Who Is Still Excited?

[rjhbonovox]

That's probably one the worst analysis I've ever seen. Let's see how are we going to get the 10 year old crowd? I know, let's talk about our own mortality, dealing with death, starving nations, God, monogamy, etc... I hear these are really sexy topics for the 10 year olds.

Come on the only thing missing from U2 of today are the stools that Westlife use. And to say the yanks loved them before 2000, yep they did. Absolutely loved them in the 1980's but there popularity dipped in the 90's especially with the yanks. Thats why they chose to make songs as obvious as Beautiful Day and Stuck. Thats why they did the awful half time spot at the superbowl, so the yanks would love them all over again. Something like that would have never happened before but U2 was desperate to be loved by America again.

 

[BVS]

Come on the only thing missing from U2 of today are the stools that Westlife use. And to say the yanks loved them before 2000, yep they did. Absolutely loved them in the 1980's but there popularity dipped in the 90's especially with the yanks. Thats why they chose to make songs as obvious as Beautiful Day and Stuck. Thats why they did the awful half time spot at the superbowl, so the yanks would love them all over again. Something like that would have never happened before but U2 was desperate to be loved by America again.

Talk about revisionist history! Their popularity may have dipped with Pop, but that was about it.

But still your analysis reeks, too bad you couldn't actually discuss those points.

 

[U2girl]

Utoo and Yahweh

 

[LemonMelon]

Utoo and Yahweh

I don't want anyone to get the wrong ideas if they see me drooling over humans of a similar gender, but they do deserve some credit for their awesome posts, so...

 

[rihannsu]

also bear in the mind the third consecutive publicity stunt concocted by one of the band members to raise interest in the new album . With ATYCLB, it was Bono losing his laptop, with the bomb, edge losing a cd,, this time round, I think it will be Larry's turn , with him throwing out the master copy of the album, mistakenly thinking it was some trash....

That's kind of harsh. Bono's been losing things all his life, why think it's a publicity stunt? There was a Blender interview I think that was done the day of and day after the Bomb disk going missing and the interviewer arrived just as the band were finishing up with the police interviews. They were grilled pretty heavily by both the Nice police and Interpol and very upset. It would be positively ridiculous at the level of fame that they have to put themselves through that kind of shit for a publicity stunt which they clearly didn't need. They have no trouble getting publicity as every media outlet around will jump at the chance to cover them.

Dana

 

[becca_lyn]

Come on the only thing missing from U2 of today are the stools that Westlife use. And to say the yanks loved them before 2000, yep they did. Absolutely loved them in the 1980's but there popularity dipped in the 90's especially with the yanks. Thats why they chose to make songs as obvious as Beautiful Day and Stuck. Thats why they did the awful half time spot at the superbowl, so the yanks would love them all over again. Something like that would have never happened before but U2 was desperate to be loved by America again.

I do believe that their popularity dipped after Zoo TV, only because "Zooropa" and "Pop" were not, when you sit down to think about it, classic U2 albums, especially "Zooropa." After hearing that album, and after "Pop," I really thought that they had gone the way of the Bee Gees and was utterly disappointed, as many others were. They stopped all of that electronic poppy bullshit with "ATYCLB," and I could not be happier. But to say that they changed their sound (again) just for the "Yanks," please. I think, like someone else here said, they experimented, and failed... miserably. You can't expect them to keep the same 80s sound, because that would be ridiculous.

And many people happened to think that the Super Bowl show was beautiful, me included. And what do you mean that would have never happened before? Do you mean *they* wouldn't have done that before? Please enlighten me.

And who the hell is Westlife?

 

[rjhbonovox]

I do believe that their popularity dipped after Zoo TV, only because "Zooropa" and "Pop" were not, when you sit down to think about it, classic U2 albums, especially "Zooropa." After hearing that album, and after "Pop," I really thought that they had gone the way of the Bee Gees and was utterly disappointed, as many others were. They stopped all of that electronic poppy bullshit with "ATYCLB," and I could not be happier. But to say that they changed their sound (again) just for the "Yanks," please. I think, like someone else here said, they experimented, and failed... miserably. You can't expect them to keep the same 80s sound, because that would be ridiculous.

And many people happened to think that the Super Bowl show was beautiful, me included. And what do you mean that would have never happened before? Do you mean *they* wouldn't have done that before? Please enlighten me.

And who the hell is Westlife?

Electronic poppy bullshit. The only thing poppy about U2 in the 90's was their album title for Pop. I mean lyrics such as "Jesus, Jesus help me, I'm alone in this world and a fucked up world it is too" hardly fits with the crap they're producing today, for example "ohhh can't you see what love has done" or "oh you look so beautiful tonight". Excuse me if the lyrics for WITS are not quite spot on but it pains me to listen to that song. There current lyrics seem to fit nicely with their Westlife stool sitting image. The Super Bowl show and the ipod bollox are things U2 of the 80's and 90's would have run 10 million miles from. But since they like to kiss corporate ass and especially USA corporate ass to get them to the top of the charts, them things are now top of the agenda.

 

[powerhour24]

As much as I enjoy the 2000's music, I'd got crazy if WITS was the style of an entire album. Now if Electrical Storm was an idicator of a sound...that would be different.

 

[Blue Room]

Electronic poppy bullshit. The only thing poppy about U2 in the 90's was their album title for Pop. I mean lyrics such as "Jesus, Jesus help me, I'm alone in this world and a fucked up world it is too" hardly fits with the crap they're producing today, for example "ohhh can't you see what love has done" or "oh you look so beautiful tonight". Excuse me if the lyrics for WITS are not quite spot on but it pains me to listen to that song. There current lyrics seem to fit nicely with their Westlife stool sitting image. The Super Bowl show and the ipod bollox are things U2 of the 80's and 90's would have run 10 million miles from. But since they like to kiss corporate ass and especially USA corporate ass to get them to the top of the charts, them things are now top of the agenda.

Certainly nothing poppy about Lemon and Some Days Are Better Than Others. "Some days you cant stand the sight of a puppy" You are right, lyrical genius! Mysterious Ways, "She's slippy!" BABY, BABY, BABY, Light my Way. Nothing but serious tones in the 90's for sure! Whats funny is I remember when Achtung Baby came out and Zoo TV started ALOT of fans were complaining of the same thing you are now. Stating U2 soldout.

But yes, once again, anything that someone doesnt like about U2, IE touring, albums, etc. It must be the good ole USA's fault. Afterall U2 have no minds of their own. The United States controls them through mind control. Its a conspiracy!

 

[phillyfan26]

The theme of the last 2 albums was to get the 10 year old kids and Yanks liking U2 with instantly catchy tunes.

Extremely incorrect post.

All kids I know think that U2 are over-serious adult contemporary slow rock. The only instantly catchy tunes out of those 22 songs are Beautiful Day, Vertigo, Elevation, and All Because of You.

Electronic poppy bullshit. The only thing poppy about U2 in the 90's was their album title for Pop. I mean lyrics such as "Jesus, Jesus help me, I'm alone in this world and a fucked up world it is too" hardly fits with the crap they're producing today, for example "ohhh can't you see what love has done" or "oh you look so beautiful tonight". Excuse me if the lyrics for WITS are not quite spot on but it pains me to listen to that song. There current lyrics seem to fit nicely with their Westlife stool sitting image. The Super Bowl show and the ipod bollox are things U2 of the 80's and 90's would have run 10 million miles from. But since they like to kiss corporate ass and especially USA corporate ass to get them to the top of the charts, them things are now top of the agenda.

Electronic Poppy: (or at least to some extent)

Mysterious Ways
TTTYAATW
Zoo Station
EBTTRT
Lemon
Numb
DGPFYCC
SDABTO
Discotheque

Give or take a few '90s songs, but yeah, that's quite a bit. Just cause you can cite one dark song doesn't speak for the rest.

 

[rjhbonovox]

Electronic Poppy: (or at least to some extent)

Mysterious Ways
TTTYAATW
Zoo Station
EBTTRT
Lemon
Numb
DGPFYCC
SDABTO
Discotheque

Give or take a few '90s songs, but yeah, that's quite a bit. Just cause you can cite one dark song doesn't speak for the rest.

What extent. How in the hell can you say that Zoo Station is a bloody pop song. Your confusing electronica in music as being pop music. Daddys gonna pay is a pop song. Jesus christ Ive heard it all. If it aint got that edge coke riff in there u yanks dont wanna know. Thats what U2 found out in the 90's and they got scared as hell. Numbs a pop song as well hehehe u must be high on drugs!

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Electronic Poppy: (or at least to some extent)

Mysterious Ways
TTTYAATW
Zoo Station
EBTTRT
Lemon
Numb
DGPFYCC
SDABTO
Discotheque

Sorry, can you explain just a bit why you think these are electronic/poppy? Not every single one, just a couple so I can catch your drift...

 

[Blue Room]

What extent. How in the hell can you say that Zoo Station is a bloody pop song. Your confusing electronica in music as being pop music. Daddys gonna pay is a pop song. Jesus christ Ive heard it all. If it aint got that edge coke riff in there u yanks dont wanna know. Thats what U2 found out in the 90's and they got scared as hell. Numbs a pop song as well hehehe u must be high on drugs!

Achtung Baby sold very well in the U.S. So they found out they could sell well doing that. Made Zooropa which also sold well worldwide (incl. the U.S.). Made POP which did not sell as well. Ticket sales were down worldwide not just the U.S.

Its funny how everything is you "yanks" fault. Sorry, but that is just a ridiculous statement. You sort of have a revisionist history about what happened to U2 when you say that. It wasnt just the U.S. where their popularity declined after POP. Europe was WAY down also on that tour.

 

[J_NP]

Mysterious Ways
TTTYAATW
Zoo Station
EBTTRT
Lemon
Numb
DGPFYCC
SDABTO
Discotheque

My take :

M Ways - A Dancing Pop Rock
Arms - Yes it's pop - scores
Zoo Station - Not quite mate , it's a rocker
Real Thing - It has some popness , some moving , but it's rock
Lemon - A Fantastic Pop song - sc.
Numb - A Crazy Thing tied into so many things , but there's pop as well
Daddy's - Also crazy thing , but has some popness into
Some Days - Yeah IMO it's sort of poppy
Disco - No good , A dancing rocker

I would say u got right in 3

 

[J_NP]

Europe was WAY down also on that tour.

Not tryin to get into the argument ( and particularly on this one : Popmart/World/US ) specially coz I don't agree with like the complainers u're arguin but .......

Ok perhaps the UK sort of went similar to the US , with Popmart , but places like Italy , Spain , Neederlands , Germany , I'm sure these places Popmart flyed , and in no way U2 concept went down after it

 

[Blue Room]

Not tryin to get into the argument ( and particularly on this one : Popmart/World/US ) specially coz I don't agree with like the complainers u're arguin but .......

Ok perhaps the UK sort of went similar to the US , with Popmart , but places like Italy , Spain , Neederlands , Germany , I'm sure these places Popmart flyed , and in no way U2 concept went down after it

Not really. The tour still sold well (Actually it did in most U.S. markets also, it gets a bum rap IMO). But it was down compared to their normal popularity.

I will give you specifics. Originally they had planned 4 shows in Rotterdam on Popmart. They didnt even quite sellout the 2nd show (although it was a "technical" sellout) so the other two were cancelled. Barcelona, not soldout, so Spain wasnt sellout mania either. Belgium, soldout, but capacity was intentionally substantially reduced for it to happen. Only one show in Paris, two were planned initially, but tickets sales were slow. It did sellout but took a long time and like I said 2nd show cancelled. Germany, had the most unsold tickets out of any country on the Popmart tour. UK, as you mentioned, 4 shows planned for London, had to cancel two and only played two because ticket sales were so slow. Leeds, 20000 tickets unsold, that they soldout on Zoo. Popmart soldout completely only in new markets they had not gone to in the past couple of tours or ever. IE S. America and places like Poland and Prague (which technically didnt sellout either). Thats all I'm saying. It wasnt just a U.S. thing on Popmart. It was Europe and N. America where their popularity waned somewhat from what it was previously. It wasnt instant sellouts everywhere as before. Tickets went slowly in ALOT of markets. They were still popular in Europe, but not like it was previously or like it is now again.

 

[BVS]

Achtung Baby sold very well in the U.S. So they found out they could sell well doing that. Made Zooropa which also sold well worldwide (incl. the U.S.). Made POP which did not sell as well. Ticket sales were down worldwide not just the U.S.

Its funny how everything is you "yanks" fault. Sorry, but that is just a ridiculous statement. You sort of have a revisionist history about what happened to U2 when you say that. It wasnt just the U.S. where their popularity declined after POP. Europe was WAY down also on that tour.

Yeah I don't think rj is gonna be able to back those statements, do you?

 

[J_NP]

I will give you specifics. Originally they had planned 4 shows in Rotterdam on Popmart. They didnt even quite sellout the 2nd show (although it was a "technical" sellout) so the other two were cancelled. Barcelona, not soldout, so Spain wasnt sellout mania either. Belgium, soldout, but capacity was intentionally substantially reduced for it to happen. Only one show in Paris, two were planned initially, but tickets sales were slow. It did sellout but took a long time and like I said 2nd show cancelled. Germany, had the most unsold tickets out of any country on the Popmart tour. UK, as you mentioned, 4 shows planned for London, had to cancel two and only played two because ticket sales were so slow. Leeds, 20000 tickets unsold, that they soldout on Zoo. Popmart soldout completely only in new markets they had not gone to in the past couple of tours or ever. IE S. America and places like Poland and Prague (which technically didnt sellout either). Thats all I'm saying. It wasnt just a U.S. thing on Popmart. It was Europe and N. America where their popularity waned somewhat from what it was previously. It wasnt instant sellouts everywhere as before. Tickets went slowly in ALOT of markets. They were still popular in Europe, but not like it was previously or like it is now again.

I would like to know where exatcly u get all info , the correct source , anyway they sound good points if 75% of the numbers are correct but still ......

Blue Room , u can't forget they put around 150,000 in Italia

And yet again , the lowest attendance of the tour , u have this number ? Are u sure wasn't in the US ?

 

[tpsreports2424]

I guess i'll be excited the month before it gets released..

 

[Blue Room]

I would like to know where exatcly u get all info , the correct source , anyway they sound good points if 75% of the numbers are correct but still ......

Blue Room , u can't forget they put around 150,000 in Italia

Check out the U2 Concert Documentary book for alot of the attendance figures. Germany is very evident there. As far as the planned and rescheduled shows it was in alot of the Euro magazines at that time. Like Select and NME, talking about the slow ticket sales. But if you dont want to believe me on that. Just look at the shows from Zoo and how many were done in alot of those Euro markets. Then compare the same to the Popmart shows in the same market. Less shows, less people.

I'm not trying to rip on Popmart. Its one of my favorite U2 tours and like I said, it gets a bum rap. But U2's popularity wasnt at the heights it was normally at in that time frame and it wasnt just the U.S. I'm just pointing that out in the context of what was said basically putting the blame for everything on the "yanks". Thats all.

 

[Blue Room]

Blue Room , u can't forget they put around 150,000 in Italia

And yet again , the lowest attendance of the tour , u have this number ? Are u sure wasn't in the US ?

I never said Italy had the lowest of the tour. I said Germany had the most unsold. Ticket sales there were abysmal for most cities.

But look at Italy. Yeah they had ONE huge show there and one regular show in Rome. Compare that to the shows the did on Zoo. 8 shows on Zoo (not including the 2 indoor shows), 2 on Popmart.

 

[Axver]

U2's pattern of playing in Italy confuses the hell out of me.

It was rather underplayed prior to ZooTV despite having a strong U2 following, so it gets the eight shows it deserves, and I think they were all sellouts. Then just two on Popmart, ONE on Elevation (seriously, WTF?), and three on Vertigo.

Though I find U2's low amount of shows in Ireland to be even more perplexing.

 

[Blue Room]

U2's pattern of playing in Italy confuses the hell out of me.

It was rather underplayed prior to ZooTV despite having a strong U2 following, so it gets the eight shows it deserves, and I think they were all sellouts. Then just two on Popmart, ONE on Elevation (seriously, WTF?), and three on Vertigo.

I can explain the Elevation one pretty easily. 2nd leg was to be primarily if not only arenas (Ireland being the exception for obvious reasons.) They didnt think there was an arena in Italy that they felt suited their needs (or that would fit the schedule). Its also evident by the fact that the location was changed several times. Originally it was Imola Italy. Knew they couldnt skip Italy completely. So they played one of the few Stadium shows on that leg in Turin. They were tentatively planning to come back and play more stadium shows there in 2002, but that leg was scrapped as we all know.

 

[Axver]

But given the demand for U2 in Italy, why not at least one more night in Turin? They could've sold it out without even lifting a finger and it would've fit into the tour schedule.

 

[becca_lyn]

Electronic poppy bullshit. The only thing poppy about U2 in the 90's was their album title for Pop. I mean lyrics such as "Jesus, Jesus help me, I'm alone in this world and a fucked up world it is too" hardly fits with the crap they're producing today, for example "ohhh can't you see what love has done" or "oh you look so beautiful tonight". Excuse me if the lyrics for WITS are not quite spot on but it pains me to listen to that song. There current lyrics seem to fit nicely with their Westlife stool sitting image. The Super Bowl show and the ipod bollox are things U2 of the 80's and 90's would have run 10 million miles from. But since they like to kiss corporate ass and especially USA corporate ass to get them to the top of the charts, them things are now top of the agenda.

I still don't know who Westlife is. I'm assuming they're some boyband with a gimmick?

Did it ever occur to you that the guys are getting older, as is most of their fanbase? So, naturally, their music is going to change... Think about it...

If I recall correctly, they didn't make any money off of the iPod thing. In fact, I saw it as a genius PR move. Get your name attached to something trendy (the iPod), sell records, make money.

And how was doing the Super Bowl "kissing corporate USA ass"? I believe they were on tour in the US at the time. The Super Bowl is like the World Cup in the USA, and it is considered an honor to be asked to have anything to do with it (sometimes the "talent" is a bit... ew...). Why are people so down on that performance? Speaking of the World Cup, where's your bitch about their music's involvement and Bono's involvement in those promotions? Or is there nothing to bitch about because it wasn't kissing corporate America's ass?

I still don't see how making "ATYCLB" and "HTDAAB" is corporate ass kissing? I see the sounds of those albums as a sign of the times.

Have you heard the same "Zooropa" and "Pop" albums as I have? Because, eventhough both albums have some decent songs, everytime I listen all I hear is, like I said before, poppy bullshit. But yes, I can see how you're upset that I prefer songs like, say, "City of Blinding Lights" or "Beautiful Day" to such classics as "DGPFYCC" and "Playboy Mansion." (Those lyrics "Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday's alright" really tug at the heartstrings, don't they?)

And why is it always the USA? I mean, Christ, it's one thing to blame us (in general) for everything else that's wrong with the world, but to blame us because you don't particularly like the sound of a band? Now I've heard it all...

If you don't like the song, don't listen to it.

 

[guill]

I still don't see how making "ATYCLB" and "HTDAAB" is corporate ass kissing? I see the sounds of those albums as a sign of the times.

They sold millions of both albums, they gave a lot of money to Universal/Interscope (awful corporations which exploit people).
With Passengers, Pop and MDH, U2 managed to screw their record company, i miss this rebel era.

....
Zooropa is "surreal pop" according to Bono, i love this album.
And yes, it is possible to love ATYCLB, Pop and Zooropa

.....
No, i'm not excited for the next album yet, i'm waiting for Bono's first comments, he is a better salesman than The Edge.

 

[bgmckinney]

U2's pattern of playing in Italy confuses the hell out of me.

It was rather underplayed prior to ZooTV despite having a strong U2 following, so it gets the eight shows it deserves, and I think they were all sellouts. Then just two on Popmart, ONE on Elevation (seriously, WTF?), and three on Vertigo.

Though I find U2's low amount of shows in Ireland to be even more perplexing.

Ireland is small - there is only one big city, and then a few other places - Cork, Limerick - that are really just sizeable towns. It isn't like the UK where you have London, Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester, and so forth, each with its separate urban area. If you're mounting big tours on a U2 scale, it may not make sense to move from Dublin to Cork. So that just leaves playing more gigs - and I'm honestly not sure why they don't do that, although the two Slane shows were much bigger than ordinary shows, and there were three Croke Park shows, which is decent for a small country. Of course if I lived in Ireland I'd want more anyway.

 

[Axver]

Ireland is small - there is only one big city, and then a few other places - Cork, Limerick - that are really just sizeable towns. It isn't like the UK where you have London, Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester, and so forth, each with its separate urban area. If you're mounting big tours on a U2 scale, it may not make sense to move from Dublin to Cork. So that just leaves playing more gigs - and I'm honestly not sure why they don't do that, although the two Slane shows were much bigger than ordinary shows, and there were three Croke Park shows, which is decent for a small country. Of course if I lived in Ireland I'd want more anyway.

Your points are correct, but they aren't quite what I was referring to. Despite Ireland's size, U2 have an amazing ability to sell huge numbers of tickets there, and on every tour since JT, they could have done 2 shows in Dublin and one each in Belfast and Cork quite easily. They even said that the demand for Dublin this tour was so nuts that a week's worth of shows would not have been enough.

But what I'm getting at are some of the truly bizarre tour schedules. On the War Tour, all Ireland got was a series of shows on the Pre-Tour (a tour that owed more to October than War, really) and a show tacked onto the side of the Festivals leg. UF was even weirder - despite two dedicated legs in Europe, Ireland wasn't hit until it was again tacked onto the festivals leg. JT and Lovetown weren't so bad, but then it becomes peculiar again with ZooTV: not once did they play in Ireland on the arenas leg, and before someone says there was no decent arena, they could have done the Point Depot, which is larger than a couple they played on the continent. Ireland didn't get a show until right at the end of the tour with just the 10 Oceania/Japan dates to go. Popmart wasn't so bad, but then they only intended a single Irish show on Elevation. And this tour really should've at least gotten to Belfast too.

It's almost as if U2 prefer to play in the US for a quarter of a year than their own country for a week ...

 

[djerdap]

Not to mention Croatia!!! They didn´t play that country.
Some amazing concerts happened here in the last couple of years (Pearl Jam, R.E.M., Pixies...). U2 should do the same.

 

[MrPryck2U]

After all these years of being a U2 fan, I still get excited when a NEW album comes out. Sure, I can hear the new songs beforehand thanks to the internet, but I still love holding that new U2 CD in my hand. Then I sit down with the CD booklet and listen to the whole album. So, I expect to do the same thing in 2008 when the new album comes out.