HTDAAB Revisionist History

[monsieur fly]

Let me echo roy: GREAT POST 65980! I loved ABOY when I first heard it, seemed to give that musical and spiritual uplift you speak of. Though it quickly fell on my list, like I said previously, it has grown on me again and found a permanent place on my list of not great, but VERY GOOD U2 songs. Good job making sense of this song, musically and lyrically! I too have a hard time belieivng some other songs are loved while this song is hated. Maybe it did not work as well as it could have live, but thats ok. Everyone LOVES the fly(myself included) and Bono himself said they did not get that down live until the Vertigo tour.

Well I disagree with your views on the album but I don't think ABOY is the main problem. It's actually a good rocker and I love Bono's Jaggeresque leer on "I'm alive..." That said, it wasn't great lyrically and the chorus vocals are grating. The problem with the live version is that lacked a second guitar. Without that powerful riff, it sounded weak. Bono should have played rhythm on it- surely the Edge could have taught him the riff.

 

[ZOOTVTOURist]

Everybody his own taste ...

1. "Vertigo":
Heavy drums, shimmering guitar sounds, full band explosion in the catchy chorus. Simply the best U2 single since ages, coming full circle with its 1979 predecessor "Stories For Boys" and being performed this way live. From boys to men – this tune still rocks!

2. "Miracle Drug":
This topic song telling the tragical story of the Irish writer Christopher Nolan, who was enabled only by medicine to learn to type, is still heart breaking. It's brilliant guitar waves and the building up of the whole tune always reminds me of one of my all-time faves, "With Or Without You" – though this tune is far from being worse. The live performence by Bono & The Edge singing the lines to each other from the B-stages across the space, was incredible intense. An eternally beautiful moment!

3. "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own":
Well what can you say about this song, digging even deeper than #2 of the album. The song, Bono performed at his dad's funeral (along with "Black Hills Of Dakota", as he did in concert). A song, that seemed to make him cry sometimes and that did so to me always. A U2 classic already, in every sense ...

4. "Love And Peace Or Else":
The "mother of all rock songs", the "Full Metal Jacket" is an important piece of lyrics and music. It has this topic song theme, an incredible guitar effect, brilliant drum effects, was a crowd favourite live because of its "mad Ninja" performance – but it still doesn't get me, the way it should. I'd estimate "Bullet The Ble Sky" still much higher; it might be the original-copy thing. Don't know why, it's just the way it is. Felt the same in '04 and do so still in '09. Not my song, nope ...

5. "City Of Blinding Lights":
An anthem, great guitar sounds, nice song parts building from a rather cool mood to punkish sounds. It was a perfect opener (with the long intro!), but now it's not my favourite song either. Seems to have lost since '04 and I won't be sad, if it was skipped from the next tour's setlist. Bono & Co: If you search for singles to be played, take "The Unforgettable Fire" – that's the real thing!

6. "All Because Of You":
Often criticized, I still like this outbreak of speed, rock and shouting out the lines. Did so in '05 when I first heard it live and still like it. And who spits on the simple chorus line and tries to compare it with Shakespeare, let me tell you: "You're the real thing, you're the real thing, even better than the real thing" isn't much better, friends. So enjoy!

7. "A Man And A Woman":
Astonishing arrangement, awesome guitar riffs and what a voice. Still reminds me with its emotional landscapes of 80ies tunes like "Love Comes Tumbling", but this here is far better lyrically and musically. Why didn't the band try to perform it live? A missed chance ...

8. "Crumbs From Your Table":
Missed chances #2. This is truly one of the great, great U2 hymns. Played in stadiums on the 2nd leg (like at least planned) it would have been a crowd rocker, imitators like Coldplay could only dream of. A topic song, great lyrics, great guitar work – and I still hope, this classic will become a second chance ...

9. "One Step Closer":
The aftermath of the outbreak. Atmosphere, Joshua like synths and guitar sounds. The silence after and before the storm, reflection, a break through reality. A beautiful piece of music – and when the drums set in, even the last one with ears should listen ...

10. "Original Of The Species":
A mini-symphony, harmony changes, chorus upon chorus, mind-blowing in its best sense. When performed full band live, I loved it; when played stripped down on the piano, I did the same. A great, great song.

11. "Yahweh":
Images of the reging sea come to my mind, when hearing the first notes. Then the biblical prayer (or the sacrilegue) sets in. The song with maybe the best lyrics on the album. A perfect closer in the tradition of "40", "The Wanderer" or "Wake Up Dead Man".

The album, that deals with the world and the human being at the crossroads of its existence, is still one of the best albums, U2 have made so far– yes, a kind of sonic masterpiece, that won't be easy to match by the forthcoming work ...10/10, nothing more, nothing less

 

[MMP]

Agree with you except on Yahweh and ABOY (I don't like them, but Yahweh is beautiful live) and LAPOE (which is one of my fav on the album)

 

[monsieur fly]

6. "All Because Of You":
Often criticized, I still like this outbreak of speed, rock and shouting out the lines. Did so in '05 when I first heard it live and still like it. And who spits on the simple chorus line and tries to compare it with Shakespeare, let me tell you: "You're the real thing, you're the real thing, even better than the real thing" isn't much better, friends. So enjoy!

[/quote]

I completely disagree with this post but as you rightly point out each to his own. That said I've got to take issue with this part. "You're the real thing, even better than the real thing" is VASTLY better, in fact it's one of the cleverest lines in rock n roll history because it says so much about modern superficiality.

 

[ZOOTVTOURist]

6. "All Because Of You":
Often criticized, I still like this outbreak of speed, rock and shouting out the lines. Did so in '05 when I first heard it live and still like it. And who spits on the simple chorus line and tries to compare it with Shakespeare, let me tell you: "You're the real thing, you're the real thing, even better than the real thing" isn't much better, friends. So enjoy!

"You're the real thing, even better than the real thing" is VASTLY better, in fact it's one of the cleverest lines in rock n roll history because it says so much about modern superficiality.[/QUOTE]

Hm, okay, you wanted it: "All because of you – I am, I am" is at least en par with the quoted '91 society criticism.
It does not 'only' capture, what one could think about/say to his beloved partner, friend, wife, husband, child etc. There is much more interpretation layer in it: In the Old Testament (Exodus, 3) God appeared to Moses as "I am, who I am". Jesus later does the same, confirming to be Messiah with the simple statement "I am". Bono's doubled "I am" is obviously such a reference to God, or even better defined, Jesus.
"All Because Of You I am", "All Because Of You Jesus", "All Because Of You I do exist" ... With thanking Jesus for being alive, for existing, Bono does thank the Lord/Jesus as a "child of grace". He discovers Jesus in nature ("moon"; "shadow") and describes him being the light in the darkness ("everything was ugly but your beautiful face"). Bono praises the salvation, only Jesus can make him, the imperfect human full of failures, "perfect again". So, this song may be a bit deeper than on the surface, don't you think?

 

[thelaj]

For me, I only listen to Vertigo & Fast Cars these days. The songs are all solid (bar ABOY) but they just seem so derivative - it is like U2 doing a pastiche of themselves.

Add Smile, Mercy and the alternative version of SYCMIOYO and the album would have been a lot stronger.

 

[Cactus Annie]

For all this arguing I decided to look up All Because Of You and The Bomb on rym

All Because of You is rated as the 626th worst single of all time and 57th worst single of 2005

The Bomb is rated as the 96th worst album of 2004

Seems to me that the album and song are hated outside this forum as well as on here...

(No Line On The Horizon is also rated the 12th worst album of 2009 )

What's wrong with it? And what do you mean by over-produced? A lot of emo/pop bands tend to overproduce their vocals because the singer has no confidence in their style so instead of using this style and a heartfelt performance they get scarred of things that never used to worry to real rock stars in the past. They get worried about pitch slurs, cracks, straining and all flaws. The result: a bland, less emotional performance. Do you think this king of things worried Joe Cocker? Rod Stewart? Ozzy Osbourne? John Lydon? Bonnie Riatt? No, they were real rock vocalists who were daring and soulful. I wonder if that old 70's glam rock band Slade had these types of fears.

Is it to do with the mixing? If so please tell me. I read somewhere where a producer listed what he considered to be a few examples of albums that were well mixed. There were 3 albums on the list which I owned, these are: Come Away With Me (Norah Jones), Mechanical Animals (Maralyn Manson) and Brand New Day (Sting). I can't remember what else was on the list. All this is irrelevent to me anyway because I don't understand what makes a bad mix from a good one because I am thick.

 

[Cactus Annie]

Wow, it seems you definitely missed the humor on that guy's post. I think you're a little too in love with this album. You just can't believe it when someone dislikes something you like. You need to get out more. Expand your horizons. I'm sorry, am i unfairly judging you? You should know what that's like. Hell, you started it with the "U2 doesn't need fans like you" comment. Not that it offended me. I actually laughed out loud when i read it. You know, I might be a tad blunt when expressing something i dislike, but at least i don't act like some kind of elitist, superior U2 fan. I have never accused anyone on this forum of not being a true U2 fan. I don't think anyone would waste their time on here if they weren't such a big fan. I may argue my opinions on the music, but what i don't do is make it personal. That is, unless someone else does it first. So, in closing, you need to get off your high horse and admit to yourself that HTDAAB is just an album and ABOY is just a song. Many people don't like it (i know its so hard to believe), and you have to respect that. You know...I'm in the minority here of people who love Zooropa and think it's one of U2's greatest albums. And no, i don't think the majority that dislikes it are lesser U2 fans.

I agree with tis post

 

[monsieur fly]

Hm, okay, you wanted it: "All because of you – I am, I am" is at least en par with the quoted '91 society criticism.
It does not 'only' capture, what one could think about/say to his beloved partner, friend, wife, husband, child etc. There is much more interpretation layer in it: In the Old Testament (Exodus, 3) God appeared to Moses as "I am, who I am". Jesus later does the same, confirming to be Messiah with the simple statement "I am". Bono's doubled "I am" is obviously such a reference to God, or even better defined, Jesus.
"All Because Of You I am", "All Because Of You Jesus", "All Because Of You I do exist" ... With thanking Jesus for being alive, for existing, Bono does thank the Lord/Jesus as a "child of grace". He discovers Jesus in nature ("moon"; "shadow") and describes him being the light in the darkness ("everything was ugly but your beautiful face"). Bono praises the salvation, only Jesus can make him, the imperfect human full of failures, "perfect again". So, this song may be a bit deeper than on the surface, don't you think?[/quote]


I think you make a fair point very well here. ABOY is by no means the worst lyric on the album. You are right to point out the well-executed double reference in "I am" but it doesn't say as much as "you're even better than the real thing". It's not the sort of line you can really internalise and apply to your own worldview. Plus, the lyric as a whole is rather Sunday schoolish- most of the the images (moon, shadows) are fairly generic and the one that isn't (our beloved "intellectual tortoise") is rather clumsy. So, yes I do agree that there is more than meets the eye, but hardly enough to be truly satisfying. The best thing to be said about ABOY is that it's a loud rocker with a good riff. That's what Bono ought to tell the god of music if his work is ever tried!

 

[djparky]

I feel like I'm in the minority with this- I still genuinely really like Atomic Bomb- was playing it on the ipod on the way to work earlier today- ok it's a bit U2 by numbers in places- but no more so than ATYCLB- and it doesn't tail off in quite the same manner after the sixth track

Must admit I don't pay huge attention to the lyrics- unless something really good (or bad) leaps out- with regard to ABOY- it's not their best but it's harmless fun- and although I know it's a bit daft I do like the "intellectual tortoise" bit

have to say that this is a remarkably civilized discussion on this album- from both camps- a very welcome change after the endless arguments I've witnessed on other non U2 fan forums- where the slightest hint of any negative views about artist/album is met with a barrage of abuse

 

[Peter]

I still like the album very much...

 

[BigMacPhisto]

It's still a great album. The best material on it knocked my socks off more than anything else in 2004.....so much so that I couldn't objectively list it with the other albums from that year. On the one hand, it has some pretty immense flaws and mediocre songs.....on the other hand, Vertigo/Miracle Drug/Sometimes/City/All Because Of You pretty much trumped any album that year for me and are among my favorite songs of the decade.

But then there's "Crumbs From Your Table" and the lackluster "Original Of The Species"....."A Man And A Woman" is another song that sounds less and less striking with each listen. The only track aside from my Big Five that improved for me was "Love And Peace Or Else" thanks to a killer live version (Vertigo tour highlight?) and me slowly appreciating the excellent production work on it. Yahweh's still a pretty good track too though and it fluctuates for me between completely inspired or kind of unnecessary, but good either way.

Oh, and that dull "One Step Closer" is the most forgettable U2 album track in history. I didn't even remember that song by the time the Vertigo tour began and have only remembered it a handful of times since despite having heard that album at least forty times all the way through. It was a cool gap filler at first but that's probably just because I love U2 and was just glad to finally hear some new material.....it's the reason why I listed it as like their sixth best album initially and only disliked "Crumbs"

 

[edgeplaytheblue]

I still like yahweh, miracle drug and original of the species and vertigo. One step closer and a man and a woman i skip directly. The other songs are not that bad, but 4 years later i don't think that they stand the time. Ofcourse i have superb memories on the vertigo tour, so in that way the songs are still in my mind.

Strange or not? ... difficult maybe

 

[cobl04]

Miracle Drug, Sometimes, COBL, One Step Closer, Original of the Species and Yahweh are all still up there for me.

 

[mikal]

I've been trying this tracklisting as of late. makes it a little more interesting:

City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Love And Peace Or Else
Crumbs From Your Table
Smile
Original Of The Species (Killahurtz Mix)
Fast Cars
Mercy
One Step Closer
Yahweh

 

[cdirani]

I still love the album. Vertigo, Blinding Lights, Sometimes, A Man And A Woman, Original Of The Species, Yahweh...all timeless for me.

 

[bcrt2000]

ABOY definitely sounded better to me in the leaked clips. I guess that might be chalked up to bad recording quality. It sounded more like an Achtung song the way it was mixed. They ended up making it really raw on HTDAAB.

 

[major_panic]

HTDAAB is a good album by anyone else's standards. By U2's very lofty standards, however, it falls short somewhat due to ideas being overproduced or overthought, and some curious choices with regards to the album's tracks.

That being said, I still quite enjoy most of it, and it was the album that got me into U2, so there's a special place for it.

Here's a tracklist that I use which I feel brings out the best in HTDAAB:

1. Love And Peace Or Else
2. Vertigo
3. All Because Of You (alt. mix)
4. Fast Cars
5. Mercy
6. City of Blinding Lights
7. Miracle Drug
8. A Man And A Woman
9. Crumbs From Your Table
10. Smile / Yahweh (acoustic if it exists)
11. One Step Closer