an Oscar.

honestly - it had 3 million downloads in very short order. it was catchy and fresh, sounded like U2 without being overly derivative. the vibes were vibing.

then they dropped it like a bad habit to push Ordinary Love for an Oscar, and then dropped both when they pushed the album off until the fall.

it was a blown opportunity.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

They had it for this - it was Invisible. They just totally botched it.

jinx

 

[ascender_RS]

i would still like to hear the original Danger Mouse version.

10 years gone, it would have been something nice to release to the fans to celebrate the anniversary in a low-key way.

I guess it will either be saved for the 25/30 anniversary boxset or there will be an agreement with DM that it will never see the light of day I guess.

 

[MrPryck2U]

If they released something for that I would be amazed. They'd be in their late 70's/early 80's. Sadly, it was a negative turning point for U2 from the general public's perception of them. It overshadowed a lot of great music afterward. But you just gotta move on and U2 sure has. They're still raking in the dough. Lol!

 

[david]

How is this album 3 presidents ago now.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

to be fair - one of them didn't actually do much presidenting.