Label Review.
2017 album with 4 bonus tracks. In blue vinyl. Also available as a standard CD, deluxe CD and a deluxe box.
Our Overview.
Recorded in Dublin, New York and Los Angeles, ‘Songs of Experience’ was completed earlier this year with its subject matter influenced by the advice given to Bono by the Irish poet, novelist and Professor Emeritus at Trinity College in Dublin, Brendan Kennelly, to “…write as if you’re dead”. The result is a collection of songs in the form of intimate letters to places and people close to the singer’s heart: family, friends, fans and indeed himself.
‘Songs Of Experience’ is the companion release to 2014’s Songs Of Innocence, the two titles drawing inspiration from a collection of poems, Songs of Innocence and Experience, by the 18th century English mystic and poet William Blake. Produced by Jacknife Lee and Ryan Tedder, with Steve Lillywhite, Andy Barlow and Jolyon Thomas, the album features a cover image by Anton Corbijn of band-members’ teenage children Eli Hewson and Sian Evans.
Issued only three years since their last album, it’s U2’s quickest turn around for a new album in nearly 25 years (‘Achtung Baby’ and ‘Zooropa’ was about 18 months). Also, it is being released in a conventional fashion after the last one was dropped into everybody’s iTunes accounts without being asked. The group must also hold the record for being the most stable, successful group ever - the four friends came together in 1976 and have been together ever since. This is their 14th album.