U2 seen filming in Berlin

[Irvine511]

So, you think Bono and the Edge assumed people would be bored during MOFO?

they certainly jazzed up the song by marching through the crowd and doing the boxing thing ... it worked really well, but it was hardly, "wow, this song is so strong let's play it alone." it needed fireworks because it was new, and different, and very un-U2, and they knew this. again, this goes back to the original point: it is a very rare stadium show that can stand without older material. it was only on Zoo TV where they were able to hold the audience for the first hour without any of the old hits.

Forgive me, but that's ridiculous. I think it's far more likely that they wanted to show that MOFO, in its insanity, felt natural right next to I Will Follow.

i saw 4 Popmart shows. what i remember was that Mofo was like a sonic blast of light and sound, and it was disorienting and confusing, and then IWF, especially as that classic riff cut through the sonic din, was instant reassurance that, "don't worry, you're at a U2 show," and the crowd went bonkers for it. it was a great 1-2 opening, no doubt.

Are you really suggesting that U2 set out on that massive stadium tour not believing in the material that they were playing? Not believing in the album they were playing 10 tracks off of? Even later in the tour, they were playing most of the album PLUS HMTMKMKM.

yes. they pretty much have said this, repeatedly, and their entire post 1997 career has been a reaction to this. the tour was booked before the album was finished and it was the biggest mistake of their career and they will never do it again. the low point of their entire career was the opening night of Popmart combined with "A Year in Pop" on ABC.

 

[BVS]

We all have bias, but I'm not sure we'd all say that some people don't count or try and pretend to corner the market on "normal" people.

 

[Irvine511]

alternate answer: "Hey, I know this great website where you can go to discuss U2! Go to u2.interference.com and start a thread about how awesome One with Mary J Blige is!"

i have been a diehard since 1992. i have seen U2 10 times, in both Europe and the US, with 2 more shows coming. i own every album. i own most official video releases. i think a strong case can be made that "one" is one of the best songs ever written.

and i love the MJB version.

 

[Niceman]

And I'll go one step farther: I've never met a flesh and blood person who thought ATYCLB was a masterpiece. Off the top of my head, I can't think of anyone I've ever - in person - discussed the album with who didn't have a more negative opinion of it than I do.

I love In a Little While and Wild Honey. (no joke!)

All the ATYCLB lovers seem to be online.

 

[corianderstem]

i have been a diehard since 1992. i have seen U2 10 times, in both Europe and the US, with 2 more shows coming. i own every album. i own most official video releases. i think a strong case can be made that "one" is one of the best songs ever written.

and i love the MJB version.

I like it but don't love it. The loathing it gets from some people on this site astounds me.

 

[Niceman]

they certainly jazzed up the song by marching through the crowd and doing the boxing thing ... it worked really well, but it was hardly, "wow, this song is so strong let's play it alone." it needed fireworks because it was new, and different, and very un-U2, and they knew this. again, this goes back to the original point: it is a very rare stadium show that can stand without older material. it was only on Zoo TV where they were able to hold the audience for the first hour without any of the old hits.

i saw 4 Popmart shows. what i remember was that Mofo was like a sonic blast of light and sound, and it was disorienting and confusing, and then IWF, especially as that classic riff cut through the sonic din, was instant reassurance that, "don't worry, you're at a U2 show," and the crowd went bonkers for it. it was a great 1-2 opening, no doubt.

yes. they pretty much have said this, repeatedly, and their entire post 1997 career has been a reaction to this. the tour was booked before the album was finished and it was the biggest mistake of their career and they will never do it again. the low point of their entire career was the opening night of Popmart combined with "A Year in Pop" on ABC.

So, you're saying that they made MOFO exciting because they didn't believe in the song? And the reason why they made WTSHNN exciting was what exactly? Why did they use special effects for ZOO STATION? Ok, so you're saying that you didn't like MOFO. It was "disorienting" to you. Not me. It was glorious!

 

[Irvine511]

I like it but don't love it. The loathing it gets from some people on this site astounds me.

i do admit, as a homosexual, i have a genetic predisposition to adore strong black women who can knock down walls just by singing at them.

i stayed up until 1 last night watching "Waiting to Exhale," for example.

 

[Niceman]

We all have bias, but I'm not sure we'd all say that some people don't count or try and pretend to corner the market on "normal" people.

You're developing a bad habit lately of twisting my words are pretending I've said things I clearly haven't. You'll notice that I didn't include myself among the ranks of the "normal." Further, I've said I try not to spend time among them.

 

[Niceman]

and i love the MJB version.

Then, sadly, I don't imagine you and I will agree on much.

 

[Vincent Vega]

OF COURSE everyone has a different taste in music! Duh! If it wasn't clear, everything I say is my opinion. No more and no less.

I just find the way you're voicing it very interesting. Well, guess that's exactly the reason why usually I don't bother entering these parts.

 

[nielsgov]

And I'll go one step farther: I've never met a flesh and blood person who thought ATYCLB was a masterpiece. Off the top of my head, I can't think of anyone I've ever - in person - discussed the album with who didn't have a more negative opinion of it than I do.

I love In a Little While and Wild Honey. (no joke!)

All the ATYCLB lovers seem to be online.

I'm not an ATYCLB lover. I agree that the it's no masterpiece but there are people who love it. You meet some weird people if no one you know at least likes the album a bit.

 

[coolian2]

the edge puts the best effort into the mjb version of one, tbh.

pretty much everything else is a bit shit.

 

[Irvine511]

So, you're saying that they made MOFO exciting because they didn't believe in the song?

yes.

And the reason why they made WTSHNN exciting was what exactly? Why did they use special effects for ZOO STATION?

first, Streets works better climaxing the set rather than opening the show. but, that aside, it has a nicely dramatic, light dappled opening on the JT tour, but it is a stronger song, certainly, than Mofo. by a mile. it's probably their best live song and it's the song that they cannot get away with never not playing, especially in a stadium. it always, always brings down the house. it's their "born to run."

they used effects for Zoo Station because it was integral to the theme of the tour, it set the mood, and yes, it was new (at the time) and they knew that the audience was going to need something to grab their attention. and what makes this different from Mofo is that it was followed by (at the time) another new song, not their oldest hit.

Ok, so you're saying that you didn't like MOFO. It was "disorienting" to you. Not me. It was glorious!

oh, is that what i'm saying?

i like the Mofo opening, and i think why it worked so well was precisely because of the disorienting atmosphere that it intentionally created followed by the reassurance of IWF.

let me guess ... you're one of those "ugh, the book was so much better than the movie" kind of guys, as if saying that will impress me because you read a book?

 

[Niceman]

I'm not an ATYCLB lover. I agree that the it's no masterpiece but there are people who love it. You meet some weird people if no one you know at least likes the album a bit.

Everyone seems to love Beautiful Day, but even Stuck seems to get a lot of crap. Offline, I find myself again and again having to DEFEND the album.

(I know, implausible after today's posts. It's my least favorite album by my favorite band.)

 

[Irvine511]

Then, sadly, I don't imagine you and I will agree on much.

chances are, that would be fine by me, given that i have no intention of being a "normal" person by your definitions it seems.

 

[Niceman]

yes.

first, Streets works better climaxing the set rather than opening the show. but, that aside, it has a nicely dramatic, light dappled opening on the JT tour, but it is a stronger song, certainly, than Mofo. by a mile. it's probably their best live song and it's the song that they cannot get away with never not playing, especially in a stadium. it always, always brings down the house. it's their "born to run."

they used effects for Zoo Station because it was integral to the theme of the tour, it set the mood, and yes, it was new (at the time) and they knew that the audience was going to need something to grab their attention. and what makes this different from Mofo is that it was followed by (at the time) another new song, not their oldest hit.

oh, is that what i'm saying?

i like the Mofo opening, and i think why it worked so well was precisely because of the disorienting atmosphere that it intentionally created followed by the reassurance of IWF.

let me guess ... you're one of those "ugh, the book was so much better than the movie" kind of guys, as if saying that will impress me because you read a book?

I have no interest in impressing you, and if you want to make this ad hominem, I'll bow out here and now. Some books are better than movies. Fight Club and the Prestige were better movies.

U2 always does their best to make the show exciting, especially the opening. Your argument that they made MOFO the opening track without being excited about and believing in the track is amazing.

 

[Niceman]

chances are, that would be fine by me, given that i have no intention of being a "normal" person by your definitions it seems.

You have poor reading comprehension skills.

 

[Niceman]

the edge puts the best effort into the mjb version of one, tbh.

pretty much everything else is a bit shit.

That might be true.

 

[Irvine511]

Your argument that they made MOFO the opening track without being excited about and believing in the track is amazing.

you should go back and try reading. i am saying that they didn't believe Mofo could "stand alone" because they amped it up with great theatrics and followed it with their oldest hit.

perhaps the distinction you're missing is the fact that they may have believed in the song, but they didn't believe in the audience, and they certainly didn't believe in Pop they way they believed in Achtung.

 

[nielsgov]

(I know, implausible after today's posts. It's my least favorite album by my favorite band.)

Then why do you keep posting about it? It's as if the album has done you harm or something. I don't have such feelings for any U2 album. I can even enjoy R&H xp

 

[Irvine511]

You have poor reading comprehension skills.

do tell.

 

[Niceman]

Then why do you keep posting about it? It's as if the album has done you harm or something. I don't have such feelings for any U2 album. I can even enjoy R&H xp

It's not like I wrote an essay! I expressed an opinion and then I got response after response and replied. I said what I had to say pages ago.

However, when posters appear and twist my words I get tempted to respond.

I never said I hate the album. I said it wasn't a masterpiece. I've actually spent just as much time on this thread arguing that U2 probably thought MOFO was a good song!

 

[coolian2]

That might be true.

in my opinion etc, etc obvs.

 

[Niceman]

do tell.

If anything you'd said yet had made the slightest amount of sense I might believe you that you had honestly misinterpreted my remarks or that I hadn't been as clear as I thought - but your posts are ridiculous. You have no interest in doing anything but arguing.

 

[coolian2]

i don't really agree with irvine on this particular subject for the most part, but to say he's only interested in arguing does a huge disservice to one of the few members of the site who isn't only interested in arguing.

 

[Irvine511]

If anything you'd said yet had made the slightest amount of sense I might believe you that you had honestly misinterpreted my remarks or that I hadn't been as clear as I thought - but your posts are ridiculous. You have no interest in doing anything but arguing.

please, tell me what's so ridiculous about what i've said, other than having a difference of opinion from you.

 

[Niceman]

i don't really agree with irvine on this particular subject for the most part, but to say he's only interested in arguing does a huge disservice to one of the few members of the site who isn't only interested in arguing.

I can only judge him by his posts here today.

 

[Irvine511]

i don't really agree with irvine on this particular subject for the most part, but to say he's only interested in arguing does a huge disservice to one of the few members of the site who isn't only interested in arguing.

i appreciate the kind words, but it's now coming back to me -- Niceman freaked out years ago when it was suggested that Boy has homoerotic overtones.

which it does.

 

[Niceman]

i appreciate the kind words, but it's now coming back to me -- Niceman freaked out years ago when it was suggested that Boy has homoerotic overtones.

which it does.

Was that you I had that argument with? If I'd realized that I would have NEVER tried again to reason with you.

 

[Irvine511]

Was that you I had that argument with? If I'd realized that I would have NEVER tried again to reason with you.

if you go read "U2 by U2" you'll realize i was right.