Why Do U2 think "ABOY" is so great?

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JOFO

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I mean, this tune is so average IMO. Plus, the whole hook riff is a direct ripoff of the bridge in "Behind Blue Eyes". For them to constantly place this tune in the encore section live is silly. Plus, they've released it as a single twice now; in north america last fall and now in europe. IMO the chorus is awful, and it seems (based on the outake version) that they had this riff they couldn't find a chorus for.
not only that, but the live version it so EMPTY sounding; why couldn't bono play guitar on it? (you know, instead of having the acoustic guitar as a backing track).
 
Why does Interference hate it so much? It's their love song to the Who, and one of the few U2 Mach 3 songs that just rocks.

I agree that it sounds way flat live, though.

Oh, and it shouldn't have been released as a single (especially when "Miracle Drug" and "Original of the Species" as yet haven't).

But it still rocks.
 
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Do you know what's not great? This thread. :wink:

I think it's a great song. But if I was on their marketing team, I would not have picked it as a single.
 
Interference, "Before and After"

Before HTDAAB: "I want U2 to play some LOUD Rock N Roll songs!"

After HTDAAB: "I hate LOUD Rock N Roll songs!, ABOY sucks, Vertigo sucks, Crumbs sucks."
 
nah, it's not that. the fly is a loud rock song IMO. gone is a loud rock song. LAPOE is a loud rock song. to me, those are all good songs. ABOY leaves me cold; it seems calculated and a real "let's make a rock and roll tune" kinda thing. it's not horrible mind you; I think it's ok. definitely worthy of the album. a single? no way. live? it's flat.
 
Haven't heard it live....but I really dig the record. Our praise band has been playing lately to great response.
 
It is U2's tribute to the Who, imagine Roger Daltrey singing like THAT, the album version. That double tracked lead vocal is shit.

The problem with this song is the same problem with Vertigo, fun, disposable garage/pop rock is supposed to be that. ITS NOT.
It's overthought, over produced and doesnt retain vitality.

I love Native Son and the alt version of ABOY.
Bono is just better.
 
Why Do U2 think "ABOY" is so great?

Because it is!
It's the best track on HTDAAB (together with One Step Closer) and a kick ass song live!
:rockon:
 
A gopher's ballsack? Dude, what do you do for fun?

ABOY kicks ass, it's in the encore section because it rocks the house. Cold and calculated? More like spontaneous and rockin'.

I don't like the breaks in the demo version. I think the album version is much tighter.

Mr. Brau1 is right we begged for rock songs we got them and now all some of us do is bitch about them.

I'm guessing that those of you who hate HTDAAB love Pop...am I right?
 
This song is proof that just because a song "rocks" it is not necessarily a good song. Songs that "rock" can be great or terrible. Songs that don't "rock" can be great or terrible. There seems to be some confusion on this matter.

That being said,, ABOY is miles better than Elevation.
 
You guys are crazy. ABOY is one of the best songs on the album. I had doubts about ABOY being better than "She's Gonna Blow Your House Down", but it ended up being a totally different song - a great song at that. I wish U2 made more songs like it than gay songs like COBL.
 
Hoodlem said:


That being said,, ABOY is miles better than Elevation.

I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles.

In fact this song is evidence of exactly what U2's problem is.
When they rock out, still people don't get it? Why?
It's the delivery, too calculated, too scripted, too easy.

This song and Vertigo need to be off the cuff. They aren't.
The problem is evident. At least in my opinon. Two years bascially from the primal Full Metal Jacket to Vertigo, retaining the simplistic song form, all the while losing vitality along the way. All Because of You, I bet was fucking KILLER in 2002 and early 2003 before it got the "treatment". Same with OOTS, COBL, Love and Peace all of these songs I am guessing were miles and miles and miles better in their infancy.

As is, ABOY is still better than most of HTDAAB, or as I have said before a lot of fans don't really like U2 rocking out, they just think they do.
 
According to an interview with Adam from earlier in the tour, "All because of you" was in the closing as it fits a sequence, that there's a connection between, "All Because of You", "Yahweh", and "40."

There is a connection, but it all depends on how you interpret "All Because of You."

I could go in to it, but it's a more fitting explanation in the Goal is Soul sub-forum.
 
The last minute of ABOY is the best minute on the album, and is a great U2 moment. That is the exact kind of rock I think most people would love to hear.
The first two minutes are among the worst in U2's career and by no means 'rock' whatsoever. It's so bad I skip straight through it - I feel too embarrassed for the band - straight to the last minute where I cry out to the Lord "Whhhhyyy!!!! Why did you let them so overproduce this album!!!!!"
 
sorry about the gophers genetilia comment, didnt feel like writing a worthwhile post.

The thing to me about ABOY is that it's just too repetitive and bland. It really is boring. The bridge with Bono's scream, a neat little Edge slice, and the "I'm alive" verse is pretty cool though (pretty much 2:11 to 3:15). I just think on the whole it's a boring song that I could really do without occupying a slot in the encore that, say, Mofo or Please could occupy.

The chorus is the most boring part of the record. One man's opinion though
 
well, to me it's obviously one of the better parts of the whole album especially the latter part, "...and I want back inside" that part of the only vitality left on the WHOLE record.

The fact that some fans dont get it, makes perfect sense why they would think Miracle Drug is vintage U2. Give me a fucking break.

Its evidence of exactly what U2's problem is, as I said before.
This is U2 as a rock band, obivously some of you don't like it or don't even know what rock and roll truly is, you like "U2 genre", not rock and roll. You want "U2 genre", stand by because you are likely to be more pleased than I.
 
jonnytakeawalk said:
Definately agree!

How a song like that got in the album when a song like mercy didn't is beyond me!

Totaly agree. It's a fair song, but it's a step down following the first 5 brilliant tracks on Dismantle. Replace it with Mercy... :drool:
 
Personally, while I think it's one of the weakest songs on the album, I think it's still sensational. Pure rock and roll. I love the piercing note at the start, the lyrics (second verse cracked me up first time I heard it), Bono's scream, and the solo. It's not exactly the epitome of U2, but still a fun, exciting rock song.
 
ABOY is one of the better songs on the last album and i agree with Earnie that the last minute of the song is one of the few higlights of the album.
 
Substitute into the versus the sound of the guitar in Xanax & Wine for starters. As it stands it sounds like it should come with a video clip of a shirtless male model dancing around in the back of a Wrangler in Malibu, lip syncing along. Get rid of the double tracking. Double tracking can be used for great effect, but in this song it just flat out sounds like it's covering for some sort of deficiency in Bono's 44 yr old voice (which it is of course). It's a dull tune, okay lyrics, very common chorus, but if it were raw, powerful, it would work. That last minute is great. An urgency, carefree, Bono just letting it fly as if it were live. That's the spirit the whole song should have been recorded in, and it's a great example of how all the spirit and emotion was produced straight out of this record.

And U2DMfan, I agree with what you are saying about U2's little 'rock' problem.
 
U2DMfan said:
well, to me it's obviously one of the better parts of the whole album especially the latter part, "...and I want back inside" that part of the only vitality left on the WHOLE record.

The fact that some fans dont get it, makes perfect sense why they would think Miracle Drug is vintage U2. Give me a fucking break.

Its evidence of exactly what U2's problem is, as I said before.
This is U2 as a rock band, obivously some of you don't like it or don't even know what rock and roll truly is, you like "U2 genre", not rock and roll. You want "U2 genre", stand by because you are likely to be more pleased than I.

jesus DMfan, this is a far away from U2 as a rock band as they've ever been. whether you like or not - and i don't - it's sure as hell not rock. it's calculated, marketable slop designed to wedge U2 into a listening audience they must feel they've abandoned. and it doesn't work.

although, i absolutely agree that the last minute is great, it's just a shame the first two are so awful.

DMfan, your earlier post was bang on, they've overproduced the last 5 years of their work, imo. shame they had to roger songs like aboy so badly in the process
 
Axver wrote: I love the piercing note at the start
alright! this note is genius and always remind me on a scenery in the david linch movie "MULHOLLAND DRIVE"
its when the cowboy passes the archway at night and the lightbulb starts jittering. anyone seen the movie?

the last minute of ABOY is pure ROCK AND ROLL :rockon: :rockon: :rockon: 300 octane...benzin...gasoline
 
I still don't get it too what's wrong with ABOY.
When the album came out it was favourite song for a long time. I think the instrumental is one of the best things U2've made in the last years. And the album version is well produced. I like the double vocal, the chorus, the intro and the solo.
 
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