what do you all think of this blog?

[asr]

Killing Bono – or how the fuck did U2 get so big? | Louder Than War

of course as a U2 fan I don't agree entirely, but there is a few good points like how u2 became so huge for a band not loved by that many people except for those of us on these boards.

 

[The Panther]

There are no good points. It's juvenile, pointless, ill-judged, and unintelligent. The writer has clearly struggled to master junior high school levels of grammar and punctuation, as well.

The highlight: "Bono is nowhere near as riveting as... Adam Ant." And Robert Deniro is nowhere near as intense as Pee-Wee Herman.

 

[corianderstem]

U2 is not loved by many except for those of us posting on U2 fan sites?

That's the funniest thing I've read in weeks.

Based on that quote, I feel safe in assuming that article is not worth reading.

 

[gvox]

It now says I need to login with a password.

 

[Nick66]

What a bunch of incomprehensible gibberish.

If there was a point to this, it got lost in bad syntax, partially formed "ideas" and half-baked inanities.

And the notion that no one "loves" U2 is kind of bizarre.

 

[last unicorn]

U2 is not loved by many except for those of us posting on U2 fan sites?

That's the funniest thing I've read in weeks.

Based on that quote, I feel safe in assuming that article is not worth reading.

I totally agree

Man, some people really need to lead miserable lives, I feel sorry for them. Dedicating a website to something you hate so much. I mean really? Isn't there enough bad stuff in the world already, enough hate and crap and all? I get and accept all the criticism, but that is just pathetic. I don't know if I should laugh or cry about this crap. One thing I learned from being a U2 fan is to be a little tougher when it comes to stuff like that, because reacting to nasty comments or even bothering to read them is something that I consider an absolute waste of time and energy. I'm much more interested in constructive things that help me to lead a more positive live. I sometimes feel some of these haters need a therapy to deal with their negative feelings, that cannot be healthy.

 

[LemonMelon]

It now says I need to login with a password.

 

[doctorwho]

Killing Bono – or how the fuck did U2 get so big? | Louder Than War

of course as a U2 fan I don't agree entirely, but there is a few good points like how u2 became so huge for a band not loved by that many people except for those of us on these boards.

I haven't read the blog yet - I'm still stuck on your comment.

You do realize that despite the fact that many were disappointed with GOYB (at least as a first single, if nothing else), NLOTH still sold 5M copies around the world, with 1.2M in the U.S. I can assure you, there aren't 1.2M people on "these boards". And those sales are in the era of massive illegal downloads and cherry-picking from iTunes. In other words, going Platinum these days is a BIG deal.

Also, let's not forget about this tiny, oh so tiny, 360 Tour that everyone in the world seemed to attend at least once.

So I'm not sure what you are saying. Message boards alone do not account for that type of success.

As for the blog...

How did U2 get so big? In the 80's, they created a great sound that was accessible but also poignant. They weren't the first artist to have political stances or post-punk, ethereal or even folksy sounds. It was U2's unique sound combined with those ideas that made it click. Plus, U2 came about at the right time - they were a refreshing change to the music scene, but they also wrote music one could really enjoy as well. Add in Bono's ability to be one of the best front men ever (when you see U2 in concert, it's tough to take your eyes off of him, even when you want to watch the others) and you can see why U2 caught on.

Then U2 continued that success by exploring new images and sounds. Just like Madonna, U2 kept evolving, exploring and growing. 20+ years of consistently good to even great music has kept fans interested. Not everything has worked - it's a risk. But people always remained interested.

U2 didn't let drugs ruin them. They didn't swap members as if they were replacing a battery. The worst part is perhaps Bono's crusading - and even that, deep down, we all accept as a good thing (although some don't want to hear it).

This is why U2 succeeded. And this is why U2 kept succeeding.

Therefore, blog is unnecessary.

 

[mama cass]

what do you all think of this blog?

it's like most things on the internet:

utter.pointless.crap

 

[LemonMelon]

of course as a U2 fan I don't agree entirely, but there is a few good points like how u2 became so huge for a band not loved by that many people except for those of us on these boards.

It's not a good statement. It's an incorrect statement. For one thing, U2 has more than 50,000 fans....in Minneapolis.

 

[corianderstem]

"U2 has sold TENS of records all over the world!"

yeah, very few fans, really.

 

[Rachel D.]

I always just remind myself that if U2 can inspire such strong feelings, both of love and loathing, then there must be something there.

 

[The Sad Punk]

Goddammit, someone wrote something on the internet again.

 

[asr]

what I meant to say was that this idiot at least raises one good question as to wether any musician has ever said that u2 made me wanna become a guitarist/bassist/drummer/vocalist it seems

many of our favorite band's peers and successors in the industry seem to look down apon them.

 

[The Sad Punk]

I understand. Certainly there's a lot of hate for them out there, but there's also a lot of love. To be perfectly honest, I think it may be marginally more hip to like U2 (or at least certain parts of their discography) now than it was even a few years ago. I used to read music magazines all the time, and I read about a lot of bands that exist more or less because of U2. Coldplay, Killers, Snow Patrol, Powderfinger et. al - whatever you think of these bands (I'll spare my thoughts), they're all huge acts directly inspired by U2. They're not the only ones, of course, but the second wave of stadium rock is a good place to start here. Not everyone in the industry has the same opinion as Hank Rollins.

 

[LemonMelon]

I think U2's lineage is nearly as embarrassing as Pearl Jam's.

 

[The Sad Punk]

I think Bono gets stupider every year.

- Professor Lawrence Pierce of the University of Chicago

 

[LemonMelon]

 

[SpiralStaircase]

It's Jon Robb, for goodness' sake. He's been involved in the DIY, punky end of music for a long time. So he has credentials as far as having an opinion on this goes.

John Robb (musician) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Trouble is the blog, despite its protestations about a film, can't quite conceal a hint of "I'm about the same age as U2 - why didn't I get so big?" dressed up as pondering why some other bands who haven't done a damn thing in 20+ years are somehow not still touring to sell-out audiences worldwide.

At least Robb acknowledges the hard work U2 put in, especially in the 80s, to establish themselves as a band that mattered. It could be argued they've moved, now, from band to brand, but that's not a bad thing. And does U2 a great disservice.

Because they were always canny. The Edge had a guitar sound so unique to him among rock bands it was impossible to mimic and of course Bono has never been worried about going to any lengths to be memorable. An unrivaled eye for the main chance. Sometimes he's gone the wrong side of pretentious, sure, but including U2 in the pantheon of music legends a long time before they had any real "right" to has worked; a self-fulfilling prophesy. And he has a brilliant voice. And the band make brilliant songs - at least a couple an album even now - and have tried to change, not just bash out the same stuff they always have. What's the last good Echo & the Bunnymen song you heard?

Exactly.