DaveC
Blue Crack Addict
the sweetest thing's success is what gave us 21st century U2.
Pop 25th Anniversary Thread... What do you want?
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Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
Also true. But Discotheque’s failure was only deepened by sweetest things success.
U2’s takeaway: “they don’t hate us, they just hate discotheque.”
Hollow Island
New Yorker
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Discotheque wasn't a failure, Pop wasn't a failure, Popmart wasn't a failure. It just didn't do as well as they'd have liked and their perception was coloured by a sense of entitlement and an inability to value commercial success if it doesn't take place in America. There was also a large element of homophobia to the American reception of Discotheque and Popmart.
The success of Sweetest Thing showed them the way out though. It was the worst thing that ever happened to them.
womanfish
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Yes and no I suppose. A blessing and a curse.
Some low attendance in Florida and a few midwest cities in the States and it was somehow a huge failure. Yes, still the biggest tour that year by far, and set the record for a single artist, ticketed event in Reggio Amelia Italy with over 150,000 people. I saw them all three nights in Chicago playing to 180,000 people over three days.
Disco would have been a really good album track. But being lead single with that video was a killer. Yes still a successful album sales wise, but IMO would have been much much bigger had Last Night, Gone or Staring led it off to the public.
For me I would have loved for them to keep pushing in Achtung / Zooropa / POP's direction. I think a cohesive No Line type style would have been a good follow up to POP.
But then on the other hand. The band's longevity, and a good portion of its success came from All That and Bomb. Not my favorite albums, but did bring on hoards of new fans, gobs of awards, and amazing tours.
So we may only be here now talking about them because of The Sweetest Thing. But we also have two top threads in the forum about their tarnished legacy and 'being done with them' because of the Sweetest Thing.
videos still mattered in 1997, and the discotheque video was ridiculous - as was the press conference in a KMart where they weren't even capable of playing a song that was actually on the album. and then they made a big deal of the first PopMart show - and butchered the first show. and had the worst ratings in the history of primetime television (at the time).
U2 have nobody to blame for Pop's slow start but themselves.
U2 have nobody to blame for Pop's slow start but themselves.
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Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
I don’t know if homophobia is quite the right term for 1997 … certainly there was a ton of homophobia and racism in the “Disco Sucks” movement, of which there was still some residue at this time.
I think it’s more that it was straight guys trying to do camp, and getting it wrong and looking tacky.
Anyway. If anyone wants a gay U2 album, listen to Boy.
what's going on in twilight anyways...
Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
It’s a virginity allegory with really unhealthy relationship models for cishet tween girls.
so i have a different take - and i understand the awkwardness of segueing into this topic after you said boy was the gay album because it's not related whatsoever - but it just got me thinking about the hidden meanings behind some of the songs.
so Songs of Innocence was a throwback to the same time that Boy was written. And there are connections through the Boy album to SOI in theme and topic. obviously you have songs'a'plenty about Bono's mom on Boy - which he's obviously spoken about a ton throughout the U2 discography - but it came back in full force on SOI with Iris and Volcano - cousins in theme to Out of Control, I Will Follow, etc.
i think the cousins of Twilight on that album are Sleep Like A Baby and The Troubles.
i have no idea if they are autobiographical in nature, or more in line with "a story about someone we knew" like Raised By Wolves.
but there's something going on there.
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
There were also a lot of folks who just thought the music, you know, sucked.
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
I Will Swallow?
Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
I’m an idiot. Literally thought you were talking about Vampires, lol.
Twilight will take me a minute and I’d want to write it not on my phone.
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
That explains things a bit. I was king of scratching my head thinking I need to re-examine the lyrics and see what I missed.
Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
Still can’t write too much, but I don’t think it’s a stretch at all to see sexual abuse imagery in “Twilight.”
I had always taken it as an older likely closeted man taking a pass at a younger man, while they younger man is on the cusp of adulthood and hating/fearing what that means — I think that’s been written about a lot, the young U2 wanting to resist adulthood.
The sexual confusion, fear and exhilaration, is all there — “running in the rain … late night play … soaking through the skin” — and the more obvious “in the shadows boy meets man.”
It’s not really about sex itself but about sexuality in general, and becoming aware of your own power and vulnerabilities — “my body grows and grows / it frightens me you know.”
Sex abuse is front and center in Baby Tonight and Troubles, and I can see the line between all three. If we’re hinting thet Bono is hinting that he (or one of them … or someone they know) was abused by a priest, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least given what we now know about the Catholic Church, and what everyone also knew then but didn’t say anything.
I had always taken it as an older likely closeted man taking a pass at a younger man, while they younger man is on the cusp of adulthood and hating/fearing what that means — I think that’s been written about a lot, the young U2 wanting to resist adulthood.
The sexual confusion, fear and exhilaration, is all there — “running in the rain … late night play … soaking through the skin” — and the more obvious “in the shadows boy meets man.”
It’s not really about sex itself but about sexuality in general, and becoming aware of your own power and vulnerabilities — “my body grows and grows / it frightens me you know.”
Sex abuse is front and center in Baby Tonight and Troubles, and I can see the line between all three. If we’re hinting thet Bono is hinting that he (or one of them … or someone they know) was abused by a priest, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least given what we now know about the Catholic Church, and what everyone also knew then but didn’t say anything.
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Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
Yeah, clearly pedophilia is a theme of Twilight the song.
Maybe the boy was Robert Pattinson.
cobl04
45:33
Discotheque fucking rules. With every day of being a U2 fan, I've grown to love Pop more and more. I haven't experienced that with other record in their oeuvre. It's incredible and it's so upsetting how they view it.
womanfish
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
I loved POP when it came out, and i love it even more now. There is just something so alive about this album. The songs that i used to kind of breeze by like Playboy Mansion and Velvet dress, I now appreciate and understand. For all the bands nonsense about it being “unfinished” - THAT is what’s so great about it. Fuck the Best of Hodges remixes. There is perfection in its flaws. The band at its most true, ballsy, and unaffected. In my top 4 U2 albums, But the U2 album that I listen to the most. It’s almost like I’m surprised and delighted every time I hear it again.
And I would kill to hear the Edge to be at this level again.
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OP
OP
ascender_RS
Refugee
Based on what we do know about the sessions, they should hand over the recordings to someone like Howie B and see what he can come up with from the time in terms of early versions, instrumental jams, loops etc. I bet someone like him could come up with some interesting pieces if they just gave him free reign with them.
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
Crickets
ChargedVT
Refugee
Will there even be a mention from the band (or whoever writes their posts) on social media?
mikal
Blue Crack Addict
Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
Probably for the best.
Do we dare imagine Twitter Bono?
Do we dare imagine Twitter Bono?
OP
OP
ascender_RS
Refugee
Unbelievable.
But totally believable.
As we've said before with stuff like this, we keep hoping they'll change how they do things, but they just don't seem interested. I suspect we'll get a tweet from their social media team asking what our favourite song is on the album.
Still one of my favourite albums they've done.
But totally believable.
As we've said before with stuff like this, we keep hoping they'll change how they do things, but they just don't seem interested. I suspect we'll get a tweet from their social media team asking what our favourite song is on the album.
Still one of my favourite albums they've done.
OP
OP
ascender_RS
Refugee
So yeah, I guess they've decided to do absolutely nothing to celebrate the 25th anniversary of this album. How ironic given a few of the reviews praised it at the time for affirming U2 were still very much relevant.
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
They neglected to release JT30 concert film during a pandemic when people were home doing nothing, if you thought they’d commemorate this you’re a sucker.
mikal
Blue Crack Addict
Holy crap I totally forgot about that concert film they were supposed to release.
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
U2.com subscriber gift for 2048 on standard DVD
well they're waiting so they can release it in the theaters, because that's what the kids are lining up to do
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