Should U2 just get over trying to compete

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CrashedCarDriver

CrashedCarDriver

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against the likes of justin timberlake and nickelback

and stop making "coca cola radio-friendly unit shifters"!

there was a time when u2 made an album that was not the typical u2 album

case and point: Zooropa

the album Pop had elements and aspects of u2 songs with guitar hooks and there were song structures built like a typical u2 song and all that

but Zooropa did not follow a typical any 'formula', it sounded weird, and INTERESTING!

atyclb and htdaab were so generic it showcased exactly what a band sounds like when they hit a mid/ late career lull. in that there arent any original ideas thrown in, just make each song sound like the same the excuse being for variety in: 'we make slow songs, and we make fast songs'

puh-lease!!

if anything i want to point out depeche mode when they released playing the angel, an album that truly shocked saying 'fck! mid career mediocrity!' when 'a pain im used to' blasted out loudly. ok, that album had a lot of 'typical' depeche mode sounding songs, but there was just that energy. eg songs like 'the sinner in me' that attracts the weirdos, goths and freaks, and makes that band ageless.

u2 is selling music for housewives vacuuming the house! and middle aged people telling their kids what great music u2 is/was!
 
:hmm: I think I agree with you, but it's difficult for me to admit...I mean I know what you want to say...

:|
 
CrashedCarDriver said:


u2 is selling music for housewives vacuuming the house! and middle aged people telling their kids what great music u2 is/was!
Click to expand...

what's wrong with vacuming the house?!
 
You know, this point has been made approximately 84,761 times in the past 6 months.

That's a legitimate guess too.
 
:hmm: I think I cannot agree with you - and it's easy for me to admit.

Yes, there are songs that are more "traditional" on the past two albums. However, "Beautiful Day" or "Vertigo" aren't even remotely close to songs dominating the Top 40 in the U.S. And this is key.

U2 stood out in 1987 partly because they were so different from everything else out there. In an era where hair bands and pop music dominated, along came U2 with their soaring anthems and thought-provoking music. The songs still had structure (see "In God's Country" or "I Still Haven't Found..."), but they were unique in the marketplace called the Top 40. The same was true in 2000 and 2004. The songs have structure, but they are unique. This is partly why U2 have sold so many albums this decade, despite rampant illegal downloading.

If you complain about slow songs, I wish to point out "With or Without You", "All I Want Is You", "One", "Stay" and "If God Will Send His Angels". You want to discuss pop songs, then I'll point out "Pride", "Desire", "Mysterious Ways", "Even Better Than..." and "Discotheque". And most of those songs have quite a bit of "traditional song structure".

In other words, it seems your complaints about the new are illogical - U2 have done this before. What makes them stand out is that they really are different from everything else out there at a given time. The one time U2 actually tried to blend in was with "Pop" - and that became one of their least successful albums.

So while "Zooropa" was indeed very interesting and ranks as one of my favorite albums, I still adore the recent work. Songs like "Love & Peace or Else" and "Fast Cars" hint at a vastly different sound - one that U2 has not explored before. Rock songs like "Vertigo" and "Elevation" are something that gets me (and an entire audience of 20,000+ people) excited.

As a long time fan, sometimes I think U2 fans tend to look at the past with VERY thick rose-colored lenses. They forget that the current U2 isn't all that different. Time has forgiven "mistakes" U2 made then (and there were plenty), but not enough time has passed for many to forgive U2's mistakes now. Perhaps in another 10 years, people will discuss the glory of ATYCLB and HTDAAB while they rip apart the new U2 "reunion" album. :sexywink:
 
Last edited:
CrashedCarDriver said:
against the likes of justin timberlake and nickelback

and stop making "coca cola radio-friendly unit shifters"!

there was a time when u2 made an album that was not the typical u2 album

case and point: Zooropa

the album Pop had elements and aspects of u2 songs with guitar hooks and there were song structures built like a typical u2 song and all that

but Zooropa did not follow a typical any 'formula', it sounded weird, and INTERESTING!

atyclb and htdaab were so generic it showcased exactly what a band sounds like when they hit a mid/ late career lull. in that there arent any original ideas thrown in, just make each song sound like the same the excuse being for variety in: 'we make slow songs, and we make fast songs'

puh-lease!!

if anything i want to point out depeche mode when they released playing the angel, an album that truly shocked saying 'fck! mid career mediocrity!' when 'a pain im used to' blasted out loudly. ok, that album had a lot of 'typical' depeche mode sounding songs, but there was just that energy. eg songs like 'the sinner in me' that attracts the weirdos, goths and freaks, and makes that band ageless.

u2 is selling music for housewives vacuuming the house! and middle aged people telling their kids what great music u2 is/was!
Click to expand...

Been hearing this for 20 years.
 
phillyfan26 said:
You know, this point has been made approximately 84,761 times in the past 6 months.

That's a legitimate guess too.
Click to expand...

Yeah. You would easily have enough material for a book.

Now that might be a useful project rather than just repeating everything again. Make a book and have the guts to give it to Bono. Anyone willing to turn their talk into action, or shall we just have another pointless thread of 150 posts that just goes in circles?
 
I hope the new album will come very very soon, because some people here are clearly bored and getting into annoying habits.
 
ATYCLB has always been one of my favorites. I don't get the hate some people have for it. I love all their albums for different reasons. There's an album for whatever mood I'm in :)
 
I've pondered this at great length, and I've done a lot of research....market research, analyzed past, present and predicted trends, etc....have spoken to industry insiders as well as myriad fans......crunched #'s.......pondered some more, and, my analysis is:

U2 should do whatever the fuck they like

Thanks.
 
I don't understand how we get threads like this four years after the latest album. I can see someone making an argument when there's new music, but seriously...did it seriously take you four years to come up with this half-thought-out opinion?
 
Re: Re: Re: Should U2 just get over trying to compete

BonoVoxSupastar said:
Apparently Bono wrote MLK while vacuming the house.
Click to expand...
I heard once that someone ran into Larry in a hotel corridor. He was crying and said he couldn't sleep because Bono kept vacuuming the sheets.

It's probably not true, but a funny mental image nonetheless, and I have nothing else to contribute to this thread :shrug:
 
CrashedCarDriver said:
against the likes of justin timberlake and nickelback

and stop making "coca cola radio-friendly unit shifters"!

there was a time when u2 made an album that was not the typical u2 album

case and point: Zooropa

the album Pop had elements and aspects of u2 songs with guitar hooks and there were song structures built like a typical u2 song and all that

but Zooropa did not follow a typical any 'formula', it sounded weird, and INTERESTING!

atyclb and htdaab were so generic it showcased exactly what a band sounds like when they hit a mid/ late career lull. in that there arent any original ideas thrown in, just make each song sound like the same the excuse being for variety in: 'we make slow songs, and we make fast songs'

puh-lease!!

if anything i want to point out depeche mode when they released playing the angel, an album that truly shocked saying 'fck! mid career mediocrity!' when 'a pain im used to' blasted out loudly. ok, that album had a lot of 'typical' depeche mode sounding songs, but there was just that energy. eg songs like 'the sinner in me' that attracts the weirdos, goths and freaks, and makes that band ageless.

u2 is selling music for housewives vacuuming the house! and middle aged people telling their kids what great music u2 is/was!
Click to expand...

Get over it! If you don't want to buy the new album (whenever it comes out), don't buy it. :huh:
 
What good could possibly come from this thread? :|

If you don't like what U2 have been doing, you don't have to listen to it. Content yourself with past works that do float your boat. There's nothing wrong with that, but you don't have to keep griping about it (especially when their last album came out 3 years ago!!!) and ruining it for everyone else. There's no discussion here, and there's really no point in discussing their really current stuff until we hear it.
 
I think both the 2000 and 1997 albums tried hard to fit in with what was popular.
 
"coca cola radio-friendly unit shifters"

You mean like Stuck In A moment, Sometimes You Can't make It On Your Own, All Because of You, Original of the Species...

i.e you're talking shite. :coocoo:
 
CrashedCarDriver said:
against the likes of justin timberlake and nickelback

and stop making "coca cola radio-friendly unit shifters"!

there was a time when u2 made an album that was not the typical u2 album

case and point: Zooropa

the album Pop had elements and aspects of u2 songs with guitar hooks and there were song structures built like a typical u2 song and all that

but Zooropa did not follow a typical any 'formula', it sounded weird, and INTERESTING!

atyclb and htdaab were so generic it showcased exactly what a band sounds like when they hit a mid/ late career lull. in that there arent any original ideas thrown in, just make each song sound like the same the excuse being for variety in: 'we make slow songs, and we make fast songs'

puh-lease!!

if anything i want to point out depeche mode when they released playing the angel, an album that truly shocked saying 'fck! mid career mediocrity!' when 'a pain im used to' blasted out loudly. ok, that album had a lot of 'typical' depeche mode sounding songs, but there was just that energy. eg songs like 'the sinner in me' that attracts the weirdos, goths and freaks, and makes that band ageless.

u2 is selling music for housewives vacuuming the house! and middle aged people telling their kids what great music u2 is/was!
Click to expand...

WOW! i'm new to interference and i'm sick to death of posts like this!!! U2 would've crumbled a long time ago if they succumbed to those kind of opinions :rolleyes:

just sit back, shut up, and enjoy the music :)
 
vaz02 said:
I think the new album will break their recent trend.
Click to expand...

I think the new album will break the trend of repeating topics every two weeks.

omg, the horse is dead already.
Click to expand...

72horse.jpg
 
My only question is: since when is Nickelband a band that can supply any form of competition?? (read: they blow)
 
U2 should just pack it in. 258 people on the internet don't like what they've done recently.
 
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