To those who expected a rock album (tsk tsk)

[Lancemc]

Anyone remember this little quote from Neil McKormick a few months back:

"Despite Bono publicly saying otherwise, McCormick insists, "it's not the U2 big rock record; there are maybe three rock songs on there, but there's all the usual ambience and weird adventures, and all of the songs are about big themes.

It'd be interesting if U2 could ever make a marginal or personal or intimate record again; in a way they can't because they've raised the stakes to such a level that they have to knock a stadium monster out, they have to knock that ball out of the stadium every time."

We were all warned this was not going to be the balls-to-the-walls rocker that Bono insisted it was way back when. Just thought I'd drop this little piece of evidence for whoever wants to comment on it. Here's the link to the original article too for you:

http://atu2.com/news/article.src?ID=3485&Key=&Year=2004&Cat=10

Personally, I knew what the album was going to be like. I was expecting a calmer, JT-ish record back since August or so, based mostly on news from atu2.com and other sites. Take it for what it's worth.

 

[U2girl]

With all the rock talk from some people, you'd think U2 is a heavy metal band.

 

[Matthew_Page2000]

Well shoot. I though U2 WERE heavy metal. At least back in the good old days of Joshua Tree and Unforgettable Fire. Those two were two of the hardest rocking albums in rock and roll history.
MLK, WoWY, Still Haven't Found, Bad, Promenade, One Tree Hill...heck, Megadeth could't rock that hard.

 

[Bono's shades]

Just because an album is "rock" doesn't mean it is heavy metal. In fact, I don't like most heavy metal. And Boy, War and JT were definitely rock albums.

 

[Shade]

Anyone remember this little quote from Neil McKormick a few months back:

"Despite Bono publicly saying otherwise, McCormick insists, "it's not the U2 big rock record; there are maybe three rock songs on there, but there's all the usual ambience and weird adventures, and all of the songs are about big themes.

It'd be interesting if U2 could ever make a marginal or personal or intimate record again; in a way they can't because they've raised the stakes to such a level that they have to knock a stadium monster out, they have to knock that ball out of the stadium every time."

We were all warned this was not going to be the balls-to-the-walls rocker that Bono insisted it was way back when. Just thought I'd drop this little piece of evidence for whoever wants to comment on it. Here's the link to the original article too for you:

http://atu2.com/news/article.src?ID=3485&Key=&Year=2004&Cat=10

Personally, I knew what the album was going to be like. I was expecting a calmer, JT-ish record back since August or so, based mostly on news from atu2.com and other sites. Take it for what it's worth.

Wow. Brainy Smurf couldn't have said it better himself.

 

[Bunbury]

Why is U2 being compared to heavy metal music???

 

[david]

Heavy Metal doesn't rock. It doesn't make you think. It's just background music for a vapid teenage wasteland.

U2 does rock and U2 does make you think and U2 isn't background music, they're a soundtrack to people's lives.

 

[dabiggestu2fan]

JT was by far not a heavy metal album but none of U2's albums are heavy metal! I wouldnt like a heavy metal album becaue i usualy can't relate to loud very loud songs that i cant get the meaning to with the exception of a few of the metalica ongs which i like. Hard rock is different then heavy metal and U2 comes close on some songs like bullet the blue sky, exit nd others but i dont think they ever made a strait out hard rock album and i like that. I love the hardrock songs they put out but i also like the slower songs and ballads and it is this mixture with slow songs to hard rock songs that i love about u2.

See in the new album i love that we have:

Rockeir even hard rock

Vertigo,
ABOY,
LPOE
Fast cars
COBL
even MD

Ballads:
Sometimes,
OOTS
One step closser

Others in between
CFYT
AMAAW
Yahwe

This is a great mix cos if they were all hard then it would kina be boring and just the same if they were all soft it would also be boring but there is a great mix here

 

[Bunbury]

Heavy Metal doesn't rock. It doesn't make you think. It's just background music for a vapid teenage wasteland.

To be honest, a lot of it is. There are important and valuable artists in every genre just as there's shit in every genre. There are a load of metal bands and many of them really have nothing interesting or valuable to say. But there's no way to ever disqualify and entire genre for the sins of the worst from it.