A 9 Song Album?

[icculus]

So I've listened to NLOTH numerous times now and I keep finding myself skipping GOYB and SUC. It's not that I dislike either song - I actually think they're both pretty cool. They just kill the mood of the album for me. It got me thinking that some of my fave albums are only 9 songs (Depeche Mode "Violator", The Cure "Bloodflowers" just to name a few). Why not U2 keeping it at 9 songs? They've always been about brevity anyways. It still clocks in at 46+ minutes, almost the length of the previous two albums.

"...Crazy Tonight" is the necessary uplifting track in the middle from keeping it too heavy/moody. And it segues into FBB quite nicely in my opinion.

Just a thought - I guess it doesn't matter since I can always skip the songs anyways. But since U2 have made such a big deal about making an actual album instead of a collection of songs, it just makes more sense to drop GYOB and SUC for mood and flow sake.

Well said. I totally agree with you! I already deleted those tracks from my Mac. Those two tracks are just a total disjointed mess.

 

[icculus]

I'm going to print the binary code of these mp3 files ( boots , comedy ) and burn them.

 

[U2STU]

So I've listened to NLOTH numerous times now and I keep finding myself skipping GOYB and SUC. It's not that I dislike either song - I actually think they're both pretty cool. They just kill the mood of the album for me. It got me thinking that some of my fave albums are only 9 songs (Depeche Mode "Violator", The Cure "Bloodflowers" just to name a few). Why not U2 keeping it at 9 songs? They've always been about brevity anyways. It still clocks in at 46+ minutes, almost the length of the previous two albums.

"...Crazy Tonight" is the necessary uplifting track in the middle from keeping it too heavy/moody. And it segues into FBB quite nicely in my opinion.

Just a thought - I guess it doesn't matter since I can always skip the songs anyways. But since U2 have made such a big deal about making an actual album instead of a collection of songs, it just makes more sense to drop GYOB and SUC for mood and flow sake.

I actually like the fact that these rockier moments take the album somewhere else, you need that diversity, plus the band need some signature rock tunes for the live scene, and both Boots & Stand Up fit that bill, i say the way it is, it's just fine, i don't skip a thing, i even listen to boots in full each time.

You could ALWAYS burn yourself a copy minus a few tracks!

 

[No Destination]

if im u2 I make Brian the Brain Eno a permanent member of the group...the guy brings out the best in u2

 

[asr]

My Ideal 9 Songs would be:

NLOTH
Magnificent
Moment Of Surrender
Unknown Caller
Get On Your Boots
FEZ-Being Born
WAS
Breathe
Ceders Of Lebenon


Now that would have been a perfect album

 

[Purplereign]

it's fine.

i'd argue it's too damn short, tbh.

. . . always feel a little bit sad that its over so quickly . . .and then I remember the repeat button

I actually like the fact that these rockier moments take the album somewhere else, you need that diversity, plus the band need some signature rock tunes for the live scene, and both Boots & Stand Up fit that bill, i say the way it is, it's just fine, i don't skip a thing, i even listen to boots in full each time.

You could ALWAYS burn yourself a copy minus a few tracks!

uh huh . . . nicely said

 

[xtrmx]

WoW U2 makes a happy song for once and a lot of people starts bashing it. If this album came without Crazy tonight it would've been one hell of a boring one.

For me it would've been a perfect album if they'd remove White as Snow and Breathe and added all 4 of the 2006 beach clips. Especially the song that sounded a bit like a james bond song.("I believe" I think it was?) And switch NLOTH (boring goes nowhere, bad vocal) with NLOTH2 (brilliant). Oh and remove the superlong intro of unknown caller, I always skip it before the real song even begins.

 

[BVS]

And switch NLOTH (boring goes nowhere, bad vocal) with NLOTH2 (brilliant).

 

[purpleoscar]

I know people who don't like So Cruel and TTTYAATW but those are songs that others may like. Some people think CT is the best song on the album. The album is meant to cover a spectrum of colors so when you are tired of the heavy atmospheric Eno/Lanois stuff you can get into the other songs as a break.

Variety is the spice of life.

 

[believer75]

I know people who don't like So Cruel and TTTYAATW but those are songs that others may like. Some people think CT is the best song on the album. The album is meant to cover a spectrum of colors so when you are tired of the heavy atmospheric Eno/Lanois stuff you can get into the other songs as a break.

Variety is the spice of life.

Exactly...take a look at the White Album by the Beatles. Songs from all different spectrums....Revolution #9, Blackbird, Helter Skelter. They did not limit themselves...and neither do U2.

 

[purpleoscar]

Exactly...take a look at the White Album by the Beatles. Songs from all different spectrums....Revolution #9, Blackbird, Helter Skelter. They did not limit themselves...and neither do U2.

Yeah and we have the other half of the album we haven't heard yet which will mostly likely show that they have lots more of the musical spectrum to show us. At some point the Spiderman songs will be released showing more versatility. We have to be patient. There's lots more to come from this band.

 

[believer75]

Yeah and we have the other half of the album we haven't heard yet which will mostly likely show that they have lots more of the musical spectrum to show us. At some point the Spiderman songs will be released showing more versatility. We have to be patient. There's lots more to come from this band.

Exactly right, purpleoscar. I agree with you. I am excited about what the future holds for U2.

 

[gherman]

I love the album the way it is. I wouldn't change a thing

 

[LemonMelon]

Just cut out SUC. The day/night split they were going on about is clearer if you do that, and the segue from GOYB to Fez is much better than SUC's into Fez.

 

[Slapnutz]

If you get rid of the trio of turd Crazy Tonight, Boots and SUC the segue from Unknown Caller into Fez is a thing of beauty.

 

[Acrobat51829]

It flows better if you delete the sugar-coated Crazy Tonight.

Yes.

I agree with the original poster. I actually do like both songs, Boots more than SUC, but I usually skip them and save them for the end if I'm sitting down to listen to the album as a whole. I get a clearer feel of the album that way.

 

[Muldfeld]

Did you even read my initial post?? I never said it wasn't because I didn't like those songs - I'm talking about flow and mood.

Don't worry about some people. You're just stating your fervent opinion, but some always choose to interpret opinions they don't like as coercive. Just ignore 'em, bub.

 

[dan_smee]

I should have known better than to start an intelligent debate here.

Nevermind - go back to our regularly scheduled programming people - bashing others, saying how much you hate HTDAAB, discussing Mercy to no end, blah blah blah.

I can see your point, but do you remember how pissed off people were when we found out there were only 11 songs on the album?

People had the trumped up idea that we would get a double album, or at least 15 songs.

I see your point from an artistic perspective, but I think the majority of fans would have seen it as a major 'fuck you'.

I say fuck the whingers, but unfortunately, the whingers pay the bills

 

[Catman]

i actually remove MOS and FEZ, i just dont like em

 

[OrARoundabout]

I never skip when listening to U2 albums in the car...but I find myself skipping alot with NLOTH...


Not good

 

[Zoocoustic]

Funny you say that roundabout...I did that with Bomb...big time. I'm not even sure I listened to that album straight through more than once.

NLOTH is a very different situation for me. I play that thing straight through time and time again. I love it. All of it. EVEN STAND UP COMEDY.

 

[65980]

I kind of agree with Slapnutz (nice name!) here. Although Paultjr is probably right that those two songs don't fit the rest of the album, I still think those are pretty good songs (well, SUC is anyway). "Go Crazy" just annoys me. I don't think it's a good song, and I think its kind of in poor taste.

Really, I'm more excited by a collection of good, diverse songs than I am by a collection that simply flows well. I don't know what it is about "Crazy", but it just bothers me.

 

[last unicorn]

With NLOTH, I don't skip anything. In fact, I'm listening to the album when I'm lying in bed at night, and I'd be too lazy to skip a song anyway. But the album seems complete to me, no need to skip. Yesterday I was so tired and fell asleep during 2-3 songs, and when I woke up again I listened to these songs again, because I didn't want to miss anything. Stand up comedy is always waking me up again

My favourite songs are Fez and White as snow.

 

[dazzledbylight]

Yeah, let's remove all the songs we don't like.
We will have a 0 song album after that.
The album is fine the way it is.

 

[theoriginal]

I agree with the original poster, I skip Boots and SUC every time. On my Itunes and Ipod, they're gone, and Winter is added, making an excellent 10 song album in my regard.

 

[AndrewCowley]

I reject this 9 song idea. Only truly great albums have no low points. And the reality is that NLOTH is not a truly great album. HOWEVER by U2's standards, in terms of consistency, it is right up there as one of their best. I can't come at this idea of ditching two songs. In terms of flow and consistency it is as good as U2 have ever done.

 

[OrARoundabout]

Funny you say that roundabout...I did that with Bomb...big time. I'm not even sure I listened to that album straight through more than once.

NLOTH is a very different situation for me. I play that thing straight through time and time again. I love it. All of it. EVEN STAND UP COMEDY.

STAND OP COMEDY ISN'T THAT BAD...I don't understand all the hate

 

[dan_smee]

^ just because people skip them doesn't mean it doesn't have flow and consistency.

Some people don't like songs for other reasons too...

If we are comparing to HTDAAB, (which I love btw) these two songs seem to line up well stylistically and their purpose on the album with Vertigo (GOYB), and ABOY (SUC). I think most people here would agree that both the NLOTH songs beat the HTDAAB songs.

They serve their purpose in the flow of the album, because an album of nearly 1 hour cannot stay in fairly familiar musical territory the whole time. Part of flow is smoothly introducing new concepts without ruining the balance. These songs acheive that for me.

CT into GOYB is a good transition. It goes from light pop into heavier rock, but still with the pop flavour. Then SUC completes the tranisition, keeps the rock, and some of the pop, but adds the funk. It sort of completes the trilogy of songs. They work well in order, and the flow from UC into CT and SUC into F-BB are good ones.

 

[sue4u2]

^ just because people skip them doesn't mean it doesn't have flow and consistency.

CT into GOYB is a good transition. It goes from light pop into heavier rock, but still with the pop flavour. Then SUC completes the tranisition, keeps the rock, and some of the pop, but adds the funk. It sort of completes the trilogy of songs. They work well in order, and the flow from UC into CT and SUC into F-BB are good ones.

Yeah but on the cd I burned, I've left off Crazy and Boots.
I have Crazy Tonight, and listen to it. But it's not on the setlist that I burned. Boots doesn't fit, period.
What I have works better for me.

 

[Michael Griffiths]

A finished 'Winter' would have made this album a masterpiece. And it would not have changed my life for the worse if 'Boots' hadn't been included.