‘Songs Of Surrender’

This album contains new versions of some of U2's best-known hits, and some songs which I haven't heard before. It's almost like an "unplugged" album.I must say that U2 have done very well to refresh the songs and bring them into the 21st Century! That is a brave, risky thing to do, when the listener is so used to hearing the originals - and more importantly, when the advancing years may not be so kind to the voices. Where other groups and solo singers have tried - but failed - U2 have succeeded.

...unplugged album I always hoped they'd do as we're probably ever likely to get. I love it when stadium rock strips it down to the bare bones. I honestly believe that true artistry shines through when all the stadium bombast and special effects are stripped away. It's the message without the noise, the heart beneath the suit of armor. Think Dylan Unplugged, Quo at the Roundhouse, or Springsteen on Broadway. If (like me) you loved those then this'll be right up your street.

With three different CD versions of their new "Songs of Surrender" release, a reimagining of songs from their back catalogue and a tie-in with Bono's book, U2 have surrendered to the marketing men who have on offer three different CD versions of the album. At the entry level there's the 16 track basic, or in marketing parlance, "Standard Edition", then there's the 20 track "Exclusive Deluxe" version and at the top of the pile there's the colossal 40 track "Super Deluxe Collector’s Edition (SDCE)" [to make matters more confusing Amazon are also offering a 17 track "Japanese Bonus Track" edition which costs more than the 40 track SDCE, now that's an offer I can refuse]. Choices, choices, choices.I have to admit that I'm not a hardened U2 fan so I've bought the 20 track "Exclusive Deluxe" edition because for fifteen quid I get a set of songs from across U2's canon and four more songs than the basic release: "Red Hill Mining Town", "With or Without You", "Beautiful Day" and "Until the End of the World". But actually not quite across the canon because the songs in this set cover the period from "Boy" to "Songs of Innocence", there's nothing here from the more recent "Songs of Experience" these can be found on the SDCE; similarly "Rattle and Hum", "October" and "No Line On The Horizon" aren't represented in this edition, but then the latter two aren't represented in any edition.The idea of re-working or re-imagining songs isn't new of course, the Beatles reproduced the "Let It Be" album removing all traces of Phil Spector's over the top production, Elton John famously reimagined his paean to Marilyn Monroe and directed it towards Princess Diana, Taylor Swift is pursuing some kind of vendetta that involves re-working many of her albums, and Bob Dylan does it every time he stands up to play. But U2 have gone further, much, much further with their re-imaginings with new keys, new chords, new tempos, new lyrics; as The Edge writes in the CD's accompanying notes they have updated the songs to give them an authentic voice for the time, for U2 as they are now, and for the world as it now is, replacing their young men's post-punk urgency with middle aged intimacy. And to do that each song has been deconstructed to the molecular level before being put back together again with some of the old molecules and a lot of new ones synthesising a new sound for each song.But does it work? On first listening, no, the shock is too great. Where they once rocked their bombast has been emasculated as Bono wails mournfully over The Edge's funereal piano hammerings, gentle guitar strums and dull synthesiser drones while Adam Clayton's bass and Larry Mullen Jr's drums too often stand idle in the corner of the studio. These once great songs, contrary to the Edge's claim aren't indestructible, they live and die by their arrangements and too many of these sound like one of those John Lewis Christmas ads where you recognise the words but not the song.But listen again and again [and again] and there really is s something in The Edge's claim; putting aside my initial rejection I have been converted, still shocked but now awed. Most surprisingly it's not the songs I'm less familiar with but the familiar favourites that work best, this "Beautiful Day" really is beautiful, as is the slow burning love letter "Where The Streets Have No Name", so too is the fabulous "With or Without You", the latter a contender for my "top track" title as is "Sunday Bloody Sunday", slowed down and served raw it's lost none of its power and is if anything even more moving. "The Fly", "Until the End of the World" and "Vertigo", now with a Celtic twist, are served unplugged and stripped of their original overkill and are simply stunning ["Vertigo" is also a contender for my favourite track], "Walk On" has been given an update and is now a tribute to Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky while "Pride (In the Name of Love)" touches on the refugee crisis.To recreate these songs as they have took an extraordinary amount of courage, sadly though there are bits that don't work for me. Disappointingly "One" doesn't quite match up to the Johnny Cash/Rick Rubin treatment heard on Cash's "American III: Solitary Man"; "City of Blinding Lights" and "Ordinary Day" don't do much for me and "Red Hill Mining Town" no longer hits the spot as it once did; occasionally Edge's synthesiser knob twiddling becomes intrusive and the falsetto vocals grate; and at twenty tracks it is too long [ironic!] with insufficient variety to sustain interest, however IMO the second half is better than the first and that's a reason to keep listening but not reason enough for five stars."Songs of Surrender" has already divided opinion, lauded by some music critics castigated by others; some will only hear the sound of the Emperor's new clothes and some will hear an interesting footnote in U2's long history, but some will be converted to a new way of hearing these classic songs from one of rock's greatest canons. Wherever you stand, at the end of the day these are U2's songs and they can do what they like to them, for me what they've done is awesome. "Songs of Surrender" no way, these songs are still out there fighting.

A refreshing listen to some U2 classic songs. Helps you realise that a gifted lyricist Bono is. I have always maintained that U2 are a Contemporary Christian Music band and to my mind, this album proves it. Full of lyrics with Biblical references, part of the joy of listening to this album is figuring out where in the Bible they appear. Essential listening for all fans of good music.

😎 I HAVE LOVED💟U2 ALL MY LIFE FROM CHILD TO ADULT 😁 AND I WAS EXCITED FOR THIS ALBUM😁 BECAUSE THIS IS VERY BRAVE OF U2 TO STRIP BACK THE EDGES AWESOME GUITAR WORK AND THERE ROCK POWER 😎 AND I AM LISTENING NOW AND I AM LOVING WHAT I AM HEARING 🤩 ITS BEAUTIFULLY AWESOME I WOULD EVEN SAY HEAVENLY 🙏✝️😁 I BELIEVE THIS ALBUM SHOWS HOW TALENTED MUSICIANS U2 ARE 🤩😎 ITS AMAZING 😎 BONOS VOCALS ARE OUTSTANDING 😁 AND THE COMPOSITION OF EACH TRACK IS PERFECT AND PROVES HOW BEAUTIFUL U2 MUSIC IS 🤩 I LOVE ROCK/ HEAVY METAL/ THRASH AND ALL TYPES OF MUSIC 😎👍 AND I BELIEVE THIS IS DEFINITELY AT THE TOP WITH THE REST OF U2 FINEST WORK 😁🙏🤩👍 IT MAKES YOU FEEL HAPPY AND GLAD TO BE ALIVE 🤩🙏💟✝️😁👍WELL DONE BOYS YOU HAVE DONE IT 😁🙏👍 I WILL BE PLAYING THIS ALBUM ON LOOP ASWELL AS METALLICA 72 SEASONS 🤘😎🤘 AWESOME WORK 💯💯💯💯⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's said that stripping a song back to the basic elements of voice and minimal instruments will show if it's a good song or not. Well most pass the test here.If you're into the singer-songwriter vibe, vocal plus light backing then you may like this album.However if your idea of great music is the power and spectacle of a 4 piece rock band doing their stuff, this will not be to your taste, Really missed hearing one of the greatest guitarists on the planet cut loose. Not one I'll listen to again for a while.

I avoided buying this as I wasn’t happy with the concept and I’d read mixed reviews. At a good price, I took a gamble and I am very impressed. It’s an excellent album with some great new interpretations of the classic songs. Much better than I expected - would recommend it. I got the double album version on vinyl and it sounds immense. I might get the 4 cd version at some point.

If you are a long time loyal U2 fan then this album is one of their growers. First play and it was omg what have they gone. Now it's in the car permanent and I love 80% of the songs but there are. Few like Pride which they have destroyedbut then others like Ordinary People which is stunning!

Many artists get stuck in the moment and can't get out of it. Not U2. As caterpillar morphs into butterfly, U2 rearranges past performances, creating surprisingly appropriate strains with lyrics best not left behind. Excellent transitioning as time change all things.

Great songs

I know the U2 superfans are going to want to kill me but... Booooooring.Sure if you hear it in a romantic, bohemian, depresing, lazy moment. O you have nothing to do with you life, you're going to enjoy it.I hope soon they will make new and great songs as always.

Uma boa colectânea de estúdio dos U2.

Molto suggestivo, emozionante per come è stato realizzato: durante il Covid .