Zootlesque said:
I don't get what you're saying here. They've become less complex now? Not less creative? Is that what you mean?
Yeah, that's it--I think that that's a real distinction. Compared to Zooropa and Pop, I would call the last two albums' songs less complex, but not less creative. If you listen to Mofo, it's fantastically complex, crowded with so much distortion and effect----like a "traffic jam," I think someone else said--just like the mind of the lost man who's lost his mother, looking for to save his save his soul.
All of the layers add on to make the point of the song. On the other hand, a song like IALW is much more musically simple. Yet that simplicity, which also runs through most of the ATYCLB songs, gives the song and the album a distinct feel--the simplicity of the songs make the point, just like the complexity of Pop's songs help make the point that Pop was trying to make. I don't think that it's less creative. The message of Pop is more in-your-face and obvious, and perhaps cooler, but not necessarily better because of it. It's kind of like saying that a painting with only a few brush strokes is less creative than a painting with tons of extraordinary detail. Or, perhaps like saying that Edge is less "technical" than a guitar player like Ottmar Liebert or someone else who plays faster & with a billion more notes. I'd say that each in these pairs are making their own distinct point--one in a simple way, one in a complex way--but both are done creatively in that they're also achieving their point.
So, to get back on track (
), one of the reasons I love Pop is that all of its qualities add up to make its point well. I think the same can be said for the newer stuff (perhaps more so ATYCLB than HTDAAB, though HTDAAB may be more fun because it's got more bite to it), even though it is less complex musically. Among other things, Pop is extraordinary for its heaviness, which I find to be executed superbly.