You've heard GET ON YOUR BOOTS? - Post all thoughts, reviews, discussion HERE Part 4

[popacrobat]

i love the lyrics
quite brilliant really

they sound great and the imagery used is very inventive

 

[Vlad n U 2]

They compared Radiohead to U2.

 

[u2search]

Why no one talks about my camp?????

Fan of the 80's (except W, O and B) and 90's and 00's.

I'm in your camp! (Oh except that I also like BOW)

I don't really know what to make of Boots, it's catchy, the music is awsome but the melody takes a weird turn. I think I like it, even if it's a bit poppy for my taste.

 

[Bonogirl777]

The lyrics are powerful I think...it should knock some sense into some people's heads. Especially the younger people like me.

Most music is bubblegum now, unfortunately (as concluded by The John Tree). Fuckin' sucks.

 

[BoyOnTheHorizon]

After two days listening to the thing i found something interesting going on there.

But i still don't want desperately go back and listen to it. It doesn't lift me in any way... and i miss a third chorus so much.

 

[Irvine511]

as much as i like GOYB, i can't believe it's designed to carry the album in the way that BD and Vertigo were. i really do think it's much more like The Fly in that it's a calling card, a way to grab attention, and that single #2 will follow pretty quickly right around the time of the album's release -- like they did with Mysterious Ways -- and that single #2 will go down much easier, as GOYB is a fairly challenging listen at first.

GOYB is great lyrics, as has been mentioned. but i still think it's a song of encouragement to youth, specifically to Muslim youth, to reject the military boots of the past and put on the sexy boots of the future. so to speak.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Yes, for sure. It’s 2009. A month is too long. They’ll have to release something else maybe a week before the album comes out.

 

[BoyOnTheHorizon]

as much as i like GOYB, i can't believe it's designed to carry the album in the way that BD and Vertigo were. i really do think it's much more like The Fly in that it's a calling card, a way to grab attention, and that single #2 will follow pretty quickly right around the time of the album's release -- like they did with Mysterious Ways -- and that single #2 will go down much easier, as GOYB is a fairly challenging listen at first.

GOYB is great lyrics, as has been mentioned. but i still think it's a song of encouragement to youth, specifically to Muslim youth, to reject the military boots of the past and put on the sexy boots of the future. so to speak.

I've thinking about this today... the album may sink commercially speaking if it depends on Boots being a big hit as was Vertigo and BD; personal tastes apart, i'm pretty sure that Boots is not going to be a hit. We have seen two big sucssesful albums thanks to their first two singles, and the biggest hit in Pop was Discotheque, so the biggest chances of having a hit is surely with the first single.
Maybe not so much with ATYCLB, which had Elevation and Stuck as very sucssesful songs, but with Bomb, which could have been a flop if it weren't for Vertigo triumph.
So we better hope for some kind of AB effect, with some another awesome song that will be capable of becoming a classic and lift the album visibility. If not we can truly expect another Pop-style failure.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

We'll probably hear the b-side to GOYB when the CD comes out.

 

[October1977]

I like it. It's not nearly as immediate as their last first singles from this decade, but more of a grower. I really like the production on it which has me really looking forward to the album.

I don't see any threads for press reviews, here's a fairly in depth one(for a single)

This guy sounds like he should post on interference

http://www.defamer.com.au/2009/01/u2s_rather_brilliant_if_grammatically_questionable_single_get_on_your_boots.html


U2's Rather Brilliant If Grammatically Questionable Single, Get On Your Boots

Oh! Suffered has the U2 fan! You know what really sucked this past decade (apart from the obvious)? The last two U2 albums. Can we all just admit that now? If I wanted to hear watered down versions of the Joshua Tree (which I do not), then I assume that is what Coldplay is for. In short, if you liked those two albums, you will likely hate Get On Your Boots. Which is great! There's still plenty of Keane tickets for you.



Anyway! Does it sound like Pump It Up? Yes it does in the rapid-fire verses, quite a bit. Elvis Costello loves U2! So no need to worry about that. What's more worrying is that if you wanted to, you could make out the Escape Club's Wild Wild West in there too. Eesh.

Am I painting a picture, or what?

What it really sounds like is U2 slipping through a casual loop in time and meeting back up with the band who recorded Achtung Baby. Zooropa and Pop. Hey, those guys were really good! So knows from where the demos for this came, but U2's penchant for taking 27 years to make a record leads me to believe that this could easily have been left over from the Pop sessions. Edge really kills it on this track with a deeply processed, catchy riff which sounds a little like Discotheque (U2's last great single), and layers of similarly processed drums and super-fuzz bass give the song some real balls, which U2 have so severely lacked lately.

The chorus takes a weird, atonal turn, ("You don't know how beautiful you are") which is where you can hear the Moroccan influence producer Daniel Lanois was talking about. There's flamenco-ish acoustic guitars underneath, and Edge takes minimalism to new scarcities with a bent, chiming, six-note solo.

So, what is Bono talking about? In the proud tradition of nonsensical Bono lyrics, that is not often clear. There's rockets at the fun fair, Satan loves a bomb scare, candyfloss ice cream and ghosts that aren't real. Someone's stuff is blowing up, Bono's into growing up, and Hey! Sexy boots! Get on your boots! Yeah!

See, makes total sense.

LIKE I CARE. THIS SONG IS GENIUS.

What will be made most of (other than his wonderful take on a Wilhelm Scream about two minutes in) is Bono's line "I don't want to talk about the wars between the nations." NEITHER DO WE, BONO! YOU ARE A ROCKSTAR, REMEMBER. GOOD JOB. "Not right now." Oh right. In a minute then. It really wouldn't be Bono without epic, politicised gestures. Neither would it be Bono without some unfettered praise of women (who "are the future with the big revelations"), and sweetly clumsy mixed metaphors ("I got a submarine, you got the gasoline.")

It all ends on a long, half-time drum breakdown, with Bono chanting that he wants us all to "meet him in the sound! Yeah, hey HEY!" Which you should do, it's really rather good in there. Really! U2's pendulum has swung back to wacky experimentalism. Rejoice! I'm only mildly disappointed they didn't call it Sexy Boots. Song titles were never their strong suit.

Verdict: WIN. Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Even if the album tracklist does read like a McSweeneys list, I have faith that U2 will once again ride on the Unsuck Express. Also, Bono has cut his hair really short, which always means business.

This is kind of personal but....I just got an erection reading this review. The song and this review of the song are brilliant.

 

[bonoz]

as much as i like GOYB, i can't believe it's designed to carry the album in the way that BD and Vertigo were. i really do think it's much more like The Fly in that it's a calling card, a way to grab attention, and that single #2 will follow pretty quickly right around the time of the album's release -- like they did with Mysterious Ways -- and that single #2 will go down much easier, as GOYB is a fairly challenging listen at first.

GOYB is great lyrics, as has been mentioned. but i still think it's a song of encouragement to youth, specifically to Muslim youth, to reject the military boots of the past and put on the sexy boots of the future. so to speak.

Yes but The Fly turned out to be an astonishing song.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

This is kind of personal but....I just got an erection reading this review. The song and this review of the song are brilliant.

Yes, I know. The reviewer is Australian - might just have to track her down and propose marriage...

 

[TCUFrog]

I've thinking about this today... the album may sink commercially speaking if it depends on Boots being a big hit as was Vertigo and BD; personal tastes apart, i'm pretty sure that Boots is not going to be a hit. We have seen two big sucssesful albums thanks to their first two singles, and the biggest hit in Pop was Discotheque, so the biggest chances of having a hit is surely with the first single.
Maybe not so much with ATYCLB, which had Elevation and Stuck as very sucssesful songs, but with Bomb, which could have been a flop if it weren't for Vertigo triumph.
So we better hope for some kind of AB effect, with some another awesome song that will be capable of becoming a classic and lift the album visibility. If not we can truly expect another Pop-style failure.

ultimately, pop was considered a failure because they were in the process of planning a tour while they were finishing up an album. if i'm not mistaken, the tickets went on sale before the album was released! also, they were way behind schedule on finishing the record and cut the final vocal at the deadline, and you can tell it was unfinished. it wasn't bad, but could have been better. i think they've learned their lesson so i don't think we'll see another pop-like failure. also, the arch, the 40ft lemon and the weird costumes turned a lot of people off, which contributed to pop's lack of success. they clearly had an image problem in 97. so, to sum it all up, i think you're wrong.

 

[Catman]

I've thinking about this today... the album may sink commercially speaking if it depends on Boots being a big hit as was Vertigo and BD; personal tastes apart, i'm pretty sure that Boots is not going to be a hit. We have seen two big sucssesful albums thanks to their first two singles, and the biggest hit in Pop was Discotheque, so the biggest chances of having a hit is surely with the first single.
Maybe not so much with ATYCLB, which had Elevation and Stuck as very sucssesful songs, but with Bomb, which could have been a flop if it weren't for Vertigo triumph.
So we better hope for some kind of AB effect, with some another awesome song that will be capable of becoming a classic and lift the album visibility. If not we can truly expect another Pop-style failure.

Unfortunately, I remember reading that, according to someone close to the band, GOYB was the "obvious" first single choice...




I still like the song and am fairly confident NLOTH will have higher quality songs... but apparently none as "immediate" as "Get On Your Boots."

 

[TCUFrog]

htdaab and atyclb were albums of singles and individual songs. from what i've been hearing, this one will be a cohesive album, so i don't think you can compare the new one to their last two. we'll see in march.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Which could be a very good thing. If this is as immediate and overtly commercial as it gets, that’s f*cking brilliant news.

 

[Airseven]

This band has created such an enormous reputation for itself that no matter what they release, people aren't happy. The last two albums were too "paint by numbers" and commercially safe. Now they release a new single with experimentation in classic rock, psychedelic rock, and electronica and suddenly it's going to be a flop. It's all quite pathetic really.

 

[Irvine511]

Yes but The Fly turned out to be an astonishing song.

yes, but so could "boots."

it's been, what, 36 hours? and The Fly explodes on stage and makes the album version better, and it benefits from nostalgia and the fact that the flashing words from Zoo TV might still be the coolest thing they've ever done.

 

[dan_smee]

^ i respect your posts airseven, and this is no different kudos

 

[purpleoscar]

I've thinking about this today... the album may sink commercially speaking if it depends on Boots being a big hit as was Vertigo and BD; personal tastes apart, i'm pretty sure that Boots is not going to be a hit. We have seen two big sucssesful albums thanks to their first two singles, and the biggest hit in Pop was Discotheque, so the biggest chances of having a hit is surely with the first single.
Maybe not so much with ATYCLB, which had Elevation and Stuck as very sucssesful songs, but with Bomb, which could have been a flop if it weren't for Vertigo triumph.
So we better hope for some kind of AB effect, with some another awesome song that will be capable of becoming a classic and lift the album visibility. If not we can truly expect another Pop-style failure.

Remember Discotheque was a big hit and the album sold much less than the last two.

 

[Irvine511]

Remember Discotheque was a big hit and the album sold much less than the last two.

which was weird, because the consensus was that it wasn't a good song -- Rolling Stone blamed much of the failure of Pop on Discotheque, calling it, "not one of the best 25 U2 songs ever written" -- and it sank quickly in the charts along with the album, and everything U2 has done since has been an atonement for that song.

to me, the guitar riff in GOYB sounds like the amending of the Pop album that Edge has talked about.

imho, GOYB kicks the crap out of Discotheque, which was too cute by half.

 

[dan_smee]

Whether people like them or not, ATYCLB and HTDAAB were albums they HAD to make. Pop wasn't a huge success and there were clouds on the horizon (not lines).

If they pushed the envelope further they may not have recovered. ATYCLB, and especially Beautiful Day made people realise whata great band they were, picked up some new fans, and disappointed fans who wanted more experimentation. Doesn't matter.

If they hadn't made those 2 albums, im pretty sure they wouldnt be making this one now. Stylistically, or even because they wouldnt still be together.

Tyhe stripped back sound of the last two bought them some creative and innovative breathing space to step outside the box again.

 

[chocky]

Unfortunately, I remember reading that, according to someone close to the band, GOYB was the "obvious" first single choice...

I still like the song and am fairly confident NLOTH will have higher quality songs... but apparently none as "immediate" as "Get On Your Boots."

I think that's great news.

U2's best songs IMHO are often those that would NEVER be singles (Drowning Man, Rejoice, Acrobat, Wire, Elvis Presley & America, Bullet the Blue Sky, Hawkmoon 269, Zooropa, Love is Blindness etc).

The thought of an album full of non-singles is to me.

 

[digitize]

Whether people like them or not, ATYCLB and HTDAAB were albums they HAD to make. Pop wasn't a huge success and there were clouds on the horizon (not lines).

If they pushed the envelope further they may not have recovered. ATYCLB, and especially Beautiful Day made people realise whata great band they were, picked up some new fans, and disappointed fans who wanted more experimentation. Doesn't matter.

If they hadn't made those 2 albums, im pretty sure they wouldnt be making this one now. Stylistically, or even because they wouldnt still be together.

Tyhe stripped back sound of the last two bought them some creative and innovative breathing space to step outside the box again.

That's the truth. And the last two albums did bring some great music with them. It's not like they made two crap albums.

 

[Utoo]

Is it just me, or was Staring At The Sun more of a hit than Discotheque? Until I rediscovered Pop a few years later, SATS was all I really remembered. Same for my brother, who never bothered to rediscover Pop at all.

 

[Irvine511]

Is it just me, or was Staring At The Sun more of a hit than Discotheque? Until I rediscovered Pop a few years later, SATS was all I really remembered. Same for my brother, who never bothered to rediscover Pop at all.

it wasn't on Billboard, at least in the US. but i think it might have made a bigger impact among fans and casual fans because, unlike Discotheque, SATS has a great chorus that you'll never forget.

i remember the hype about SATS, people calling it the "miracle song" and a future all-time U2 classic.

 

[digitize]

Is it just me, or was Staring At The Sun more of a hit than Discotheque? Until I rediscovered Pop a few years later, SATS was all I really remembered. Same for my brother, who never bothered to rediscover Pop at all.

Disco hit #10 on the U.S. chart (for about thirty minutes, before it crashed into obscurity). SATS was #26 (which, by comparison, was higher than Vertigo, although Vertigo would probably have been in the top 10 if downloads had been taken into consideration). They were 1 and 3 in Britain.

But SATS is probably the better song.

 

[digitize]

it wasn't on Billboard, at least in the US. but i think it might have made a bigger impact among fans and casual fans because, unlike Discotheque, SATS has a great chorus that you'll never forget.

i remember the hype about SATS, people calling it the "miracle song" and a future all-time U2 classic.

SATS is my miracle song.

 

[Airseven]

How fantastically rad are the electronic drum pulses on the new single!

 

[zoocarolina]

One song does not an album make and I can't believe that some folks think U2 are now sliding down the end of the bell curve, cmon!!! This is supposed to be a cohesive album and this is just a part of the story, I think we'll start out at song #1 as some sort of a start to the day and by the time we get done with the album, it'll be late at night. Years from now after it's been listened to so many times, I think this album will be on of their best ever, especially after the tour bc the tour helps the album when the songs are played live!!! Get a grip people, GOYB is pretty darn good, but it's just a piece of the puzzle and all of this really has to soak in and through for awhile to get a real picture, think long term folks!!!!