Originally posted by tbirdgnv:I started listening to the four-record vinyl edition of Songs of Surrender when it came out. I honestly thought some of the tracks were subpar. Desire--in particular--had me getting up to move the needle.
I made a playlist recently with just the songs that are on the 16-track version (why isn't that a default option on Apple Music?).
It's my new favorite album! Every song is in its right place.
After several months of listening, I like this project more and more. But I do think some "tough love" advice on what songs made the final cut would have improved the 40-track version. Those deeper cuts could have lived on as b-sides.
On a completely different note, I will perpetually be disappointed that the liner photographs are from the archives. Seems like coming up with new images is a low bar. Even if the band couldn't get together, images of them creating this work during lockdown combined with new artwork would have been better than band photographs that don't match the timeline of when they created this work. And the contrast of three Pop-era portraits with Bono's 1980s Surrender portrait on the cover is so odd!