The SAD at People trashing HTDAAB Thread

[BOYO3221]

i agree with the people inhere that state bomb has good songs but as an "album" no cohesion, i agree with that. i guess for me it was a good time in my life where i was not reflecting anymore and just wanted to rock and here good tunes from the band i love, i just turned 30 got married and was no longer wanting to be deep and introspective. bomb made me feel good because it had seriously good tunes. and after ATYCLB it was time to jam again. i just felt ATYCLB was a little to slow for me as this album seems a little too slow for me, even though i like it. stand up is really growing on me and i thought i would NEVER like that song. i still don't know about white as snow though?......good thread LONG LIVE THE BOMB ..hahaha

 

[Popmart Shopper]

Yah the only thing about ATYCLB and HTDAAB was the fact that it didnt have that continous album flow like previous albums did or even now like NLOTH does,but regardless of what people say some of U2's best songs came from those albums(Beautiful Day,Walk On,Kite,SYCMIOYO,City of Blinding Lights,Original of the Species).

 

[BigMacPhisto]

It's strange to see so much distaste for HTDAAB around here when the same raves for NLOTH were being tossed around for it upon its leakage...and half the people bashing it now were claiming it was "one of their best" and "it's great to have the boys rockin' again!"

 

[coolian2]

i still like htdaab more than atyclb.

htdaab showed they still had a solid album in them, they just made bad choices with which tracks they put on. atyclb couldn't have been redeemed in my books, but htdaab had potential.

 

[stagman]

Bomb was a very good album, just let down by a few lyrical fubahs

Vertigo - 7.5/10 Great sound, few crap lyrics... and the yeah yeah yeah at the end is very very bad
Miracle Drug - 5/10 Weakest song, beautiful story turned into song, with a few messed up lyrics ruining it and a really really crap chorus
SYCMIOYO - 9.5/10 Beautiful lryics, musically very good and will be a classic for decades
LAPOE - 8/10 Awesome sounds, great solo... cool theme turned sour by some lyrics not many poeple really can take in and understand
COBL - 8.5/10 Beautiful song with with great music well produced despite what some poeple on these forums say.. the layers are incredible! a few lyrical screwups from bono make it kinda cheesy and crap ending..
ABOY - 9/10 Another song like Mysterious Ways where bono praises God in a really cool way but could also be singing about a freind or a lover... Awesome guitar work and sounds brilliant musically... just a few bad lyrics but sadly most poeple just dont get the God connection as to them the song seems flat.
A Man and a Woman - 7/10 Very cool groove and some cool lyrics mixed in with some bad ones.... did'nt quite work out really but still nice change of mood.
Crumbs From Your Table - 6/10 Some good moments, ruined by a few dodgy lyrics, highlights the need of Africa and a strange theme misdirected at various christian movements... What could have sounded really cool ruined by terrible production..what were they thinking?? could have been so much better.
One Step Closer - 8.5/10 Sad song, that hits the soul which is very powerful and very personal lyrics about his father.... beautiful!
OOTS - 7.5/10 Really beautiful lyrics but has a few mishaps... Beautiful guitar well mixed with many layers(again poeple complained that they could here more than 3 sounds at ones..seriously guys) another personal song about bono's or edge's kids... beautiful song... yet sounded a bit cheesy a times...
Yahweh - 7/10 beautiful lryics about giving yourself to God and a great chorus.. musically could have been a little better, mixing maybe a bit off but all in all a nice closer

All up its not that bad when you really get into it.... certainly does not deserve the crap that has been flung at it... And anyhow how brilliant were all the songs in Concert!! cant complain about that now can you!

 

[ozeeko]

See, this is the kind of quote that you think is cool now, but when you're a bit older you'll regret. Also the kind of thing that makes me embarrassed to be a U2 fan.

On this site, people pretend that HTDAAB was some sort of epic disaster, the Hindenberg-meets-Titanic of rock music. In the real world outside of this site, HTDAAB was critically acclaimed, commerically huge, award winning, praised by each member of U2, and achieved far more than they could ever have expected it to. Fact.

What in God's name are you talking about?

First of all, I'm not trying to be cool. I like the fact that I got into U2 during the Zooropa years, cuz it provided me with the current weird U2, and the past serious and great U2, and it was like two different bands, but i loved it all. I didn't have any preconcieved notions of how U2 should sound. I never felt like my band betrayed me. I just knew they were a great band that was constantly evolving, so I'm always all for change. There's no "this is my u2" belief, or that U2 needs to sound "this way" or "that way". U2 can sound however they want. I think getting into them at a strange time (during Zooropa, their most alternative album) helped me to have an open mind when it came to them. I wasn't stating this just to look cool, like I'm better than everyone else. I'm just saying I liked the era that got me into U2.

Second of all, what am I supposed to regret when I'm older? Am i gonna be walking around when I'm fifty and all of a sudden fall to my knees and go, "Oh my God! I should've never posted that comment on the U2 forum!" So, seriously, why are you getting all dramatic about a measly post?

Third and lastly, you know what I think is embarrassing when it comes to U2 fans? This...


"On this site, people pretend that HTDAAB was some sort of epic disaster, the Hindenberg-meets-Titanic of rock music. In the real world outside of this site, HTDAAB was critically acclaimed, commerically huge, award winning, praised by each member of U2, and achieved far more than they could ever have expected it to. Fact"

Your words. People will preach to no end how much music is subjective. And that's fine. But flaunting all U2's gold medals and grammy's is the last refuge of someone who basically has no argument. It's shameful bragging, and something you'll regret when you mature, get a little cynical, and realize "hey, you know what? Mariah Carey was also nominated for that Grammy. Grammies don't mean a thing!"

I'm chalking this all up to: you love BOMB and it's your child, you can't stand it when someone badmouths it.

 

[coolian2]

why would one want a successful album that your own fans don't like?

it seems fucked up to me.

 

[rwhite]

I agree that Bomb was the first U2 album to dip down to the boring level. Still, there are those handful of songs on it that are very good, such as COBL, ABOY, OOTS (Vertigo is pretty decent, as well). I don't understand the claim that ATYCLB is full of filler (particularly the 2nd half). Although it wasn't one of their more groundbreaking albums, it was quite consistent.

 

[Cactus Annie]

I agree with everything with what Boyo3221 has said about HTDAAB and ATYCLB. As someone said on another forum I visit, ATYCLB offered up nothing exciting. It's dull as dish water. I loved Bono's vocals on there and I love the singles but the rest of it was snoozzzzzze. HTDAAB was better in terms of melody of the song, structurely and far more rockier.

And you know when people say "it's overproduced". Well from someone who finds the very thought of mayo makes me want to heave, and if someone made me a sandwich and they just simply scraped off the mayo and handed me the sandwich. I could not eat it even if their is no trace of mayo and they had used new bread. This is what I think people have a problem with HTDAAB. They only think it's overproduced because some of the songs because they have read the credits on the albums sleeve and saw the full list of names of the people who have contributed to the production of some of the songs. I read the credits on quite a few of the albums I possess and let me say that compaired to some of the credits on songs by other artists, they make even COBL or OOTS look modest. What does mix engineering mean? And all these assistants; what does even the person who sets up the mic get a mention? I think they have to mention everyone else they will be sued.

My suggestion would be that if you're buying the physical format than either get someone to tip out the credits out so you can't see the names or just throw away the sleeve.

 

[nadie]

The new trend seems to be, instead of "Bomb sux," that Bomb is really an underappreciated epic album, and anyone who dislikes it is either immature or just doesn't know any better... and in the future will finally come to realize the glory that is Bomb

Well, I don't love any of the songs on Bomb. CoBL is acceptable, that's it. It's not impossible that someone simply does not like an album, no matter when it was released.

 

[MrPryck2U]

No, it seems like the trend is people saying that Bomb was a failure when it simply was not.

I can deal with people not liking it. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, of course. But saying it was a failure is incorrect.

 

[wolbersu2]

I like HTDAAB and ATYCLB for sure. Songs like New York, When I look at the world, Kite, Miracle drug and Fast cars are still thrilling me. They had their own classics like Beautiful day, Elevation, City of Blinding lights and Vertigo. But.... Now here's the new album. And it sounds incredible... It puts both albums in his shadow, although those albums are super!

It's not a question of bad albums it's just better, best, even better, or so....

 

[nadie]

No, it seems like the trend is people saying that Bomb was a failure when it simply was not.

I can deal with people not liking it. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, of course. But saying it was a failure is incorrect.

That's true; Bomb was anything but a failure.

 

[Niceman]

No, it seems like the trend is people saying that Bomb was a failure when it simply was not.

I can deal with people not liking it. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, of course. But saying it was a failure is incorrect.

They did it to Rattle and Hum as well. U2 fanatics are a moody bunch...

 

[kitkat234]

I love both ATYCLB & Bomb!I think that they are both good albums with many, many good songs.Crumbs is one of my all time favorites & to hear it live....I never have been able to understand why when a new album comes out, its ok to call them failures.I think each U2 album is good for very different reasons & that's why I love them so much.

 

[Cactus Annie]

HTDAAB won album of the year. The grammys award people based on it's creative merit rather than the popular vote. People only say they irrevelent because they didn't like the album, that's fair enough, but just because I loved AB obviously there was another album that was out that year that was deemed better by the those in the know. This is why it lost out on Album of The Year.

I finally know what you are trying to say when people say it's overproduced. What they mean is that they don't like it's layers. I love layers and that's probably why I love this album so much. If you've just got the basic sound of the 4 band members than it can sound just like a boring rock song (like a lot of recent stuff by Oasis and numerous shitty indie bands). Vertigo is like this. What I like to hear is melody and many instruments. When the band are rehersing a new song before they record it they could think "it needs a hook or more rythem". Instead of making the changes with the instruments they are using they should put it more layers. U2 have always done this with their music so I don't understand why people are moaning. You don't listen to U2 if you are searching for the type of material The Arctic Monkeys make. "I got this banana milkshake but I wanted it to taste like chocolate. Why does it taste like banana" It was like me yesterday. I bought another hamster because although I had 3, I wanted one that was fiesty. Frieda is squeaky, Malcolm is playful and Joy is grumpy but they all tend to get nervous if you bang on their cage whilst they are tying to sleep or you make a sudden loud noize. So I bought a black and white hamster and I've called him Bono. He's very fiesty even when I banged on his cage and called him a wanker because he couldn't knock Lilly Allen off the top of the singles chart. He just ran into his box and ran back out again. He's a great climber as well. Why have 4 when you can have 15.

I hope NLOTH has many layers on. People should have said what they meant by overproduced instead of just expecting us just to guess.

I think it's the vocal minority who whine about HTDAAB

 

[ozeeko]

HTDAAB won album of the year. The grammys award people based on it's creative merit rather than the popular vote. People only say they irrevelent because they didn't like the album, that's fair enough, but just because I loved AB obviously there was another album that was out that year that was deemed better by the those in the know. This is why it lost out on Album of The Year.

Achtung Baby lost to Eric Clapton's Unplugged album. You know why he won? Because his son died and they gave him the award as a way of consoling him in his time of tragedy.

Steely Dan's "Two Against Nature" beat out "ATYCLB". You know why? Because it was the acedemy's way of saying "sorry for not recognizing you in the 70's. Here's your award. Sorry it's a bit late." (btw, i'm a huge steely dan fan, but come on, that album was so below their standards)

So, as you can see, the Grammie's are not known for rewarding people based on creative merit. A lot of politics goes into play.

 

[The_Pac_Mule]

How about.

We trash a different album. Like The Unforgettable Fire??


HAH. BAD? WHAT A FITTING TITLE LOLZ DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ABOUT ELVIS PRESLEY AND AMERICA.

:Sarcasm:

 

[Serena Vox]

HTDAAB imo is not a very good album. It's not a failure, as clearly, look how many copies it sold and awards it won. It has some of their best songs, but at the same time, it has some of their worst - which is not a good combination. I would prefer a handful of really good songs and the rest to be mediocre rather than being able to listen from start to finish and go, "Love that track, hate this one, love this one, hate this one" etc.

It sucks when I can't bear to listen to an album from start to finish because I absolutely cannot stand half the tracks on it. Just my opinion.

 

[Catman]

Achtung Baby lost to Eric Clapton's Unplugged album. You know why he won? Because his son died and they gave him the award as a way of consoling him in his time of tragedy.

Steely Dan's "Two Against Nature" beat out "ATYCLB". You know why? Because it was the acedemy's way of saying "sorry for not recognizing you in the 70's. Here's your award. Sorry it's a bit late." (btw, i'm a huge steely dan fan, but come on, that album was so below their standards)

So, as you can see, the Grammie's are not known for rewarding people based on creative merit. A lot of politics goes into play.

Actually, ATYCLB lost to the "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" sdtk...

 

[bsp77]

I finally know what you are trying to say when people say it's overproduced. What they mean is that they don't like it's layers. I love layers and that's probably why I love this album so much. If you've just got the basic sound of the 4 band members than it can sound just like a boring rock song (like a lot of recent stuff by Oasis and numerous shitty indie bands).

Actually, HTDAAB is one of their least layered albums. Look at Vertigo, SYCMIOYO, LAPOE, ABOY, OSC. That is not what people mean when they say it is overproduced.

 

[TonyH]

I've always felt that HTDAAB is a more complete--and better album--than ATYCLB. Although I do love the latter also! I'm also getting tired of the berating of Bomb; it's a darn good album!

 

[rwhite]

I agree totally with the comments stating the Grammy awards being based on internal politics. That is so true. Besides, musical tastes are just too personal & subjective, in my opinion, for an elite, insider group to essentially try to tell everyone what they should be listening to, by bestowing their "special" award. I don't care too much for awards shows in general, but even among these, the Grammys are near the bottom. At least the Oscars have a veneer of class about them.

 

[65980]

Who gives a s*** about the Grammies? It's arbitrary -- why not talk about the Canadian Junos instead? It's not like U2 are even American.

I'll never understand complaints about the HTDAAB production/mixing. If it were me, I'd have Lillywhite produce everything after Zooropa. Big, loud, and brash -- rock'n'roll man!!

(I concede that HTDAAB doesn't have the "layers" of sound that other albums have, but that's fine -- sometimes I just wanna hear loud, strong, and big.)

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Ok, I decided to listen to this again this morning, just to give it a fair chance and to see how well it's aged for me, personally. Before today, I honestly can't remember the last time I listened to the entire album.

Anyway, Vertigo was skipped over immediately, as was All Because of You, One Step Closer, and Crumbs. A Man and A Woman - also skipped, but that said, I do prefer the accoustic version more.

Miracle Drug is a beautiful song, if you look at it as a whole, and can look past some of the god awful lyrics. I immediately loved this one when I first got the album, and still do. A few of my friends were going through some issues with loved ones during this time, so I have emotional attachment to the song, but it has aged well for me.

Sometimes will always be one of my favorites, as will City of Blinding Lights. That's all.

Original of the Species is a song I absolutely revered when I heard it live, and loved it and put it up in the classic U2 songs, but surprisingly today, it didn't hold up as well. Perhaps because it was the studio version, but it seems to have lost something for me.

Yahweh I could always leave or take, depending.

Overall, I give Bomb, 4 years on, a 5/10.

 

[clerks]

Leave it to fans to hate their favorite band more than just a casual listener.

I bet half the people posting negative things were the same ones posting "best album eva" 4 years ago...

 

[catlhere]

Ok, I decided to listen to this again this morning, just to give it a fair chance...

And you did this by skipping over a bunch of tracks. Makes perfect sense.

 

[WCF]

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb was a decent album I think. It has its fair share of good songs including some of my favorites. Definitely not a terrible album at all. I'd rank it in my top half of all U2 albums somewhere.

All That You Can't Leave Behind, however, I think is absolutely brilliant. I consider it to be their third masterpiece to be honest and have never doubted that. It's lighthearted and that in itself I think is a great theme for the album. It's pop-ish and easy to listen to, something I don't consider a bad quality at all, but is actually a good one and really correlates with the lighthearted theme. For me, it's beautiful and innocent (Beautiful Day, Wild Honey) and the parts Interferencers would consider "boring" I would say are peaceful (When I Look At the World, New York, Grace.)

As much as we can say we don't care about popular opinion, I think it really does matter. Beautiful Day was really a smash hit and is, nowadays, the song young people associate U2 with. Everyone knows this song and I think another Beautiful Day is exactly what U2 needs. I think its sad that around my high school, U2 is becoming another one of those bands that have a hit song where no one can name the band that made it. More people know Beautiful Day than U2. They are no longer that "biggest rock band in the world," but instead, "that band that made Beautiful Day and Vertigo."

 

[Zoomerang96]

And you did this by skipping over a bunch of tracks. Makes perfect sense.

why the fuck do you care? she gave an honest review.

i don't need to listen to some songs again to know they're shit.

we could turn the tables on you and pick some album that you don't like but is reverred by many, and you'd say the same thing.

if you like that particular u2 album, but if others don't who cares?

 

[edgeplaytheblue]

Ok, I decided to listen to this again this morning, just to give it a fair chance and to see how well it's aged for me, personally. Before today, I honestly can't remember the last time I listened to the entire album.

Anyway, Vertigo was skipped over immediately, as was All Because of You, One Step Closer, and Crumbs. A Man and A Woman - also skipped, but that said, I do prefer the accoustic version more.

Miracle Drug is a beautiful song, if you look at it as a whole, and can look past some of the god awful lyrics. I immediately loved this one when I first got the album, and still do. A few of my friends were going through some issues with loved ones during this time, so I have emotional attachment to the song, but it has aged well for me.

Sometimes will always be one of my favorites, as will City of Blinding Lights. That's all.

Original of the Species is a song I absolutely revered when I heard it live, and loved it and put it up in the classic U2 songs, but surprisingly today, it didn't hold up as well. Perhaps because it was the studio version, but it seems to have lost something for me.

Yahweh I could always leave or take, depending.

Overall, I give Bomb, 4 years on, a 5/10.

Same skips here. I have created an mp3 CD will the full catalog of U2 for in my car. And I had to make space so I didn't include the songs you just mention except Crumbs (i like that one) They don't work for me.

MD is great, the first song I said "WOW" too when I heard the album in 2004
Original is great, one of the albums highlights.

SOmetimes is mehhh ... the lyrics are great but it depends if i want to hear it.