Can anyone take U2 seriously anymore?

[CrashedCarDriver]

well im thinking after the last album- no

granted there are a few people on this board who will be offended by my point of view

but u2's music these days is almost good because nobody takes it seriously anymore

but i guess its all political mumbo jumbo and bono's 'personal crusade' that has gotten in the way of the music

i think its severely highlighted by the effort made on the last album, where bono wanted to compete against the likes of britney, n*sync, fred durst, by cheating on what u2 should be about and making this fake version of 'this is what u2 are about', and all i can say is "oh woop di do!"

its kinda sad when people talked about 'should u2 call it a day?' thread, and theres people making all these claims that they are as creative as theyve ever been, but its so obvious that they want to be the next rolling stones especially if they continue to walk this path, a band which i have very little time and respect for.

 

[wertsie]

I really don't understand. If you think ATYCLB was fake, if you don't take U2 seriously anymore, what on earth are you doing here?

 

[Bonofire]

I really do not understand what you're talking about at all! ATYCLB was nothing like Britney Spears! It had very deep meanings in most of its songs. The songs took on even more chilling meaning after 9/11! There was some very deep and serious stuff on ATYCLB and if you missed it, I'm sorry!

Kite
Peace on Earth
WILATW
Stuck
Grace
New York
Walk On

Have you even listened to these songs or tried to understand their meaning? Talk about some heavy lyrics! Bono was going through some tough emotional times, his dad was sick, friends were dying, he turned 40, he was upset about some things in the world, involved in Jubileee 2000, and I think all those things showed on this record. The only song I can see that was even mildly made to compete in the pop music world was Elevation. Beatiful Day was marketable but it was just a great song all the way around. Now we have Electrical Storm, and I read a quote by Bono that it had meaning concerning 9/11 and the world too. This guy is doing important stuff and he's the most serious and significant songwriter around today. We are lucky to have him!

 

[adamswildhoney]

Say what you want to say about how you feel about U2. Personally I dont compare other bands to other bands ie U2 to The Rolling Stones. What matters to me is that U2 makes good music that I can connect to. U2 has always tried to push people buttons and break boundries and obviviously they have done exactly that with the last album.

 

[pinkfloyd]

eat this

i never liked Atyclb , too much mild pro-Bono ! songs dammit !
I hope , U2 will be back , and yes , i'm also tired of bono countless booring speeches about 0thing .

 

[FallingStar]

I can still take U2 seriously. And I don't think that Bono's personal work has gotten in the way of U2.

I love them and can't agree with what you said, Crashed Car Driver.

 

[adamswildhoney]

I can still take U2 seriously. And I don't think that Bono's personal work has gotten in the way of U2.

I love them and can't agree with what you said, Crashed Car Driver.

I agree with you, Falling Star!

 

[DrTeeth]

but i guess its all political mumbo jumbo and bono's 'personal crusade' that has gotten in the way of the music

I wouldn't dismiss Bono's political efforts as mumbo jumbo, but I do have the feeling it has taken it's toll on his music. Granted, he (Bono) might get a lot of inspiration out of it for his lyrics, but I've always been someone who likes U2 better for their tunes than for their lyrics.

I have the feeling that, to say it in analytical terms, production is very low, i.e., they don't write as many songs anymore as they used to. Maybe that's why we've seen less 'normal' songs as b-sides and more of those horrific remixes and (not so horrific) live performances.

 

[GypsyHeartgirl]

I hate to say it, but I have to. How could you think they are not taken seriously because of ATYCLB?! They are taken a lot more seriously now than when they were a laughingstock during POP! They have won back their reputation and are taken very seriously! Many of the songs are very serious and not like teen pop at all! Bono even made anti-teen pop statements when the album was released!

Larry has complained about Bono being gone so much with his political work, but all the band members support him and his important causes! Bono has time to do it all. He even did some of it while the tour was going on. When Oprah asked Bono if being gone so much took time from the band, Bono remarked 'it seemed the more I was away from the studio the better the music got' to which the audience laughed. Could it be he was talking about ATYCLB being so much better than the album before it? I also think his work gives him insight and emotions that help his songwriting.

PinkFloyd, I don't know what you mean by 'back.' They are 'back' now thanks to ATYCLB and Elevation. You bash ATYCLB so much, but I saw on one thread that you love Electrical Storm and said they had their rock and roll spirit back? I love Electrical Storm, and ATYCLB, but from your view I cannot see how you see ES as so much more rocking than ATYCLB. It's really more on the frequency of Walk On, and less rocking than Elevation or BD. So I don't understand you at all.

 

[Zoocifer]

Interesting point of view. I understand somewhat - but here's the thing. Did the public take U2 seriously when there was a man named MacPhisto making prank phonecalls during a concert that was about the excess in rock n' roll? Did the public take U2 seriously when they emerged from a 40 ft. mirrorball lemon?

I believe the public is actually taking U2 more seriously than they have in a very long time. As for me - I don't take things like this seriously. Good music is good music. Soul is soul. I don't care how the public sees it or wants to see it.

-[z]-

 

[wertsie]

Interesting point of view. I understand somewhat - but here's the thing. Did the public take U2 seriously when there was a man named MacPhisto making prank phonecalls during a concert that was about the excess in rock n' roll? Did the public take U2 seriously when they emerged from a 40 ft. mirrorball lemon?

I believe the public is actually taking U2 more seriously than they have in a very long time. As for me - I don't take things like this seriously. Good music is good music. Soul is soul. I don't care how the public sees it or wants to see it.

-[z]-

I would think that the general public, the "non-fans", if you will, would be taking U2 more seriously now than they could have all through the 90s...Like you said, there was Macphisto...Giant video screens...the band emerging from a lemon during Popmart.

 

[U2girl]

Hmm but there's a difference between Bono and what he does away from the band and what U2 do on their own.

People may not want to take Bono's charity work seriously but i think the public took ATYCLB very seriously. And i don't think Bono's "solo" work affected U2's songwriting - as a matter of fact, the latest album is full of intact songwriting ability shining through.

Oh, and i wouldn't mind if U2 would still be considered (one of) best band(s) live when they hit 60 like Stones made it!

 

[u2sangel]

Bonos work for debt calcellation greatly influenced(as he admitted himself)ATYCLB.I love the record and take it and Bono very seriously when talking about issues that are close to his heart(they are close to mine too)People are free to not like the record or Bonos political views but I certainly do!!I think u2s music will continue to be influenced and inspired by it and that is just fine with me!

 

[sengira]

What's serious?

This whole debate sort of tires me.

There will always be those who think U2 should be doing more of something, or less of something else; people who liked one era of the band's work more than another; people who think that Bono's sociopolitical concerns are a load of hooey and people who are genuinely touched by his message.

I honestly don't know that it matters. Take what you like, and leave the rest - no one needs to muscle anyone else into accepting their point of view. Bono himself said, waaaaaayy back in 1982, something that I think still holds true today: "There's a lot of people that expect a lot of things from U2, and people
will never get what they expect."

I personally am content to let them be whatever they want to be. I'm not obligated, as a fan, to love every single thing they do (although that often ends up being the case). That's only logical.

I'm curious about what exactly people mean by 'being taken seriously'. By whom? According to what standards? In comparison to whom? There's no universal standard for that sort of statement that I can see.

But I've run on long enough, and I have papers to edit. Have a good one, all.

 

[walkon11]

but i guess its all political mumbo jumbo and bono's 'personal crusade' that has gotten in the way of the music

i think its severely highlighted by the effort made on the last album, where bono wanted to compete against the likes of britney, n*sync, fred durst, by cheating on what u2 should be about and making this fake version of 'this is what u2 are about', and all i can say is "oh woop di do!"

its kinda sad when people talked about 'should u2 call it a day?' thread, and theres people making all these claims that they are as creative as theyve ever been, but its so obvious that they want to be the next rolling stones especially if they continue to walk this path, a band which i have very little time and respect for.

I don't see anything wrong with a politically-charged album and/or performances...look at "War" and you'll see that it's nothing new in U2's catalog, and politics/world affairs have been a part of the U2 agenda since then.

When Bono said he wanted to compete with the likes of the above mentioned, he just meant he wanted their music to be heard as frequently and often as these other pop groups/bands...to call ATYCLB "fake" simply because it's radio-friendly, or more geared towards the mainstream is a horrible injustice because there was nothing like it during the time it was released...the fact that they were on the radio/TV as much once again proves U2 has the power to disrupt (f--- up, as Bono would say) the mainstream.

They are as relevant (if not more) as they were 10, 15, 20 years ago...if they don't have yours, they certainly have my respect.

 

[jick]

well im thinking after the last album- no

granted there are a few people on this board who will be offended by my point of view

but u2's music these days is almost good because nobody takes it seriously anymore

but i guess its all political mumbo jumbo and bono's 'personal crusade' that has gotten in the way of the music

i think its severely highlighted by the effort made on the last album, where bono wanted to compete against the likes of britney, n*sync, fred durst, by cheating on what u2 should be about and making this fake version of 'this is what u2 are about', and all i can say is "oh woop di do!"

its kinda sad when people talked about 'should u2 call it a day?' thread, and theres people making all these claims that they are as creative as theyve ever been, but its so obvious that they want to be the next rolling stones especially if they continue to walk this path, a band which i have very little time and respect for.

ATYCLB was a deep album. It had many levels too it. Unfortunately, some people lack the intellect level to fully understand it, so many are misled into thinking it is shallow. Many just see the surface but not the inside. U2 should have called the album "only for geniuses." ATYCLB was kick-ass and serious (although not as kick-ass as the legendary POP). Some people just don't get ATYCLB, some people may never have the intellectual capacity to fully comprehend it.

Cheers,

J
The King Of POP

 

[cell]

Re: Re: Can anyone take U2 seriously anymore?

ATYCLB was a deep album. It had many levels too it. Unfortunately, some people lack the intellect level to fully understand it, so many are misled into thinking it is shallow. Many just see the surface but not the inside. U2 should have called the album "only for geniuses." ATYCLB was kick-ass and serious (although not as kick-ass as the legendary POP). Some people just don't get ATYCLB, some people may never have the intellectual capacity to fully comprehend it.

Cheers,

J
The King Of POP

I don't think you should diss anyone's intelligence because they don't "get" ATYCLB. Thats just wrong. Some people don't like it...some people love it. It's not based on whether they are intelligent or not.

 

[walkon11]

Re: Re: Re: Can anyone take U2 seriously anymore?

I don't think you should diss anyone's intelligence because they don't "get" ATYCLB. Thats just wrong. Some people don't like it...some people love it. It's not based on whether they are intelligent or not.

Exactly...enough with the trouble-starting already.

 

[david]

You should have asked this question during the POP era when U2 were dressing like The Village People in videos and emerging from 40 foot lemons and standing in front of huge video screens that had McDonald golden arches above them.

 

[GypsyHeartgirl]

Re: Re: Re: Can anyone take U2 seriously anymore?

I don't think you should diss anyone's intelligence because they don't "get" ATYCLB. Thats just wrong. Some people don't like it...some people love it. It's not based on whether they are intelligent or not.

That's what I've been trying to say for ages when people say those same exact things about people who don't like Pop. Oh, the irony!

 

[GypsyHeartgirl]

You should have asked this question during the POP era when U2 were dressing like The Village People in videos and emerging from 40 foot lemons and standing in front of huge video screens that had McDonald golden arches above them.

LMAO~! Thank you for saying that. It's the truth, and I didn't have to say it and get flamed

 

[cass]

to be honest , the last couple of posts I have read here have made me feel like


but that's not going to achieve anything, is it?

What's up ccd? You feel ATYCLB isn't a good U2 album?It is of such a poor standard that people no longer "take U2 seriously" Fair enough, your opinion.

You feel Bono's "mumbo jumbo" ( is that what they speak in Africa when their throats are coated with yellow gunk and they can't form words any more?) is making U2 less palatable to Joe Blow public? Personally I am glad Bono is the kind of person who launchs into "personal crusades" (funny how he's the only one who cares about this. Actually I think he is the spokesperson, Larry started a "personal crusade" too but Bono is just so good at interviews. And this particular "cruscade" has some urgency about it, so they sent in the best imho)
Now, the concept of age depleting creativity and whether bands such as The Rolling Stones should be banned. eww old people playing guitars and dancing ewwwwww.
I have been saying it for years and I'll say it agin....U2 should retire from performance and come and live next door to me. We could sit in our rocking chairs and watch the sun go down and talk about all the creative young beautiful people.
Do U2 want to be taken seriously?
Like Liberace....they're crying all the way to the bank...half their luck and 99.99999% serious creative talent.

crashedcardriver ....they're not a bad little 4 piece band really.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

I really do not understand what you're talking about at all! ATYCLB was nothing like Britney Spears! It had very deep meanings in most of its songs. The songs took on even more chilling meaning after 9/11! There was some very deep and serious stuff on ATYCLB and if you missed it, I'm sorry!

Kite
Peace on Earth
WILATW
Stuck
Grace
New York
Walk On

Have you even listened to these songs or tried to understand their meaning? Talk about some heavy lyrics! Bono was going through some tough emotional times, his dad was sick, friends were dying, he turned 40, he was upset about some things in the world, involved in Jubileee 2000, and I think all those things showed on this record. The only song I can see that was even mildly made to compete in the pop music world was Elevation. Beatiful Day was marketable but it was just a great song all the way around. Now we have Electrical Storm, and I read a quote by Bono that it had meaning concerning 9/11 and the world too. This guy is doing important stuff and he's the most serious and significant songwriter around today. We are lucky to have him!

Exactly (just curious-who were these friends of his that were dying? I hadn't heard of this...how sad).

U2 shouldn't "call it a day" yet. Heavens, no. They've still got some stuff left in them. And they're still serious about things as well-the "Oprah" show on Friday certainly proved Bono's still serious about things, for example.

So to the person who started this topic, you're certainly entitled to your opinion, and if you didn't care for ATYCLB, fine.

But I agree with Bonofire on this one. Cass made a great point, too.

Angela

 

[cell]

You should have asked this question during the POP era when U2 were dressing like The Village People in videos and emerging from 40 foot lemons and standing in front of huge video screens that had McDonald golden arches above them.

oh my god that was too funny lol...even though i loved the popmart tour, i think i can almost understand why people would ask that question whether u2 would be taken seriously or not during the popmart tour. The Discotheque video is a good example. I think it was all in fun though.

 

[wertsie]

Re: Re: Re: Can anyone take U2 seriously anymore?

I don't think you should diss anyone's intelligence because they don't "get" ATYCLB. Thats just wrong. Some people don't like it...some people love it. It's not based on whether they are intelligent or not.

I really don't understand how a person's not like an album always goes back to their "intelligence," or lack thereof. That makes no sense!

I can't stand to listen to Britney Spears...Does that mean that her fans have some sort of deeper intellect that helps them "understand" her music, where I never could? Please...

 

[wertsie]

oh my god that was too funny lol...even though i loved the popmart tour, i think i can almost understand why people would ask that question whether u2 would be taken seriously or not during the popmart tour. The Discotheque video is a good example. I think it was all in fun though.

david's post made me laugh my ass off! I could understand why people would've asked that question back then, even though I love Pop!

 

[what a bomb!]

I know people that went off U2 when

A) The Unforgettable Fire was released

B)The Joshua Tree was released

C) Achtung Baby was released

Three albums in U2's career that every hardcore fan will have in their collection, and also a milestone in the career of U2 themselves! U2 could make the most definitive and classic sounding album of U2 ever and you would still get people not liking it or moaning about it! We are a massive fanbase from all walks of life, across many borders, U2 cannot please everyone! With every new release they lose some fans, they gain some fans, lets enjoy them while they are here now, not when they are gone.

Fuck the past, kiss the future.

 

[Savannah]

Exactly (just curious-who were these friends of his that were dying? I hadn't heard of this...how sad).

He wrote Stuck about INXS singer Michael Hutchense who died in 1997. His good friend Joey Ramone was dying of cancer during the Elevation tour, and actually passed away while listening to IALW, just as soon as the song was over according to Ramone's family. Bono often dedicated the song to Joey. A dutch painter friend of his also died during the tour, I forget his name. Then of course there was the illness and death of Bono's own father

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

sometimes i wonder if U2 has ever been taken seriously. sure, they are still loved and respected by critics and fans, but that doesn't mean you are taken seriously. perhaps in the early days, in the 80's U2 were, but since achtung baby, i doubt they have been. in the 90's and beyond, they've seemed to loosen up and poke fun at themselves. it doesn't mean they're not as good as they were before, just different.

to me this is just another atyclb debate. which means pop will be mentioned, as whenever an album is being debated (by any artist), their previous work is usually mentioned. (think about how many times you've seen an october thread and someone mentions boy!) but album debates don't seem to work as people tend to get divided. there's one side, the other side, and the few who are on the fence because they like both albums. i don't see the point in it really. i'd rather look at the positive than the negative, and say what i love about an album instead of what i hate about it.

 

[wertsie]

sometimes i wonder if U2 has ever been taken seriously. sure, they are still loved and respected by critics and fans, but that doesn't mean you are taken seriously. perhaps in the early days, in the 80's U2 were, but since achtung baby, i doubt they have been. in the 90's and beyond, they've seemed to loosen up and poke fun at themselves. it doesn't mean they're not as good as they were before, just different.

to me this is just another atyclb debate. which means pop will be mentioned, as whenever an album is being debated (by any artist), their previous work is usually mentioned. (think about how many times you've seen an october thread and someone mentions boy!) but album debates don't seem to work as people tend to get divided. there's one side, the other side, and the few who are on the fence because they like both albums. i don't see the point in it really. i'd rather look at the positive than the negative, and say what i love about an album instead of what i hate about it.

Well said!