You Too: Between SOI and SOE, which one do you like most?

Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:SOE for me. SOI is fantastic, but it just sounds too orchestrated to my ears, and as a result it kind of falls flat.

SOE to me is the first interesting record U2 has done again since Pop. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's the first "good" record they've done, but the first interesting one since. Sonically it's beautiful, and lyrically it's just poetic as all hell. Bono's firing on all cylinders (except on American Soul lol) and it shows.

Sincerely hope the next album follows in its footsteps. Get Andy Barlow to do the next entire album, and make sure Bono has a near-death accident just before again (totally kidding, TOTALLY KIDDING!).

Originally posted by bpt3:[..]
Agreed. Right away when SOI came out it felt too "orchestrated" for me, too, and it still sounds that way on album, although on tour certain songs became excellent.

Couple other related thoughts:
1. Just to be clear that I do appreciate SOI in part - I do love particularly how SOI starts off joyful and becomes quite dark by the end. From "The Miracle" to "The Troubles" it kind of reminds me of albums like Achtung or Pop that start upbeat but go sort of downhill emotionally speaking by the close. It's like SOI is actually about losing innocence by the time the album is done.

2. SOE seems like it should have more of a calculated, orchestrated sound just like SOI, considering it also had way too many producers and also had the whole "we're going to postpone this thing because Trump got elected and Bono almost died" story. But somehow SOE escapes that for me...actually, it's maybe because of those events that it overall sounds more urgent. I love the callbacks to SOI (except for American Soul), the light/love imagery, the joyful atmosphere mixed with some pretty intense, crisis of faith kind of lyrics. It's got a great balance of emotions and musically just sounds more interesting to me than SOI.

Now it's time to listen to both albums back to back, as I haven't done that in a while and maybe that will change everything I just said!

Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:[..]


I also think that Little Things just has incredible power as a song on its own, the same way Mercy would've had it been kept on How to Dismantle It might sound ridiculous to some, especially those that aren't fond of that song, but if Mercy was kept on that album I'd rank it up there with their best.

Originally posted by Sydney_MIke:I went with SOE because it finishes stronger than SOI but both have some of the best songs they have done for a while from a sonic and lyrical perspective. Personally, I love the linking relationship and contrasting perspectives of the two albums; they even led to me reading William Blake's poems to further understand the inspiration.

SOE probably resonates more with me too because I am only 5 years younger than Bono and, therefore at a similar stage in life. His reflections on mortality; awareness that we are no longer young but not yet old, and his advice to his children all hits a nerve with me. Which is pretty much how it's been these past 35 years - U2 expressing the emotions that I feel.

Originally posted by Sydney_MIke:I went with SOE because it finishes stronger than SOI but both have some of the best songs they have done for a while from a sonic and lyrical perspective. Personally, I love the linking relationship and contrasting perspectives of the two albums; they even led to me reading William Blake's poems to further understand the inspiration.

SOE probably resonates more with me too because I am only 5 years younger than Bono and, therefore at a similar stage in life. His reflections on mortality; awareness that we are no longer young but not yet old, and his advice to his children all hits a nerve with me. Which is pretty much how it's been these past 35 years - U2 expressing the emotions that I feel.