U2's Last Frontier

[snutes1]

I got up this morning at 5 am and couldnt get back to sleep. So I put on some U2 with headphones and played the million dollar hotel sdtk. Specifically, "The ground beneath her feet" and "Stateless". I hadn't heard these songs in a while but it brought me back to the late winter of 2000 when these songs were released. It brought back the joy yet dark peace that these songs brought to me. I used to repeat these two songs again and again because that was the only New u2 we've had since POP. We were all waiting for the new album and although we had heard that ATYCLB was coming out later that year, who knew if that rumor was just that, another vicious rumor. I remember threads in this forum saying that they hoped the new album would have the same ambiance and sounds that these two songs had, but it wasnt to be.

And now, looking back to those weird days before ATYCLB and between POP and ATYCLB ( I am not counting the Best of ), I can say and opine that those were the last adventurous sounds and landscapes created by U2. It's like they started their carreer in one side of the continent (Nova Scotia) and were on the edge of the other side of continent with MDH SDTK (Nome, Alaska). Their last gasps of genius until the summer of 2000 warmed up their cold hearts and gave us "Beautiful Day" and "ATYCLB". They went back to the warm comfortable middle which has also spawned the wonders of "HTDAAB".

But in the late winter of 2000, U2 was in the edge of their musical and artistic frontier and now...................................

 

[Dalton]

Yeeeeeee - awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnn

 

[jick]

U2's last frontier was the Joshua Tree. It's been downhill ever since, but in such a shallow descent trajectory that they are still not that far from their apex.

Cheers,

J

 

[yimou]

U2's last frontier was the Joshua Tree. It's been downhill ever since, but in such a shallow descent trajectory that they are still not that far from their apex.

Cheers,

J

Good old Jick.. Cheers

 

[2Hearts]

If New York had been on Pop or Achtung Baby, it would have been lumped in with U2's 'experimental' stuff. Since it was on ATYCLB instead, it is called 'safe pop by the numbers'. That is 1 awesome song no matter how you categorize it. It's the same old story. U2 goes wherever they want to, and the fans can go along for the ride or sit on the side of the road and complain. I'll RIDE.

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

I think they kicked the door a little more open with ATYCLB. Call it safe, pop, adult contemporary I don't care. It is a great album of songs. Why people continue to bash this is beyond me. U2 made it very clear what their direction was with both of these last two albums. Experimental or not they are both GREAT albums.

 

[TC2290]

U2's last frontier was the Joshua Tree. It's been downhill ever since, but in such a shallow descent trajectory that they are still not that far from their apex.

Cheers,

J

Achtung baby anyone?

 

[Lancemc]

Achtung baby anyone?

Some people think The Joshua Tree is Better than Achtung Baby, in which case he might have a point. Personally, it's too hard to call between the two.

 

[Axver]

Achtung baby anyone?

Is one of U2's weaker albums. Not all of us think it's a masterpiece to be worshipped.

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

Is one of U2's weaker albums. Not all of us think it's a masterpiece to be worshipped.

"not all of us"=you

 

[beau2ifulday]

U2's last frontier was the Joshua Tree. It's been downhill ever since, but in such a shallow descent trajectory that they are still not that far from their apex.

Cheers,

J

Jick's right. The have gone down hill since, although personally, i'm more inclined to say it was after Achtung Baby that things went downhill. What they produce now is by no means bad, but I think general opinion is that Zooropa, Pop, ATYCLB and HTDAAB don't even come close to touching the ground that AB and JT did.

saying that, as a Pop fan, i'd beg to differ.

 

[TC2290]

Is one of U2's weaker albums. Not all of us think it's a masterpiece to be worshipped.

Joshua Tree is sonically boring compared to Achtung baby. Granted the songs are fantastic but I only listen to AB out of those two albums. Anyway this is just RECORDS, LIVE U2 have only been going uphill since they started.

 

[ponkine]

They´ve been downhill ( artistic speaking ) since 1999
but it´s apparent many fans don´t notice that because of album sales. I mean, while Pop sold about 9 million copies worldwide, ATYCLB sold near 11 million ones, so it was better JUST IN TERMS OF SALES, but was ( and still is, IMO ) the worst U2 album they´ve ever made, in terms of ART expression.

Overall I agree with you snutes 1, this U2 2000 has nothing left to show us with their music, because we´ve already listened to the same since 1999.

As I said here before...

THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME

 

[Lancemc]

...says you.

 

[BrownEyedBoy]

And me.

 

[U2democrat]

oy these threads just end up going in circles.

 

[U2_Muse]

And the endless debate rages on.

 

[anitram]

Nyah-nyah, mine is better than yours.

How's that for summarizing the theme?

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

They´ve been downhill ( artistic speaking ) since 1999
but it´s apparent many fans don´t notice that because of album sales. I mean, while Pop sold about 9 million copies worldwide, ATYCLB sold near 11 million ones, so it was better JUST IN TERMS OF SALES, but was ( and still is, IMO ) the worst U2 album they´ve ever made, in terms of ART expression.

Overall I agree with you snutes 1, this U2 2000 has nothing left to show us with their music, because we´ve already listened to the same since 1999.

As I said here before...

THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME

Please cease your redundant posts...

 

[Axver]

LIVE U2 have only been going uphill since they started.

Again, I disagree. I feel that U2 hit their greatest peak during Lovetown and have ever so slightly declined since then, though it seems they are again on the rise from Elevation.

I also feel that AB is sonically boring compared to JT. JT has the most incredible sweeping landscapes. Compared to most other bands, though, AB is fecking brilliant.

 

[U2girl]

One last time, ponkine:
POP sold 6-8 millions, depending on the source. ATYCLB is at 12 million (though label has said for a radio contest it's 14 million). Get your facts straight.

It doesn't have anything to do with sales, but they had better songs. It's that easy. Their trajectory started going up again with that album, and it keeps going up with HTDAAB.

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

I don't understand why some people bother posting on this site?

I'm not against a good debate, but some people keep posting the same, old argument, but really can't back it up at all, because it is based solely on personal taste.

U2 are making music as relevant and as good as they were during the Passengers/Pop era. Is it different music, yes. Is is catchier and a little more radio friendly, but that doesn't make it bad. Does it?

 

[Yahweh]

pokine if you are going to post about album sales at least make them correct.

POP sold about 7 million copies and ATYCLB sold about 12.5 million...

Does that mean its a better album because it sold more copies...no I would say those 2 albums are about equal in quality.

For those that think ATYCLB and Bomb sound the same....I think they need to get their hearing checked, because outside of Vertigo this album is a lot less radio friendly then ATYCLB was.

If you dont like what U2 is doing these days thats fine change the CD to somebody else. I would venture to say that even U2s least expirimental stuff is more expirimental then most groups out there, especially in the rock/pop genre.

If you like MDH and Passengers stuff listen to it. It is there for you to listen to.

U2 fans are becoming very "elitist" these days and it is sad to see...U2s music is supposed to be inclusive to all people not exclusive to some.

 

[TwoAmericas]

Why can't U2 fans realize that War was their greatest album of all-time??

 

[Lancemc]

Why can't U2 fans realize that War was their greatest album of all-time??

Because it isn't.

 

[ZeroDude]

Exactly

 

[jackboy]

Jick's right. The have gone down hill since, although personally, i'm more inclined to say it was after Achtung Baby that things went downhill. What they produce now is by no means bad, but I think general opinion is that Zooropa, Pop, ATYCLB and HTDAAB don't even come close to touching the ground that AB and JT did.

saying that, as a Pop fan, i'd beg to differ.

JOSHUA TREE???? What is all the fuss?? I rank it second bottom after Rattle and Pants...

 

[Zoocoustic]

Again, I disagree. I feel that U2 hit their greatest peak during Lovetown and have ever so slightly declined since then, though it seems they are again on the rise from Elevation.

Whoa. Sorry.

The debate over best album is and always has been up in the air, but when it comes to live performances there is absolutely NO WAY that Lovetown, JT, or any other U2 tour ever came close or ever will come close to touching the sheer brilliance that was ZooTV.

No band (including U2) will ever be able to do that again - ZooTV was not of this world - it was something so much bigger and more amazing. Hands down the greatest tour ever by any band in the history of music.

 

[david]

Joshua Tree as great as it may be really is a singles album and is really as safe and conventional as All That You Can't Leave Behind. As a matter of fact it's almost like All That You Can't Leave Behind if it was recorded by 27 year olds instead of 40 year olds.

 

[the tourist]

U2 has had good music on every album. They have. Who cares what's better than what. It's all good. No album is the same as another so it's hard to compare greatness as a whole. Some days I like The Unforgetable Fire better, somedays it's War, somedays it's Joshua Tree, sometimes POP, somedays Achtung Baby, etc. It's hard to make generalizations as such. I will go on to say that at one point or another I've loved or hated each U2 album. But on a whole I love every one and will remain excited to hear the newer stuff as long as they put it out. Even if some of you grow weary and give up. I still think they will be rock and roll/pop and melodic geniuses. For Ever.