Shuttlecock XVII - The Best Title That Ever Happened a Thread

[corianderstem]

Maybe U2 gets outrage fatigue like the rest of us.

He was pretty pointed on Fallon, anyway. That's good enough for me. I'm about as over the JT tour as the band seems to be.

In other news, they posted a rehearsal clip of Best Thing on Instagram so maybe tonight?

 

[corianderstem]

LOL, U2.com plays spoiler

[TWEET]907018537851604992?s=09[/TWEET]

(Can't tell on the app if the Tweet posted correctly or not.)

 

[lazarus]

I thought he was pretty clear in his Trump feelings on Kimmel a few months ago. They seem to be more blunt on TV this year than during their shows.

I'm fine with wanting to keep it a little less blunt in the shows, honestly. Their appearance on the late night shows has a bigger audience than any one show, so it's not like he's keeping mum about his feelings.

I can see wanting to keep the shows a little more "welcoming," for lack of a better word. There's still some good statements within.

I'm sure that will be an unpopular opinion with some of you, but I'm fine with that, too.

Yeah, while the network broadcast has a larger audience, people don't want to pay hundreds of dollars to see a show and then be told bluntly by the artist that they're the enemy or that they're wrong. I think the band is making its points about women's rights and unity quite clearly without actually pointing fingers. And the pre-Exit video referencing Trump sure isn't celebrating him.

 

[corianderstem]

Same. As anti-Trump as I am, and as much as I have been more politically-minded than usual, I find myself annoyed when celebs speak up in a public space.

Of course they have the right to say whatever, and to be fair, I mostly think this about actors. But for instance, I cringed at Meryl Streep's Golden Globes speech. It just feels like, why would you give the other "side" the ammunition to use you as an example of "Hollywood elite libtards" or whatever.

But I'm not super firm on that, as it doesn't bother me when musicians speak up.

I guess my point is just SHUT UP MERYL and I can't really defend that stance.

 

[Axver]

But if you're buying tickets to a U2 concert, you're way more likely to agree with Bono than on telly. On TV there's the obvious likelihood that anybody who disagrees with Bono just changes the channel. At a gig they can't. He's largely preaching to the converted, and for those who aren't, he's got a captive audience who have to at least hear him out. Might as well go nuts. Preaching about finding common ground is cowardly when you've got actual neo-Nazis killing protesters and forming heavily-armed militia.

And anyway, it's not as if Bono gave two shits about telling people they were wrong back when he was banging the drum about Reagan or prank-called Bush Sr every night.

 

[cobl04]

Literally everyone I have played Best Thing for has asked me to turn it off within about 30 seconds.

This is just so people know that it's not just four or five "elites" in here complaining.

 

[prbiker15]

 

[corianderstem]

Eh, never mind. I don't really give any fucks if random people like it or not.

I like it, so fuck you, I got mine!





.... am I 'Mericanning right?

 

[Mack_Again]

. Fantano hates The Best Thing, too

 

[Kieran McConville]

What's Anthony Fantano got to say about the new National album?

 

[Mack_Again]

What's Anthony Fantano got to say about the new National album?

I think that review is coming this week

 

[Kieran McConville]

I look forward to it. Truly Anthony is a paragon of our age.

 

[Mack_Again]

I look forward to it. Truly Anthony is a paragon of our age.

The sad thing is that I totally agree on his opinion on The Best Thing

 

[Kieran McConville]

Eh, I don't need Anthony to know which way the wind blows on that one.

It's a nothing song. Just, meh.

 

[lazarus]

Literally everyone I have played Best Thing for has asked me to turn it off within about 30 seconds.

This is just so people know that it's not just four or five "elites" in here complaining.

I thought almost every one of your friends already hates U2 to begin with. This is a surprise?

 

[lazarus]

Jesus. The intro talking about how good it is? Just fucking play it and convince us.

Plus Bono trying to get the crowd to clap along.

One of the biggest things that bugs me about this track is how the bridge and the chorus are the same thing: "you're the best thing about me/blah blah blah". Why not write other lyrics for the bridge? It's lazy.

I am literally rooting against them at this point. I want this song to blow up in their faces with lackluster crowd reactions, poor digital sales, and little airplay.

Fuck 'em. Write a better song. Record a better song. Release a better song.

I still love The Blackout and am looking forward to the album, and hoping this one is the outlier.

 

[Mack_Again]

Jesus. The intro talking about how good it is? Just fucking play it and convince us.

Plus Bono trying to get the crowd to clap along.

One of the biggest things that bugs me about this track is how the bridge and the chorus are the same thing: "you're the best thing about me/blah blah blah". Why not write other lyrics for the bridge? It's lazy.

I am literally rooting against them at this point. I want this song to blow up in their faces with lackluster crowd reactions, poor digital sales, and little airplay.

Fuck 'em. Write a better song. Record a better song. Release a better song.

I still love The Blackout and am looking forward to the album, and hoping this one is the outlier.

Thanx Laz

 

[BVS]

Jesus. The intro talking about how good it is? Just fucking play it and convince us.

Plus Bono trying to get the crowd to clap along.

One of the biggest things that bugs me about this track is how the bridge and the chorus are the same thing: "you're the best thing about me/blah blah blah". Why not write other lyrics for the bridge? It's lazy.

I am literally rooting against them at this point. I want this song to blow up in their faces with lackluster crowd reactions, poor digital sales, and little airplay.

Fuck 'em. Write a better song. Record a better song. Release a better song.

I still love The Blackout and am looking forward to the album, and hoping this one is the outlier.

What are you talking about the bridge being the same as the chorus?

 

[nielsgov]

I think he means the pre-chorus. The part where Bono sings the title lyrics with almost no backing music.

The song isn't that great but I do really like Edge's part. It also transitions well into the final chorus

 

[Axver]

I can just imagine how fucking self-satisfied Bono was (because of course it was Bono, who then handed it to Edge with a big grin) when he wrote that "loves you loudly/quietly" line, thinking it's a real pearl of wisdom.

 

[BVS]

I think he means the pre-chorus. The part where Bono sings the title lyrics with almost no backing music.

That makes more sense, though I'm not even sure it qualifies as a pre-chorus.

 

[Diemen]

I'm going to see U2 for the 10th time tomorrow. Earlier this year I thought I was gonna miss this tour entirely, so this show is a gift I plan on fully enjoying, regardless of set list choices or new songs that could/should be better.

 

[LemonMelon]

Jesus. The intro talking about how good it is? Just fucking play it and convince us.

NOW I'D LIKE TO SlNG THE COMPLEX AND AMAZING SONG THAT WON ME THE OSCAR.

A SONG ENTITLED "YOU'LL BE IN ME."

THANKS!

 

[DaveC]

Jesus. The intro talking about how good it is? Just fucking play it and convince us.

Plus Bono trying to get the crowd to clap along.

One of the biggest things that bugs me about this track is how the bridge and the chorus are the same thing: "you're the best thing about me/blah blah blah". Why not write other lyrics for the bridge? It's lazy.

I am literally rooting against them at this point. I want this song to blow up in their faces with lackluster crowd reactions, poor digital sales, and little airplay.

Fuck 'em. Write a better song. Record a better song. Release a better song.

I still love The Blackout and am looking forward to the album, and hoping this one is the outlier.

it's a terrible performance (please pick only one key, bono) of a mediocre song but some of this is a little unfair.

is bono not allowed to try to hype up the brand new single (even if the hype falls flat)? why isn't it okay for him to try and get the crowd into it a bit?

it's not a particularly good song for sure but i really don't get the visceral reaction some people are having to it.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

I think part of the reason is that there is a strong sense that we are moving into the twilight of U2's career here and people are starting to panic. Not so much about the music they are making currently but their legacy as artists. I've always felt that the post Pop neutering was another phase that U2 were going to shift from to something else but as the end seems to be getting closer this is becoming less possible. I don't really care at this point, I'm content with any new music for the most part but that isn't the case for some.

 

[PhilsFan]

Has U2 ever even had a well-developed political ethos? I know they've always promoted global human rights and such, but that's not really much of a statement in the broad scheme of things.

Spoilering this because it veers a bit political:

Spoiler

Not to turn this into FYM, but I'm talking about Bono's more than anything else since he defines a lot of the messaging. He embraces neoliberal economic policies, and sees capitalism as a vehicle that can still bring about positive change despite all evidence to the contrary. And I don't see it as possible to be a pacifist and internationalist who also embraces capitalism. They're not separate issues.

Not to mention, pacifism supports the status quo and those entrenched in power. When he used to say "There's fault on both sides" when talking about The Troubles, he was conceding the fight to the Orangemen. It's not a coincidence that the peacefire was negotiated by a former leader of the IRA. That's how it has to work. Violent resistance is necessary for the oppressed. His recent rhetoric makes me think he's opposed to antifa, which is just fucking wrong if it's the case.

I'm not trying to argue with anyone politically. Rather, I'm saying that in this day and age politically, his viewpoint is basically useless. He's talking about a different world, and one that I'm not sure ever existed.

 

[Danny Boy]

Spoilering this because it veers a bit political:

Spoiler

Not to turn this into FYM, but I'm talking about Bono's more than anything else since he defines a lot of the messaging. He embraces neoliberal economic policies, and sees capitalism as a vehicle that can still bring about positive change despite all evidence to the contrary. And I don't see it as possible to be a pacifist and internationalist who also embraces capitalism. They're not separate issues.

Not to mention, pacifism supports the status quo and those entrenched in power. When he used to say "There's fault on both sides" when talking about The Troubles, he was conceding the fight to the Orangemen. It's not a coincidence that the peacefire was negotiated by a former leader of the IRA. That's how it has to work. Violent resistance is necessary for the oppressed. His recent rhetoric makes me think he's opposed to antifa, which is just fucking wrong if it's the case.

I'm not trying to argue with anyone politically. Rather, I'm saying that in this day and age politically, his viewpoint is basically useless. He's talking about a different world, and one that I'm not sure ever existed.

Spoiler

We had it all, and what we had is not coming back, Zach.

 

[PhilsFan]

It would be way more interesting to hear Bono use this album as an opportunity to address his life in the 90s. Because he was into some shit. That perspective would be way more interesting than him writing a bunch of corny shit about his wife that says nothing new and calling it "punk Motown."

 

[Danny Boy]

"punk Motown."

Please tell me this isn't an actual quote.

 

[Iggy Fizz]

it's a terrible performance (please pick only one key, bono) of a mediocre song but some of this is a little unfair.

is bono not allowed to try to hype up the brand new single (even if the hype falls flat)? why isn't it okay for him to try and get the crowd into it a bit?

it's not a particularly good song for sure but i really don't get the visceral reaction some people are having to it.

he can hype the song all he wants but he should simply say something like 'we're really proud of it', or 'excited to share it', whatever.... but to constantly - and we know it is constantly - talk about how brilliant their work is on every fucking release, is beyond annoying. Just reinforces the view of many that Bono is the most self-satisfied, insufferable human being on the planet.

I'm with Laz on this.