[sonichka11]

I think Innocence is a pretty solid album overall. Better than their last few that's for sure. To be honest I think there are fewer clunkers than hits on there. Cedarwood is the only one I really don't care for, and I got utterly sick of The Miracle after my friends and I did a vid for that contest they were going to have on Jimmy Fallon. :lol: Iris is by far the stand out for me though. Every time Bono sings about his mother it's a sure win. I Will Follow, Out of Control, Lemon, Mofo, Iris.....

[potsie]

But they didn't play Acrobat, my favourite on that album... that's why I'm demanding the full AB album tour so I can be guaranteed to hear that song!

Agreed. Best song on the album, hands down.

I just listened to a podcast with Edge that Rolling Stone posted on its website a couple of days ago. It's 46 minutes in length but around 20 minutes the questions turn to set-list content for the 2017 Joshua Tree Tour:

Andy Greene from RS: "I think the two songs that most fans are dying to hear are Acrobat and Drowning Man. Do you think it is possible either of those could be played?"
Edge: "That's very interesting. I didn't know that fans were interested in Drowning Man. I mean, Acrobat, for sure, I guess because it was one of those more dramatic pieces from Achtung, Baby. But, that's interesting. I'll take note of that. We always want to listen to our fans because in my experience music fans are seldom wrong. There's something to what they say. So I will take note of that."

That is exactly what I want to hear from the Edge! Make it happen!

[potsie]

I think Innocence is a pretty solid album overall. Better than their last few that's for sure. To be honest I think there are fewer clunkers than hits on there. Cedarwood is the only one I really don't care for, and I got utterly sick of The Miracle after my friends and I did a vid for that contest they were going to have on Jimmy Fallon. :lol: Iris is by far the stand out for me though. Every time Bono sings about his mother it's a sure win. I Will Follow, Out of Control, Lemon, Mofo, Iris.....

The confounding nature of the subjectivity of music... Cedarwood, for me, is the best song on the album, and one of my favourite U2 songs of all-time. The finish of that song where Bono sings "Symbols clashing, bibles smashing Paint the world you need to see And sometimes fear is the only place That we can call our home" just soars. When it gets to the part I crank the car stereo and deafen my kids. I also really like "Sleep Like a Baby Tonight" which has been mentioned in this thread as not being top notch. I think this is the most interesting song on the album as it's the closest they came to being a little experimental on an album that, for them, was quite safe. I think this song comes closest to something that might fit on Achtung, Baby.

[direwolf74]

Just read a cool interview with Adam Clayton. Sounds like the plan is to release Songs of Experience before the end of the year (Oct/Nov would be my guess).

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/u2-bassist-talks-joshua-tree-tour-songs-of-experience-w462451">http://www.rollingstone.com/music/featu ... ce-w462451</a><!-- m -->

[sonichka11]

The confounding nature of the subjectivity of music... Cedarwood, for me, is the best song on the album, and one of my favourite U2 songs of all-time. The finish of that song where Bono sings "Symbols clashing, bibles smashing Paint the world you need to see And sometimes fear is the only place That we can call our home" just soars. When it gets to the part I crank the car stereo and deafen my kids. I also really like "Sleep Like a Baby Tonight" which has been mentioned in this thread as not being top notch. I think this is the most interesting song on the album as it's the closest they came to being a little experimental on an album that, for them, was quite safe. I think this song comes closest to something that might fit on Achtung, Baby.

Now that you mention it, those lines in Cedarwood are the only moment in the song that I usually take note. I love Sleep too. Those opening lyrics make me think of an old catholic priest who turns a blind eye to the abuses being carried out by the church.

And Drowning Man!? He'll yes! That was one of the first songs of theirs that I fell in love with. I'd completely forgotten about it. I'd rather see that live than Acrobat.

[sonichka11]

Wow. Anyone back yet from this fiasco. Insane lineups due to malfunctioning ticket and CC entry scanners. Most of the 50,000 people were stranded outside til 9pm. Missed Mumford and Sons. The last of the people were eventually rushed in at 9:15. U2 started at 920. The GA lineup was a site to behold!!!! We ended up down some back street where we couldn't even see the venue! Lol
Props to all the fans for keeping it safe and in control though. No pushing or line jumping. There was not a staff member to be seen but we all managed to organize ourselves.

As far as the show goes it was one of my least favourite shows of theirs. I think part because everyone was so stressed and upset from line ups. The first small set was fantastic as was the JT. But after they came back for the encore it totally lost steam. Too many slow political songs. They did Miss Serejevo with footage of a Refugee Camp. Very touching but too depressing to put at the end. Then ended with a new song that no one knew! Absolutely awful end to the night. They need to work on the set list. I just didn't feel any energy from the crowd. Between the main set and the encore no one even clapped to get them back out.

A Sort of Homecoming was killer though!

[direwolf74]

I watched most of the show through various Periscope feeds, and I thought it sounded (and looked) pretty good. Had no idea about the lineup/entry fiasco until this morning when I saw it on the news. That sucks. Glad to hear that they delayed the show until everyone got in. Personally I'm not a fan of Mumford and Sons, so I would have been perfectly fine with missing their set, lol.

I agree, the encores were a little too meh, with the exception of Ultra Violet was was fantastic, even with the crappy sound on the Periscope feed. And I absolutely LOVED the new song. If that was an indication of the direction they're headed with Songs of Experience, I'm all in. I liked how the song picked up steam towards the end when the drums and the Edge's guitar kicks in. Also, how fuckin' cool was it to hear them play Exit for the first time in 30 years. Incredible song.

U2 always seems to struggle out of the gate when they do the first show of a massive tour. Seems like they're still working out the kinks, setlist choices, etc... Trying things out to see how the crowd reacts. I remember them having similar issues with the first couple of shows on the Popmart and 360 tours as well. You have to wonder, do they not spend enough time preparing beforehand? Word is they were in Vancouver rehearsing for a full week before the show. You'd think that would be plenty of time to get their shit together in time for puck drop.

[sonichka11]

Watching some of the clips on YouTube it does remind me how awesome most of the night was. I think I was just upset from the lineup thing (as I'm sure many were). The night just didn't feel right. And this was my first GA show seeing them. I was really hoping for that GA energy and comradere and where I was standing it didn't feel like it.

Also to clarify, the cc scanners may have been working but were simply too slow. Not sure what changed in the 3 hours I was out there. Near the end of the line it was flying! . It took literally 10 seconds for her to scan it and give me a wrist band. I made it in at 9pm. There were still about 1000 people behind me yet they made it in by 915. Something doesn't add up. It takes 3 hrs for the first 9k to get in and 15 mins for the last thousand. I'm talking GA, assuming the floor fits 10k. I hear the last few through the gates were whisked in without scanning.

Listening to Mumford from outside was fine because we knew as long as they kept playing we had time to get in before u2. Of course many lame puns commenced. "I will wait I will wait for you..." and as they sang "I really fucked it up this time" we all had a pretty good laugh. Amazing how most people where I was kept up their spirits.

Re:Ultraviolet and Miss S, it felt like too much of a rehash from the 360 tour to me. It also seemed like the songs after JT were random picked 2 days before the show. A forgettable encore Imo (aside from the powerful refugee tie-in).

Oh Re the new song. My friend had a great point. The entire night was pretty much one big nostalgia trip, so to tie in the new album at the end sort of brought it around full circle. Smart actually. And the imagery for the next album was perfect, once we found out who it was! Edge's daughter and Bono's son. I was thinking to myself... When did Morleigh get so short. Lol

[potsie]

Playing a new song, and not just one off a new album that is already on the shelf, but one that no one has ever heard, as your last song of the night really upends rock n' roll convention. Typically the "new song" appears as the first song of an encore and then you close with a couple killers. To send people to the streets after playing a new tune like that is a off-putting. I like unpredictability in my concerts and in a show with tonnes of predictability (you know the next song coming for 11 songs in a row during this show) this may be a good thing. However, I think my first preference is to leave on a high and I would prefer they played a "known" song as the show closer (and that's not taking anything away from "The Little Things That You Give Away", which is a great song). Maybe they realized that last night when they added "I Will Follow" as the last song of the night.

[direwolf74]

Mothers of the Disappeared with Eddie Vedder and Mumford & Sons, from last night's Seattle show:

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[rivum]

Playing a new song, and not just one off a new album that is already on the shelf, but one that no one has ever heard, as your last song of the night really upends rock n' roll convention. Typically the "new song" appears as the first song of an encore and then you close with a couple killers. To send people to the streets after playing a new tune like that is a off-putting. I like unpredictability in my concerts and in a show with tonnes of predictability (you know the next song coming for 11 songs in a row during this show) this may be a good thing. However, I think my first preference is to leave on a high and I would prefer they played a "known" song as the show closer (and that's not taking anything away from "The Little Things That You Give Away", which is a great song). Maybe they realized that last night when they added "I Will Follow" as the last song of the night.

I totally agree. weird choice. I think they realized their mistake and tacked on "I will follow" after the new one to close out night two of the tour.

[direwolf74]

Cool interview with Bono in Rolling Stone:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/bono-on-joshua-tree-tour-trump-u2s-next-album-w484398">http://www.rollingstone.com/music/featu ... um-w484398</a><!-- m -->

[NWOntario]

A wee bump. Saw the Toronto show, and damn. Like, damn. I haven't seen many concerts that have had me fundamentally wondering what to do with my life, but this was one of them, and I don't even really love TJT. Incredible show top-to-bottom. The encore was brilliant, but tossing out I Will Follow as an off-the-cuff closer was the perfect exclamation point. Not the best U2 show I've seen - Moncton 2011 and the first night in Vancouver in 2015 are pretty unassailable in that regard - but it was close, and that's some of the biggest praise I can offer a show.

[senrab]

A wee bump. Saw the Toronto show, and damn. Like, damn. I haven't seen many concerts that have had me fundamentally wondering what to do with my life, but this was one of them, and I don't even really love TJT. Incredible show top-to-bottom. The encore was brilliant, but tossing out I Will Follow as an off-the-cuff closer was the perfect exclamation point. Not the best U2 show I've seen - Moncton 2011 and the first night in Vancouver in 2015 are pretty unassailable in that regard - but it was close, and that's some of the biggest praise I can offer a show.

I saw it in TO too. I loved the extended snippet of Suzanne at the end of Bad.

I LOL'ed when everyone roared at the roof opening

[sean.bonner]

Moncton 2011

Was in the inner circle for that show! First and only U2 show I've been to so far. There is an excellent Fan made DVD of that entire show. Last show on the 360 tour!