Why no love for ATYCLB?

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partygirlvox said:


I think im the only person who prefers ATYCLB to achtung baby..:reject:
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Actually, I may almost agree with you there. ATYCLB and AB really aren't far off from each other in terms of quality. AB is a mammoth album, an album that's such a big deal that it becomes almost cumbersome. It's whole "melancholy" thing actually becomes a bit dull after Mysterious Ways.

ATYCLB is indeed a "cute" record. It has lots of pleasing gems, and some very strong moments. The singles mean well, but are just not top notch at all.

The comparison is actually quite plausible. Both albums are overrated by critics, and both have wonky production that sounds like classic U2, but really hampers the songs...

:confused: I guess I like AB better, since a large chunk of it is classic, while a large chunk of ATYCLB is merely pleasing. Both are very good records, but it's hard to see that through the hype.
 
Justin24 said:
Why do you like AB so much?
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Why do I like AB so much?

Because it's a classic. Yeah, it's not as perfect as some would make you think, but it has many great songs, and it spawned U2's greatest tour. I respect it very much. :)
 
Ok. Well in ATYCLB one of my Fav. songs is Stuck in a Moment. AB is really good also. I love The Fly, Ultra Violet and One.
 
LemonMelon said:


Actually, I may almost agree with you there. ATYCLB and AB really aren't far off from each other in terms of quality. AB is a mammoth album, an album that's such a big deal that it becomes almost cumbersome. It's whole "melancholy" thing actually becomes a bit dull after Mysterious Ways.

ATYCLB is indeed a "cute" record. It has lots of pleasing gems, and some very strong moments. The singles mean well, but are just not top notch at all.

The comparison is actually quite plausible. Both albums are overrated by critics, and both have wonky production that sounds like classic U2, but really hampers the songs...

:confused: I guess I like AB better, since a large chunk of it is classic, while a large chunk of ATYCLB is merely pleasing. Both are very good records, but it's hard to see that through the hype.
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I agree with you there- i love both albums on a similar leve, only i think i prefer ATYCLB mainly because a. walk on is one of my favourite songs ever and b. i think some of achtung baby is too melancholy like you said, and that can get quite boring when you are listening to it straight through.
 
Justin24 said:
Ok. Well in ATYCLB one of my Fav. songs is Stuck in a Moment. AB is really good also. I love The Fly, Ultra Violet and One.
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ATYCLB has Kite, Wild Honey, and New York, three of U2's nicest gems. I know people hate New York and Wild Honey, but I really don't care. I think they're great. :drool:

But please, please don't hate Zooropa. :huh:
 
ATYCLB probably is my third favourite U2 album (after Unforgettable Fire and Zooropa)

it never ceases to amaze how perfect this album sounds to me
always get the feeling that everything is completely in synch
and I agree that it is uplifting

it also is the album I probably still listen to most often after October
 
The title track to Zooropa is a work of art.

And Justin, given your tastes, I'm surprised you don't like Stay and The First Time.

partygirlvox said:


I think im the only person who prefers ATYCLB to achtung baby..:reject:
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Heh, even I, the guy known for disliking Achtung, think that Achtung owns ATYCLB.
 
It's an album that works very well as a whole, which can't be said for the Bomb. I'd listen to it straight through before I would HTDAAB. However, it does have Grace, perhaps my least favorite U2 song of all time.
 
Mainly, the reason why the album doesn't garner enough respect is that it doesn't have much live material. With thier last album, there were a bunch of songs that were made better live. Outside of Kite, Elevation, Beautful Day, Walk On and In A Little While; there were no songs that worked live. For better or worse, U2 is a live band and the albums are usually judged by what they do on tour. I love the album but the Boston DVD and setlist just didn't satisfy alot of people. So the album sometimes gets a bad wrap because of the tour that followed. I loved the album but the sad truth is that for many people that album and tour lacked something.
Maybe a dance beat and giant yellow arc?
 
Screwtape2 said:
Outside of Kite, Elevation, Beautful Day, Walk On and In A Little While; there were no songs that worked live.
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uhh...that's like half the album dude

and I loved Stuck live, especially the Vertigo versions. and New York, holy shit, New York was incredible live, one of the highlights of Elevation tour for me.
 
ATYCLB is a terrific album. It's got a special place in my heart, and I just reckon its awesome. Beautiful Day I've heard a thousand times but I still think its great. Stuck has great lyrics which I can relate to and a very good falsetto by Edge at the end. Elevation is just a laid-back rock song, therefore the lyrics don't have to be good. It's meant to be a fun rock song, not a deep love song or something. Walk On has a good melody, great guitar. Kite is fantastic, one of the album's 3 10/10's for me. The others are WILATW and TGBHF. Wild Honey is another good fun song, In a Little While has a sweeeet bridge, New York has a top chorus, Grace is ok.
 
at the time when ATYCLB was released i was on vacation on the canary islands and did a lot hikes on the islands of la palma + gran canaria. at that time i really liked the album especially IALW. i remember sitting on the edge of the big caldera (la palma). it was early in the morning (ca. 2200m above sea-level). and i had that beautiful view over the clouds to the island of tenerife (80kms away) with the peak of mt. teide breakin' through the clouds... breathtaking moment that was, that view and IALW on my headphone that was perfect. circa 3 months later i got bored more and more of ATYCLB. i still like BD, IALW + GRACE, but for the rest i don't care. my theory is that ATYCLB + HTDAAB mainly receive good critics by the newer fans, but that more of the older fans are not that impressed by their post 2000 output.
lapa_7.jpg

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I don't think the lyrics to Elevation are bad
there is some meaning there

the rhyming and delivery does show some goofiness which suite the songs overall fun feel
that's why it's such an incredible fun live song!


when the album was released I never thought I'd ever defend this song, but there you go :D (not that I would go out of my way to hear th esong now, but I wouldn't skip it either anymore)
 
Beautiful Day is one of the best songs ever recorded in my opinion, so ATYCLB gets off to a perfect start.
Elevation would have been a better second track, to keep the momentum going, but STuck in a moment is still a great song, one of U2's strongest technichally, not one of my favourites but still an amzing track that strikes right at the heartstrings.
Elevation is good also, but the single version, complete with the radiohead's creep type guitar solo is far better. The lyrics are a bit crap by Bono's standards, the "mole digging in a hole" line grates with all of my non-U2 fan friends, but other than that I like the track.
Walk on on the other hand is one of my least favourites. To me it sounds dull, textbook U2 with a bit of early 90's simple minds thrown in. I know a lot of you love it but it sends me to sleep. Good video though.
Kite is wonderful, so moving and a classic U2 track in all the best ways, in terms of feeling and emotion, but sonically taking the band to another place.
In a little while is one of my favourite U2 songs. I could listen to the last few "slow down my beating hearts" forever, achingly beautiful. Its a tad annoying when he sings it in that american accent live though "shirley you'll be mine", dreadful :))))
I can understand why a lot of peole dislike Wild Honey, but to me its fine, it doesnt have any great meaning and it doesn't make my soul sing, but its still great to listen to on a summers day to take your cares a way and take you away to that other place.
I used to hate Peace on Earth, i found it over sentimental and sickly sweet, especially when he names a few of the Omagh victims names. However now i like it a lot. The music and melodys are simple but fabulously arranged, and in fact now doesnt seem sentimental but actually quite subtle. Definately a grower:)
It also took me ages to warm to WILATW, it seemd like a poor mans acrobat, but again it has grown on me. Edge is on fire on this one, fantastic stuff.
New York was always one of my faves and should have been a single.
Grace is a fine tune but doesn't do it for me as an album closer, however its subtle, understated and is reminiscent of the unforgettable fire album. However as I live in the Uk
 
.....I dont consider it an album closer!!! We were lucky enough to get the Ground Beneath Her Feet as the album closer! Its not billed as a special track, so to me it will always be the 12th and most important song on the album, other than Beautiful Day.
TGBHF is absolutely majestic, its one of the best pieces of music has ever produced. Everything about it is perfect IMO, haunting, heart string tugging, aching, melancholy but uplifting. This song sums up everything i love about U2.
ATYCLB is by no means my favourite U2 album, it only comes about 7th, but i still fucking love it!
 
a perfect ATYCLB - for me - would be:

1. Beautiful Day (David Holmes mix) - just the intro to the original version makes me want to stop listening to the song...:barf:

2. Elevation (album version) - it should be a 2nd track and it has some interesting sounds in the background... a "fun" song :up:

3. Levitate - would be perfect after Elevation :) and it has really cool drum solo, something unique in U2 songs

4. Walk On (album version) - I like the single version alittle bit more, but the beginning of the album version works better with ending of Levitate + it has the title of the album

5. Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of (acoustic version) - much better than the album version IMO, and a good place for the album to 'slow down'

6. Kite - a good song, but with me as a producer:wink: it would be without those backwards playing strings, that's the only thing I don't like in the song

7. Stateless - a really really great song, way to good to be only on the MDH soundtrack... and it works good after Kite IMO

8. Peace On Earth

9. Summer Rain - again, a great song, or at least a good one, better than Wild Honey that ended on the album IMO, and the 'growing old' theme works good with the next song...

10. New York - good song, should be a single, I think it even was going to be a single with the remixes we got on Electrical Storm single + it was played on those TV/radio shows...

11. When I Look At The World
12. The Ground Beneath Her Feet - now this would be the new Exit/Mothers Of The Disappeared, Acrobat/Love Is Blindness, Please/Wake Up Dead Man kind of ending to the album :up:

...and you have Wild Honey, In A Little While and Grace as not that bad b-sides, but for me just that -> b-sides, not album worthy songs...
 
For those who think that the second half of the album is weak, how about a combination of ATYCLB & HTDAAB?

1. City Of Blinding Lights (Chicago DVD Version)
2. Elevation (Tomb Raider Version)
3. Vertigo
4. Beautiful Day
5. All Because Of You (Single Version)
6. Walk On (Single Version w/ Hallelujahs)
7. Original Of Species (Single Version)
8. Sweetest Thing
9. A Man And A Woman
10. Stuck In A Moment (Acoustic Version)
11. Falling At Your Feet
12. Yahweh
 
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