- Audio CD (7 Feb 2005)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Format: Single, Maxi
- Label: Island
- ASIN: B0007DBXIS
- Other Editions: MP3 Download
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 141,233 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
U2 have always been a band that produce profound music and Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own is a fantastic example of this. This song is so moving, written about Bono's father who died of cancer during their last tour, and performed at his funeral. Bono's emotions are clear in his performance and at times it moves me to tears. The song is perfectly composed, the lyrics extremely powerful and raw. The song is both gentle rock and powerful at the some time, with a very catchy melody. This is one of U2's very finest songs and should become an all time classic. The B-Side, Fast Cars, is on the album and is a great, catchy almost Spanish style acoustic number with sharp, witty lyrics. To get both songs on one single is a bargain.
2 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
U2 have become a greedy corporation whom don't care about ART. Anyone who would call "Sometimes You Can't Make It" a 'deep song' has absolutely no credibility to judge music... it's probably the most cliché U2 song ever. If you want to listen to a brilliant song related to a father's death, listen to Pink Floyd "When The Tigers Broke Free" instead. Video Clip is even worse and more cliché, with all those silly shots at the Opera theatre.
Incredibly unoriginal and predictable, this is one of the worst U2 songs ever, and one of the most overhyped as well. The world needs this drivel like it needs a hole in the head. Moreover, it's absolutely irritating to listen to Bono straining his thin voice to hit the high notes.
I don't recommend this sellout U2 to anyone. PLEASE U2 stop embarassing yourselves !!!!.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
21 reviews
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Sometimes the lyrics just aren't 'complex' enough....
17 Feb 2005
Format:Audio CD
...But deal with it. They don't have to be.
I'm not going to claim to be a long-time U2 fan - on the contrary, I only started listening to the band this September. However, I've been addicted since then - not just with to their new material, but to older albums like War and Joshua Tree. Along with many other people, I was thrilled when How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb came out in November.
I first heard Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own on Saturday Night Live right before the album was released, and found it captivating. Have any of you seen Bono sing this live? If you haven't, it could be why you don't understand the raw power of this song. He is incredibly emotional, and both on SNL and on the recording of the Brooklyn Bridge concert you can see tears in his eyes.
The problem I'm hearing about most is the simplicity of the song - but since when is that a bad thing? Maybe it's just because we have come to expect so much from Bono's writing. But think about it, honestly - when your father dies, are you going to sit down and write complex lyrics with all sorts of metaphors and hidden symbolism? Not at all - you're in pain, your thoughts are muffled, you can't focus...you've just lost someone you love. It's an amazing feat for Bono to have even written this song, and I can't imagine the trial it is to perform live.
So, is it another Where the Streets Have No Name? A One? Maybe not - but that doesn't mean it's bad. It's simply a man mourning the loss of someone who was a role model and a father to him. It's about love, regret, dealing with life's circumstances and eventually learning to move on. Try listening to it just after you've lost a parent - I guarantee you'll feel differently.
Musically speaking, it's nothing out-of-the-box. Edge's and Adam's guitars and Larry's drums take a supporting role to Bono's vocals, and it melds perfectly. Bono's singing is flawless, really, and towards the end of the note he hits a high, opera note included in memory of Bob, who was a tenor. Edge sings back-up and a part of the chorus - although it's kind of hard to tell that it's him until you see the video.
To end this rant - myself, I love the song. I don't think it's the best on the new album, but I think it's Bono at his most Bono - he's not hiding behind any complicated lyrics; he's coming directly out and speaking his feelings. If that's not something you enjoy, you might not like the song. I highly reccomend not just the single, but also How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb itself.
Also, I highly reccommend the music video. Right now it's only avaiable (in its full form, anyway) to U2.com members, but it's extremely touching.
Hope this has been helpful :)
I'm not going to claim to be a long-time U2 fan - on the contrary, I only started listening to the band this September. However, I've been addicted since then - not just with to their new material, but to older albums like War and Joshua Tree. Along with many other people, I was thrilled when How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb came out in November.
I first heard Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own on Saturday Night Live right before the album was released, and found it captivating. Have any of you seen Bono sing this live? If you haven't, it could be why you don't understand the raw power of this song. He is incredibly emotional, and both on SNL and on the recording of the Brooklyn Bridge concert you can see tears in his eyes.
The problem I'm hearing about most is the simplicity of the song - but since when is that a bad thing? Maybe it's just because we have come to expect so much from Bono's writing. But think about it, honestly - when your father dies, are you going to sit down and write complex lyrics with all sorts of metaphors and hidden symbolism? Not at all - you're in pain, your thoughts are muffled, you can't focus...you've just lost someone you love. It's an amazing feat for Bono to have even written this song, and I can't imagine the trial it is to perform live.
So, is it another Where the Streets Have No Name? A One? Maybe not - but that doesn't mean it's bad. It's simply a man mourning the loss of someone who was a role model and a father to him. It's about love, regret, dealing with life's circumstances and eventually learning to move on. Try listening to it just after you've lost a parent - I guarantee you'll feel differently.
Musically speaking, it's nothing out-of-the-box. Edge's and Adam's guitars and Larry's drums take a supporting role to Bono's vocals, and it melds perfectly. Bono's singing is flawless, really, and towards the end of the note he hits a high, opera note included in memory of Bob, who was a tenor. Edge sings back-up and a part of the chorus - although it's kind of hard to tell that it's him until you see the video.
To end this rant - myself, I love the song. I don't think it's the best on the new album, but I think it's Bono at his most Bono - he's not hiding behind any complicated lyrics; he's coming directly out and speaking his feelings. If that's not something you enjoy, you might not like the song. I highly reccomend not just the single, but also How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb itself.
Also, I highly reccommend the music video. Right now it's only avaiable (in its full form, anyway) to U2.com members, but it's extremely touching.
Hope this has been helpful :)
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Great Song, Lame Single.
23 Mar 2005
Format:Audio CD
"Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" is an example of the band delivering pure, raw emotion backed by a beautiful wall of music. It's a heartwarming ballad Bono directs at his father who passed away in 2001 and was a tenor (allowing Bono to inherit a wonderous voice). Some have raged at it claiming it is nothing like the U2 ballads of old, well of course it's not, how often can you repeat something like "One" or "If God Will Send His Angels?" However, I do believe this is a better song than "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of." The feelings are more deep and the playing more memorable. "Sometimes" starts off with pure tenderness and builds to a stunning high pitch colored by Bono's powerful voice and moving slide guitar by The Edge (a master at this particular guitar style which appears numerous times in "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb"). It's like a tidal wave that builds and subsides. However, if the song is great then the single is lame. Up to even "Beautiful Day" and the first single edition of "Elevation," U2 were maestros in the field of releasing singles because the B-Sides were always fan-enticing material such as the live "Discotheque/If You Wear That Velvet Dress" found in "Beautiful Day" and the live "Last Night On Earth" and cover of Johnny Cash's "Don't Take Your Guns To Town" found in "Elevation." And of course in the late 80's we had "Unchained Melody," "Dancing Barefoot" and others. So why have U2 reduced to releasing a truck load of remixes with their new material? This plagued 2002's "Best Of 1990-2000 & B-Sides" set which offered nothing but tiresome remixes instead of real B-Sides. Here we get a re-doing of "Vertigo" that has no point other than making this not be a one song deal. "Sometimes..." is a wonderful song, but I hope the next single has a little more to offer.
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
An Old, long time fan
20 Feb 2005
Format:Audio CD
I really enjoy this song very much, and I've been with U2 from the beginning, I don't know what the big deal is with everyone. This new album is great , is different. They are at a different stage right now. Thats what I love about U2 you can't expect two albums to sound the same. They been through a lot lately, specially now with edges daughter having lukemia, and this whole Ipod commercial that people are freaking about. There was no money exchange at all for the ipod commercials, I think is a great idea. They might even realese every live concert from the tour though Itunes the day after.What's so bad with that?
All that matters is I still love them no matter what.
All that matters is I still love them no matter what.
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