GEN
Active topics


  2. The funniest part about it is that it's not an original U2 lyric, it's a fellow Canadian Bruce Cockburn's
  3. Song Title: The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)
    Initial Thoughts: Great riff
    Score : 7/10
    Favorite Lyric: "Your voices will be heard"

    Song Title: Every Breaking Wave
    Initial Thoughts: Instant classic. This is gonna be a true sing-along during the tour an has the potential to be a radio hit.
    Score: 9/10
    Favorite Lyric: "Like every broken wave on the shore/This is as far as I could reach"

    Song Title: California (There's No End To Love)
    Initial Thoughts: Catchy. Very modern, fresh sound. Like a summer breeze. Love it.
    Score: 8/10
    Favorite Lyric: "California, and then we fell into the shining sea"

    Song Title: Song For Someone
    Initial Thoughts: This one took some time...but it is really, really good. Classic U2 ballad.
    Score: 8/10
    Favorite Lyric: "I don't know how these cuts heal/But in you I found a rhyme"

    Song Title: Iris (Hold Me Close)
    Initial Thoughts: This one also took some time and is still taking some...but there are parts in it I really like. Love the echo in the guitar.
    Score: 7/10
    Favorite Lyric: "Long before the night the stars went out/We're meeting up again"

    Song Title: Volcano
    Initial Thoughts: A bit throwaway (those songs are on every U2 record since ATYCLB) but still good fun. Way better than All Because of You or Stand up Comedy.
    Score: 7/10
    Favorite Lyric: "Do you live here or is this a vacation"

    Song Title: Raised By Wolves
    Initial Thoughts: It gets a bit repetitive, but I'm sure this will be good live.
    Score: 7/10
    Favorite Lyric: "The worst things in the world are justified by belief"

    Song Title: Cedarwood Road
    Initial Thoughts: God this will sound big, strong and confident live. Like NLOTH but turned up to 11.
    Score: 9/10
    Favorite Lyric: The complete last verse.

    Song Title: Sleep Like A Baby Tonight
    Initial Thoughts: Oh yes. This one is so so good. Could've been on Pop. Love Edge's raw solo after the first chorus. Love the lyrics, love the singing. Masterpiece.
    Score: 10/10
    Favorite Lyric: "It's a dirty business, dreaming"

    Song Title: This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now
    Initial Thoughts: This one took some time as well, but has really grown on me and I love it. Great lyrics, great tune. Probably not gonna be played live.
    Score: 8/10
    Favorite Lyric: "We've come to colonise your night/And steal your poetry"

    Song Title: The Troubles
    Initial Thoughts: I really dig this one.
    Score: 10/10
    Favorite Lyric: The parts sung by Lykke Li.
  4. My go. Not 3 weeks before this album dropped I sent Remy a PM to resign my crew membership. U2 were a complete non-entity to me after so long without any proper music. I felt the band didn't care so why should I? Then the album dropped and I was running around like a 1D fan girl. My interest has been sparked again which is good news. I'll run through each song then try to round up my overall thought.

    Song Title: The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)
    Initial Thoughts: Banging!
    Score : 7/10

    This is what a lead song should be. Get on Your Boots is standing in a corner somewhere looking on at this song in envy. Where is the video though? Where are the follow up liver performances? I hope they ramp it up a bit or a good lead single is going to fizzle out before it got a real chance to bite.

    Song Title: Every Breaking Wave
    Initial Thoughts: I'm torn on this one. The drums sounds false, the chorus hurts my ears and it still feels like an incomplete song but...somehow this has got more plays than any other song from me. I will put it down to the familiarity perhaps which is a bit of a novelty on a new album. Will it be a classic? No, not for me, but it is U2 personified. Bono will tell us it's as good as One but not quite. I'll watch this one with interest when it goes out live because this one definitely isn;t where the band want it to be.....yet
    Score: 7/10
    Favorite Lyric: "Every gambler knows. . . "

    Song Title: California (There's No End To Love)
    Initial Thoughts: Dith the 'santa barbara chants' ans dial back on the synth and there;s a decent jingle in here. It evokes thoughts of the subject matter and that's exactly what a song should do. A stripped back, punchier live performance is where it needs to be at.
    Score: 6/10


    Song Title: Song For Someone
    Initial Thoughts: Bread and butter U2 ballad. This is Stuck in a Moment territory for me. The lyric is a little cliche loaded for a love song but love songs always are. A few nice melodies and lovely build up leading into the chorus. Love the little riff and Bono's 'yea yea yeas'. Expect this to appear in an acoustic slot on tour. Milky Way yadda yadda
    Score: 6/10

    Song Title: Iris (Hold Me Close)
    Initial Thoughts: Intro melodies remind me of Ultraviolet. I almost love this one.One Bomb we got the Bob song through SYCMIOYO and here we get Iris. This is much better. Lovely lovely heartfelt lyrics and very well dressed up in a cheery jingle.
    Score: 7/10


    Song Title: Volcano
    Initial Thoughts: HTDAAB lost a b-side.
    Score: 5/10

    Song Title: Raised By Wolves
    Initial Thoughts: War called and it wants it's song back. What an odd sounding song. Sonically it stands out like a sore thumb. I bloody love it though. Bono does an absolute job and a half on the lyric. 'I don't believe any more' could easily be a refrain from Sunday Bloody Sunday. The piano is brilliant.
    Score: 7/10
    Favorite Lyric: "The worst things in the world are justified by belief"

    Song Title: Cedarwood Road
    Initial Thoughts: This is where things step up a notch. This absolutely kicks you in the face and it feels good. What a stomping opener. The thought of this one pounded out live is an exciting though. Another great lyric and an overall great homage to Dublin and Home. Can't wait to belt out 'ALL THE GREEN AND ALL THE GOLD'
    Score: 8/10

    Song Title: Sleep Like A Baby Tonight
    Initial Thoughts: Oh where has this song been hiding for the past 17 years? This is the one for me. The song that tells me that there is creative genius in the ageing bones of U2, though how much of it is U2 and how much is Danger Mouse? Either way they combine fantastically to have given birth to this gem. This is straight off Pop. The opening beat, the crunchy guitars, the sexy vocal, the falsetto. Absolutely love everything about it. A shame it'll never be played love. Bravo
    Score: 9/10

    Song Title: This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now
    Initial Thoughts: Is that Elbow? Is that slug? Builds up similar to Unknown Caller then settles into this funky well paced jam and holds its own and combines with the 2 songs either side of it to form one of the better trilogy's of songs to appear on a U2 album.
    Score: 7.5/10


    Song Title: The Troubles
    Initial Thoughts: This was the first song I played on the album and it blew me the fuck away. Again, is it DM or U2? Just like Sleep Like a Baby though, I absolutely do not care because the end result is a stunner. Again it pains me to say that this will be a rarity on the live scene but I will be more than happy with this album recording. That closing riff screams out to end a show though. One can dream.
    Score: 9/10

    That's the songs but what about the album? I think it falls short. I have been a massive cynic over the years and always find the negative but it you make me wait 5 years for an album then I'm sure as hell going to pick holes in it.

    My main problem is with the fact that the different producers work so clearly stand s apart from each other. The Danger Mouse tracks stand head and shoulders above almost everything else, especially with the last 3 tracks. Then there is California and Volcano having a similar sound then there are the ballads in Song For Someone and EBW. I like a varied album but this is more like varied songs than a varied album. I struggle to put these things into words. Maybe it will gel better when we learn what Songs of Experience is going to be all about.

    Do I like it? Yes. Is it the best thing they've done since 2000? Yes. Is it better than Pop? Hmm. I would probably say no but it is a lot more accessible to Pop so I could technically argue that this is the best U2 album in 20 years. Who could argue with that?

    Ultimately though I think the band should have put more faith in Danger Mouse. I genuinely think we could be dealing with a masterpiece here. That both excites me and disappoints me in equal measure. Maybe Danger Mouse will be a big influence on SOE and I'll get what I want.

    I'll report back in a few months again.
  5. Anyone who is a big U2 nut and doesn't like this album wants their head checking. It's fantastic.
  6. Nice review Gerard! Such a long wait was obviously bound to make us all more sceptic towards whatever new material they should present, but I think they've delivered a far more than decent album. I don't get all the sudden NLOTH bashing, but that doesn't make SOI any worse. I will do this song per song review sometime soon, before the initial hype passes by! Promised
  7. Can somebody help me here? I'm trying to find a thread discussing the AWFUL album cover. Sometimes the new format of the website makes it difficult to find things. I understand having a man and his son shirtless can symbolize innocence, but do we really want our band's big album to have a cover that even remotely will provoke gay/incest jokes? I have no problem with anybody being gay, but this cover is going to get too much attention, and it can't possibly equal any possible sales boost BECAUSE of the cover. So sad about this.
  8. Attention is good, and the cover pictures a father and a son?

    From Sticky Fingers to Smell the Glove, rock n roll is meant to provoke!
  9. The Miracle
    Score: 8 / 10
    Thoughts: what a kicker to start. Killer heavy rock sound!!!!

    Every Breaking Wave
    Score: 7 / 10
    Thoughts: what a change from the live versions. I actually like this better, especially the vocal style in it.

    California
    Score: 8 / 10
    Thoughts: loved it on the first rounds and still love it. Great song to drive to. The guitar solo and distortion in the background just makes this.

    Song For Someone
    7 / 10
    Thoughts: pretty downtempo song and a real change from the other three songs just before.

    Iris (Hold Me Close)
    8.5 / 10
    Thoughts: the intro bit took me by surprise - very ethereal and interesting how it changes. Great drum and bass work.

    Volcano
    5 / 10
    Thoughts: it's okay but wouldn't be upset if I never heard it again.

    Raised By Wolves
    7 / 10
    Thoughts: it's a great song, fantastic and shocks you at how weird it sounds. Actually, it's not weird just unique. The only thing I cannot stand is Bono's yelping vocals when he shouts 'Raised by wolves!!!' It puts me off what is a truly fantastic song otherwise.

    Cedarwood Road
    8 / 10
    Thoughts: this will be like Breathe live - it has that sound to it. Love the near-metal influences in it; truly a rocker.

    Sleep Like A Baby Tonight
    9 / 10
    Thoughts: Wow!!!! Quiet, thoughtful, innocent and that distorted solo with the baby sounds at the end - I immediately thought of bits of Electrical Storm. Absolutely beautiful.

    This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now
    9 / 10
    Thoughts: Here's where it gets even better. You could take this out of the 70s or early 80s. The vocal bits here when Bono gets a bit lower in his register - and over the second time with the 'world just isn't there', listen to the bass guitar bits throughout. If this goes live, it's going to blow your balls off.

    The Troubles
    11 / 10
    Thoughts: Holy shit. Cedars Of Lebanon, Love Is Blindness and The Wanderer influences all together. Might only be short but it's brilliant. This easily could mesh with '40' at the end of a show. Haunting, dark and the part of 'somebody stepped inside your soul / it's the hardest thing you'll ever do...' just gets me every time. Beautiful; there is nothing like this U2 have ever done.

    Thoughts overall: who would have thought U2 could have seriously come up with something this great. Next to half of NLOTH, this is their best work since....a long time. I can only hope Experience is even better. 8 / 10.
  10. Hi guys,
    I feel really bad staying off this wonderful site for so long, but I lead a very busy life these days. I couldn’t resist sharing my thoughts on the new album and my excitement that the boys are back. I hope to visit more frequently though, nothing like a new tour to bring all the fans out of the woodwork.

    Album summary:
    I have deliberately avoided posting after first listen and given Songs a few weeks to stew and settle. I really like the new album. It is no AB or JT but then again I didn’t expect an album full of hits at this stage of their career.
    I actually went in quite sceptical when I learned that it was a free download. I was then surprised by how established and textured it was. I won’t say manufactured, but very well produced, considered and executed.
    I hear reports that U2 have gone back to their roots. That’s certainly the case lyrically, but I definitely don’t hear it sonically speaking. What I hear is a brand new chapter and a band still very good and happy at making music that appeals to them and their fans and perhaps some new ones too. They are the last of the rock stars, really! The first half is really strong. Beautiful Edge riffs – I don’t want to say classic Edge because I think he discovers new territory here – heartfelt lyrics, less forced and contrived than on recent efforts, ever reliable Larry, and Adam given some free rein also to go for a wander occasionally. Sadly, I pick up a notable deterioration in Bono’s voice but hey he’s getting on a bit now – aren’t we all? Another cross against it is that Invisible definitely belongs on here, that’s a shame.
    This is not their best album, no songs are in my top 10, but it’s possibly their most honest and interesting after nearly 40 years together!
    Note: I have not read anyone else’s reviews on this site.

    The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone): Can’t get into this yet. It tries a bit too hard to be catchy, it suffers from Boots-itis. Larry saves this from becoming a fail. It isn’t a track one.

    Every Breaking Wave: My favourite track so far. The bridge reminds me of Miracle Drug a little. Love the chorus. Was this going to be one NLOTH does anyone know? It’s a better fit here.

    California: Should have been track one. Great way to kickstart the album. U2 at their toe tapping, head bopping best. Great song. Bono actually hits the highs pretty good here.

    Song For Someone: Really growing on me. The First Time-ish but a lot more to digest here. Beautiful lyrics.

    Iris (Hold Me Close): Instant hit with me. City of Blinding Lights everywhere.

    Volcano: This album’s answer to Vertigo. Catchy, silly lyrics but it works. Super-cool. Can’t wait for Bono to erupt on stage with this one.

    Raised By Wolves: Very strange. Out of nowhere. Work in progress. Chorus lets it down.

    Cedarwood Road: Closest thing I can match to their 80’s era. Edge is really solid.

    Sleep Like A Baby Tonight: Loved this instantly. Awesome mesh of all of their eras for mine. Drugged up lullaby is how I’d describe it. Reminds me of If You Wear That Velvet Dress, Love Is Blindness. Bono just tries to hit a now impossible falsetto unfortunately but great outro from Edge.

    This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now: Good, could have been on NLOTH after Unknown Caller!

    The Troubles: Their best last track in 20 years.

    All in all, I am very happy. Can’t wait to see them (more than once).
  11. Glad you took back your crew membership resignation Gerard. Great read too.
  12. Ok, so... It's gonna be a month now since they gave us this liutle gem for free, the album is fully embraced and it's the time to properly dissect it.


    The miracle of Joey Ramone
    The first one we heard, in the Apple thingie... I didn't like it that much back then (still think that performance doesn't do the song justice - it's mainly awful), but it's grown. I love the main chords behind it and the swift, and although the initial and middle chants still annoy me, I'm actually DYING to hear this one live.
    Favorite Lyric: We got language so we can communicate; religion so I can love and hate; music so I can exaggerate my pain, and give it a name. // All the stolen voices will someday be returned - your voices will be heard!
    Score: 8/10

    Every breaking wave
    Some of the magic from the 360 version is gone, but . I don't get the WOWY comparisons, this is nowhere near WOWY's incredible crescendo (which is what actually makes the song) - just because there's a drums+bass intro? Well, there's a million songs that fit that bill The new chorus sounds a bit out of place, but I absolutely love the "The sea knows where are the rocks, etc" part.
    Favorite Lyric: Every sailor knows that the sea is a friend made enemy. And every gambler knows that to lose is what you're really there for. (I know I've swapped the verses but those 2 are my favs)
    Score: 7'5/10

    California
    While doing the first listen to the album, that Tuesday evening, I was just about to skip it. Wow. The intro hit me like a rock (in a bad sense). Still hasn't grown much on me, I don't like the lyrics, although it's one of the songs that's best sung by Bono - credit where credit is due. My first comment was: "This song without that awful intro and without so much synth in the chorus would be miles better" - and that's still my verdict on it.
    Favorite Lyric: All I know and all I need to know is there is no end to love...
    Score: 6/10

    Song for someone
    It took me a bit to appreciate this one (I still think the main chorus is dumb, and Bono sings the verses in a way I truly despise), but I do now. Still a bit too cheesy for me, but I like it better now.
    Favorite Lyric: You break and enter my imagination, whatever's in there it's yours to take
    Score: 7'5/10

    Iris (Hold me close)
    I jaw-dropped when I saw there was a song named after Bono's mom. BUT oh dear, what a lost chance to make a truly heartbreaking tribute to her. Lyrics are fine, but the music doesn't fit the theme and the way Bono sings it is nowhere as touching as Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own (or Tomorrow, for what is worth). The doubled&electronic vocals on the chorus, behind Bono's make me cringe, and the "uuh uuh oohh uuuh" during the "Iris, Iris" parts are the worst part of the song for me. The piano melody during the "The stars are bright" part actually fits WOWY, unlike EBW. Summary: lost chance.
    Favorite Lyric: Iris standing in the hall, she tells me I can do it all. Iris wakes to my nightmares, don't fear the world: it isn't there
    Score: 7/10

    Volcano
    After the Iris disappointment, this hit me like a ton of bricks. Sure, the lyrics are dumb as hell, but they sound great on Bono's mouth, and the Glastonbury riff got me going as soon as I first played this - it still does. Great silly rock track in the likes of Elevation and Vertigo.
    Favorite Lyric: You! Are! A pocketfull of sunshine!! You! Are! The miracle I came here to find!! (oh wait...)
    Score: 7'5/10

    Raised By Wolves
    It was my first fav while the first listens, and it still ranks real high. An event like the biggest bombing in the history of the Irish Troubles, and the parallel history of a friend of yours that gets traumatized by it... It deserved a painful, shocking song like this. What a song.
    Favorite Lyric: all of them. Specially: The one that strikes me the most is: Blood in the house, blood on the street. The worst things in the world are justified by belief.
    Score: 9'5/10

    Cedarwood Road
    As of today (2014-10-03), this is currently my favorite song off Songs Of Innocence. Maybe because it's the most "Dubliner" song in the album -and my passion for the Irish main city is not a secret- or maybe because it's fucking mindblowing? EVERYTHING in this song is perfect for me. The lyrics are amazing, Bono's guitar, Edge's guitar, Larry's drumming, Adam's bass, even the bells that subtly emulate the main riff during the second part of the guitar solo (I usually hate bells)
    Favorite Lyric: all of them. Specially: Blossoms falling from a tree they cover you and cover me. Symbols clashing, bibles smashing, paint the world you need to see. And sometimes fear is the only place we can call our hoooooooome, Cedarwood Road!
    Score: 10/10

    Sleep Like A Baby Tonight
    OH dude. This has the makings to be THE song, but it just isn't. Less synths and more guitar during the verses would be better. Oh, and Bono hitting the notes properly, and not just the falsetto: also the unsteady voice during the chorus (in your dreEeEaAams) and some verses (it's a dirty businness dreEeAaAamiiing). The lyrics are truly amazing, the theme is well chosen, but the song just doesn't quite reach "there".
    Favorite Lyric: You dress in the colours of forgiveness, your eyes as red as Christmas... Purple robes are folded on the kitchen chair
    Score: 8/10

    This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now
    Dedicating it to Joe Strummer had me won even before hearing a bit for it, but the fact is that I truly love this one. The Edge's wah tone during the verses, Bono's vocals contrast from the almost-spoken verses to the falsetto and the high-pitched chorus, the minus>major>minus chord change in the chorus (really unusual for U2 and in general for pop/rock music)... It's all fantastic. I'm afraid this will go unnoticed to the big casual audience and they might retire it early in the tour (IF they play it at all, that's it), but I don't care - I love it.
    Favorite Lyric: Old man knows that I never listen, so how could I have something to say? Old men says that we never listen, we shout about what we don't know. We're taking the path of most resistance, the only way for us to go!
    Score: 9'5/10


    The Troubles
    Well, judging by the title I thought this was going to be "Raised By Wolves Part II", but The Troubles then it's much more subtle and less explicit than the former. Lyrics are abstract and can be understood in a million ways, but Bono probably wrote it as a correspondence between domestic violence and terrorism or street violence; I developed this interpretation after reading the lyrics without actually listening to the song, and I've seen it in other people's analyse and different websites, so I guess we all agree on this. Lykke Ly fits the song like a glove, and I like the contrast between hers and Bono's vocals (trivia: which was the last U2 song to prominently feature female vocals?). The song's ONLY fault is not having a longer / proper guitar solo, and even though I'm sure they will fix this when (IF) they play it live, it keeps me from rating it as a truly perfect song.
    Favorite Lyric: You think it's easier to put your finger on the trouble when the trouble is you? And you think it's easier to know your own tricks? Well it's the harderst thing you'll ever do!
    Score: 9'5/10



    All in all... A very surprising album, with some low points (understandable) but not quite as low as there were in previous albums (which is great). The second side of the album is the best since Achtung Baby - just like that. And as a whole, as I said in my first full review of the album, it has a much stronger "album feel" than NLOTH, and it's probably the album that HTDAAB wanted to be. So they've finally found what they were looking for - a great album that sounds like U2 and don't sound like U2 at the same time, with some catchy tunes and some deeper ones. Congratulations, boys