1. Originally posted by deanallison:[..]
    California is the joint best song on the album. And I’ve grown to like volcano more than Glastonbury, both good songs imo. I like the miracle but I do think it’s a bit of a weak opener both on the album and live, weak as in only good, invisible would have worked fine that’s a much stronger song or even just kick the album off with every breaking wave, but I don’t think there’s a song on SOI that is worse than good and most of it is very good or great even. AB and JT are the only other u2 albums I can say that about so that probably does put it in the masterpiece category for me. Crystal ballroom and lucifers hands kept the album strong even into the bonus stuff. Imo anyway.
    I don't like that type of songs like California (to me same type is Stuck, Crazy Tonight (album version) or GOOYOW).

    It's sad they didn't play Volcano and Troubles (which is probably my favourite song from SOI) more often live...
    Maybe Volcano would be good opener, (album and show). I like the version from Jools Holland.
  2. Originally posted by Alvin:[..]
    I don't like that type of songs like California (to me same type is Stuck, Crazy Tonight (album version) or GOOYOW).

    It's sad they didn't play Volcano and Troubles (which is probably my favourite song from SOI) more often live...
    Maybe Volcano would be good opener, (album and show). I like the version from Jools Holland.
    The troubles is my joint favourite and part of me wishes they played it more live, I would definitely like to have witnessed it anyway, but on the other hand Bono did have his struggles singing it I thought. Edge’s solo live was great though. For Volcano I would have liked the e stage rotation slot to have included always one new song at least. They did a better job in the states including Crystal ballroom, lucifers hands, volcano, California and ordinary love in that slot but by Europe we only got 2 of them and not very often. The jools holland version was one of the better performances of volcano I like that as well.
  3. I just was thinking that, despite putting SOI very low in my own personal rankings of U2 albums, I think it has the best track list order of any album 2000-onward. From The Miracle through The Troubles, there isn't one song that I would put in a different spot. I know some on here hated the word "narrative" when it seemed to take precedent over setlist variety on both I & E / E & I tours, but SOI for me has a clear story beginning to end...thematically it has a natural flow to it.

    On the other hand, SOE, NLOTH, HTDAAB, and ATYCLB all have songs that I would put in different spots on the album and be happier with the overall result (NLOTH especially)...
  4. I think SOI holds up better than SOE or HTDAAB and certainly NLOTH. I think SOI is generally underrated within U2’s catalog and certainly within the mainstream media narrative that always focuses on the iTunes release stunt and related complaints. To me it’s a very solid album all the way through. It doesn’t reach JT/AB heights, but it’s somewhere in that next tier for me alongside Pop/War.

    I think EBW stands with WOWY. There, I said it. It’s not better, but it is a great companion piece.
  5. Originally posted by ap5:
    I think EBW stands with WOWY. There, I said it. It’s not better, but it is a great companion piece.

    I agree! For me EBW is one of their top 10 songs. SOI is the album that got me into U2, so it's one of my favourite albums.
  6. They just made EBW so so bland on record. So much so that they completely abandoned it in favour of the piano version. A missed opportunity.
  7. Originally posted by germcevoy:They just made EBW so so bland on record. So much so that they completely abandoned it in favour of the piano version. A missed opportunity.
    I feel exactly the opposite. The piano version is so boring. Thank god that didn't make the album
  8. Oh they’re both boring. My point being that they just abandoned what they surely felt was the best version that made it on the record.
  9. They’ve did it quite a bit recently with songs that should have much more depth musically. EBW, Little Things, Landlady and even back to Moment of Surrender. All songs that miss that feeling that they were recorded in a room by the four guys. Too much drum machine and no doubt way too much of Edges MacBook.
  10. Originally posted by germcevoy:[..]
    Oh they’re both boring. My point being that they just abandoned what they surely felt was the best version that made it on the record.
    EBW was the standout song on SOI for most people when they heard it first and even today I'd still rate it as the best from SOI great vocals ,lyrics, ,emotion,melody ,guitar it has it all.
  11. Originally posted by germcevoy:They just made EBW so so bland on record. So much so that they completely abandoned it in favour of the piano version. A missed opportunity.
    They tried for years to get that right.
  12. Yup. A very interesting song for U2 fans. Getting to hear those bare bones performances during 360 leading to the song being slightly mythical up until release then hearing that epic performance from Glasgow before settling on the way too sparse piano version on tour.