HTDAAB is the REAL U2's third masterpiece !

[patrickU217]

I think JT is one of u2's most overrated albums. The first 5 songs are great, 3 of them belong to their biggest hits ever, but the rest is only mediocre. To me a masterpiece is an album i enjoy listening from start to finish, over and over again. Achtung baby belongs to that category, and for the moment i still enjoy listening to HTDAAB all the way through. Dont know if that will be the case in a few years time, but AB remains on top forever i guess.

 

[jacobus]

again i say HTDAAB is amongst the weaker U2 albums (ATYCLB, BOMB, OCTOBER) - AB is still their best (2nd TJT, 3rd TUF)
best 3 bomb-songs: LAPOE. OSC, YAHWEH (altern. Version)

 

[shaun vox]

WAR is better than htdaab!!!!!!!!!!!! what a stupid name!!!

 

[chickadee]

Yay for happy people. I don't know where it ranks for me in 'masterpiece' quality (for me, only AB is truly deserving of that title for its sheer concept as much as anything else) but it's an incredible album on its own merit. All Because Of You, Love & Peace, Vertigo... If this was a brand-new band everyone would love it

 

[DarkAcrobat]

Yay for happy people. I don't know where it ranks for me in 'masterpiece' quality (for me, only AB is truly deserving of that title for its sheer concept as much as anything else) but it's an incredible album on its own merit. All Because Of You, Love & Peace, Vertigo... If this was a brand-new band everyone would love it

Good point, let me repeat it:

IF HTDAAB WAS FROM A BRAND-NEW BAND EVERYONE WOULD LOVE IT, INCLUSIVE ALL THE HTDAAB BASHERS HERE:

(Oh, doesn't owns the magic of UF)
(What happened with the rawk of AB ?)
(The Lyrics are far away from JT quality)

Stop, all of you, HTDAAB bashers, you need to understand , that every original and great thing in the life, only happens one time ,only one time, never you will see AB II, JT II, POP II, UF II. Never. And, if this is the HTDAAB-like albums era , maybe you doesn't love U2 anymore.

 

[Layton]

HTDAAB is a masterpiece of open-heartedness. No other U2 album is this naked in exposing the heart. Hearts are breaking, beating, mending, etc. all over the record. The album plays out like a musical open heart surgery with it's metaphorical content. The lyrics may be direct, but the music cuts the skin and breaks the chest cavity on almost every song.

 

[rjhbonovox]

HTDAAB is a masterpiece of open-heartedness. No other U2 album is this naked in exposing the heart. Hearts are breaking, beating, mending, etc. all over the record. The album plays out like a musical open heart surgery with it's metaphorical content. The lyrics may be direct, but the music cuts the skin and breaks the chest cavity on almost every song.

Mmmm a little over dramatic. I don't get the sense of that at all on this album. Your description sounds like it belongs to Achtung Baby, which was like open heart surgery.

 

[Axver]

HTDAAB is a masterpiece of open-heartedness. No other U2 album is this naked in exposing the heart. Hearts are breaking, beating, mending, etc. all over the record. The album plays out like a musical open heart surgery with it's metaphorical content. The lyrics may be direct, but the music cuts the skin and breaks the chest cavity on almost every song.

Very well said.

 

[Axver]

Mmmm a little over dramatic. I don't get the sense of that at all on this album. Your description sounds like it belongs to Achtung Baby, which was like open heart surgery.

That's bullshit and even you know it. Achtung isn't even CLOSE to open heart surgery - it's the direct opposite, it's chaotic, it's U2 trying on masks.

 

[chickadee]

That's bullshit and even you know it. Achtung isn't even CLOSE to open heart surgery - it's the direct opposite, it's chaotic, it's U2 trying on masks.

True, but I think they're masks of truth.

 

[Layton]

Mmmm a little over dramatic. I don't get the sense of that at all on this album. Your description sounds like it belongs to Achtung Baby, which was like open heart surgery.

Hey, I love AB as much as the next guy, but I don't think it's anywhere near as open-hearted as HTDAAB. A few songs might qualify as such, but the majority of AB is too caught up in the push/pull theme of a domestic relationship full of strife to be HTDAAB caliber open-hearted. That's not really a criticism because I think AB's theme is excellent, but I also think HTDAAB's execution of its open-hearted exploration theme is excellent.

 

[chickadee]

I think it's telling that they often have compared Bomb to Boy, as well. Can't remember exactly what was said...

 

[LJT]

What i am about to say could be very pretentious..i apologise in advance....

In my opinion 80's U2 was all about the world..discovering what the world was all about etc how people effected the world...

90s U2 was all about themselves not in a selfish sense, but a journey of self discovery and how the world impacted the individual (U2 themselves...Bono character of Macphisto shows how the world effects a rockstar)

U2 after 2000 i think is about 'us'...its how everyone and the world interacts...U2 are mixing the personal and worldly themes from their previous two decades, trying to work out like we all do how it all gets along.....its why i think HTDAAB is a very direct album, its digging for something (removing layers of pretense and mindless fluff) and not quite finding the answer and is why Bono calls out to Yahweh at the end...he wants answers but is not getting any..its aiming for our hearts and it got mine........

Lastly i would just like to say, i think U2 are not an intellectually led band like Radiohead, even in the more experimental 90s...its more heart and soul...its above intellect (imo), their songs are imagination and dreams...

 

[Axver]

LJT, very well said!

 

[rjhbonovox]

What i am about to say could be very pretentious..i apologise in advance....

In my opinion 80's U2 was all about the world..discovering what the world was all about etc how people effected the world...

90s U2 was all about themselves not in a selfish sense, but a journey of self discovery and how the world impacted the individual (U2 themselves...Bono character of Macphisto shows how the world effects a rockstar)

U2 after 2000 i think is about 'us'...its how everyone and the world interacts...U2 are mixing the personal and worldly themes from their previous two decades, trying to work out like we all do how it all gets along.....its why i think HTDAAB is a very direct album, its digging for something (removing layers of pretense and mindless fluff) and not quite finding the answer and is why Bono calls out to Yahweh at the end...he wants answers but is not getting any..its aiming for our hearts and it got mine........

Lastly i would just like to say, i think U2 are not an intellectually led band like Radiohead, even in the more experimental 90s...its more heart and soul...its above intellect (imo), their songs are imagination and dreams...

This threads gotten waaaaaaaaaay too pretentious for me.....I'm outta here!

 

[LJT]

This threads gotten waaaaaaaaaay too pretentious for me.....I'm outta here!

Well at least my post had some kinda use

 

[U2DMfan]

I think in the 80's U2 didn't really know what they were doing but they were very interesting.
In the 90's they figured out a bit of what they were doing and were more intersting.
In the 00's, they know exactly what they are doing and I think a good portion of the public are apathetic because they were more interesting when they were less calculated.

Maybe they are singing more about heart and soul now but that doesn't neccessarily come across in the music just because Bono shouts "soul, soul, the goal is soul". Almost force-fed feel-good.

The music still sounds good, I think U2 are becoming more proficient at their craft, but that doesn't always translate into greatness. I think that is a difference for a few of us. The difference between good and great. Bono himself says they want to be great. And I think most of us want them to be great.

It all changes when you are into the music.
I have been playing OOTS on my guitar and keyboard lately and thinking "you know this really is a nice tune, really something better and different than what they have previously done".
As a musician, I appreciate the chord changes, the melody etc.

And I listen to it on the album and it's not there for me. I think if it's production, Bono, or whatever there is something decidedly different about the music.

They became great at their craft and I think the music became too refined. It's the difference between a tremendous studio musician and a hack guitarist like Kurt Cobain.
The greatness is how the song sounds, not how it's put together.
It's the difference between me playing a U2 song note for note and Edge playing it. I can mimmick the notes, I can't make it sound like Edge. The real heart and soul is in that difference.

 

[U2DMfan]

Well at least my post had some kinda use

I appreciate what you wrote.

At least you are going for thoughts instead of just saying "this sucks or that sucks, or this is great and that is great".

Maybe what I just typed is pretentious too, but we are really running out of ideas on this forum.

I really have taken a liking to COBL live.
I still dont hear it on the album.
a lot of my problems are in the presentation of the album versions, the track selections and Bono.

They still have the stuff, I think. Somebody should just fabricate some new album news so we would have something to talk about.

 

[popacrobat]

Somebody should just fabricate some new album news so we would have something to talk about.

yes, completly off topic here, but i was wondering when this forum would be changed back to where the album has no name and we can start scrapping together rumors of a new album.

not that i dislike atomic bomb, personally its in my top 3 favorites by them, so by all means i love it.

 

[U2DMfan]

Maybe we will have something to talk about when the OOTS single version leaks.

I look forward to it, I hope U2 strips back at the beginning and unleashes at the end. The song has no build up on the album.

 

[popacrobat]

i agree with that.

i prefer both the live versions (i've only seen the stripped down one in version, i think i saw it three times) and I've heard the fullband / orcehstra versions, and i easily rather listen to those.

there should be more of a climax with the string section, pretty much exactly how you put it, and unleash it at the end instead of having it come in right at the beginning. i think it has the potential to be a pretty big hit, even in the us, if they do it right and market it.

 

[LJT]

I appreciate what you wrote.

At least you are going for thoughts instead of just saying "this sucks or that sucks, or this is great and that is great".

Maybe what I just typed is pretentious too, but we are really running out of ideas on this forum.

I really have taken a liking to COBL live.
I still dont hear it on the album.
a lot of my problems are in the presentation of the album versions, the track selections and Bono.

They still have the stuff, I think. Somebody should just fabricate some new album news so we would have something to talk about.

I appreciate your thoughts and yeh most of the topics around here are old and stale and some people's opinions are now even cliche........I love the new album but i get where you are coming from....i remember reading somewhere that you can make something perfect but in the end its bland because it seems inhuman as such?.......I am not exactly sure what your problem with Bono is at the moment, but i think its him that is supplying the human element of U2 at the moment rather than Edges carefully crafted textures and soundscapes....

 

[AtomicBono]

Somebody should just fabricate some new album news so we would have something to talk about.

I HERD IT WUZ GUNNA B HEVY MEDAL FRUM PLUTO LOLZZ!!!!11

discuss

 

[popacrobat]

I HERD IT WUZ GUNNA B HEVY MEDAL FRUM PLUTO LOLZZ!!!!11

discuss

is slash going to be featured?

 

[U2DMfan]

nevermind

 

[U2DMfan]

nevermind, I'll talk about it later.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

nevermind

I saw what you wrote!


Somewhat harsh, I thought his voice was a hell of a lot better on HTDAAB than ATYCLB..it was the big surprise of that album to me.

 

[U2DMfan]

wasn't that harsh really. It was honest.
I just chose to be more respectful of the man.

 

[riderka]

For me all their albums are masterpieces!
Because every album is different, every album has some kind of improvement from the previous one. I love all their albums. Really.
And what I think is great about U2 is that they never made the same album! And never a bad album.

 

[scottyT]

this album is fanbloodytastic. it's got all of the things that have made U2 great in the past, and it is clean and fresh and hopeful enough for the future.