The new U2 direction in the new album

[shaun vox]

the guitars were raw and power full on the earlier albums and so were the vocals and drums!!
the new album has none of that!!
enjoy!!

sbs,war,bullet all heavy and powerful songs!!

VERTIGO is a joke just like elevation!!

im just waiting for strike THREE!!

 

[vaz02]

the guitars were raw and power full on the earlier albums and so were the vocals and drums!!
the new album has none of that!!
enjoy!!

sbs,war,bullet all heavy and powerful songs!!

VERTIGO is a joke just like elevation!!

im just waiting for strike THREE!!

amen brother.

Considering whats been going on over the past 3 years politically u would think bono has come up with some great rock tunes.

I want a album full of love and peace or else's.
A ballad would also be nice but i want soaring vocals,rough guitars with a nice solo hear and there and thumping bass and drums.

 

[Salome]

What's so funny about this crap about Pop being experimental and groundbreaking was that U2 did Pop to stay RELEVENT! It's the least experimental, the least risky of any of their albums. Just like sooo many other rock acts from 1996 to 1999, they went electronica too. The whole thing was so big and bloated and commerical and mainstream. And yet now those kids who grew up with that as their first intro to U2 crucify U2's recent stuff for being exactly what in actuality Pop was. The main differents between those two periods was that Pop failed on almost every level and the later albums didn't.

So why on earth would you want a return to it?
I mean, there was a post by someone earlier that said what he liked best about this period was that it didn't sound like U2!?!? WTF?? Why are you here then?

Keep in mind, I'm no Pop hater. I'm just not a Pop worshipper. Please will be consistently in my top 10 probably forever.

it almost brings tears of joy in my eyes to finally see someone else post something like this

 

[Aygo]

Sorry mate, but find me ONE boy-war song in HTDAAB...
I really can't believe how come someone can say HTDAAB is a return to their early days, come on my friend!

HTDAAB is nothing less and nothing more than...

ATYCLB II, that's all, and the new album will be ATYCLB III

You can't? I can! Vertigo, although its Elevation-like lyrics, the instrumental could easily belong to a pre-Boy song. Yahweh has lots of reminiscences from the October. All Because Of You has a late-70s look too. City Of Blinding Lights (although some say it's a Streets wannabe) has few elements - drums/synths/piano - that we can find in the War/UF era...

Again, repeat with me: What's the difference between ATYCLB and HTDAAB (and what makes them 2 distinct albums)? ATYCLB has minimalist sounds and is not a rock album (despite some songs are rock anthems), is more a pop album. HTDAAB (despite its overproduction) is 90% rock album.

 

[Aygo]

the guitars were raw and power full on the earlier albums and so were the vocals and drums!!
the new album has none of that!!
enjoy!!

sbs,war,bullet all heavy and powerful songs!!

VERTIGO is a joke just like elevation!!

im just waiting for strike THREE!!

Mate, I have bad news for you: the 80's and the 90's are over. Were in 2006, and the "shitty" (?) Vertigo's and Elevation's and bland'n'cheesy's COBL is where the band is now. I hope you don't get into depression with this.

 

[Snowlock]

the guitars were raw and power full on the earlier albums and so were the vocals and drums!!
the new album has none of that!!
enjoy!!

sbs,war,bullet all heavy and powerful songs!!

VERTIGO is a joke just like elevation!!

im just waiting for strike THREE!!

I wouldn't put Vertigo anywhere near Elevation. Vertigo had everything you're asking for, the power cords, vocals, big drums and pounding bass, the only problem imo with Vertigo was that it was everywhere. If it hadn't been a single, if it hadn't been on that iPod commercial, Vertigo would be much more well respected. And in the years to come, I bet it will be one of the more enduring songs from HTDAAB. Just because it was on a commercial doesn't make it any less of a song. And live, it's exceptional.

And if you're waiting for strike three, why wait here? I'm sure The Fray's online community would love to have you.

 

[Sken]

I mean, there was a post by someone earlier that said what he liked best about this period was that it didn't sound like U2!?!? WTF?? Why are you here then?

I guess that person was trying to say that they weren't repeating themselves. They were breaking new ground as musicians. Whether it was groundbreaking musically at the time or not is irrelevant.
In each album you saw signs of what was coming next, they kept slowly pushing and progressing. In UF, you could get hints of what was coming with JT. In R&H there were hints of AB and so forth. Up until Pop the band was moving forward, whether that was a good or bad thing, that is debatable.
The last two albums however feel empty, no ambition and there is no honesty about them. It feels as if they have lost their passion, or maybe just havent found the topic to be passionate about.
I believe/feel what Bono is feeling when he curses in Sunday Bloody Sunday, or yells 'In the Name of Love' at the top of his lungs. I feel his passion in WOWY, his frustation in Bullet The Blue Sky, his despair in One and Please.
I don't know how to feel when he sings 'Oh You Look So Beautiful' or 'Hello Hello, We're At A Place Called Vertigo'. I don't mind the songs, but to me they are just songs, songs I cant' quite connect to. I don't think the band is being honest with themselves at the moment and its quite apparent in the songwriting.

 

[Iskra]

If everything else is "World Music" What is the other stuff?
Close minds and closed ears ahhhhhh Americans - gotta love them.

 

[Zoots]

They were breaking new ground as musicians. Whether it was groundbreaking musically at the time or not is irrelevant.
In each album you saw signs of what was coming next, they kept slowly pushing and progressing. In UF, you could get hints of what was coming with JT. In R&H there were hints of AB and so forth. Up until Pop the band was moving forward, whether that was a good or bad thing, that is debatable.
The last two albums however feel empty, no ambition and there is no honesty about them. It feels as if they have lost their passion, or maybe just havent found the topic to be passionate about.

I believe/feel what Bono is feeling when he curses in Sunday Bloody Sunday, or yells 'In the Name of Love' at the top of his lungs. I feel his passion in WOWY, his frustation in Bullet The Blue Sky, his despair in One and Please.
I don't know how to feel when he sings 'Oh You Look So Beautiful' or 'Hello Hello, We're At A Place Called Vertigo'. I don't mind the songs, but to me they are just songs, songs I cant' quite connect to. I don't think the band is being honest with themselves at the moment and its quite apparent in the songwriting.

Brilliant! I wish I had said all of what you just posted.

 

[Salome]

I guess that person was trying to say that they weren't repeating themselves. They were breaking new ground as musicians. Whether it was groundbreaking musically at the time or not is irrelevant.

how is it irrelevant?
especially when making a point about the band being true to themselves and pure
how is it more pure to follow the latest rage in manchester or trying to incorporate some Underworld & Prodigy into your music and basically follow someone else's sound than exploring your own sound?

I don't think there is a real difference in quality in U2's 80's 90's and 00's output
I can understand that some people have preferences
but that's about it

 

[Snowlock]

I guess that person was trying to say that they weren't repeating themselves. They were breaking new ground as musicians. Whether it was groundbreaking musically at the time or not is irrelevant.
In each album you saw signs of what was coming next, they kept slowly pushing and progressing. In UF, you could get hints of what was coming with JT. In R&H there were hints of AB and so forth. Up until Pop the band was moving forward, whether that was a good or bad thing, that is debatable.
The last two albums however feel empty, no ambition and there is no honesty about them. It feels as if they have lost their passion, or maybe just havent found the topic to be passionate about.
I believe/feel what Bono is feeling when he curses in Sunday Bloody Sunday, or yells 'In the Name of Love' at the top of his lungs. I feel his passion in WOWY, his frustation in Bullet The Blue Sky, his despair in One and Please.
I don't know how to feel when he sings 'Oh You Look So Beautiful' or 'Hello Hello, We're At A Place Called Vertigo'. I don't mind the songs, but to me they are just songs, songs I cant' quite connect to. I don't think the band is being honest with themselves at the moment and its quite apparent in the songwriting.

I disagree with you. Well for the most part.

I can feel the hope in Yaweh, the pleading for help in Crumbs, the love in OOTS, and maybe it's because I lost my father who meant very much to me, I can't even listen to Sometimes because it hits too hard. So for me, I'm totally hearing the messages in HTDAAB. Maybe it's because the messages from Bono are so personal in nature rather than universal as they used to be.

For ATYCLB, it's all about the melody. Beautiful Day is a song only U2 could write. In A Little While is haunting in its simplicity. Walk On's guitar is just classic Edge. Watch the Slane Castle DVD and come back and tell me again during the Kite performance that the band isn't being honest with themselves.

Tell me the band was being honest with themselves (and us) with Discotheque, Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car, Babyface, The Playboy Mansion, Miami & Do You Feel Loved.

And just out of curiousity, and not for arguments sake, you'll have to point out the hint to me of AB in Rattle & Hum. To me there was no progression there; more like a stop and restart; just like from Pop to ATYCLB.

 

[YBORCITY]

What's so funny about this crap about Pop being experimental and groundbreaking was that U2 did Pop to stay RELEVENT! It's the least experimental, the least risky of any of their albums. Just like sooo many other rock acts from 1996 to 1999, they went electronica too. The whole thing was so big and bloated and commerical and mainstream. And yet now those kids who grew up with that as their first intro to U2 crucify U2's recent stuff for being exactly what in actuality Pop was. The main differents between those two periods was that Pop failed on almost every level and the later albums didn't.

So why on earth would you want a return to it?
I mean, there was a post by someone earlier that said what he liked best about this period was that it didn't sound like U2!?!? WTF?? Why are you here then?

Keep in mind, I'm no Pop hater. I'm just not a Pop worshipper. Please will be consistently in my top 10 probably forever.

Personally, if U2 are revisiting past influences now, and HTDAAB was a return to the boy-war years, I hope we get more influences from TUF & TJT next. Mercy seems to be an indication of that with Edge's guitar echo and the atmosphere it creates. Plus TUF and part of TJT had strong piano parts to it and Bono's learning. It'd be cool to hear OOTS & RTSS with full guitars by Edge and Bono on the ivories.

What a great post here Snowlock, I agree with you 100%!!!!\

CHEERS!!!!!

 

[Irvine511]

is it weird that i like both Pop and ATYCLB? and HTDAAB?

i love how we pit respective works of art against one another. if you like one, then you must say so by denigrating another.

sheesh.

 

[Zoots]

if you like one, then you must say so by denigrating another.

sheesh.

But what if it's the person's honest opinion? that Pop is great and ATYCLB sucks or ATYCLB is great and Pop sucks?

 

[Snowlock]

But what if it's the person's honest opinion? that Pop is great and ATYCLB sucks or ATYCLB is great and Pop sucks?

I agree. he calls it denigrating. I think it's more like compare/contrast.

 

[LMP]

If everything else is "World Music" What is the other stuff?
Close minds and closed ears ahhhhhh Americans - gotta love them.

mmm, sweeping generalizations

 

[Sken]

how is it irrelevant?

In my opinion and its all I have, I don't think U2 were aiming for no1's with Lemon, or Numb, or any song like that. They really had no idea knowing how AB would be accepted either. Even though electronica was big at the time in the Manchester scene etc U2 were embracing it and incorporating it into their music, it was them combining the sounds appearing at the time and forging a new sound for themselves.

I do appreciate people have preferences over certain decades of U2, but if we are referring to quality of output the 80's and 90's U2 wins by a landslide over their 00's output. Although they probably have a couple of albums left in them to prove me wrong I fear Bono's diminished vocal ability will severely hamper the songs, he sadly doesn't have that soaring vocal ability anymore.

Tell me the band was being honest with themselves (and us) with Discotheque, Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car, Babyface, The Playboy Mansion, Miami & Do You Feel Loved.

Actually apart from maybe Discotheque I think thats the band at its most honest. The Zooropa songs in particular are 'Of the moment songs', capturing a mood and a feeling in the band at the time, you can't be more honest that that.

In regards to your personal connection with Yahweh, Crumbs, Sometimes and OOTS I can understand how you can interpret those songs to your experience. To me these songs sound like U2 put their entire catalog into a supercomputer and it spurted out the next 2 albums, manufactured and lacking that honesty I talked about earlier. To me a song like Lemon, or MOFO shows me more emotion to a lost parent than Sometimes ever will, despite its obvious intention.

I'm not saying the songs or the albums are bad. Yes Beautiful Day is a great song, Walk On and Kite are pretty good but are about as interesting as Staring At The Sun. To me they are filler songs, yes they are good, but not really memorable.

And just out of curiousity, and not for arguments sake, you'll have to point out the hint to me of AB in Rattle & Hum.

God Part II, in particular the guitar work would be the best example of a lead in into AB.

Anyways, all of the above is strictly my opinion, and its obvious it differs from what you guys think. I think maybe apart from the music maybe its the attitude of the band that I miss. I preferred Bono when he's in your face and direct rather than his round about way of getting his message across these days.

 

[U2girl]

Sorry mate, but find me ONE boy-war song in HTDAAB...
I really can't believe how come someone can say HTDAAB is a return to their early days, come on my friend!

HTDAAB is nothing less and nothing more than...

ATYCLB II, that's all, and the new album will be ATYCLB III

If U2 compressed all of their career into one album it would probably sound a lot like Bomb.

Vertigo - could be from Boy or October.
MD - UF
Sometimes - reminiscent a bit of One
LAPOE - 90's intro and sound, especially the bass/drums. The lyrics and Bono's howling vocal take remind me of War.
COBL - UF again
ABOY - if EBTTRT and Desire had a baby it would be something like this. A mix of RaH and AB.
AMAAW - ATYCLB
Crumbs - JT
OSC - 90s U2.
OOTS - ATYCLB
Yahweh - JT.
Fast cars - 90's lyrics and attitude. Shows even more if you listen to the electric "parent" Xanax and Wine.
Mercy - AB all over again.

Of course they have similar themes: not uncommon in U2's albums.

 

[Snowlock]

Originally posted by Iskra


If everything else is "World Music" What is the other stuff?
Close minds and closed ears ahhhhhh Americans - gotta love them.

mmm, sweeping generalizations

What I enjoyed most about Iskra's comment was the arrogance sprinkled with a just a hint of inferiority complex. tasty.

 

[GibsonGirl]

God Part II, in particular the guitar work would be the best example of a lead in into AB.

The video for their 1990 cover of Night And Day is also very good evidence for the kind of sound U2 were about to embark on. They're still dressed up in their Rattle & Hum / Lovetown garb, but the music itself sounds like it could belong on AB. I love those little ties between albums.

 

[Zoots]

The video for their 1990 cover of Night And Day is also very good evidence for the kind of sound U2 were about to embark on. They're still dressed up in their Rattle & Hum / Lovetown garb, but the music itself sounds like it could belong on AB.

I forgot about that one! Night and Day's music screams Achtung but the band image in the video is closer to Lovetown U2.

Awesome.

 

[ozeeko]

Alright, everyone keeps arguing that POP was made in a way to stay relevant with what was going on in the 90's, and that's supposed to be like the final nail in the coffin of this argument. So I say, yea maybe they were trying to stay relevant, but at the same time they were taking what was out and there and fucking with it and expanding it! Take "Mofo" for instance. They took all that electronica mumbojumbo and brought it to the next level. They brought emotion and songwriting credibility to that genre of music. Whatever, that's just one example. What I'm really trying to say is, U2 always tries to be somewhat relevant with the times while also bringing new shit to the table.

Only problem is, with HTDAAB, what artists are they trying to be relevant with? Coldplay? Nickelback? Good Charlotte? Mainstream rock is so polluted with uninspired crap right now, it would be a sin for U2 to try and stay relevant (in an obvious sense anyway) with what's going on in music right now. Mainstream rock music is on its way down. We need a band, LIKE U2, to give us something new and inspiring to listen to on the radio.

Or maybe POP just had way better songs?

 

[U2DMfan]

how is it more pure to follow the latest rage in manchester or trying to incorporate some Underworld & Prodigy into your music and basically follow someone else's sound than exploring your own sound?

Because unless there is brand new technology, reinventions and creative urges have to come from somewhere else. Incorporating different influences has always been what it's all about. Musicians are influenced by music, ya know?

As far as being 'pure', I don't like this term in the context but I get the point. The only thing you can ask from a musician is sincerity. I think there is a legitimate argument against U2's sincerity these days, I'm not sure how much I agree with it, but there is an argument there. When you feel this 'insincerity' in the music, it wouldn't matter what scene influenced it, it could be given by extraterrestials or totally and completely new, people are goign to see thru it. At least in their own minds.

 

[BVS]

This thread has gotten quite funny...

There's arrogance, revisionist history, incorrect information, and opinion sold as fact...sounds a lot like the current administration.

 

[AtomicBono]

This thread has gotten quite funny...

There's arrogance, revisionist history, incorrect information, and opinion sold as fact...sounds a lot like the current administration.

touche

 

[U2girl]

What's so funny about this crap about Pop being experimental and groundbreaking was that U2 did Pop to stay RELEVENT! It's the least experimental, the least risky of any of their albums. Just like sooo many other rock acts from 1996 to 1999, they went electronica too. The whole thing was so big and bloated and commerical and mainstream. And yet now those kids who grew up with that as their first intro to U2 crucify U2's recent stuff for being exactly what in actuality Pop was. The main differents between those two periods was that Pop failed on almost every level and the later albums didn't.

So why on earth would you want a return to it?
I mean, there was a post by someone earlier that said what he liked best about this period was that it didn't sound like U2!?!? WTF?? Why are you here then?

Keep in mind, I'm no Pop hater. I'm just not a Pop worshipper. Please will be consistently in my top 10 probably forever.

 

[Zoots]

This thread has gotten quite funny...

There's arrogance, revisionist history, incorrect information, and opinion sold as fact...sounds a lot like the current administration.

You're probably referring to my rolleyes post as arrogance but I still found your comment funny!

Bush Administration! Die!

 

[Aygo]

I'm not saying the songs or the albums are bad. Yes Beautiful Day is a great song, Walk On and Kite are pretty good but are about as interesting as Staring At The Sun. To me they are filler songs, yes they are good, but not really memorable.

Really? Doy you really believe that Beautiful Day and Walk On are less memorable than Staring at The Sun?
Walk On may have failed to crack the Billboard hot 100 but everybody remembers that song (perhaps better than SATS) and many remembers that is about some activist/politician women... And perhaps they remember it from the 9/11 era. About BD there's no need to talk about it...
And then, how many people really remembers SATS if a U2 song is asked?

If U2 compressed all of their career into one album it would probably sound a lot like Bomb.

Vertigo - could be from Boy or October.
MD - UF
Sometimes - reminiscent a bit of One
LAPOE - 90's intro and sound, especially the bass/drums. The lyrics and Bono's howling vocal take remind me of War.
COBL - UF again
ABOY - if EBTTRT and Desire had a baby it would be something like this. A mix of RaH and AB.
AMAAW - ATYCLB
Crumbs - JT
OSC - 90s U2.
OOTS - ATYCLB
Yahweh - JT.
Fast cars - 90's lyrics and attitude. Shows even more if you listen to the electric "parent" Xanax and Wine.
Mercy - AB all over again.

Agree with the first statement, but not with all the reto-influences...

I think, for instance, Vertigo could be a Boy/pre-Boy song, MD and Crumbs an evolution from a ATYCLB-era song, Yahweh could perfectly be (not only instrumentally but lyrically too) an October song, then Fast Cars and LAPOE represent a territory U2 hadn't explored yet.

 

[BVS]

You're probably referring to my rolleyes post as arrogance

Actually I wasn't.

 

[JMScoopy]

i want edge to do a "freebird" like solo