The 'I don't seem to like the new album' thread

[Earnie Shavers]

The middle three songs reign it in. Significantly. The first four and the last four tracks are a middle three songs away from knocking it out of the park, but the three songs that are in there are straight outta tha Bomb mindset. A real shame. It both snaps you out of the mood and feeling and totally bottoms the album out. It means that overall the album is heartbreakingly close, but not quite there. I fear that either on the Corbin film or by way of other releases, or if this follow up album talk isn’t complete shit, we’ll hear what could have been the complete No Line and that will just kill (some of) us. And yeah, Stand Up Comedy is pretty shit. Crazy Tonight is cheese, but it’s well written cheese. Neither those two nor Boots should be on here though. I wish they’d released a true take-you-on-a-ride album in November, and then held 4 or 5 catchy pop tracks over and thrown a ‘Let Me in the Sound’ EP out there as needed for hype before putting the tour on sale. Close to Coldplay, sure, but what a way to do it.

 

[flameandthefire]

New U2=crap

Oh damn, I must admit it - after being fan of theirs for 20 something years - this new record is crap! I just don't find any reason to justify me listening to crap like this. Perhaps there is something magic about being young and making songs - you probably can't just do it successfully throughout your life - no matter how talented you would be. U2 is beating a dead horse with this latest album - that's how I feel. It's time to stop being a fan for me. Thanks.

 

[BVS]

Bye again...

 

[doctorwho]

(note: I took out "Stand Up Comedy" because that song doesn't deserve to be on a U2 album)

Neither does:

Trip Through Your Wires
Baby Face
Trying to Thow Your Arms Around the World
Some Days Are Better Than Others
Evlis Presley and America
A Man and a Woman
One Step Closer
Discotheque
Most of October

But hey, there they are. And guess what, many people love those songs.

I like "Stand Up" very much and feel it is a highlight of the album.

Still, I get what you are saying. People have even re-arranged the tracklisting of the sacred JT. Whatever rocks your boat!

Oh damn, I must admit it - after being fan of theirs for 20 something years - this new record is crap! I just don't find any reason to justify me listening to crap like this. Perhaps there is something magic about being young and making songs - you probably can't just do it successfully throughout your life - no matter how talented you would be. U2 is beating a dead horse with this latest album - that's how I feel. It's time to stop being a fan for me. Thanks.

O.K., bye now! Have fun. See you next album where you can bitch some more.

 

[LyricalDrug]

If Edge lets loose during the tour, and gets bizarre and experimental, then I could see this album becoming a masterpiece. Half of an album's value is how well it translates live, as Edge always says in interviews.

 

[popshopper]

Only one of Crazy, Boots and SUC should have made the album, the middle section pretty much destroys any chance of greatness the album has. SUC is probably their least ambitious song, certainly their shallowest in a long time, it sounds like a U2 cover band, covering a Jesus Jones b-side after hear a Led Zeppelin cover band cover it.

 

[mofo_spacejunk]

Only one of Crazy, Boots and SUC should have made the album, the middle section pretty much destroys any chance of greatness the album has. SUC is probably their least ambitious song, certainly their shallowest in a long time, it sounds like a U2 cover band, covering a Jesus Jones b-side after hear a Led Zeppelin cover band cover it.

Of course, that is just your opinion. Opinions doubt have to be factual.

 

[ozeeko]

Of course, that is just your opinion. Opinions doubt have to be factual.

What a brilliant well thought out and original retort

 

[Thanksandy]

Well I feel really sorry for all of you who don't like the new album, so it's going to be a fun few years for you guys and I'm sure you'll enjoy the next tour. I appreciate constructive criticism and I of course nobody is going to like all the songs, every album U2 have done have songs that are weaker than the rest, could have been replaced with other songs etc. We could go through their whole catalogue and list them all.
I know a few people have pointed this out, but even though AB and JT are without doubt there two best albums from the majority of people's opinions, it doesn't mean there they are perfect and don't have some weaker moments or there are songs you don't listen to as much, it's the same with NLOTH.
I am just glad they have refund some energy and creativity, put a bit more excitement into there music, maybe they could play on the characters Bono has been using/writing about on this album on the tour, an extension of what he did on Zoo TV, but different.
I think we should all wait until these songs have been played live and how the tour fits in with the new material. I have heard they are looking into a 360 degree stage and Bono has mentioned some kind of spaceship they might come down in, which envokes memories of the Lemon, but I actually liked that on PopMart.

 

[laurent37]

The only remark I will make is that they replaced three far darker songs (it was quoted by Bono and Edge in a recent interview) with the middle three songs which are more optimistic and fun. They wanted humor and misschief on this album (again their one quote) and the album they had in March 2008 was far darker then NLOTH. I feel that the middle three songs are a bit out of place with the mood of the album but I really enjoy SUC. GOYB and Crazy are the only mediocre songs for me on this album.

 

[edgeplaytheblue]

Oh damn, I must admit it - after being fan of theirs for 20 something years - this new record is crap! I just don't find any reason to justify me listening to crap like this. Perhaps there is something magic about being young and making songs - you probably can't just do it successfully throughout your life - no matter how talented you would be. U2 is beating a dead horse with this latest album - that's how I feel. It's time to stop being a fan for me. Thanks.

byebye ....

 

[standrums]

All I can say is that this album has excited me more than any U2 album in years. I love it's mood, the issues it raises and it's melodies. People can get bogged down in nostalgia and that's what I think some U2 fans are doing when they hark on about the old days. It's only human.
This album has been a great companion for me and has been quite a revelation, even more so as I've been going through a major period of upheaval recently. I love this album, every song and I'm not getting bored of it yet as I have done with every U2 album to date. I find there is much more to still discover in this piece of work.

This is U2 at their best. A true work of art.

 

[zwervers2]

Really cool how people wave at people who are dissapointed with the record and feel they aren't a fan anymore. Really a sign of maturity and class and a representive for anything U2 has stood for in their career. You are no more of a fan than the people you wave at. Please do not come to U2 shows either and block the view of the classy people. The record rules by the way

 

[razredge]

There is something about this record that bugs me. I think it's the production some songs could have been better executed eg. MoS, NLOTH.

Their post 2000 albums have all had this problem.

 

[Tyagu_Anaykus]

I think its the tracks 5-to-7 that put NLOTH near the top of the ranking... Not because the quality of those songs but because, for me anyway, after the end of UC i feel completely drained of all my mental energy... Crazy, Boots and SUC just re-fuel me for the rest of the album. And it ends so fucking well that I need to play the whole damn thing again!

Did I make any sense?
Probably not...

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

I think thats why they axed out winter, partly because it was unfinished..but also because i think some people would have wound up in a coffin if they had that as track 5.

 

[BVS]

Really cool how people wave at people who are dissapointed with the record and feel they aren't a fan anymore. Really a sign of maturity and class and a representive for anything U2 has stood for in their career. You are no more of a fan than the people you wave at. Please do not come to U2 shows either and block the view of the classy people. The record rules by the way

I was waving because he said he was leaving. He also made a very dramatic exit with his last post two years ago...

Nothing more, nothing less...

but nice try.

 

[zwervers2]

I was waving because he said he was leaving. He also made a very dramatic exit with his last post two years ago...

Nothing more, nothing less...

but nice try.

2 years ago?

Haha. In your case forget what I said

 

[pudgie_child]

If you are a person who likes this album and gets upset when reading criticism of the album, then why do you keep returning to this thread? For instance, why should I, and others like me, get attacked for making fun of SUC when the thread is clearly for people who "don't seem to like the new album"? We don't need to be reminded that its "our opinion," because we already know that.

 

[pudgie_child]

Neither does:

Trip Through Your Wires
Baby Face
Trying to Thow Your Arms Around the World
Some Days Are Better Than Others
Evlis Presley and America
A Man and a Woman
One Step Closer
Discotheque
Most of October

But hey, there they are. And guess what, many people love those songs.

I like "Stand Up" very much and feel it is a highlight of the album.

Still, I get what you are saying. People have even re-arranged the tracklisting of the sacred JT. Whatever rocks your boat!

Stand Up Comedy reaches a new level of crap for U2. Perhaps one of the worst choruses I have ever heard, U2 or not.

"Stand Up For Your Love"? WTF is that? Pure Bono-ese bullshit that ruined an otherwise decent piece of music. It is remarkable to me to no one else in the band stopped to tell him, "Seriously, you're going to have to change the lyric because hearing that line is like hearing fingernails on a chalkboard."

 

[razredge]

Stand Up Comedy reaches a new level of crap for U2. Perhaps one of the worst choruses I have ever heard, U2 or not.

"Stand Up For Your Love"? WTF is that? Pure Bono-ese bullshit that ruined an otherwise decent piece of music. It is remarkable to me to no one else in the band stopped to tell him, "Seriously, you're going to have to change the lyric because hearing that line is like hearing fingernails on a chalkboard."

The verses are good, great rhythm.

I dislike the last chorus 'soul rockin people etc' he thinks he's Bob Marley or someone. And i don't like the 'god is love' bit either, sounds silly.

I don't like the 'cmon ye people' line in the other choruses either, but it's not that much of a problem.

 

[SecretFly]

For some reason I have had no urge listen to the album this week and have listened to the album about 10 times since the leak. I dont like stand up comedy, WAS puts me to sleep, Crazy Tonight is just plain shit, GOYB is alright (should have never been the first single) and Breathe is the worst song the band have ever written I do like the first 4 songs and Fez is quite good as well. The album is ok and is better than Bomb but from all releases the band have made the last two decades, I do prefer AB, POP, Zooropa, and ATYCLB.

 

[LemonMelon]

Breathe is the worst song the band have ever written

Good God.

 

[No spoken words]

Good God.

We need a juju man to take care of this dude.

 

[SecretFly]

Good God.

I might be overreacting here but after hearing them play this live I just cringed

 

[No spoken words]

I might be overreacting here but after hearing them play this live I just cringed

I'm making a voodoo doll of you now.

 

[sue4u2]

I'm making a voodoo doll of you now.

Need any pins?

 

[deanbriggs]

While I respect this forum considerably, and this is my favorite band of all time, in my opinion many people on here are far too easy to please. I don't think this album is anywhere close to their 3rd masterpiece. After listening to 3 of the beach clips dozens of times I was extremely excited to hear this album, when I did, I was very upset these songs were left off, and essentially replaced by shit.

I do think 4 or 5 songs are very solid, and consider my life better off that I have 4 or 5 new U2 songs, but I'm irked by some of Bono's songwriting or lack thereof, Edge's overall background vocals and the lame Eno influence on 4 or 5 of the songs. In contrast to many of the posters here, I think ATYCLB was a phenomenal overall album, and just behind JT and AB in its overall greatness. I don't feel this album comes close to that level overall. I like Magnificent, Moment of Surrender, Breathe, White as Snow, parts of Unknown Caller, and Fez to a degree. Unfortunately. I think the other 5 tunes as a whole are very weak. Of course I'll see them live, but I pray they only play maybe 4 or 5 songs off this album. Had they substituted 3 of those beach clip songs for SUC, NLOTH, and either GYBO or Cedars of Lebanon, I think we could legitimately be talking about their 3rd or 4th masterpiece. Sadly, I feel underproduction and a bit of pandering to Bono (his vocals in two or 3 instances are poor) has left this album to be far less than it could have been. Of course music is very subjective, so I'm happy for those who love this album, I just can't say overall that I'm one of them.

 

[jonnytakeawalk]

Had they substituted 3 of those beach clip songs for SUC, NLOTH, and either GYBO or Cedars of Lebanon, I think we could legitimately be talking about their 3rd or 4th masterpiece.

Fair enough GOYB or SUC but NLOTH and Cedars are fucking brilliant

 

[jecofficial]

yeah i'm not into it i was the first few days either, i dont know quite what it is, may just take some time, i think i'll be able to better judge once i have the songs commited to memory, but as of now i'm in no hurry. EASY TO PLEASE? LOL Just check out the title of this thread, it screams don't hit me i'm just sayin, just sayin....