U2 - Songs Of Experience (December 1, 2017) Album • Page 4

Happy release day, everybody. Still really digging this album, and I can’t get over how good Little Things is. Looking forward to reading Craig’s review later.

 

Like this record a lot but I can't believe I've seen no one point out that "Lights of Home" is basically a rewrite of Haim's "My Song 5" (I know they're credited on the song, but still).

EDIT: Except in Craig's review. Of course haha.

"Little Things" is so damn good, "Red Flag Day" too

 

Haha, the first time I heard it I was like, “where have I heard that chord progression/riff before?”

 

Great review. I think my problem with newer U2 releases is that I don’t give them enough time. You clearly do! I am determined not to make that mistake this time - even if they have released it just as I start listening to Christmas music, haha!

 

When I first heard "Get Out Your Own Way" I felt confused bc I thought they were trying to play "Beautiful Day."

 

I've spent a little bit of time with this now and picked up a high-quality paid-for version, and for me it's only gotten better and better. I loved a lot of the songs right off the bat, but the singles didn't do much for me and felt pretty weak. I've come around on a most of the singles now in the context of the album. The only one I still don't care for at all is American Soul. I actively dislike this song in a big way, and I don't really understand why.

For the rest of the album it's like every move they make works for me and puts a huge smile on my face - but in American Soul it's like every single thing they do bothers the ever loving sh-t out of me. It's weird.

The only other weak spot for me on the album is 13 (There Is A Light). I'm actually a fan of Song For Someone from the last album and to me this song doesn't feel like a callback so much as a less good version of the same song. But Book Of Your Heart being so damn good totally makes up for this for me.

 

It's funny, the first album I ever put on my first iPod was How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, which I got for Christmas (along with the iPod) in 2004. So post-millennial U2 always feels like unofficial Christmas music to me. "Peace on Earth" from ATYCLB always goes on my Christmas playlists.

 

I really like the verses on "13." I kind of wish the chorus was something different, because I already have a big attachment to "Song for Someone." I think it's effective as a closer, though.

 

I've been actively listening to 13 (There Is A Light) a bunch to give it a chance because I agree with you about the verses and the overall vibe of the song, especially to close out the album - I just can't get over the weird dynamic at play between the two songs. I know it's a mental hang-up on my part and it could be something I come around on in the future.

Phenomenal review by the way Craig.

 

For me it's just that I know the original "Song for Someone" so well that it's weird to hear it in different context. I feel similarly about the "Volcano" bit in "American Soul," but I'm not as attached to the original song. I think it would have worked better if these two albums came out at the same time instead of three years apart. It's like they tried to make it two discs of a double album, but waited a little too long.

And thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.

 

Was that the black iPod with the red click wheel?

 

I didn’t get that one, but it was out at the same time.

 

Haha, I’ll approach this album with that mentality!

 

I wasn't planning on listening to this album at all, but after reading Craig's review I had to check it out. I'm happy to report that I am really enjoying this a lot. I'm shocked.

 

I think if they had come out closer to each other it would be easier to think of Volcano having a small bit of American Soul in it instead of American Soul stealing part of Volcano. I have a hunch American Soul was already written and they tried to have both albums regenerate each other, but the distance between them makes it a bit awkward. Your double album comparison sounds about right

 

Have had some time to sit with this album, and I like it quite a bit. It's so damn fun to be able to listen to a new album from your favorite band, especially when they are still producing good stuff 40 years into their career...

Overall, I think this is a much more intriguing album thematically than Songs of Innocence. I really like Innocence, and there are some really solid tunes on there that deal with the band coming up in Ireland very well. But the stakes are low on that album; it's autobiographical, we all know how it ends up... it lacks tension. That's where Experience comes in, where you have death, mortality, and "things are screwed up" hanging over the entire thing. It gives it a lot more weight, and in the end makes it a much more compelling album as a whole. Not to mention the contrast between the generally pretty poppy sound throughout with a strong focus on melody that is underscored by lyrics that have a bit of a twist/darkness in them - Craig, you mentioned this in your review and I've come to really appreciate it.

What this album really has over the last one, though, is a standout track in The Little Things That Give You Away. I think this is one of the best song's U2 has ever written - it has a deliberate and dynamic build, an incredible amount of texture, and a soaring end that drives home the surprisingly dark, depressing, and self-reflective lyric. This is as good as it gets for U2 40 years into the game, and I'm honestly amazed at the fact that they're still able to pull something like this off. I think the inclusion of this song takes the album to another level above Songs of Innocence.

Standout tracks:
Little Things That Give You Away
Lights of Home
Red Flag Day
Summer of Love
Blackout

But of course, they go out on SNL and play American Soul and Get Out of Your Own Way... two of the weaker tunes on the album, IMO. Sigh.

 

Oh, and GREAT review Craig. Definitely will be passing that one around.

 

Thanks! I really like writing about this band. Both this and Innocence are some of the most fun I've had writing reviews. There's always so much to chew on in a U2 album, which makes it that much more irritating when 90% of other reviewers just stink up the joint with snark and pre-judgment.

It's interesting that, other than "Little Things" and "Lights of Home," which I also think are the two best songs on the album, we have very different lists of favorites. My next favorite is "Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way," followed by "Landlady," "Get out of Your Own Way," and the closer. The weaker links for me are "The Showman" and "The Blackout." The former is a lot of fun, and is a nice little tension breaker, but it really feels like a b-side to me. The latter has a great chorus, but the Fred/Ned and Jack/Zach rhymes are real clunkers that bring the rest of the song down.

 

Man this album really surprised me. Some really good songs on here!

 

Chills during the Love is Bigger bridge every damn time.

 

This album is phenomenal. My lord.

 

Rough review from Pitchfork, but not really surprising.

I think it's interesting that a lot of the reviews flag this album as Bono still chasing a pop hit. I kind of feel like it's the opposite. Compared to Songs of Innocence and the singles on No Line, this really sounds like the band just writing solid songs, damn the chances of mainstream success.

 

That P4k review is trash. Saying "Summer of Love" is derivative of Lana Del Rey because he mentions the West Coast? Really? Reads like he was forced to write about this and settled for a bunch of puns to pick apart the same old "U2 is too earnest/out of touch" themes that every reviewer has thrown on them since 2000.

And I'm not much of a U2 fan.

 

But didn't you know? Lana Del Rey invented the phrase "west coast."

Also, can we all put a moratorium on mentioning Bon Iver anytime anyone uses a vocoder?

 

Craig, I have a serious question for you. I am not saying this simply to crap on U2. I am actually a pretty big fan of the band and think their new album is far and away a stronger and better album than pretty much any other band I can think of releasing this far into their career. Plus, I think too many people get a kick out of crapping on these guys just for the sake of it. I understand you don't get to be this big without having a target on you for this stuff, but still, it gets kinda old.

I honestly do not understand how any rational mind can sit down and look at the batch of songs they had recorded for No Line On The Horizon and scrap a song like 'Winter' while not only going with a song like 'Get On Your Boots' for the album, but actually making it the lead single. I suppose my question is why do you think during the latter part of their career they have scrapped songs such as 'Mercy' and 'Winter' while releasing songs like 'Get On Your Boots' or 'I'll Go Crazy...' ?

I realize I am a huge fan of tracking down b-sides and unreleased material from bands that I like, and I know there are commercial concerns when a band of this size is choosing what songs to release on a given album, but I honestly feel like as huge a band as U2 is the latter part of their career could have been even bigger if they had released some of the songs they've scrapped from their last few albums.