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I would love to have seen U2 take the mood and atmosphere from Cedars of Lebanon and Soon and play with that for an album. It's a shame nothing ever came of the rumors of a more ambient-influenced Songs of Ascent.
Indeed. Those two tracks, along with NLOTH, MOS and Fez capture the sound they were originally going for. Five more songs like that and it would be in my top 5.

Cedars has always been underrated IMO. I think Bono paints a haunting picture and the arrangement fits perfectly. Some nice understated guitar work by Edge and also some cool samples. It's a song in the spirit of Pop.
 
Agree on most points... I too much prefer NLOTH over SoI because whilst they did shit the bed at least we ended up with a few songs that showed the promise. SoI is absolutely my least favourite U2 album, and sure it's more consistent and less bumpy but aside from The Troubles and Sleep it is generic and bland as hell.

And on its lyrics not becoming memes... they absolutely would have if it was released in 2010. The Miracle is up there with Bono's very worst.

Back to NLOTH, I maintain that Magnificent is its worst song, SUC aside. Crazy Tonight might be pure sugar, but they pull it off joyously. Boots has a nice energy and was great live. Magnificent - and I know many disagree with me - is U2 at their most uninspired and insipid. Unknown Caller has some nice music but the lyrics are so bad that I can't listen to it.
 
Indeed. Those two tracks, along with NLOTH, MOS and Fez capture the sound they were originally going for. Five more songs like that and it would be in my top 5.

Cedars has always been underrated IMO. I think Bono paints a haunting picture and the arrangement fits perfectly. Some nice understated guitar work by Edge and also some cool samples. It's a song in the spirit of Pop.

Cedars I would almost rate as the best song on the album. I'd happily consider it their best song since the turn of the century. It is literally exactly the type of music I wish they were making.

And that's what frustrates me so much. I think if they weren't so anxious that we would probably have two or three albums full of really good songs. They just wouldn't chart. And we'd have a hugely interesting and very well-respected band.
 
The lyrics in the verses are actually pretty good. And some in the chorus aren't absolutely awful either. I listened to the song yesterday and there are basically three awful lines: force quit and move to trash, restart and reboot yourself and password, you, enter here. They could be Bono's worst lyrics. But I can still ignore them and enjoy the song.
 
I'll throw out an unpopular opinion: Crazy Tonight would be a perfectly OK song if it weren't for that falsetto Bono attempts in the verses.

What in the fuck was he thinking with that?
 
Cedars I would almost rate as the best song on the album. I'd happily consider it their best song since the turn of the century. It is literally exactly the type of music I wish they were making.

And that's what frustrates me so much. I think if they weren't so anxious that we would probably have two or three albums full of really good songs. They just wouldn't chart. And we'd have a hugely interesting and very well-respected band.

Agreed on all counts. Cedars is damn near perfect as far as I'm concerned. And though I'd love to see U2 head into the studio to record an album without any regard to charts or touring the material, they're just not (and never have been) that kind of band. Unfortunately. The one time they might have gone there and opened up U2's horizons they got cold feet and put it out under a different band name.

Maybe they should do that again... Passengers Vol. 2?
 
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I'll throw out an unpopular opinion: Crazy Tonight would be a perfectly OK song if it weren't for that falsetto Bono attempts in the verses.

What in the fuck was he thinking with that?

He was going crazy that night.

Screenshot_116.png
 
Agreed on all counts. Though I'd love to see U2 head into the studio to record an album without any regard to charts or touring the material, they're just not (and never have been) that kind of band. Unfortunately. The one time they might have gone there and opened up U2's horizons they got cold feet and put it out under a different band name.

Maybe they should do that again... Passengers Vol. 2?


:up:
 
And on its lyrics not becoming memes... they absolutely would have if it was released in 2010. The Miracle is up there with Bono's very worst.


How would 2010 have made a difference?

Miracle is actually far above their other attempts at the straight forward pop rock singles like Elevation, Boots, or Vertigo.



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How would 2010 have made a difference?

Miracle is actually far above their other attempts at the straight forward pop rock singles like Elevation, Boots, or Vertigo.

Because the forum was more active and many of our long-time posters were yet to leave.

You say that as if it's factual. "I woke up at the moment when the miracle occurred" is, in my opinion, the worst lyric he's ever written. It's like a emergency services PR spokesperson was asked to write it. It barely makes sense, it's so clunky.

I won't argue about Boots, but Elevation and Vertigo are both a million times better. They're just straight-forward, dumb, accessible, three-and-a-half-minute rock songs without any pretension.
 
Because the forum was more active and many of our long-time posters were yet to leave.
I didn't realize you were talking about in interference specifically.

You say that as if it's factual. "I woke up at the moment when the miracle occurred" is, in my opinion, the worst lyric he's ever written. It's like a emergency services PR spokesperson was asked to write it. It barely makes sense, it's so clunky.

I won't argue about Boots, but Elevation and Vertigo are both a million times better. They're just straight-forward, dumb, accessible, three-and-a-half-minute rock songs without any pretension.


That line has never bothered me. Makes perfect sense to me, not exactly well phrased but it's no "mole diggin up a hole", "intellectual tortoise", or as bad as some of the clunkers on Pop.


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Because the forum was more active and many of our long-time posters were yet to leave.

You say that as if it's factual. "I woke up at the moment when the miracle occurred" is, in my opinion, the worst lyric he's ever written.

Well, you're certainly entitled to your opinion.

Force quit and move to trash

Come on ye people, stand up and sit down for your love

Where is the love, love and peace?

The air is heavy, heavy as a truck
 
I'll throw out an unpopular opinion: Crazy Tonight would be a perfectly OK song if it weren't for that falsetto Bono attempts in the verses.

What in the fuck was he thinking with that?



It didn't fit on the album at all. It would have been a good stand alone single for maybe a movie or a charity. I love the chorus and the live version they played on Letterman was great.


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Well, you're certainly entitled to your opinion.



Force quit and move to trash



Come on ye people, stand up and sit down for your love



Where is the love, love and peace?



The air is heavy, heavy as a truck



:up:


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I didn't realize you were talking about in interference specifically.




That line has never bothered me. Makes perfect sense to me, not exactly well phrased but it's no "mole diggin up a hole", "intellectual tortoise", or as bad as some of the clunkers on Pop.

Well yeah, it was in response to LM's post, but I didn't quote it, so my bad, I see the confusion!

Would love to hear what you think are the clunkers on Pop. Bonus points if you can do so without immediately jumping to lines from Miami or The Playboy Mansion, both of which contain silly, ironic lyrics.

Well, you're certainly entitled to your opinion.

Force quit and move to trash

Come on ye people, stand up and sit down for your love

Where is the love, love and peace?

The air is heavy, heavy as a truck

All of these lines at least fit in a sentence. What makes the Miracle line worse is how badly it's constructed and how bad it sounds.

I can't think of a Pop lyric I like less than that line from The Miracle.

:up:
 
There are some nonsensical lines on Pop, but they have a poetic quality to them and at least sound good.

For a rock song, The Miracle is dreadfully overwritten; cramming far too many syllables into each line has been a problem plaguing Bono's writing for a while now and that song is one of the prime examples of it.
 
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Would love to hear what you think are the clunkers on Pop. Bonus points if you can do so without immediately jumping to lines from Miami or The Playboy Mansion, both of which contain silly, ironic lyrics.

Keep in mind I was in college when Pop came out; I was there when R&H came out and my first midnight album release was AB. But Pop was the first time I had cringe moments as a fan(with the exception of a few lines from Some Days).

I won't mention Playboy, they aren't silly or ironic just were too dated even by the time it was released. Still love the song. I will mention Miami, not a single line, but the entire song. Musically had huge potential, but lyrically it was shit. I get his attempt to do some beat poet postcard from the city, but the city had absolutely nothing to do with U2's lexicon. It wasn't like the poets or Lou Reed talking about NY. It was too throw away.

Straw in the lemonade

Most of IGWSHA

The referee line in Sun

And Wake Up is a mess





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I'll say this about Wake Up Dead Man: "Your father made the world in seven; he's in charge of heaven" is probably the laziest thing Bono has ever written.
 
For a rock song, The Miracle is dreadfully overwritten; cramming far too many syllables into each line has been a problem plaguing Bono's writing for a while now and that song is one of the prime examples of it.


See I get this in a sense, moreso than it being one of the worst lines. But do you think it's overwritten or it's just not the delivery you're used to for Bono? I mean there are many artist; I.e. Stipe or Morrissey that made a career out of "too many syllables" in their song writing.


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WUDM was written from a humble, childlike vantage point. I interpret it as simplistic, not lazy. :shrug:
 
See I get this in a sense, moreso than it being one of the worst lines. But do you think it's overwritten or it's just not the delivery you're used to for Bono? I mean there are many artist; I.e. Stipe or Morrissey that made a career out of "too many syllables" in their song writing.


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For a straightforward, ideally singalong rock song about awakening to what life and music has to offer, I think it's too wordy. Bono got caught up in conveying the details and lost the efficiency and precision a good rock song needs. Elevation has the subtlety of a brick to the face, but audiences get into it in part because it communicates its message efficiently.

There is a time and a place for syllable overdose, but I don't think The Miracle was it.
 
WUDM was written from a humble, childlike vantage point. I interpret it as simplistic, not lazy. :shrug:


Except the opening stanza comes from a very disillusioned adult pov; which is one of the reasons I've always felt that song was never completely hashed out.


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