Safe to say this album is not what most of us were looking for from the band, but there are some real special moments on Songs of Surrender....if you take the time to look for them and even more important, give them a chance. Since this album was announced I questioned what was the point of it, and even now I still think it should have been something low key, or a fan club giveaway. But in my opinion, it has received a bit of unfair criticism from members here who haven't even taken the time to listen to it.
I took the deep dive into Songs of Surrender, and for me it was a worthwhile experience because I've come out the other side with a 17 song playlist on Spotify that I enjoy. The first 5 songs on my playlist:
1. Bad - the original and live incarnations of Bad will never be replaced. It's in my top 10 songs, not just by U2, but by anyone. But this version, even with the awkward new lyrics, still grabs me. I really like the new "You could only have it all if you give it all away' part. It's fresh and something new. Once again, never gonna be as great as the original, but it's something I've found myself coming back to.
2. Red Hill Mining Town - A top 10 U2 song for me, and I really like this version. Won't replace the original on my top 10 U2 list, but I'm digging the arrangement with the horns.
3. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - We are on sacred ground here. The original is perfect as it is, but this one is very subtle and beautiful.
4. If God Will Send His Angels - Probably my favorite on the album. I think it's right up there with anything they've done in the last 20 years. Great arrangement by the Edge and vocals from Bono. This was a damn good song on Pop, and it's a great song here.
5. The Little Things That Give You Away - Much like I Still Haven't Found, this is one takes a great song and makes a few nice subtle changes and yet it's still really powerful in its own way, especially the last half of the song (Sometimes...).
Other songs that made the playlist are: Stories For Boys, City of Blinding Lights, Miracle Drug, Invisible, All I Want is You, Dirty Day, The Miracle of Joey Ramone, Electrical Storm, The Fly, Desire, Two Hearts Beat As One, 40.
I think there's songs and moments on here that U2 fans will enjoy if they give them a real chance.