Songs of Songs, Books & Fat Puns - New Album Discussion #8

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The album is certainly supplemental material, meant for the hardcore audience. Maybe they get a nice bump out of one of the versions with a popular TikTok duet or tv show sync but otherwise this is for us weirdos.
 
Having now started listening to the audiobook, I don't know why it's not being mentioned on every single interview he does - it's so much more than your typical audiobook. You have his engaging, storytelling manner and all the sound effects and the music from different artists.

I know I'm the target audience for this, but its exceeded even my hopes as to how good it could be.
 
ascender_RS said:
Having now started listening to the audiobook, I don't know why it's not being mentioned on every single interview he does - it's so much more than your typical audiobook. You have his engaging, storytelling manner and all the sound effects and the music from different artists.

I know I'm the target audience for this, but its exceeded even my hopes as to how good it could be.
Click to expand...

Yes! really takes advantage of the format.

Bono brings this up in one of them.. maybe this one? He was inspired by the Dave Chappelle podcast, surprisingly
 
JamietheEdgefan said:
On a different (but related?) note, if Bono's story is to believed the band is together in NYC today, celebrating Larry's birthday.



They don't seem to hang out/be seen hanging out together these days except for special occasions or recording, so I'm guessing they might currently be working on the next album.

(The video is also quite sweet - happy birthday Larry!)
Click to expand...


is it just me or is this a slightly different version of HMTMKMKM?
 
First, BIG thank you to Dan. You are legend.

As for the songs... the majority of it is what I sort of feared. Just acoustic versions, some in my view for the worse, although these are just clips, so we shall see.
Also what many people here predicted, that the oldest songs are the best ones on here.

Best
Stories For Boys is really cool
11 O'Clock - cool loungy groove
SFS - a song I don't like very much, and was already immensely improved as 13, does show improvement here as well. Really lush beautiful vocal sound, hoping the chorus part is changed up a bit...
Two Hearts,
Streets seems like it could be pretty interesting, but too short of a clip to know.
The Fly - hard to know. The original can't be improved in my opinion, but cool groove.
COBL - Sounds pretty beautiful to me
40 - I've always viewed this song as a bit overrated by fans, but this is really pretty and IMO an improvement on the original.


middle
OOC,
Lights,
IWF,
Bad,
WOWY has some potential, very short clip.
Desire - I appreciate this being more "reimangined" but just ok from this clip,
One is intriguing
Pride - like the production on the instrumentation for sure.
Beautiful Day... Not sure on this one yet
EBW - Also not sure yet, if it changes up later as a full song maybe really good, if just the piano version than, we already have that.
Still Haven't Found - Ok, not loving it, but I do like his Cash/Springsteen-esque delivery, and I hope that he could find his way there more.


bottom
SBS,
Cedarwood,
Invisible - still meh.
Horses - we already have an acoustic version of it, so...
Until the End... My favorite U2 song, while this does sound good, just being an acoustic guitar version seems pointless to me.
Stuck - Isn't this pretty much the same?
Miracle Drug
Vertigo
Ordinary Love, again we have heard it acoustic a lot already
The Showman
MOS - The clip sounds... a bit odd and almost audibly overwhelming with competing sounds, I can't imagine listening to 7 minutes like that.
 
Songs of Songs, Books & Fat Puns - New Album Discussion #8

Headache in a Suitcase said:
the audiobook is terrific, and i'm only on the first chapter... a chapter i already read on the digital copy i also bought, because hey, they need the money
Click to expand...



Target and the local library doesn’t have the book yet on the shelves.

Another reason to buy the audiobook if you haven’t, interference.
 
Dan, thank you for sharing these samples.

This ought to be an enjoyable album. Maybe the 10 rerecordings that aren't in the audiobook suck, but it seems like it'll be evenly split between excellent, very good, and good, with a small handful of songs ruined by bizarre vocals (or by being bad songs - hello, Get Out Out Of Your Own Way!)

40 is what I imagine SOA would sound like. It's lovely. Invisible impressed me the most though. I love that song and this sounds like it could be the best version of it. Two Hearts is outstanding, as is the Fly - those two versions are in a similar vein, and it would be cool to hear them swing more. 11 O'Clock is similar, too. I wasn't looking forward to that one, but they played it pretty straight, and it works well in the lower key and with more conversational vocals.

It's ballsy to remove the signature parts from Pride and Streets. That's the kind of thing I was hoping they'd do, and it seems like they did it well.

Stories For Boys is haunting and interesting, but it reminds me of when movie trailers feature slowed down, ominous covers of uptempo songs.

I like Vertigo a lot, and that's not something I've said since the first time I heard the song. I love the space and the instrumentation. The vibraslap is a very nice touch.

As others have said, the updated lyrics are not good. The "surrender...this is a song of surrender" in Bad is bad. As is the line about grief in I Will Follow.

The only versions that I thought were bad are Sunday Bloody Sunday and Desire, and it's because they're ruined by the vocals. Hearing the song in full will not save them.

Most of the versions from the last two albums are unremarkable. It seems like they didn't do anything interesting with them, but maybe the arrangements develop in the full version.

Bonos' voice sounds great.
 
Hollow Island said:
Dan, thank you for sharing these samples.

This ought to be an enjoyable album. Maybe the 10 rerecordings that aren't in the audiobook suck, but it seems like it'll be evenly split between excellent, very good, and good, with a small handful of songs ruined by bizarre vocals (or by being bad songs - hello, Get Out Out Of Your Own Way!)

40 is what I imagine SOA would sound like. It's lovely. Invisible impressed me the most though. I love that song and this sounds like it could be the best version of it. Two Hearts is outstanding, as is the Fly - those two versions are in a similar vein, and it would be cool to hear them swing more. 11 O'Clock is similar, too. I wasn't looking forward to that one, but they played it pretty straight, and it works well in the lower key and with more conversational vocals.

It's ballsy to remove the signature parts from Pride and Streets. That's the kind of thing I was hoping they'd do, and it seems like they did it well.

Stories For Boys is haunting and interesting, but it reminds me of when movie trailers feature slowed down, ominous covers of uptempo songs.

I like Vertigo a lot, and that's not something I've said since the first time I heard the song. I love the space and the instrumentation. The vibraslap is a very nice touch.

As others have said, the updated lyrics are not good. The "surrender...this is a song of surrender" in Bad is bad. As is the line about grief in I Will Follow.

The only versions that I thought were bad are Sunday Bloody Sunday and Desire, and it's because they're ruined by the vocals. Hearing the song in full will not save them.

Most of the versions from the last two albums are unremarkable. It seems like they didn't do anything interesting with them, but maybe the arrangements develop in the full version.

Bonos' voice sounds great.
Click to expand...

we usually give you grief around here and imply you're closed minded - just want to highlight that this is a thoughtful post. Proof that we all can be critical, and still offer a balanced perspective.

and yes, Bono sounds fantastic throughout
 
I wonder how much they're going to charge for a physical copy. 40 songs is likely to take up at least 2 CDs, so it won't be cheap. But surely they don't think people are going to spend $30 on just remakes?

If it's around $20 I'll pick it up, if not, I'll just stick to the mp3s and "get them" through other channels.
 
For all the sopranos fans out there, I can’t help but envision Tony’s fathers goomar singing happy birthday Mr president when I heard the 11 o’clock tic tock clip.
 
lazarus said:
I wonder how much they're going to charge for a physical copy. 40 songs is likely to take up at least 2 CDs, so it won't be cheap. But surely they don't think people are going to spend $30 on just remakes?

If it's around $20 I'll pick it up, if not, I'll just stick to the mp3s and "get them" through other channels.
Click to expand...



Paying for digital files on a physical disc is an odd proposition in 2022. Unless the packaging is special?
 
I wonder if we’ll see a something like a 15 track physical and digital release, but if you want all 40 (41?) songs you’ll have to get a super deluxe box set or something like that
 
according to U2 songs it's already been pressed. The vinyl edition would probably be a 4 LP set, and that will be pretty pricey. I could see the CD set being three discs - one for each part.
 
DeVaul said:
Paying for digital files on a physical disc is an odd proposition in 2022. Unless the packaging is special?
Click to expand...

reasons to by physical media:

better sound quality
liner notes
art
you don't need to be on your phone or computer to listen to it
you don't have to use data or wifi
most importantly, it can't be deleted
 
4 cd’s I’m sure it is according to u2songs and there will be a 1 cd edition as well with 14/15 songs. A picture of each band member for each disc/insert with the 4 disc/4 lp versions.
 
It'll probably be sequenced like the chapters but with four discs across both formats it would be interesting if they sequenced each disc for optimal flow, like they're toilets.
 
Hollow Island said:
reasons to by physical media:



better sound quality

liner notes

art

you don't need to be on your phone or computer to listen to it

you don't have to use data or wifi

most importantly, it can't be deleted
Click to expand...



The sound quality of streaming is better than CDs now. You can experience the equivalent of the studio master. I too like the artwork and liner notes (which is why I now buy vinyl copies of my favorite albums) but when it comes down to an audio medium, those don’t outweigh the sound quality aspect.
 
They're actually putting the book out on CD? I was going to buy the Audible version and read along with that. Yes I'm weird, I'm a complete sucker for his accent and I admit it. Somehow I think whenever the book gets sloggy (likely often) Bono's voice will make it easier.
 
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