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U2 Unveils Stunning Reimagination of 40 Classic Songs

by Chloe Baker
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U2 is releasing a new project called “Songs of Surrender” this week. It’s made up of 40 songs, some written when the members were kids and others already released before. U2 wanted to make sure that their fans would be able to enjoy their music through earphones and their devices instead of just live performances. The members of U2 are now 61 and 62 years old.

Back then, U2 wrote songs mainly for their concerts. The Edge said in an interview that they wanted to draw the attention of people who have never seen them live before – like at a big festival or opening act.

The Edge said that performing live is kind of like a battle and the singer has to be really bold and loud. So, they thought it might be cool to explore being intimate instead, so that’s like the new punk rock. He used his pandemic lockdown time at home to record lots of music for “Songs of Surrender” and was the main person in charge of this project.

Normally, the electric guitar and voice of Bono are what make up U2’s sound. However, in new versions of their music, the electric guitar was not there and instead there was keyboards, acoustic guitar and dulcimer music. They began this process without a plan or even any certainty it would work out, but they gave it a try anyway!

He said that when they started working on the songs it was very enjoyable. There was room for creativity, and it went smoothly which is why it sounds so natural.

Bono’s voice makes everything very special as he doesn’t need to raise his voice; sometimes he speaks in a lower pitch or uses falsetto instead.

Recently, some songs were changed in their lyrics. For instance, there was a phrase changed in the song “The Miracle of Joey Ramone” which barely noticeable to one’s ear. It is “one man betrayed with a kiss” to “one boy never will be kissed”. This took away Jesus from the song “Pride (In the Name of Love)”.

On the contrary, “Sunday Bloody Sunday” was arranged now to end differently by posing a question: “where is the victory that Jesus won”?

Instead of the typical guitar in “Vertigo”, cellos take its place. And, keyboards create a sort of atmospheric feel to “Where the Streets Have No Name”. The original version of “Two Hearts Beat as One” was quite energetic and upbeat; now, it has a more exotic and appealing sound. What’s more, this song is one of four where The Edge performs lead vocal duties.

The band chose songs from their entire history, but didn’t pick music from their 1981 album “October” or the 2009 version “No Line on the Horizon”. Some of the old classics that they decided to keep were “New Year’s Day”, “Angel of Harlem” and “Even Better Than the Real Thing”. The Edge commented saying this opportunity was special because they have a large library full of songs that could be used.

Sometimes, musicians re-record their old songs because of certain contracts. Taylor Swift is a famous example of this, she wanted to make sure that her original music was not misused. A band called Squeeze even wrote a funny song about trying to make new versions that are exactly like the originals. People also have access to live recordings and special collections of music (like Bob Dylan’s “bootleg” series), so fans can hear familiar songs in different ways.

Many older musicians feel frustrated by their inability to create new music and have it heard by fans, said Anthony DeCurtis from Rolling Stone magazine. People tend not to be interested in unfamiliar music, instead preferring the tunes they are familiar with.

DeCurtis said it’s a good way to keep people interested in your career if you do creative things with the work that you already have. Your old fans might not be excited about new versions of your songs, but making them different in a meaningful way could make it enticing for the younger generation. The Edge encourages everyone to try these diverse versions and perhaps even like them better than before!

He said there is no competition between the new and original versions of music; it’s more like adding to the music, not replacing it. So you can either listen to the new arrangements or stick with the originals – both are fine.

The Edge also said he’s working on new songs for U2, which will be awesome!

In Larry Mullen Jr.’s kitchen in high school, four people gathered and started a remarkable journey that lasted for many years. In Bono’s book “Surrender”, he wrote about his thoughts of the group’s tour in 2019 and if it would be their last one. It made people wonder how much longer U2 will stay together as a group.

U2 has been together for a long time and the main reason for this is because of how well it works for each member in the band. Edge said he doesn’t want to stop playing guitar as it makes him feel like his best self as part of this collective. However, this year is going to be hard as one of its members Larry Mullen cannot perform due to health issues. He’s taking some time off while recovering from his surgery.

Would U2 keep going if one of the original members quit?

The Edge said they could maybe keep going with different people, but not necessarily. It would be really hard but they would know what feels right at that time.

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