Episode 17 — Songs of Innocence

[Bozos of Basketball 3689]

Did you guys hear about this?

 

http://battlehouse.bandcamp.com/album/leave-the-blanks-ep

 

The chorus on "Raised by Wolves" on this new U2 album sounds a lot like these dudes' song "Wolves."

 

Doubt it was intentional since these guys suck and nobody knows them. Just interesting.

[myhandleonearwolf 62]

Was this anti-anti-comedy? They actually just sat there and talked about U2 the whole time as if any of us give a shit. U2 and Apple are just shallow marketing campaigns for old white dudes to get rich with. Go back to gross anus jokes.

 

I can understand Scott being interested in this fiasco since he's venturing into marketing with Midroll, but why on earth would anybody care what Adam Scott thinks of the hook in track 3?

[EthanRunt 147]

I can understand Scott being interested in this fiasco since he's venturing into marketing with Midroll, but why on earth would anybody care what Adam Scott thinks of the hook in track 3?

 

Because it's high quality rock and roll, uh, music.

[AndrewStewart 42]

I bet Apple had to shell out beaucoup dolores for this album. Makes me wonder when Steve Cook first heard of U2.

[Juiceten 8]

I got my fucking tshirt!

[AstronautDown 282]

Was this anti-anti-comedy? They actually just sat there and talked about U2 the whole time as if any of us give a shit.

 

What's with the criticism all of the sudden? There's almost an hour of meta-podcast-madness, irrelevant banter and goofing around before they even get to the album! At the end of a day, if they like U2 and their sourpuss-influenced dad-rock, um, music, let them talk about it. It's been a while that this has been the preface for this comprehensive and encyclopedic compendium of all things U2 that is this podcast. Take it for what it is—I know I do and I could care less about U2.

[daninbrooklyn 23]

Was this anti-anti-comedy? They actually just sat there and talked about U2 the whole time as if any of us give a shit. U2 and Apple are just shallow marketing campaigns for old white dudes to get rich with. Go back to gross anus jokes.

 

I can understand Scott being interested in this fiasco since he's venturing into marketing with Midroll, but why on earth would anybody care what Adam Scott thinks of the hook in track 3?

What's with the criticism all of the sudden? There's almost an hour of meta-podcast-madness, irrelevant banter and goofing around before they even get to the album! At the end of a day, if they like U2 and their sourpuss-influenced dad-rock, um, music, let them talk about it. It's been a while that this has been the preface for this comprehensive and encyclopedic compendium of all things U2 that is this podcast. Take it for what it is—I know I do and I could care less about U2.

 

I think this was this guy's stab at anti-anti-anti-comedy, which is basically being super serious about an absurd podcast.

[Charlie Murphy Brown 4977]

Important work these men do. Its the shows within the shows within the talkings of U2. A high C+ to the nth top shirf great Scotts' great bits and is ska now back? It has far been too a long while. And I feel that now U2 has mostly arrived- cliffhanger for ep 18. The engineers always get the best seats, nice job engine ears of Cody

[hypnotizingchickens 1025]

the actual cover of Songs of Innocence has now become public... it's simply the son of Larry Mullen Sr. intimately embracing the son of Larry Mullen Jr.

 

 

 

 

(get on it, photoshoppers)

[theforeverlostsoul 188]

the actual cover of Songs of Innocence has now become public... it's simply the son of Larry Mullen Sr. intimately embracing the son of Larry Mullen Jr.

 

 

 

 

(get on it, photoshoppers)

 

This is worthy of a 3 hour episode, with 2 hours of it just being Scott and Scott saying 'What. The. Fuck'. Even by U2's standards, this is a disaster.

[hypnotizingchickens 1025]

of course they're gonna get tons of shit for it (mostly just because they're U2), but I actually like it a lot. aesthetically, it feels like something between the Boy and Joshua Tree covers... and it definitely fits the tone of the album much better than a plain white LP sleeve did.

[ocean_machine 56]

A couple reactions I had to their discussion of the album:

 

1) "Danger Mouse did a great job producing it"

 

I disagree. I think the production is thin, stale, and amateurish, with the vocals way too far out in front. The "dirty" guitar in The Miracles does not blend in at all with the other instruments. That song in particular sounds like garbage. The album has ZERO energy. I was shocked that they said the opposite.

 

2) "Bono's singing sounds great"

 

Except it's CLEARLY been pitch-corrected during the high notes of "Raised by Wolves". Like, it's REALLY obvious and it sounds bad.

 

3) "The album cover doesn't look like anything else out there"

 

Yeah, except for Yeezus and the third System of a Down album.

 

It's a decent album, though. I agree that Bono's melody game is tight on this one.

 

Great ep, though. C+. I'm excited that they're going to keep making at least a few more episodes!

[A New Duck 307]

[Kickpuncher 5012]

Nailed it.

 

If I had to name that photo, it would be "Big Mullen With Dreams of Being a Little Mullen".

[theforeverlostsoul 188]

 

The expressions on both faces are perfect and deeply disturbing at the same time. Cap doffed.

[hypnotizingchickens 1025]

Except it's CLEARLY been pitch-corrected during the high notes of "Raised by Wolves". Like, it's REALLY obvious and it sounds bad.

 

maybe it's just me, but for me... I thought that was intentional. the first time I heard the song, it's one of the things that immediately hooked me. the first "raised by wolves" in the chorus sounds a little higher than the second and, as far as I can tell, that's mostly Bono with a small touch of a pitch-shift for a piercing effect. most people are vehemently against auto-tune and pitch-shifting of any sort, but if used conservatively (in the case of "Raised by Wolves") or with deliberate artistic purpose, I think it can add something compelling to a song.

 

(see "Draag" by Brainiac, "Impossible Soul" by Sufjan Stevens & "California English" by Vampire Weekend for a few examples of the latter)

[theforeverlostsoul 188]

of course they're gonna get tons of shit for it (mostly just because they're U2), but I actually like it a lot. aesthetically, it feels like something between the Boy and Joshua Tree covers... and it definitely fits the tone of the album much better than a plain white LP sleeve did.

 

I think it should be the Larry photo in the album's booklet, like when an album's booklet has portraits of each member of the band, but it shouldn't be the cover of the album. Mind you, let's not forget that Adam Clay-2000lbs gets his old chap out on the Achtung Baby booklet, so it definitely could have been worse.

[Bernard_Shakey 3484]

Okay, I had to give it a shot also and see what it would look like with Scott holding Scott instead of Scott holding Scott.

 

[A New Duck 307]

This is happening because I couldn't come up with a compelling reason not to.

 

 

[hypnotizingchickens 1025]

holy shit, I just noticed the Scritti Politti tattoo... C+

[Bever Hopox 371]

No words. Just head nodding "yes".

[Bever Hopox 371]

It took a few hours but I now have words. One of these would definitely be my wallpaper at work were it not for the fact that, should anyone see them, they would be unexplainable.

[Bernard_Shakey 3484]

Ha, I started to work on mine at work and then bailed, opting to finish at home and not risk someone walking up behind me and my PC.

 

Also A New Duck welcome to the forums, great job on the artwork. The merging of both was brilliant. Be sure and post those on Twitter.

[4royalparkers 117]

I liked the cover design that came with the free digital version of S.O.I. The image of a white sticker peaking out of a round hole in a white record sleeve looked just like the selection wheel of an iPod.

[A New Duck 307]

Also A New Duck welcome to the forums, great job on the artwork. The merging of both was brilliant. Be sure and post those on Twitter.

 

Coming from THE Bernard Shakey, this means a lot. Thanks, yo.

 

Do you have one of them Twitterboxes?