Get a load of this steaming pile of excrement

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U2ITNOL

U2ITNOL

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Jun 8, 2001
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I picked up this weeks Phoenix New Times newspaper to see what concerts are coming up locally. I should have heeded the warning signs when I got a whiff of that bad stench coming from the stack of New Times. I picked one up anyway and took it home. It didn't take me long to find out the source of the odor. A scathing article about U2 titled "World Leaders Pretend : U2's self-invented legacy is a figment of Bono's imagination", written by Joe Watson, a writer who claims to have been U2's biggest fan for over 20 years. Yeah, whatever dude. I would have quoted the entire article in this post, but it's filled with expletives. So I'll post below a link to the article online. The online version has a link to post your own comments. I declined to do it. This guy ain't worth the trouble. He writes for a free newspaper available on streetcorners, Cirlce K's and supermarkets. The last 20 or so pages of the paper every week are filled with ads for strip clubs, swingers clubs and "romance" phone chat lines. This paper rarely writes an article of a postive nature. Seems to me Joe Watson has a personal beef with the band. Maybe he paid $40 for a U2.com membership and didn't get tickets during the presale. I hope he's enjoying writing for a free rag. That's probably as far as he'll ever get in journalism.

http://music.phoenixnewtimes.com/Issues/2005-04-14/music/music.html
 
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I couldn't even finish reading that after the first few paragraphs.

Not just because he was throwing around baseless insults about U2, but the writing itself was just bad.

Eh, whatever. Let the guy stay in his delusional world with senselses hate for U2. More music for me. :wink:
 
haha what kind of article was that? it was just a hate piece.

and why did he find it preposterous that zooropa won best alternative album over the smashing pumpkins back in 93? zooropa was a real alternative album. everything else released back in 1993 was just grunge recycled 70's hard rock.
 
notice that every U2 hate article has to mention how U2 recieved honors over another band.

if the guy just wrote the word "jealousy" 500 times, the article would have the same affect.
 
"Enjoy the show, suckers"

I don't think you have to worry about that my envious friend. :rockon:
 
Come on guys, try to see both sides of the history:sad: :( It´s clear you just want to read articles from Rolling Stone or any other U2 supporting magazine:eyebrow: . I´m not 100% agree with some paragraphs, but some other ones just say it all. Just take a look at the first one:

"U2 has gone from the band that mattered most to arguably the most irrelevant". :ohmy: I totally agree with the line, I mean, U2 has become in another corporate product as Destiny´s Child, Madonna, Sting, Metallica, etc, etc. U2 were relevant in the 80´s and 90´s, but now they just are a nostalgia act :sad:

"U2 has not only gotten cosmetically younger, reaching out to the Now That's What I Call Music! crowd. It's become musically immature, so much so that I half expect the foursome to leave Earth in about 25 years as toddlers returning to Ork".

Those words draw the line. Just compare the complex music of 90´s with this cheap sellout iPod one.

"The shit that gets me most is Bono's pressing flesh with Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Kofi Annan, Nelson Mandela and dozens of other global power players, while he and his bandmates -- The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. -- try to force U2's self-invented legacy down our throats as we're puking up the sales pitch".

"As preposterous as it was that Zooropa won the Grammy for Best Alternative Album over Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream in 1993"

I remember that moment. I´m a SP fans as well, and I couldn´t believe that. Zooropa is a fantastic album, but Siameses Dream is better, really. The same thing happened with ATYCLB and Radiohead´s Kid A.

"Bono fucked around and created a spectacle of himself to draw attention away from the fact that the new songs suck".

Vertigo Tour is ( so far ) the most unoriginal, crappy, predictable, boring and cheap tour they´ever made. Even early tours as War Tour or Boy Tour were better because in those days U2 played every single concert with full passion and energy. Now they know they can play for just 1:40 hours with the same Elevation Tour design and selist and every fan on the arena will be pleased just because they will tell to their friends "I was there !!!, I saw U2 live !!!".

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overall: A U2 fan doesn´t mean you have to swallow any shit they do. No I don´t do it. Rather I´m a critical fan, and I admit they´ve done fantastic things as 80´s and 90´s albums and avant garde Tours as Zoo TV and Pop Mart. But I admit, for example, POP Mart Mexico City as official concert was a completely wrong choice. I don´t like October, and I don´t like Rattle & Hum movie ( except for live performances ). The problem with U2 is that, no matter how shit sellouts they have become in 2000, they still pretend they´re the best band in the world and every new album is their truly best ever. I can´t stand that.




:sad:
 
I couldn't really care any less about anyone elses thoughts and opinions when they're poorly constructed as a pointless negative diatribe............................................
 
U2 are and have been always my absolute favourite band in the world. Doesn't mean I have to like everything they do. The guy had some salient points about U2's relevancy (is that a word?) in today's world.

I couldn't believe it when I first heard about the iPod deal cos it's everything they've always said they wouldn't do, do a commercial sponsorship. Still don't know why they've done it, do they seriously need the tour support money???

Anyway I've been reading about people bagging U2 for 20 years. They used to always be the band to be slagged off by all the British music press for YEARS.
 
Because they're so "worthy". :wink:

They didn't come out (ooh er!) in 1980 and immediately start espousing the usual "sex and drugs and rock'n'roll" you're supposed to.

Back then the only known Christian in rock in the UK was Cliff Richard. :|

You understand the dilemma?

:laugh:
 
blueeyedgirl said:
Because they're so "worthy". :wink:

They didn't come out (ooh er!) in 1980 and immediately start espousing the usual "sex and drugs and rock'n'roll" you're supposed to.

Back then the only known Christian in rock in the UK was Cliff Richard. :|

You understand the dilemma?

:laugh:
Click to expand...

Yeah...I understand they started (without the sex drugs rock'n'roll cliché) but I was just reading a Christian message board and even there Bono gets called an "egotistical maniac" "U2 haven't made a decent album since Joshua Tree" "they are sellouts" "U2 sucks" I hear this stuff all the time from people, more than any band. This article is no different. Just some idiot rambling crap. But nevertheless, U2 are the biggest band on the planet with the biggest fanbase, and that’s enough to prove them all wrong!:up:
 
Nothing no-one hasn't heard before. it seems critics either Love or Hate u2. But it's weird he went from being a HUGE fan to being this angry! pretty sad!
 
blueeyedgirl said:
I couldn't believe it when I first heard about the iPod deal cos it's everything they've always said they wouldn't do, do a commercial sponsorship. Still don't know why they've done it, do they seriously need the tour support money???
Click to expand...

No money switched hands. They did the commercial for zero dollars. Period.
 
ponkine said:


------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overall: A U2 fan doesn´t mean you have to swallow any shit they do. No I don´t do it. Rather I´m a critical fan, and I admit they´ve done fantastic things as 80´s and 90´s albums and avant garde Tours as Zoo TV and Pop Mart. But I admit, for example, POP Mart Mexico City as official concert was a completely wrong choice. I don´t like October, and I don´t like Rattle & Hum movie ( except for live performances ). The problem with U2 is that, no matter how shit sellouts they have become in 2000, they still pretend they´re the best band in the world and every new album is their truly best ever. I can´t stand that.
:sad:
Click to expand...

My reaction whenever I see Ponkine's name: :sad:
 
ponkine said:
Vertigo Tour is ( so far ) the most unoriginal, crappy, predictable, boring and cheap tour they´ever made. Even early tours as War Tour or Boy Tour were better because in those days U2 played every single concert with full passion and energy. Now they know they can play for just 1:40 hours with the same Elevation Tour design and selist and every fan on the arena will be pleased just because they will tell to their friends "I was there !!!, I saw U2 live !!!".
Click to expand...

curious to know how you can say that if you haven't even seen it yet. You're comparing apples to oranges, in some respects. Nothing can compare to Popmart (which you list as your favorit), and just because the sets are stripped down doesn't mean that the energy isn't still there. I definitely felt it. I think the Vertigo set is similar to the Elevation set because if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Watching a video or listening to the audio is not the same as actually being there and feeling the magic. You're a fan, you know the magic I mean...

I agree with you that we should accept the criticism with the praise, but if you no longer like what they're doing, why are you still here? :shrug: Perhaps you've outgrown them?
 
I agree, this writer's review is unfair in a lot of ways. But I have to admit he's right about one thing - I'm sick to death of Bono saying this album is their best ever. I don't think too many fans, even those who love the Bomb, would rank it over Achtung Baby and The Joshua Tree. It just makes U2 look desparate. If he'd scale back the hyperbole a little bit, and just say something like, "Wow, it's 25 years and we're still together and people are still interested in hearing our new material, isn't it great?" it would be a LOT less annoying.
 
:rolleyes:

I don't expect you to go out and hawk your tickets to either of U2's sold-out shows at Glendale Arena.
Click to expand...

This writer is just one of those fans who didn't get tickets to the show and is being pissy about it.
 
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Bono's shades said:
I agree, this writer's review is unfair in a lot of ways. But I have to admit he's right about one thing - I'm sick to death of Bono saying this album is their best ever. I don't think too many fans, even those who love the Bomb, would rank it over Achtung Baby and The Joshua Tree. It just makes U2 look desparate. If he'd scale back the hyperbole a little bit, and just say something like, "Wow, it's 25 years and we're still together and people are still interested in hearing our new material, isn't it great?" it would be a LOT less annoying.
Click to expand...

I get what you're saying. But they're in the business (like it or not, it is a business) of creating, and they have to believe in their product. What are they supposed to say? "Here's our latest effort. We've done better, but we hope you'll think it's okay..."? They have to hype it. They'd look lame, otherwise. And who knows, maybe Bono does believe it. :shrug:
 
I dunno. Bono's hyperbole isn't what it could be. Chris Cornell just said the latest Audioslave album was the greatest album in rock history.
 
Bono's shades said:
I agree, this writer's review is unfair in a lot of ways. But I have to admit he's right about one thing - I'm sick to death of Bono saying this album is their best ever. I don't think too many fans, even those who love the Bomb, would rank it over Achtung Baby and The Joshua Tree.
Click to expand...

Perhaps not (even though I personally would), but what does Bono's opinion have to do with the fans' opinion? And IMO it's perfectly natural for an artist to get excited about their newest stuff.
 
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