gvox
Ghost of Love
Make it stop
Well, the difference is it became the third most important album of their career instead of a mere comeback album.
Well... damn.
September, streets capsizing
Spilling over, down the drain
Shards of glass, splinters like rain
But you could only feel your own pain
Mostly, ATYCLB lacks a good second half*. BD-IALW stretch (minus Elevation) is arguably their strongest first half after JT but the album never really keeps up the pace. Nor does it stick with the alleged U2 goes pop direction.
*switching from pop to espresso depresso with WILATW/POE really kills the record. And end with something stronger than Grace.
Well, the difference is it became the third most important album of their career instead of a mere comeback album.
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The "second half" and "stronger conclusion" arguments are often ones I use for NLOTH, but I see where you're coming from a little here. I've never been big on POE and songs like New York can even be a bit miss for me, but I do enjoy that album.
If you don't count Boy or War or The Unforgettable Fire or Rattle and Hum...
I think you could reasonably debate it being their 7th most important album. But really, it was just the beginning of the 3rd decade.
The Panther said:I'd go with Niceman on this. War and The Unforgettable Fire (and probably Boy, for the obvious reason) are all WAY more important than All That You Can Type and Then It's Still a Longer Title.
War, in particular, was huge. Really, it's the album that made U2.
The importance of ATYCLB in U2's career profile seemed high in 2001-2002, but not anymore. In fact, I would argue that if U2 retired today, their legacy would rest on everything up to Pop, and the entirety of their last 13 or 14 years would add nothing significant.
Sorry, have to disagree again. "Boy" may have been their first album and from that aspect, important. But it did not catch on and is really only known for one song amongst casual fans. "War" was impactful and perhaps was the album that launched U2 into the U.S. That album is debatable. TUF is one of my personal favorites from U2, but in terms of impact, it simply gave U2 their first Top 40 hit in the U.S. So the song was important, but is the album? R&H hurt U2 more than helped - but that "failure" is what helped create AB. Still, could U2 have done this without some of the trappings of R&H? From interviews, it seems U2 were looking for a shift regardless of how welll R&H did (and the album sold very well).
ATYCLB may not be a masterpiece, but it gave new life to a band some were thinking had run out of ideas and hits. Its success allowed U2 to continue for a third decade! In terms of impact, I would say this trumps most of the albums you mentioned. But in terms of quality, I would argue that it ranks below many of the albums you mentioned.
I would argue the second half of NLOTH is near brillant, especially when compared to ATYCLB. Maybe you don't like it, but the atmospheric songs near the end of the album are one of U2's strengths - and they did them brilliantly. In contrast, POE and "Grace" rank along with the sap U2 created then.
Sorry, have to disagree again. "Boy" may have been their first album and from that aspect, important. But it did not catch on and is really only known for one song amongst casual fans. "War" was impactful and perhaps was the album that launched U2 into the U.S. That album is debatable. TUF is one of my personal favorites from U2, but in terms of impact, it simply gave U2 their first Top 40 hit in the U.S. So the song was important, but is the album? R&H hurt U2 more than helped - but that "failure" is what helped create AB. Still, could U2 have done this without some of the trappings of R&H? From interviews, it seems U2 were looking for a shift regardless of how welll R&H did (and the album sold very well).
ATYCLB may not be a masterpiece, but it gave new life to a band some were thinking had run out of ideas and hits. Its success allowed U2 to continue for a third decade! In terms of impact, I would say this trumps most of the albums you mentioned. But in terms of quality, I would argue that it ranks below many of the albums you mentioned.
All That You Can Type and Then It's Still a Longer Title.
Mostly, ATYCLB lacks a good second half*. BD-IALW stretch (minus Elevation) is arguably their strongest first half after JT but the album never really keeps up the pace. Nor does it stick with the alleged U2 goes pop direction.
*switching from pop to espresso depresso with WILATW/POE really kills the record. And end with something stronger than Grace.
Nearly all the success of ATYCLB is owed to Beautiful Day, which will go down as one of, if not the, most perfect single U2's ever had, and for me it's still the best song on the album. Without it, the album likely would have been a flop, at least I wouldn't care nearly as much about it. Could you imagine if Elevation or Stuck had been the lead single? I'd rather not.
Well, I quite like 00s U2, but I still think ATYCLB is not very important to their career. Obviously, you are thinking that the mainstream popularity it helped extend into the 00s is a hugely important matter. Some of us disagree and think that the seminal albums that made the group are more important. Also, bear in mind that later-career albums that had brief huge popularity usually drop off people's radars quickly. I would say that the luster of ATYCLB has already faded to a large extent.The problem with the argument those making the argument that ATYCLB wasn't one of the most important records of U2's career is that they are typically unable to separate the records importance from their own dislike of it, and 00's U2 in general.
Hm. I guess I'm blinded then.that doesn't blind me to seeing ATYCLB's incredible and undeniable importance to their career.
If you don't count Boy or War or The Unforgettable Fire or Rattle and Hum...
I think you could reasonably debate it being their 7th most important album. But really, it was just the beginning of the 3rd decade.
Nearly all the success of ATYCLB is owed to Beautiful Day, which will go down as one of, if not the, most perfect single U2's ever had, and for me it's still the best song on the album. Without it, the album likely would have been a flop, at least I wouldn't care nearly as much about it. Could you imagine if Elevation or Stuck had been the lead single? I'd rather not.
Clearly, you weren't a music fan in 1988-89.the first big flop...
Clearly, you weren't a music fan in 1988-89.
I'd go with Niceman on this. War and The Unforgettable Fire (and probably Boy, for the obvious reason) are all WAY more important than All That You Can Type and Then It's Still a Longer Title.
War, in particular, was huge. Really, it's the album that made U2.
The importance of ATYCLB in U2's career profile seemed high in 2001-2002, but not anymore. In fact, I would argue that if U2 retired today, their legacy would rest on everything up to Pop, and the entirety of their last 13 or 14 years would add nothing significant.
ATYCLB didn't allow U2 to do anything except sell a whole bunch of records in 2000 and 2001. It lost them a vast amount of credibility which they will never get back. And whether one liked POP or not, it was just one album, I hardly think the band was in danger of not being paid attention to again. I understand that their feelings were hurt that Popmart didn't sell out completely and that the US didn't get the album, but the band was never in the dire situation they felt like they were. NEVER believe their own revisionist history.
ATYCLB didn't allow U2 to do anything except sell a whole bunch of records in 2000 and 2001. It lost them a vast amount of credibility which they will never get back. And whether one liked POP or not, it was just one album, I hardly think the band was in danger of not being paid attention to again. I understand that their feelings were hurt that Popmart didn't sell out completely and that the US didn't get the album, but the band was never in the dire situation they felt like they were. NEVER believe their own revisionist history.
Obviously, you are thinking that the mainstream popularity it helped extend into the 00s is a hugely important matter.