U2 Songs of Surrender
2xLP ( Island )
Although U2 ’ s last two albums didn ’ t gather universal acclaim , Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience contained elements of real daring and risk . For a band known to write with its collective heart on its sleeve , the projects were more personal and revealing on the whole than any prior U2 album . The Songs of Experience tour doubled down by eschewing a greatest hits setlist . That had been handled with The Joshua Tree 30th anniversary tour not long before . Instead , the band married sound and vision into a theatrical narrative that portrayed someone adrift from home and ultimately finding his way there . Since then , Bono has released his memoir Surrender . The text casts Bono ’ s self-examination against 40 ( a significant number for U2 ) songs from the band ’ s catalog , including smash hits like “ One ” and somewhat deeper cuts like Pop track “ Wake Up Dead Man ” or “ Ordinary Love ” from the film Mandela – Long Walk to Freedom . Many of those songs are revisited during Songs of Surrender ’ s 16 cuts ( a Super Deluxe 40- track version is also available ), serving as a companion piece to the book . The combined offering of the book and music is a series of reflections taken from the vantage point of that longsought home . Inasmuch as the last two albums have their champions and detractors , Songs of Surrender is destined to be divisive among fans . It ’ s not a simple hits retrospective . That ’ s been covered by U2 ’ s popular Best Of collections . This album finds a mature band appraising its songs , which in cases like the originally brash “ Stories for Boys ” were written by actual boys . U2 are looking at their legacy here , but not necessarily with reverence . Guitarist The Edge produced the album , and the arrangements are largely acoustic . It ’ s interesting that the band ’ s mad scientist and sonic architect has taken such an unadorned approach , but it highlights his respect for the essential emotions and melodies that have given many of these songs life and impact for decades . Fans who view U2 as songwriters rather than larger-than-life rock stars are the ones most likely to embrace this work . Lyrics to songs including “ I Will Follow ” have been altered to incorporate the perspective of the present moment when surveying the past . The album opens fittingly with “ One ,” which is recast with Bono ’ s naked and confessional vocal front and center . The Edge plays piano in support , altering familiar progressions and countermelodies . “ I Still Haven ’ t Found What I ’ m Looking For ” was originally characterized as a Gospel song hosting a wrestling
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