"New York"

[miss becky]

Inspired by the current Survivor poll, I got to thinking about New York, and people's reactions to this song. I've been listening to ATYCLB lately and New York is - and always has been - one of my favorite songs on the album. I remember the first time I ever listened to ATYCLB, I was bitterly disappointed with most of the songs...until New York. It sounded like nothing else on the album. It stood out, and made me take notice. And I love(d) it for that.

My question is for those who don't like New York. Do you think the context hurts the song? Would it work better, for instance, if it had been on Pop, and not ATYCLB? Musically it certainly seems to belong to the Pop era. I honestly think part of the reason I fell in love with New York was because I loved Pop so much, and nothing on ATYCLB sounded like that album...except for New York.

And to those of you like me who do like New York, why do you like it?

 

[RademR]

I lived in NY when I was younger, and it's my favorite city in the world, outside Amsterdam (that's where I'm originally from, not what your thinking )

I think the name "new york" makes it a little cooler for me, but I just flat out like the song. Doesn't really have much to do with it.

Just a killer song to me. Love the riff by Edge during the chorus and the opening drumming by Larry, great song. Not my favorite on the record, but great indeed.

 

[U2Man]

It's sometimes hard to say why you just don't like a song. The words that spring to my mind are: noisy, too simple, lack of a good melody....

And honestly, I cannot hear anything fantastic in that guitar riff.

 

[BEVERLY56]

I cant tell you why - but I don't care for it. I always skip New York and Grace.

 

[Chizip]

Yeah it's one of the few U2 songs that I really don't like at all.

 

[U2Man]

Yeah it's one of the few U2 songs that I really don't like at all.

I thought you were going to say that people like me were and didn't belong on a U2-site.

 

[Chizip]

I thought you were going to say that people like me were and didn't belong on a U2-site.

I already told you that, no need to repeat myself.

 

[U2Man]

lol

I guess I'm a slow learner, otherwise I wouldn't post here at all by now

 

[MumblingBono]

It could have been beefed up a bit. it's a rock song that wasn't allowed to really take off.

If they had applied the rockier sound of ABOY or Vertigo to it, it would have been better IMO - I think it suits the current album better.

That last fading "new yoooork" at the end reminds me of Boy/October era for some reason...

 

[POP-ROMANCER]

.

If they had applied the rockier sound of ABOY or Vertigo to it, it would have been better IMO - I think it suits the current album better.

agreed

 

[Hoodlem]

That last fading "new yoooork" at the end reminds me of Boy/October era for some reason...

I have always felt this way about that moment. Kind of a classic feeling little 5 seconds.

As far as the song itself, The lyrics are too...I don't know...bad, I guess, in certain parts. The melodys are not that great and get a bit repetitive. The guitar burst in the chorus has a great tone and technically sounds really good, but the four notes (basically) that Edge plays are so boring. When I first heard the song all I could think was, "that's it?". It is still dissapointing when I listen to it now. I do like how the last chorus is different than the others but it's too little too late on this song.

There are some good qualities to this song as well. The intro and the drum loops in the background are very refreshing. The reverb on the vocals is nice at times. Overall however, it just reminds me why I do not enjoy ATYCLB all that much. It's just too simplistic, like they just didn't try that hard to come up with a great guitar line or great lyrics (common problem of late).

 

[Kristie]

I like the song but I wish the album version had some of the more rock and roll parts you can hear on the nice/nasty mixes (like the guitar riff).

 

[DreamOutLoud13]

As far as the song itself, The lyrics are too...I don't know...bad, I guess, in certain parts. The melodys are not that great and get a bit repetitive. The guitar burst in the chorus has a great tone and technically sounds really good, but the four notes (basically) that Edge plays are so boring. When I first heard the song all I could think was, "that's it?". It is still dissapointing when I listen to it now. I do like how the last chorus is different than the others but it's too little too late on this song.

There are some good qualities to this song as well. The intro and the drum loops in the background are very refreshing. The reverb on the vocals is nice at times. Overall however, it just reminds me why I do not enjoy ATYCLB all that much. It's just too simplistic, like they just didn't try that hard to come up with a great guitar line or great lyrics (common problem of late).

I agree with everything you just said.

I remember the first time I ever heard it. When Bono got to the part about the Titanic, I kind of looked up and went "What the hell, Bono?!"

 

[Utoo]

Probably my least favorite on the album, though I can get into it when it's playing.

I think there have always been to problems with it for me. The first is that it just seems too lyrically simplistic to me, as some folks above have said. What I've always loved about Bono's lyrics is how he can paint a clear picture with such vague words. His most profound lyrics to me are the stream of consciousness ones, the ones that are more feeling than text. "New York," to me, is too clear---like he was trying to hard instead of just letting it flow. That's also how you end up with some of the lame rhymes in the song, IMO.

The other thing is that it drags too much for me. When I think of putting ATYCLB on, the things that can potentially keep me from doing so are the final few songs. If I let the sleepiness of those last songs take over my feeling of the album, I won't put it on right then. "Grace" is sleepy, but has more of a groove that I can get into than "New York" does.

All that said, when I finally do put the album on and resist the urge to skip those songs (I hate skipping on an album ), then I usually get into both NY and Grace and am glad I didn't skip them.

 

[pookybear]

The live version is a lot better imo, especially the one from Farmclub.com-- that one's fantastic.

 

[SunBloc]

..agreed, ATYCLB is may be a little "sleepy" (Liked your adjective, Utoo) at the end. The scenario New York describes is kind of depressing too. It's about a mid-life crisis situation. Love the rest of the album, but I don't care for the gray picture of New York.

 

[theu2fly]

It's really heavy, when they performed it on Letterman it was great. It kinda reminded me of 'Exit' from the Joshua Tree era.

 

[miss becky]

The live version is a lot better imo, especially the one from Farmclub.com-- that one's fantastic.

Oh yeah, the live verson kicks ass. It's one of the highlights of the Boston DVD, I think.

 

[RicoT.O]

New York is a amazing song. You don't have to vist New York just listen to the song and you are there. I remember when I first heard NY I was "wooow now thats a song". I can picture New York in my mind, its a rare U2 song that makes me feel this way. I love the way the song builds up to a pure blast rock song. One of my top 10 U2 songs.

After 9/11 this song had a more deeper meaning. I remember when they sang this song in Hamilton October 13 2001. Everyone was cheering at the end.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

it fits the vibe of the city at night perfectly.

that's why i've always liked the song. liked it alot.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

I adore it, and not just because I'm in love with the city itself.

 

[bedouin fire]

new york - u2 rocking without caring if it fits on fm radio stations or teen music chanels.
i love it!

 

[U2bpbear24]

New York

 

[Total U2 Nut]

I remember hearing it for the first time I was like "Jeez, this song stinks", but then a few months later I was watching New York on the Live In Boston dvd and I really just could believe that I'd ever hated it. I've come over to the light and now it's one of my all time favourite U2 songs. I'm addicted to it!

 

[BluRmGrl]

It's sometimes hard to say why you just don't like a song. The words that spring to my mind are: noisy, too simple, lack of a good melody....
And honestly, I cannot hear anything fantastic in that guitar riff.

To be quite honest, I never liked "New York" -- until I saw it performed live. It's still not one of my faves from ATYCLB, but I find it much more tolerable now & I assume it's because I have a pleasant visual memory to associate with it.

 

[Azor]

I like it (but not love it).

 

[BVS]

I don't think it could have fit on Pop.

The reason I never cared for it, is that it has some really shit lyrics.

 

[AtomicBono]

The live version is a lot better imo, especially the one from Farmclub.com-- that one's fantastic.

New York was always one of my favourites on the album, but it's rather ordinary compared to the live version. Live, New York was the best song from ATYCLB. The ending was just incredible. Brilliant solo from Edge with Bono just sorta "badababadababa"ing and NEW YOOOOOOOOORKing and doing whatever other vocally good things he could do. kinda reminded me of Please, the way it just rips out at the end live.

I always giggle watching the Boston show though because I swear he says "midwife crisis"

 

[cobl04]

I hated it at first because it and Grace are annoy me when I'm listening to the whole album because the intros are so boring. But, unlike Grace, New York grew on me, and I think the vocals are terrific, all held together by the band.

 

[cjboog]

I guess New York reminds me of Love and Peace and I think it would fit well on HTDAAB. The context does hurt it, as it doesn't fit in with the second part of ATYCLB with grace and peace on earth etc. New York is an underrated song, even though I voted it off on the latest survivor poll.