do you hate ATYCLB?are u2 still rock&roll?

[U2Kitten]

I love Electrical Storm, but I don't like the orbit mix. It really stripped it of its edge, literally.

I never liked Hands until I saw Gangs, at the end, it worked so well. I started to appreciate what lovely tune it had.

Two more comments on other comments here: I don't think it's that 'most' people here don't like ATYCLB, it's that the ones who don't have been VERY overly vocal about it, and it has seemed that way. The album sold 9 million copies. I can't believe it's that hated, I really can't. One more comment, on what U2girl said, I think it's ridiculous to assume that bashing an album or a band is the same as bashing the people who like it. No one should take personal offense, no, no one is saying you have bad taste. Everyone has different taste and it could go both ways.

 

[U2zoogirl]

i feel sorry for people who need head banging guitar solos in order to be entertained... just like i feel sorry for those who only like rap, or only like country, or only like what's played on mtv.

don't feel sorry for them... other people has other ways to connect with music, listening rap or mtv's music is a choice and we have to respect that...

anyway... I know there's people saying "I feel sorry for those who listen U2"... you can deny that

 

[biff]

"The album sold 9 million copies. I can't believe it's that hated, I really can't"

Actually, it's 12 million, which is an astounding number for a group that was formed in 1976. It's an astounding number, period! It's a very well loved album, by any measure.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

I don't expect the next U2 album to be as rocking as a Hives album, Darkness album, or BRMC. U2 to me has never put out an album akin to Black Label Society stuff or Rage Against the MAchine music either and I don't expect them to or hope they don't. I too like the "variety" they bring and hope the new album is like that. Achtung and War which are considered their most rocking albums have tons of slow and mid tempo numbers.

I also think ATYCLB has some classic songs such as Beautiful Day, Stuck, and IALW (though the live version is boring as hell). But I can see where some people get this notion of blandness. I think the album was lacking somewhat sonically. After being spoiled so much with Achtung, Pop, and even Zooropa... ATYCLB seems so plain musically. Example... Walk On with its basic guitar arpeggio ringing through out the song (its no I Will Follow of catchy simplicity). Same with New York. Just sort of plain stuff musically in which we've heard the Edge do that bit before or just heard it somewhere else. I know the Edge is a minimalist but he's had more interesting minimalist albums.

 

[Axver]

I understand the confirmed figures are 11.5 million but it's probably past 13 million now.

I'd like to comment on a number of things, but I need to do some work and I want to reply to some other stuff here so I'll just jot down a few more of my thoughts on ATYCLB instead. It's probably what I would've said in reply to some stuff anyway.

I said ATYCLB is my least favourite album, but I still love it. It's got one thing going for it and that's I can listen to it without wanting to skip any tracks. That's more than I can say for albums I like more: War (Red Light, The Refugee), The Joshua Tree (Trip Through Your Wires), Achtung Baby (So Cruel, TTTYAATW, Ultra Violet - see notes), and Pop (Miami to Velvet Dress). I feel Summer Rain should've been included and TGBHF definitely makes it stronger, but it's still a solid album. It was supported by an awesome tour with quality music, it was popular with the general public, and U2 did a wonderful job of changing their image after Pop/Popmart. It's an album full of talent, despite what some say about it. Kite is possibly the most touching song Bono's ever written.

I feel the new stuff from the Best Of is solid. Electrical Storm, the original version, is fantastic and I love it. The William Orbit Remix kills it a bit but it's still not a poor song. THTBA is very well written and a lovely song. I cannot figure out what people have against it.

Notes: I know I'm going to be bashed for what I said about AB. Sometimes I can listen through it all, sometimes I can't. I love the lyrics of So Cruel but the song puts me to sleep. I think TTTYAATW should've been a b-side but is funny sometimes, and I go through phases of loving or hating Ultra Violet.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

I found the William Orbit version of Electrical Storm to be the more interesting over time. The other version may have seemed more raw and rockin' I guess but both were just plain boring to me overall. The slide solo was just not that interesting and I feel like we've heard better from the Edge in that dept. People generally hate When I Look at the World (and I can see where they are coming from) but it has one of the coolest slide solos (I think its a slide) I've heard....

C'mon Edge.... show us what ya got...

 

[U2girl]

patronising from the wrong end

One more comment, on what U2girl said, I think it's ridiculous to assume that bashing an album or a band is the same as bashing the people who like it. No one should take personal offense, no, no one is saying you have bad taste. Everyone has different taste and it could go both ways.

Fine. I won't say another word on that matter, then - it's just interesting to see how it's OK to bash the living daylights out of something and those who disagree need to shut up.

 

[Salome]

personally I don't agree with the sentiment that the tendency to bash a certain U2 album into the ground at a regular basis should take place at a U2 forum

but I have given up

 

[Angela Harlem]

I guess a dislike of an album is important to those who dont like said album. I know this is how it is for me. I do still love U2, despite my numerous claims to not do so, so my utter dislike for ATYCLB is important to me. It leads to why I find it so puzzling that my views can be taken as offensive by others. Its got nothing to do with anyone else but somehow people here still argue about it when this happens with any given members. It was mentioned above that it can be taken as an insult to someone's taste then but that's not it either.

I dunno. I see both sides but more importantly its why it has to become so vicious that I really dont get. Its just an opinion, it might be my opinion and no one cares about that so why take it personally?

 

[Salome]

I actually think I know this one

the reason that it's taken personally instead of just someone's opinion is because of the tendency there seems to be to present opinion as fact

I don't care if no one except me would appreciate ATYCLB
but as soon as people start yelling they're the crappiest lyrics Bono has ever written and that U2 are selling out to mainstream pop and that they used to really rock and now they don't
then I can't help but to wonder what on earth you're on about

I would still just scratch my head and leave it at that the first 5 times someone writes that
but at some point I also lose my sense of humor
re. ATYCLB that happened a long time ago

 

[bedouin fire]

do you hate ATYCLB?
no, i am not a hater of anything, especially u2 music.

are u2 still rock&roll?
sure they are, but fortunately they have also become a bit of soul, gospel, mainstream pop, ambient, trip-hop, techno and so on...ah yes, and with a crooner as a singer.

 

[U2Kitten]

It leads to why I find it so puzzling that my views can be taken as offensive by others. Its got nothing to do with anyone else but somehow people here still argue about it when this happens with any given members. It was mentioned above that it can be taken as an insult to someone's taste then but that's not it either.

I dunno. I see both sides but more importantly its why it has to become so vicious that I really dont get. Its just an opinion, it might be my opinion and no one cares about that so why take it personally?

I agree. I LOVE ATYCLB, and I am very sensitive and take things too personally most of the time, but I do not feel one bit insulted personally that people don't like an album I like. I may feel bad for the album, but it's nothing against me. That's why I can never understand how people think you are insulting them as a person if you don't like their album, it's NOT the same as saying they have bad taste, sheesh, we all have opinions.

 

[U2Soar]

Sure - ATYCLB does not ?rock? hard but we can always make our own version that does (somewhat).

Beautiful Day
Beat On The Brat
The Ground Beneath Her Feet
Electrical Storm (Single [B-Side] Version)
New York (Single Version)
Gone (Live From Boston)
The Fly (Live From Boston)
?Daybreak? (my nickname for the David Holmes instrumental ?rock? mix of BD)
Elevation (Single Version)
Always
Walk On (Single Version)

 

[rafmed]

In my opinion U2 is at his best when they stretch out their sound palette, when they take risks, ATYCLB is the first U2 album that didn't offered anything new, in my opinion is refurbished sounds, is it better than most of what is played on radio, of course, is still U2, but as a fan, and maybe a greedy fan I would still like to see U2 taking risks and finding new sounds, being original, not playing safe.

 

[Salome]

it's such a myth amongst fans though
the U2 always going for "new sounds" bit

really



Achtung Baby and POP were clear reactions to what was going on in the "slightly" alternative music/dance scene of that time

it might have been new to U2's sound
but that can also be said of the more soulful approach of ATYCLB

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

I dunno. I see both sides but more importantly its why it has to become so vicious that I really dont get. Its just an opinion, it might be my opinion and no one cares about that so why take it personally?

Agreed. It's just an album. It's crazy, some of the fights people have over something like that. I don't care if someone says they don't care for this album (or any of the others), but the bickering that I've seen take place in past threads about it all is just pointless. This album already came out, we can't go back in time and change anything about it, so why did people continue to fight over it?

Angela

 

[iacrobat]

i think atyclb is the only u2 album that i hate. it just sounds like childs play.from the songwriting to very weak guitars ,its just not there.
i can go on and on but i would like to know who else does not like atyclb. from the songs to the albums cover zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
i know u2 are old guys but still this is the only time u2 has bored me. pop was a weird album(with some great songs)
i just dont think u2 are rock&roll any more.
and with some kick arss rocks bands comming out ex the darkness and velvet revolver i dont see u2 as that great band they were EX zootv.
IT could be bono's now weak voice or edges simple guitar chords.
but i dont see this new album being so great.

who else is drifting away from u2 like me
who else is taking their u2 posters off their wall
am i alone in this?

I don't listen to the album that much.

However, I think it turned out quite nicely in the live setting. Elevation, becuase it was the first song, rocked. Beautiful Day was okay, and Kite...superb. New York was fantastic, especially the BBC cut, and Walk On came out a bit heavier on stage, much better than the record.

For me the album is fine, not fantastic. I remember being a little dissapointed after the first listen. Whereas with Pop, I listened over and over.....and wanted more.

That said, I think Beautiful Day, Kite and New York are some of U2's finest moments.

 

[popacrobat]

ATYCLB was the best record released in 2000. There are a bunch of really really good songs on it, ala beautiful day and walk on most notably, then elevation, stuck, kite, in a little while and new york being pretty damn good in their own right.

do i like it? sure
is it my favorite u2 album? nope, that title goes to pop. but its still a good album nonetheless.

 

[The Sage]

In terms of U2's music, I dislike ATYCLB. In terms of music in general, I love it....i'm not going to go into it in huge detail as this thread seems to be somewhat unpoular but I am going to question the people who dislike Electrical Storm, it's an amazing song (esp. the b-sides version) and gives me real hope for the next album, especially after hearing some of ATYCLB that deeply disappoints me (Grace, Peace on Earth, New York, etc...). If the next album consists of songs like Electrical storm and THTBA it would be very close i suspect to my all time favourite album, presently a contest between UF and Zooropa.

In fact, i'd love to see ES b-sides version as a bonus track on the new album (yes, I know it ain't gonna happen) just so more people will get to hear it. A beautiful song.

 

[cass]

hate.
it just sounds like childs play.
atyclb. from the songs to the albums cover zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
i just dont think u2 are rock&roll any more.
i dont see this new album being so great
who else is drifting away from u2 like me
who else is taking their u2 posters off their wall
am i alone in this?

"hate"= one of my least favourite words in the english language,
but you most certainly are entitled to your opinion.
to all those who have lost that loving feeling. More likelihood that those of us who do appreciate, care and respect those four lads from Dublin will get tickets for the show.
I know how much effort and angst and risk-taking goes into a musician creating and deciding to release their art to the public.
I have to pinch myself sometimes to make sure it's not a dream, that after all these years U2 continue to share their work with us.
ATYCLB is a very personal album, so much had happened in their lives and in the world the story was captured in the songs. I still stand by my claim that it is a masterpiece. The emotion it conveyed to me was just perfect for the end of the 20th century.

" the heart is a bloom, shoots up through the stony ground.."
VIVA U2!

 

[U2zoogirl]

Maybe ATYCLB is too soft for me... I mean ... After I listened the album I began to clean the dust over my "nevermind" and my "Skull and Bones"... ATYCLB means so sad things for me and it doesn't make me feel with "energy" (y'know what I mean)...

I have to recognize that I felt a little disapointed, cuz I like the experimental side of U2msic, and I couldn't find anything that would surprise me in that album... I love the aventurous spirit of Achtung baby and zooropa... that were the albums that made me love U2...

maybe I need stronger music :uh:

 

[shaun vox]

what were u2 trying to prove when making atyclb. maby pop is not that bad.

DID ANY ONE WATCH 22BEST BANDS ON MTV2(i cant remember what the show is called. but they had u2 on number 5(and gnr on 4) they had this old guy talking about how u2 were a alternative band when they started (boy) they became rock super stars(zootv) and now they are a pop band a very good one(atyclb) and they played stuck in a moment so. so yes u2 are now a pop band and the best pop band every!
too bad they cant rock any more

 

[pub crawler]

too bad they cant rock any more

I love these threads.

 

[Saracene]

Nope, it's still my favourite U2 album tied with Unforgettable Fire. Personally I think that U2's music in general is neither particularly experimental nor particularly rocking.

Oh yeah, and I really dislike WAR, but strangely enough I feel no compulsion to start a thread about it and I don't feel like taking off my U2 posters of the wall either.

 

[max d.]

ATYCLB is a great album. It help U2 reclaim their status in the rock and roll world, permiate other arenas of thought- namely polictical and social.

md.

ps-
i also agree with what Saracene said-'why start a thread if you don't like some of an artist's work'? War however is a great album..

 

[WinnieThePoo]

wake up , rock and roll world is alive and young as current " the Who " act , two guys dead=drugs , one guy likes child porn , the other never wrote a freakin tune by himself

 

[shaun vox]

winnie thepoo what the hell?

 

[Pinball Wizard]

Play it again Sam.

 

[shaun vox]

SLITHER

 

[bono_man2002]

oh if i was given a dollar for everytime i heard this about ALYCLB...i'd have a house on the beach