Passengers & Million Dollar Hotel

[DrTeeth]

I listened to Passengers today (perfect background for when you're doing a bit of reading). I think if Plot 180 lasted half an hour, it still wouldn't bore me.

 

[U2girl]

I don't consider it a U2 album

Given the heated arguments about whether Passengers counts as a "U2 album" and that the consensus (on these boards anyway) seems generally to tilt towards NOT a U2 album...how does everyone feel about the next LP then? I'm especially asking those who don't consider Passengers to be a U2 album...because I think with the way Eno and Lanois seem to have become full band members on the next LP, a lot of the arguments for why Passengers is not a U2 LP seem to lose some weight. Well, at least they do if you're going to consider the next album a "U2 album".

To me the difference between Passengers and any other U2 albums is the latter has lyrics and not over half of it are instrumentals and more importantly, Eno didn't hog the spotlight.
It's one thing to have him play a keyboard and maybe sing backing vocals (or Lanois play guitar now and then and sing backing vocals) but it's another to have him pretty much lead the way as he did.

Also, the original plan was, as Larry said, inviting Eno and Lanois "on a song-writing basis only". I'm not sure those two were ever officially credited (or even invited on a songwriting mission only) as co-writers so one wonders...

 

[last unicorn]

Both aren't U2 albums for me and I usually only listen to half of both albums because they totally lack cohesion, I cannot listen to all of it. There is some stuff I totally love about both albums and some I find boring and not interesting enough. If I had to choose between these two albums I'd take MDH. I would love to hear more of that stuff in the future, there are some songs on this album I absolutely love and listen to a lot. I've even thought of making a kind of atmospheric U2 album out of the better songs from both albums.

 

[LemonMelon]

Both aren't U2 albums for me and I usually only listen to half of both albums because they totally lack cohesion

The first 7 songs on Passengers are the most cohesive set of songs U2 has ever put together IMO.