I think you're right; that's a big part of it. There needs to be subtlety in music and lyric. Just listen to a song like "Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World". The guitar is very subtle -- lots of loud and soft, no attempt to fully emphasize every note. It's beautiful. Nowadays they write obvious garbage like "A Man and a Woman".
Bono needs to write honestly about the complexity of life -- about his dark sides and difficulties and not just trying to make people feel "up" because it feels phony somehow.
U2 needs to not care about the mainstream and only write great complex music that speaks honestly to the human condition -- that deals honestly with what America has done to the world, as he did in the '80s. Take Bush to task, Bono, even if it's indirectly. Stop trying to kiss American ass, and write fairly. Don't let the music just be part of some African campaign that needs to win over Americans and not offend them. If it does seek to arouse interest in Africa, let it be through complexity, not the rubbish of "Crumbs From Your Table". Stop trying to communicate to 13 year olds, so they "get it" and be satisfied with metaphor; "Please" was the last great political lyric.
U2 needs to find the art without the artsy fartsy nonsense of Zooropa and Pop.
I think they can do it if they're willing to follow their original mission to make challenging, different music, instead of letting their insecure desire for grandiosity and legacy get the better of them. U2 has to be willing to come at things as a new band -- as the band it was before it released "The Joshua Tree" -- to deserve the artistic acclaim they've now exploited for over a decade while releasing mostly easy nonsense. Be the U2 of old. Do your best and let the mainstream come to you.
WhOah!!
Yo, Muldfeld: Are you aware that you will be crucified here by the U2-gestapo here?
You are not allowed to be critical at your favourite band even if your arguments are almost all facts!! Let me put it this way: apart from your point about Zooropa and POP and A Man And A Woman, I agree completely with you!
There's not one american band that campaigns more for America than U2! U2 Irish? Gimme a break! In the early years, yes... but in the last 20 years? 1 or 2 albums that deal with the "idea" of America is fine. It gave us JT and R&H. Very happy with that.. But from there on: songs about America, Bono kissing America's ass constantly, Bono yelling (The Saints Are Coming) "I am an Americaaaan", the jacket during the Super-Bowl, etc, etc,... I like America very much but it's enough now, Bono!
U2 have been bathing in so much stardom, glamour, celebrity, grandioso, ego, that they've become sloppy: during concerts Bono forgetting his own lyrics, on-auto-pilot playing, quick flat performances of passionate songs (Streets, One, etc..) There were numourous times that I crinched at Bono's cliché oneliners, his attitude..
Still I respect him very much for all the work his doing for the good cause! But this (all the time that goes in the good cause) combined with U2's bigger than life status for the last 10 years, have made them sloppy and less sharp. And because of that U2 became snowed under by all this stardom. It made them forget how to be subtile and passionate as they once were! Original, because they wanted to really say something with their music. Nowadays this all turned in to cheesiness!! In-your-face emotion on the ballads (you know which ones I mean..) And U2 being it's own tribute band! The best example of this cheesiness, U2 imitating U2 and indentity/midlife crisis is: City Of Blinding Lights! Just terrible! U2-unworthy...
The whole HTDAAB-album is U2 "clutching at straws" (great Marillion-album btw!) and recycled material:
Vertigo: good song but too much obvious Boy influences
Miracle Drug: sappy flat U2 song (U2 imitating U2 with a little Coldplay)
SYCMIOYO: over-the-top cheesy emo "your the reeeason I saaaing, your the reason wha-ha-ha-hay the opera is in me.."
LPOE: recycled Zoo-Station-ish tune with a little Depeche Mode flavour
COBL: no comment.. no wait:
ABOY: what a train-wreck!
AMAAW: soft lyrics, maybe.. but fantastic clear singing by Bono and original sounding music
One Step Closer: "The First Time" recycled.. just more boring (filler)
Crumbs: recycled chord-structures of "Walk On", terrible shrieking mixing, in the end: weak track
OOTS: forced U2 doing Beatles-track
Yahweh: great track! This sencere U2 feeling is here!
When it comes to artistic intergrity, Radiohead blows U2 right out of the water the last 5 years. No wonder: U2/McGuinuess is just going: "do we have big hit-singles, are we still the biggest? Can we (still) outsell Rolling Stones" Who cares if the music suffers!" Who cares if we become a sad residu of who we once were, who cares if we become a Disneyland band with only big stadium-sing-along tunes! We need to be the biggest and sell, sell, sell !!!"
Don't get me wrong: I think it's totally o.k. that the boys are rich and famous but the music seems to suffer for years now... the sharpness and originality seems snowed under by it all..
Even Larry stated about HTDAAB: it's just not good enough!
So on this new album they have to come from far!