"City Of Blinding Lights," U2

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

Didn't know where to put this so I'll stick it here. Next single's video is being shot in Vancouver jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/U/U2/2005/04/27/1015887.html

for 'City Of Blinding Lights'.

Title changed to make it less confusing.

[Matt4319]

I don't see where "COBL" was named in that article.

[Deleted]

If it's true, that's great! I love that song!

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

Matt4319 said:

I don't see where "COBL" was named in that article.

They changed the article since the event actually took place. Hmmm... Well, they mentioned it before.

[singingsparrow]

Excellent choice, sirs! :)

I don't believe they should rush this single and continue to hope "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" continues its way up the mainstream formats, but this is definitely another standout track from the record with a strong melody with an intro reminiscent of "Where The Streets Have No Name".

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

[Deleted]

It's definitely the fourth single. It's out in the UK on June 13. I wonder if they can score a third consecutive #1 there.

[friday]

That's great, but I was holding out hope it'd be "Miracle Drug" as single #4.

[galvanize]

Brilliant song. Love the piano instrumental in this.

[Radical347]

Finally, they release one of the good songs as a single! (Though SYCMIOYO used to be good until Bono's big ego took over... hopefully that won't happen this time)

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

C100 has added this and has it in regular rotation. Sounds good on the radio!

[singingsparrow]

Corporate said:

Finally, they release one of the good songs as a single!  (Though SYCMIOYO used to be good until Bono's big ego took over... hopefully that won't happen this time)

SYCMIOYO Ego? What are you talking about?

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

[Radical347]

SingingSparrow said:

SYCMIOYO Ego? What are you talking about?

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

They publicly dedicated the song to the tsunami victims. If they would have just said something like all proceeds from this single or performance will go to the tsunami victims, that'd have been different (& noble), but they had to go and dedicate the freaking song to them.

If your home and 3/4 of your family have been blown away, the last thing you need to be told is sometimes you can't make it on your own, especially by someone who's worth a billion dollars.

[dragoneyez]

Corporate said:

They publicly dedicated the song to the tsunami victims. If they would have just said something like all proceeds from this single or performance will go to the tsunami victims, that'd have been different (& noble), but they had to go and dedicate the freaking song to them.

If your home and 3/4 of your family have been blown away, the last thing you need to be told is sometimes you can't make it on your own, especially by someone who's worth a billion dollars.

It does seem like Bono has a god-complex at times. However, you can't dismiss that he has done a lot of good for the world, even if all his actions do seem to be for the cameras.

Hey, that's life. Some people like to be recognized in addition to their good deeds. At least he is doing good.

[singingsparrow]

Corporate said:

They publicly dedicated the song to the tsunami victims.  If they would have just said something like all proceeds from this single or performance will go to the tsunami victims, that'd have been different (& noble), but they had to go and dedicate the freaking song to them.

If your home and 3/4 of your family have been blown away, the last thing you need to be told is sometimes you can't make it on your own, especially by someone who's worth a billion dollars.

So, you dedicate a song to 9/11 victims, which, by the way, a mass number of artists did following the World Trade Center attacks in memory, including Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, Neil Young and others.

Does doing that make them egotistical?

Bono does have an ego, I agree. But there is also the choice between using it for the common good or out of selfish pride. And I believe Bono uses most of it for the common good.

How many other artists do you know who actually take the time to go on two-week trips through Africa to study malnutrition and the AIDS epidemic? How many other artists do you know who even really lift a finger to use their stature in the world to help to change the world?

I see nothing wrong at all with dedicating that track to them. It isn't even like he exploited some pictures from the tragedy and used them as the single cover or footage in the music video.

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

[Radical347]

SingingSparrow said:

So, you dedicate a song to 9/11 victims, which, by the way, a mass number of artists did following the World Trade Center attacks in memory, including Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, Neil Young and others.

Does doing that make them egotistical?

If the song is called Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, then yes. Like I said, that's the last thing that these people need to be told, and especially by someone who's worth a bazillion dollars. If they would have dummied up a song called We Love You or something like that, and dedicated that to them, then it'd be different.

Bono does have an ego, I agree. But there is also the choice between using it for the common good or out of selfish pride. And I believe Bono uses most of it for the common good.

How many other artists do you know who actually take the time to go on two-week trips through Africa to study malnutrition and the AIDS epidemic? How many other artists do you know who even really lift a finger to use their stature in the world to help to change the world?

That's true, and he gets credit for that. I'm not trying to take that away from him. But there's a difference between donating your time/money to help people just because you can, and telling people something they don't need to be told just because you can. The latter is just poor taste. He probably meant well, but in this case his ego got in the way of good taste.

[Deleted]

This goes for adds on June 13.

[reception]

Week ending 6/10/2005: New & Active at Triple A with 87 plays, 6 stations and 3 adds.

[allow that]

This *might* be my all-time favorite U2 single. I hope it can manage to outpeak SYCMIOYO at least.

[allow that]

I've been hearing this a lot all week on WPLJ. I'm glad HAC is embracing this even though it is a 4th single that flopped at other formats. This is such a great radio song, it should have led the album!

[agon666]

jerseyboy said:

I've been hearing this a lot all week on WPLJ. I'm glad HAC is embracing this even though it is a 4th single that flopped at other formats. This is such a great radio song, it should have led the album!

I think "Vertigo" was the perfect lead. BUT, my goodness, this should have been the 2nd single. You would have had monsterous AAA and HAC success, and it would have been top 10 on Alt with longevity. "All Because Of You" was without a doubt the wrong choice. Now this lost its bullet on AAA already. :(

[ayoPiT0]

I literally almost despised the fact that they released ABOY. When I would see the video on TV, (which was on all the time) I would change the channel immediately.

[allow that]

I REALLY liked the ABOY video, but what a mediocre song. I didn't care for "Vertigo" either. Honestly, I was anticipating this album a lot, but the first 2 singles made me think the album must not have been very good at all. Now that I actually went and got the album anyway, I'm completely perplexed why they'd release such subpar singles when songs like COBL and "Miracle Drug" are on the album.

[Tyler46]

IMO, "All Because You" is one of the worst songs of all time. Period. But I really like this track. They should've release the singles like this:

1)Vertigo
2)City of blinding lights
3)Sometimes you can't make it on your own
4)Miracle Drug

[singingsparrow]

It perplexes me why so many hate "All Because Of You". I really happen to have liked that single, despite a number of tracks being more appealing than that from the album.

It was great to hear them just straight-out rock again, and that spirit really is there in "All Because Of You".

I will agree, however, that "ABOY" shouldn't have been the second single just because the lead single was a chart-topping rocker and "ABOY" happened to be a rocker too.

I do believe "City Of Blinding Lights" should have come second, followed by "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" and finally a wild card (either "All Because Of You" or "Miracle Drug")

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

[jarradb]

Meh, dont like it. It doesnt go anywhere and just rambles on and doesnt pick up, a lot like "Sometimes you cant make it on your own" (long enough damn title! ).

However, the version they play on the radio and TV here in Australia is some kinda funky, rocky type version of the song. The version I have (off a friend) is rather boring with just guitar and basic drumming through out the song. I do believe this is the album version tho and the radio and TV version is some kinda edit.

However, maybe someone can shine some light on this!

JB

P.S: All because of you was never released as a single here in Oz. However, I believe it'll be the next.

[allow that]

Amazed.... MTV had added this into regular rotation.

[Matt4319]

I love the video, and it's made me like the song more. It's now my favorite single off HTDAAB, and rivals "Walk On" as my favorite U2 single since the '80s.

[friday]

Yeah, the video is probably one of the best live videos ever, second only to "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (and that's counting all artists). The best part about it is that it doesn't actually seem like a live video, due to the film quality and intimacy of the camera angles. Amazingly, I haven't heard this anywhere on the radio, not on KNDD, KPLZ, or KMTT, but the latter may have added and I just don't know any better. I mean I know it's a fourth single, but give me something resembling a break.

[allow that]

I actually hear this a lot on the radio here. It's on WPLJ, G106.3, and even the new K-Rock plays it a little bit. I see the video at least 3 or 4 times a week on VH1, and this morning I even saw it on MTV. If I didn't know better, I'd think this was a hit. The attention this is getting as a "flop" 4th single tells me it could have been really big if it were released earlier in the chain.

[agon666]

Basiclly, this song is begging for a cover twenty years from now. (Or when U2 retires, whichever is later)