SOE
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U2 - Songs Of Experience (2017)
 Tracks: 14
  1. Far more complete than all of those albums.
  2. Originally posted by JuJuman:Wow, I am amazed how opinions can vary! It's my honeymoon with SOE, so I might also change my mind. But, for the time being, I am really loving it. There's no Bad, TUF, Pride, Real Thing, WOWY, Streets, One, or even BD or Vertigo. So I'm not sure it will be a commercial success. But it really works for me as a whole, and the songs keep growing on me.


    I mean, why do we always have to make comparisons like this though? I know what you're saying, but I don't want another Streets, we already have a Streets and U2 will never write another song in the same vein of the same caliber.

    But let me say this. NONE of their albums up until now have a Little Things, a Lights of Home, a Landlady, a Summer of Love, a 13, etc. etc. I don't think having songs that are comparable to other U2 songs is what makes a great U2 album, to me it's songs that can stand on their own and create a whole new "category" for U2. The Little Things does that for me, and others on this album are starting to as well. Every album for a long time has had a "Showman", a throwaway fun song. We can say that, but I don't know. I think the best U2 albums stand firm on their feet because they're individual, and I think this album certainly has that appeal as well.

    Streets (as an example) is the best album opener U2 will ever write, and the best anthem. That being said, Love Is All We Have Left, have U2 ever had another intro like that? It's a fuckin' Sinatra tune, and it's done well, and it's modern. It's different. I don't like to say "this album doesn't have a streets" because I like what it DOES have, which is something totally different for this band.
  3. I think it’s a fully realised idea, something they haven’t done for some time. That’s what sets this one apart from the last 4 albums.
  4. Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:[..]


    I mean, why do we always have to make comparisons like this though? I know what you're saying, but I don't want another Streets, we already have a Streets and U2 will never write another song in the same vein of the same caliber.

    But let me say this. NONE of their albums up until now have a Little Things, a Lights of Home, a Landlady, a Summer of Love, a 13, etc. etc. I don't think having songs that are comparable to other U2 songs is what makes a great U2 album, to me it's songs that can stand on their own and create a whole new "category" for U2. The Little Things does that for me, and others on this album are starting to as well. Every album for a long time has had a "Showman", a throwaway fun song. We can say that, but I don't know. I think the best U2 albums stand firm on their feet because they're individual, and I think this album certainly has that appeal as well.

    Streets (as an example) is the best album opener U2 will ever write, and the best anthem. That being said, Love Is All We Have Left, have U2 ever had another intro like that? It's a fuckin' Sinatra tune, and it's done well, and it's modern. It's different. I don't like to say "this album doesn't have a streets" because I like what it DOES have, which is something totally different for this band.
    I completely agree. I didn't intend to say that SOE is weaker because it lacks these classic songs. I wanted to say that it may not sell 10 million copies for this reason.

    But yes, this doesn't mean the album is lacking. To my ears, it has a whole new palette that we don't find in any other U2 album. Indeed, no other U2 album has Love is all we have left (a song that truly moves me), Lights of home (a stellar song that keeps growing on me), SOL, The showman, the 'fucking epic' Love is bigger etc.
  5. Not to mention the excellent U2-esque numbers: Best Thing, GOOYOW, Blackout.
  6. Originally posted by JuJuman:[..]
    I completely agree. I didn't intend to say that SOE is weaker because it lacks these classic songs. I wanted to say that it may not sell 10 million copies for this reason.

    But yes, this doesn't mean the album is lacking. To my ears, it has a whole new palette that we don't find in any other U2 album. Indeed, no other U2 album has Love is all we have left (a song that truly moves me), Lights of home (a stellar song that keeps growing on me), SOL, The showman, the 'fucking epic' Love is bigger etc.
    Ah, totally fair.

  7. Yep. If people comes expecting another Achtung or Joshua or Younameit, there's a big chance to be disappointed.

    Before the hype, all the feedback we had were those previously released songs that basically pointed to U2 sticking to their classic sound. And we were (for the most part) gladly surprised.

    Based on the last page review, for those who haven't heard it yet, I'd say: expect an "indie U2 album".
    Is not spectacular; but it has a stripped down simplicity they haven't touched since ages ago.

    Sounds different but at the same time is part of the same body of work, so you're probably right (although there's been some people who didn't like SOI and are already enjoying SOE.
  8. Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:[..]But let me say this. NONE of their albums up until now have a Little Things, a Lights of Home, a Landlady, a Summer of Love, a 13, etc. etc. I don't think having songs that are comparable to other U2 songs is what makes a great U2 album, to me it's songs that can stand on their own and create a whole new "category" for U2.


    (although Little Things fits in my Bad/Mercy/EPAA category comfortably)
  9. Yeah I can agree with that. It's different from those because it's not really "uplifting" to me, but it's certainly in the same sort of.........realm? I don't know. I know what you mean, just can't explain it Sort of stream of consciousness lyrics from Bono mixed with a progressive song structure I suppose.
  10. Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:[..]
    Yeah I can agree with that. It's different from those because it's not really "uplifting" to me, but it's certainly in the same sort of.........realm? I don't know. I know what you mean, just can't explain it Sort of stream of consciousness lyrics from Bono mixed with a progressive song structure I suppose.
    once again I'm confused

    are you saying Bad/Mercy/EPAA sound somewhat "uplifting" to you? cause I find them as heart crushing as Little Things...

    (but yeah, we agree on 99% of the point)
  11. Very impressed by Andy Barlow’s production (Love is All We Have Left and Book of Your Heart). Would love to seem U2 hire him again
  12. Originally posted by JuJuman:[..]
    I loved Bomb; it is a very strong album, with strong singles. No line has some great tunes, but it immediately felt a little too sad at times, and single-less.

    It is indeed very early days to judge SOE. There's no real duds in there, though; and quite a few of the songs really feel outstanding to me. Time will tell.

    Apart from Bowie and possibly the Stontes, I'm not aware of many other guitar acts that have produced work of this level in their mid to late 50's.


    Could not resist responding...Prince's Lotus Flow3r 3 disc set from 2009, when he was almost 51 is a very guitar dominant album with a few jazz, pop, and funk tracks thrown in, and Prince's Plectrum Electrum from 2013 at 55 with his all girl band is nearly all guitar songs, half of it is outstanding...the other And there are a few others, but the Prince ones were easy to think of.
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