Zane Lowe may have been joking but...

[Dalton]

Well, it's no secret that Amnesiac is basically leftovers from the KID A sessions that never found a home. It's not a very cohesive album, but I find something to love in every track. FAvorites of mine are

Pyramid song - I think this is one of Yorke's most touching piano ballads

I might be Wrong - Johnny's guitar work is just stunning here, and Thom's vocals are gorgeous

You and Whose Army - Again, a vocal mastpiece

Like Spinning Plates - supposedly the music for "I WIll" from HTTT played backwards. The live verison with just Thom on piano is killer.

Life in a Glass House - I dunno. It's one of my favorite Radiohead songs alltogether. "Well of course I'd like to sit around and chat. Well of course I'd like to sit and chew the fat. Well of course I'd like to sit around and chat. Only, only only only. Only only only only! there's someone list-en-ing."

I'm sorry I've got my head so deep in trying to plan U2's concert setlist I was talking out of my ass. I meant Hail to the Theif is terrible. I really like Amnesiac.

 

[Lancemc]

Oh wow, well hell, i totally agree with you them. I HATE Hail to the Theif. haha, oh well.

 

[Dalton]

Oh wow, well hell, i totally agree with you them. I HATE Hail to the Theif. haha, oh well.

lol yeah, i've spent the last few hours working on a setlist for the new concert and then my thread gets moved and I realized there is already 6 pages of peoples thoughts.

Mondays......

 

[rjhbonovox]

Kid A was great but Amnesiac a big disapointment especially as they were saying it was the proper follow up to OK Computer. Hail to the thief was good but patchy, the 2nd half of the album was a bit weak.

 

[Matthew_Page2000]

Oh wow, well hell, i totally agree with you them. I HATE Hail to the Theif. haha, oh well.

Interesting. I've never heard another Radiohead fan criticize anything the band does. I love 'em but their fans (at least the ones I meet online) are a bit creepy. A little too worshipful if you will.
Harsh criticism from these guys runs along these lines:
"Of course, Ok Computer was the greatest popular album of all time but it's a little too mainstream for my taste. Kid A and Amnesiac are the greatest albums of all time, ever. Oh, and everything ever recorded by anyone other than Radiohead sucks ass. Especially if it's U2."
Like I said, a little creepy. That's one of the things I really like about the U2 online community. They're willing to think about U2 in a critical and thoughful way.

Of course, it's possible to over do it. Hello Jick and rjhbonovox. A little criticism goes a long way. Endlessly rehashing the same points just gets irritating.

 

[rjhbonovox]

Of course, it's possible to over do it. Hello Jick and rjhbonovox. A little criticism goes a long way. Endlessly rehashing the same points just gets irritating.

Hey careful there m8, I just gotta get my views across. Anyway have to agree with you about Radiohead fans. I love their music but their fans can get a bit weird. I sometimes log on to ateaseweb.com and they slag everything except Radiohead, mainly U2 and especially Bono he gets hellish stick. I noticed a thread the other day and it was actually praising the Band Aid 20 song. Now regardless whether this is a good or bad song, I think its crap myself, Radiohead fans were saying it was great and why was this. Cos Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood were on it and Nigel Goodrich producing, now if that isn't blind worship I don't know what is.

 

[Matthew_Page2000]

I noticed a thread the other day and it was actually praising the Band Aid 20 song. Now regardless whether this is a good or bad song, I think its crap myself, Radiohead fans were saying it was great and why was this. Cos Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood were on it and Nigel Goodrich producing, now if that isn't blind worship I don't know what is.

See that is exactly what I was talking about. Creepy stuff. They actually LIKE the new Band Aid song?? Just because Radiohead were involved. Yikes.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

LOL at the new Band Aid song...

 

[Dalton]

lol

insert Band Aid and Bleeding Ears joke here.

p.s. one more hour till I go buy the real thing. Come on Midnight.

 

[jick]

Bono wasn't being sarcastic when he mentioned Bon Jovi. He meant what he meant. Bon Jovi are perhaps the only contemporaries of U2 who still remain relevant. They still make great hits, have been together for the longest time, and have still maintained some margin of commercial success (whereas other bands compared to U2 like R.E.M, Rolling Stones, Depeche Mode are still around but have zero commercial relevance these days).

It is a tribute and the greatest compliment to HTDAAB to say that aside from LAPOE, all of the songs are singles. Contrast this to say the POP album, where Staring At The Sun was the only legitimate single and the rest of them were fillers. The ultimate goal would be to make an album with all singles, and no fillers. Sadly, I have to agree with you that LAPOE is a filler song. They should have replaced with with Are You Gonna Wait Forever which had a better hook and was more sing-a-long. LAPOE is also one of their weaker songs thanks to the chorus of "where is the love" which seems to be borrowed from The Black-Eyed Peas and Hanson.

Clayton has mentioned that the goal was to make an album full of hits (see Time magazine article). Even McGuiness mentioned that he wants the album to be #1 in 32 countries, while Bono talked about Vertigo being #1 during the UK Hall Of Fame thing. The goal is commercial success because that is how you get your songs noticed. And when your songs get noticed, you are able to get your message across a broader spectrum. U2's message is usually about God, and what better way to spread the good news of God than to make an album that will sell gazilions of copies to reach a wider audience. And the only way to do that is to make an album full of singles.

With regards to the falsetto in SYCMIOYO, it sure reminds me of the BeeGees more than Bon Jovi. Bon Jovi doesn't make any falsettos. But whenever Bono sings higher notes at the top of his lungs in this album, and some raspiness of his aging voice shows - then you hear the Bon Jovi influence there. The falsetto of SYCMIOYO has both Bono and Edge singing, as compared to other U2 falsettos in the past where it is only one of them. Having two falsettos in unison is clearly a salute to the BeeGees.

Cheers,

J

 

[Aardvark747]

Bono wasn't being sarcastic when he mentioned Bon Jovi. He meant what he meant. Bon Jovi are perhaps the only contemporaries of U2 who still remain relevant. They still make great hits.

I'd dispute that - whole-heartedly. Bon Jovi havent made a good record since 'These Days'...and not a decent single since 'Always', which I think was almost 10 years ago now. That's pretty bad. Churning out the same tat every year, as it seem to be at the moment, has become very boring. (See - 'Crush'/'This Left Feels Right'/'Bounce'/'One Wild Night' and, the new, absurdily titled, '100 Million Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong')
I would never, EVER put them into the same category as U2, by calling them contemporaries. They have done exactly what U2 havent - "Becoming crap like everything else".

And who cares about the falsetto being a salute to the Bee-Gees....what the hells wrong with the Bee-Gees?!

 

[U2_Guy]

Look i wasn't talking to you I was directing that at Dalton because he is always having a go at me but seen as though you answered my question thats ok. The thing is with U2 they have let me down on this album and the last album. They have returned to the 80's sound the Edge seems to have forgotten what he discovered in the 90's with his guitar and the beautiful sounds he was making in the 90's. Now it seems to be all echo and chiming again. I remember what Bono used to say in the 90's "there is no reverse gear in this band" meaning they are always trying to do different music and exploring new sounds, but it seems they have run out of ideas. I love U2 their music means so much to me but even I can see that now they are sounding to much like they did in the 80's. I am a very disillusioned fan that expects more from the greatest rock band this planet has ever seen.

Also to answer your other question I like Jimi Hendrix, Radiohead, Coldplay, used to love Prince when he picked up the guitar thats for sure, even have albums from Journey, Boston and all that AOR stuff, yeah not a very good taste in music eh.

Oh yeah been to see U2 5 times live first time was back in 1987 at Elland Road Football Ground, Leeds.

Mate, i feel exactly the way you feel. I totally understand and share your thoughts.

You are not alone, believe me!

 

[rjhbonovox]

Bono wasn't being sarcastic when he mentioned Bon Jovi. He meant what he meant. Bon Jovi are perhaps the only contemporaries of U2 who still remain relevant. They still make great hits, have been together for the longest time, and have still maintained some margin of commercial success (whereas other bands compared to U2 like R.E.M, Rolling Stones, Depeche Mode are still around but have zero commercial relevance these days).

It is a tribute and the greatest compliment to HTDAAB to say that aside from LAPOE, all of the songs are singles. Contrast this to say the POP album, where Staring At The Sun was the only legitimate single and the rest of them were fillers. The ultimate goal would be to make an album with all singles, and no fillers. Sadly, I have to agree with you that LAPOE is a filler song. They should have replaced with with Are You Gonna Wait Forever which had a better hook and was more sing-a-long. LAPOE is also one of their weaker songs thanks to the chorus of "where is the love" which seems to be borrowed from The Black-Eyed Peas and Hanson.

Clayton has mentioned that the goal was to make an album full of hits (see Time magazine article). Even McGuiness mentioned that he wants the album to be #1 in 32 countries, while Bono talked about Vertigo being #1 during the UK Hall Of Fame thing. The goal is commercial success because that is how you get your songs noticed. And when your songs get noticed, you are able to get your message across a broader spectrum. U2's message is usually about God, and what better way to spread the good news of God than to make an album that will sell gazilions of copies to reach a wider audience. And the only way to do that is to make an album full of singles.

With regards to the falsetto in SYCMIOYO, it sure reminds me of the BeeGees more than Bon Jovi. Bon Jovi doesn't make any falsettos. But whenever Bono sings higher notes at the top of his lungs in this album, and some raspiness of his aging voice shows - then you hear the Bon Jovi influence there. The falsetto of SYCMIOYO has both Bono and Edge singing, as compared to other U2 falsettos in the past where it is only one of them. Having two falsettos in unison is clearly a salute to the BeeGees.

Cheers,

J

Putting out an album that is full of singles is great if your Michael Fuc#head Jackson but I expect more from U2. Your obviously a "fan" of radio friendly music and to call most of Pop fillers shows exactly the type of music you like. The new album should have been called "How to dismantle some 80's tunes....and sell loads in America". And who in the hell wants U2 to sound like The Bee Gees, nothing against The Bee Gees but are U2 a pop music band now, Jesus I thought they were a Rock band.

 

[jick]

Putting out an album that is full of singles is great if your Michael Fuc#head Jackson but I expect more from U2. Your obviously a "fan" of radio friendly music and to call most of Pop fillers shows exactly the type of music you like. The new album should have been called "How to dismantle some 80's tunes....and sell loads in America". And who in the hell wants U2 to sound like The Bee Gees, nothing against The Bee Gees but are U2 a pop music band now, Jesus I thought they were a Rock band.

They have always been a pop music band and commercial gain has always been their primary ambition. U2 never hid under the closet like Radiohead. U2 have always made music for the widest audience possible.

Cheers,

J

 

[Aardvark747]

They have always been a pop music band and commercial gain has always been their primary ambition. U2 never hid under the closet like Radiohead. U2 have always made music for the widest audience possible.

Dont full agree there Jick. U2, and Bono especially will be the first to tell you that they're a Rock band...not a Pop band. They may have experimented with softer, 'Poppy' sounds, (mainly on the last record) but, when all's said and done, they are a rock band.
And yeah, they do always try to release the singles that are gonna appeal to the masses, and maybe to a newer audience too, but there's nothing wrong with that. That's just good business sense.
As for Radiohead, their last couple of albums should certainly be hidden under some closet or other!

 

[jick]

Dont full agree there Jick. U2, and Bono especially will be the first to tell you that they're a Rock band...not a Pop band. They may have experimented with softer, 'Poppy' sounds, (mainly on the last record) but, when all's said and done, they are a rock band.
And yeah, they do always try to release the singles that are gonna appeal to the masses, and maybe to a newer audience too, but there's nothing wrong with that. That's just good business sense.
As for Radiohead, their last couple of albums should certainly be hidden under some closet or other!

appeal to the masses = popular = POPular = pop

Ok, so U2 are a rock band that makes pop music. No big deal really. It's just that some people here are under the utterly false impression that U2 are a band that makes music merely for snob appeal and artistic selfishness. Well, U2 aren't. They are a band for the masses. They crave MTV airplay and radioplay. They crave being #1 in 34 countries. They aren't like Radiohead or Pearl Jam who would rather hide under the closet. Sometimes people fail to see U2 as the rock band that plays pop music.

Cheers,

J

 

[Dr_Macphisto]

I am confused... so why does having a chorus make a song bad? That's the thing people will remember of a song, right?

 

[Dalton]

Putting out an album that is full of singles is great if your Michael Fuc#head Jackson but I expect more from U2. Your obviously a "fan" of radio friendly music and to call most of Pop fillers shows exactly the type of music you like. The new album should have been called "How to dismantle some 80's tunes....and sell loads in America". And who in the hell wants U2 to sound like The Bee Gees, nothing against The Bee Gees but are U2 a pop music band now, Jesus I thought they were a Rock band.

Of all the retarded things you have wrote this is the most retarded.

You would rather the band add more filler songs to the album instead of working a song until its completion? That is idiotic. It is also idiotic for your argument because POP is as much of an album of "singles" as this album.


If this album should be called "How to Dismantle some 80's Tunes" (which it doesn't sound like by the way, but is a funny title) then Pop should be called Jumping on the Electronic Bandwagon that we are sure is to come".

Please.

 

[rjhbonovox]

I don't care what anyone says on this site or any other site....U2 have changed their outlook on music since 2000 ATYCLB. If anyone watched U2 a year in pop in 1997 then you will see what I mean. On there Bono is saying how Passengers got Larry out the left side of his brain, another indication that they always want to try and sound differently, Edge saying we want to get away from that U2 sound of the 80's. On Radio 1 a week or two back Jo Whiley asked Bono she had heard that they weren't happy with the 90's stuff in which he replied the same crap about Pop being unfinished and then saying "we got to arty for the americans". Well what does this mean? I think it means that U2 are now making music that they know will make them popular again as the last album started to do. They are sacrificing thier music beliefs for commercial gain and adoration from the millions. I applaud Radiohead for what they are doing, cos they still have the attitude that U2 had in the 90's, and that is "this is music we want to make, we like it and we believe in it". In fact Bono also said when interviewed 12 years ago for Zoo Tv, when asked why they weren't playing all the old stuff instead starting with 7 tracks offf Achtung Baby he replied "Were in to it, the REAL U2 fans will be in to it, if we lose a few pop kids on the way so what, we don't need them", and if thats not changing your music beliefs then I don't know what is!

 

[Dalton]

I don't care what anyone says on this site or any other site....U2 have changed their outlook on music since 2000 ATYCLB. If anyone watched U2 a year in pop in 1997 then you will see what I mean. On there Bono is saying how Passengers got Larry out the left side of his brain, another indication that they always want to try and sound differently, Edge saying we want to get away from that U2 sound of the 80's. On Radio 1 a week or two back Jo Whiley asked Bono she had heard that they weren't happy with the 90's stuff in which he replied the same crap about Pop being unfinished and then saying "we got to arty for the americans". Well what does this mean? I think it means that U2 are now making music that they know will make them popular again as the last album started to do. They are sacrificing thier music beliefs for commercial gain and adoration from the millions. I applaud Radiohead for what they are doing, cos they still have the attitude that U2 had in the 90's, and that is "this is music we want to make, we like it and we believe in it". In fact Bono also said when interviewed 12 years ago for Zoo Tv, when asked why they weren't playing all the old stuff instead starting with 7 tracks offf Achtung Baby he replied "Were in to it, the REAL U2 fans will be in to it, if we lose a few pop kids on the way so what, we don't need them", and if thats not changing your music beliefs then I don't know what is!

Again this is absurd. I have changed my tune several times through the course of my life. I would say one thing - live with it for a few years and move onto something else. I went through a phase where I just didn't like beer anymore. Now I am back to loving beer. I didn't lie. I just said what I was thinking in the moment.

At the end of the 80's Larry said he never wanted to play the JT songs again cause he felt like a juke box. Now he enjoys playin them again. Does that make him a liar? No it makes him human.

AGAIN to say that something is not ART if it is not NEW is absurd and shows a complete lack of understanding not only in music, but in art in general. Are Milton's sonnets not amazing because they had been done before? Of course not. He mastered the art and put his own spin on them and they are amazing. Are Michalangelo's sculptures not amazing because they had been done before? Of course not!!

Are U2's last two albums not art because they have a passing resemblence to the 80's? Of course not. These last two albums have been textbooks on the art of writing songs (although I am not a huge fan of ATYCLB). They are brilliant. In structure, composure, and restraint. The whole band has put together a string of songs to the level that only the Beatles and Van Morrison have done before. If you can't see the Art in that you are crazy.

 

[rjhbonovox]

Again this is absurd. I have changed my tune several times through the course of my life. I would say one thing - live with it for a few years and move onto something else. I went through a phase where I just didn't like beer anymore. Now I am back to loving beer. I didn't lie. I just said what I was thinking in the moment.

At the end of the 80's Larry said he never wanted to play the JT songs again cause he felt like a juke box. Now he enjoys playin them again. Does that make him a liar? No it makes him human.

Hey everything I say is absurd, but if Larry was bored at the end of the 80's and now they want to play the 80's stuff again thats fine, but couldn't the fans have had a new album and not a regurgatated 80's best of.

 

[Dalton]

Hey everything I say is absurd, but if Larry was bored at the end of the 80's and now they want to play the 80's stuff again thats fine, but couldn't the fans have had a new album and not a regurgatated 80's best of.

Oh how I hope you are a windup artist. If not you are a liar, and liars make baby jesus cry.

 

[rjhbonovox]

Heheh a bit of both. No I am not saying the albums crap, i think its probably the best album this year, although they aint got much opposition. I just wanted something a little different. Oh well you can't always get what you want...as the Stones once sang.

 

[Matthew_Page2000]

The nice thing about Interference is that it allows me to understand just how unique I really am. I'm the only man on earth who loves Pop and How to dismantle and Atomic Bomb. The only man on earth who loves UF AND Zooropa. The only man on earth who loves One and Beautiful Day.

It's not as though I'll swallow anything that U2 dishes to me. There are some U2 songs I'm not at all fond of but on the whole I've enjoyed most of their musical journeys.
I'm just weird that way I guess.

 

[Lancemc]

The nice thing about Interference is that it allows me to understand just how unique I really am. I'm the only man on earth who loves Pop and How to dismantle and Atomic Bomb. The only man on earth who loves UF AND Zooropa. The only man on earth who loves One and Beautiful Day.

It's not as though I'll swallow anything that U2 dishes to me. There are some U2 songs I'm not at all fond of but on the whole I've enjoyed most of their musical journeys.
I'm just weird that way I guess.

Dalton, we must be brothers separated at birth, because I agree wtih this 100% all the way. No, you AREN't the only man on earth who loves both One and Beautfiul Day, Pop AND HTDAAB, UF AND Zooropa. and I think we can both agree that we are people willing to accept the way the men in U2 change throughout their lives, and accept their musical vision at the time. If they wanted this album to remind themselves of their JT dyas (which I don't fully agree with) than that's fine, becuase it's still full of excellent songs that I love listening to and think are completely amazing.