How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb Appreciation Thread

[nickypiemcg]

"U2 are less orginal than before" so when was the last time you hear a U2 song like A man and a woman (you may not like it) or Love and Peace?

also these are some of bono's most personal lyrics to date

now coldplay's lyrics are AWFUL and they have no originality what so ever

Well firstly I was talking about the songs that I mentioned not "A man and a woman" or "Love and peace or else"(Love and Peace or else is a very generic song now that you come to mention it).

Also you seem to be thinking that I was talking about U2 rehasing their old stuff which is not what I meant. I meant I had heard parts of these songs before but not by U2. For example the riff on All Because of You sounds very like an old AC/DC song (the name escapes me).

The lyrics might be "personal" as you mention it and they certainly aren't bad but being "personal" doesn't make them good.

Your point about Coldplay really didn't add anything to your argument and it sounded kind of silly as this is not a competition between Coldplay and U2. Though alot of people seem on this board seem to think it is (hence my comment about running and hiding). You not liking Coldplay does not make HTDAAB any better does it.

 

[gareth brown]

good points both sides there

A Man and a Woman is a song actually quite unlike anything U2 have done before, but personal lyrics aren't always good. I don't like reading over and over again that a song is saved by the lyrics because they're personal or Bono 'wears his heart on his sleeve' etc...

 

[KUEFC09U2]

good points both sides there

A Man and a Woman is a song actually quite unlike anything U2 have done before, but personal lyrics aren't always good. I don't like reading over and over again that a song is saved by the lyrics because they're personal or Bono 'wears his heart on his sleeve' etc...

imo some of bono's more poweful lyrics have come in this album "a house just dont make a home, dont leave me here alone" "were you live should not decide whether you live or whether you die" and one of my personal fav's "dont look before you laugh, look ugly in a photograph, flash bulbs, purple irisis the camera cant see, i've seen you walk unafraid, i've seen you in the clothes you made, can you, see the beauty inside of me, what happend to beauty i had inside of me" that one gets me all the time

 

[MacPhistoPT]

imo some of bono's more poweful lyrics have come in this album "a house just dont make a home, dont leave me here alone" "were you live should not decide whether you live or whether you die" and one of my personal fav's "dont look before you laugh, look ugly in a photograph, flash bulbs, purple irisis the camera cant see, i've seen you walk unafraid, i've seen you in the clothes you made, can you, see the beauty inside of me, what happend to beauty i had inside of me" that one gets me all the time

City of blinding lights lyrics are bashed sometimes around here but I really like them.

 

[AtomicBono]

City of blinding lights lyrics are bashed sometimes around here but I really like them.

Agreed, I love the imagery - "Neon heart, dayglo eyes/A city lit by fireflies/they're advertising in the skies for people like us." As for A Man and a Woman, the song is not SAVED by the lyrics. The lyrics add to an already good song.

 

[Zoots]

Well firstly I was talking about the songs that I mentioned not "A man and a woman" or "Love and peace or else"(Love and Peace or else is a very generic song now that you come to mention it).

Also you seem to be thinking that I was talking about U2 rehasing their old stuff which is not what I meant. I meant I had heard parts of these songs before but not by U2. For example the riff on All Because of You sounds very like an old AC/DC song (the name escapes me).

The lyrics might be "personal" as you mention it and they certainly aren't bad but being "personal" doesn't make them good.

Your point about Coldplay really didn't add anything to your argument and it sounded kind of silly as this is not a competition between Coldplay and U2. Though alot of people seem on this board seem to think it is (hence my comment about running and hiding). You not liking Coldplay does not make HTDAAB any better does it.

Great post and I agree about LAPOE. Very generic.

 

[LJT]

Great post and I agree about LAPOE. Very generic.

Well Achtung Baby was hardly original in the sense everyone is talking about...the dance beat/industrial thing had been done before just not by U2.......

....personally originality of sound is a great thing but i only really care if the songs sound good...fine it uses a sound that has been about a bit...but as long as they are good songs i am fine with it generally....

Ahh damn this is going to make me a hypocrite now when i bash Coldplay...ahh well i generally do my Coldplay bashing off this forum, they will never know what i said

 

[cobl04]

Agreed, I love the imagery - "Neon heart, dayglo eyes/A city lit by fireflies/they're advertising in the skies for people like us." As for A Man and a Woman, the song is not SAVED by the lyrics. The lyrics add to an already good song.

Agree 100% with both points there.

My ranking system is out of 5, but I gave COBL a 6 because its i like it a lot.

 

[Hallucination]

This is a terrific album that doesn't get the respect it deserves.

I agree with this point. This is the album that the media and public should've praised over the top. It's a waaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyy better album than ATYCLB in my opinion. But because ATYCLB was U2 going back to the "old U2" that album got much more hype and praise than it deserved. HTDAAB suffered(if you can call it that) becasue of how highly regarded ATYCLB was. HTDAAB is a better album but due to ATYCLB's success nobody wants to hear it or admit it. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb is U2's second best album in my opinion. Only Achtung Baby tops it and I doubt anything will ever top that.

 

[Hallucination]

Agree 100% with both points there.

My ranking system is out of 5, but I gave COBL a 6 because its i like it a lot.

Oh and COBL_04 how is it possible to give HTDAAB a 10/10 score when all the songs aren't a 5/5 score? Interesting. lol.

 

[LyricalDrug]

The new album is fantastic -- I give it an A grade overall.

Strengths: SYCMIOYO, Original of the Species, COBL, Vertigo... great bass playing by Adam... stellar, if somewhat conservative, guitar playing by Edge

Weaknesses: lacked a "natural" chart hit (Vertigo did very well, but without the iPod campaign, this may not have happened), very commercial album, embarrassingly weak lyrics in spots.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

LAPOE generic?? oh dear.


If there is one song on the album that isn't "generic" its LAPOE.

 

[Zoovation]

Here's my ranking:

Vertigo 9
Miracle Drug 9
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own 8
Love And Peace Or Else 8
City Of Blinding Lights 9
All Because Of You 7
A Man And A Woman 6
Crumbs From Your Table 8
One Step Closer 5
Original Of The Species 8
Yahweh 7

It's a very good album, probabaly one of the best of U2 but at the moment, it's really difficult for me to say which albums are better or worse than the bomb. I would give the bomb 8.5/10! OSC and AMAAW are the only tracks I don't like too much.

 

[nickypiemcg]

LAPOE generic?? oh dear.


If there is one song on the album that isn't "generic" its LAPOE.

Oh I beg to differ. Perhaps you don't know what I mean by generic.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

You're saying its ordinary, with nothing to separate it from a normal rock song, and that its run-of-the-mill aren't you? None of which fairly describes the song in question. (Good luck in hearing a song never mind a group of songs like it on the radio.)

 

[nickypiemcg]

You're saying its ordinary, with nothing to separate it from a normal rock song, and that its run-of-the-mill aren't you? None of which fairly describes the song in question. (Good luck in hearing a song never mind a group of songs like it on the radio.)

Well it is more of a blues rock song than a straight up rock song. it follows a very typical chord progression and uses a riff that has been pretty much used in hundreds of other songs of that genre. There is pretty much nothing original about LAPOE at all apart from the cringeworthy lyrics (We all know that Bono can do alot better than he did on this song) and maybe it is saved a little bit by Edge's guitar solo but to me when I first heard it I couldn't believe it made the album.

 

[Nube Gris]

HTDAAB is a brilliant record!
Very happy to see so many people here love this record.....
I understand the bashers, maybe most of the members in this forum grew up with 90's U2, getting hooked with AB, others with Zooropa and Pop...
I grew up and fell in love with 80's U2, also loved the 90's experimentation, and know im getting impressed with what U2 has produced in this new decade
Both HTDAAB and ATYCLB are awesome, extraordinary albums

U2 maintains at the top

 

[Layton]

I understand the bashers, maybe most of the members in this forum grew up with 90's U2, getting hooked with AB, others with Zooropa and Pop...

That seems to be the case. Those albums are all great, too. But they can be just as ripped apart as HTDAAB can. No album by anybody ever has been perfect.

 

[cobl04]

HTDAAB is a brilliant record!
Very happy to see so many people here love this record.....
I understand the bashers, maybe most of the members in this forum grew up with 90's U2, getting hooked with AB, others with Zooropa and Pop...
I grew up and fell in love with 80's U2, also loved the 90's experimentation, and know im getting impressed with what U2 has produced in this new decade
Both HTDAAB and ATYCLB are awesome, extraordinary albums

U2 maintains at the top

Finally someone here who isn't clouded by their own opnions and appreciates all the U2 decades. I love all the eras as well.

I'm really happy with the responses here, I was starting to think that there weren't many people who liked this album when the survivors were on, but six pages is enough proof for me!

Real shame Crumbs hasn't been played live.

 

[scottyT]

i think that U2 is at the top of their game. this is an excellent album. it's got all the pieces of greatness, except proper marketing and actual thinking regarding single releases......



i mean seriously.... they released them in the most ridiculous order ever. oh well.

i still love it, i hope that some of the songs hear the light of day on popular/rock radio... miracle drug.... cobl.... original of the species....

 

[babyman]

you can claim an album as great as long as it crashes your feelings.............
many don't get in the songs and remain in standard point of views and spit out judgements

 

[LemonMelon]

My thick review of his is here ----> http://www.epinions.com/content_163043839620

But here's my quick ratings:

Vertigo-4.5
Miracle Drug-3.5
SYCMIOYO-4
LAPOE-4
COBL-5
ABOY-4.5
AMAAW-4.5
Crumbs-5
One Step Closer-3
OOTS-2.5
Yahweh-4

Overall, a 4.5 rounded up to a 5. Brilliant album.

 

[innocent_eyes]

Great ALbum!!!

Best b-side of a U2 album sans Achtung!

And the A-Side KICKS ASS TOO!!

I thnk, the most consistant U2 album in terms of song quality. Every song is enjoyable, and offers something different.

A really great theme and mood to the album as well, which is also being combined with the tour and the songs from the early records really flesh out the themes of innocence and faith, etc...