Shuttlecock XVII - The Best Title That Ever Happened a Thread

[intedomine]

It's a mess. Sounds like a poor man's Are You Gonna Wait Forever, was an initial impression that I had.

Bono's voice just sounds tired, more so than on HTDAAB, which is a primary criticism I have of that album. It's a shame because he recovered really nicely on SOI and NLOTH.

It feels like this song concertedly plays to the band's weaknesses as opposed to the band's strengths, which is a crazy notion.

That said, the song sounds better when you're not listening to it. I actually enjoy the vocal melody when he sings "You're The Best Thing About Me", but it sounds better when you take that melody out of the song, and play it in your head, without the fragility of Bono's vocal execution and the all-over-the-shop production.

 

[BoMac]

Surely this is proof they pulled the plug in 2016 not for whatever political reason they're trying to sell, but because they simply weren't done. The problem, it seems to me, is that U2 have got so big they can delay. Who's going to tell them no? If they had kept tinkering and tinkering in the eighties, they would've been screwed. I don't think they realise that the longer they work on something and the further they get from that original moment of inspiration, the worse their music tends to sound.

I feel like this method of theirs is a direct result of what happened with Pop. They don't want to be rushed and make sure the songs are finished before released, but the end product tends to be overcooked. Like iYup said, nothing really sounds organic anymore.

I'll bet that it didn't take them as long to work on Beautiful Day and Vertigo, two songs they've been desperate to recreate.

But, also, I think this is who they are. If you recall during the Beats 1 interview with Zane Lowe, Bono said he thinks Streets and Bad are incomplete and he wishes he could go back in time to finish them. Streets and Bad!!! Edge gave him a look and said something to the effect "he's crazy. See what we have to deal with?". But in fact they're all complicit in this.

 

[Axver]

I dread to think how a "finished" Bad would sound. Instead of just two notes, used perfectly, it would probably have some shitty chest-thumping chorus. "YEAH! YA GOTTA LET IT GO! DON'T LET YOUR SOUL FADE AWAY! LET IT GO! YOUR BIG MOUTH IS IN THE WAY!"

Speaking of big mouth, that's another problem with current U2. Bono tries to be self-deprecating in some attempt to break down the idea of him as some puffed-up egomaniac, and it's so overdone and clunky that it just makes him look more obsessed with himself. We get it, Bono, you know some people think you've a big mouth. It wasn't funny or insightful in Stand Up Comedy and it hasn't been in any of the three songs so far.

 

[mikal]

I'm tired of overanalyzing what they do or don't do.

 

[LemonMelon]

I dread to think how a "finished" Bad would sound. Instead of just two notes, used perfectly, it would probably have some shitty chest-thumping chorus. "YEAH! YA GOTTA LET IT GO! DON'T LET YOUR SOUL FADE AWAY! LET IT GO! YOUR BIG MOUTH IS IN THE WAY!"

Stop smoking meth, Beth
Cut out the heroin, Marilyn

*outdated dubstep drop*

 

[Diemen]

If they want to keep putting out music, cool. I just want to like it. I'm tired of overanalyzing what they do or don't do.

They're an exhausting band to love, but I'll put up with it as long as I still like the tunes.

Wrong. My satisfaction is of the utmost importance to whether they continue to put out music. If they fail to meet my criteria for artistic merit/relevance, then it is incumbent on them to either change to fit my criteria, or to stop making music. That's how things work.

[/snark]

 

[Axver]

I know that criticism is leveled any time somebody here doesn't like something, and it's almost never true.

But yes, sure, portray everybody who doesn't like The Best Thing as wanting U2 to be their own little puppets.

 

[corianderstem]

Yeah, I'm even past that stage. I wish everyone liked it, but whatever, it doesn't effect me.

I just do more skimming these says on the topic. ;-)

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Yeah, I'm with Cori on this - I'm pretty much cool with whatever. For me the complaining gets a little tired because this is pretty much U2 at this point, take them or leave them. Are they capable of making truly great music again? Yes but past actions seem to show a trend here and I honestly don't think they want to change.

 

[lazarus]

You're still generalizing. I love half of SOI. The other half is a head-scratcher that reeks of too many cooks.

So it's not "this is U2 now so either take it or leave it". I think they are simultaneously making great music and bad music, as they've been doing for the last 10+ years. The new album will likely be a mix of really good stuff and more compromised, overproduced misfires.

 

[corianderstem]

Oh no, the dreaded generalizations.

 

[Axver]

If everything were like Best Thing or Song for Someone or Stand Up Comedy, I'd be long gone. But Fez, No Line on the Horizon, Cedarwood Road, The Troubles, and - yes - The Blackout are enough to at least keep me vaguely interested, and halfway hopeful they can put out an album I'll like more than the last four. I don't expect them to record anything on a par with their eighties or nineties work, but I sure don't think they are doomed to only record songs I hate. And I think they can still surprise me positively as well as negatively.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

You're still generalizing. I love half of SOI. The other half is a head-scratcher that reeks of too many cooks.

So it's not "this is U2 now so either take it or leave it". I think they are simultaneously making great music and bad music, as they've been doing for the last 10+ years. The new album will likely be a mix of really good stuff and more compromised, overproduced misfires.

right, but that is what I am saying - this is U2 now and the Pre-ATYCLB U2 is not coming back no matter how hard we complain. I agree, the flashes of brilliance make the mediocre stuff all the more frustrating but it is what it is. Its like crying over spilled milk at this point.

 

[PhilsFan]

I think what strikes me most about this album release cycle is how little I care anymore. I don't enjoy them, but it doesn't sting the way it might once have stung. I'm not sure if that's better or worse. Hell, I just saw the band live two days ago and haven't listened to them since aside from two listens to the new song yesterday morning. Maybe this is it.

 

[corianderstem]

I like or love most of SOI, so I'm not as frustrated. I have a higher tolerance for their pop tendencies, as I mostly like the songs in that vein.

I love that they still have the little surprises of originality in the albums, so yay. Looking forward to seeing what gems are hiding on SOE.

Really loved the SOI tour, the visuals were great, as were the performances. Looking forward to JT being done so they can get back to doing the next thing, where to me they seem more excited to be doing it.

 

[lazarus]

Someone said yesterday that they needed to get Eno and Lanois back, and while I agree that those two tend to push them into more ambitious territory, the middle 3 of No Line shows that they're stubborn and won't completely listen to them either. It's one thing to bring in additional producers when you've already been recording with Chris Thomas, Steve Lillywhite, or even Danger Mouse, but moving on from Eno and Lanois to Lillywhite, will.i.am, and whoever else tainted that album is a major insult. These are the two guys who brought you to your greatest achievements, artistically and commercially, and you think you can fix what they've done?

It's arguably the worst creative decision they made in their entire career. Hopefully they pull an Abbey Road before they hang it up and throw themselves at the mercy of Eno and Lanois to shepherd one final classic.

 

[mikal]

I like or love most of SOI, so I'm not as frustrated. I have a higher tolerance for their pop tendencies, as I mostly like the songs in that vein.

I love that they still have the little surprises of originality in the albums, so yay. Looking forward to seeing what gems are hiding on SOE.

Really loved the SOI tour, the visuals were great, as were the performances. Looking forward to JT being done so they can get back to doing the next thing, where to me they seem more excited to be doing it.

Yeah I think I'm about in line with you and Elfa. Sure I have my complaints and wish every one of their albums sounded like Zooropa, but I understand how they've evolved and yes, at times it's been very frustrating.

At the same time, I generally like all their songs because I'm such a big fan of them as musicians. I simple terms, I love the sound of them playing music. I also think perspective and attitude have a lot to do with it. I want to like their music. I'm not going to speak for others in this regard but generally having a positive attitude towards U2 definitely helps to enjoy their music.

 

[david]

KROQ has barely played it since premiering it yesterday.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

The amount of arguing going on over there about "The best thing to ever happen a boy" is truly staggering.
Let it go people, its a stupid line, it makes no sense but its there... I have a feeling we may get a "to" inserted in the live versions anyhow.

 

[lazarus]

Yeah, I'm not going back in there for a while.

 

[the tourist]

I wish I still remembered all of my grammatical mapping from school so that I could explain why I think the line works now after thinking about it. At least grammatically. Something about the word "happen" being a present tense verb. Adding "to" then wouldn't make sense in that context. Anyway, I'm probably not making sense. It's still a clunky line but not as egregious as I originally thought it was (happen to boy, like I thought, would have been way, way worse).

Anyway, I love how consistently my views completely differ from some of the posters here. It's almost comical to the point where when I hear something new that I like (or something older that I'm just discovering), I check on here to see reactions and there's a high percentage of time that people hate it. Do I love The Best Thing? Eh, no. But I like it. I don't think it's bad. I would have made a few different choices. I also don't think Bono sounds any worse than he has on every record since 1999.

 

[corianderstem]

All that aside, l'll still always have those "WTF ARE YOU CHUCKLEHEADS DOING" moments with these guys.

Especially if they don't play the new song at tomorrow's Minneapolis show. Honestly, I won't be surprised if they don't, because they do baffling shit all the time.

 

[prbiker15]

The amount of arguing going on over there about "The best thing to ever happen a boy" is truly staggering.
Let it go people, its a stupid line, it makes no sense but its there... I have a feeling we may get a "to" inserted in the live versions anyhow.

Agreed, they're gonna keep beating that horse to death.

 

[BoMac]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with everything Laz and Ax have said.

 

[Dalton]

Finally listened to the song this morning and I agree with the general sentiment that it's awful.

This got me thinking - which bands out there did you love for awhile and then grow to despise? I don't put the Cock in this category because, to be fair to them, I love two (20 YEARS!) of their music that I love. Then a few that I believe are subpar and now several that I think have been awful, but all of those have come when they're past their sell by date.

There are a few bands that I love their early work but am not that interested in their later work (i.e. Arcade Fire, Wilco, Ryan Adams, etc.), but there are only a few who I completely hate now after loving their earlier work.

1. Counting Crows - August and Sattelites are perfect - everything else is awful

2. Coldplay - love parachutes and rush - nothing since

3. Weezer - blue and pinkerton provided a soundtrack for my adolescence. They've made the same album since.

 

[iron yuppie]

The amount of arguing going on over there about "The best thing to ever happen a boy" is truly staggering.
Let it go people, its a stupid line, it makes no sense but its there... I have a feeling we may get a "to" inserted in the live versions anyhow.

It's an epicly bad line in that it has made everybody forget that just a few days earlier we heard a song where he finishes rhymes with random men's names. Something has to be really bad in order to make something terrible look decent in comparison.

 

[david]

I don't even thing TBT is that bad at all. If I did it still wouldn't be enough to make give up on hearing the new album.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

BVS has an interesting theory:

I really don't want to get too deep in this whole lyric thing, seems silly.

But obviously it wasn't just an oversight, we know he's been singing it this way over a year.

What if he's just having fun with a local colloquialism?

My ex's family were "off the boat" Irish, and the older men(especially), that's how they would talk.

You would hear them say, "that's the worst thing to happen a fella".

if its true I could live with that.

 

[Dalton]

I think what strikes me most about this album release cycle is how little I care anymore. I don't enjoy them, but it doesn't sting the way it might once have stung. I'm not sure if that's better or worse. Hell, I just saw the band live two days ago and haven't listened to them since aside from two listens to the new song yesterday morning. Maybe this is it.

Spoiler

This

 

[corianderstem]

BVS has an interesting theory:



if its true I could live with that.

Ha, considering the Irish do that weird thing of saying "Himself" instead of "him" (I've seen women referring to their husband as such), I would buy that.