Achtung Baby/ Zooropa remaster/ reissue - Part IV/Four

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last unicorn said:
I'm not trying to generalize here, really, everyone is entitled to have their own opinion about every U2 song, but I simply feel that the Acrobat-league is very strong here and that it's kind of a rule here to love Acrobat and bemoan it's constant live absence. I would also be curious about a live version, but I honestly believe that U2 cannot play it the way it should be played and Bono couldn't sing it the way it should be sung. Also, it would be another "wow" moment for die hard fans, but an endless bore for casual concert goers, which make up about 95 % of a U2 audience.

Honestly, I have nothing against Acrobat, I never skip it and I think it's a great song, but I also think it's being overrated here and kind of mythologized, and U2's refusal to play the song live has contributed to that.
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I've never seen anyone "bullied" for not liking Acrobat. I've also never heard of anyone who liked U2 but not that song until this thread. People have all kinds of taste... but someone who doesn't get how amazing Acrobat is seems almost beyond the pale.

And no, not 1% of why its great has to do with it not being played live.
 
TheEdge25 said:
I wish they'd at least acknowledge Acrobat. I wish they'd discuss it in the film and discuss why they don't play it live. I wish they'd at least attempt an acoustic version...
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Adam mention in U2byU2 that it was rehearsed, but they were never happy with its live performance. I'm sure it being in 6/8 time is challenge too. When 99% of your songs are in 4/4, it's very easy to get lost in a song that deviates.
At least there's always the acoustic version from the Hershey Tapes.
 
Wow, I'm surprised I spawned such a debate over whether or not Acrobat is "teh greatest YouuuuTwoooo song evaaaaarr!!1!!!!1111!!"

I never said it was a crappy song, just that it wasn't one of my favorites. I'd love to hear it live, but I'm not one of those die hard "I LOVE ACROBAT ALL THE TIME ALWAYS" fans who just HAS to hear it live before I die.
 
I can't imagine Red Hill Mining Town improving significantly live, whereas Acrobat is just so intense and emotional (RHMT is too, but it doesn't rely as heavily on its visceral qualities, which makes Acrobat an ideal live track)...imagine it paired with Exit or Bullet.

If you would find such a rocking, emotionally raw stretch "boring," then you are a truly dull human being and should buy nosebleeds to benefit the rest of us.

Niceman said:
And no, not 1% of why its great has to do with it not being played live.
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:up: This aspect has absolutely no bearing on my opinion of the song. Grace has never been played live and still blows.
 
LemonMelon said:
If you would find such a rocking, emotionally raw stretch "boring," then you are a truly dull human being and should buy nosebleeds to benefit the rest of us.
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Don't be an Acrobatleaguer. :angry:
 
LemonMelon said:
I can't imagine Red Hill Mining Town improving significantly live, whereas Acrobat is just so intense and emotional (RHMT is too, but it doesn't rely as heavily on its visceral qualities, which makes Acrobat an ideal live track)...imagine it paired with Exit or Bullet.

If you would find such a rocking, emotionally raw stretch "boring," then you are a truly dull human being and should buy nosebleeds to benefit the rest of us.



:up: This aspect has absolutely no bearing on my opinion of the song. Grace has never been played live and still blows.
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1) Red Hill Mining Town is a better song than Acrobat, IMO.
2) I never said Acrobat was "boring." You put it in quotes like I said it. Stop making things up. I happen to love to love the song. Just not as much as the (superior) Red Hill Mining Town.
3) We're talking about opinions here, therefore they can't be right or wrong.

Any questions?
 
1. I think Red Hill Mining Town is a better song than Acrobat as well. Zooropa is better too. Several U2 songs are, in fact. However, Acrobat would work live because the performance itself is very exciting and lends itself to extensive soloing and a very powerful Bono vocal. Besides, under what circumstances would "don't let the bastards grind you down" not result in a great crowd shout-a-long? Acrobat SHOULD work live. RHMT has a very stilted, stiff arrangement and Bono simply couldn't carry it anymore. Its live window has closed.

2. My apologies. I separated that comment into a distinct paragraph to avoid it being bunched into the first thought, but I guess that wasn't sufficient.

3. Typing out IMO is boring, IMO. Obviously, you can't be wrong. I can't be wrong either. The discussion we're having is slightly more objective than "I like the song" though, closer to "would this work live? Maybe. Here's why." It's more open-ended, you see.
 
kingofsorrow said:
seriously? 5-6 people and all a sudden we have a league dedicated to song here?
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Yes, it's more than 5-6 people and it's not only this topic.

I may start an anti-Acrobat league.

but someone who doesn't get how amazing Acrobat is seems almost beyond the pale.
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And that's what I'm talking about. That's a personal insult, IMO. I would never argue for or against a song like that because I respect other people's tastes and I don't think that one single song can appeal to everyone the same way. I'm really a bit sick of reading comments from people saying that it's not normal to not worship Acrobat. That's what I mean with bullying. I'm very allergic to that.

It's fine you people love the song so much, it's not fine to tell other people they are not normal by not loving the song so much.
 
LemonMelon said:
3. Typing out IMO is boring, IMO. Obviously, you can't be wrong. I can't be wrong either. The discussion we're having is slightly more objective than "I like the song" though, closer to "would this work live? Maybe. Here's why." It's more open-ended, you see.
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Well, I agree, but you said anyone who didn't feel the same way about Acrobat must be a "dull human being"...I just don't think that's necessary.
 
corianderstem said:
Nope, it was still that price yesterday.

I heard that Tryin' To Throw ... in a few of the IEMs that came out from the Turin rehearsals. It sounds like they were playing the song along with some internet performances of people playing the parts.

... I'm glad they didn't do that.
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I'm listening to it now. The song itself sounds okay, though since Bono said "sam" had a nice beat going, it might not be with the rest of the band. Strangely enough. Never heard of Bono rehearsing with the techs before. Yet in the end he's talking to Larry..

And the voices over it are kinda weird.. But he's forgetting the lyrics of the third verse, so it's definitely Bono. :wink: No doubt there.

I like them playing the song, just the voice overdubs I'm hearing are weird.
 
last unicorn said:
I love AB and Acrobat, but I honestly believe it's annoyingly ridiculous how this song is treated as if it was the second coming. If U2 had started to play it live some time ago, there wouldn't be this "don't touch it it's sacrosanct" feeling about this song. Different strokes for everyone, but I've always thought this endless gushing about that song is getting a bit out of hand. It's like one's being bullied on here for having a different opinion about that song. I cannot even imagine what kind of things will be happening here when we indeed find out that the Glasvegas cover is, in fact, shit. This forum will finally explode and none of us will be around for the Achtung Baby release at the end of this month.

It's just a song. It's ridiculous to workship it like that and call U2 names for not playing it live or talking about it. There must be a reason for that. Maybe the band isn't as much obsessed with this piece as many fans seem to be.

And yes, I'm aware I'm having an unpopular opinion here and might get some bashing, but so what. There are U2 songs I adore that others can't stand and the other way round. I think it's sad that people are trying to bully other people here for not liking a certain song and call them names and stuff. We are all fans, we're one but not the same.
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I treat it for what it is. My favourite song by any band ever. So yeah, I fucking love Acrobat with every fiber of my being. Sue me. :shrug:

And I do NOT ever want U2 to play it live. So what do you make of that then?

And we don't need to wait for the Crapvegas cover to come out to find out it's shit. I've seen them live opening for U2. I know already it will be shit.

Sooo should I explode now?

*puts on Acrobat*

:combust:
 
Nick66 said:
Well, I agree, but you said anyone who didn't feel the same way about Acrobat must be a "dull human being"...I just don't think that's necessary.
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I don't think creating an anti-Acrobat league is necessary either, but here we are.

At least, I assume she's being serious. I don't know her to be a kidder, and I don't know when this Acrobat fan lynching of Last Unicorn went down, but she seems quite incensed by it.
 
Niceman said:
I've never seen anyone "bullied" for not liking Acrobat. I've also never heard of anyone who liked U2 but not that song until this thread. People have all kinds of taste... but someone who doesn't get how amazing Acrobat is seems almost beyond the pale.
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So, you are calling people that do not think it is the greatest or simply do not care for it beyond the pale? So you are basically saying, if they do not share "your" and several others musical taste or opinion, they are beyond the pale? It "may" not be a form of internet bullying, but it is sort of ridiculous also. You pick which of those two your statement fits in. :shrug:

For the record, I do not hate the song. It is OK to me. I will listen to it on occassion, but it is the one song on the album I may skip if listening to the whole thing. I guess I'm "beyond the pale" and "blasphemus" according to some on here. I think that is a strange perspective to have about other peoples opinions on something as subjective as music.
 
i wonder if the 'baby' acrobat will be the one from the outtakes...they were quite similar.
 
Galeongirl said:
I
And we don't need to wait for the Crapvegas cover to come out to find out it's shit. I've seen them live opening for U2. I know already it will be shit.
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There you go. I won't even argue with you here because you're so convinced. I'm glad U2 don't feel the same way and aren't as judgemental as many of their fans - sadly - seem to be. Maybe they just try to give everyone their fair chance instead of being prejudiced about something before it's even happening. Sometimes I feel U2 fans love to get into doom and gloom mode before they even know what's going to happen. Must be some kind of survival strategy.


LemonMelon said:
I don't think creating an anti-Acrobat league is necessary either, but here we are.
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OK, yes, you better take me very seriously.

I forgot to add the :wink: smiley.

I am indeed quite serious about not liking the way some people here judge other people because they happen not to love their favourite song.

I am, of course, not serious about the anti-Acrobat league. It's a waste of time and energy and I have other stuff to worry about. But, if I find enough supporters, who knows ::hmm:
 
It's not quite prejudice if you have actually endured the horrors of their performance already. It'd be prejudice if I had never heard or seen anything about them.
 
I hate to break it to you guys but Red Hill and Acrobat are two completely distinct songs that both would absolutely KILL live.

Placement in the set would be key for Red Hill, perhaps.

They'd both go over far better than crap like YBR or Rejoice..not that these are necessarily bad songs, I like em, but they aren't crowd movers. There isn't a person in the arena over say 30 that won't know Red Hill Mining Town and the few that don't well they can fuck right off for beer or whatever, and Acrobat is such a rocker that it won't matter, it'll grab the crowd by the balls.

Lemon: Funny you think Red Hill is stiff or stilted arrangement..musically I find it very fluid, almost reggae-tinged (well as far as U2 takes that before they get into Sweetest Thing territory ;)) and I love the flow/groove of it. Before 360 I had doubted whether Bono could pull it off. I totally think he can now, to be honest. I'd love to see him give it a shot anyways!
 
OK, off the 'Acrobat Rules/Quit Trying to Make Me Like Acrobat' topic...I saw the interview with Maria McKee on U2.com :rolleyes: and it says there are three songs on the new reissue/remaster that she did w/U2 during that time period (one being Fortunate Son). Got me thinking that I remember reading in Rolling Stone and another British Music Mag that U2 covered Bruce Cockburn's "If I Had a Rocket Launcher" during that time period (I think in response to the Gulf War). Has it been mentioned in any of these threads? I don't believe there has been any official mention of this cover anywhere either...:hmm:
 
:hmm: Don't think I've seen that. Nor have I seen anything on another cover besides the one I can't recall right now. Perhaps it's renamed differently?
 
Galeongirl said:
:hmm: Don't think I've seen that. Nor have I seen anything on another cover besides the one I can't recall right now. Perhaps it's renamed differently?
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I distinctly remember reading that in Rolling Stone at the very least. I'm sure if you do some Google searching it'll make mention of it somewhere.

LOL...I remember '89-'91 getting all my info on the new U2 album by going to Tower Books every Sunday and scouring through the music magazine section...:) Pre-Internet...how'd we ever survive...:lol:

*edit*...found this on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_I_Had_a_Rocket_Launcher
 
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