instantregan
Babyface
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2002
- Messages
- 11
Most of us remember when U2 was the most daring, innovative, convention-busting band on the block. Zoo TV was a garish, intrusive mindfuck of an exploration into mass media. PopMart took commercial culture, peeled away the shrinkwrap, and then asked us scream at it. The Joshua era was an affirmation of earnestness and artistic integrity as U2 absorbed their new title as World's Best Band, daring to put gospel singers and blues performers up on stage in the process.
Elevation explored the soul of music, figuring out how to take a sports arena and make it as intimate as a jazz lounge...
And then Vertigo.
Just what the fuck was Vertigo, anyway?
One can almost imagine the conversation that Bono had with Willie at the start of the process. "Okay Williams, what we want to do this time around is create a "U2 Live Sampler Platter." The stage design from Elevation, the visuals of PopMart, some acoustic "Lovetown" moments, and bits of theming from Zoo TV thrown into the encore for good measure. You see, Willie, we've shot our wad. You should hear this album. It's fucking terrible. Everything is derivative of something that we've already done. I guess we need a tour to match."
The irony of all this, of course, is that they've ended up pandering to the most conservative and obstinate in their fan base - the exact same people that yowled like a battered kitten when they learned that there'd be electronica in their U2 music 15 years ago. These are the people who will submit most of the scalding responses to my post here, the "I just want to hear them play!" curmudgeons and the "OMG, I was in GA twelve times!!!" indiscriminates. Face it, you people would pay $250 a ticket even if the next tour was the band covering every song from Streisand's "Memories" album while dressed in kimonos. Don't even pretend to actually have an opinion.
Whereas the band essentially gave the finger to the placid and the resistant, now they're satiating them with the tried and true. It's effortless, it's easy, and it's a hell of a great way to make money... but is it U2?
(Kot: You were right.)
Elevation explored the soul of music, figuring out how to take a sports arena and make it as intimate as a jazz lounge...
And then Vertigo.
Just what the fuck was Vertigo, anyway?
One can almost imagine the conversation that Bono had with Willie at the start of the process. "Okay Williams, what we want to do this time around is create a "U2 Live Sampler Platter." The stage design from Elevation, the visuals of PopMart, some acoustic "Lovetown" moments, and bits of theming from Zoo TV thrown into the encore for good measure. You see, Willie, we've shot our wad. You should hear this album. It's fucking terrible. Everything is derivative of something that we've already done. I guess we need a tour to match."
The irony of all this, of course, is that they've ended up pandering to the most conservative and obstinate in their fan base - the exact same people that yowled like a battered kitten when they learned that there'd be electronica in their U2 music 15 years ago. These are the people who will submit most of the scalding responses to my post here, the "I just want to hear them play!" curmudgeons and the "OMG, I was in GA twelve times!!!" indiscriminates. Face it, you people would pay $250 a ticket even if the next tour was the band covering every song from Streisand's "Memories" album while dressed in kimonos. Don't even pretend to actually have an opinion.
Whereas the band essentially gave the finger to the placid and the resistant, now they're satiating them with the tried and true. It's effortless, it's easy, and it's a hell of a great way to make money... but is it U2?
(Kot: You were right.)