should u2 quit on top?

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Quit while they're ahead - I wouldn't bet on anything past this decade. They said they don't want to fade away or play in their 60's. Consider Bono's voice too.

Larry's comments scare me though: the acting one (OK, that may have been a joke), the one about how he'd like to teach his son footbal when he's 17 (8 years from now) and this:

From "notes on U2 Making the video" in U2News"

*Bono states that, "the measure of the album we just made will be how many of these songs we play live. Right now there's not one I want to leave out."

*If there was a way to not tour around the world, Mullen guarantees he "would take it," but does feel the album's 11 songs are reason enough to take time away from one's family.
 
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There is certainly a case to be made for any band to go out on a high..theres nothing more depressing than seeing once great bands like Oasis and REM limping along with mediocre albums. However, while I think the new album qualifies as the third masterpiec in U2's career, we cannot say at this stage if they can top it with a new release..we don't know how good a new album in a few years might be, so I will wait for the next album to decided whethet they should quit.
 
Sigh, right after the album bashing threads the most rehashed topic is 'should they hang it up' or openly calling for them to do so. :grumpy: :sigh:

Sorry, those of us with insanely high post counts have seen it all so much.
 
U2 are like a fine red wine. The more mature they get the better they become, however, as with wine there are always the odd bottle or two that taste off!!! :wink:

I think they should keep going as long a they enjoy what they are doing. There aren't many bands who have been around as long as they have who have such an age diverse fan base. They must be doing something right.
 
Keep on going boys until you feel like you can't produce the goods anymore.I can't imagine life without u2,without new material,without touring etc.BUT if they start to churn out 'middle of the road' garbage then they will be doing themselves a great dis-service.I would hate them to become a laughing stock . :sad:
 
HTDAAB is a great album, but they need to be careful now not to slip into "u2 autopilot" which would be all too easy to do..I hope the next album sees some musical shifts.."Fast Cars" is a great start.
 
haha well i'll assume you're joking by misquoting Neil Young.....the Kurt Cobain philosophy of rockstardom.....

Anyway, U2 should keep playing as long as they make great music--Bob Dylan might be in his 60s, but "Time Out of Mind" and "Love and Theft" are both terrific albums that show a lyrical maturity that he could never have come up with at 23 (which is saying something b/c man did he write some incredible lyrics then). If we're lucky, the lads will still be recording melodic, insightful tunes when they're in their 50s and perhaps beyond. My guess, though, is that they will record one album after this and decide that touring isn't worth it anymore - time away from family, constant flying, yadda yadda and call it a day.

Then Bono will make amazing solo albums and save the world. :)




Flying FuManchu said:
Naw... as Neil Young said... it's better to fade away than burn out.
Click to expand...
 
I don't like the Bob Dylan comparison. His last two albums (Time Out of Mind, Love and Theft) are considered his best since '75. They are very impressive albums and completely different from one another. One is moody, slow and dark and the other is just fun and sounds like a jam band.

The question is whether we want them to become the Rolling Stones. They are still an amazing band live, but you go to hear their stuff from the 60's and 70's. They haven't had a truly great album since 1981.

I do not think that U2 should quit yet, based on the strength of HTDAAB, they have at least one more album in them.
 
Just as they have done musically, I think U2 will break the rules when it comes to longevity and expectations of them as a band.

The first point to make is that they aren't exactly old at the moment, especially when compared to all the other "legends" out there like Dylan, Stones, and Neil Young. They belong with that company artistically, yet they have a cushion of years left that these guys would salivate over. U2 are charting their own course, and are doing it better than any of the 1980's hold-over stars like REM, Madonna...Duran Duran.

I also think that U2 performed at much higher calibre at a younger age than many of the up-and-coming bands today. By the time they were around Coldplay's age at the moment, they were entering the Achtung Baby stage of their careers...which is mind-blowing if you ask me.

My last point is that while the touring is bound to slow down over the next 10 years or so, I think U2 have the potential to make some unique records in the studio as their career changes course. We might even see a rebirth of some experimental stuff that they do so well...sounds that will perhaps never make it to the stage, but are absolutely brilliant on an album.
 
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angelordevil said:


I also think that U2 performed at much higher calibre at a younger age than many of the up-and-coming bands today. By the time they were around Coldplay's age at the moment, they were entering the Achtung Baby stage of their careers...which is mind-blowing if you ask me.
Click to expand...


Actually, I believe Chris Martin is still 26, or JUST turned 27. Their long-awaited third album comes out next year. This means Chris and the boys will be the same exact age as U2 were when their 'career-defining' album came out.

Will Coldplay match their idols? Same age, same kind of album?

We shall see...

All I know is, they bette think up something else when they turn 30, because Chris Martin could NOT pull off The Fly.

-Miggy D
 
I've seen the future....not looking pretty


..Edge and Bono touring small theatres with their Banjo Baby! tour of u2 classics.

...Adam and Larry signing-up exclusively for all Mission Impossible sequel soundtracks (where they have also agreed to take on acting roles opposite Tom Cruise as bomb diffusing acoustic engineers).

Appreciate the boys now before it's too late!!!!

:wink:
 
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tennispunk said:
haha well i'll assume you're joking by misquoting Neil Young.....the Kurt Cobain philosophy of rockstardom.....

Anyway, U2 should keep playing as long as they make great music--Bob Dylan might be in his 60s, but "Time Out of Mind" and "Love and Theft" are both terrific albums that show a lyrical maturity that he could never have come up with at 23 (which is saying something b/c man did he write some incredible lyrics then). If we're lucky, the lads will still be recording melodic, insightful tunes when they're in their 50s and perhaps beyond. My guess, though, is that they will record one album after this and decide that touring isn't worth it anymore - time away from family, constant flying, yadda yadda and call it a day.

Then Bono will make amazing solo albums and save the world. :)
Click to expand...
:wink:
 
Coldplay are 26-27 years old yes, but they have 1 great album..... that's it! At the age of 22-23 (20 for Larry :) ) U2 was rocking the planet with NEW YEARS' DAY, SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY and with PRIDE 1 year later.....to eventually realease the 1st masterpiece of their career at the age of 26-27 (still 20 for Larry). I don't believe Coldplay has the potential to top U2, no way. And I'm beeing (trying) to be objective.

As for "should they stop or not?" Unfortunately, I'm expecting them to play the last big world tour of their career. They will be 50 by the time they release the next album (if they do it) and I don't see Bono running around the heart 3 laps and waving the white flag singing Until the end of the world...... nor climbing up the stage and stopping the traffic.....

I hope i'm wrong.

Anyway, there is a tour coming...... we should all enjoy 200% every show we can see.....
 
Should they quit while on top? Probably. But few ever do, and why would U2 be one of those few? They can't both be awesome and prescient, can they?

Besides, we've yet to experience the power of old U2. C'mon, Irish folk songs and Christmas albums!
 
Coldplay started later than U2. They've only put out 2 albums. By the time U2 was their age, they had put out 5!

-Miggy D
 
Miggy D said:




Will Coldplay match their idols? Same age, same kind of album?
Click to expand...

No. They will never be true legends because they do not have the same wide appeal as U2 (not just that I hate them, but from what I see)

All I know is, they bette think up something else when they turn 30, because Chris Martin could NOT pull off The Fly.

-Miggy D
Click to expand...

No way. I don't even want to think about it :no:
 
I don't think they'd quit without a 'farewell tour' and this is not it! I also think once they do have one, it will be the last, they won't keep coming back out of retirement like KISS and Tina Turner and Sugar Ray Leonard.
 
As for "should they stop or not?" Unfortunately, I'm expecting them to play the last big world tour of their career. They will be 50 by the time they release the next album (if they do it) and I don't see Bono running around the heart 3 laps and waving the white flag singing Until the end of the world...... nor climbing up the stage and stopping the traffic.....

I hope i'm wrong.


I hope you are right. I dont want to see U2 churning out the same old stuff, running round hearts and waving white flags. But have a little faith. I cannot think of another band who have consistently delivered the goods for as long as U2 have. Each album is a different slant, a creative surge, a leap forward. This album release has convinced me that this band has a lot to do before retiring. Dont consider the age, look at the history. They are the best band in the world because they break new ground, defy the odds. I think they will do so for a long time to come. They've still got the hunger, and I hunger for more!!:dance:
 
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