I have a question for those who are dissapointed in ATYCLB...

[Blue_Angel]

Let me see if I can make sense on this one...

A lot of people seem to be saying they don't like ATYCLB because it is too "sweet and sensitive," and because U2 made it that way to cater to their audience (basically taking no risks artistically). I'd like to know if you guys would have felt the same way about it being a very safe album if it had not sold so well.

I personally am torn about ATYCLB. It is definitely not my favourite U2 album, but I try hard to appreciate it for the risks I thought they took with subject matter. I really did not anticipate it being as well recieved as it was, probably because I am out of touch with the mainstream market due to great effort to be that way But now, with all the flack it is taking here about how U2 was just after the money, I am finding it hard to believe that they did actually take risks at all. I do find the music not as interesting, but I really try hard to like this album and there are some good songs on it.

Anyways, if that was even slightly coherent, do you think you doubters could answer my question? Thanks!

 

[pinkfloyd]

NO , i didn't like it by itself , sales , popularity didn't matter in this case , i just don't have a crush for this album , very light songs , except NYC not a single solid rock song , terrible lyrics ( much stronger lyrics and music in POP , zooropa , achtung , JT , UF , even in Rattle&Hum lyrics and songs were much better ) . some good tunes are there , but it's not enough to call even " good " album .

 

[BVS]

THUD THUD THUD...

This is the sound of a dead horse being beaten.

 

[One Tree Still]

I think I'm pretty much on the same page as Pink (as usual).

One of my biggest beefs with ATYCLB is the lyrics. I'm not kidding when I say it sounds like Lenny Kravitz wrote some of this stuff.

That and "Stuck in a Moment" - which has officially become my least favorite U2 song of all time.

 

[Bono's shades]

I bought ATYCLB when it first came out, before anyone knew how many copies it would go on to sell - and I thought even though it did have some nice tunes on it, it was kind of boring for a U2 album. I like it better now, but I still don't play it much.

 

[U2Kitten]

THUD THUD THUD...

This is the sound of a dead horse being beaten.

Yes, this subject is a dead horse being beaten. But the sound should be 'whack' because 'thud' is what we say in PLEBA when a pic is so hot it knocks us down. (figure of speech of course)

I ATYCLB

 

[Salome]

I do find the music not as interesting

ah, my favourite subject (since there is so much still unknown for me in this area):
what on earth is "interesting music"???

does it have to do with
- the subject of the lyrics
- the melody
- the way verses and choruses are used
- the production

???

personally I think U2 has never made what I would call "interesting music" (Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, Aphex Twin ... now that's interesting music)
no band has ever been able to combine emotions with intellect (esp. in the lyrics) as U2


ATYCLB is in my top 3 favourite U2 albums
because to me it feels that the band succeeded very well in what they were trying to achieve --> writing great songs touching on some heavy subjects

 

[mad1]

so, what, ATYCLB was a CD used as a bridge for fans and U2 to cross safely from PoP until the upcoming new album?

 

[tackleberry]

I just can't understand the hatred for ATYCLB lyrics! IMO I thought they were some of the best, and so very original, particularly the subject matter on songs like Kite & Beautiful Day.

I would like to compare:

1. Kite vs. Miami:

"Did I waste it? NOt so much I could't taste it
Life should be fragrant rooftop to the basement"


"You know some places are like your aunti
But there's no place like Miami, my mammy"


2. Beautiful Day vs. If God will Send his Angels:

"The heart is a bloom, it shoots up through the stony ground"
"What you don't have you don't need it now
What you don't know you can feel somehow"


"You're blowing a fuse and the cartoon network turns into the news"
"Its the blind leading the blonde"



3. Stuck in a moment vs. Daddy's gonna Pay...

"I am still enchanted by a light you brought to me
I still listen through your ears through your eyes I can see"
"And if your way should falter along the stony pass
Its just a moment this time will pass"


"Uh-Huh sha la
Uh huh sha la"


I just think poetically speaking ATYCLB is vivid, descriptive, and ultimately more...better and stuff. But thats just me. I'm not "everyone".

 

[ishkash]

I just can't understand the hatred for ATYCLB lyrics! IMO I thought they were some of the best, and so very original, particularly the subject matter on songs like Kite & Beautiful Day.

Same here. We cannot help change someone's musical liking but their has to be a common ground. I for one feel ATYCLB has some of the best U2 lyrics to date. It doesnt matter if it rocks or not, as Salome said its one of U2's top 3.

Except for the first three songs on POP, there isnt that much great experimentation afterall.

"in the maze of her imagination"

 

[Blue_Angel]

Alright, first off: sorry for repeating this topic since I know it has been heavily discussed around here; I kinda kept out of the discussion so being stupid me, as I was thinking about it I had this question and decided to start another thread for it
Secondly, I am not trying to change anyone's opinion, I am just asking!

Salome, by interesting I meant something really different both lyrically and musically, something that is really provoking. And of course, yeah it is a matter of taste, you got me there.
I don't know much about music, other than the fact that I like to listen to it, but I think albums like Zooropa and Unforgettable Fire are a lot more intricate and exciting to listen to. Which may just be me!
I also agree that the artists (or at least Frank Zappa since that's the only one I know ) you mentioned are a lot more experimental than U2. I also do agree that U2 tackled a tough topic on ATYCLB, and while the lyrics on some songs really hit home, I think they wrote better poetry on well...pretty much every other album. Anyway, good to hear from someone who really likes ATYCLB!

pinkfloyd, ok I understand that you just don't like what they did with this album, regardless of popularity, but do you think they made the music they did to appeal to the mainstream?

hey tackleberry, watch it with Daddy's Gonna Pay...!!!!

ok, apologies if this thread is going nowhere, I didn't wanna rehash old arguments, I was just trying to ask if anyone thought U2's music is suffering because they are after a mainstream market where they can make better money.

I can't even decide myself though!

 

[pinkfloyd]

Apart from , Stuck and New York , all other lyrics from ATYCLB are boring ( POE , Grace , When I look at the world ) or were already written in the same mood , way , style , words by other musicians ( kite , Walk On, BD ) and wild Honey is not even a song , it's a country horse shit .

 

[Blue_Angel]

thank you, but you didn't answer my question!

 

[pinkfloyd]

pinkfloyd, ok I understand that you just don't like what they did with this album, regardless of popularity, but do you think they made the music they did to appeal to the mainstream?

Yes , or maybe they are out of touch with the audience , maybe they decided to fuck up the mainstream with releasing thier worst album with worst songs they ever wrote , and make mainstream to like it , to adore it , make them to give great reviews , to give awards , to make an elephant out of the fly , when thet are calling Elevation Tour as successful despite the fact that they played 18,ooo max arenas , while during POP Mart they played 70'000 , stadiums even half full ,

 

[little boy blue]

and wild Honey is not even a song , it's a country horse shit .

so what song would you consider a city horse shit ?

 

[pinkfloyd]

With A Shout !!!!!!!!!!!

so what song would you consider a city horse shit ?

Elevation

 

[little boy blue]

phew

clean out your ears elevation rocks buddy

 

[U2Kitten]

Yes , or maybe they are out of touch with the audience , maybe they decided to fuck up the mainstream with releasing thier worst album with worst songs

They sure pleased a large chunk of their fans for someone that was 'out of touch.' No, it's the dissatisfied fans that are the minority. Worst album of worst songs? That is a rare opinion

when thet are calling Elevation Tour as successful despite the fact that they played 18,ooo max arenas , while during POP Mart they played 70'000 , stadiums even half full ,

But remember they sold out 20,000 seat arenas 2-4 nights in most cities, not just once but again on the second US leg. The tour was very successful.

 

[MrBrau1]

I consider tracks 1-5 on ATYCLB the best work U2 has done, and it rocks.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

just as many would say about pop, it seems people can't express their dislike for atyclb either. the same crap everyone spews when someone dares to diss pop is the same stuff people say when someone disses atyclb. this truely is a dead horse being beaten.

i wish ALL anti-whatever threads could cease so the bickering in this forum would die down. it just seems no one can handle someone disliking something that someone else likes.

 

[david]

ATYCLB is the sound of four 40 year olds making music reflective of their age in life. I'd rather they do that then try to pretend they're 20 year olds, that would just be embarrising to themselves.

If you want something from the band just look into their back catalog. If you want U2 to be experimental, just throw on Zooropa, If you want them to rock, just throw on Boy or Achtung Baby.

There's something for everyone.

U2 aren't a pair of acid wash jeans that were only cool to wear in the 80's. U2 are a pair of faded Levi's. A little dark when they were new, but lightened up, though still comfortable to wear because they stand the test of time.

 

[wertsie]

When ATYCLB first came out, I thought it was destined to become one of the "great" U2 albums. I listened to it over and over and over and over...but I haven't been able to listen to it much since. Maybe that's because I listened to it TOO much in the beginning.

But I noticed something else...With AB, October, and POP, three of my favorite albums, it took me three or four listens before I could truly love those albums. And I loved ATYCLB immediately. Maybe it came TOO easily. I don't know.

I don't think that the band made ATYCLB to cater to a particular "audience." I don't think they were, as some say, "fucking up the mainstream" or whatever. I think they were just hungry for something different. The 90s had been all about extreme experimentation, outlandish, large-than-life albums and tours. Maybe they just saw this as a time to change things, try something new...

 

[Roland of Gilead]

I think people here need to remember that everyday is someone's first time on this site. Old topics are always new to someone. That is completely unavoidable. If you are tired of reading these "old" topics, then go somewhere else or begin a "new" one. But to say that you wish these topics to be non-existant does nothing for your ego. It is a gift to be here.

It is an unfortunate time to be around here lately. The negativity outweighs eveything else here 2-1. Funny thing, it seems like it is the "in" thing now.

 

[wertsie]

I think people here need to remember that everyday is someone's first time on this site. Old topics are always new to someone. That is completely unavoidable. If you are tired of reading these "old" topics, then go somewhere else or begin a "new" one. But to say that you wish these topics to be non-existant does nothing for your ego. It is a gift to be here.

It is an unfortunate time to be around here lately. The negativity outweighs eveything else here 2-1. Funny thing, it seems like it is the "in" thing now.

You are absolutely right! I, for one, am sick of all the negativity. I did not join this message board to complain about U2. What would be the point of that? They're my favorite band. I came here to talk with other people who like them as much as I do.

 

[Desire4Bono]

just as many would say about pop, it seems people can't express their dislike for atyclb either. the same crap everyone spews when someone dares to diss pop is the same stuff people say when someone disses atyclb. this truely is a dead horse being beaten.

i wish ALL anti-whatever threads could cease so the bickering in this forum would die down. it just seems no one can handle someone disliking something that someone else likes.

This is true. It's the same arguments, just against different albums! Worst songs. Worst album. Everybody seems to take it as a personal insult when U2 changes their sound from what they liked. The POP people whining now that U2 has changed are NO different than the fans who didn't like it when U2 changed with POP. Now the shoe is on the other foot but the bitching is the same. Are you and I the only ones who notice that PinkFloyd and One Tree Still's dumping on ATYCLB is just as old as Gypsy or J's dissing of POP? I don't see any difference. It's annoying. It takes over the forum every time I come by.

My suggestion: start an all purpose, bitch and moan about POP and ATYCLB and let all the crap stay in that one thread. Those who want to bitch, read the bitching or bitch about the bitching can click on it, everyone else will be mercifully spared. No need to worry about a 'new' person starting another thread not knowing about this one since with all the moaning it will stay on the first page and become the longest and longest lasting thread in Interference history.

 

[wertsie]

This is true. It's the same arguments, just against different albums! Worst songs. Worst album. Everybody seems to take it as a personal insult when U2 changes their sound from what they liked. The POP people whining now that U2 has changed are NO different than the fans who didn't like it when U2 changed with POP. Now the shoe is on the other foot but the bitching is the same. Are you and I the only ones who notice that PinkFloyd and One Tree Still's dumping on ATYCLB is just as old as Gypsy or J's dissing of POP? I don't see any difference. It's annoying. It takes over the forum every time I come by.

My suggestion: start an all purpose, bitch and moan about POP and ATYCLB and let all the crap stay in that one thread. Those who want to bitch, read the bitching or bitch about the bitching can click on it, everyone else will be mercifully spared. No need to worry about a 'new' person starting another thread not knowing about this one since with all the moaning it will stay on the first page and become the longest and longest lasting thread in Interference history.

Most brilliant post ever!

 

[Blue_Angel]

whoops, sorry

 

[Zoots]

I listened to ATYCLB in October 2000 before it hit big time. I remember it being a disappointment from the beginning. As someone said, the songs are too light. Its perfect for a soft rock or lite radio station, not saying its a bad album. Lyrics are good in certain parts of the album and atrocious in other parts. I know, I know....beating a dead thread!

 

[follower]

ATYCLB is the sound of four 40 year olds making music reflective of their age in life. I'd rather they do that then try to pretend they're 20 year olds, that would just be embarrising to themselves.

If you want something from the band just look into their back catalog. If you want U2 to be experimental, just throw on Zooropa, If you want them to rock, just throw on Boy or Achtung Baby.

There's something for everyone.

U2 aren't a pair of acid wash jeans that were only cool to wear in the 80's. U2 are a pair of faded Levi's. A little dark when they were new, but lightened up, though still comfortable to wear because they stand the test of time.

Paraphrasing wertsie...most brilliant post ever. Very well said. Thanks david.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

I think people here need to remember that everyday is someone's first time on this site. Old topics are always new to someone. That is completely unavoidable. If you are tired of reading these "old" topics, then go somewhere else or begin a "new" one. But to say that you wish these topics to be non-existant does nothing for your ego. It is a gift to be here.

so newbies are joining here just to bash a U2 album?

actually, i don't even see any newbies participating in the flamefests. it's commonly regarded on all forums that you should search first and see if the topic has been posted recently, do avoid being repetitive. for example, i recently posted a thread in fym, and searched beforehand. the topic hadn't been posted since last year, so i knew it was okay to start a new one.

i just wish we could all call a truce. since so many seem to think you can only like one or the other...don't like pop? fine! talk about how much you love atyclb instead! don't like atyclb? fine! talk about how much you love pop instead! *some* of the negativity on this forum is all right, as it's just constructive criticism and it shows we're not all one-dimensional fans who seem to think everything they do is perfect. (come on...you can all admit there's at least one song you're not crazy about!)

but there seems to be too much of it lately. if a newbie were to pop into this forum for the first time, they'd wonder if we were even fans! there's been so many anti-whatever threads lately, it could look like all we do is bitch and moan about what we wish U2 would do.

this is the way i see it. U2 is a band of constant change, right? it's a safe bet to say we all agree they've never duplicated themselves: no album sounds the same as another album. so that's fine! if you didn't like pop, then great! there was atyclb for you. and if you didn't like that, then you can wait for the next album! i wish everyone would focus on the good instead of the bad. for example, i'm not a big fan of atyclb. that's okay, right? instead of posting a thread about how much it sucks, it'd be so much more productive to post a thread about how much i love achtung baby, and how great it is.

so yeah, this forum could certainly stand a lot more positivity and a lot less negativity! who's with me?