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  1. I actually met someone recently that said their favourite U2 song was Every Breaking Wave because of the iTunes saga. But instead of complaining about it, they actually listened to the songs
  2. I know art is subjective and I genuinely appreciate different opinions. But I cannot understand how anyone can dislike SOI and I’m even further baffled how anyone can prefer SOE to it.
  3. Originally posted by MoFoNYR15:I know art is subjective and I genuinely appreciate different opinions. But I cannot understand how anyone can dislike SOI and I’m even further baffled how anyone can prefer SOE to it.
    +1 to everything.

    SOE lacks the group solidity of SOI. Where SOI was coherent and narrative, SOE is disjointed and chaotic. Where SOI showed more muscle as a concept than as the sum of its parts, SOE is more "hit & miss" with very bright highlights but also some huge, cringeworthy downers.
  4. It won’t likely reach the height of their earlier work in my book (that’s a tall order) but SOI is a really solid album. I think it might be my favourite post-1990s release nowadays.
  5. I would agree.

    SOI is the better album, SOE has higher highs but lower lows.

    The promise and prospect of what SOE might've been was very exciting, and unfortunately it didn’t really turn out to be what I think many of us were hoping for. When I first turned the album on, Lights of Home absolutely knocked me out. If we’d had the strings version/remix or whatever it would’ve done even more so.

    Then the rest of the album is just a rollercoaster of “meh to whoa”.

    But had we had an album full of Bono and the boys wrestling with mortality, and a sonic landscape to match the chaos of that idea - sheesh. That would’ve been cool.

    *put yourself back to before the album comes out - it shadow drops (whole thing comes out at once, no lead up singles etc) - you turn it on - and this starts playing as the first track*

  6. Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:I would agree.

    SOI is the better album, SOE has higher highs but lower lows.

    The promise and prospect of what SOE might've been was very exciting, and unfortunately it didn’t really turn out to be what I think many of us were hoping for. When I first turned the album on, Lights of Home absolutely knocked me out. If we’d had the strings version/remix or whatever it would’ve done even more so.

    Then the rest of the album is just a rollercoaster of “meh to whoa”.

    But had we had an album full of Bono and the boys wrestling with mortality, and a sonic landscape to match the chaos of that idea - sheesh. That would’ve been cool.

    *put yourself back to before the album comes out - it shadow drops (whole thing comes out at once, no lead up singles etc) - you turn it on - and this starts playing as the first track*

    [YouTube Video]
    It is sonically a very expansive album which I appreciate!
  7. For sure, for sure - but I think I was hoping for something more "radical" - which, if I recall correctly - was what Bono was saying we could expect at the time.

    Lights of Home is awesome, Blackout is awesome, but...most of the other stuff plays it a bit safe in terms of experimentation in the sonic realm (and I would say that lyrically, many of the songs don't necessarily follow the "experience" theme as much as they might have, either).

    I'm not saying those songs are bad or anything like that - just that I think after SOI - which I would say was very sort of rock-oriented, a back to basics vibe (which was perfect given the themes of the album) - SOE might've been at the other end of the spectrum - experimental, unexpected, etc.

    Like Boy to Pop.

    I'm also thinking now that a reverse of SOI's album cover would've been cool as the cover to SOE - Larry's son with his arms wrapped around him. Or at least something leaning into innocence looking to experience for guidance.
  8. I think SOI is really great from start to finish. Not saying every song is perfect, but overall, the music, the lyrics, the narrative, the themes all work perfectly in my opinion.
  9. Any SOE shortcomings go away as soon as I start to listen The Little Things That Give You Away..... What a jem of a song !!
  10. Originally posted by TRISTAN:Any SOE shortcomings go away as soon as I start to listen The Little Things That Give You Away..... What a jem of a song !!
    I would agree with that,I also like Landlady but then you have GOOYOW 😖😖
  11. So how much more interesting would this album have been if it was all done on the style of SoS?

    Miracle, Lights of Home, SFS and EBW all considerably more interesting (better l) on SoS.
  12. Originally posted by germcevoy:So how much more interesting would this album have been if it was all done on the style of SoS?

    Miracle, Lights of Home, SFS and EBW all considerably more interesting (better l) on SoS.
    Lights Of Home -which is the most interesting from the SOS pack to me- is from SOE

    I don't give a damn about SFS in any version, it bores me to death. Strongly disagree on EBW though, to me the album version with electric guitars is the best version of the song.