The Soundtrack to My Dreams
Okay, now this isn't going to be all that wierd (to me, at least...heh).
I've been having pretty vivid dreams lately - I mean, I don't usually even remember my dreams, so the fact that I remember them at all says something. But this isn't really about my dreams...exactly.
I've been waking up not only remembering dreams - but with songs running through my head - U2 songs. Yep, I've listened to the new CD so many times the songs are invading my dreams (I've listened to parts of this ablum almost 70 times, according to iTunes).
This album is a slow burner for me - some absolutely great songs, some good songs, a couple that I could live without.
The live without:
Cedars of Lebanon - not sure if it's because he swears on it or if it's because it sounds like a retread of White as Snow (which is a good, solid song)...dunno. It's okay - just would have been a stronger album without it - though I have to say I do like the lyrics (even the "sh***y world" line), I think it's just the music is so...boring, derivitive, uninspiring. In fairness, I think I've only listened to this maybe a dozen times...
Get on Your Boots: yeah, it's the first single, yeah, I can sing along. Just makes me go "meh". The "melody" reminds me of Larry Norman's "Only Visiting This Planet" Alice is drag queen, Bowie's somewhere in between, other bands are looking mean, me I'm trying to stay clean... Like 1972 or something...
Good Songs:
FEZ-Being Born - this one still isn't sticking with me (I can't remember the melody) though I know I like it...
Unknown Caller - this one is one of the slow burners for me - I'm growing to like it more, it's taking me some time, though. (Edit one week later - I LOVE this song - best line "Stop helping God across the road like a little old lady.")
No Line on the Horizon: Now, this could be a great song - but the music is stunningly average and the melody is...um, nonexistant. I mean, as an opener, it's not stellar. But I love the imagery in the lyrics (what pulls it up from bleah to good, IMO) and it's pretty singalongable, sort of.
Stand Up Comedy: this song straddles the line of good and great on this album. It's pretty memorable, and the lyrics are good. The music is good. Just doesn't quite make the leap for me...maybe in a few more listenings.
Breathe: I'd probably like this song better if it hadn't been the first song the band played on their stint on Letterman (btw - great PR move, that - I never watch Letterman, but I caught a couple episodes that week - sat through the whole lousy show just to watch the band). It's a good song - the pseudo spoken word, rap whatever verses are a little off for me, but the chorus is great.
Great Songs:
White As Snow: I know most people aren't going to put this on their favorite list from this album, but I love the fact that they used one of my favorite Advent hymn tunes, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" for the melody. It's so appropriate, too, since part of O Come, O Come's text comes from Isaiah and the sins white as snow also comes from Isaiah... And, I just really like moody story songs.
Magnificent: Great groove and good lyrics. A love song, U2 needs to do more of these.
Moment of Surrender: okay, it's another song about someone hooked on heroin - but the lyrics are so evocative and the music just works (though the intro is a bit too long - on just about every song - and it's a little too self indulgent...by the producer - I mean, it's one thing for Edge to solo for 8 bars - but to just have these ambient background music passages scattered throughout....sigh...and I think this is true in several of the songs...) Great line, "I was speeding on the subway, through the stations of the cross..."
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight: I don't have a clue what this song is really about - but it's (for me, today) the standout track on the album. It's so classic U2 - not too pretentious, some great lines that are food for thought - "Every beauty has to go out with an idiot, how can you stand next to the truth and not see it? Oh, change of heart comes slow" "We're going to make all the way to the light but I know I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight." In fact, I think this song has the best lyrics on the album. Okay, okay - yes, they ripped off the whoa-oah hook from Journey's "Faithfully" for the guitar hook but they did it in a way cooler way than all the other bands that have ripped off those four notes.
So, okay, if you don't like U2, then disregard this post (heh, of course, if you don't like U2 you probably haven't read this far, right? Sigh...oh well...)
I've been having pretty vivid dreams lately - I mean, I don't usually even remember my dreams, so the fact that I remember them at all says something. But this isn't really about my dreams...exactly.
I've been waking up not only remembering dreams - but with songs running through my head - U2 songs. Yep, I've listened to the new CD so many times the songs are invading my dreams (I've listened to parts of this ablum almost 70 times, according to iTunes).
This album is a slow burner for me - some absolutely great songs, some good songs, a couple that I could live without.
The live without:
Cedars of Lebanon - not sure if it's because he swears on it or if it's because it sounds like a retread of White as Snow (which is a good, solid song)...dunno. It's okay - just would have been a stronger album without it - though I have to say I do like the lyrics (even the "sh***y world" line), I think it's just the music is so...boring, derivitive, uninspiring. In fairness, I think I've only listened to this maybe a dozen times...
Get on Your Boots: yeah, it's the first single, yeah, I can sing along. Just makes me go "meh". The "melody" reminds me of Larry Norman's "Only Visiting This Planet" Alice is drag queen, Bowie's somewhere in between, other bands are looking mean, me I'm trying to stay clean... Like 1972 or something...
Good Songs:
FEZ-Being Born - this one still isn't sticking with me (I can't remember the melody) though I know I like it...
Unknown Caller - this one is one of the slow burners for me - I'm growing to like it more, it's taking me some time, though. (Edit one week later - I LOVE this song - best line "Stop helping God across the road like a little old lady.")
No Line on the Horizon: Now, this could be a great song - but the music is stunningly average and the melody is...um, nonexistant. I mean, as an opener, it's not stellar. But I love the imagery in the lyrics (what pulls it up from bleah to good, IMO) and it's pretty singalongable, sort of.
Stand Up Comedy: this song straddles the line of good and great on this album. It's pretty memorable, and the lyrics are good. The music is good. Just doesn't quite make the leap for me...maybe in a few more listenings.
Breathe: I'd probably like this song better if it hadn't been the first song the band played on their stint on Letterman (btw - great PR move, that - I never watch Letterman, but I caught a couple episodes that week - sat through the whole lousy show just to watch the band). It's a good song - the pseudo spoken word, rap whatever verses are a little off for me, but the chorus is great.
Great Songs:
White As Snow: I know most people aren't going to put this on their favorite list from this album, but I love the fact that they used one of my favorite Advent hymn tunes, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" for the melody. It's so appropriate, too, since part of O Come, O Come's text comes from Isaiah and the sins white as snow also comes from Isaiah... And, I just really like moody story songs.
Magnificent: Great groove and good lyrics. A love song, U2 needs to do more of these.
Moment of Surrender: okay, it's another song about someone hooked on heroin - but the lyrics are so evocative and the music just works (though the intro is a bit too long - on just about every song - and it's a little too self indulgent...by the producer - I mean, it's one thing for Edge to solo for 8 bars - but to just have these ambient background music passages scattered throughout....sigh...and I think this is true in several of the songs...) Great line, "I was speeding on the subway, through the stations of the cross..."
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight: I don't have a clue what this song is really about - but it's (for me, today) the standout track on the album. It's so classic U2 - not too pretentious, some great lines that are food for thought - "Every beauty has to go out with an idiot, how can you stand next to the truth and not see it? Oh, change of heart comes slow" "We're going to make all the way to the light but I know I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight." In fact, I think this song has the best lyrics on the album. Okay, okay - yes, they ripped off the whoa-oah hook from Journey's "Faithfully" for the guitar hook but they did it in a way cooler way than all the other bands that have ripped off those four notes.
So, okay, if you don't like U2, then disregard this post (heh, of course, if you don't like U2 you probably haven't read this far, right? Sigh...oh well...)
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