SOX
Active topics
  1. Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:Man, the last thing I want is a "back to basics" or "rock album" approach.

    I want more of "Book of your Heart", please. That was probably the most interesting U2 has sounded sonically in a long time. Everything from that synth part to Bono's vocal to the arrangement and progression of the song, everything. That song is like The Unforgettable Fire from the future
    Right, we need some progression again
  2. Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:Man, the last thing I want is a "back to basics" or "rock album" approach.

    I want more of "Book of your Heart", please. That was probably the most interesting U2 has sounded sonically in a long time. Everything from that synth part to Bono's vocal to the arrangement and progression of the song, everything. That song is like The Unforgettable Fire from the future


    I’d like a back to basics rock album — IF they actually do it. Songs of Innocence wasn’t that even though I think they tried to make a point that it was “all about the songs” and “putting the songs first”, Songs of Experience certainly wasn’t, although in fairness they didn’t really call it that except maybe very early in production — I seem to recall them talking about wanting something less produced that SOI ... lol! Everyone says that ATYCLB is a back to basics rock album, but is it? Sure it’s a lot more more straightforward than Zooropa and Pop, but it’s an awfully slick, polished-up, poppy album. U2 without shiny production? Aren’t you looking back to like... October for the last time they did that?

    Overall I agree - I want a weird, adventurous U2 album with songs like Book of Your Heart. I think it’d be a real curveball, and maybe not a style to stick with for long but an adventure worth taking. Of course they’d strip the songs back for concerts, but you’d still have the record to listen to for the full treatment, and besides, it’s kind of like getting two songs then — the lush, complex album version and sparse, direct live version. U2 really aren’t, I think, ever going to be able to go back from heavily-produced, highly-polished albums — why not just embrace it??
  3. It says a lot about U2 that they only tacked BOYH on as an extra track, instead of giving it a proper spot on the album. It’s one of the album’s highlights, IMO, and very few people will ever hear it.

    U2 cover band Achtung Babies did a great live version of BOYH that is in YouTube. Can’t post link now, I will later.


  4. It wouldn't be that bad if he was involved again, would it? I think Tedder is an incredibly talented guy who really has a passion for music.

    At the same time, I'll admit that the material Andy Barlow produced/co-produced is the most interesting on SOE and I'd like more of it.
  5. I’d like to see a version of Mercy done for a new album. I could have seen that one being a bonus track on SOE. I know there’s that leaked version going around YouTube and the live one from a 9 years ago but that one wasn’t released to everyone.
  6. Actually, Mercy was officially released on the Wide Awake in Europe vinyl. Not exactly a widespread release, but a release nonetheless.

    Which is more than we can say for North Star. We heard a minute of a finished version in the background of a Tranformer movie, and nothing else... ever.
  7. North Star is criminally underrated.
  8. it's true, songs like "Book of your heart" should be in this supposed new album
  9. True. The live versions sounded great!

    I just can't understand why the band would play the song live, record a studio version that features in a movie and then not release the damn thing?
  10. Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:I want more of "Book of your Heart", please. That was probably the most interesting U2 has sounded sonically in a long time. Everything from that synth part to Bono's vocal to the arrangement and progression of the song, everything. That song is like The Unforgettable Fire from the future
    Originally posted by CMIPalaeo:[..]Overall I agree - I want a weird, adventurous U2 album with songs like Book of Your Heart. I think it’d be a real curveball, and maybe not a style to stick with for long but an adventure worth taking. Of course they’d strip the songs back for concerts, but you’d still have the record to listen to for the full treatment, and besides, it’s kind of like getting two songs then — the lush, complex album version and sparse, direct live version. U2 really aren’t, I think, ever going to be able to go back from heavily-produced, highly-polished albums — why not just embrace it??
    Here's your +1 sirs. They're just not good enough at being "just 4 musicians playing together", even more so with Bono's current inability to play guitar and complement Edge. So they should just embrace the full-on treatment of songs and produce a total mindfuck album that goes along the lines of Fez/Being Born, Cedars Of Lebanon, The Troubles, Book Of Your Heart, Love Is All We Have Left and 13. Who cares if the songs are not radio-friendly or if you can't jump along to the beat? 95% of the audience doesn't jump along anymore anyway!
  11. Originally posted by LikeASong:[..]
    [..]
    Here's your +1 sirs. They're just not good enough at being "just 4 musicians playing together", even more so with Bono's current inability to play guitar and complement Edge. So they should just embrace the full-on treatment of songs and produce a total mindfuck album that goes along the lines of Fez/Being Born, Cedars Of Lebanon, The Troubles, Book Of Your Heart, Love Is All We Have Left and 13. Who cares if the songs are not radio-friendly or if you can't jump along to the beat? 95% of the audience doesn't jump along anymore anyway!
    Amen!
  12. I'd love to see a U2 album where they absolutely go mad with direction - and forget the radio was good to them 15 years ago and that was then and this is now. The radio isn't your goal. Your goal is to make an album you love. Ask yourself those hard questions. Be the punk in the way The Clash, The Ramones etc made you back in 1976.

    And you know how Bono always says: 'This is our first single?' - how cool would it be to go full-circle with that first single - come back to that in some way. Maybe a riff, maybe a lyric giving a nod to that. If it's your last album, make it a classic to stand up to your classics.