Bono: 'U2 album was too challenging'

[torn vinyl]

I think age, and the substantial amount of hit they already have, has a lot to do with the "disappointing" sales. But come on, it's one of the best selling records of the year.

Bono's comments are another illustration of his arrogance though. "It's too challenging"? What is he on? It's a fairly standard U2 album. It has some new flourishes, but it is definitely not CHALLENGING. If wayne coyne said that about the new lips record I'd be able to understand where he's coming from, but Bono needs to take responsibility for the sales of his record and realize that MAYBE, just MAYBE Boots was a piece of shit, the performance of that turd at the grammys was shameful and put a lot of people off and that though the album is better than the last two it is going to be forgotten along with those ones. The record just isn't that good.

Unforgettable Fire, Achtung, Zooropa, Pop...those were challenging records...and sold pretty well. And they are great records. Maybe if U2 actually went back to challenging people and made the music they want to make rather than focusing on having hit singles and albums they would sell more records. Because they were at their commercial peak when they didn't give a fuck.

 

[jacobus]

Bono's comments are another illustration of his arrogance though. "It's too challenging"? What is he on? It's a fairly standard U2 album. It has some new flourishes, but it is definitely not CHALLENGING...
...Unforgettable Fire, Achtung, Zooropa, Pop...those were challenging records...and sold pretty well. And they are great records. Maybe if U2 actually went back to challenging people and made the music they want to make rather than focusing on having hit singles and albums they would sell more records. Because they were at their commercial peak when they didn't give a fuck.

spot on torn vinyl! bono always talks a lot of blubber...

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Maybe if U2 actually went back to challenging people and made the music they want to make rather than focusing on having hit singles and albums they would sell more records. Because they were at their commercial peak when they didn't give a fuck.

how exactly do you know this?

 

[torn vinyl]

how exactly do you know this?

Rolling Stone interview, Eno's comments regarding working forever on songs that are supposed to be hits and ignoring other songs or dropping them, like Winter. The scrapping of early Bomb songs (Native Son etc) because they weren't radio friendly.

 

[mikal]

i think the only period where the band truly didn't give a fuck was when they made Passengers, and even Larry was pissed off the whole time.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Rolling Stone interview, Eno's comments regarding working forever on songs that are supposed to be hits and ignoring other songs or dropping them, like Winter. The scrapping of early Bomb songs (Native Son etc) because they weren't radio friendly.

so you are convinced that the band are not "making music they want to make" by this?

 

[mikal]

so you are convinced that the band are not "making music they want to make" by this?

yes. the band clearly wants to make polka music, but everyone is forcing them to make the shit we know as "U2".

 

[torn vinyl]

so you are convinced that the band are not "making music they want to make" by this?

Well, I don't thing that they could be making exactly the kind of music they want to when they are tailoring songs and albums to be "hits".

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

yes. the band clearly wants to make polka music, but everyone is forcing them to make the shit we know as "U2".

seriously, this common conception that the band is only happy when they are making "challenging" music (what ever the hell that means) is bullshit if you ask me...

 

[torn vinyl]

yes. the band clearly wants to make polka music, but everyone is forcing them to make the shit we know as "U2".

Who said anything about polka? Or shit?

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Well, I don't thing that they could be making exactly the kind of music they want to when they are tailoring songs and albums to be "hits".

but we don't know this for sure, how do we know that they don't enjoy making "hit" music as much as the "experimental" stuff?

 

[mikal]

seriously, this common conception that the band is only happy when they are making "challenging" music (what ever the hell that means) is bullshit if you ask me...

absolutely. unfortunately, i think many people have an inaccurate image of U2 in their head.

 

[torn vinyl]

seriously, this common conception that the band is only happy when they are making "challenging" music (what ever the hell that means) is bullshit if you ask me...

Bono's the one who says they made a challenging record!!! They were always talking about challenging people and themselves! And who's talking about them being happy?

 

[zoocarolina]

yes. the band clearly wants to make polka music, but everyone is forcing them to make the shit we know as "U2".

I think Zooropa was an I don't give a bleep record and now they're torn with SOA bc I think it'll be more challenging than NLOTH, Rubin record will be a return to mass commercial sales success! I don't think they'll ever top the 360 tour though, it's such a great show, great stage, great attendance, great songs, etc!

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Bono's the one who says they made a challenging record!!! They were always talking about challenging people and themselves! And who's talking about them being happy?

Bono is full of shit, everybody knows that.

You said and I quote:

Maybe if U2 actually went back to challenging people and made the music they want to make rather than focusing on having hit singles and albums they would sell more records.

this sentence is implying in your opinion that the are compromising their vision and doing something the do not want to do. Logically they would not be happy about this, no?

 

[zoocarolina]

Challenging is a nebulous term, I think what Bono is saying that nloth has many layers that takes time to listen to to get the multiple meanings/interpretations and you might not get it after one listen like most cotton candy pop tunes that are meaningless drivel! I like music that makes me think and that's u2 for the most part.

 

[gvox]

U2 have clearly lost the U2 spirit, gang.

You know, the one we constructed for them

FFS just let them make whatever the fuck they want. If you don't like it, don't buy it. If they do it enough times, find a new favorite band.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

you know what, let me go a step further with this quote:

Maybe if U2 actually went back to challenging people and made the music they want to make rather than focusing on having hit singles and albums they would sell more records.

I find that part at the end rather intriguing as well, now that I look at it. This goes for anyone out there, what do you consider U2's most "challenging" album?

 

[torn vinyl]

Bono is full of shit, everybody knows that.

You said and I quote:



this sentence is implying in your opinion that the are compromising their vision and doing something the do not want to do. Logically they would not be happy about this, no?

You logical analysis is incorrect. They want A but choose to do B to get a desired result. Therefore, they are happy either way. Still, they compromise the music to get the result. That's what Eno talks about, and what they band talked about for the reworking of Bomb tracks. They reworked them so they'd get on the radio. Compromised, yes, but they got the desired result. It mightn't have been the music they wanted to make, but they got the result.

 

[mikal]

You logical analysis is incorrect. They want A but choose to do B to get a desired result. Therefore, they are happy either way. Still, they compromise the music to get the result. That's what Eno talks about, and what they band talked about for the reworking of Bomb tracks. They reworked them so they'd get on the radio. Compromised, yes, but they got the desired result. It mightn't have been the music they wanted to make, but they got the result.

your analysis is based on the fact that you think you know exactly what the band is thinking when they make records.

 

[torn vinyl]

your analysis is based on the fact that you think you know exactly what the band is thinking when they make records.

I think that might be you; I'm basing my opinion on what Eno and the band have said. Regarding Bomb they said it wasn't ready because the hits weren't there. They want hits, and they change their music in an attempt to get it on the radio.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

I think that might be you; I'm basing my opinion on what Eno and the band have said. Regarding Bomb they said it wasn't ready because the hits weren't there. They want hits, and they change their music in an attempt to get it on the radio.

but you said that they are not making music they want to make.

 

[torn vinyl]

you know what, let me go a step further with this quote:



I find that part at the end rather intriguing as well, now that I look at it. This goes for anyone out there, what do you consider U2's most "challenging" album?

Probably Achtung Baby, mainly because of how different it was from what came before it, both musically and in presentation. It's regarded as their best album, one of the classics, and the tour is regarded as being their best as well. Also, the most "challenging".

 

[mikal]

but you said that they are not making music they want to make.

 

[torn vinyl]

but you said that they are not making music they want to make.

They're not making exactly the kind of music they want to make. They are trying to balance making the music they want with getting hits. You can ignore what Eno and the band say if you want.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Probably Achtung Baby, mainly because of how different it was from what came before it, both musically and in presentation. It's regarded as their best album, one of the classics, and the tour is regarded as being their best as well. Also, the most "challenging".

You think AB was more "challenging" than Zooropa or Passengers or Pop? Interesting...

AB may have been "challenging" to the existing fans who were used to their previous material but I fail to see how the general public found it all that out there... Take out Zoo Station and The Fly and what else is left that is all that sonically daring? Mysterious Ways maybe?

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

They're not making exactly the kind of music they want to make. They are trying to balance making the music they want with getting hits. You can ignore what Eno and the band say if you want.

and you can twist it to fit your opinion, life goes on I suppose

 

[torn vinyl]

AB may have been "challenging" to the existing fans who were used to their previous material but I fail to see how the general public found it all that out there... Take out Zoo Station and The Fly and what else is left that is all that sonically daring? Mysterious Ways maybe?

And that is a perfect paraphrase of what I said. I don't think it's more challenging musically than latter 90s albums, but to existeng fans it was a bit of a mind fuck. I don't think any of their albums are actually challenging.

And dude, I am not "twisting facts". They reworked and wrote new songs for Bomb because "the hits weren't there".

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

I give up

 

[mikal]