SOS
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U2 - Songs Of Surrender (2023)
 Tracks: 40
  3. Originally posted by TheJoshuaSteve:First post.
    So I have been following this topic from the beginning, interested in seeing peoples thoughts and hopes and disappointments as the snippets of songs were progressively released ahead of 17 March.

    I was totally with the seeming consensus of fears of a long, boring, unproduced, unnecessary rehashing of songs we all love in low energy acoustic versions without Larry & Adam. So I thought this would likely be an album to skip.

    Now the album is out and I think a lot of the reviews have been more positive than expected. So I have listened to every song multiple times on YouTube. Yes, a lot of the new versions don’t do a lot for me, particularly the anthems like One, Sunday, Streets etc. but some of the tracks are really growing on me and I am reassessing my initial trashing of the concept.

    I think Bono’s voice is great in many songs, and Edge’s guitar, keys and other stuff is quite varied in terms of style and pace. So I do believe this will become accepted as an important part of U2’s legacy. It is not a throw away. It is not an ego exercise. It is a companion album giving a different perspective to many of the songs across pretty much the whole U2 journey.

    It is not a traditional greatest hits with a few B sides covering a decade or more of historical recordings. I like that these are songs we know, sometimes from way back, but sung with Bono’s today voice. Sure, 40 songs is too much for me, but there are quite a few really interesting and worthy reimaginings.

    Anyway, I have made an album playlist which I am loving.
    I Will Follow
    Two Hearts Beat As One
    Invisible
    Every Breaking Wave
    Electrical Storm
    The Fly
    Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
    Until the End of the World
    Bad
    11 O’Clock Tick Tock
    Lights of Hone
    AllI Want is You
    (12 songs, 53 minutes)

    I think I am enjoying this as much as, if not more than, SOI and SOE.
    What do you think, and what is your “single album” playlist?


    Your list is almost resembles my list except for 1 song .....
    Miracle Drug instead of I will Follow.

  4. A lot of people thought it was song's that hadn't made the last 2 albums and they'd gone back into the studio and reworked and finished them off, one thing U2 were for most of their career was progressive and not relying on their past too much well that's pretty much gone out the window in the last 5 years with the JT tour / ALTYCLB Boxsets and extensive vinyl and various other formats been re released, not solely the bands fault as no doubt the record company are the main driving force behind it.
  5. Originally posted by popmarter:[..]

    A lot of people thought it was song's that hadn't made the last 2 albums and they'd gone back into the studio and reworked and finished them off, one thing U2 were for most of their career was progressive and not relying on their past too much well that's pretty much gone out the window in the last 5 years with the JT tour / ALTYCLB Boxsets and extensive vinyl and various other formats been re released, not solely the bands fault as no doubt the record company are the main driving force behind it.


    U2 has famously had one of the most artist-oriented contracts in the music business even going back to their early days, thanks to Paul McGuinness.

    So the idea of U2 getting pushed around to release stuff they don't want to release just for the sake of their contract really doesn't seem to hold much water in my opinion.

    You make a good point though. For a band that for a long time was critical of bands like The Rolling Stones and their constant reissues, they've certainly made up for it the last few years, as the pace of their original output has slowed down.

    That said, these new versions are distinct enough for me to consider Songs Of Surrender a new album, even if other fans feel it falls short and is more of a rehash.

    I think SOS is beautiful -- BUT -- I think I finally get why a lot of people are disappointed. I went back and listened to the HBO 2015 Paris thing last night and it hit me why so many fans hate SOS. The power of their live show with all four members in full force is a real head spin from SOS. After having SOS on repeat play since it came out and getting used to its calm pace, I was struck by how forceful their live rock sound is by comparison. For fans who are in love with that sound and its incredible energy and were expecting more of the same -- or maybe needed more of the same because U2 is also emotionally addictive -- it's no wonder there's a big rift on U2Start between those who are yearning for that forceful sound versus those who are happy for this new coffee shop approach.

    Anyway we've been over this a hundred times here. But I'm starting to sympathize with "the other side". SOS is a great album in my opinion. But it's a sleepy one and expectably not to everyone's taste.
  6. @BloodyValentine fair comment but to me this 'abum' is just passengers part II

    ...and that was mostly a bore fest too


  7. Yeah I get it. I started out very enthusiastic about it from the snippets and again right after the release. But, as sad as it is for me to admit it, I've never before lost interest so quickly in listening to a new U2 album. And that includes No Line On The Horizon which I haven't returned to in over a decade. Actually, maybe I need to put that one back in my queue . . . At least it has a pulse.
  8. Originally posted by BloodyValentine:[..]


    Yeah I get it. I started out very enthusiastic about it from the snippets and again right after the release. But, as sad as it is for me to admit it, I've never before lost interest so quickly in listening to a new U2 album. And that includes No Line On The Horizon which I haven't returned to in over a decade. Actually, maybe I need to put that one back in my queue . . . At least it has a pulse.
    the problem with NLOH is that it plays like an album made by different bands

    you've got breathe then crazy tonight

    you've got GOYB then fez

    the plodding predictable magnificent (which it ain't) and the good idea badly executed unknown caller

    stand up comedy is just that and then you have the title track which is good and the brilliant but overly dreary moment of surrender

    and with the rest, it's just an album that's impossible to play as one

    they lost their way on that album and that's because edge got lost up his own ass with eno and lanois (who are usually great)

    it won't have its anniversary tour that's for sure
  9. Originally posted by TheRealEdge:[..]
    the problem with NLOH is that it plays like an album made by different bands

    you've got breathe then crazy tonight

    you've got GOYB then fez

    the plodding predictable magnificent (which it ain't) and the good idea badly executed unknown caller

    stand up comedy is just that and then you have the title track which is good and the brilliant but overly dreary moment of surrender

    and with the rest, it's just an album that's impossible to play as one

    they lost their way on that album and that's because edge got lost up his own ass with eno and lanois (who are usually great)

    it won't have its anniversary tour that's for sure


    Yeah it's all over the place. You blame Edge. Maybe so. I always thought that album sounded like Eno was allowed too much influence. It's a dreary mess. I usually put on U2 to feel uplifted. Not the case with No Line. It drags even when it's trying to be upbeat. GOYB is a prime example. Maybe the worst song U2 has ever recorded. Crazy Tonight is not much better. And they made us wait 5 years for that crap. As Dave Fanning said, The Beatles were only together for 7 years
  10. Linear is brilliant. That is the version of NLOTH I listen to and the one they should have released. If that was the official version, I would rate it as the best U2 album since the 90s. Linear has a much better tracklist, Winter is so so so much better than Crazy. Even Boots makes a tiny bit more sense sitting where it does on Linear. It is an intense record, not uplifting per se. But then, is Joshua Tree uplifting? Achtung?
  11. Add me to the list of those who love NLOTH but think it could've benefited immensely from a different tracklist and a more thorough embrace of the Moroccan-influenced ambience they were originally going for...

    ...but to bring this back to discussion of Songs of Surrender, I am curious as to others' thoughts on why NLOTH did not receive a single "re-imagined" song for SoS.

    Personally, I would have loved a new Moment of Surrender, Breathe, and White As Snow.
  12. Originally posted by bpt3:Add me to the list of those who love NLOTH but think it could've benefited immensely from a different tracklist and a more thorough embrace of the Moroccan-influenced ambience they were originally going for...

    ...but to bring this back to discussion of Songs of Surrender, I am curious as to others' thoughts on why NLOTH did not receive a single "re-imagined" song for SoS.

    Personally, I would have loved a new Moment of Surrender, Breathe, and White As Snow.


    Because NLOTH has been swept under the carpet to keep Pop company.