4 Big U2 Fans I've Spoken To

[Marien]

Well, I played GOYB to my 90 teenage students and it was a big success, it's not so usual the song I take to the class is generally accepted, some of them who hadn't listened about the band wrote their name and came back to me asking about other songs they could listen. There was a very entertaining debate among some of them about if they were punk or not and one boy finished it by saying they are the best, so they can be whatever they want.
Unfortunately most teenagers don't buy music, they take it from the web.

 

[vaz02]

" no classics " lmao.

 

[zwervers2]

I recall the same feelings with AB. No one liked it at the start, they thought it was shit. Its now a cult classic.

I do recall those days and all my friends LOVED it. and I mean LOVED IT

 

[Pop Artist]

6 nights in a row? What city was that? I remember 3 being the max (which still would barely match the attendance numbers of ONE stadium show.)

And they can only fill arenas 3 nights straight in HUGE markets - which is why they aren't doing stadiums. They would be empty in the mid to small markets.

They did five sold out shows in one week at Madison Square Garden in October 2005 (not to mention two more in November).

 

[wolfwill23]

They did five sold out shows in one week at Madison Square Garden in October 2005 (not to mention two more in November).

Still, that's one market. Not to mention America's most populous city.

 

[TheWaqman]

I still think Boots is awful.

But the entire album is their best this decade easily.

 

[Reead]

To answer this entire thread and your friends:

Boots =/= NLOTH.

Sounds like half your friends havent even heard the whole album. "Boots is bad" is not an adequate review of an entire album.

 

[MCF74]

To answer this entire thread and your friends:

Boots =/= NLOTH.

Sounds like half your friends havent even heard the whole album. "Boots is bad" is not an adequate review of an entire album.

I couldn't agree more. I didn't love Boots, but after several listens, the album is blowing my mind.

 

[bazza]

all of my u2 fan friends (they are major ones)...love it...best work for along time...a very rich musical jenius album

 

[cjboog]

I haven't listened to it myself yet or played it for anyone else, but here are the reactions from my friends to Boots...

#1 (Big fan) -- Likes GOYB a lot
#2 (Big fan) -- Likes GOYB a lot
#3 (Big fan) -- Likes GOYB a lot
#4 (Big fan) -- Likes GOYB
#5 (Big fan) -- Likes GOYB
#6 (Casual fan) -- Doesn't know what to make of GOYB yet, says "It's different"
#7 (Casual music fan) -- Thinks GOYB sucks, U2 is "trying to be cool"

But who knows? You get so many different stories. I am in the boat that cares what people think because I want the album to be successful but ultimately their opinions won't impact my own.

 

[boNOSE]

far better to have new and innovative than the same old stuff. You have to move forward in life or you may as well be dead. Living in the past is not moving forward.

Yes I'm the monkey in the Lion King lol.

 

[santiago]

A friend of mine who is a big fan but not an Interferencer loves it too, though he wishes FEz/Being Born would be the first song on the album

 

[Hallucination]

This album is getting rave reviews from Guns N' Roses fans at gnrevolution.com as well as mygnr.com. Take it for what's it worth. People are digging this album.

 

[Rachel D.]

I don't have any friends that are big U2 fans, but my brother texted me after "Boots" came out and said that it's "awful." I don't know anyone else that's heard it (I don't think it's being played much on the radio). My friends probably wouldn't ever bother listening to NLOTH just because they know I like U2 a lot. There's this attitude where I live that if someone is really enthusiastic about something, then everyone else is obligated to bring it down even if it really is good. It's weird.

 

[MMP]

This album is getting rave reviews from Guns N' Roses fans at gnrevolution.com as well as mygnr.com. Take it for what's it worth. People are digging this album.

Really?
I love GN'R... nice to see other fans digging U2 as well. (Of course, GN'R is not even near U2 to me, but they're awesome. Even more now.)

 

[cdirani]

Get On Your Boots is a great single and it has a very cool video. People kept listening the song for the upteenth time and got sick of it. The same happened to Vertigo. The thing is No Line on The Horizon has fantastic tracks and it eclipsed the single. But it's still a great track and it'll work very well live on tour.

 

[MMP]

I've just played UC to a friend of mine, who says U2 "just doesn't excites him", and he said it's very good. He said that he won't hear it a lot again, cause he is like that, but he said "very, very good" and that "actually it didn't sound like U2 at all".

 

[diamond]

I wish I could feel 100% like this...but I just can't, simply because I care about the band too much, so I want to see them be as successful as possible, especially when they make a great album...so yes, obviously it's about whether I like it or not, that comes first. But there's also a part of me that can get really frustrated when people don't like the album or when U2 doesn't succeed commercially. I know it's weird, but I can't help it

im kinda like that too.


i never want them to flame out..

 

[Jive Turkey]

I wish I could feel 100% like this...but I just can't, simply because I care about the band too much, so I want to see them be as successful as possible, especially when they make a great album...so yes, obviously it's about whether I like it or not, that comes first. But there's also a part of me that can get really frustrated when people don't like the album or when U2 doesn't succeed commercially. I know it's weird, but I can't help it

I'm the same way and it really is kinda weird. Most other bands that I like, I prefer if fewer people know about them. Its not that I want to be an elitist hipster douche, its just that certain songs mean certain things to me and when i hear them out of the context of my life, it somehow cheapens them (or something like that). With U2, its different. I think it has to do with the fact that they were so huge when I got into them in the early 90s. So, to me, there has never been a time when the whole world didnt know about them. That and the fact that they've been with me for such a huge portion of my life, I've gotten to 'know' them in a way and I want them to succeed. But ya, ultimately, it really only matters what I think. I think if I really got the sense that the band didnt give a shit about their commercial success, then either would I

 

[MilotheMayor]

I gave the album to three of my friends who like U2 and have been disappointed by their recent releases. They all love it!

 

[lancerla]

My wife doesn't love it. She's very "eh" about it. And we went to Dublin on our honeymoon and go to 8 shows a tour. It's her number one band (though it might be Radiohead now). My other friends who are big fans feel the same way as her. It's not grabbing anyone I know personally. I see a lot of love here and in reviews, but not in real life. I have a feeling if this came out two years ago people would be more receptive, but five years was a long wait.

With that said, I've listened to it 20-sometimes and am happy to continue to do so.

 

[VintagePunk]

fruity pebbles over cocoa pebbles

That's just wrong.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

The album is growing on me. I like it but it's not necessarily catchy. It has hooks but they can get lost in the songs. I still think Edge is not as strong as he normally was prior to ATYCLB.

 

[VintagePunk]

6 nights in a row? What city was that? I remember 3 being the max (which still would barely match the attendance numbers of ONE stadium show.)

And they can only fill arenas 3 nights straight in HUGE markets - which is why they aren't doing stadiums. They would be empty in the mid to small markets.

They played 4 consecutive shows in Toronto. They played 4 shows in Chicago, albeit not consecutively, but 4 shows nonetheless. All shows in both of these locations sold out in minutes. I can't even count the number of people who came up to me after the Toronto dates when I was wearing my Vertigo shirt who said that they desperately wanted to see them, but that it was impossible for them to get tickets. So clearly they could sell out stadiums in some North American cities.

 

[RademR]

there's one big u2 fan i talked to who loves the album. it was me. i dont care how well the album sells. this is the record i've been waiting for them to make.

 

[U2Fan101]

Each of them have played the album about 10 times and each of them have said they "dont know what to make of it","boots is a terrible song","theres no classics on the album" and in general "the album is fairly poor" and they were "dissapointed". How can the opinions im hearing from friends differ so much from in here?.

That may not necessarily be a bad thing. I remember when I was first introduced to U2 before Pop was released. I loved all the albums, then Pop came out and I thought it was horrible. Over time it became my favorite U2 album. Maybe NLOTH has that effect, unlike everything else. Slow growers aren't a bad thing, in fact I've found they stick with me longer than instant likeness.

I think the album is more for the fans of U2 than general public. I feel sorry for the band if the album does not be a hit like they expect it to.

This I will agree with. It's an album as opposed to a collection of singles for the radio and the charts like the last two albums. Last true album we had I think since Pop.

the worrying the is ive not spoken to ANY of my friends who like boots,they all say its really awful.

Ehhh. Boots isn't the most profound track on NLOTH, but it sure is fun and a lot better than Vertigo and Elevation. I love Boots cause it rocks, but I love the other tracks even more.

I don't care what other people think. I like it and that's all that matters.

Great attitude to have. It shouldn't matter if other people like it or not. What should matter if you do. Not to plagiarize you directly lauramullen, but I love it and that's all that matters.

 

[BGD75]

I think it's hard with U2's music because they've changed their style over 3 decades... so for the people who are fans of the band but in fact only like the 80's style it will be hard to like their other stuff. If u2 were the same old boring band and sound exactly the same 30+ years later it would be sad to most of us, but great for some other 'fans' because the band would constantly record the style of music they are used to hearing.

 

[The_acrobat]

They played 4 consecutive shows in Toronto. They played 4 shows in Chicago, albeit not consecutively, but 4 shows nonetheless. All shows in both of these locations sold out in minutes. I can't even count the number of people who came up to me after the Toronto dates when I was wearing my Vertigo shirt who said that they desperately wanted to see them, but that it was impossible for them to get tickets. So clearly they could sell out stadiums in some North American cities.

On the Vertigo tour they played

4 in Toronto
6 in Chicago
10 in NYC
7 in Boston
4 in Philly
4 in San Francisco area
6 in LA area

Since all those shows sold out quickly, they could have sold more tickets in these cities.

 

[clerks]

I've said it before... there are fans of U2 or LOST or any other creative work that love everything they happens, only like the first record or season, only like the new stuff, hate it all and call themselves a fan...

I remember people loved Pearl Jam's Ten when I was growing up, but I was a U2 guy and just ignored most of that stuff... then later the 2nd album came out and I got into them... but 99% of the people that I talked to that loved PJ hated the new album... there 2nd album... they call it a jinx, but it's human nature... it happens all the time with art... it's crazy. You can't win.

But the good news is if you really like something, you don't need other people to tell you to like it. If ever review said "this album sucks" and you still love it, who cares?

Same reason MIRACLE DRUG is my favorite song on the last album -- because it is... pretty sure it would be near the bottom on fav songs on the album...