“Reimagining and re-recording” 40 U2 tracks seemed like a daunting task for both the band and their fans – thankfully a few gems have been found.
When Bono first announced plans to reimagine 40 U2 tracks for his 2022 memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, the concept seemed intriguing — especially to anyone who’s recently read their Strip-back solo show, ‘Stories of Surrender’. Backed by just a cellist, a harpist and music director Jacknife Lee, the frontman breathes new life into his band’s stadium classics by breaking them down into his own soulful, heartfelt stories.
So it was a bit disappointing when The Edge later confirmed that the entire band was involved in a “reimagining and re-recording” process with the release of a somewhat cleaner version of “Pride (In the Name of Love)”. , Fear about the project. This is followed by ‘With or Without You’ and ‘One’ followed by uninspiring chatter, as did the increasingly unshakable belief that perhaps these songs should not have been messed with.
Thankfully, ‘Songs of Surrender’ isn’t the disaster it was initially feared. Sure, some of the Irish four-piece’s biggest songs (‘Pride’, ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’, ‘The Fly’) have been stripped of their epic brilliance, but many of U2’s early tracks and deep cuts have been stripped down. Delivered thoughtfully here through older and wiser eyes. The youthful post-punk urgency of “Stories for Boys,” for example, is transformed into a poignant, soulful piano ballad that gives off an air that life has gotten complicated with age. The Edge takes lead vocals here, singing Bono’s changed lyrics: “There’s a place where I go that’s not a part of me / Like a radio with no control / In my imagination, there’s only steady and flow. “
The opening single ’11 O’Clock Tick Tock’, which was produced by the late Factory Records veteran Martin Hannett, is revamped with jaunty acoustic licks and shimmering keys for an alternative take that is both moving and uplifting. The divisive electro number ‘Invisible’, meanwhile, is actually an improvement on the original, with tapping drum beats being swapped out for acoustic strings and a western-style saloon piano, while Bono and The Edge warmly trade The vocals are like two old crooners. bar.
U2 also didn’t shy away from expressing their political beliefs here. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Bono has publicly campaigned for peace: he and The Edge performed in a Kiev metro station-bomb shelter in May 2022, while he recently performed at a London were joined by Antilla for the surprise performance. The changed lyrics on the ‘All That You Can’t Leave Behind’ single ‘Walk On’ refer to war-torn Ukraine, with Bono singing defiantly: “And if the street dancer wears a veil of tears / It’s such a dance Whom no army can defeat.
It’s frustrating that many of U2’s big-hitters don’t translate well on ‘Stories to Surrender,’ but this revision hasn’t been an entirely fruitless effort: you just have to dig a little deeper to find the reimagined material. can be found Really worth savoring.
Details
Release date: March 17
Record label: Island
