U2Man
ONE love, blood, life
financeguy said:
Does that include OOTS?
my thought on bomb....a year on...
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Does that include OOTS?
ozeeko
Refugee
"After grandly taking risks for the better part of a decade, U2 curbed their sense of adventure, consciously stripping away the irony that marked every one of their albums since 1991's Achtung Baby, and returning to the big, earnest sound and sensibility of their classic '80s work. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, the long-awaited 2004 sequel to ATYCLB, proves that this retreat was no mere fling: the band is committed to turning back the clock and acting like the '90s never happened.
Essentially, U2 are trying to revirginize themselves, to erase their wild flirtation with dance clubs and postmodernism so they can return to the time they were the social conscience of rock music. Gone are the heavy dance beats, gone are the multiple synthesizers, gone are the dense soundscapes that marked their '90s albums, but U2 are so concerned with recreating their past that they don't know where to stop peeling away the layers. They've overcorrected for their perceived sins, scaling back their sound so far that they have shed the murky sense of mystery that gave The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree an otherworldly allure." - All Music Guide
Even though they gave the album 4 stars, they are right on the money with those observations above. U2 are cashing in on their 80's image but forgetting to bring the songs with them. The whole album to me is a step back, not progress. It doesn't sound like the product of a band that lived through the 80's 90's to today, and experimented along the way. It sounds like U2 quit after WAR, and waited all this time to release this, their "comeback" album after twenty years of hiding.
Essentially, U2 are trying to revirginize themselves, to erase their wild flirtation with dance clubs and postmodernism so they can return to the time they were the social conscience of rock music. Gone are the heavy dance beats, gone are the multiple synthesizers, gone are the dense soundscapes that marked their '90s albums, but U2 are so concerned with recreating their past that they don't know where to stop peeling away the layers. They've overcorrected for their perceived sins, scaling back their sound so far that they have shed the murky sense of mystery that gave The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree an otherworldly allure." - All Music Guide
Even though they gave the album 4 stars, they are right on the money with those observations above. U2 are cashing in on their 80's image but forgetting to bring the songs with them. The whole album to me is a step back, not progress. It doesn't sound like the product of a band that lived through the 80's 90's to today, and experimented along the way. It sounds like U2 quit after WAR, and waited all this time to release this, their "comeback" album after twenty years of hiding.
rjhbonovox
Refugee
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- Nov 1, 2002
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ozeeko said:
Have to quote the whole lot cos I think u hit the nail on the head. The album has more of a resemblance to The Unforgettable Fire without having any of the cohesion of that great album.
ozeeko
Refugee
cohesion is a huge part of what makes an album classic. U2 has been more than capable of creating masterpieces throughout their career. Their albums are like places in your mind's eye.
BOY: I see U2 as teenagers playing clubs in Dublin and U.S. Wide eyed and hungry for the world. It's a movie soundtrack for adolescence.
OCTOBER: I see U2 at the brink of collapse, taking the frustrations and turning it into music. I also sense a coldness in the air and U2 fighting with the desire to break up. It's probably one of their most insightful records, if you know the backstory.
WAR: U2 starting to get inspired, and lashing out on the evils of the world, knowing this time they will be heard. Thank God they were heard.
UNFORGETTABLE FIRE: U2 in the ether, discovering new things. Almost like taking drugs for the first time. Career-wise, U2 had established themselves and could relax finally. The relaxation gave way to trying new things. The album's got a hallucinatory tone and is the audio equivalent of being high.
THE JOSHUA TREE: U2 coming down from the high and making sense of it all. Out this haze comes the lessons learned and tales of characters they met along the way. Also the determination to change the wrongs of the world, as well as simply depicting the problems without resolution. Image-wise I see desert and barren landscapes.
RATTLE AND HUM: U2 touring the United States, making a few stops along the way to record. It's like a musical diary. Some days are more productive than others, and when they're on, they are ON.
ACHTUNG BABY: Sick of the norm, U2 invades the rave scene. Like FIRE, they try new things and for the first time escape themselves and take on new personas. They flirt with lifestyles and in turn learn some new things about themselves. Politics take a backseat to personal conflicts. Relationships take the forefront. Sex is splattered over the album. It resembles an erotic nightmare of sorts. Being stuck in a dead end relationship fueled only by sexual desire. Then the regret.
ZOOROPA: U2's bus breaks down and they're stranded in an odd town. They go exploring and the album is about their experience.
POP: U2's bus is fixed and they make their way home, with a better uderstanding of the world, and greater cynicism. They make dark music that is less about themselves and more about other people. They are voyeurs that relay other people's problems to us but seldom judge. Politics and religion reenter the scene, but the writing is a lot more bitter. The album is like a hotel, and each song is a different room, with a different situation.
ALL THAT YOU CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND: U2 deciding to stay in for the night. They rediscover the plain joy of making music. Simplicity is the novelty. But they succeed. The weather is bright and sunny. U2 is just relishing in the good vibes.
HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB: I can't really feel anything from the album. A couple songs stand out and leave a lasting impression, but overall I envision the band in the studio with a pile of songs, and they randomly slap 11 on to a disc without much thought. It seems like any topic of the day deserves a song. The edge's daughter, Bono's father, a kid afflicted by cerebral palsy, the token God song, a halfassed song about war without much insight. That's what I envision. A studio with a band trying to write songs for an album.
BOY: I see U2 as teenagers playing clubs in Dublin and U.S. Wide eyed and hungry for the world. It's a movie soundtrack for adolescence.
OCTOBER: I see U2 at the brink of collapse, taking the frustrations and turning it into music. I also sense a coldness in the air and U2 fighting with the desire to break up. It's probably one of their most insightful records, if you know the backstory.
WAR: U2 starting to get inspired, and lashing out on the evils of the world, knowing this time they will be heard. Thank God they were heard.
UNFORGETTABLE FIRE: U2 in the ether, discovering new things. Almost like taking drugs for the first time. Career-wise, U2 had established themselves and could relax finally. The relaxation gave way to trying new things. The album's got a hallucinatory tone and is the audio equivalent of being high.
THE JOSHUA TREE: U2 coming down from the high and making sense of it all. Out this haze comes the lessons learned and tales of characters they met along the way. Also the determination to change the wrongs of the world, as well as simply depicting the problems without resolution. Image-wise I see desert and barren landscapes.
RATTLE AND HUM: U2 touring the United States, making a few stops along the way to record. It's like a musical diary. Some days are more productive than others, and when they're on, they are ON.
ACHTUNG BABY: Sick of the norm, U2 invades the rave scene. Like FIRE, they try new things and for the first time escape themselves and take on new personas. They flirt with lifestyles and in turn learn some new things about themselves. Politics take a backseat to personal conflicts. Relationships take the forefront. Sex is splattered over the album. It resembles an erotic nightmare of sorts. Being stuck in a dead end relationship fueled only by sexual desire. Then the regret.
ZOOROPA: U2's bus breaks down and they're stranded in an odd town. They go exploring and the album is about their experience.
POP: U2's bus is fixed and they make their way home, with a better uderstanding of the world, and greater cynicism. They make dark music that is less about themselves and more about other people. They are voyeurs that relay other people's problems to us but seldom judge. Politics and religion reenter the scene, but the writing is a lot more bitter. The album is like a hotel, and each song is a different room, with a different situation.
ALL THAT YOU CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND: U2 deciding to stay in for the night. They rediscover the plain joy of making music. Simplicity is the novelty. But they succeed. The weather is bright and sunny. U2 is just relishing in the good vibes.
HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB: I can't really feel anything from the album. A couple songs stand out and leave a lasting impression, but overall I envision the band in the studio with a pile of songs, and they randomly slap 11 on to a disc without much thought. It seems like any topic of the day deserves a song. The edge's daughter, Bono's father, a kid afflicted by cerebral palsy, the token God song, a halfassed song about war without much insight. That's what I envision. A studio with a band trying to write songs for an album.
Hallucination
Refugee
It's better now than when I first heard it. It's cemented itself as my second favorite U2 album, knocking Joshua Tree down to number 3.
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