1. Originally posted by beerok:I'm surprised by many people's reactions, and in particular by the intense and derogatory words used when talking about these snippets and the band in general.

    I personally enjoyed most snippets when I listened to the audiobook. Some sounded really good to me (AIWIY, SYCMIOYO, 11 o'clock come to mind), some I felt more neutral about. Maybe one or 2 such as Desire threw me off and I truly disliked. I understand that some people might have different and more negative impressions of the snippets, but I still don't understand the point of using such intense criticism and negative words towards this project and the band.

    I think this has more to do with the people who choose to express themselves like that, than the band and the SOS project. We have a 5 year old at home and we try to teach her that how we speak and how we react is our own choice and responsibility. If you dislike something, it is better to just let it be. Constructive comments and discussions are good to have, but plain bashing and trashing is quite pointless. People who do that tend to have some kind of inner unresolved conflict that they can't deal with.

    I think we all don't like aging ourselves, and we don't like the band aging. Many of us have followed this band for decades with various degrees of obsession, and I think the band and their music have been the soundtrack to our lives. Seeing them age is not easy, and makes us reflect on our own aging and what we lose when we age (first and foremost our health, youthfulness, energy, inspiration). The band are like a mirror for us and some struggle with this more than others. It's the only good explanation I can find for what I've been reading on this forum over the past weeks.

    So maybe this is a good time to look at ourselves/yourselves, and also manage our expectations of U2. The band is old. Their inspiration and energy is not what it was in the 80s and 90s or even 2000s. They may be around for much longer, or not. Even with the best intentions, after such a long run it's impossible not to become a legacy act to some extent. If you are looking for a fresh, young, driven band maybe look somewhere else. Meanwhile, if I look back at the catalog from the last 15-20 years, I still think it is overall pretty impressive and there is plenty to enjoy there. Some songs I don't particularly like so I let them be, there is no need to 'hate' them.

    Also, these are just snippets. Pride ended up having much more to it than one would think from the audiobooks snippet. From an artistic point of view it is quite interesting as arrangement and performance. Surely not for everyone and I respect that.

    Maybe the only real negative point I can see about this release is that it seems to have been delayed too much. It was probably completed 1 year or longer ago and should have been released then. This probably has to do with Bono's book release which was apparently delayed as well. Time is slipping away...

    So remember, the album is not out yet. There is probably much more to many of those recordings than the snippets reveal. Just wait for the whole thing, give it a few listens, and come back to share your thoughts. And try to do the same for any future projects of the band. If you feel very strong negative emotions, maybe first look inside yourselves and first try to figure out why you feel that way. You might be surprised by what you find.
    I'm not really seeing a whole lot of "derogatory" language levied at the band in this thread. "Intense criticism"? Definitely. But nothing I would consider "derogatory". The only thing I can find in the recent pages is someone comparing listening to this to being waterboarded - but I see that as cheeky and kind of hilarious, not derogatory. You'll probably find far worse criticism in the inevitable Pitchfork review of this album.

    I'll try to speak for myself as much as I can here, as I've been someone in this thread voicing criticism.

    People criticize things as intensely as they praise/love them. I would say that just comes with the territory of being passionate about something. Sure, with most things people can just shrug it off and move on with their day. But as we all know, the people on this website are so passionate about their fandom for this band that they can't simply shrug it off and move on. We can't just walk away and say "guess U2 isn't for me anymore, ah well." We love this band so much and feel the need to voice our frustration, because we feel passionate about it. We want to see this band doing the things that we feel we know they're capable of (and for many of us, that "capability" can be seen as recently as in the b-sides of their more recent records).

    Yes, that notion is probably unrealistic, irrational, and perhaps a waste of time. Maybe all of us who haven't been satisfied with the output of this band for a little while now are wasting our time being here, or even thinking about this band. I can tell you that personally, I don't listen to U2 all that much anymore. That said, I'll always be interested in checking out anything new they have coming out, I'll always go see them when they go on tour, and I'll always return to this forum to discuss those things.

    And on that note, this is a discussion forum. For as many posts as I see lambasting this release (or what we've heard of it so far), I see just as many posts lambasting the people who are doing the criticizing.

    So, if we don't like something that a band we've loved is doing, we should just keep our thoughts to ourselves and not post here among our fellow fans? Do you really want an discussion forum echo chamber full of nothing but blowing smoke? Sounds awfully boring to me.

    Don't get me wrong, I completely agree with many of the things you said - particularly about the band aging, and fans managing their expectations. Like I just said, I'm probably guilty of having unrealistic expectations of them myself. But at the same time, I don't think you can blame people for being passionate, or for voicing an opinion on an open discussion forum. In my opinion, someone voicing praise for the snippets we've heard is just as valid as someone saying "probably time the band threw in the towel".

    At least people are being honest, and I would wager that the band values that over anything when it comes to opinions on their work.

    I also have to say that I think it's a bit objectionable and quite the presumption to imply that those of us who aren't liking what we're hearing and voicing it have some kind of internal issue we need to "figure out". I realize you were referring to the "derogatory" posts you mentioned, but still. I'm quite stable in my life (at the moment, lol) and can tell you that it's no internal struggle that makes me agree with much of the criticism I've seen here..
  2. we shouldn't be basing our critiques of SOS on these snippets... as was noted by Wanderer1 these bits coming from the audio book are very likely different mixes than SOS.. that should give everyone pause. Secondly - these are snippets ripped from the audio book and posted on Tiktok ..compromising the sound we will get to hear once the records are released. Now if you have issues with the first single.. that is another story.. but basing your objections on these snippets seems premature.
  3. Originally posted by beerok:I'm surprised by many people's reactions, and in particular by the intense and derogatory words used when talking about these snippets and the band in general.

    I personally enjoyed most snippets when I listened to the audiobook. Some sounded really good to me (AIWIY, SYCMIOYO, 11 o'clock come to mind), some I felt more neutral about. Maybe one or 2 such as Desire threw me off and I truly disliked. I understand that some people might have different and more negative impressions of the snippets, but I still don't understand the point of using such intense criticism and negative words towards this project and the band.

    I think this has more to do with the people who choose to express themselves like that, than the band and the SOS project. We have a 5 year old at home and we try to teach her that how we speak and how we react is our own choice and responsibility. If you dislike something, it is better to just let it be. Constructive comments and discussions are good to have, but plain bashing and trashing is quite pointless. People who do that tend to have some kind of inner unresolved conflict that they can't deal with.

    I think we all don't like aging ourselves, and we don't like the band aging. Many of us have followed this band for decades with various degrees of obsession, and I think the band and their music have been the soundtrack to our lives. Seeing them age is not easy, and makes us reflect on our own aging and what we lose when we age (first and foremost our health, youthfulness, energy, inspiration). The band are like a mirror for us and some struggle with this more than others. It's the only good explanation I can find for what I've been reading on this forum over the past weeks.

    So maybe this is a good time to look at ourselves/yourselves, and also manage our expectations of U2. The band is old. Their inspiration and energy is not what it was in the 80s and 90s or even 2000s. They may be around for much longer, or not. Even with the best intentions, after such a long run it's impossible not to become a legacy act to some extent. If you are looking for a fresh, young, driven band maybe look somewhere else. Meanwhile, if I look back at the catalog from the last 15-20 years, I still think it is overall pretty impressive and there is plenty to enjoy there. Some songs I don't particularly like so I let them be, there is no need to 'hate' them.

    Also, these are just snippets. Pride ended up having much more to it than one would think from the audiobooks snippet. From an artistic point of view it is quite interesting as arrangement and performance. Surely not for everyone and I respect that.

    Maybe the only real negative point I can see about this release is that it seems to have been delayed too much. It was probably completed 1 year or longer ago and should have been released then. This probably has to do with Bono's book release which was apparently delayed as well. Time is slipping away...

    So remember, the album is not out yet. There is probably much more to many of those recordings than the snippets reveal. Just wait for the whole thing, give it a few listens, and come back to share your thoughts. And try to do the same for any future projects of the band. If you feel very strong negative emotions, maybe first look inside yourselves and first try to figure out why you feel that way. You might be surprised by what you find.


    No band is above criticism. That includes U2
  4. Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:[..]
    I'm not really seeing a whole lot of "derogatory" language levied at the band in this thread. "Intense criticism"? Definitely. But nothing I would consider "derogatory". The only thing I can find in the recent pages is someone comparing listening to this to being waterboarded - but I see that as cheeky and kind of hilarious, not derogatory. You'll probably find far worse criticism in the inevitable Pitchfork review of this album.

    I'll try to speak for myself as much as I can here, as I've been someone in this thread voicing criticism.

    People criticize things as intensely as they praise/love them. I would say that just comes with the territory of being passionate about something. Sure, with most things people can just shrug it off and move on with their day. But as we all know, the people on this website are so passionate about their fandom for this band that they can't simply shrug it off and move on. We can't just walk away and say "guess U2 isn't for me anymore, ah well." We love this band so much and feel the need to voice our frustration, because we feel passionate about it. We want to see this band doing the things that we feel we know they're capable of (and for many of us, that "capability" can be seen as recently as in the b-sides of their more recent records).

    Yes, that notion is probably unrealistic, irrational, and perhaps a waste of time. Maybe all of us who haven't been satisfied with the output of this band for a little while now are wasting our time being here, or even thinking about this band. I can tell you that personally, I don't listen to U2 all that much anymore. That said, I'll always be interested in checking out anything new they have coming out, I'll always go see them when they go on tour, and I'll always return to this forum to discuss those things.

    And on that note, this is a discussion forum. For as many posts as I see lambasting this release (or what we've heard of it so far), I see just as many posts lambasting the people who are doing the criticizing.

    So, if we don't like something that a band we've loved is doing, we should just keep our thoughts to ourselves and not post here among our fellow fans? Do you really want an discussion forum echo chamber full of nothing but blowing smoke? Sounds awfully boring to me.

    Don't get me wrong, I completely agree with many of the things you said - particularly about the band aging, and fans managing their expectations. Like I just said, I'm probably guilty of having unrealistic expectations of them myself. But at the same time, I don't think you can blame people for being passionate, or for voicing an opinion on an open discussion forum. In my opinion, someone voicing praise for the snippets we've heard is just as valid as someone saying "probably time the band threw in the towel".

    At least people are being honest, and I would wager that the band values that over anything when it comes to opinions on their work.

    I also have to say that I think it's a bit objectionable and quite the presumption to imply that those of us who aren't liking what we're hearing and voicing it have some kind of internal issue we need to "figure out". I realize you were referring to the "derogatory" posts you mentioned, but still. I'm quite stable in my life (at the moment, lol) and can tell you that it's no internal struggle that makes me agree with much of the criticism I've seen here..
    well said
  5. What terribly, terribly upsets me is the fact, the acoustic thing at SOS 40 with the electric guitar. You can't sell an acoustic album or acoustic versions even though it was played electrically with a guitar. My ears can still hear properly.
  6. Songs Of Surrendering
  7. ..
  8. Originally posted by felix2:What terribly, terribly upsets me is the fact, the acoustic thing at SOS 40 with the electric guitar. You can't sell an acoustic album or acoustic versions even though it was played electrically with a guitar. My ears can still hear properly.
    Acoustic and re-imagined songs, clearly not only acoustic. Maybe that wil comfort you’re upsets
  9. Originally posted by felix2:What terribly, terribly upsets me is the fact, the acoustic thing at SOS 40 with the electric guitar. You can't sell an acoustic album or acoustic versions even though it was played electrically with a guitar. My ears can still hear properly.
    They have never called this an acoustic album.
  10. Originally posted by felix2:What terribly, terribly upsets me is the fact, the acoustic thing at SOS 40 with the electric guitar. You can't sell an acoustic album or acoustic versions even though it was played electrically with a guitar. My ears can still hear properly.
    Who said it's an acoustic album? No one. Stripped down, bare bones and intimate yes, but not acoustic
  11. I have first hear of all time the snippet and today on YT. And everyone can hear an electric guitar at 2:37. Then why is u2 selling it as an acoustic album when it isn't? I still do not understand.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gKcPcY8vLT8