SOE
Active topics
U2 - Songs Of Experience (2017)
 Tracks: 14
  1. Originally posted by ferrari:Am I the only one who does'nt like Love is bigger? Suitable for a karaoke bar

    Based on the BBC show, I had high hopes for the E&I tour. But for me the songs with orchestra on tape sounded so very fake.
    You're not the only one. As many have pointed out, SOI was more cohesive. There's some good songs in SOE, but also some serious duds.

    Good songs: Lights of Home (St Peter), SOL, Little things, Book of your heart. OK songs: Landlady, The Showman, The Blackout, Best thing (acoustic). The rest is either meh or terrible (not a fan of the showman). AS is frankly terrible.
  2. Let’s cut it into an Ep
    Songs of Experience EP
    Tracklist :
    Love is All
    Lights of Home
    Summer of love
    Little Things
    Landlady
    Love is bigger

    Songs of Experience EP deluxe edition with free 7”
    Tracklist of 7” :
    The Blackout
    Book of your heart
  3. Originally posted by Fly40:Let’s cut it into an Ep
    Songs of Experience EP
    Tracklist :
    Love is All
    Lights of Home
    Summer of love
    Little Things
    Landlady
    Love is bigger

    Songs of Experience EP deluxe edition with free 7”
    Tracklist of 7” :
    The Blackout
    Book of your heart
    Yes, that's much better ;-)

  4. I have seen it live. But it didn't hit me. Also because most of the music and vocals was on tape.
  5. Originally posted by ferrari:Am I the only one who does'nt like Love is bigger? Suitable for a karaoke bar

    Based on the BBC show, I had high hopes for the E&I tour. But for me the songs with orchestra on tape sounded so very fake.


    I love it on the album (and even the Beck remix). Have seen it live as well and it fell short of expectations, it lacked 'cohesive power' or something..
  6. Agreed, I found it very 'backing tracky' in concert for want of a better phrase! I accepted the orchestral sound on Lights Of Home due to the spectacle of the big screen etc but the live versions of SOE didn't translate into their own live versions too much and relied heavily on sequencers. I think The Blackout was the better of these though.
  7. The Blackout was the best SOE song live.
  8. It certainly came to life, and was much better than the album version, which I am not a big fan of.
  9. I still think there are more good songs than the bad ones. Still love Love Is All We Have Left, Blackout, Red Flag Day, Little Things, Book Of Your Heart and still like Summer Of Love, Lights Of Home and definitely don't mind The Best Thing and The Showman. Can't stand GOOYOW and don't like American Soul. Love Is Biggeris very cheesy, Landlady and 13 are just boring....
  10. Makes for a rubbish whole album, but a great EP - the first U2 album I've ever skipped more than half of it, even over ATYCLB/HTDAAB.

    I went back to SoI and found I prefer it much more - minus The Miracle.

    The Lights Of Home - better with the strings version on the deluxe album - or the Abbey Road version.
    Love Is All We Have Left (nothing much different to it being live - and wasn't this song mentioned around 2003?)
    The Little Things That Give You Away (the album version sounds 'muted' - Spotify/Kimmel versions much better - but still, why the loop intro that sounds like you're tapping on a reverb-affected baked bean can?)
    Landlady (haven't heard it live if indeed it was played)
    13 (the Abbey Road version is great, and so is this)
    Book Of Your Heart (has this been played live - probably not, because it's a CLASSIC!!!)

    Hey, it's still 23 minutes of U2.


    You're The Best Thing About Me - it's nice enough and I don't mind it but not missed hearing it ever again either.
    Get Out Of Your Own Way - 'it's a beautiful day, don't let parodying yourself get away ...'
    American Soul - 'you and I are ... skip'
    Summer Of Love - boring.
    Red Flag Day - reminded me of War and I don't like that album much either.
    The Showman (Little More Better) - really?
    The Blackout - pity the power didn't go out and the tape didn't jam
    Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way - better acoustic, but even still ...
    Ordinary Love (Extraordinary Mix) - why so many canned beats everywhere?
    The Lights Of Home (St Peter's String Version) - sounds better - like the album version vs the single version of Please ... this is sonically awesome
    You're The Best Thing About Me (U2 vs. Kygo) - WTF is this - I hate the last 10 years trend of awful U2 remixes and this is no exception - uh uh ah be th ba da be be (reminds me of a song called Gold by Kiara - if you know the 'chorus', you know what I mean ...)

    SoE reminds me of a terrible follow-up called Paper Gods by Duran Duran. The preceding album (All You Need Is Now) - absolutely fantastic. Paper Gods, full of canned beats and - they forgot to invite their rhythm section for the sessions.

    That's my 3-year review - off to listen to This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now.
  11. While I don't totally disagree with some of the recent re-assessment of SOE 3 years later, I also still continue to view it as superior to SOI. SOI to me is still a great idea that could have been executed better. Despite some great songs, it never quite takes off as an album for me and never did. I like the energy, the usage of modern-day producers mixed with reflections on 1970s Dublin, and do appreciate its overall cohesiveness compared to SOE, but...

    ...SOE still takes me on a journey, compared to its predecessor which does not. I think the tracklist could be even better based on the E&I setlist (not unusual for a U2 album that they overthink), but beginning with LIAWHL and ending with 13, the album resonates more with me. Musically, it has more variety. Lyrically, it's got a darkness and uncertainty to it that is also matched by and eventually overcome by the focus on love/light.
  12. Originally posted by bpt3:While I don't totally disagree with some of the recent re-assessment of SOE 3 years later, I also still continue to view it as superior to SOI. SOI to me is still a great idea that could have been executed better. Despite some great songs, it never quite takes off as an album for me and never did. I like the energy, the usage of modern-day producers mixed with reflections on 1970s Dublin, and do appreciate its overall cohesiveness compared to SOE, but...

    ...SOE still takes me on a journey, compared to its predecessor which does not. I think the tracklist could be even better based on the E&I setlist (not unusual for a U2 album that they overthink), but beginning with LIAWHL and ending with 13, the album resonates more with me. Musically, it has more variety. Lyrically, it's got a darkness and uncertainty to it that is also matched by and eventually overcome by the focus on love/light.
    I've always agreed with this, and always thought it was a minority opinion 'round here