New U2 album SONGS OF INNOCENCE

[Andrey_VI]

There is no 'master tape' anymore. It's all digital now. I would expect every CD and flac digital download to come from the same source initially. So all CDs and flac files should be identical.

Yeh, you are right about 'master tape', maybe 'digital master' is the right term.
But I'm not sure that CD and FLACs for disc 2 came from one source. If anyone provide cue-sheets from digital sources we can confirm (or not) that.
And about lossy things. If they came from lossless sources using proper software they must have identical timings with that lossless sources. So cue-sheets from Amazon's MP3s or iTunes AACs is useful too.

Just find out that MP3s from Amazon and other digital stores lists duration of track 21 (with Invisible hidden) as 10:27 or 10:28. This means that at least two or three digital masters available (for CDs, for FLACs and for MP3s/AACs).

I'm not sure from where my cds are, but i think i have the South East Asia Version.

Thanks! This timings are identical to German pressing CDs.
And thanks for hand-made cue-sheet you posted. But I'm really want to see digital store's timings to find out couple of things:
1. Are they identical between each other or not
2. Is the source used same as on CD or not.
And of course this sounds crazy but I prefer to use 'official' timings for the Acoustic sessions.

P. S.: I think 'Invisible' starts at 42:17:70, duration: 4:44.987

[u2hmtmkmkm]

Amazing to think that a song not on the album could be the next single. Or is that a sign of the (lack of) strength of the album's songs? I happen to think there's many hits there and several could be up for single contention. I would be choosing Every Breaking Wave and California as the next singles. But The Crystal Ballroom (for me) is totally worth getting the single treatment as well. It's one of my favourites. I would swap it out with This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now if I was making the album because I am just struggling to get in to it.

[God, Part II]

I would swap it out with This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now if I was making the album because I am just struggling to get in to it.

See, that's just crazy to me! I absolutely adrore TIWYCRMN; it nips at "Every Breaking Wave"'s heels as my favorite track from the album, but clearly you're not alone in your opinion. There's been a poll going on over at U2.com for people to pick their favorite track from the "second half" of the new album. Of course, TIWYCRMN got my vote, but it's currently in the very last place, not even able to eke out a double-digit percentage (to add further insult to injury, "Volcano", my second favorite from that half of the album, is the next lowest voted--"how can this be?!", I say!). I find the track's melody to be impossibly funky and playful, yet set at counterpoint with some very cutting and cynically weighty lyrics. One thing's for sure--whenever it's on, whether I want it to or not, it sets my butt a'wigglin'! I'll have to assume you're not a fan of The Clash, because TIWYCRMN sounds precisely to me like a lost recording from COMBAT ROCK. I have a feeling TIWYCRMN is going to be one of those rare songs where the bulk of U2 fans are indifferent to, or outright dislike, it, but a subsection of the fanbase will be passionate, vocal champions of it.

[morgan1098]

Just going through my CDs today and looking and ripping and all that.

And I have to say, the one I'm most impressed with for the deluxe versions?  The one from India.  It's a heavier cardboard used than elsewhere.  The inner sleeves that come out are not flimsy paper like the Canadian version, but actual heavy weight card stock.  And when you open the CD front cover and see Larry's tattoo symbol?  It's not printed there in grey like the Canadian, but is rather done with a technique similar to the CD where it is a different glossy finish on the black matte background.

Also the cds are packed inside of little plastic envelopes inside the card sleeves themselves...the whole package feels more expensive than the Canadian version, or even the Japan version (whose CDs come inside of tissue paper inside the card sleeves).

Wow! Now I'm tempted to get this one too. Did you order from amazon India? Unfortunately I have no experience with purchasing CDs manufactured in India...

[miryclay]

Amazing to think that a song not on the album could be the next single. Or is that a sign of the (lack of) strength of the album's songs? I happen to think there's many hits there and several could be up for single contention. I would be choosing Every Breaking Wave and California as the next singles. But The Crystal Ballroom (for me) is totally worth getting the single treatment as well. It's one of my favourites. I would swap it out with This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now if I was making the album because I am just struggling to get in to it.

This concept has been around for a while. Pearl Jam have a couple huge singles on airplay that were never on a proper studio release at least for a long time. I am thinking about Yellow Ledbetter, Crazy Mary and Last Kiss.

Tick Tock, HMTMKMKM and Miss Sarajevo are also missing from 'proper' studio releases.

[God, Part II]

Tick Tock, HMTMKMKM and Miss Sarajevo are also missing from 'proper' studio releases.

Your accurate comments about Pearl Jam aside, I don't think your U2 analogue is particularly salient. "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" was released to promote the BATMAN FOREVER soundtrack, so it is directly tied to a proper studio release, just not a U2 album. And "Miss Sarajevo" was released as a single to promote the ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACKS 1 album, so it was not a stand-alone single. "11 O'Clock, Tick Tock" is a fair example, but it merely highlights how much music-distribution times are different in 2014 from 1980. If "The Crystal Ballroom" is released as a single (which I doubt--my vote is "Every Breaking Wave"--but I wouldn't mind), it would be extremely unorthodox for the band, and an oddity for radio (after all, even your most recent Pearl Jam example was nearly 20 years ago).

[enaul]

P. S.: I think 'Invisible' starts at 42:17:70, duration: 4:44.987

I checked that, and my version really starts at 42:18:17, duration 4:44:52.

All songs on the cd have silence parts between the songs. I only made a track for the silence between Troubles and Sleep and between Sleep and Invisible.

[Aaron]

And thanks for hand-made cue-sheet you posted. But I'm really want to see digital store's timings to find out couple of things:

i have the following at home:
Canada Deluxe
USA Deluxe
Indian Deluxe
German Deluxe
Taiwan Deluxe
Japan Deluxe
Qobuz Set
iTunes Canada "Songs of Innocence +" acoustic Tracks.

I'm unfortunately away from home at the moment, but when I'm back i'll post the timings of all of the above.  By that time my sets from Argentina, Hong Kong, and South Korea might have shown up as well.  But so far with the exception of the Japan release, all of the timings have been identical for all of the CDs.  That suggests only one master for all the CDs pressed worldwide anyway.

I'll try to post it all on Wed night.

[Aaron]

Amazing to think that a song not on the album could be the next single. Or is that a sign of the (lack of) strength of the album's songs? I happen to think there's many hits there and several could be up for single contention. I would be choosing Every Breaking Wave and California as the next singles. But The Crystal Ballroom (for me) is totally worth getting the single treatment as well. It's one of my favourites. I would swap it out with This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now if I was making the album because I am just struggling to get in to it.

Maybe to them the "Deluxe Version" really is the "album".  I can see them thinking that they'd be able to go to retailers and say really, look, we're leaving off one of the best songs, so people will have to buy the deluxe version from you in stores.  If the 10 track version hasn't sold well at all, they may also use it to promote the deluxe version being out there.  Kind of "we know we gave you the album for free, but if you want the new song its' on the deluxe version". 

A lot of pop stars of late package and re-release albums with new material all the time.  Katy Perry ran out of singles to release on the last album, so threw out a couple of additional ones, and kept riding the package for that much longer.  Gaga has done the same, repacking with a disc of remixes and a few extra tracks.  It could be a play on that.   Perry's "Wide Awake" wasn't on "Teenage Dream" the first time around.  But it was on "Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection".  And it drew people in to buy something they already had...

[Aaron]

Just going through my CDs today and looking and ripping and all that.

And I have to say, the one I'm most impressed with for the deluxe versions?  The one from India.  It's a heavier cardboard used than elsewhere.  The inner sleeves that come out are not flimsy paper like the Canadian version, but actual heavy weight card stock.  And when you open the CD front cover and see Larry's tattoo symbol?  It's not printed there in grey like the Canadian, but is rather done with a technique similar to the CD where it is a different glossy finish on the black matte background.

Also the cds are packed inside of little plastic envelopes inside the card sleeves themselves...the whole package feels more expensive than the Canadian version, or even the Japan version (whose CDs come inside of tissue paper inside the card sleeves).

Wow! Now I'm tempted to get this one too. Did you order from amazon India? Unfortunately I have no experience with purchasing CDs manufactured in India...

eBay was my friend on the Indian one.  I'm usually wary of buying stuff from India and some of the asian countries because bootlegs are so prevalent.  But i figured buying it early enough meant that the bootleggers wouldn't have time to get product out.  It was a nice package, but as I go through i'm realizing the Canadian / USA ones are the cheapest looking ones.  They are also a different shape than elsewhere.  i'll take a few photos when i get home of the Indian one and post them.  Help you make up your mind. 

[Aaron]

actually thanks to a remote desktop here you go:

Qobuz Version: (Times taken by selecting full track length in Audacity)
Lucifer's Hands
3:55.094
The Crystal Ballroom
04:40.438
Every Breaking Wave (Acoustic)
04:28.979
California
03:19.983
Raised by Wolves
03:57.607
Cedarwood Road
03:18.740
Song for Someone
03:36.580
The Miracle
04:07.046
The Troubles (Alt)
04:32.305
SLeep Like a Baby / Invisible
10:28.131


Songs of Innocence + (These are from iTunes information area, tracks are in reverse order sorry - only acoustic tracks available so far)
Song for Someone (Acoustic)
03:36.580
Cedarwood Road
03:18.740
Raised by Wolves
03:57.607
California
03:19.982
Every Breaking Wave
04:28.978

Japan Deluxe (EAC Rip)
     Track |   Start  |  Length  | Start sector | End sector
    ---------------------------------------------------------
        1  |  0:00.00 |  3:55.08 |         0    |    17632   
        2  |  3:55.08 |  4:40.32 |     17633    |    38664   
        3  |  8:35.40 | 22:48.71 |     38665    |   141335   
        4  | 31:24.36 |  4:32.22 |    141336    |   161757   
        5  | 35:56.58 |  5:18.35 |    161758    |   185642   
        6  | 41:15.18 |  4:45.14 |    185643    |   207031   
        7  | 46:00.32 |  7:27.24 |    207032    |   240580   

Canada (EAC Rip)
     Track |   Start  |  Length  | Start sector | End sector
    ---------------------------------------------------------
        1  |  0:00.00 |  3:55.08 |         0    |    17632   
        2  |  3:55.08 |  4:40.32 |     17633    |    38664   
        3  |  8:35.40 | 22:48.71 |     38665    |   141335   
        4  | 31:24.36 |  4:32.22 |    141336    |   161757   
        5  | 35:56.58 | 11:06.11 |    161758    |   211718 

German (EAC Rip)
     Track |   Start  |  Length  | Start sector | End sector
    ---------------------------------------------------------
        1  |  0:00.00 |  3:55.08 |         0    |    17632   
        2  |  3:55.08 |  4:40.32 |     17633    |    38664   
        3  |  8:35.40 | 22:48.71 |     38665    |   141335   
        4  | 31:24.36 |  4:32.22 |    141336    |   161757   
        5  | 35:56.58 | 11:06.11 |    161758    |   211718   

You'll note that the Qobuz version above has a shorter amount of silence between Invisible and Sleep Like a Baby Tonight.  Hadn't caught that before now, so thanks.  Going to go update the "new site" accordingly. 

[Andrey_VI]

Thanks Aaron!

Qobuz Version: (Times taken by selecting full track length in Audacity)

If this timings are correct they just a little didn't match CD timings (track 2 and 9). I created cue-sheet from information you provided:

Code: [Select]

PERFORMER "U2"
TITLE "Songs Of Innocence"
REM DATE 2014
FILE "Qobuz_merged.flac" WAVE
  TRACK 01 AUDIO
    TITLE "Lucifer’s Hands"
    INDEX 01 00:00:00
  TRACK 02 AUDIO
    TITLE "The Crystal Ballroom"
    INDEX 01 03:55:07
  TRACK 03 AUDIO
    TITLE "Every Breaking Wave (from Acoustic Sessions)"
    INDEX 01 08:35:40
  TRACK 04 AUDIO
    TITLE "California (There is no End to Love) (from Acoustic Sessions)"
    INDEX 01 13:04:38
  TRACK 05 AUDIO
    TITLE "Raised by Wolves (from Acoustic Sessions)"
    INDEX 01 16:24:37
  TRACK 06 AUDIO
    TITLE "Cedarwood Road (from Acoustic Sessions)"
    INDEX 01 20:22:08
  TRACK 07 AUDIO
    TITLE "Song for Someone (from Acoustic Sessions)"
    INDEX 01 23:40:63
  TRACK 08 AUDIO
    TITLE "The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone) (Busker Version)"
    INDEX 01 27:17:32
  TRACK 09 AUDIO
    TITLE "The Troubles (Alternative Version)"
    INDEX 01 31:24:35
  TRACK 10 AUDIO
    TITLE "Sleep Like A Baby Tonight (Alternative Perspective Mix by Tchad Blake)"
    INDEX 01 35:56:58


Songs of Innocence + (These are from iTunes information area, tracks are in reverse order sorry - only acoustic tracks available so far)

'Acoustic Sessions' looks similar to Qobuz FLACs. Let's wait for full release.

You'll note that the Qobuz version above has a shorter amount of silence between Invisible and Sleep Like a Baby Tonight.  Hadn't caught that before now, so thanks.  Going to go update the "new site" accordingly. 

Yep, looks like all digital versions available have SLABT/Invisible ~38 seconds shorter than on CDs.

Do you have access to Amazon 'AutoRip' MP3s? If yes, can you check their timings? I wondering from which source they came from.

[Aaron]

If you look on Amazon.com you can see the mp3 of "Sleep Like a Baby Tonight (Alt)" is 10:28 in length when you buy the mp3.  That suggests they too have the "digital version".  The only thing I can't confirm is if that is the version you got with the autorip.  Someone had to have gotten it that way....Don?  Didn't you say you had?

[morgan1098]

If you look on Amazon.com you can see the mp3 of "Sleep Like a Baby Tonight (Alt)" is 10:28 in length when you buy the mp3.  That suggests they too have the "digital version".  The only thing I can't confirm is if that is the version you got with the autorip.  Someone had to have gotten it that way....Don?  Didn't you say you had?

Sorry. I wanted to support my local indie so I bought the CD there and edited Disc 2 into separate tracks myself using iTunes. But I'd be surprised if SOMEONE here didn't get a copy from amazon...

[u2hmtmkmkm]

I would swap it out with This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now if I was making the album because I am just struggling to get in to it.

See, that's just crazy to me! I absolutely adrore TIWYCRMN; it nips at "Every Breaking Wave"'s heels as my favorite track from the album, but clearly you're not alone in your opinion. There's been a poll going on over at U2.com for people to pick their favorite track from the "second half" of the new album. Of course, TIWYCRMN got my vote, but it's currently in the very last place, not even able to eke out a double-digit percentage (to add further insult to injury, "Volcano", my second favorite from that half of the album, is the next lowest voted--"how can this be?!", I say!). I find the track's melody to be impossibly funky and playful, yet set at counterpoint with some very cutting and cynically weighty lyrics. One thing's for sure--whenever it's on, whether I want it to or not, it sets my butt a'wigglin'! I'll have to assume you're not a fan of The Clash, because TIWYCRMN sounds precisely to me like a lost recording from COMBAT ROCK. I have a feeling TIWYCRMN is going to be one of those rare songs where the bulk of U2 fans are indifferent to, or outright dislike, it, but a subsection of the fanbase will be passionate, vocal champions of it.

If there's one thing we can agree on, it's Volcano. I think it's awesome. Very groovy. Reminds me a lot of the way I felt when Vertigo first came out, and sounds similar during the chorus, and particularly in the verses with Edge's choppy guitar. And I'm looking forward to positively BELTING that out in concert when they venture down to Australia. I think it benefits more from listening to it after Song for Someone and Iris, as opposed to shuffling it in, because it is a huge change of pace compared to the previous two songs. I haven't however heard that song by The Clash. My musical knowledge and experience, U2 aside, is as limited as it comes. I do expect to like TIWYCRMN at some point because songs I have disliked in the past somehow grow on me. For a while Mysterious Ways and New Year's Day became hard to listen to, perhaps because I heard them so much, and then over time, I learned to appreciate them again.