ATYCLB is an awesome record

[bram]

I think the cheese "works" to some degree on ATYCLB while it doesn't work to the same degree on HTDAAB (despite being just as present).

 

[Chizip]

I think the cheese "works" to some degree on ATYCLB while it doesn't work to the same degree on HTDAAB (despite being just as present).

You know, after the darkness of the 90s, the time was probably perfect for a "cheesy" U2 record, so it worked well for it actually. They've never really done something like that before, so it was new and interesting. But I'm going to groan if we get the same type of thing for the next record though.

 

[schnumi]

Yep a great album with great songs and great video's to support the songs.

I mean Stuck in a moment video (not the US one ofcourse..) is just so great.

 

[J_NP]

Exactly, the Vertigo Tour never really had it's own identity. It was just kind of a mix of previous ideas, with nothing really new and fresh, and that took away from it a bit.

Or would the problem to be the fact Vertigo never had an US identity ? Never went like , Oh US this is for you , Love us please ...

I would like to make a question , is there any non US person here who preferred Elevation over Vertigo ?

 

[Chizip]

Man, I've noticed you really hate the US don't you?

It's a pretty common theme in a lot of your posts.

 

[J_NP]

Man, I've noticed you really hate the US don't you?

It's a pretty common theme in a lot of your posts.

Not that much as u think Obvious I'm not the biggest fan , but mostly are for ur politics ....... but I actually like , this recent response of the people fuckin the republicans , and saying that they weren't happy with the war , I respected and apllauded that

Not but really except for the Embarassing thread , this wasn't a critic to the country really

But seriously without critics , U say that the elevation tour wasn't aimed at the US ? That U2 wanted to recover all their image there ? So they made it look so like pleasing to american audiences ,

This is not a critic to your country , it's for u2 actually and all the folks behind the tour

 

[GibsonGirl]

Man, I've noticed you really hate the US don't you?

It's a pretty common theme in a lot of your posts.

It certainly appears that way sometimes. J_NP, the European/rest of world Vertigo tour didn't have any more of an identity than the North American tour did. And this is coming from a South African. The stadium shows were bigger yes, but I honestly don't think U2 intentionally design their tours in order to pander to certain nations. Furthermore, I think the whole idea that the Elevation Tour was a contrived way of 'winning back' America's heart is a load of nonsense.

 

[J_NP]

I though u were english ....

Furthermore, I think the whole idea that the Elevation Tour was a contrived way of 'winning back' America's heart is a load of nonsense.

U honestly believe so ? Glad that I wasn't the 1sr one to say that , I mean didn't u see all the signs ? How many u want me to describe ?

 

[Chizip]

So they made it look so like pleasing to american audiences ,

I honestly don't see how the Elevation Tour looked more pleasing to US audiences than say to English audiences, or Italian audiences, or French audiences or whatever.

 

[GibsonGirl]

I though u were english ....

No, South African. For future reference, it's actually somewhat of an insult to us to be thought of as being English. (To all you Brits out there, don't worry, I'm only joking. )

U honestly believe so ? Glad that I wasn't the 1sr one to say that , I mean didn't u see all the signs ? How many u want me to describe ?

Yes, I honestly believe that U2 were not pandering to the US with the Elevation Tour. If you want to describe the 'signs,' go ahead. But I really don't think they had any sort of motive behind the tour.

 

[Utoo]

I first learned to love ATYCLB on my 3.5-hour car trips from DC to Jersey in college. The songs seemed great for a nice, chill car ride. I'd often change CDs by the end of the album, though, as I really felt that the last half was full of sleepers...and that was no good at the end of a long car ride! WILATW, POE, New York & Grace are songs that took time to grow on me. I had to hear live versions of New York in order to fully appreciate it. Looking at the album as a whole, I still think the last half is fairly sleepy, but I don't mind so much anymore.

While Bono's songwriting has become more direct in general, I think there is actually more poetry on ATYCLB than on HTDAAB. The only lyrically weak song, IMO, is Elevation. I'm one of the few who likes Wild Honey. Who cares that he says "I was a monkey?" The song is saccharine sweet in the way that it's supposed to be & has some great words; I find myself humming & singing it quite often. Even the "rap" words at the end of Kite---they're fairly upfront, but there's meaning in them.

Musically, yeah, there's a bit of a drop-off compared to other albums. Beautiful Day & Kite, along with bits of Elevation & Walk On, are the ones that stand out to me musically. Melodically, IALW's up there, too. Beautiful Day---a song that instantly launched itself into the canon of U2 Classics, perhaps the symbol of what U2 is now more than any other song.

As Chizip said, ATYCLB did what it was supposed to do. In that sense, I think the album has one of the strongest identities in their catalog. AYTLCB is a positive album, meant to chop down Pop, etc., in the same way that AB was meant to chop down JT. ATYCLB is also a poet's album, much like UF was, but with less vagueness in the lyrics.

Yeah, I'd like to see a return to some vague lyricism, I'd like to see some rockers & bite, and I'd like to see some more of the bittersweet that U2 does so well. But I sure am glad that ATYCLB came to be.

 

[J_NP]

No, South African. For future reference, it's actually somewhat of an insult to us to be thought of as being English. (To all you Brits out there, don't worry, I'm only joking. )

But do u live in SAf ? Curious though , I could swear u were either english or european .... Besides I never heard u talk about africa anyway .....

 

[ntalwar]

I mean didn't u see all the signs ? How many u want me to describe ?

I'd like to see a list of "signs" just for curiousity's sake.

 

[ntalwar]

Besides I never heard u talk about africa anyway .....

 

[Canadiens1131]

But do u live in SAf ? Curious though , I could swear u were either english or european .... Besides I never heard u talk about africa anyway .....

Well if I lived in a tent and had monkies and such outside all the time, I wouldn't want to discuss it on the internet all the time. One would want to avoid talking about it.

 

[Tennis05]

"Beautiful Day" is the single that changed my life.

 

[GibsonGirl]

But do u live in SAf ? Curious though , I could swear u were either english or european .... Besides I never heard u talk about africa anyway .....

No, I haven't lived in South Africa for almost six years. It's a shit country filled with murderers and rapists, that's why I never talk about it. My family background is European (English, Scottish and Dutch) so maybe that's why you thought I was European. But anyway, this is getting off topic now. Show us the 'signs.'

 

[GibsonGirl]

Well if I lived in a tent and had monkies and such outside all the time, I wouldn't want to discuss it on the internet all the time. One would want to avoid talking about it.

The monkeys were especially bad. And the tigers. Can't forget the tigers.

 

[Utoo]

Show us the 'signs.'

..which are kind of off-topic, too. But hey, you know he's going to include the Super Bowl performance & the flag jacket in the list of "pandering" to Americans. If the dude can't get it through his head that 1). he's worn other countries' flags, etc., as well, and that 2). It's "pandering" just as much as dragging mothers on stage for the beloved MOTD was "pandering," too......then I could honestly care less what the list looks like.

 

[LMP]

The monkeys were especially bad. And the tigers. Can't forget the tigers.

and Bears.

But seriously, All That You Can't Leave Behind and the Elevation Tour being made especially for Americans is ridiculous.

The album was embraced because of 9/11, one of the most catastrophic moments in American history. Don't blame U2 for making uplifting music and continuing to tour in a nation still in healing.

 

[xaviMF22]

and Bears.

But seriously, All That You Can't Leave Behind and the Elevation Tour being made especially for Americans is ridiculous.

The album was embraced because of 9/11, one of the most catastrophic moments in American history. Don't blame U2 for making uplifting music and continuing to tour in a nation still in healing.

QFT



Nice hat buddy

 

[U2girl]

Elevation tour's job was getting U2 back on the map in US as was ATYCLB's. Not that they were tailored for that and that that's all they were about, but they worked hard for it and the events alligned for it to happen too.

(As for the album, I like the poppy songs 1-7 run but after that it's like they pulled the break and songs 8-11 completely change the mood. I wish they'd put Summer rain and Levitate instead of POE and WILATW and a better closer than Grace)

 

[Chizip]

But seriously, All That You Can't Leave Behind and the Elevation Tour being made especially for Americans is ridiculous.

Personally, I think its more ridiculous, and offensive, for J_NP to say the only reason Americans (or should I say United Statesians since J_NP hates that the US is sometimes called America) prefer the Elevation Tour over the Veritgo Tour was because the Vertigo Tour didn't shower us with love and pander to the US like the Elevation Tour did

 

[LMP]

Personally, I think its more ridiculous, and offensive, for J_NP to say the only reason Americans (or should I say United Statesians since J_NP hates that the US is sometimes called America) prefer the Elevation Tour over the Veritgo Tour was because the Vertigo Tour didn't shower us with love and pander to the US like the Elevation Tour did

Yeah, I tried not to even comment on that one.

I liked the Vertigo tour more than the Elevation tour.

It's probably because I finally experienced a show this tour.

I think I'm a bad Unitedstatesian.

 

[ntalwar]

Last night.

 

[U2girl]

I would like to make a question , is there any non US person here who preferred Elevation over Vertigo ?

I liked both for different reasons.

 

[J_NP]

Personally, I think its more ridiculous, and offensive, for J_NP to say the only reason Americans (or should I say United Statesians since J_NP hates that the US is sometimes called America) prefer the Elevation Tour over the Veritgo Tour was because the Vertigo Tour didn't shower us with love and pander to the US like the Elevation Tour did

Mate U probably ignored my post above , but that's all right

About The "America " name , curious how u are an expert on my comments now , Now what I don't like ( why this word hate ?? )What I don't like is that the country gets called America , coz When I studied geography America was a big mass of earth which covered all this western side , from North of Canada until south of Argentina .

I would say this word United Statesians , was a bit uncalled , specially coz I myself call u americans , and aren't you ? The thing is this everyone from the continent is an american , that's why I don't like this view of America beind reduced to a country

But hey, you know he's going to include the Super Bowl performance & the flag jacket in the list of "pandering" to Americans.

I would only speak bout the tour , not sure this was in 2001

But seriously, All That You Can't Leave Behind and the Elevation Tour being made especially for Americans is ridiculous.

When I said anything about the album like that ?

 

[xaviMF22]

back on topic


ATYCLB is an awesome record

 

[trevgreg]

the second album I bought of the band's... and the first I really got into (Achtung Baby didn't hit me hard until a few months later).

definitely brings me back to a more innocent time. I was a sophomore in high school at the time, and just getting into music. it does have plenty of shining moments. I still listen to the non-single tracks a bunch too (Kite, In A Little While, When I Look At The World, Grace).

 

[LMP]

When I said anything about the album like that ?

Well Elevation will be one of the last tours to be most easily forgotten in the future , reasons why ?

- IMO in the end was a way to made the US love U2 again , after all the whole world had liked Popmart , except the Yankees people , So it's natural U2 wanted to embrace it like that .....
- The Tour was just too damn short , not even a year long , and only visiting Europe and US + Canada

There are more , but these one I think are the main

you're right, you didn't say it about the album, but you did about the tour, numerous times.

and yes, All That You Can't Leave Behind is a great album. I've never liked it as much as I do now.