U2 packing it in?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
ozeeko said:
Yea, it's a strange subject to try and discuss technically. It's just that when you said "it's not even close" I was curious how you would break it down. Whatever. I could argue for hours on the subject, but I guess it would all come back to IMO anyway, so that's enough for now.
Click to expand...

I'm not even sure what it would mean to "break it down." One song is far more powerful, has a much greater effect on me, seems to make the universe larger and more exciting. The other is clever and well-done. Those are very different levels for me.
 
Nick66 said:
Dude, I criticised your opinion on music and you started in on my personal life. Then doubled down on it. What's next, will you have a go at my family? You went over the top in your response, that's it. If you would have just responded with your own critique regarding my views on music, we wouldn't be having this discussion now. And if you think this place is among the worst on the internet, you really haven't been around. I actually find it to be pretty nice...absent the comments about our personal lives.

Keep the arguments, and criticism, to what's said here, and not our off-site lives, and we won't have any problems.

No need to respond.
Click to expand...

Now you're a victim? PWA! :lol:

Look, you be nice to me and I'll be nice to you. That's all. You start in on me and I make no promises about turning the other cheek and being a gentleman in response. But if you want to genuinely and politely discuss U2 with me in the future, any past difficulties will be ignored. :love:

(But yeah, for the record, because of you and a couple other posters, I consider this board the most toxic on the internet. You want to change that? Then let's try and be nicer to each other.)
 
Niceman said:
Now you're a victim? PWA! :lol:

Look, you be nice to me and I'll be nice to you. That's all. You start in on me and I make no promises about turning the other cheek and being a gentleman in response. But if you want to genuinely and politely discuss U2 with me in the future, any past difficulties will be ignored. :love:
Click to expand...

Niceman, just keeps people's personal lives out of your internet arguments.
 
ozeeko said:
But taken as a whole, the songwriting in total of Lennon/McCartney vs. Edge/Bono...I mean, just in terms of range and know-how and how successful and consistent they were at it, to me it seems like no contest, even though I have been moved considerably more by U2 songs in my life.
Click to expand...

The reason I think The Beatles should be left out of such debates is because the Fab Four pretty much had a blank slate (as far as I understand it, there were other bands before them but none who approached a fraction of that level of popularity or unqualified affection). They were amazing individuals with superb songwriting skills and the magical combination of simplicity and audacity. In the short time that they were together they could take risks and do things that no other band has subsequently been able to. They have to be given credit for pushing the envelope constantly from that position, that took balls. But I think it would take much bigger balls to do that when there is so much more risk, as there is in the case of bands of later decades who were not at the helm of a hegemony. So not as a criticism of the guys eternally found crossing Abbey Road, they were lucky to be in the right time. You might flip that around and say they seem lucky because they were that good, I would say the truth is probably somewhere in between.
But yeah, its undeniable that they boast more of a range than Edge/Bono. But comparison is just not fair, not just on U2 but for any other subsequent band. Edge and Bono are plenty good in their own right. I have seen their names high up on best songwriting duo lists (please dont ask me to look it up), its just not me or U2 fans saying that. Lennon/McCartney? They are untouchable in ways fair and unfair but that should not be a comment on U2.
Not saying that you were disparaging our boys Ozeeko, although I think 'no contest' is a bit harsh. But thats just me. IMO. FWIW. 2 cents worth.


Sent from my GT-I9300 using U2 Interference mobile app
 
CMIS said:
The reason I think The Beatles should be left out of such debates is because the Fab Four pretty much had a blank slate (as far as I understand it, there were other bands before them but none who approached a fraction of that level of popularity or unqualified affection). They were amazing individuals with superb songwriting skills and the magical combination of simplicity and audacity plus Ringo.
Click to expand...

Fixed:D
 
Hahaha. Correct. Not even the best drummer in the band

Sent from my GT-I9300 using U2 Interference mobile app
 
Nick66 said:
Am I hearing you right? You can't "make any promises" to leave attacks on people's off-line lives out of your internet debates?

I think if you're going to go on record saying that, you should make it clear.
Click to expand...

I've said it multiple times. I stand by my every comment, believe I was right to respond the way that I did and you can expect more of the same the next time you attack me.

You behave yourself and I'll be nice in response. You act otherwise and I will do or say whatever flits my fancy.

Yet again, in post after post, you are demonstrating that you're not here to talk about U2, but just to fight. the conversation has moved on. Either drop this muck and join in or not. Your call.
 
Niceman said:
I've said it multiple times. I stand by my every comment, believe I was right to respond the way that I did and you can expect more of the same the next time you attack me.

You behave yourself and I'll be nice in response. You act otherwise and I will do or say whatever flits my fancy.
Click to expand...

Your brazen, open willingness to go after people's offline lives on an internet forum...and now double down on it, disgusts me. I'm not the only one here to tell you you're over the line. No one who is willing to do that is here to talk about U2.

You can't keep private lives out of it, we have nothing to say to each other. Again, just stay away from me.
 
Nick66 said:
Your brazen, open willingness to go after people's offline lives on an internet forum...and now double down on it, disgusts me. I'm not the only one here to tell you you're over the line. No one who is willing to do that is here to talk about U2.

You can't keep private lives out of it, we have nothing to say to each other. Again, just stay away from me.
Click to expand...

Repeat yourself much? :wink:
 
Niceman said:
I think you take a lot of drugs.

"the root of all musical evil" was a statement which any sane person would recognize as comedic hyperbole. I find the song to be insipid pap. I can't stand listening to it. That does not mean I'm unaware that others listened to early Beatles (including the Beatles) and were moved to create something better.
Click to expand...

Well, no. "I think it sucks" communicates that you dislike the song but understand its considerable positive influence better than calling it "the root of all musical evil," which suggests that you believe everything bad about pop music came from that song.

As a professor and novelist, you should choose your words a little more carefully. :) I should know, my career goal is to be both of those things.
 
Last edited:
U2's relevance has really taken a hit in this thread.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference
 
I like early U2 more than early Beatles.

I like mid-U2 and mid-Beatles the same.

I like late Beatles more than late U2.

This is not to say that there aren't some brilliant songs from each band in the various times of their respective careers.

Opinion: I like U2 more overall. I "grew up" with them and can relate to them more.

Fact: Both band produced brilliant music that should live on for quite some time.
 
Niceman said:
You're damned right!

Which leads us back to where I came in: Yes, U2 is at least one of the greatest bands of all time. :applaud:
Click to expand...

When Rolling Stone magazine declared U2 the band of the decade in 1985 or so, I felt that was incredibly premature. There was half a decade left. U2 might suddenly disappear and another band could dominate.

But Rolling Stone was ultimately right, IMO.

Anyone challenging U2 being one of the greatest bands now, though, is silly. This isn't 1985. U2 have done more than enough to prove themselves. What defines "greatness" may be a bit subjective, and I acknowledge that equating sales and hits to greatness is very misleading. But when a band consistently delivers quality material and is only competing against themselves in terms of quality, then that says a lot.
 
I challenge that claim in regard to their influence on music. They're hugely successful, that's not debatable, and certainly one of the hugest acts of all time (especially Bono). However...
 
doctorwho said:
When Rolling Stone magazine declared U2 the band of the decade in 1985 or so, I felt that was incredibly premature. There was half a decade left. U2 might suddenly disappear and another band could dominate.

But Rolling Stone was ultimately right, IMO.

Anyone challenging U2 being one of the greatest bands now, though, is silly. This isn't 1985. U2 have done more than enough to prove themselves. What defines "greatness" may be a bit subjective, and I acknowledge that equating sales and hits to greatness is very misleading. But when a band consistently delivers quality material and is only competing against themselves in terms of quality, then that says a lot.
Click to expand...

They really took a chance, and its amazing that they did turn out to be right. There was serious competition back then, and they hadn't even recorded the Joshua Tree yet! Someone should ask RS if they can help find the lost city of Atlantis next....
 
ozeeko said:
I challenge that claim in regard to their influence on music. They're hugely successful, that's not debatable, and certainly one of the hugest acts of all time (especially Bono). However...
Click to expand...

I don't think they have had a huge influence, and what they have had was often not positive. Personally, I don't judge the quality of an artist by what other artists do.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Achtung_Bebe
IO: It's been a while...
Replies
2
Views
743
mikal
mikal
T
Hello from a U2 guitarist in Massachusetts!
Replies
2
Views
1K
bobbvis
B
prbiker15
U2:UV Boxscore Discussion
Replies
20
Views
1K
DeVaul
DeVaul
K
U2 Show Logistics Question/Theories
Replies
7
Views
759
lazarus
lazarus
W
Detective needed: Bono’s old car
Replies
0
Views
574
wjc1979
W

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom