Atyclb & Htdaab

[ImOuttaControl]

Today when I was cleaning my house, I put on ATYCLB and HTDAAB back to back and had them cranked--this is the first time I've listened to both albums back to back for quite a while.

I came up with the conclusion that post 2000 U2 is unfairly bashed on this site. 90's U2 is still my favorite, but how many bands out there wouldn't kill for albums like ATYCLB or HTDAAB? Lots of great songwriting. Beautiful Day, Kite, Walk On, Vertigo, SYCMIOYO, COBL, Original of the Species...I could go on and on. Very very few weak links IMO.

The only real negative thing about post Pop U2 IMO is that they seem to always feel the need to explain themselves. Old school U2 and 90's U2 seemed to be very much open to interpretation. That's the great thing about songs like One or WOWY. Knowing that Stuck in a Moment is about Michael Hutchece(sp?) or that Walk on is about that woman (sorry, not even going to attempt spelling her name), or that SYCMIOYO is about Bob Hewson, that Miracle Drug is about the paralyzed boy who wrote poetry, or that COBL is about post 9-11 New York and naivety, or that All Because of You is about God.......I think you get the idea.

For example, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own is an incredible song, but unfortunately I just can't seem to relate it to my life very often because the only image I get is the one Bono described when he felt the need to explain the song. Miracle Drug is also one that I could have related to a lot of different things, but always get the image bono described instead of relating the song to my life.

Bono, please do us a favor and do NOT feel the need to explain all of your lyrics on the next album!

Anyone agree?

 

[JCOSTER]

Bono said after the grammys on the CNN interview that they are a "pair of albums" they belong together.

 

[Zoots]

The only real negative thing about post Pop U2 IMO is that they seem to always feel the need to explain themselves. Old school U2 and 90's U2 seemed to be very much open to interpretation. That's the great thing about songs like One or WOWY. Knowing that Stuck in a Moment is about Michael Hutchece(sp?) or that Walk on is about that woman (sorry, not even going to attempt spelling her name), or that SYCMIOYO is about Bob Hewson, that Miracle Drug is about the paralyzed boy who wrote poetry, or that COBL is about post 9-11 New York and naivety, or that All Because of You is about God.......I think you get the idea.

Aha! You hit the nail on the head right there! That's one of the main problems I have with 00s U2. There's no subtlety in their lyrics any more.

 

[GibsonGirl]

Bono, please do us a favor and do NOT feel the need to explain all of your lyrics on the next album!

Anyone agree?

In fact, I wouldn't mind if Bono stopped writing lyrics altogether in favour of an instrumental album, as I can't really see them improving at this point. I preferred it when U2's songs meant something different to everyone. I think those days are long gone.

 

[ImOuttaControl]

Re: Re: Atyclb & Htdaab

Aha! You hit the nail on the head right there! That's one of the main problems I have with 00s U2. There's no subtlety in their lyrics any more.

That's the thing, do you think that's because the lyrics are bad or because bono feels the need to explain every little thing these days?

I personally think it's the latter. Without Bono's explanation I think the post 2000's lyrics would seem much more profound.

 

[deirdre]

Bono, please do us a favor and do NOT feel the need to explain all of your lyrics on the next album!

Anyone agree?

I agree.. A great Pair of Albums.. I think there is only one song on each that I really don't care for..

as far as the explanations, I like it.. the insight, the reasoning, it kind of gives you a feeling of where they were or how THE BAND was feeling at the time of writing the song....

 

[Zoots]

Re: Re: Re: Atyclb & Htdaab

That's the thing, do you think that's because the lyrics are bad or because bono feels the need to explain every little thing these days?

I personally think it's the latter. Without Bono's explanation I think the post 2000's lyrics would seem much more profound.

Good question! I'm not sure...

But see.. in the following example, the lyrics just flat out suck, in my opinion. It's not a question of subtlety.

Life should be fragrant
Rooftop to the basement

 

[doctorwho]

Today when I was cleaning my house, I put on ATYCLB and HTDAAB back to back and had them cranked--this is the first time I've listened to both albums back to back for quite a while.

I came up with the conclusion that post 2000 U2 is unfairly bashed on this site. 90's U2 is still my favorite, but how many bands out there wouldn't kill for albums like ATYCLB or HTDAAB? Lots of great songwriting. Beautiful Day, Kite, Walk On, Vertigo, SYCMIOYO, COBL, Original of the Species...I could go on and on. Very very few weak links IMO.

The only real negative thing about post Pop U2 IMO is that they seem to always feel the need to explain themselves. Old school U2 and 90's U2 seemed to be very much open to interpretation. That's the great thing about songs like One or WOWY. Knowing that Stuck in a Moment is about Michael Hutchece(sp?) or that Walk on is about that woman (sorry, not even going to attempt spelling her name), or that SYCMIOYO is about Bob Hewson, that Miracle Drug is about the paralyzed boy who wrote poetry, or that COBL is about post 9-11 New York and naivety, or that All Because of You is about God.......I think you get the idea.

For example, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own is an incredible song, but unfortunately I just can't seem to relate it to my life very often because the only image I get is the one Bono described when he felt the need to explain the song. Miracle Drug is also one that I could have related to a lot of different things, but always get the image bono described instead of relating the song to my life.

Bono, please do us a favor and do NOT feel the need to explain all of your lyrics on the next album!

Anyone agree?

It should be pointed out that in the 80's, Bono frequently explained what his songs meant in concert, just as he does now.

I think you know more about it now because of the age we live in. 1987 was nearly 20 years ago - no internet, no constant media coverage, no cell phone coverage. We saw glimpses of them on TV and in newspapers or magazines - but that was it, just glimpses. Now, one can find out info. about any artist instantly. Bono is seen constantly.

To me, that's the difference - the amount of coverage the band gets (in fact, what all artists get). But otherwise, the general behavior is the same.

 

[gherman]

I agree with the time we live in. We have so much information at our finger tips. I remeber the mestique that U 2 had when Achtung Baby came out. You had to watch T.V. non-stop just hear about what U2 was doing. Now you go on the internet and you can watch every inerview, see every video. Remember when MTV did the whole U2 video catalogue when POP came out. I was up all night taping it because I thought I would be my only chance to get these videos. Now all I have to do is go to U2.com and I can see them whenever I want. It is so differnet now. U2 has lost some of that mistique, not because its their falt but because there is just so much information that we can get whenever we want. We also hear and see the things we don't really want to see because of this. I think that we question the albums more now because we hear all the negative things that other people express over these chat forums. Its just so much different now.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Also the 90's material was probably less easy to talk about. It's not any more or less personal than any other era, just more 'touchy' I'd suggest...

 

[Chizip]

i wish these two albums wouldnt really be lumped together so much. i know bono has called them a pair, but i do think there is a fair number of people who like the bomb but aren't as fond of ATYCLB.

 

[WalkOn21]

i wish these two albums wouldnt really be lumped together so much. i know bono has called them a pair, but i do think there is a fair number of people who like the bomb but aren't as fond of ATYCLB.

And there's also a fair number of people who like ATYCLB but don't like HTDAAB.


..............well, maybe not on Interference, because you'd get bashed if you would say such a thing