reverse album order

[allbecauseofu2]

I asked this before when HTDAAB came out. How would things have worked out if u2's albums had been released the other way around. As in, we are about to experience the new u2 album in 2009, "boy" and its world tour. lol.

1980-NLOTH
1981-HTDAAB
1983-ATYCLB
1984-POP
1987-ZOO
1988-AB
1991-RAH
1993-TJT
1997-TUF
2000-WAR
2004-OCT
2009-BOY.

If this had actually occurred, its too bad war doesn't fall into the 2004 slot. And what would pop have sounded like like in 1984????? And interesting, that ab and rah switch places. Cause one was a experiment taken too far (said by some) with clues to a reinvention (also said by some) , and the other was 180 on everything they had ever done fulfilling that clue on the previous album.

 

[BVS]

I always wondered how U2 would have turned out if they were all born as women...

 

[Fernando-]

^^

 

[powerhour24]

but seriously, I have no idea how to answer this question, I'll let others tackle it, to me there's a clear evolution of U2 that just would make absolutely no sense in reverse. One thing's for sure, AB would be even more ahead of its time, and Zooropa would just have been insane in 87, I mean look how it was received in 1993 (then RH got all kinds of praise for doing a similar transition to Kid A ).

 

[allbecauseofu2]

if they released a album called war, in 2000, and then u have 9/11 it would have been as emotional as ATYCLB was if not more. Then you have the joshua tree in 1993. Would be a failure, or along the lines of mature alt pop like rem? RAH in 1991 is them trying to distance themselves from the pop/experimentation of the 80's. lol. By going back to the roots of rock. I'm not sure if "I will follow" from the new album can match the classic power of there oldest and greatest hit , that new wave classic "get on your boots". lol.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

Zooropa would just have been insane in 87, I mean look how it was received in 1993 (then RH got all kinds of praise for doing a similar transition to Kid A ).

i thought it was pretty well received

 

[Flaming Friar Sr]

i know one thing and that is that htdaab would have been considered the logical 'tough' second album that does not live up to the hype following the more than promising debut nloth

 

[bsp77]

Wow, in 1991, they released live versions of songs that hadn't been recorded yet, but the fans all knew the words!

 

[2861U2]

Wow, in 1991, they released live versions of songs that hadn't been recorded yet, but the fans all knew the words!

I'm willing to wait almost 4 and a half years for something as good as NLOTH. If I waited that long only to receive something like Boy (which is still good, don't get me wrong), I wouldn't have been too thrilled.

 

[allbecauseofu2]

lol oh yea. RAH in 1991.. i guess it would have been a live version of vertigo and love peace or else. And a gospel version of stuck in a moment. (that could work).Then they could do a live version of "big girls are best" where bono says to edge, :"ok edge play the blues?!".

 

[europop2005]

Pop in 84 woulda been trippyyyyyyyyyy

 

[JOFO]

I can't answer that. However, what about this question:

What if NLOTH came out in 2004 and Bomb in 2009?


Or:

What if NLOTH came out in 2000, Bomb in 2004, and ATYCLB in 2009?

 

[JOFO]

What if NLOTH came out in 2000, Bomb in 2004, and ATYCLB in 2009?

Actually, my opinion is NLOTH would've flopped in 2000. It would've been perceived as still too "experimental" following POP; BD saved their ass after POP and NLOTH just doesn't have one of those tunes...Magnificent maybe, but it wouldn't have been as big as BD. imo.

Had their career survived after that, I think bomb would've been massive; hailed as a return to true songwriting etc. blah blah.

ATYCLB in 2009 would've been called boring, safe, a continuation of Bomb, U2 have no balls anymore, etc.

imo.

 

[LemonMelon]

If you apply this to The Beatles, I'm pretty sure Please Please Me would be an underground indie rock sensation, while Sgt. Pepper would be seen as pompous and derivative psychedelic schlock. Of course, psychedelia wouldn't be what it is today without Sgt. Pepper, so maybe it wouldn't be seen as derivative.

 

[Zoo_Fly]

i thought it was pretty well received

Well if the Grammys are anything to go by (and we all know they're not), it WAS pretty well received, beating out Smashing Pumpkins for best alternative album, I believe, in 1993...

 

[Joey788]

Bono would have to rewrite some of Unknown Caller's lyrics since I don't think "Speed-dialing with no signal at all" or "Force quit and move to trash" would have made much sense in 1980.

But it certainly is an interesting idea. I wonder how all the tours would have turned out then. I can't see the band unleashing something like Popmart for 1997's Joshua Tree tour. lol

 

[pcfitz80]

Maybe I'm reading into this too much but is everything reversed? Is that what the original post was getting at? In other words, 1980: promising debute album NLOTH by an up & coming band but for a 20 year old, young Bono sure does have a voice that sounds pretty rugged. fast forward to UF in 1997 in: what a vocal performance with Pride! at 37, Bono's voice just keeps getting stronger & stronger with age! these notes were much harder for Bono to hit back in the 80's. Boy in 2009: U2 has continued to take an interesting approach this decade by making another album based influenced by the new wave, post punk genre of the late 70s & early 80s... And what a "young" sound!

Otherwise, if we pretend NLOTH, HTDAAB had the post punk influence & young voice Bono where War - Boy in the 00s had older sounding Bono (2 totally different voices) the 3 albums at each end point would have been totally different so it would be more than simply reversing them...

The first scenario is more interesting IMO but also more unrealistic and would have happened. But IMO, Boy - War are underrated albums, possibly because the band was so much less known at the time of their release so it'd be interesting to see how'd they do as is if they were released as new material but still the same only this decade after the band made it big with JT, AB

 

[JOFO]

Is Marty McFly involved in this scenario at all?

Ironically, the name fits perfectly.....

 

[allbecauseofu2]

AB in 1988. hmmmm. I can def see what RAH would be in 1991,. A band that did all they could do in the 80's, decides to try roots rock etc. stripped down. Out of control would be a reflective song in 2009. I mean , from a greater age difference . Its about being 18. He wrote it when he was 19? Or when he was 18? you get the point. It would have been different from a guy in his mid 40's. Also, Another question. Coldplay,killers have been accused of ripping u2 off. Some just say influenced. In reverse order, does the future remain the same? Do those bands take those alt reality albums and come away with the same feelings? (and one real life normal world question, are killers/coldplay etc influenced by 90's u2?).