U2
"Songs Of Surrende"
© Island/Interscope
September 08 - 14, 2024
Year of Release: 2023
Rating:
One
Where The Streets Have
No Name
Stories For Boys
Walk On (Ukraine)
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
City Of Burning Lights
Ordinary Love
Invisible
Vertigo
I Still Haven't Found
What I'm Looking For
The Fly
If God Will Send His Angels
Stay (Faraway So Close)
Sunday Bloody Sunday
I Will Follow
40
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In recent years, the band U2 (especially lead singer Bono) has gone more political than being a rock and roll band.
Lyrics in their songs reflected on that. Songs Of Surrender is an album of RE-RECORDED songs that were from
previous (and well-known) songs. The new recordings began in 2021, and spanned for two years during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
As Bono was changing towards his political and personal issues, it does have an effect on these recordings. The review
for this album is the Standard 16-track CD, vinyl and cassette version. This album is also released as a 4-cd version,
reflecting on each disc from each band member of U2 - The Edge, Larry, Adam and Bono.
The album begins with "One" (original from Achtung Baby). It's very piano driven, and recorded quite
well. It does have a good comparison to it's original. "Where The Streets Have No Name" (orignal from The
Joshua Tree. It's very different from the original, having a moody atmosphere. Yet, the original is much better.
"Stories For Boys" (original from Boy is not a well-known song, yet like the re-recording of "One,"
it's piano driven, and has it's own mood atmosphere. "Walk On (Ukraine)" (original from All That You Can't
Leave Behind) - the original did get radio airplay back then, and, like the other songs heard, the re-recording has
it's own mood. "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" (original from The Unforgettable Fire is just WOW! It reminds
me of when Johnny Cash recorded songs from other artists, with his own "mood and atmosphere." The re-recording of
"Pride" is definitely a stand out here. "City Of Blinding Light" (original from How To Dismantle An
Atomic Bomb) is another not well-known track, yet again, it's re-recorded version is stripped down, and piano-driven.
However, this song doesn't do well for Bono's voice in some spots. (Is he trying to sing like Warren Zevon's "ah-ooo's"
in "Werewolves Of London"? Next.
"Ordinary Love" (from Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom Soundtrack) is very well-done, with it's
instrumenation, and Bono's voice is pretty much what you would expect to hear; some spots better than others.
"Invisible" (non-album single; 2014) is another well re-recorded song, with it's laid-back style. It has a sound
that you would think that John Lennon would record, if he was still with us. U2's re-recorded version of this song is
GOOD. "Vertigo" (original from How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb) is another good re-recorded version.
It has U2 in their Rock form, having the accoustic guitar as it's main instrument. And, like the different version of it
on the Rattle And Hum album (with the choir), the re-recorded version of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm
Looking For" is stripped down, and done extremely well. (It's like, again, if Johnny Cash recorded this song in his
American Recordings sessions.) "The Fly" (original from Achtung Baby) is very good re-recorded;
it's another not well-known song, yet, you want to hear the original, and see if it's better than the re-recording here.
"If God Will Send His Angels" (original from Pop) has it's own mood (like others), and done well. It has
a David Bowie sound. (It must be a good re-recording, to be compared to Bowie.) "Stay (Faraway, So Close)"
(original from Zooropa) has Bono's vocals very, very different, than you normally would expect. A comparison
is to Leonard Cohen's "Everybody Knows," with the low baritone sounding vocals. Bono's voice does go towards
his "normal singing voice" towards then end, then back to low baritone. Very impressive. "Sunday Bloody Sunday"
(original from War) is acoustic, pleasant, very well done. "I Will Follow" (a very popular early U2 hit)
(original from Boy) is as upbeat as it's original, yet the acoustic guitar strumming along as the main instrument.
Ending the album is "40" (orignal from Boy) is another not so well-known track, and it makes you want to
go back and hear it's original. Again, another well-done re-recording, like many others.
Many of the songs and sounds of the re-recorded songs on U2's Songs Of Surrender are stripped down, somewhat
an Unplugged session. They all have their own separate moods and atmospheres to their originals. And Johnny Cash's
American Recordings sessions also comes to mind. The re-recorded songs are different than the originals, of course.
They'll all done differently. Yes, you could say the originals are better. However, the re-recordings are done well. As
Bono was changing with his personal views, so did U2's music. Songs Of Surrender is a different look at U2's songs,
some well-known, some not. A different approach, done well. Whether you like Bono and U2 now, compared to how they
started, or not, U2's music has always been popular. "Whether you like them, or not." And if you enjoy U2 alot, you just
may want to check out the 4-disc version of this album.
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