Steve Lillywhite: Best U2 album

[toscano]

The Beatles
Please Please Me (1963)
With The Beatles (1963)
A Hard Day's Night (1964)
Beatles for Sale (1964)
Help! (1965)
Rubber Soul (1965)
Revolver (1966)
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
The Beatles ("The White Album") (1968)
Yellow Submarine (1969)
Abbey Road (1969)
Let It Be (1970)

The Who--not counting the newest album
My Generation (1965)
A Quick One (1966)
The Who Sell Out (1967)
Tommy (1969)
Who's Next (1971)
Quadrophenia (1973)
The Who By Numbers (1975)
Who Are You (1978)
Face Dances (1981)
It's Hard (1982)

U2--the first twenty years
Boy (1980)
October (1981)
War (1983)
The Unforgettable Fire (1984)
The Joshua Tree (1987)
Rattle and Hum (1988)
Achtung Baby (1991)
Zooropa (1993)
Passengers (1995)
Pop (1997)
All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000)

Other bands have done it (and I'm sure there are plenty more great bands who've done it that I don't feel like researching), and U2 has done it.

Sure, you can also look at the Stones who put out an album every 1-3 years for twenty-some-odd years and say that a third of those were purely crap. You can also say that the older a band gets, as the rest of their lives flesh out more and more, there's less time for writing music, etc. And I know that this "why are they taking four years" discussion has run its course several times over on the boards. All I'm saying is that if they're actually having several jam/brainstorming/recording sessions and scrapping them all several times over, that's just a little suspect.

Led Zeppelin (1969)
Led Zeppelin II (1969)
Led Zeppelin III (1970)
Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
Houses of the Holy (1973)
Physical Graffiti (1975)
Presence (1977)
In Through the Out Door (1979)

 

[frank0087]

just prior to the release of HTDAAB bill flanagan said that it was U2's best album.............

don't believe the hype.
end thread.

 

[BVS]

Bill didn't work on every album since day one.

Apples to oranges...

 

[last unicorn]

Some people are still asking when the promotion for the new album will begin.
It has already begun, all of these people are in full promo mode.
There is no promotion without hyping, understatement isn't the right instrument here.

 

[TheFirstBigW]

It's absolutely comical that anyone can call multiplatinum realeases failures. Most bands would kill for some consider U2's flops.

You're right about that.
However, I think that U2 has the same problem that Tiger Woods has.
U2 have set such lofty standards for themselves and have risen to such great heights in the past that anything they do which doesn't rise as high as some of their past efforts is considered to be a failure in comparison.
Tiger Woods has the same problem: He may have a year where he ends the year ranked number one in the world and wins 8 tournaments and has more success by far than any other golfer, but if he didn't win a major championship that year, most people say that he had a flop year, when the truth is, just like you said, anyone else would kill to have that same level of success.

I think it's great that U2 has set the bar so high and try to create a musical masterpiece every single time, but the main reason why even some of their most ardent supporters will call their albums flops is because of the almost insanely high standards that U2 have set for themselves.

 

[purpleblackeye]

i don't think you can consider Eno's or Lillywhite's comments mere hype or promotion...most casual fans and the record buying public do not even know who the heck these people are...the fact that Eno thinks a particular song is the best they have ever recorded, or that Lillywhite praises the album as their best work is only significant to hardcore fans, who will buy the album regardless.

i believe Eno and Lillywhite have made these comments solely because of their excitement over the music and the art of making music, and not to advance the commercial interests of the band...at least that's the optimistic view.

 

[JOFO]

Anyway, didn't Eno think Stuck was going to be their biggest song ever?

 

[U2girl]

He made a bet with Bono it would be U2's biggest US hit.

 

[Slapnutz]

Do Eno and Lanois have a bigger slice of the pie this time around (in terms of songwriting royalties)?

 

[Salome]

I thought McGuinness was the money crazed looney
or is it everyone related to the band now
it gets so confusing

 

[Slapnutz]

I thought McGuinness was the money crazed looney
or is it everyone related to the band now
it gets so confusing

Money crazed is a tad strong.

I love money.

 

[shart1780]

After Atomic Bomb I pretty much decided not to get hyped for the next album because I'd most likely be let down. From all the pre-album quotes from the band and producers it's pretty easy to get yourself psyched out if you try hard enough, and I do think a lot of the hardcore fans here try pretty hard to do that. convince themselves that U2 will turn their career around 25 years later and suddenly become extremely intriguing after two less than overwhelming albums. Bands don't do that. If U2 can do it I'll be amazed.

So pretty much I've taught myself not to care what these guys are saying whatsover. We heard all of this before Atomic Bomb. We heard the songs were fresh and amazing, we heard it was their best collection of songs ever, we heard it was going to be like U2's first record ever. It doesn't mean anything whatsoever. Bands burn out as they get older. It's always the same. If you can find me an example of a rock band that released one of their best workes 28 years into their career that would be new to me.

 

[shart1780]

Bill didn't work on every album since day one.

Apples to oranges...

Do you have to work on an album to know how good it is?

I guess only Bono was qualified to say Window In The Skies was U2's best song ever. A song for the ages.

Put bluntly, that song sucks.

 

[popacrobat]

i mean, how does U2 win here? by not promoting the album at all? it's not even the band talking. it's the producers. wasn't it bono going nuts with the quotes last time? and to be totally honest, all his quotes were dead on. visceral album. it was by far their most direct album. whether or not you like that or not, whatever. i enjoy atomic bomb a ton myself. if you don't enjoy it, that's fine. no skin off my back.

i don't recall anybody saying bomb was U2's best album before its release. i think Bono may have said best album since achtung baby? or up there with AB? something along those lines. but that was Bono too. And maybe he believes that himself. whats to stop him from thinking that?

Either way, it's one of the mixers and producers that have worked with U2 basically their whole career. it sounds promising to me. if the album stinks, whatever. i doubt it will and i expect it to be great - which is what I expect out of U2. Not because the producer or mixer or sound engineer said it was going to be excellent.

 

[clipper699]

Bands burn out as they get older. It's always the same. If you can find me an example of a rock band that released one of their best workes 28 years into their career that would be new to me.

How many bands have been together for 28 years? Not many. Therefore, you're inquiry/regarding about which bands have released one of the best works after 28 years is, at best, based on an artificial, contrived premise. Nevertheless, Bruce Springsteen (Magic) and Bob Dylan (Modern Times) have released great records, well into their respective careers.

 

[Rob33]

Bill didn't work on every album since day one.

Apples to oranges...

exactly....and this isn't a normal thing for Lillywhite to say...and some on here said that Lillywhite wasn't too excited about Bomb....if he considers this their best album ever, I think that really means something. Same with Eno- you'd think a musician of Eno's caliber would truly know if a song was the best thing he has ever done with U2....it's hard to simply think of that as hype or false hope....

 

[BVS]

Do you have to work on an album to know how good it is?

You missed my point by miles. Try putting it in context next time.

 

[Iskra]

just prior to the release of HTDAAB bill flanagan said that it was U2's best album.............

don't believe the hype.
end thread.

Who says it isn't their best album?
I don't think art can be quantified by consensus.
Majority rule is a good thing and all but majority rule also got us a monkey in the white house for the last 8 years.
I'm not sure I want to let those same people vote for best U2 album.

If someone says they think this is their best album - great.
I'll judge for myself.
I'm not going to shoot down every positive remark about the new album.
It seems like this site has has developed a pattern of building the band up then tearing them down and overanalyzing things.
The internet has been amazing for the U2 fan base but at the same time, it's been toxic.

 

[nathan1977]

How many bands have been together for 28 years? Not many. Therefore, you're inquiry/regarding about which bands have released one of the best works after 28 years is, at best, based on an artificial, contrived premise. Nevertheless, Bruce Springsteen (Magic) and Bob Dylan (Modern Times) have released great records, well into their respective careers.

Dylan and Springsteen have a certain freedom that U2 lack -- as primarily solo artists (the occasional E Street collaboration notwithstanding), they only have to satisfy their own artistic impulses, for better or worse. Because U2 work as a democracy, it's harder to make music the way they do.

The Rolling Stones still do the every two/three year new album grind, but their new stuff is arguably much less relevant than U2's is, and I'd prefer U2 to the Stones any day.

 

[cobl04]

That is why I didn't even bother with the latest recording/clip or whatever! I do not want to be spoiled and have really high expectations because the demo sounded cool and then be disappointed later! I'm gonna try my best to not listen to any soundbites. Just gonna pretend that it's 1991 or something and I'll get the album when it comes out and listen to it! Some discussion is okay but do we really need this many threads??? We overhype it ourselves and then get disappointed!

I don't think these or any other comments will hurt or help the album, since I doubt that anyone really cares about this kind of stuff outside of the more obsessive section of U2 fandom.

I think people need to calm down Once upon a time kids in the pre-internet age, you just didn't hear about anything from the band until the albums were being released and then they would hit the interview circuit. The only people hyping this record up are the fans endlessly talking about it!!!

/

 

[Yahweh]

This hype is minor compaired to what has been done with other records. The general public dont even know U2 is coming out with an album. If its the best ever for some great and Im sure it will be, I can tell you right now however that most people here on Interference will be saying its not as good as X album....I hope the album has 11 or 12 great tracks there isnt much more you can ask for.

 

[RavenBlue]

I don't see how the hype can hurt. I mean we're all excited about the new album and if the production team are as well then I can't really see that as an issue.

We're getting a new album. Woohoo!! And a tour to follow Singles, interviews, videos, action!

Nothing to complain about there.

 

[artdirector]

achtung baby is the standard they have to live up to. if the album doesn't forget about it.

 

[tsweeney]

I think AB and JT will be the two albums people will be comparing the new album to. I think it will be very interesting to see how the new album holds up to their previous works. It could well be their best ever. Daniel Lanois said the sound of the new album was both hand played and electro. Could they be returing to the territory of when they recorded Pop (in terms of experimentation) only this time they have had time to work on the new songs the way they weren't able to before?

 

[Muldfeld]

Who says it isn't their best album?
I don't think art can be quantified by consensus.
Majority rule is a good thing and all but majority rule also got us a monkey in the white house for the last 8 years.
I'm not sure I want to let those same people vote for best U2 album.

If someone says they think this is their best album - great.
I'll judge for myself.
I'm not going to shoot down every positive remark about the new album.
It seems like this site has has developed a pattern of building the band up then tearing them down and overanalyzing things.
The internet has been amazing for the U2 fan base but at the same time, it's been toxic.

Well, according to record sales, Achtung Baby isn't that good an album compared to the post millennium turn albums, adjusting for time; they've sold much better, haven't they.

Anyway, I'm glad there's a place to be critical; anyone who wants an oppressive pro-U2 environment, go to atu2.com, where the site runner only allows himself to criticize the band and mocks and harasses anyone else who does that.

 

[Muldfeld]

He made a bet with Bono it would be U2's biggest US hit.

Did you folks see the US video? Embarrassing as hell. Another sign U2 were lowering themselves in the new millennium. So unartistic and lame as hell. A song about suicide reduced to losing an American football game.

 

[cybersyd]

Am I the only person here who thinks that we are very lucky to like a band named U2 always able to create works with standard level higher than average?

I'm the first to ask for an innovative sound or something still unheard, however I must admit that also in album that I don't prefer there are songs that give me goosebumps... ..and there are great songs that in certain moments of my life I found perfect while in other very boring (for example Pride)... ...the same Stuck in a moment (who suffers of overproducing and polishness IMHO)acquired a different meaning for me when I went in a phase of life similar to that presented in that song... ...or songs like Lemon, that fluctuates for me from pretentious and brilliant work of art.

The only advices I could give them is:
1) Don't polish songs too much
2) Forget to put shitty images on the cover (IMHO the atomic bomb picture was terrible and it was out of place)
3) Please no more remixes and usual live songs as B-sides

 

[last unicorn]

achtung baby is the standard they have to live up to.

Says who?

Did you folks see the US video? Embarrassing as hell. Another sign U2 were lowering themselves in the new millennium. So unartistic and lame as hell. A song about suicide reduced to losing an American football game.

Seriously, I think you have no idea. I wonder why some people are unable to use a little imagination instead of taking everything 1:1. It's not all black and white.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

I'll be happy if it's lower quality than AB and JT and a lot better than ATYCLB !
Come on, 12th studio album, 30 years career.... I would be surprised to death if this album is better than AB.... how can it be anyway?!?

 

[TheFirstBigW]

Anyway, I'm glad there's a place to be critical; anyone who wants an oppressive pro-U2 environment, go to atu2.com, where the site runner only allows himself to criticize the band and mocks and harasses anyone else who does that.

There's a big difference between constructive criticism for the band that comes from a place of fondness and faithfulness, and the type of nasty, negative backbiting where someone turns on U2 as soon as the band does something that doesn't meet their particular expectations.

What's missing from so many of these critical comments is any sense of faithfulness. When U2 does what we like, we're happy, and when U2 doesn't, we turn on them and tear them to pieces.

True faithfulness is characterized by continuing to love something even when things don't turn out exactly the way you hoped (which is different than blindly praising everything). Unfaithfulness is characterized by a "I can take it or leave it" type of mentality that doesn't really care about anything other than getting what it wants.

Sure, you could say that this is just a band and that expecting faithfulness towards it is taking things too far, but if someone is unfaithful towards smaller things, they're probably unfaithful towards larger things as well, from personal relationships to religious convictions...

In other words, the unnecessarily nasty negativity directed towards the band in this forum is really a symptom of a greater problem.

The members who try to keep things predominately positive here, even in the midst of constructive criticism, are trying to maintain a sense of overall faithfulness to the band itself, not enforce any type of oppressive censorship.