we fucking hate one, and here's why

[gvox]

I believe that I'm a casual fan? Oh, yeah, casual fans totally run U2 setlist databases.



Please at least TRY to make sense.



Just like they love IWF, SBS, NYD, Pride, Bad, Streets, ISHFWILF, WOWY, Desire, Angel Of Harlem, AIWIY, EBTTRT, MW, Beautiful Day, Vertigo, etc. What is your point? U2 are overflowing with classics the casual fans love. That doesn't mean they have to play every single one of them live.

I also find your attitude towards casual fans insulting. That they are so small minded that they won't enjoy a show as much if they don't get certain specific requests, and that they are oblivious to all but the biggest hits. That's completely not true and you know it. All the casual fans I have taken to concerts have identified other songs as highlights - The Electric Co., Party Girl, One Tree Hill. In fact, one casual fan I took, indeed a person who when she was ten sung along to My Heart Will Go On and loves U2's radio hits, said that One was boring and that she thought Streets, COBL, and An Cat Dubh were much better. So much for your stereotypes of casual fans.

Oh for the love of Christ. So you're not a casual fan, but an advocate for casual fans? Dude, you used the term, I'm not even going to bother linking your other post.

I'm being insulting to casual fans? Jesus man, maybe you should form an U2 Casual Fan Support Group, cause you clearly could use some more association with them, believe me when I tell you, THEY LOVE ONE, your ridiculously disproportionate sample of one Casual U2 Fan Who Liked My Heart Will Go On When They Were 10 notwithstanding. I bet you I meet more casual U2 fans than you on a regular basis...let me think...yeah, I'd bet money I do. And they all think the same thing: One is a great and beautiful song and they want to hear it over and over.

 

[RedRocksU2]

Nice job Khanada

 

[phillyfan26]

Agree to disagree, pfan! Agree to disagree! You cannot convince me that the album version is in any way inferior to the live version. It's not possible.

You've certainly done a poor job arguing it in this thread, though. I mean, you essentially generalized the One detractors into a box, despite everyone having jumped out of it already.

Problems with One:
1) The studio version: It comes off bland due to a lack of a peak and a poor outro.
2) All versions: Uninteresting drums and bass.
3) Elevation and Vertigo versions: Lacked a spark, lacked good vocals.

Problems with One fans:
1) It's not even the best song on its own album, and I have to hear people talking about it being the best song ever. C'mon. U2's done waaaaaaaaay better than One. Anyone who's listened to U2's albums should know that.

 

[gvox]

Let's hope not. It'd be nice if the rabid One supporters, especially Mr gabrielvox, would avoid turning this into a flame war so that those of who don't like the song can actually have a thread rather than being jumped on at every single bloody instance. People such as the tourist and liamcool haven't even had a chance to chime in yet.

Man you are cracking me up, you come in here screaming about how the song sucks and with this general air of superiority that smacks of hardcore fan elitism and **I'm** starting a flame war? Give me a fucking break.

I hear a recurring theme amongst the One supporters: you are more than entitled to your opinion. Which is true. ALthough, I haven't heard you say that back yet, it **seems** that you're trying to convince us of how silly and immature we are because we like One. If I've got you wrong, I apologize.

 

[Axver]

[Drivel that missed the point.]

I can't be arsed conversing with you any more. You're intentionally inflammatory and you deliberately misconstrue my points.

The discussion between you and I is over. No, you haven't won. I just don't want to get this thread closed, so I'm ending a fruitless, worthless discussion now. It fucking sucks even more than One.

 

[indra]

You were the last person who I expected would assume casual fans are that vapid.

From my own experience, I know they're not. My favourite example is the extremely casual fan I took to Vertigo Brisbane who simply couldn't believe U2 didn't play Silver And Gold.

I'm old enough to think of Silver and Gold as one of their hits.

 

[phillyfan26]

Gabe, it's blatantly obvious that you started the flame war with this post:

Axver, YOU fucking suck. I'd like to see you write anything that comes remotely even close to the beauty of One.

hey guess what One haters? YOU'RE OUTNUMBERED, by far. Not only in the in the world in general, but in the very thread created to hate on it. Get over it.

For the rest, I won't bother, but don't play dumb.

 

[Axver]

I'm old enough to think of Silver and Gold as one of their hits.

The person in question was stunned when I told them Silver And Gold was a song that was just a b-side and had been performed 11 times in 1987 and that's it. To them, it was Bono's big political moment on Rattle And Hum! They remembered it even more than that Sunday Bloody Sunday performance, so they assumed that since Bono seems even more political today, it would be done every night.

 

[gman]

Em....I like One

 

[Zoots]

You've certainly done a poor job arguing it in this thread, though. I mean, you essentially generalized the One detractors into a box, despite everyone having jumped out of it already.

Geez! I'm not here to win a fucking debate or bring everyone to MY WAY cos it is the RIGHT WAY. All I said was perhaps the haters don't like One because the live versions are way overplayed and are inferior to the outstanding studio version and maybe just maybe that is what is clouding their judgment of this song. But that doesn't seem to be the case. So I ended with.. I like it, so we'll agree to disagree. That's all. End of story.

It's not even the best song on its own album, and I have to hear people talking about it being the best song ever. C'mon. U2's done waaaaaaaaay better than One. Anyone who's listened to U2's albums should know that.

lol. And yet it's one of the most respected songs in rock history, let alone U2 history. It consistently shows up near the top of many a list of all-time great rock songs.

 

[gvox]

Gabe, it's blatantly obvious that you started the flame war with this post:

Did you not get the obvious reference to this post initiating it all? cmon you're a bright boy:

One does indeed FUCKING SUCK. And the reasons it fucking sucks have NOTHING to do with confusing it with the live performance frequency, so I'd appreciate it if some of you rabid One defenders would stop spamming this thread by making false accusations and twisting the discussion.

You want to know why One fucking sucks? Let me put it as simply as possible. The lyrics are cliched and overwrought tripe. It sounds like some pathetic pseudo-anthem written for teenage girls who loved My Heart Will Go On when they were ten (yes, I realise the order of release is actually the opposite, but I don't know an appropriate pre-One example). Stylistically, it feels like it follows in the template of WOWY, which is an absolute condemnation of any pretense of originality it may try to possess. What's more, it doesn't even do anything with that template. Larry and Adam do absolutely nothing to write home about. Edge has created far more interesting and memorable guitar lines in almost every other U2 song. Bono's singing does nothing to push the song over the line or give it any gravity. And the worst part? The song just ... dies. It should reach some sort of climax, but it just blathers out with some guitar that never achieves any significance and Bono's inconsequential wailing. It's like they had no idea how to finish the fucking song.
.

Read it again. Nothing I said even comes close to that one, even in jest.

 

[phillyfan26]

He attacked the song. You attacked him.

Give me a fucking break, you can't be that stupid.

 

[gvox]

 

[No spoken words]

He attacked the song. You attacked him.

Give me a fucking break, you can't be that stupid.

Why bother? Seriously.

 

[gvox]

He attacked the song. You attacked him.

Give me a fucking break, you can't be that stupid.

No you give me a fucking break. Do I have to highlight his inflammatory statements to make them stand out for you??

 

[phillyfan26]

He attacked a song. You attacked a person.

One's a criticism. One's an insult.

 

[indra]

The person in question was stunned when I told them Silver And Gold was a song that was just a b-side and had been performed 11 times in 1987 and that's it. To them, it was Bono's big political moment on Rattle And Hum! They remembered it even more than that Sunday Bloody Sunday performance, so they assumed that since Bono seems even more political today, it would be done every night.

Yep! And since we couldn't check online and see that they hadn't played it loads we just figured it was one of their big songs. And I could swear I heard it quite a bit on the radio at that time too.

 

[gvox]

He attacked a song. You attacked a person.

One's a criticism. One's an insult.

Oh! I get it! Calling supporters of One, read: us, rabid and likening of same to teenaged girls who haven't a clue what a good song is isn't an insult. Okie.

Mental note made.

 

[phillyfan26]

Geez! I'm not here to win a fucking debate or bring everyone to MY WAY cos it is the RIGHT WAY. All I said was perhaps the haters don't like One because the live versions are way overplayed and are inferior to the outstanding studio version and maybe just maybe that is what is clouding their judgment of this song. But that doesn't seem to be the case. So I ended with.. I like it, so we'll agree to disagree. That's all. End of story.

Fair enough.

We all learned something new about One detractors today!

 

[phillyfan26]

Oh! I get it! Calling supporters of One, read: us, rabid and likening of same to teenaged girls who haven't a clue what a good song is isn't an insult. Okie.

Mental note made.

I believe he said the song sounded like one that was playing to the same market.

 

[Axver]

It consistently shows up near the top of many a list of all-time great rock songs.

People actually care about those MTV lists?

The one thing all the online communities I post on have in common, whether it's here or RateYourMusic or prog communities or wherever, is that those lists are rubbished. They're usually just the opinion of an editorial board trying to sell copies.

In lists compiled by actual music experts, e.g. music historians, it seems to be a challenge to simply get U2 onto a list in the first place. One definitely doesn't make it - it introduced nothing new in a compositional sense, and unlike songs like Sunday Bloody Sunday, it has had no socio-political or even commercial impact in the public consciousness either.

In any case, it is worth noting that the album and songs U2 are best remembered for in the general population is The Joshua Tree and its hits. I have noticed that while the public in general loves The Joshua Tree, Internet-using U2 fans tend to lean towards Achtung Baby. That probably explains the strong support for One here.

 

[phillyfan26]

In any case, it is worth noting that the album and songs U2 are best remembered for in the general population is The Joshua Tree and its hits. I have noticed that while the public in general loves The Joshua Tree, Internet-using U2 fans tend to lean towards Achtung Baby. That probably explains the strong support for One here.

I think this is the most true statement I have ever read on the board.

 

[No spoken words]

I think this is the most true statement I have ever read on the board.

So this is confirmed?

 

[phillyfan26]

So this is confirmed?

Absolutely.

Also, it's complete speculation.

 

[Axver]

So this is confirmed?

You better believe it. IT'S RUMOURED, MAN. What more conformation do you want?

 

[No spoken words]

Absolutely.

Also, it's complete speculation.

You better believe it. IT'S RUMOURED, MAN. What more conformation do you want?

 

[Zoots]

 

[Earnie Shavers]

One is a great song that has been overplayed - and not just by U2. I think it will, more than Streets or WOWY or whatever, eventually forever be their signature song as determined by whatever unknown forces decide those things, ie if the U2 plane goes down, you will hear that song more than any other in the days and weeks afterwards. I don't think it's uncommon for a fanbase of a band this size to end up hating whatever that song is for their particular band. That U2's live versions are nowhere near as good as the studio version, that they themselves overplay it, that they themselves have pimped it out (One Campaign), and that they themselves are responsible for the most godawful ruining of it (Mary J version) certainly doesn't help.

Even though it has, for all those reasons, become a huge yawner of a song for me now, I know that if I somehow don't hear One for 2 years, when I eventually do it will sound brilliant again.

 

[No spoken words]

Even though it has, for all those reasons, become a huge yawner of a song for me now, I know that if I somehow don't hear One for 2 years, when I eventually do it will sound brilliant again.

 

[gvox]

In any case, it is worth noting that the album and songs U2 are best remembered for in the general population is The Joshua Tree and its hits. I have noticed that while the public in general loves The Joshua Tree, Internet-using U2 fans tend to lean towards Achtung Baby. That probably explains the strong support for One here.

I'd agree with that statement, if only because AB is more current to the Internet age. However, I must be some weird anomoly, because I like JT way more than AB and yet still love One. Then again, I love every single last U2 song ever made. Including Refugee.