But that's YOUR opinion.
There are a lot of people who think differently about this.
The forthcoming album and Zooropa
- Thread starter Claudio Dirani
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
There are a lot of people who think differently about this.
torn vinyl
The Fly
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2009
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- 108
No shit it's my opinion.
And the consensus among music fans, not U2 fanatics, is that post ZOO TV U2 is not that great. I'm a little more charitable than most since I think that they were great til Bomb (which is shit). But Passengers - All That is a notch below the greatness that preceeded them.
Below Rattle and Hum? Really?
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
And the consensus among music fans, not U2 fanatics, is that post ZOO TV U2 is great. I'm a little more charitable than most since I think that they were great even before ZooTV. But U27 - All That is a notch below the greatness that preceeded them.
I speak for all.
I speak for all.
mikal
Blue Crack Addict
it might be time to discover the good ole ignore feature pretty soon.
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
What?
ripped
vinyl is funny!!!
ripped
vinyl is funny!!!I really don't want to use it if I don't have to, but...
kingofsorrow
Refugee
it's amazing so many of you are busting "torn's" chops for posting his opinions like facts when you all do the same.
oh no KOS, you've done it now. look at the pseudo intellects come running to take offense and talk shit. i wonder which keyboard jockey will be first?
anyway. Torn, u2's post Zootv work may not be respected as much as it's predecessors(going on your opinion) but that doesn't make it any lesser. now i don't really like ATYCLB or Bomb, but you really can't seriously think that the hodgepodge style of R&H is better those 2 albums.
ATYCLB gave the 2nd part of their career a lift the way JT did for the 1st part. it got them back into favor with the critics and general public after POP.
disclaimer:this is only my opinion, not u2 world gospel, so don't get your knickers in a twist.
oh no KOS, you've done it now. look at the pseudo intellects come running to take offense and talk shit. i wonder which keyboard jockey will be first?
anyway. Torn, u2's post Zootv work may not be respected as much as it's predecessors(going on your opinion) but that doesn't make it any lesser. now i don't really like ATYCLB or Bomb, but you really can't seriously think that the hodgepodge style of R&H is better those 2 albums.
ATYCLB gave the 2nd part of their career a lift the way JT did for the 1st part. it got them back into favor with the critics and general public after POP.
disclaimer:this is only my opinion, not u2 world gospel, so don't get your knickers in a twist.
Niceman
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
I think R&H is MUCH better than ATYCLB.... and yeah, I'll take Desire, Heartland, All I want is you, Van Diemen's land, Silver and Gold, God Part II etc over HTDAAB too!
I always thought HTDAAB was the hodgepodge, certainly compared to R&H!
Well, yeah, Bomb was a total disaster.
Can you provide evidence for this consensus? I think the critical consensus for this decade has been more positive than the 90s and possibly even the 80s. I'm too lazy to look for evidence, but this is the impression I've gotten based on reviews.
If by 'music fans' you mean Pitchforkers, however, then I'd certainly agree with you.
mikal
Blue Crack Addict
it's not his opinion that is rubbing people the wrong way, it's how he's presenting it....and not only in this thread.
kingofsorrow
Refugee
i'll take heartland, AIWIY and GPT2, the rest i'll pass. overall both bomb and r&h hum sound like a half assed demo session put too record. both seemed a poor way to follow up to albums and tours that had a profound effect on their careers.
kingofsorrow
Refugee
well tell him that, if he can't take the hint then ignore him. like the person on the bus/train/waiting that keeps talking to you. sooner or later they will get the picture.
oh yeah 1 more thing, GIGIDY
gvox
Ghost of Love
Why do I have to take one album over the other? With every U2 album, there are songs I can go back to over and over, and others I can live without. Take Dismantle (why do people call it Bomb or HTDAAB? both my shirts from that era say "Dismantle" on the front), for instance:
Miracle Drug
Yahweh
Original of the Species
Crumbs From Your Table
Sometimes You Can't Make It (what an utterly fucking brilliant and beautifully perfect song btw)
to name a few
and the outtakes
Are You Gonna Wait Forever
Smile
Native Son
Xanax & Wine
alt All Because
alt Sometimes
these are all songs that are standing the test of time for me. Yeah, so Vertigo sucks and COBL sounds cliche and I could take or leave Love and Peace...but...
Man people need to just listen to the songs for what they are in the context of when they were made and stop the stupid comparisons
Miracle Drug
Yahweh
Original of the Species
Crumbs From Your Table
Sometimes You Can't Make It (what an utterly fucking brilliant and beautifully perfect song btw)
to name a few
and the outtakes
Are You Gonna Wait Forever
Smile
Native Son
Xanax & Wine
alt All Because
alt Sometimes
these are all songs that are standing the test of time for me. Yeah, so Vertigo sucks and COBL sounds cliche and I could take or leave Love and Peace...but...
Man people need to just listen to the songs for what they are in the context of when they were made and stop the stupid comparisons
Niceman
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
I don't agree. HTDAAB sounds like "U2: Best-of 2001-2004" rather than a real album, but I like all the songs to one extent or another. I don't see how Rattle & Hum isn't an album. Yes, they mixed in Live Tracks, but so what?
And I rank EVERY SINGLE U2 album higher than ATYCLB, so following it up wasn't a problem for me....
gvox
Ghost of Love
Niceman
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
That's likely because that's when the songs on the album were, you know, written?
Well, of course. But to me it sounds like they should have been on maybe 3 or 4 different albums rather than on one. They don't have that unified vision and sound that I hope for in an album.
kingofsorrow
Refugee
I'm gonna have to agree that Bomb sounds more greatest hits than album.
Snowlock
Refugee
Mixed Emotions
On topic though, I don't think you can compare U2 to the Rolling Stones. The Stones since the early 70's right up to today have always been hit and miss, alternating between a heritage act and resting on their laurels. Is there any song on any album since Vodoo Lounge that any but the hardest of hardcore fans actually wants to hear live? Not the case with U2. Maybe the case with NLOTH specifically, but Vertigo's only five years old and is still quite popular on tour.
If you want to claim mediocrity from U2 since AB/Zooropa, you can; but that's not fact, just personal taste.
We're in pretty much uncharted territory with this band. Yes, their relevence is slipping, but hardly over. Probably the closest comparison you could make would be early 90's Aerosmith, who were coming off a string of hit albums after a long break into obscurity during the early to mid 80's. Aerosmith managed to stay if not relevent, at least a part of the scene up until 98. 2009 could to U2 be what '98 was for Aerosmith, though that's a stretch.
It'll depend on what happens next. Aerosmith faded away amid injuries and personal issues. It doesn't appear U2 are heading that way. The next "event" album (SoA I don't think would count as it's being billed as a companion piece) will decide their fate.
Niceman
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
Mixed Emotions
On topic though, I don't think you can compare U2 to the Rolling Stones. The Stones since the early 70's right up to today have always been hit and miss, alternating between a heritage act and resting on their laurels. Is there any song on any album since Vodoo Lounge that any but the hardest of hardcore fans actually wants to hear live? Not the case with U2. Maybe the case with NLOTH specifically, but Vertigo's only five years old and is still quite popular on tour.
If you want to claim mediocrity from U2 since AB/Zooropa, you can; but that's not fact, just personal taste.
We're in pretty much uncharted territory with this band. Yes, their relevence is slipping, but hardly over. Probably the closest comparison you could make would be early 90's Aerosmith, who were coming off a string of hit albums after a long break into obscurity during the early to mid 80's. Aerosmith managed to stay if not relevent, at least a part of the scene up until 98. 2009 could to U2 be what '98 was for Aerosmith, though that's a stretch.
It'll depend on what happens next. Aerosmith faded away amid injuries and personal issues. It doesn't appear U2 are heading that way. The next "event" album (SoA I don't think would count as it's being billed as a companion piece) will decide their fate.
I agree with most of what you say here, but I do question the "The sky is falling!!!" attitude a lot of people seem to have about NLOTH's reception. It is the 2nd best selling album of the year. They are breaking records with the accompanying tour and the Youtube stream. They haven't had a hit single yet... But does that mean the end is near? I wouldn't assume..... Maybe it will just make them work all the harder on SOA!
Snowlock
Refugee
I don't have a sky is falling attitude. Didn't intend to come off that way. But NLOTH's success can't be based on the tour. Put it this way, had they not released an album this past year, but still went on tour, do you think the box office would've been any different? Look at what the Police did recently with their tour after not releasing an album for 25 years.
The issue (and I'm not even going to say it's a problem) with NLOTH isn't just the lack of a hit single. Its the lack of the album's songs to make a dent in the culture (at least here in the US). In 2001 and 2005, U2 were everywhere and ATYCLB and HTDAAB only had one hit single apiece there. 2009 has been much quieter. And even live, it appears that crowd reaction to the NLOTH songs aren't as strong as that to even the ATYCLB and HTDAAB songs.
I haven't seen the charts, but I wonder how NLOTH's singles have done on Adult radio and modern rock radio. Those are better indictors of how an album is being accepted than the Hot 100.
Oh, and I agree it could definately make them work harder on SoA; but not in the way you're thinking. I think it could very well make them decide to let those songs incubate a bit more until they become more mainstream with the project as its been described to us being shelved altogether.
The issue (and I'm not even going to say it's a problem) with NLOTH isn't just the lack of a hit single. Its the lack of the album's songs to make a dent in the culture (at least here in the US). In 2001 and 2005, U2 were everywhere and ATYCLB and HTDAAB only had one hit single apiece there. 2009 has been much quieter. And even live, it appears that crowd reaction to the NLOTH songs aren't as strong as that to even the ATYCLB and HTDAAB songs.
I haven't seen the charts, but I wonder how NLOTH's singles have done on Adult radio and modern rock radio. Those are better indictors of how an album is being accepted than the Hot 100.
Oh, and I agree it could definately make them work harder on SoA; but not in the way you're thinking. I think it could very well make them decide to let those songs incubate a bit more until they become more mainstream with the project as its been described to us being shelved altogether.
believer75
War Child
Led Zeppelin had one hit single. But their legacy was bigger than that. U2 does not need hit singles, but have had plenty. Like someone else said, 2nd best selling album of the year. And rock is dead. And so is buying albums as opposed to stealing them.
Edge_Orchestra
Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB
I don't think that they should try to repeat themselves. I also hope that they are not trying to hard for radio play and Grammys.
I hope they go for the 'spirit' of The Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby and Zooropa... that sense of experiment and new.
Seems they aimed, and somewhat hit the targer with No Line On The Horizon. I don't care that it's not sold gazillions. To me, it is a better and more consistent album than ATYCLB and HTDAAB.
It is not that those albums are not bad, just not consistent all the way through. And HTDAAB, to me, suffered a bit from over-thinking the mixes. Some of the earlier version that ended up on the iTunes Complete U2 set were better than album versions. (Xanax and Wine being and example)
All in all, I trust U2 to be U2. I do hope that they keep an open mind and do not do the 'safe' thing.
I hope they go for the 'spirit' of The Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby and Zooropa... that sense of experiment and new.
Seems they aimed, and somewhat hit the targer with No Line On The Horizon. I don't care that it's not sold gazillions. To me, it is a better and more consistent album than ATYCLB and HTDAAB.
It is not that those albums are not bad, just not consistent all the way through. And HTDAAB, to me, suffered a bit from over-thinking the mixes. Some of the earlier version that ended up on the iTunes Complete U2 set were better than album versions. (Xanax and Wine being and example)
All in all, I trust U2 to be U2. I do hope that they keep an open mind and do not do the 'safe' thing.
Niceman
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
I didn't mean just you.... I think a lot of people on these boards think that NLOTH's album sales might mean an end of relevance for the band. I think it needs to be looked at in perspective - it's the #2 album of the year. I don't listen to the radio, MTV doesn't exist anymore, illegal downloads are everywhere. Apparently the album is doing as well as anything in 2009.
Yes, U2 were everywhere in 2001 and 2004. I think the 5 year absence hurt them. I also think the 'pop' nature of Beautiful Day and Vertigo has hurt them. GOYB sounded like another pop hit, and I think the world is sick of U2 giving us pop songs instead of spiritual journeys, like they once became big for bringing us.
If Moment of Surrender had been the lead single, things would have been different..... GOYB and Magnificent sounded like same old same old from the boys....
believer75
War Child
Honestly, I feel this decade of U2's music has really freed them up to be able to write whatever song they want and put out an album of whatever they want...if they want to write pop songs, rock songs, ambiant songs, "experimental songs" they can do it.....all of it is now part of their catalogue and they own these sounds....complete artistic freedom is what they have. I think before U2 was put in a box of sound...I don't think they have that problem anymore.
Snowlock
Refugee
I'm with you on Boots and Mag. Though I don't think it was the pop aspects of BD and Vert that hurt them so much as it was the lack of anything like them in spirit on NLOTH.
Personally, while I like MOS, I'm not wild about it. It's a gospel song with some bells and whistles. Definately pop, but nothing really that amazing.
I think they should've gone the route with went with Achtung Baby and released one of their most different tracks, the title track as the first single. It may not have done as well on the charts even as boots, but it would've set a different tone and sparked some interest. Then you could follow up with Breathe, MOS, and Crazy and instead of having the public expecting another pop rock album and getting something different, you'd have them expecting something different and getting a coulp pop songs on it.
Personally, while I like MOS, I'm not wild about it. It's a gospel song with some bells and whistles. Definately pop, but nothing really that amazing.
I think they should've gone the route with went with Achtung Baby and released one of their most different tracks, the title track as the first single. It may not have done as well on the charts even as boots, but it would've set a different tone and sparked some interest. Then you could follow up with Breathe, MOS, and Crazy and instead of having the public expecting another pop rock album and getting something different, you'd have them expecting something different and getting a coulp pop songs on it.
believer75
War Child
You don't feel that Boots was a departure for U2? Think of the Beautiful Day U2 fans and then they hear boots....not a curveball?
I do like the songs you chose and the order for singles though. I feel NLOTH would have been an excellent lead-off single.
Snowlock
Refugee
No, I don't really think Boots is much of a departure, for anyone; well except the ending of course. Otherwise it's got 60's garage rock era drum fills and bass, Vertigo's guitar scratching and the lyrical melody from that song in the 80's whose name eludes me right now.
I love some of the lyrics (the future needs a big kiss) but hate the chorus. Had I been Eno, I would've chopped off the "Let Me In The Sound" part for use on a more worthy song and sold the rest of it to Sex and The City 2 for use during the obligatory shopping montage.
I love some of the lyrics (the future needs a big kiss) but hate the chorus. Had I been Eno, I would've chopped off the "Let Me In The Sound" part for use on a more worthy song and sold the rest of it to Sex and The City 2 for use during the obligatory shopping montage.
nirniva
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
Pump It Up?
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