Earnie Shavers
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catlhere said:
Not sure the intention is quite the same...
ANYWAY - I don't understand a lot of these arguments, or more to the point just how quickly some people *cough* get pissed off.
It's hard to give a personal opinion on the quality of what they're currently doing. I will say that I think that now more than ever the gap between potential and reality is at it's greatest. Plenty of people adore the stuff they're making now. They could even take 10 steps further in that direction and win over a million new fans. That of course means that it's not bad. As long as they are doing what they are doing well, it's good. Right? If my goal right now is to just throw this empty Coke can sitting next to me across the office and into the bin, and I get it in, my goal is achieved. And if I want to do it left handed, and bounce it off the cupboard next to the bin, and then in without touching the sides from there and I do it, my goal is achieved. Terrible, terrible analogy, but if U2 want to make songs like Elevation, and make them really well, then the goal has been achieved. But if they want to still be the band of Streets and the Fly and Zooropa and New Years Day, or YOU want them to still be the band of Acrobat, Running to Standstill, Desire and Out of Control, then there's a gap there, a big one.
I just hope they stick around long enough to outlast the pressure. Keiren talked about age. People in here do use it in defence of how conservative and middle of the road they are now. Bono himself likes to rabbit on about how someone of his age as an artist or writer in any other field should or would just be hitting their stride now - so no, age/family etc is not an excuse. It may be a reasoning for themes in the music, or may reign in the touring or something, but it means nothing in regards to what is on record. They SHOULD be getting better with age in all areas. Not just tighter, not just a more well oiled machine, but better in every way. There's nothing wrong with returning to old ground or old sounds either - nothing at all - but they should be getting better at it, more creative, more original. Is there anything as mind numbingly dull on the 23yr old Unforgettable Fire as Miracle Drug? There's nothing as tight, or as seamless. Nothing that sounds so effortless. Nothing that sounds like every note is perfectly allotted to it's right space. But there's nothing as forgettable, nothing as robotic and formulaic.
Anyway, I'm losing my point here: Whether or not I like what they are doing, whether or not you do, I know they can continue to knock out this high quality pop-rock stuff for all eternity with little or no effort. But it's a waste of talent, one which really should only be getting better.
