U2 – Songs Of Surrender

It's like a terrible mix of Coldplay doing U2 doing U2 doing Coldplay doing Coldplay doing U2!!!!! :)

I thought the previous two releases were bad. Then this came along. Oh well, they were a good band once.

Is this U2s/Bonos mental breakdown album?
Sounds absolutely atrocious + the asking prices points are completely out of this world!
I was a massive fan up to 'All That You Can't Leave Behind' in 2000 but can't take these guys seriously at all anymore.

Context/s aside, the whole premise remains one big boring lounge-y affair, with good ol' Bono and The Edge sounding like guesting on another clichéd cover LP by Nouvelle Vague. Painful to listen to, realising what the immortal (early) originals still give and what re-workings like these kill off. The band may not be dead anytime yet but "Songs Of Surrender" is far from showing any signs of life...

The comments are almost hilarious, if they weren’t so sad. I’ve been following Bono & the boys since the beginning. We have grown old together.

This is them saying “here’s what we feel now about our songs” - it’s not a greatest hits collection. It’s also not arena rock. What is is a thoughtful reimagining of their cata a very personal, introspective way. Stripping the songs down to their very core (actually taking them back to how they were likely first written) allows the listener to feel what is behind the music. On this collection you hear the heart of the band.

I’d say after 45 years as a cohesive, powerful, and influential band they have every right to take their art in a new direction. Embrace the fact that they still have something to say.

As John Mayall once told a Iive audience: “What’d you come here for? To hear an old record or something?”

Yeah, I bought it to hear “something” and don’t regret it a bit.

Love U2 especially older U2 and have a huge collection of vinyl including much u2. I decided to listen to this digitally on Amazon Music before spending the money on the vinyl. Glad I did... Not impressed at all. It kills most of the songs being stripped down like this. I usually like acoustical versions but they changed the songs themselves....it's just bad IMO

I just want to say right out the gate that I'm a huge fan of U2. I've been listening to their music for literally my whole life and they're my all-time favorite band. I usually get so excited when they annouce the release of a new album. But I have to say that I was skeptical about this album when I heard it was coming out. And then it came out, and I listened to it, and it turns out I was right in being skeptical about it because this album was—to put it nicely—not a good one. Most of these new versions of these songs were bland at best and some outright sucked (I'm looking at you "Desire"). However, this album does have some good moments, such as "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" and "The Little Things That Give You Away". But other than those two, plus some others, this album is just bad.

All of the emotion, all of the punch, is gone. Many lyrics have been altered. I wish I would not have wasted my money. There is no need to re-envision your music, U2. The only Songs of Surrender tracks that I would ever revisit are: Electrical Storm, Song for Someone, and All I Want is You. Most versions have been butchered. For those that enjoy them, I am happy for you.

Well. Sonically there are no issues at all with this release. Musically to my ears this indeed is surrender. The set starts with "One", a truly magnificent song in its original version. Johnny cash knew how to cover it - also a great version. This "one"? I could not believe my ears - all its immediacy and urgency is lost - left is only a shallow musical shell with Bono singing as if he was about to fall asleep. And it does not get better as the album moves on. Imho this album is not only superfluous, it is the completion of U2's demise as a band of significance that had started long before. U2 aficionados, forgive me for being so harsh in my judgment and , this is only how I personally perceived it. Everyone is always entitled to have completely different views.

I opted for the CD set first. Its fantastic! Problem is packaging. Its all paper and weak cardboard and its all bent up. They label should have done thicker cardboard or plastic. One of the booklets is even torn. NO QUALITY CONTROL HERE FOR SURE!!!! Universal should be a shame of themselves!!!!!