Wondering why y'all hate HTDAAB

[corianderstem]

It's okay to take a break from U2 every now and then, you know. There are other bands out there.

 

[phillyfan26]

Liechtenstein

Heartily agree. BIMM is not a true fan.

 

[Rob33]

Re: Liechtenstein

Heartily agree. BIMM is not a true fan.

seriously....BIMM.....

 

[ponkine]

Re: Re: Liechtenstein

Simply:

I hate it because the band overhyped and overrated it to death, because the media overhyped and overrated it, because it's ATYCLB II, because it represents all the aspects I dislike about U2. City Of Blinding Lights is the only one truly great cut. The rest is crap. Songwriting, lyrics, production, mixing, etc. Everything was done to produce a mega hit collection of singles, not an album.

I don't pay attention to all that Bono's moneytalks about every new album, but still can't believe Edge said it's their best work on U2 by U2

 

[Chill Mike D]

I listened to it again yesterday for the first time in maybe a year, and yeah, the production is terrible. The whole "loud" thing is definitely true.

 

[LemonMelon]

I don't see a theme in ATYCLB (and no, it doesn't need to smack the listener upside the head), I'd say there's more of a theme on Pop or Bomb (half or less of the songs, though - nowhere near as tight as JT or AB). The band itself said it was basically 11 singles for the road. I know I saw Edge on MTV Europe at the time: "there's no attempt to even unifly the material with a sound or a theme, it's just 11 great songs". (and we have all heard quotes on the hunt for singles of 00's U2)

I'll give you a spoiler. The theme is "life sucks, but we'll get through it". BD, Stuck, Walk On, In A Little While, Peace On Earth, When I Look At The World, and so on all have this weariness to them that's sprinkled with hope. No other U2 album is so relentlessly hopeful while remaining downbeat. They may not have seen it, but mortality, family, aging...it all creeps in more than any other U2 record before it.

ATYCLB is sonically cohesive but not after song 7 (by which time the "joy/pop album" they were going for is no more either).

When I Look At The World sounds pretty pop to me.

 

[U2girl]

I'll give you a spoiler. The theme is "life sucks, but we'll get through it". BD, Stuck, Walk On, In A Little While, Peace On Earth, When I Look At The World, and so on all have this weariness to them that's sprinkled with hope. No other U2 album is so relentlessly hopeful while remaining downbeat. They may not have seen it, but mortality, family, aging...it all creeps in more than any other U2 record before it.




When I Look At The World sounds pretty pop to me.

I noticed that, thanks for asking.

It is a hopeful record despite the weary topics, I just think that the pop/joy album (not a theme as much as the sound and attitude) they were going for wears out after Wild honey (I can't think of a bigger downer in U2's entire discography than POE and WILATW following Wild Honey - and the rest of the album following the hope in the first 7 songs. It feels like someone basically pulled the plug on all the warmth and hope.)

WILATW is a song where production is misleading. The keyboards make you think it's pop (certainly not the lyrics), but the guitars suggest otherwise.

 

[achtung_girl]

Re: Re: Re: Liechtenstein

Simply:

I hate it because the band overhyped and overrated it to death, because the media overhyped and overrated it, because it's ATYCLB II, because it represents all the aspects I dislike about U2. City Of Blinding Lights is the only one truly great cut. The rest is crap. Songwriting, lyrics, production, mixing, etc. Everything was done to produce a mega hit collection of singles, not an album.

I don't pay attention to all that Bono's moneytalks about every new album, but still can't believe Edge said it's their best work on U2 by U2

I don't think HTDAAB is ALTYCLB II at all! IMO it's quite the oppsite! And I too think you're mixing up a thing. I mean look at that 18 singles thing...that's a collection of mega hits. It rarely contains the HTDAAB singles, does it? So you can call ATYCLB a 'mega hit collection of singles' .
And what edge means is that HTDAAB is their best work concerning the collection of songs on an album, they all fit perfectly together etc. And I think that's the thing about making an album

 

[lov12113]

Okay, I rarely post on interference anymore, but I have to post here because I have to stand up for one of the better U2 albums ever made.

HTDAAB is similar to ATYCLB, only HTDAAB has good to great songs all the way through the album, whereas ATYCLB had good to great songs on the first half of the album.

Vertigo has little lyrical depth. It was chosen as the first single because songs with a lot of rockin' and little lyrical depth get played on the radio (in the USA) and songs with lyrics that actually make you think don't. Period. (exception: Beautiful Day from ATYCLB)

However, where HTDAAB really shines is COBL, OOTS, SYCMIOYO, Crumbs, and yes...I will say it: ABOY. Yes ABOY has good lyrics. I just don't understand why people dislike lyrics such as "everything was ugly but your beautiful face"...."I'm not broke but you can see the cracks." In this song, Bono is largely talking about himself and God (oh, heaven forbid I mention God....)

HTDAAB has better singing from Bono than any album since Achtung Baby (voice in better form), and I would say that at least 7 songs on the album are good or even great.

HTDAAB does have a bit of "we're sounding like ourselves." But so did ATYCLB...the only difference being that fans wanted that with ATYCLB because people were tired of the experimental stuff of the 90s. Now people are tired of U2 sounding like old U2 and want more experimental stuff.

IMO, HTDAAB is U2's fourth best album, behind the 2 masterpieces (JT and AB), and ATYCLB. Certainly, HTDAAB is on the same level of excellence as War and UF.

Bomb bashers just refuse to realize that even though Bomb doesn't have a whole unified theme, it is still a collection of some great songs....and more great songs on one album than many other U2 albums. I mean seriously: can you say that UF, War, or even ATYCLB have as many good songs all on one album.

I don't freakin' think so!

 

[susanp6]

I don't hate it, i love it! Well there is one crap song on there

 

[derrick_rossign]

i was a htdaab hater until just the other day, when i listed my top ten u2 songs, and realized that OOTS and LAPOE were both on there, and that led to a greater appreciation of the album for me.

 

[ahittle]

I don't hate it, but it feels like a holding pattern. Somewhere they had plans to put out a rock album, and Edge got his riffs ready, but they lost that spark and the result is a little schizophrenic - and not in a good way.

What they ended up with was "good enough" and it never really transcends the sum of its parts. I think ATYCLB is a lovely album that put them back on top - they should have pushed a little harder on Bomb. I still listen to it and love a few tracks, but something doesn't add up.

 

[ahittle]

HTDAAB is similar to ATYCLB, only HTDAAB has good to great songs all the way through the album, whereas ATYCLB had good to great songs on the first half of the album.

IMO, HTDAAB is U2's fourth best album, behind the 2 masterpieces (JT and AB), and ATYCLB.

That's interesting - what bumps ATYCLB ahead of HTDAAB for you then?

 

[popacrobat]

Okay, I rarely post on interference anymore, but I have to post here because I have to stand up for one of the better U2 albums ever made.

HTDAAB is similar to ATYCLB, only HTDAAB has good to great songs all the way through the album, whereas ATYCLB had good to great songs on the first half of the album.

Vertigo has little lyrical depth. It was chosen as the first single because songs with a lot of rockin' and little lyrical depth get played on the radio (in the USA) and songs with lyrics that actually make you think don't. Period. (exception: Beautiful Day from ATYCLB)

However, where HTDAAB really shines is COBL, OOTS, SYCMIOYO, Crumbs, and yes...I will say it: ABOY. Yes ABOY has good lyrics. I just don't understand why people dislike lyrics such as "everything was ugly but your beautiful face"...."I'm not broke but you can see the cracks." In this song, Bono is largely talking about himself and God (oh, heaven forbid I mention God....)

HTDAAB has better singing from Bono than any album since Achtung Baby (voice in better form), and I would say that at least 7 songs on the album are good or even great.

HTDAAB does have a bit of "we're sounding like ourselves." But so did ATYCLB...the only difference being that fans wanted that with ATYCLB because people were tired of the experimental stuff of the 90s. Now people are tired of U2 sounding like old U2 and want more experimental stuff.

IMO, HTDAAB is U2's fourth best album, behind the 2 masterpieces (JT and AB), and ATYCLB. Certainly, HTDAAB is on the same level of excellence as War and UF.

Bomb bashers just refuse to realize that even though Bomb doesn't have a whole unified theme, it is still a collection of some great songs....and more great songs on one album than many other U2 albums. I mean seriously: can you say that UF, War, or even ATYCLB have as many good songs all on one album.

I don't freakin' think so!

I agree with pretty much everything you've said, though I think I like the album more than ATYCLB even though I do love both.

 

[Trinity3000]

I don't hate it, and All Because of You is great.

 

[namkcuR]

I just think HTDAAB is stale, and I think, like others have said, that it tries too hard to be a 'hit'.

The following, imo, would have been a much better record:

1.Love And Peace Or Else
2.Xanax And Wine
3.Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
4.Yahweh(like the live acoustic versions)
5.Crumbs From Your Table(HQ DVD stripped down version)
6.Electrical Storm(any version you like, I use the early bbc version with that incredible riff in the chorus)
7.Native Son
8.Love You Like Mad
9.A Man And A Woman
10.Original Of The Species(like the EARLY live versions, just keyboard, no guitar, easily the best versions)
11.The Hands That Built America
12.Smile

Because:

Native Son > Vertigo
Electrical Storm 1000000X any rocker on HTDAAB
The Hands That Built America 1000000X any ballad on HTDAAB
Xanax And Wine > Fast Cars
Smile > One Step Closer

 

[bonocomet]

That's ^ a pretty good record you made, and I agree, Smile is outstanding and I wish it was on there too, but OSC is hugely important to the record. It should be on there too. Just my opinion

 

[djerdap]

I like the album. Yes, it isn't their best - far from it actually - and it does leave now kind of a bad taste in my mouth since it did seem at the beginning that it was an amazing record (the "New Album Enthusiasm Syndrome" coupled with its accessible, radio-friendly feel). It is full of cheesy lyrics and lousy production. But, the Sometimes-Love and Peace-City of Blinding Lights trio is still amazing IMHO. Some songs do have greater potential (Miracle Drug, Crumbs) that are ruined mostly because of the production.

 

[Popmartijn]

Bomb bashers just refuse to realize that even though Bomb doesn't have a whole unified theme, it is still a collection of some great songs....and more great songs on one album than many other U2 albums. I mean seriously: can you say that UF, War, or even ATYCLB have as many good songs all on one album.

I don't freakin' think so!

Yes, HTDAAB does have many great songs (and I'm with you on ABOY). However, as some have already pointed out, the sound/production/mastering on the album is horrible! Combined with the lack of a unified theme makes it now one of their lesser albums, in my eyes.
In that sense I don' t care if TUF or ATYCLB have as many good songs on the album or not. On those albums the whole is bigger than the sum of their parts.

(I indeed realised lately that the second half of ATYCLB doesn't hold a candle to the first half, but as an album it still works excellent for me)

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

It's okay to take a break from U2 every now and then, you know. There are other bands out there.

Don't give away my secret. It's hard enough to get Wilco tickets these days as it is. Once the rest of the world discovers the amazingness of Nels Cline, I'm done for.

I often put U2 on the shelf for awhile. This isn't the first time I've not it, nor is this even the longest break I've taken from them (I went about two years without listening to them regularly awhile back). I always come back, though, and I have no doubt I'll appreciate them even more after the time apart.