Lo-Fi said:The moment Chris Thomas left production and Steve Lyillewhite stepped in I knew then that the record was changing direction. Esepcially pulling in Daniel Lanios to hear the songs as well (by U2's own admission, Lanios does not like loud rock songs) I don't really like Lanois as a producer, he's very safe in his approach and has to much of a pop sensibility. So the signs weren't looking good all that time ago people for a rock album.
U2girl said:
Now I didn't hear any of the songs yet (apart from Vertigo of course) but if anything, Lillywhite as a producer should indicate a direct, guitar loaded album. Now the lyrics are pretty direct, and everyone so far has said Edge is very much present on the album.
My guess is they just didn't get it right with Thomas (after all only 3 songs made it from that time).
Lanois was involved in U2's best known and most succesful albums, and it's odd to see U2 fans bash him. I prefer him over Eno who simply drowns out Edge's guitar too much. Oh and ... he produced 6 of Achtung Baby's songs - alone - and he helped mix 2 more, so there.
rkman said:So not being thrilled with the album is "whining."
Axver, you've got some balls to make this claim when in your sig you have a link to "Contradiction is balance: Axver's LiveJournal."
Originally posted by U2girl
Axver: what about Exit? It's also a rock song IMO.
Lo-Fi said:This is just my opinion on it all :
The moment Chris Thomas left production and Steve Lyillewhite stepped in I knew then that the record was changing direction. Esepcially pulling in Daniel Lanios to hear the songs as well (by U2's own admission, Lanios does not like loud rock songs) I don't really like Lanois as a producer, he's very safe in his approach and has to much of a pop sensibility. So the signs weren't looking good all that time ago people for a rock album.
gorman said:It always bothers me when people expect U2 albums to be nothing but full-on rock songs, such as Vertigo. I mean, that's just not who U2 are. I do love having a few tracks like that on the album, such as the three we have on HTDAAB, but having the full album like that just wouldn't be the U2 we all love. I was actually a little worried when I kept reading stuff that suggested this would be an album of nothing but Vertigo-like tracks. Needless to say, I love the way HTDAAB turned out. I couldn't have asked for a better album.
chrissybaby said:
If you remember that interview with Lillywhite in Uncut Magazine he said that when he inherited the record off Thomas it was full of strings and the band were just throwing money at it.... he also said that they didnt have enough good songs. Doesn't sound like it was a big rock album, i really believe that what we are talking about isn't rock vs rock-lite, it's different production. The production on AB is perfection, you can here the darkness of Hansa studios in the sound, just like you can on Bowie's Berlin trilogy. The production on HTDAAB is darker than ATYCLB but it isn't as emotional and dark as AB. Sometimes records have an untangiable atmosphere that just cant be recreated, i honestly think even U2 look back at AB and think "how did we get that sound?"
Just my opinion but i think this argument runs deeper than rawk!!!! Sometimes the heaviest songs are the quietist. Love is blindness is the heaviest song this band has ever recorded.
Lo-Fi said:
I haven't read that article Chrissybaby, that'd be very intresting to read and see what Lylliewhite went in and did to the songs. Still, it does make you wonder why Bono was sayin' it was the mother of all rock 'n' roll records if all the songs had strings on them don't you think? I really wish Bono wouldn't say stuff about songs like that when they obviously weren't. All it does is disappoint fans in the long run. Sure it generates hype for the album, but disappoints when they don't deliever. If Bono says they're making a rock 'n' roll record, go and make one!!
Axver said:A whole album of Vertigos would suck something fierce.