For comparison: Usenet discussion from 1991 about "The Fly"

[Melon50]

I think it's cool to read that the diversity in opinions and discussions in 1991 was very similar to what we see happening now with GOYB..

U2's 'The Fly' - Are you JOKING? - rec.music.misc | Google Groups

Melon50

 

[NicolasBE]

Very interesting ... The comments on The Fly are the same as of GOYB today I like the part: "The problem with 'The Fly' is that it sounds like what INXS has been
doing for a while now. In fact, I thought it was INXS when I first
heard it. And I didn't hear any trademark Edge guitar either"

I call this the thread of the day, but who am I to do that ?
Bottom line for me is that GOYB is the same as those fans received the Fly in 1991: strange, experimantal new sound, but not an overall indication of the new album. There will definitely be atmospheric melodies and anthems in the other songs.

However, I doubt that GOYB will become my favourite U2 song, because that is The Fly But I don't blame or hate U2 for that.

 

[An Cat Gav]

Haven't heard it yet but if it has anything like the same effect that the Fly had on me in 1991 then i will be happy beyond belief, The Fly is my fave ever U2 single.

 

[Popmartijn]

Very interesting ... The comments on The Fly are the same as of GOYB today

And what was said about Vertigo, Discothèque, Numb, etc. You can only wonder now what the reactions were when With Or Without You or Desire premiered.

Interesting find!

 

[The Sad Punk]

That's a pretty interesting little read. Thanks.

 

[standrums]

Excellent find!!

This bit is brilliant:

">If 'The Fly' is any indication of the rest of 'Achtung, Baby' and
>U2's musical direction, I think we can fashion 4 caskets, and label
>them: Bono, Edge, Adam, and Larry. U2 is dead. What an unimaginative
>piece of garbage. "

I laughed out loud at that post!

 

[The Sad Punk]

NEW NEGATIVLAND (buy it!) BOYCOTT OR KILL U2! - rec.music.misc | Google Groups

Wow, nothing really has changed at all.

 

[lancerla]

Thanks to the OP for the perspective.

 

[indra]

You can only wonder now what the reactions were when With Or Without You or Desire premiered.

I was thrilled with WOWY -- that was one of the few times I was ever completely happy with a band's single choice.

I liked Desire, but found that it wore thin after a while. Not sure what other song on R&H I would have used instead though. With rare exceptions (such as WOWY) I'm not much good at picking commercially viable singles.

 

[samb_uk]

U2's 'The Fly' - Are you JOKING? - rec.music.misc | Google Groups

On The Fly: "Contrary to someone else's posting, I
don't find The Edge's guitar at all interesting on this track"

 

[Rob33]

wow, this is really interesting to read, thanks

 

[brianvox]

Great thread - well done!

 

[jasonlee]

It's official. The Fly sucks.

Coincidentally, I never understood the appeal of The Fly until last night when I heard it with a pair of headphones.

Jesus Christ.

 

[Rob33]

It's official. The Fly sucks.

Coincidentally, I never understood the appeal of The Fly until last night when I heard it with a pair of headphones.

Jesus Christ.

are you serious?

GOYB sounds reeeally good cranked in some good headphones btw

 

[oceane]

There was internet in 1991?

Seriously, I remember the internet becoming widespread around 1995, no?

I'm shocked, I was so behind!

But yeah, very interesting perspective, we all know U2 always had to live with the weight of their previous songs, and this weight is becoming heavier and heavier with each album.

 

[NicolasBE]

It's official. The Fly sucks.

Coincidentally, I never understood the appeal of The Fly until last night when I heard it with a pair of headphones.

Jesus Christ.

Yeah, and The Fly is overproduced and has way too much layers in it. It's too much sound cramped in too few minutes. And those lyrics ... sigh

/ironic mode off/

I even don't hear the words "The Fly" in the chorus ! What a piece of crap !

 

[Maassie]

Excellent find!!

This bit is brilliant:

">If 'The Fly' is any indication of the rest of 'Achtung, Baby' and
>U2's musical direction, I think we can fashion 4 caskets, and label
>them: Bono, Edge, Adam, and Larry. U2 is dead. What an unimaginative
>piece of garbage. "

I laughed out loud at that post!

Fantastic! To me this looks like NLOTH has the potential to be just as ground breaking for U2 as Achtung Baby was.... I am still trying to find my way into GOYB, but I remember that I had the same reaction to The Fly in the day. I remember hearing the single for the first time and thinking: 'What the f***???' And I must day, my initial reaction to GOYB was equal!!

Would there still be a tread available about the build up to the Achtung Baby release? That could be interesting!

Anyway, excellent post!

 

[Peterrrrr]

It is realy funny, fans has shout out that they don't want the tradional sound they had on ATYCLB/HTDAAB. And when it gets different like GOYB they get upset instead...

The people who didnt like The Fly in 1991 is probaly now the ones who wants the new album to sound like AB

 

[blueeyedgirl]

There was internet in 1991?

Yeah it had a different name then though: it was called "letters page to the NME"

 

[last unicorn]

It is realy funny, fans has shout out that they don't want the tradional sound they had on ATYCLB/HTDAAB. And when it gets different like GOYB they get upset instead...

The people who didnt like The Fly in 1991 is probaly now the ones who wants the new album to sound like AB

Agree. U2 fans are full of contradictions.

 

[santiago]

This is great and hilarious - thanks for posting it. Of course, for many who those of us who think that “The fly” is the holy grail, it’s funny to go back to when it was just U2’s latest single, it puts things into perspective!

I think as U2 fans we give so much attention to the music that we end up feeling a bit proprietary about it. There’s a feeling of “hey you can’t do that, you are U2!”, whether “that!” is (take your pick) using drum machines, bringing a bellydancer on tour, making experimental soundtracks, playing country with Bob Dylan, making a religious album, writing about sexy boots, etc… It takes us quite a while to really “get” a U2 album, particularly when there is a certain stylistic shift.

Past U2 music is “fixed” and can be put on a pedestal (or demonized) - Current U2 music is always uncertain and exciting, it could fail or it could be the biggest thing. I think this insecurity is what drives a lot of the posts here (ehh including my own!)

I am liking GOYB a lot at the moment – it’s early days, but I think there’s enough of a shift to make it a musical-taste-expanding single, and hopefully the album will be similar (not necessarily in style, but at least in spirit).

Perhaps we should all be less sanguine about our opinions and realize that hey, it’s an ongoing process, if we spoke in about a year’s time our opinions would be a bit more solid!

Santiago

 

[jasonlee]

are you serious?

GOYB sounds reeeally good cranked in some good headphones btw

Well, I was able to hear the percussion and bass parts, finally, which made a huge difference. Now I have to go through all the thousands of songs with my headphones.

Sigh.

 

[LarryMullenFan]

haha great thread. We could copy paste it here and reply The Fly by GOYB and not notice any difference

 

[vaz02]

Give GOYB time, dont be the ejjits quoted in 1991 in 2009.

 

[dan_smee]

hahaha this is classic. sucks to be the haters right now...

HATERS TO THA LEFT LOLZ!

 

[PowerSurge]

Excellent find!!

This bit is brilliant:

">If 'The Fly' is any indication of the rest of 'Achtung, Baby' and
>U2's musical direction, I think we can fashion 4 caskets, and label
>them: Bono, Edge, Adam, and Larry. U2 is dead. What an unimaginative
>piece of garbage. "

I laughed out loud at that post!

Pretty much confirms my belief that GOYB was chosen as the first single as a sign of whats to comes as opposed to trying to proves something and win fans over like B-Day and Vertigo did. If the album is as eclectic and "out there" as we've been reading then I think its an appropriate single.

Agree. U2 fans are full of contradictions.

contradiction is balance.....

 

[Mr. V]

Agree. U2 fans are full of contradictions.

I know. People want experimentation, but when they get it they get confused and angry. If we were given Vertigo II you'd get the same folks whinge about the band playing it safe and selling out.

I, for one, am thrilled with the mixed reaction.

 

[bugo]

The Fly kicks ass - I can't believe people in 1991 thought it was techno garbage... (Wait til they hear pop : P)

Also, the internet existed in 1991?? Really?

 

[Chill Mike D]

Have you guys never seen Wargames? The internet has been around for quite a while.

 

[ponkine]

The Fly was and sounded different, revolutionary and fresh. It wasn't the 80s U2 updating their sound, rather it was a damn shocking new band with a new musical style, direction and sound.

There's nothing, absolutely nothing new, nothing we haven't heard before from the U2 catalog in Boots. It's pretty much Vertigo 09 version with Pop-like production.