Q Magazine - U2 in October 2008 - In the studio

[Zooropa man]

oooppsss.... Sorry....

beam me up Scottie... (close thread)

 

[namkcuR]

Why does everyone keep bashing A Man And A Woman? On an album full of 'trying-too-hard-to-be-big-singles while also going back to our roots' songs, A Man And A Woman is one of the few actually natural-sounding songs with a beautiful, natural-sounding melody, great lyrics, and an atmospheric feeling that harkins back to their UF days, or even their MDH tracks(The Ground Beneath Her Feet, Stateless, Falling At Your Feet).

It's one of the top two or three tracks on Bomb, imo.

 

[Hoodlem]

Why does everyone keep bashing A Man And A Woman? On an album full of 'trying-too-hard-to-be-big-singles while also going back to our roots' songs, A Man And A Woman is one of the few actually natural-sounding songs with a beautiful, natural-sounding melody, great lyrics, and an atmospheric feeling that harkins back to their UF days, or even their MDH tracks(The Ground Beneath Her Feet, Stateless, Falling At Your Feet).

It's one of the top two or three tracks on Bomb, imo.

YES YES YES!

 

[martha]

do we seriously have to talk about Coldplay again in this forum??

Fucking tell me about it.


(sing it brotha/sistah)

 

[doctorwho]

Why does everyone keep bashing A Man And A Woman? On an album full of 'trying-too-hard-to-be-big-singles while also going back to our roots' songs, A Man And A Woman is one of the few actually natural-sounding songs with a beautiful, natural-sounding melody, great lyrics, and an atmospheric feeling that harkins back to their UF days, or even their MDH tracks(The Ground Beneath Her Feet, Stateless, Falling At Your Feet).

It's one of the top two or three tracks on Bomb, imo.

Am I "everyone". I know I put on a few pounds, but "everyone"? Wow.

I've disliked that song the moment I heard it. I find it unmelodic, boring, uninspiring and trivial. It's like a forced way of writing a love song. U2 have written haunting and powerful love songs before - this is not one of them. To me, AMAAW pales in comparison to the UF-AB era where U2 had some great love songs (WOWY, AIWIY, "One").

Regardless, I feel "Mercy" was a far better song and AMAAW could have been a nice b-side. HTDAAB would have been better served by the inclusion of "Mercy" and the removal of AMAAW. But that's my view. Clearly you disagree. And it could be this very type of disagreement that is causing this split thinking in the band right now.

 

[LastNameonEarth]

OH. MY. GOD. Another thread has fallen onto the Bomb track . I've already posted about all the threads becoming Bombastic on another thread, and here we go again! And Coldplay slip in here for good measure!

I missed this thread when it first started, but I stopped paying attemtion to Q about seven years ago - it's a gash magazine. Crap. Maybe even worse than the NME. Also, monthly releases often publish out-dated info, so I wouldn't trust it for those reasons. Buy MOJO or UNCUT if you live in the UK.

I'll be playing a CD of NLOTH by Xmas Day

 

[LastNameonEarth]

Q is rubbish - ignore.

 

[namkcuR]

Am I "everyone". I know I put on a few pounds, but "everyone"? Wow.

I've disliked that song the moment I heard it. I find it unmelodic, boring, uninspiring and trivial. It's like a forced way of writing a love song. U2 have written haunting and powerful love songs before - this is not one of them. To me, AMAAW pales in comparison to the UF-AB era where U2 had some great love songs (WOWY, AIWIY, "One").

Regardless, I feel "Mercy" was a far better song and AMAAW could have been a nice b-side. HTDAAB would have been better served by the inclusion of "Mercy" and the removal of AMAAW. But that's my view. Clearly you disagree. And it could be this very type of disagreement that is causing this split thinking in the band right now.

There were one or two others who expressed dislike of AMAAW too.

I feel that both Mercy and AMAAW deserved to be on the record. I think Bomb would have been better served, as you put it, by replacing Miracle Drug, Crumbs, and Yahweh with Mercy, Fast Cars on all copies, Love You Like Mad, and Smile.

 

[Iskra]

Why does everyone keep bashing A Man And A Woman? On an album full of 'trying-too-hard-to-be-big-singles while also going back to our roots' songs, A Man And A Woman is one of the few actually natural-sounding songs with a beautiful, natural-sounding melody, great lyrics, and an atmospheric feeling that harkins back to their UF days, or even their MDH tracks(The Ground Beneath Her Feet, Stateless, Falling At Your Feet).

It's one of the top two or three tracks on Bomb, imo.

Amen

 

[LemonMelon]

Why does everyone keep bashing A Man And A Woman? On an album full of 'trying-too-hard-to-be-big-singles while also going back to our roots' songs, A Man And A Woman is one of the few actually natural-sounding songs with a beautiful, natural-sounding melody, great lyrics, and an atmospheric feeling that harkins back to their UF days, or even their MDH tracks(The Ground Beneath Her Feet, Stateless, Falling At Your Feet).

It's one of the top two or three tracks on Bomb, imo.

100% agreed. I AMAAW.

 

[popacrobat]

Fucking tell me about it.


(sing it brotha/sistah)

Brotha

 

[shaun vox]

how insightful.

Coldplay are the New u2!!
and their album "viva la vida" is better than atyclb and bomb combined!










coldplay!












coldplay

 

[Screwtape2]

Why does everyone keep bashing A Man And A Woman? On an album full of 'trying-too-hard-to-be-big-singles while also going back to our roots' songs, A Man And A Woman is one of the few actually natural-sounding songs with a beautiful, natural-sounding melody, great lyrics, and an atmospheric feeling that harkins back to their UF days, or even their MDH tracks(The Ground Beneath Her Feet, Stateless, Falling At Your Feet).

It's one of the top two or three tracks on Bomb, imo.

I think I'd really like AMAAW if there was more to it. It is just so simple and uninteresting. It would make for a great early demo but not a finished product.

 

[popacrobat]

I think I'd really like AMAAW if there was more to it. It is just so simple and uninteresting. It would make for a great early demo but not a finished product.

Don't you love the early demos though?

 

[Screwtape2]

Don't you love the early demos though?

Yes. I actually like AMAAW but it isn't a great song in my opinion. I think it could be if they did something more with it.

 

[purpleoscar]

Why does everyone keep bashing A Man And A Woman? On an album full of 'trying-too-hard-to-be-big-singles while also going back to our roots' songs, A Man And A Woman is one of the few actually natural-sounding songs with a beautiful, natural-sounding melody, great lyrics, and an atmospheric feeling that harkins back to their UF days, or even their MDH tracks(The Ground Beneath Her Feet, Stateless, Falling At Your Feet).

It's one of the top two or three tracks on Bomb, imo.

Amen!

 

[purpleoscar]

I used to listen to the "elders" in my local record store bash U2 endlessly to the point that I had to sneak my CDs to the counter to buy them.
Now I get to listen to fellow U2 fans bash coldplay.
It is immature, senseless and insecure.
More than that, it is embarrassing.
If you really think U2 don't sound like anyone else, you are fooling yourself.
Bono would you rip you 7 ways from Sunday if you brought this argument up to him.
Let it rest already.

You got to understand that there was a lot of hype made by Chris Martin that they were going to take on U2. I was hoping they could because U2 won't be there forever, but unfortunately Coldplay doesn't work as hard as U2.

Another thing you should consider. There is a difference between inspiration and ripping off people. U2 takes "inspiration" from other bands but moves it to the next level so it's uniquely U2. The Beatles took from Elvis but took it in their own direction. Coldplay WANTS to do that but they don't work as hard so it stays in limbo and the result is the music fizzles just beyond a few listens. The only real songs from that album that I hunger for are Cemetaries in London, Viva La Vida, and especially Strawberry Swing. Otherwise the depth of Coldplay albums aren't up to snuff to really compete with any U2 albums. Not even Zooropa. I want them to make a great album like Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby. I even like much of their songs but I was disappointed with the new album. I was hoping for greatness. My thought was "is that all they can do?" Where is this competition Chris Martin was talking about? U2's new beach clips sound better already. The end of the album was like some wanna be Dark side of the moon sound without the quality.

U2 is going to take some influence from Morocco but ultimately it's going to sound like a U2 record, and not a "cut and paste" generation Y wank fest.

Maybe people are gathering around Coldplay because they are "cool" and "young", and even more depressing, there's nothing else to listen to because rock bands SUCK today. Most bands are even worse than Coldplay. Even more depressing than that is maybe so many bands have done so many permutations of melodies and guitar riffs that they are running out of things to do that haven't been done. Even Shoe-gazing music addressed some of that crisis so you can't go there either.

It reminds me of that movie Ray where one of the guys on the mixing desk kept telling Ray that he sounds like Nat King Cole. "Nobody wants another Nat King Cole, if you don't have your own sound you've got nothing."

Look at classical music and how it fizzled in the beginning of the twentieth century and music became more atonal in an attempt to be original. Look at painting or fashion. I just watched a fashion show on TV with chocolatiers making chocolate clothing for the runway. What?!

Bob Dylan was right. U2 makes songs that nobody else can play. If I was a new band I would steer clear of U2's signature Anthem style and ringing guitar sound. When you go in that direction but don't take it to another personal level then you get mediocre stuff. This happened with Depeche Mode when they were competing against U2. Watch the DVD version of Songs of Faith and Devotion remastered album and look at the extras. You can see how Flood tried to work with them a la Achtung Baby. One of the tech guys in an interview talks about Flood and how he just came from "another one of those U2 records." You could see the envy and anger on his face. It wasn't just "another one of those records" but Achtung Baby.

Ambition bites the nails of SUCCESS!!!! You need more than Ambition.

When Zooropa came out people in my high school gave up on them and said that Pearl Jam was going to beat them. Nope. Nirvana was going to beat them. Nope. Radiohead, and REM just didn't want to go there so, nope. I guess Coldplay is next. If at first you dont succeed then try and try again.

Dammit! I want a new awesome band. So far I think Arcade Fire and Doves take the U2 thing and go in their own direction in a fantastic way. You can include Radiohead as well.

Doesn't anybody know of any other bands that can make 10 - 12 good songs per album? Please let me know.

 

[Bottle Bono]

I'd rather it came later and was finished properly.

We have had too many unfinished albums over the journey.

 

[Bottle Bono]

Amen!

Double Amen to A Man and a Women being a great song.

 

[vaz02]

I'd rather it came later and was finished properly.

We have had too many unfinished albums over the journey.

I think we have had too many polished albums in recent memory. Too much time to dwell is a bad thing.

 

[ndmaxfield]

I think we have had too many polished albums in recent memory. Too much time to dwell is a bad thing.

Agreed. When we got the "rare and unreleased" outtakes from HTDAAB, I was halfway disappointed that we didn't get some of the first versions (musically and/or lyrically). If the guys have a sense that they need to seriously revise some elements of the current songs, I have no problem waiting. But if they're agonizing over subtle background elements in the music or lyrics, then I wish they'd just release what they have. In fact, if they worry about anything, I wish it'd be the quality of the mixes. On ATYCLB and HTDAAB, some of Bono's lyrics are so loud that they block the amps on my stereo; and some of the musical elements are muddy. Just give us some great songs with some classic Bono lyrics and great music, recorded crisply and cleanly. (Sorry - I'm growing really impatient, and many of us agree that overproduction on some of the last albums just wasn't worth it!).

 

[Iskra]

You got to understand that there was a lot of hype made by Chris Martin that they were going to take on U2. I was hoping they could because U2 won't be there forever, but unfortunately Coldplay doesn't work as hard as U2.

Another thing you should consider. There is a difference between inspiration and ripping off people. U2 takes "inspiration" from other bands but moves it to the next level so it's uniquely U2. The Beatles took from Elvis but took it in their own direction. Coldplay WANTS to do that but they don't work as hard so it stays in limbo and the result is the music fizzles just beyond a few listens. The only real songs from that album that I hunger for are Cemetaries in London, Viva La Vida, and especially Strawberry Swing. Otherwise the depth of Coldplay albums aren't up to snuff to really compete with any U2 albums. Not even Zooropa. I want them to make a great album like Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby. I even like much of their songs but I was disappointed with the new album. I was hoping for greatness. My thought was "is that all they can do?" Where is this competition Chris Martin was talking about? U2's new beach clips sound better already. The end of the album was like some wanna be Dark side of the moon sound without the quality.

U2 is going to take some influence from Morocco but ultimately it's going to sound like a U2 record, and not a "cut and paste" generation Y wank fest.

Maybe people are gathering around Coldplay because they are "cool" and "young", and even more depressing, there's nothing else to listen to because rock bands SUCK today. Most bands are even worse than Coldplay. Even more depressing than that is maybe so many bands have done so many permutations of melodies and guitar riffs that they are running out of things to do that haven't been done. Even Shoe-gazing music addressed some of that crisis so you can't go there either.

It reminds me of that movie Ray where one of the guys on the mixing desk kept telling Ray that he sounds like Nat King Cole. "Nobody wants another Nat King Cole, if you don't have your own sound you've got nothing."

Look at classical music and how it fizzled in the beginning of the twentieth century and music became more atonal in an attempt to be original. Look at painting or fashion. I just watched a fashion show on TV with chocolatiers making chocolate clothing for the runway. What?!

Bob Dylan was right. U2 makes songs that nobody else can play. If I was a new band I would steer clear of U2's signature Anthem style and ringing guitar sound. When you go in that direction but don't take it to another personal level then you get mediocre stuff. This happened with Depeche Mode when they were competing against U2. Watch the DVD version of Songs of Faith and Devotion remastered album and look at the extras. You can see how Flood tried to work with them a la Achtung Baby. One of the tech guys in an interview talks about Flood and how he just came from "another one of those U2 records." You could see the envy and anger on his face. It wasn't just "another one of those records" but Achtung Baby.

Ambition bites the nails of SUCCESS!!!! You need more than Ambition.

When Zooropa came out people in my high school gave up on them and said that Pearl Jam was going to beat them. Nope. Nirvana was going to beat them. Nope. Radiohead, and REM just didn't want to go there so, nope. I guess Coldplay is next. If at first you dont succeed then try and try again.

Dammit! I want a new awesome band. So far I think Arcade Fire and Doves take the U2 thing and go in their own direction in a fantastic way. You can include Radiohead as well.

Doesn't anybody know of any other bands that can make 10 - 12 good songs per album? Please let me know.

My point is that no band has to "beat" anyone.
It's a bizzare and childish way to discuss music.
They're bands not sports teams.

It's even more bizzare to think Arcade Fire, Doves and Radiohead have anything to do with U2.
They took the U2 thing in their own direction?
Why is it a U2 thing?
Why isn't a Beatles thing?
A Led Zep thing?
How about an Ah-ha thing?
This discussion confuses the hell out of me.

 

[buzzkill27]

I think we have had too many polished albums in recent memory. Too much time to dwell is a bad thing.

Damn right,I almost compare it to a multiple choice test and you're not sure of the answer...you're always told your first choice is usually the one that's correct....if you overthink things....you decide to erase the first answer and pick another answer...which usually ends up being the wrong one


This album is DONE it has been done since Daniel Lanois left to go back to Canada at the end of June...all that was left was final mixes,song running order and mastering the new album....plus all the maketing that goes with it.

One hopes that U2 doesn't do a "Bomb" and start dropping songs off the album because it A.) Doesn't fit the "theme" of the album or B.) It doesn't fit with the running order....just put the good songs on the album....I don't care what order they run in...or if they fit some theme

 

[Bottle Bono]

Anything could happen with the album as there are too many layers of management with U2.

Daniel Lanios may not even know some of the songs once he hears them again on the finished version because they have been over produced so much.

 

[Bottle Bono]

Doesn't anybody know of any other bands that can make 10 - 12 good songs per album? Please let me know.

The Wiggles.

 

[nirniva]

Get On Your Boots - Oh, really? And I was just getting used to "Sexy Boots", too. Sounded kind of like it could have been a lost track from Pop from the name...

MoS: Eight minutes long? THAT is hinting at something even more epic than we've come to expect from U2.

Breathe - "F-off live rocker", huh? Kinda reminds me of The Fly, one of my favorite U2 tracks...

Also...pre-Christmas. Please. I've always associated U2 with November for some reason (mostly because they tend to release most of their stuff around then...)

 

[buzzkill27]

Agreed. When we got the "rare and unreleased" outtakes from HTDAAB, I was halfway disappointed that we didn't get some of the first versions (musically and/or lyrically). If the guys have a sense that they need to seriously revise some elements of the current songs, I have no problem waiting. But if they're agonizing over subtle background elements in the music or lyrics, then I wish they'd just release what they have. In fact, if they worry about anything, I wish it'd be the quality of the mixes. On ATYCLB and HTDAAB, some of Bono's lyrics are so loud that they block the amps on my stereo; and some of the musical elements are muddy. Just give us some great songs with some classic Bono lyrics and great music, recorded crisply and cleanly. (Sorry - I'm growing really impatient, and many of us agree that overproduction on some of the last albums just wasn't worth it!).

Yeah I bought the complete U2 on I-tunes....it made me so angry that "Love you Like Mad" ......"Flower Child"....."Smile" and "Are You Gonna Wait Forever" aren't on the past two albums but a awful boring song like "When I Look At The World" is......"City Of Blinding Lights" sounds awful on the record compared to how it sounds live."One Step Closer To Knowing" is so horribly produced it puts me to sleep...would have sounded better stripped down.

When you hear how great the alternate version of "Yaweh" on the complete I-tunes you realize just how awful the version that made the album is...and "Fast Cars" was only on special editions instead of being on ALL copies of HTDAAB....stupid.

I for one am glad Eno and Lanois were writing collaborators on this album because I think they gave U2 the kick up the ass that they needed...here's hoping any B-sides for future singles are live versions of old songs or new music that we all know was to weak to make the new album....I don't want to hear B-sides that are better than A-sides.

 

[jasonlee]

I strongly disagree, Buzz.

 

[lazarus]

I thought Songs of Faith and Devotion (along with Music for the Masses) was Depeche Mode's finest hour.

Doesn't really sound like U2, either.

 

[GibsonGirl]

no one plays or sounds like the Edge

You'd be surprised...