Speculation thread: predict U2's next era

[Aygo]

That doesn't really make sense. "Trying to push yourself out of the comfort zone" is certainly not choosing the first sound and songs that comes to mind so it can't be an easy process and as a result obviously needs more time. Passengers for instance is not U2 trying to push themselves just making the first music that came to their mind. Some of you can think that it is much more interesting than anything U2 has released this decade but my opinion is that it is totally superficial and like Larry said it's basically U2 being lazy.

The new direction they are aiming at now is certainly going to be a much bigger challenge than just releasing NLOTH part II as they wanted to do initially.

In my opinion, an artist's major and ultimate goal is to exceed and to transcend himself continuously. And I'm not talking about having a new kind of live stage. I'm talking about different realities, different sounds, different landscapes, even different approaches to the whole idea that is an artist's "career subject". An artist that loves being it never stops trying it, even if sometimes that fails - that's part of the process.

For a long time, I don't see U2 worried with it. In fact, I see them very far from that vision. Less worried about trying to be U2, but always a different U2 at each of their subsequent "new lives", but very worried about ensuring that/those hit single(s) (even if it doesn't have much substance, like "Vertigo" - comparing to the previous standards) that'll lead the album (I mean, the collection of songs - which is U2's case in the last 3 albums) to the tops, the Grammies and the sales charts.

 

[BVS]

(even if it doesn't have much substance, like "Vertigo" - comparing to the previous standards)

Like 'Numb'? That was some deep shit wasn't it? Vertigo was just as substantive as Disco.

that'll lead the album (I mean, the collection of songs - which is U2's case in the last 3 albums) to the tops, the Grammies and the sales charts.

You thought ATYCLB was a collection? It may not be tight as JT or AB but moreso than Pop and all their earlier albums.

 

[powerhour24]

?? Boy, October and War are definitely more cohesive than ATYCLB to my ears/mind.

 

[ozeeko]

I'd say all the 80's albums, AB and Z, and ATYCLB are for the most part cohesive, in terms of sound at least

 

[medley]

In my opinion, an artist's major and ultimate goal is to exceed and to transcend himself continuously. And I'm not talking about having a new kind of live stage. I'm talking about different realities, different sounds, different landscapes, even different approaches to the whole idea that is an artist's "career subject". An artist that loves being it never stops trying it, even if sometimes that fails - that's part of the process.

Well I totally share your opinion about that and I'm sure most of us do as well but again artists obviously need time to transcend themselves that can't be done easily. So there is a contradiction between wanting U2 to challenge themselves and then criticizing them for second guessing and reworking their songs.

For a long time, I don't see U2 worried with it. In fact, I see them very far from that vision. Less worried about trying to be U2, but always a different U2 at each of their subsequent "new lives", but very worried about ensuring that/those hit single(s) (even if it doesn't have much substance, like "Vertigo" - comparing to the previous standards) that'll lead the album (I mean, the collection of songs - which is U2's case in the last 3 albums) to the tops, the Grammies and the sales charts.

This thread is about U2's eras and I think it's very important to consider that there are eras in their career to understand their choices. The goal of the latest era was to try to create the best possible songs and albums by using everything they have learned during all these years and trying to write again some more traditional U2-ish sounding songs and after the 90s I think that was a very ambitious and risky goal to achieve and there weren't many people that thought in the late 90s that they were still able to write this kind of songs anymore. But they perfectly managed to do that.

Of course their goal in the 00s was not really to look for new sounds although some songs were quite unusual for them on top of them some of the most criticized ones. In my opinion Vertigo is a very good example of U2 transcending themselves and trying new things so that's another contradiction in your post. But whatever, criticizing them for not reinventing themselves enough in the 00s is like criticizing the 90s' era for not sounding U2-ish enough. That's not really fair because that wasn't the goal they were obviously aiming at.

So it's really all about what they want to do. Again in the 80s no one would have thought that they could reinvent themselves but they did. In the 90s no one thought they could do again the same kind of songs they did in the 80s but they managed to do that. If they want to innovate now like they did in the 90s' era I'm sure they can. But I don't think they have never stopped to challenge themselves really it's just that they had different goals during their career but they never really chose the easy way and the latest news seem to show that it isn't the case one more time.

 

[ozeeko]

I think they're just trying too hard to write a song that compares to Beautiful Day, which was the 2000's "One". I think Beautiful Day worked all the more because it came after a decade of "experimentation". People wanted to hear good old fashioned U2 anthems, and Beautiful Day delivered, albeit with a modern twist that most of ATYCLB also provided, something U2 haven't been able to fuse together since, a hint of the old with a taste of the new.

Now we come to the present time, where (and im just speculating) it seems people are tired of the warm and cuddly U2. I want something strange from them again. Well, maybe not strange,but at least something...different?

 

[powerhour24]

MOS, COL, WAS, Winter, etc. don't strike me as 'warm and cuddly'.

 

[BVS]

You mean his generalizations aren't working again?

Maybe someday...

 

[Aygo]

Well I totally share your opinion about that and I'm sure most of us do as well but again artists obviously need time to transcend themselves that can't be done easily. So there is a contradiction between wanting U2 to challenge themselves and then criticizing them for second guessing and reworking their songs.



This thread is about U2's eras and I think it's very important to consider that there are eras in their career to understand their choices. The goal of the latest era was to try to create the best possible songs and albums by using everything they have learned during all these years and trying to write again some more traditional U2-ish sounding songs and after the 90s I think that was a very ambitious and risky goal to achieve and there weren't many people that thought in the late 90s that they were still able to write this kind of songs anymore. But they perfectly managed to do that.

Of course their goal in the 00s was not really to look for new sounds although some songs were quite unusual for them on top of them some of the most criticized ones. In my opinion Vertigo is a very good example of U2 transcending themselves and trying new things so that's another contradiction in your post. But whatever, criticizing them for not reinventing themselves enough in the 00s is like criticizing the 90s' era for not sounding U2-ish enough. That's not really fair because that wasn't the goal they were obviously aiming at.

So it's really all about what they want to do. Again in the 80s no one would have thought that they could reinvent themselves but they did. In the 90s no one thought they could do again the same kind of songs they did in the 80s but they managed to do that. If they want to innovate now like they did in the 90s' era I'm sure they can. But I don't think they have never stopped to challenge themselves really it's just that they had different goals during their career but they never really chose the easy way and the latest news seem to show that it isn't the case one more time.

You're aware that your first paragraph - about the match of opinion between us - is the oposite, the antithesis of what you wrote in the second paragragh, aren't you?

«by using everything they have learned during all these years and trying to write again some more traditional U2-ish sounding songs and after the 90s I think that was a very ambitious and risky goal to achieve»

«00s was not really to look for new sounds»

And... Where did "Vertigo" innovate? In putting some bad spanish in the lyrics? "Vertigo" is no more than an revival of U2's 1980/1/2's kind of compositions, soundscapes, ideas... But with less focused and much more vague and uninteresting lyrics. There's nothing new about "Vertigo".

 

[AEKU2]

This thread should be named the speculation about fuck all thread.

 

[BVS]

"Vertigo" is no more than an revival of U2's 1980/1/2's kind of compositions, soundscapes, ideas...

What? How so? There's a lot you can say about Vertigo, but this is just

 

[nirniva]

This thread should be named the speculation about fuck all thread.

Seconded.

 

[medley]

You're aware that your first paragraph - about the match of opinion between us - is the oposite, the antithesis of what you wrote in the second paragragh, aren't you?

«by using everything they have learned during all these years and trying to write again some more traditional U2-ish sounding songs and after the 90s I think that was a very ambitious and risky goal to achieve»

«00s was not really to look for new sounds»

Well ok I agree with this part specifically then:

In my opinion, an artist's major and ultimate goal is to exceed and to transcend himself continuously.

but where you are wrong in my opinion is when you think that an artist has to try new directions to transcend himself: perfecting well-known formulas is certainly as challenging and difficult as trying new things.

And... Where did "Vertigo" innovate? In putting some bad spanish in the lyrics? "Vertigo" is no more than an revival of U2's 1980/1/2's kind of compositions, soundscapes, ideas... But with less focused and much more vague and uninteresting lyrics. There's nothing new about "Vertigo".

Vertigo doesn't sound like anything they wrote before. It has nothing to do with what they wrote in the 80s when they pretty much created their own sound. Vertigo is much more influenced by traditional rock n' roll music than it is by their early works; it's perfectly obvious with the riff which of course is particularly important in this song. What is funny is that it's often the same people that say they want U2 to try new things new kind of sounds that criticize the most songs like Vertigo, ABOY, WITS... while they represented totally new directions for the band.

 

[Aygo]

Well ok I agree with this part specifically then: but where you are wrong in my opinion is when you think that an artist has to try new directions to transcend himself: perfecting well-known formulas is certainly as challenging and difficult as trying new things.



Vertigo doesn't sound like anything they wrote before. It has nothing to do with what they wrote in the 80s when they pretty much created their own sound. Vertigo is much more influenced by traditional rock n' roll music than it is by their early works; it's perfectly obvious with the riff which of course is particularly important in this song. What is funny is that it's often the same people that say they want U2 to try new things new kind of sounds that criticize the most songs like Vertigo, ABOY, WITS... while they represented totally new directions for the band.

Besides what I already wrote about "Vertigo", which I maintain (because I find no innovation on it), "All Because Of You" could be a crossover between what U2 made in the Rattle And Hum era ("Desire") and the Achtung Baby era (EBTTRT), and "Window In The Skies" is a good song, but no more than a Lennonesque composition... And U2 had already recover The Beatles' (and Lennon's) sounds in the second half of the 1980's. So, again, nothing new of defying there.

 

[medley]

Then let's just say we have to agree to disagree because those comparisons, damn ... Do you also think that MOS is just a mash-up of One and The Unforgettable Fire or something like that ? Ok just kidding, I don't think I will convince you and you certainly won't convince me with this kind of arguments .

 

[BVS]

Besides what I already wrote about "Vertigo", which I maintain (because I find no innovation on it), "All Because Of You" could be a crossover between what U2 made in the Rattle And Hum era ("Desire") and the Achtung Baby era (EBTTRT),

Did you find innovation in 'Desire'?

Vertigo wasn't particularly innovative, but one CANNOT say that it had anything to do with their 80's work. It was a power chord riff based, scat singing, light hearted rock song. Plain and simple. But it was new to U2. I think the reason this song bothers so many people is that this is the kind of song that should have been written earlier in their career. Usually a band starts off with power chords and light hearted rock and then move on to more complex songs and issue later in their career. But in a way, since U2 never had such a "childhood", it was fun to see them do so.

and "Window In The Skies" is a good song, but no more than a Lennonesque composition... And U2 had already recover The Beatles' (and Lennon's) sounds in the second half of the 1980's. So, again, nothing new of defying there.

Which songs in particular do you think were Beatlesque of the second half of the 80's?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

helter skelter. duh.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Besides what I already wrote about "Vertigo", which I maintain (because I find no innovation on it), "All Because Of You" could be a crossover between what U2 made in the Rattle And Hum era ("Desire") and the Achtung Baby era (EBTTRT), and "Window In The Skies" is a good song, but no more than a Lennonesque composition... And U2 had already recover The Beatles' (and Lennon's) sounds in the second half of the 1980's. So, again, nothing new of defying there.

and that last great defy the mainstream fuck 'em all we're different YEA! record was Pop, which featured a song that pulled the drum beat directly from Sunday Bloody Sunday.

so what the F is your point? U2 is U2. they're going to make songs that sound like U2. there's only a limit to how much one can change. you are who you are.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMO3m5k4GcY

 

[Chill Mike D]

The only U2 songs that even have a remote whiff of Beatles in them are Original of the Species and Window in the Skies.

 

[Registered Dude]

The only U2 songs that even have a remote whiff of Beatles in them are Original of the Species and Window in the Skies.

yeah the Beatles/Lennon/U2 comparisons are baffling..

though there's some Lennon in Sweetest Thing...

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i think there's a little bit of a lennon influence in Instant Karma

 

[subnet]

at what stage in their career will they make an appearance on Sesame Street?

 

[nirniva]

at what stage in their career will they make an appearance on Sesame Street?

"Sesame Street has been brought to you today by the letter U and the number 2."

 

[An Cat Gav]

at what stage in their career will they make an appearance on Sesame Street?

Larry The Grouch.

 

[ozeeko]

MOS, COL, WAS, Winter, etc. don't strike me as 'warm and cuddly'.

i'm speaking about singles. sorry, should've specified.

 

[U2girl]

"A soft and cuddly U2" ...

 

[ozeeko]

WITS, COBL, ABOY, OOTS, SYCMIOYO, CT - yes, these are all very soft and cuddly U2 songs. I kinda like maybe 2 of them, but yea, these are rather soft and cuddly.

It's just my opinion.

(waiting for BVS to come tell me his opinion is superior..i expect him sometime this hour...)

 

[Registered Dude]

COBL, OOTS, Walk On.. all feature tinkly piano lines that make me think of baby lullabys

 

[ozeeko]

COBL, OOTS, Walk On.. all feature tinkly piano lines that make me think of baby lullabys

RIGHT??!?!?

lol

I always liked Walk On though. In fact, i liked it even more the 2nd time they wrote it! (electrical storm)

 

[ozeeko]

but for the record, i do like those songs