U2 | Songs of Innocence

[stip]

Okay u2. 6 songs left. Make me believe again!

[stip]

Raised By Wolves: Okay, promising start that doesn't call to mind past glories, although that horror movie whispering is distracting.

So far I'm fairly into this. It seems to be moving in the same direction as the more interesting moments on No Line.

This chorus sucks again, though. I bet this is how people who didn't like the infallible chorus felt


This is an imperfect song, but this is definitely the kind of songs they need to be writing (and perfecting) to put out another great record.

[stip]

I wonder what kind of reviews this is going to get, since U2 is the Radiohead of people who don't like Pitchfork.

[stip]

Cederwood Road: Oh, I really like how dirty this one feels. Again, the desire to go anthematic u2 in places isn't helping, but there's a lot of worthwhile stuff happening here.

[stip]

Sleep Like a Baby Tonight: This is a pretty unexpected song. I like not knowing what's going to come next. The most zooropa sounding song on here (so far, at least). This was a pretty good song on the first pass, and certainly the most surprising one.

[BurtReynolds]

Free album? cool! From U2? no thanks.

[BurtReynolds]

The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)? Is that a real song title? Jesus Christ.

[stip]

This is Where You Can Reach Me Now: This picks up where the last song left off, not in terms of sound, but in not sounding predictable. Very 80s feel to this. Not sold on the chorus, but there's still a lot of stuff happening here that's pretty cool.

The Troubles: Unnerving start, in a good way. Who else is singing here? They're a really good fit for this song? This was a pretty strong track

[stip]

The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)? Is that a real song title? Jesus Christ.

Track 12: Where the Streets Have No Name (live)

[Lament]

The Troubles: Unnerving start, in a good way. Who else is singing here? They're a really good fit for this song? This was a pretty strong track

Lykke Li.

This is actually my favorite song on the album at the moment. It really knocked me out on the second listen through.

[ridleybradout]

The Troubles: Unnerving start, in a good way. Who else is singing here? They're a really good fit for this song? This was a pretty strong track

(Lykke Li)

Probably the album highlight for mine

[Lament]

I'm finally getting to see her next month. I'm so excited.

[stip]

Thoughts after one listen:

The first half of this record (excepting perhaps the first song which is pretty good--I like it a LOT more on the second listen) is entirely disposable. The music is usually good (U2 is a great band). the problem is Bono. Most of the great singers of the 90s (Eddie, Michael Stipe, Bono, Billy Corgan, Chris Cornell) lost a lot of power and resonance in their voice, or suffered serious diminishing of what made them great. Billy Corgan is just unlistenable, and I can't think of anything he can do to change that. For the rest of them it's a question of whether or not you are put off by the decline or whether they find a way to grow into/work around their more limited capacity. The songs where Bono is going full anthem or classic u2 ballad fall flat. Bono sounds too thin. His voice doesn't envelop you the way it once did, or have the same beauty, or challenge the gods. And so when he tries you just can't help but be reminded of past glories, and the new stuff doesn't stack up.

The second half of this album is much better than the first half, since they seem to be taking some cues from the better parts of No Line and try to do something unexpected, which means you can appreciate the song on its own merits, and you're reminded of how creative and interesting they were for so much of their career, and Bono can be who he is now, instead of who he was.

[stip]

The Troubles: Unnerving start, in a good way. Who else is singing here? They're a really good fit for this song? This was a pretty strong track

Lykke Li.

This is actually my favorite song on the album at the moment. It really knocked me out on the second listen through.

probably mine after one listen. I'm on my second listen now. The Miracle (...ugh...) was a lot better on the second listen.

[stip]

The chorus of Every Breaking Wave sounds a lot better the second time, too.

[stip]

oh damn it. Voting ends tomorrow for the next round. I'll have to come back to this tomorrow. I'm starting to have some real hope for this album.

[Lament]

I really hope they start their tour off with an arena leg where they focus heavily on this album. I'd love to hear a lot of this stuff live.

Unfortunately, I think at this point they do so well with stadiums that they're bound to stick with them.

[spike]

so this thread is two pages of people unable to work their itunes and two pages of stip album review, correct?

[Lament]

Three pages of people reminding everyone that they hate U2 and one page of various comments on the album (95% of which are from me, stip, and ridley).

[Lament]

We're just waiting for Jorge to point out that I'm RM's patron saint of defending U2 and then we can probably lock 'er up.