My friend wants another "Pop"

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U2Fan101

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Before I met my friend in 1999, he liked U2 a lot. Not nearly as much as me, but a lot none the less. He thought that Pop was just amazing, despite it's chart failure and critics' reviews. I tend to agree.

He said when All That You Can't Leave Behind came out, he called in sick to work and went to Borders right when it opened to pick it up. Upon listening to it, he said he felt let down with the weakness of the album. Again, I tend to agree.

However, I did try to explain to him, that in a sense, the band thought Pop was while not a failure, didn't succeed as much as they would have liked, and thuse ATYCLB was a safe album.

Still today, it is his least favorite album. The only track he liked off of it was Elevation, and even then, he said that the "wooo hooo hooo's" were mixed way too high and made the song almost unenjoyable. He was going to see them on Elevation but after listening to the album decided not to.

He said if this new album is weak like ATYCLB, he will never buy another U2 again. And to him, this is sad because U2 is one of his favorite bands. It's all personal opinion, I told him. Some think U2 lost it when Joshua Tree came out (well, I only know one - Tal Bachman. He said Joshua Tree scared him and U2 was his favorite band). Some say U2 lost it with Achtung, or with Pop. My friend thinks they lost it with ATYCLB.

He would love another Pop sounding album, as I would too. While I see his point, I also tried to explain to him that U2 albums generally work in threes in terms of style. Boy-War, UF-R&H, AB - Pop, and ATYCLB - present. So more than likely, this new album will sound similar to ATYCLB.

Even if this is another ATYCLB, I will still see them on tour and probably listen to the album 3 million times in a row. ATYCLB is finally starting to grow on me four years later, and it's possible that if this new one I dislike, that it too will grow on me.

He said he read the Blender article and is very skepticle. All of the previous album descriptions of it sounding "angry guitars" seemed false when he read the song descriptions in Blender. To him, it sounds like another ATYCLB. He'll still buy the album the day it is released, but is skeptical.
 
I love Pop. I also love All That You Can't Leave Behind....

Why is it that when a artist does one particular album, they are expected to do the same one over and over again? Not only would that be self-defeating and ultimately boring--it isn't fair to constrain and put limits on artistic expression.
 
mmm i like both albums, i think pop would have been better if it had been less technoish in parts, still good but
 
Another "I hope HTDAAB doesn't sound like ATYCLB" thread. Oh joy.

Most reviews that I've read have compared the new album more to 80s U2, Achtung, and even Pop - basically every album except ATYCLB. We've already heard Vertigo, City of Blinding Lights, All Because Of You, and clips of Miracle Drug & Love and Peace or Else. You can judge for yourself whether or not these songs sound like "ATYCLB II."

Personally, I think the album will sound like ATYCLB! And you know what? It'll also sound like Pop, Boy, UF, JT, AB... Why? Because it's U2. To me, every U2 album sounds different, but they all sound like U2 and have elements of previous albums. Of course, I haven't really gone through the whole experience of anticipating a new album - I got into U2 in '97 with Pop and was into them for a couple years, then I started listening to boybands and the like...then I heard Beautiful Day on the radio and it saved my soul. :D but I didn't go through the pre-ATYCLB frenzy... so after all the hype for HTDAAB I guess it'd me much easier to let me down, but from what I've heard thus far I don't think that's gonna happen. Anyway, though I'm hoping for U2's best album yet, it could be their worst album and I'd still probably love it. U2 albums are automatically better than anything else :wink:
 
they said that the gutiars on this album were similar to Pop (good sign!), and wasnt COBL a song originally worked on in 1997-98? anyways another Pop, maybe a less-electronic Pop would kick ass!




btw, stars, how are you registered in August 2004 and have 3,000+ posts? i thought i was addicted to blue crack but...:huh:
 
The results are in....

45% of Interferencers want Achtung Baby II
45% of Interferencers want The Joshua Tree II
5% of Interferencers want ATYCLB II
5% of Interferencers are just glad there's new promo photo's to print in PLEBA.
 
Earnie Shavers said:
The results are in....

45% of Interferencers want Achtung Baby II
45% of Interferencers want The Joshua Tree II
5% of Interferencers want ATYCLB II
5% of Interferencers are just glad there's new promo photo's to print in PLEBA.



what??! new pics in pleba? man, what am i doing here!



*runs to pleba*



its too late. first theres blue crack then there's blue crack with PLEBA on it.





oh. boy.
 
yeah id love another achtung baby, thats my fav U2 album/era

so cool if the fly made a return!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
From every review I've read it sounds like a UF, AB, & Pop hybrid. Which to me is a good thing because those are my favorite albums. Also, tell your friend to see U2 live even if doesn't care for the new stuff, he'll appreciate the new stuff and see the songs LIVE.
 
quadcaster said:
mmm i like both albums, i think pop would have been better if it had been less technoish in parts, still good but

I want another album like Pop with MORE technoish parts!
 
AtomicBono said:
Another "I hope HTDAAB doesn't sound like ATYCLB" thread. Oh joy.

Most reviews that I've read have compared the new album more to 80s U2, Achtung, and even Pop - basically every album except ATYCLB. We've already heard Vertigo, City of Blinding Lights, All Because Of You, and clips of Miracle Drug & Love and Peace or Else. You can judge for yourself whether or not these songs sound like "ATYCLB II."

Personally, I think the album will sound like ATYCLB! And you know what? It'll also sound like Pop, Boy, UF, JT, AB... Why? Because it's U2. To me, every U2 album sounds different, but they all sound like U2 and have elements of previous albums. Of course, I haven't really gone through the whole experience of anticipating a new album - I got into U2 in '97 with Pop and was into them for a couple years, then I started listening to boybands and the like...then I heard Beautiful Day on the radio and it saved my soul. :D but I didn't go through the pre-ATYCLB frenzy... so after all the hype for HTDAAB I guess it'd me much easier to let me down, but from what I've heard thus far I don't think that's gonna happen. Anyway, though I'm hoping for U2's best album yet, it could be their worst album and I'd still probably love it. U2 albums are automatically better than anything else :wink:

AMEN!
 
quadcaster said:
mmm i like both albums, i think pop would have been better if it had been less technoish in parts, still good but

Bah, no way! Technoish? It sounds like a band creating new sounds with guitars and studio effects etc, it is a GREAT sounding album as is! It is the LAST album U2 will release that is adventurous and creative and trying new ideas, there is no question about that. Songs like 'Do you feel loved' with Larrys greaaaat percussion and Mofo are just to leftfield for most USA fans who bought the Joshua Tree in droves. There in lies the problem and if you think about it U2 are now creating music that they feel is defintely gonna sell by the truckload in the USA, as with the last album and probably with this album as well. Maybe they have sold out in a way, unfortunately!
 
I used to work with a guy who wanted another October. Overt Christian references, no drink, no drugs no sex.
He hasn't bought a U2 album since 1985. He hated Still Haven't Found because, in his words, "It's glorifies the idea of doubting in Jesus our saviour". :|
He told me once that he has a lot of friends who feel the same way and won't buy anything related to U2.
My favorite quote from him: "There are more of us than you would like to think." :|

Maybe my old co-worker and your friend should meet and compare notes.
 
I think what people are missing out is that U2 took the ideas they learned from the Pop era and fused it with some older stuff to create something new
 
Matthew_Page2000 said:
I used to work with a guy who wanted another October. Overt Christian references, no drink, no drugs no sex.
He hasn't bought a U2 album since 1985. He hated Still Haven't Found because, in his words, "It's glorifies the idea of doubting in Jesus our saviour". :|
He told me once that he has a lot of friends who feel the same way and won't buy anything related to U2.
My favorite quote from him: "There are more of us than you would like to think." :|


I love that "It's glorifies the idea of doubting in Jesus our saviour".
Hehehe what a twa!.

Hehehe you gotta laugh at these bible bashers!!!!! Whoops there's the atheist in me coming out again.:wink:
 
I don't understand all this "I want another this, or I want another that." I thought that being new and fresh everytime was what us fans prided U2 on being. Is not Achtung Baby popular for its innovativeness, its freshness? If people take pride in this album for that, then why would they want another one just like it? Same as Pop. JT was very innovative for its time. I adore JT. I consider it to be a work of art on the same scale as a Van Gogh painting. But I do NOT want another JT. I can handle U2 putting out something completely different.
I think alot of the ATYCLB bashing stems from people either still living in the early 90s/late 80s, or people simply not understanding the reasoning behind its music. I think its a bril album.
 
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