U2 – Beautiful Day – Songs of Surrender Review

“Most of our work was written and recorded when we were a bunch of very young men. Those songs mean something quite different to us now.” – The Edge.  

Whether the intonation of a song or the people who wrote it change has been referred to, over and over, as U2 begin to re-release their material. Re-recorded is not a readmission to their talent. U2 massacre another track, and once more in cold blood. Beautiful Day is the track that, of course, lends itself to the intimacies of acoustics and string sections, but the wet sections that come through are mired by previous singles and the unconvincing intent. Songs of Surrender grows and grows, the worrying march toward a collection of previously grand tracks dug up from their legacy spots and thrown back into the fold by musicians who have either mustered up the need to fill contractual obligations or ran out of ideas for original material. Either way, U2 make a mess of it once more.  

Fundamentally solid ideas rumble through Songs of Surrender. Reinvention as the purpose of reflection is nothing new, but it tends to make itself more accessible on the stage in a live environment, or even a studio session. Paul McCartney and LCD Soundsystem, two musicians far apart, both spring to mind as successful examples. U2 do not join that rank. Beautiful Day at least showcases Bono has not lost his vocal strength. He sounds as good as he did back in 2000, more or less. But that is the key issue for Beautiful Day and its Songs of Surrender modernisation, the lack of difference between the two tracks beyond the limited changes to the vocals and instrumentals. Softer, shimmering notes mark a rare example of a Songs of Surrender outing that works. 

But in the immediate comparison that comes between each version, there is a clear, better rendition. It is obviously not the reflection found on the retread, but the intimate thoughts of the original. Each track strives for the same goal, and with that is the core trouble for Songs of Surrender. The Edge and company manage the very basic stripped-back material, successfully changing the mood of the song with obvious and simple intent. A lacklustre end makes for an unmoving end that splits itself from what could have been an easy hit. Instead, wavering tones and a lack of impressive technical ability sees U2 with yet another dud.  

It is not all bad, U2. Songs of Surrender was never going to work as a project beyond that of a band trying to cover their hits to pump out the cash. Beautiful Day is probably the most acceptable of the singles so far, more because of how inoffensive it is rather than any gains made by the band retreading their old material in the hope of new meaning. It still feels as though Songs of Surrender is an ingenuine project. Minor changes here, a lack of improvement on the original, what else is there to expect from it? Not such a Beautiful Day when U2 are taking one of their many iconic tracks and grinding it into a fine and useless paste. Soft rock this is. Soft on meaning, soft on rock, absent of anything that makes U2 the fiery heroes they once were. Meaning, certainly, changes. Songs of Surrender just never took the time to check if that change would be a slump, rather than a rise.