Album 13: Arguing/Punning/Meme-ing/Discussion thread

[The Slow Loris]

More like "Songs of Dissent," am I right?

Lol, pretty much this. If Donkey Punch isn't used as a title, perhaps Songs of Appeasement would work well at this point...

 

[digitize]

I'm late to the MoS-love party, but I must add: MoS is my favorite song that U2 made in the 2000s. I also like it better than anything on Pop. And OS1 (it only barely beats out YBR, though). So that would make it my favorite U2 song since Zooropa.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Original Soundtracks is not a U2 album

Sent from my android cause iphones are for old people

 

[powerhour24]

No, that would be White as Snow or Cedars of Lebanon. At least with MOS, you have something resembling a chord progression and melody that you can strum a guitar and sing along to.

Don't go throwing other great works on the album under the bus to puff up MOS, it stands up fine on its own. White as Snow is one of my favorite things U2 has ever done, and Cedars is pretty brilliant as well even if it isn't a singalong or something you can make a fun YouTube cover of (maybe that makes it even better actually).

 

[AtomicLemon]

It wouldn't surprise me if the Super Bowl ad is in conjunction with Apple, though. They were on the brink of having another iTunes ad with Get On Your Boots, but it fell through. Since it worked so well for Vertigo, and Viva la Vida, it wouldn't shock me to see that be the partnership and not Beats' subscription music service.

Winner Winner chicken dinner!

Sent from my VS980 4G using U2 Interference mobile app

 

[powerhour24]

I don't ever remember Apple having a Super Bowl ad in their current era of dominance (say iPod breakthrough on), they don't really need it.

 

[Danny Boy]

Beats Music app is live, FWIW.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/beats-music/id781817640?mt=8

 

[LemonMelon]

Indeed, but an album of songs in the style of Hold Me, Thrill Me.... would be orgasmic. Even though that's nearly 20 years ago....

Yep. Hit the nail on the head. I like U2 the rock band, not U2 the adult-contemporary classics band.

I would drop my fancard in a woodchipper if they ever want back to Venus to rock out.

 

[brooklynmike]

NLOTH always strikes me as trying to throw a bit in for all the eras of fans they've picked up

I felt that way when it came out. Really did sound somewhat like they put Zooropa, AB and Unforgettable Fire in a blender. I loved it and still do.

As a few others have pointed out, it seemed like they were going with atmospheric and then realized we need some hitz.

 

[Montrose]

Why are we talking endlessly about No Line again when Donkey Punch is just around the bend?

Sent from my android cause iphones are for old people

If you can donkey punch around the bend, I salute you.

 

[last unicorn]

I'm afraid not many NLOTH songs will survive to be played on the next tour. I honestly don't see MOS, it had its place as a show closer during 360 but I don't think U2 will keep on playing a 7 minute long song, at least not as a regular, when they have new material to replace it with. In my humble opinion, the NLOTH songs didn't get the live treatment they should have had because some of them worked really well. Boots, love it or hate it, was one of them, also NLOTH, which was dropped to early, and Breathe, yes, Breathe, even though I know many people didn't like it as an opener, I still think it worked quite well. I'm not so sure about the Crazy remix and don't think it will ever be played again. Magnificent was fine, too, I remember the audience being very much into it, it's such a great song, but Bono was struggling a bit with the vocals on that one. Unknown Caller, on the other hand, was awkward with all the karaoke style sing along, I liked it on the album but it didn't do very much for me live. In retrospect I'd say, NLOTH live was a mixed bag. U2 should have tried all of the songs at some point, hell, even SUC should have been played, it screamed for a live rendition.

 

[powerhour24]

Unfortunately there isn't a track I see appearing nightly, which looks bad from their most recent LP but they presented most of the songs in the wrong light given the tour/album dichotomy & botched singles. It'd be nice for NLOTH and Breathe to see the light of day again but unlikely, I could see Boots and MOS and maybe Mag showing up here and there, particularly if we do get more of a variety this time around. Magnificent's live arrangement never matched the potential of the recording in my mind.

 

[powerhour24]

In my humble opinion, the NLOTH songs didn't get the live treatment they should have had because some of them worked really well. Boots, love it or hate it, was one of them.

Very true.

 

[ElectricalVoice]

Lol, pretty much this. If Donkey Punch isn't used as a title, perhaps Songs of Appeasement would work well at this point...

Or:

"Songs of absent"
"Songs are absent"

 

[jeevey]

It is weird seeing/hearing Larry talk.

Sometimes he's absolutely delightful, such as his 2005 love fest with Cat Deeley. Wish we could see that Larry more often.

 

[Aygo]

I'm afraid not many NLOTH songs will survive to be played on the next tour. I honestly don't see MOS, it had its place as a show closer during 360 but I don't think U2 will keep on playing a 7 minute long song, at least not as a regular, when they have new material to replace it with. In my humble opinion, the NLOTH songs didn't get the live treatment they should have had because some of them worked really well. Boots, love it or hate it, was one of them, also NLOTH, which was dropped to early, and Breathe, yes, Breathe, even though I know many people didn't like it as an opener, I still think it worked quite well. I'm not so sure about the Crazy remix and don't think it will ever be played again. Magnificent was fine, too, I remember the audience being very much into it, it's such a great song, but Bono was struggling a bit with the vocals on that one. Unknown Caller, on the other hand, was awkward with all the karaoke style sing along, I liked it on the album but it didn't do very much for me live. In retrospect I'd say, NLOTH live was a mixed bag. U2 should have tried all of the songs at some point, hell, even SUC should have been played, it screamed for a live rendition.

U2 did not even bother playing 4 of NLOTH tracks and half of those they did, they left it in the middle of the tour. There's no way, NLOTH will survive on future tours, besides "Magnificent" and eventually "Boots" or "Breathe".

 

[YBORCITY]

^ I think this is true - by hearing all of the early versions of the songs and clips from the studio - it was a huge let down when finally getting the album. I think what disappointed me the worst was what the potential the album could have been. It would kinda be a goof to actually hear the early versions of the songs.

 

[ClaytonsKitten]

I would drop my fancard in a woodchipper if they ever want back to Venus to rock out.

Don't let the mirrorball hit you on the ass. We'll be in the spaceship.

Sometimes he's absolutely delightful, such as his 2005 love fest with Cat Deeley. Wish we could see that Larry more often.

I'm silently praying for more Adam/Larry action this time around. We never get enough of them.

And yeah, I know. It sounds wrong. This is how many fucks I give.

Spoiler

As far as I'm concerned, those four are all married to each other anyways. I regret nothing.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I don't ever remember Apple having a Super Bowl ad in their current era of dominance (say iPod breakthrough on), they don't really need it.

What current era of dominance would that be? They haven't been the leading distributor of mobile devices fora few years now.

Sent from my android cause iphones are for old people

 

[Registered Dude]

they're the world's most valuable brand.. around 100 billion or something ridiculous. more recognized than Coke

 

[Galeongirl]

I still maintain to this day that Moment of Surrender was the obvious choice for lead single and was the only one that would have had the effect they intended the album to have. Most bands can't get 7-minute songs played on radio. U2 could have, and had the opportunity with a GOOD 7-minute song.

Yes. So much yes.


Though I still say NLOTH2 would've been a great single as well. Or Breathe.

 

[ClaytonsKitten]

I liked NLOTH2 better.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

they're the world's most valuable brand.. around 100 billion or something ridiculous. more recognized than Coke

And Android has an 80% worldwide smart phone market share. And people listen to music on smart phones now, not iPods.

Soon again... what dominance?

Sent from my android cause iphones are for old people

 

[Registered Dude]

And Android has an 80% worldwide smart phone market share. And people listen to music on smart phones now, not iPods.

Soon again... what dominance?

Sent from my android cause iphones are for old people

Not suggesting that Apple RESIDES! ABOVE! ALL! OTHER! PUNY! MORTAL! COMPANIES! muhuhauhuauahauh!!!

but in terms of power, they're as big as they come.

 

[purpleblackeye]

The only thing I ask of the new song is a bit of seriousness and grandeur....none of the gimmicky BS like Boots, or an attempt to sound young and hip, which is just embarrassing. The hangar clip gives me optimism but the beach clip of Magnificent sounded like the greatest thing ever but on record it was diminished somewhat by the watered down guitar solo and some cheesy lyrics.

 

[Registered Dude]

The only thing I ask of the new song is a bit of seriousness and grandeur....none of the gimmicky BS like Boots, or an attempt to sound young and hip, which is just embarrassing. The hangar clip gives me optimism but the beach clip of Magnificent sounded like the greatest thing ever but on record it was diminished somewhat by the watered down guitar solo and some cheesy lyrics.

gimmicky.. interesting way of putting it.

I think Bono's lyrics are getting gimmicky, esp. when self-referential. I'm hoping he leaves the "Napoleon in high heels", "65 million dollar circus tragedy" type lines behind..

 

[Registered Dude]

more heavy trucks, please. the trucks just aren't heavy enough.

 

[Nick66]

I felt that way when it came out. Really did sound somewhat like they put Zooropa, AB and Unforgettable Fire in a blender. I loved it and still do.

As a few others have pointed out, it seemed like they were going with atmospheric and then realized we need some hitz.

I think there's some truth to this. IMO, had they stuck with what was apparently their original vision of the record (and apparently the vision that Eno & Lanois had), I believe NLOTH would have been considerably stronger. Yes, it might not have had as many "singles", but the singles didn't do that well anyway. And the tour would have been just fine no matter what. It would have been better to have produced a brilliant, wholly conceived and consistent work of art...and they still could have had the greatest hits tour than what we ended up with. Hindsight is 20/20 of course, and I don't blame them for wanting to try to make the record more commercially viable at the time, that's who they are. But we really could have had something much more extraordinary, and something that would contribute more to their artistic legacy, and stand the test of time, than what the record ended up being.

Making art is about making choices, and it seems to me U2 couldn't decide what they wanted that record to be, and as result it's one of their most uneven efforts to date.

 

[zoopop]

The band should make MOS the new One from here on out. One needs a break bad from their live set. The band seems really proud of MOS and I can see them still playing it.

 

[rennowba]

1st single off nloth should of been nloth. Great song with a very different edgey sound.

2nd single magnificent. If the first single was a different sound this release would make people believe the good old u2 is still there.

3rd single breathe.mainy because its a cracking tune