Proud to like last 3 Albums

[intedomine]

All U2 albums are enjoyable and have redeeming features, including the last 3.

Still better than most of the shite out there, still the best band in the world. U2's only dud is Rattle and Hum for me.

 

[Hawkmoon72]

Proud is strong. Appreciate is the word I would use.

Were Leave Behind and Bomb safe albums. Absolutely. But, what many folks are forgetting is that many, many, many U2 fans fell in love with them all over again for the safety they offered in those albums.

But, more important to me than the albums themselves was the tours. Elevation and Vertigo were nearly identical in terms of format (heart v ellipse), but the tours were amazing. And they were fueled by the popularity of those albums.


Were the last two albums great? Not by my standards for the band, but they had enough great moments on them for me to be pretty darn happy that the boys were still relevant and making good to great music. Maybe not earth shattering, ribbon ceremony cutting music ... but good to great music. I have always feared that U2 would follow the path of a Rolling Stones, but they haven't ... so far. Thankfully.

I don't post much on these things because I honestly don't get folks on forums sometimes. U2 is bashed for going too far ... Pop ... and then get bashed for returning to their roots ... Leave Behind and Bomb.

Albums are moderately overrated in the iPod age anyway. I don't really listen to an album 1-11 these days anymore other than a U2 release and only then when i first get it. After that it goes into iPod shuffle land. And, I can get 6 or 7 good tunes from the boys with every release, that's that matters to me.

So, to the folks who love the last three albums ... great for you. For those who don't, I hope the boys release something you do love.

But, one thing is for sure, they rarely, if ever, disappoint live. And with a new album, that means will be able to see that magic one more time.

 

[cdirani]

Yeah, I love their last three albums, I've never understood the hate for ATYCLB and HTDAAB, they are both great albums to me. At the moment, NLOTH is all I think about, but I'll sure go back to the other two albums, and their older stuff, again soon.

For sure. A cover band from my place did Kite yesterday and I had goosebumps. The same for GOBL. If the record touches you in such emotional ways that can't be bad. I can't see why fans call the 2000's wasted. The albums sold very well for our times. The tours were highly succesfull and fans sang along to the new songs the same way they did with the older ones.

I honestly do not need U2 to be groundbreaking till their last drop. I appreciate that, but I can be very satisfied with great albums and great music. The revolutionary sound thing is much more academic than anything else.

 

[angel_28]

I love ATYCLB and HTDAAB ..they are from different periods of my life..when I was dealing with tough times ATYCLB was a cd that I carried everywhere with me and it got me through it.

HTDAAB well I wasn't having any problems in my life then it was just a good album I enjoyed listening too.

Both albums have great memories attached to them for me..that I will probably never forget...and even NLOTH..I already have fond memories.. of the leak..which I found alot of fun and I am sure there is more to come!

 

[steveskg]

Here is my thing. I like ATYCLB, I think HTDAAB is great, and I'm really digging NLOTH.

My concern is this... I feel like though I pretty much like every song on HTDAAB and I like pretty much every song on NLOTH, there isn't a song on HTDAAB or NLOTH that stands out in the way a lot of U2 songs do for me as amazing classics. The last one I feel that can be compared to their 80s/90s hits is Beautiful Day.

I am talking about songs that stir great emotion in me and have powerful hooks/chorus. Maybe I'm being shallow in my selection of music, but for me I love the visceral.

Ex.
Pride (In the Name of Love)
With or Without You
Sunday Bloody Sunday
New Year's Day
One
The Fly
Until the End of the World
Miss Sarajevo
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me

Like I said... I think Beautiful Day belongs with those songs. But, though I like and enjoy listening to every song on HTDAAB, or NLOTH. I'm not sure any reach those heights.

The closest maybe is Magnificent. And I suppose only time will tell if it belongs. What do you guys think? I love songs like Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, and City of Blinding Lights, and Original of the Species but they lack a certain je ne sais quois for me as compared to the other songs.

What is wrong with me?

 

[NotBono]

I think HTDAAB its probably one of the most underappreciated U2 albums. It's what hooked me to U2, and I'm damn proud to have that in position #5 (for U2 albums). ATYCLB was the right album at the right time which is why it was #6 and NLOTH is just too damn good, therefore #3.

 

[The Passenger]

I really like most of ATYCLB & HTDAAB. I think some fans find them to be somewhat "safe" after the experimentation in the '90's...particularly HTDAAB. The thing about BOMB IMO is it was supposed to be a really stripped down rock album, but there were only a few rockers on there. I also think it suffered a bit from having to many producers working on it. For something that was supposed to be stripped down & spontaneous, it seems a bit too labored over. On the other hand, I think most of the tracks are really strong. The only one I don't care for is "A Man And A Woman." The whole Ipod think may have turned of some people too. Not just the commercial, but having to hear "Vertigo" over & over again. In the end, there is stuff on both of these albums that I would rank right up there with the best U2 songs...particularly "Beautiful Day" & "Original Of The Species". I also though "Electrical Storm" & "Window In The Skies" were great FWIW.

 

[dafish1234]

All that you can't leave behind meant a lot to me when it came out, but I don't revisit it very often these days. Still- Beautiful Day, Stuck, Kite, Walk On In a Little While, When I look at the World- these were all classic songs to me. And I'm still in love with Original of the Species and Miracle Drug.

ATCLYB was critically lauded by virtually everyone. There's some weird revisionist history on that one (though IMO that album is hurt by many skippable tracks, notable Wild Honey and Peace on Earth, and I really tired of Elevation after a while)

 

[The Passenger]

Another interesting point about the last 2 albums is how the songs are ranked on Itunes today. In the US, 5 out of the Top 10 U2 songs are from the last 2 albums...plus "Boots". If anything, this proves that their newest music is still relevant. I'm sure the list will change tomorrow, and there will be a bunch of songs from NLOTH.

 

[Chief43]

I am proud to have liked the last six albums, Zooropa partially, so I am with you all on this 2nd half U2 bandwagon! Woot Woot.

 

[Chief43]

All U2 albums are enjoyable and have redeeming features, including the last 3.

Still better than most of the shite out there, still the best band in the world. U2's only dud is Rattle and Hum for me.

Except All I Want Is You and Van Diemens Land

 

[xana dew]

Big fan of all their stuff, especially the last album. I understand the criticisms (I wish the drums would have been louder), but I adore Atomic Bomb. Spent many, many hours with that disc. Happily so. These guys are pretty damned consistent. I'm sure Horizon will hit me the same way.

Happy U2 day!

 

[Laugend]

Maybe these 3 absolutly incredible albums will give "the best of 2000/2010"
1/Vertigo
2/Get On Your Boots
3/The Hands That Built America
4/Beautiful Day
5/City Of Blinding Lights
6/Breathe
7/Window In The Sky
8/All Because Of You
9/I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
10/Stuck In A Moment That You Can't Get Out
11/The Saints Are Coming
12/Elevation
13/Electrical Storm
14/Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
15/Magnificent
16/Wave Of Sorrow
17/The Ground Beneath Her Feet
18/Walk On

 

[RPRB]

Except All I Want Is You and Van Diemens Land

God Part II
Desire
Angel of Harlem
Hawkmoon
Bullet the Blue Sky
Heartland

Who are we kidding R&H is great


I also digg the last 3 albums.

 

[Clawgrabber]

Maybe these 3 absolutly incredible albums will give "the best of 2000/2010"
1/Vertigo
2/Get On Your Boots
3/The Hands That Built America
4/Beautiful Day
5/City Of Blinding Lights
6/Breathe
7/Window In The Sky
8/All Because Of You
9/I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
10/Stuck In A Moment That You Can't Get Out
11/The Saints Are Coming
12/Elevation
13/Electrical Storm
14/Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
15/Magnificent
16/Wave Of Sorrow
17/The Ground Beneath Her Feet
18/Walk On

That would be awesome... except the damned fools already put 4 of those songs on best of 1990-2000