Ambitious new releases from Irish legends U2 and German composer/keyboardist Günter Werno are definitely worth adding to your music library.
Title: Songs Of Surrender [4 CD Super Deluxe Collector's Box Set] (Interscope)
You might like if you enjoy: U2, Simple Minds, The Alarm
Tell me more: Since its formation in the late 1970s, Irish quartet U2 has created a legacy built on an incredible body of memorable songs, enthralling concerts and an otherworldly ability to remain relevant for 45 years. The band's latest release (Songs Of Surrender [4 CD Super Deluxe Collector's Box Set]) continues to challenge and reward discerning listeners via 40 new acoustic and reimagined recordings of songs from the band's expansive catalog — all produced and compiled by guitarist/keyboardist The Edge. Fans searching for Bono's soaring vocals or The Edge's shimmering atmospheric guitar lines won't find much of that on Songs Of Surrender, nor will they hear the propulsive rhythm work of drummer Larry Mullen Jr. and bassist Adam Clayton. Rather, they will hear largely introspective acoustic readings reflecting more mature and contemporary takes on classics reflecting, as The Edge notes in the liner notes, "a 21st century reimagining." Take "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," delivered by Bono in a rootsy countrified soundscape that feels totally at home with his signature voice. Whereas there was a palpable anger when U2 recorded "Sunday Bloody Sunday" for 1983's War, there is a more painful take on the new recording with the continued tragic violence of the modern world reflected in the moving performance. As a long-time follower of U2 — I first caught the band live at the US Festival on May 30, 1983 and have seen them dozens of times over the years in concert — I appreciate how the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers have never been satisfied to be a one-trick pony. Among my favorite versions on the four-disc set is the sweeping "Every Breaking Wave," yearning piano-anchored "Electrical Storm," sweeping "Invisible," unsettling "Until The End of the World" and tender "Stay (Faraway, So Close)." Packaged in an eight-panel embossed digi-sleeve with 2 x 12-page booklets on stunning mat art paper, this limited and numbered boxset includes new lyrics by Bono, exclusive photos by Anton Corbijn and liner notes from The Edge. Information: U2.com.
Title: Anima One (Frontiers Music Srl)
You might like if you enjoy: Vanden Plas, Hans Zimmer, Jon Lord, Danny Elfman
Tell me more: Best known as the keyboardist of German progressive rock troupe Vanden Plas, Günter Werno has fused Neo-classical and prog rock together across Anima One. The expansive symphonic masterwork was created after Vanden Plas performed composer-keyboardist Jon Lord's "Concerto for Group and Orchestra" at Fruchthalle Kaiserslautern in Germany on Jan. 11, 2019. As noted by Werno in the press notes for the new live recording released on March 10, 2023: "Christoph Dammann, the culture officer for the venue, came to me and asked if we could do something like this again, but instead of covering someone else's work, he asked if I would write an original composition. This was a challenge for me as I had written orchestrations to rock, pop, and musical songs before, but never for an orchestra in the classic form of three movements. But, before I had even left the building after our conversation, I already had the first tune in my head, which ultimately became the intro of the first movement. I freely played around with tunes and themes and finally found the suitable way forward for me from there." Fans of sophisticated rock as well as 20th century orchestral and film score music will likely be swept up in the impressive Anima One. The first movement titled "Animabilis" conjures up a range of emotions, with Werno's keyboards and the orchestra gently building artfully for more than three minutes before the piece becomes significantly more dramatic. The second movement ("Animosus") is generally more reflective, with various orchestral, choral and electric instrument voices positioned in front of the listener, only to be replaced or layered as other forces emerge leading up to the soaring finale of that section. The third movement ("Animato") is both dramatic and beautiful, showcasing the full power of keyboardist Werno, guitarist Stephen Lill, singers Andy Kuntz and Astrid Vossberg, and the Pfalzphilharmonie Kaiserslautern orchestra. Anima One is available as a CD + DVD release, with the DVD showcasing the May 13, 2022 concert performance captured for the title. Information: https://www.facebook.com/gunter.werno.
Robert Kinsler
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