"Ambitious"

[Hoodlem]

This is the desciptive word of the new album that excites me the most. Several reviews have used this word as well as Paul McG himself.

ATYCLB can rightly be called a "good" record, (maybe even "great", but I wouldn't agree) but I don't think it is very ambitious at all. Songs from ATYCLB are written and produced in the most simple form that they could be (hence the "U2-lite" argument). While these songs are "good", thay are not "great" What was missing was that extra effort to make a "good" song greater than it would otherwise have been (a.k.a. "ambition"). It seems that this album may have that element that I feel was missing from the last record, ambition, or the attitude that "good enough in NOT good enough".

IMO

 

[bcrt2000]

calling something ambitious makes it sounds like its sympathy for failure

 

[Hoodlem]

I'd rather have an "ambitious failure" than another ATYCLB.

Anyone feel the same way?

 

[purpleblackeye]

or "ambitious" can mean that most of the britney spears-beyonce crowd, or the creed and nickelback fans, just won't get it.

 

[grbounds]

I'd rather have an "ambitious failure" than another ATYCLB.

Anyone feel the same way?

i loved ATYCLB. U2 have never made the same record twice though so i wouldnt worry about a repeat. that being said, id rather have an ATYCLB'esque record than another pop (no offense to the pop fans, i know theres brilliant parts in that record).

 

[Hoodlem]

or "ambitious" can mean that most of the britney spears-beyonce crowd, or the creed and nickelback fans, just won't get it.

Or, more optimistically, they will finally get it. I believe that most people enjoy great music when they are properly exposed to it.

I hate to admit this but before I first bought AB in '92 at the age of 15, I was a fan of Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer, Sir-mix-a-lot and who knows what other crap. Achtung Baby turned my world upside down and I saw music in a whole new way. I will be forever grateful for that experience.

U2 needs another album like this that will shake people up a bit and wake them out of there mainstream induced coma.

 

[ZeroDude]

Ambition is good

 

[SkeeK]

I think ambition is definitely a good thing. Makes music a whole lote more interesting, too.

 

[Hoodlem]

it's no secret that ambition bites the nails of success

 

[ZeroDude]

it's no secret that ambition bites the nails of success

Im guessing thats ironic in their case................. hopefully i think

 

[TheFlyOnTheWall]

ambition is ambitious.

 

[ZeroDude]

So true.

 

[kennerado]

ha

 

[Inner El Guapo]

It also could mean that the critic/reviewer didn't "get it".

I imagine them thinking to themself "wow, this song is really challenging, it's not digestable, it's saying something I don't quite understand, it's just so...so....ambitious".

In other words. Wait 3 weeks and you won't have to worry one way or the other about what some hack has to say.

 

[Irvine511]

I hate to admit this but before I first bought AB in '92 at the age of 15, I was a fan of Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer, Sir-mix-a-lot and who knows what other crap. Achtung Baby turned my world upside down and I saw music in a whole new way. I will be forever grateful for that experience.

yes! yes! yes!

i had the same experience, though my tasts were more Poison-Motley Crue-Skid Row. we all know that "one" is a life changing song, and as i've gotten older, it has grown with me to mean so many different things. but nothing can compare with the first time you heard that song. it knocked me on my ass. i had no idea that a think that had seemed so mindless and fun as music (yes, glam rock was mindless, but it was also fun) could *do* that.

after hearing "one," i bought AB. i also hit puberty. i then started taking an interest in politics, reading poetry, obsessing over politics (very uncool at 13), and worrying about being authentic. in short, i became one of those "complicated" teenagers who felt tremendously oppressed by everything in the world (but nothing in particular) except when they were talking about the things they loved and were passionate about. and AB was what i loved most.

needless to say, nothing has been the same ever since.

absolutely nothing.