Finally figured out what U2 has lost...

[allbecauseofu2]

not disputing that claim about the early Beatles, but that still doesn't change how i feel about it. on u2, i felt HTDDAB was a just a bunch of songs. But still prefer that album over NLOTH a little bit. My only issue was that u2 acted like NLOTH was a re-invetion of some big level. And i don;t see that at all. I mean a progression from the last 2? yeah. But not the cut the strings to the last era kinda album. not even close.

 

[LuvandPeace1980]

Melancholy is easy, joy is difficult. I give Bono props for trying to write about it, very few do, and out of those very few do it well...

That being said, with the exception of Magnificent and parts of Breathe the rest of the album is very new.

Taking on characters of soldiers, women's lib in a tongue in cheek way, war correspondents, traffic cops, futuristic gospel, and I know he's written about heroin before but never from such a character driven way before...

Sounds like you quoted that right from Bono, Joy is easy to write about. I think pain and being honest about yourself can be hard thats just a silly quote from Bono. I think it is more socially acceptable to complain rather than to express joy. However

I don't really know what it is but it just all seems way too golden for me, I do love the golden songs but I miss songs like Until The End Of The World , So Cruel and a few pop ones where the music feels like an out pouring of hurt with a glimmer of hope, rather that what we get these days which is a flood of hope and millisecond of hurt. Not taking away that NLOTH does seem to have this a little more

the point I am trying make is not that melancholy is easier to write about but more that not every song has to be this uplifting massive hit!
they can write music with hooks and it can still have that real undertone of darkness to it..

 

[BVS]

Sounds like you quoted that right from Bono, Joy is easy to write about. I think pain and being honest about yourself can be hard thats just a silly quote from Bono. I think it is more socially acceptable to complain rather than to express joy.

No, as a writer myself I've been saying this for years. Just look around, you have bands like NIN that have 0% joy, PJ may have less than 8%, and those that do attempt to write about joy often run into cliches and horrible analogies. It's hard. I started a thread awhile back about who people thought were good about writing about joy, very few responses.


http://www.u2interference.com/forums/f221/joyful-lyricists-197081.html

Who do you think does it well if it's so easy?

 

[LuvandPeace1980]

I just think if every song is about Joy it's kind of a bit overkill and quite frankly boring if most of the album is that way. Especially when the first 20 years of U2 they had quite a bit of melancholy in there! It wouldn't be a U2 album without it.. Songs can mix too! Ya hear a song like ultraviolet.. there is pain and torture and question in the lyrics, but there is joy and hope too..

I think it depends what your band is about U2 sing about some pretty hurtful and disturbing stuff but lately the music is all about having a good time. Inspiration comes from joy and it also comes from a good kick in the ass as well..

I don't like guilt but I like music that is somewhat intelligent and critical, I like music to ask hard questions and to have an opinion about the dark stuff sometimes, not just the light..

 

[BVS]

I just think if every song is about Joy it's kind of a bit overkill and quite frankly boring if most of the album is that way.

Well now you have me back to scratching my head Have you listened to the album lately? Every song about Joy?

I'm thinking you might be misunderstanding about half the album then...

 

[LuvandPeace1980]

No NLOTH is alot better than ATCLB and HTDAAB but it's still got way too much golden! I think it's just way too golden in parts.

 

[popsadie]

Y ou know, Bono is nearing 50 years old. It is possible that he has come to some understanding and acceptance about many of the things that 20 somethings angst over. I think that NLOTH has a good balance of joy and struggle and it feels like me the true expressions of a group of people that have followed a spiritual belief for a pretty good amount of time, gone through doubts and frustrations, and have found some connection and peace with themselves and their beliefs. NLOTH isn't perfect, but I don't think "too much joy" is one of the album's faults.

 

[LuvandPeace1980]

No, as a writer myself I've been saying this for years. Just look around, you have bands like NIN that have 0% joy, PJ may have less than 8%, and those that do attempt to write about joy often run into cliches and horrible analogies. It's hard. I started a thread awhile back about who people thought were good about writing about joy, very few responses.


http://www.u2interference.com/forums/f221/joyful-lyricists-197081.html

Who do you think does it well if it's so easy?

As an artist you don't have to portray golden all the time to inspire people.
Alot of whats reassuring about being melancholy and honest about the world is that it's very reassuring. Human kind is not very kind to those who speak the truth as it is and I feel bands like Nine Inch Nails take a huge risk and use a huge amount of energy to be as honest as they are. NIN do have an enormous amount of light in the music, some songs more than others.
It's very motivating music 'if your into it' and it is about holding on to what you believe in against this enormous unstoppable machine that is government,life, feelings,religion etc..

 

[popsadie]

Yes. But perhaps NIN and U2 do not share the same beliefs. Melancholy and somewhat depressing music is honest if that is what you are really feeling, but I just don't think that that is where u2 ARE personally. Take Kingdom for example- yes it doesn't have bright choruses but it still has a sense of peace and wonder that express what u2 feel about the world and the god that at least 3 of them believe in. NIN's music might express how Trent feels, but I don't think it is a very good expression of how u2 feel.

 

[BVS]

As an artist you don't have to portray golden all the time to inspire people.

No one has said otherwise But as an artist you are suppose to push yourself...

Alot of whats reassuring about being melancholy and honest about the world is that it's very reassuring.

But if you're truly honest than you know there is dark and light.

Human kind is not very kind to those who speak the truth as it is and I feel bands like Nine Inch Nails take a huge risk and use a huge amount of energy to be as honest as they are. NIN do have an enormous amount of light in the music, some songs more than others.

I don't think NIN has taken any risks in years, in fact I find a lot of his latest work to be almost schtick angst. And I was a huge fan for years...

I think a big risk for Trent would be to actually speak about some of the optimism and light in the world for most of his fans would be like

You said it's easy, but you haven't given any examples of who does it well...

 

[LuvandPeace1980]

Yes. But perhaps NIN and U2 do not share the same beliefs. Melancholy and somewhat depressing music is honest if that is what you are really feeling, but I just don't think that that is where u2 ARE personally. Take Kingdom for example- yes it doesn't have bright choruses but it still has a sense of peace and wonder that express what u2 feel about the world and the god that at least 3 of them believe in. NIN's music might express how Trent feels, but I don't think it is a very good expression of how u2 feel.

Oh look i totally agree. I have read a few books about both artists and the art is completely different and a completely different perspective.
However I find central and core to both of the artists is freedom and justice.
Trent states that actually he isn't a very depressive person, he just says his music comes across that way cause that is the stuff he wants to write about. It's still spilling his heart out however and thats my point, it's very honest and very hard to talk about some of that stuff. It opens up quite few doors and boundaries. The art is his vent and his view and Nine Inch Nails evolved from how he saw government religion and corporations.

U2's music is more like a mission and has been from the beginning, like a soul searching to heal himself(Bono) and also the audience. It's more about action and what we could/should be doing.