HTDAAB - The Progressive Side

[stuTV]

Repeatedly one hears that HTDAAB is "u2 by the numbers" or "of few surprises." Actually, I would like to contest. There is no doubt we have some straight-up classic no-surprise u2 material here, but what reviwers seem to gloss over are the progressive moments/tracks on the album (and b-sides!).

Here is my opinion on some progressive tracks:

Highly Prog:

Love Peace or Else--yeah, I'd say it's pretty different

Vertigo--we've heard it a million times, but it's still one of the best/innovative u2 singles in a long time

Fast Cars--v.strange v.good i like mucho

Somewhat Prog:

a man and a woman--elements I don't think i've heard in modern music in a while

one step closer--customized lo-fi brainwash

original of the species--60's beats with a twist

are you gonna wait forever--edge!

Not real Prog but great songs:

Miracle Drug
SYCMIOYO
City of Blinding Lights
Crumbs
All Because of You
Crumbs
Yahweh

overall i think HTDAAB is a great album...sure it's vintage in a way, but lets acknowlege the progressive undercurrents.

thoughts? am I full of crap? (Don't answer that)

 

[Sleep Over Jack]

The usual bunch will show up soon to critique that stu

 

[stuTV]

thx for the warning jack

i welcome the critiques
but please state your reasons
instead of personal attacks
such as

"stuTV you are a loathsome idiot"
"stuTV you points are taken and immediately discarded"
"stuTV, you suck"
"stuTV, you arguments are just like so-and-so, and so-and-so, why don't you go back and read the last 2 months of archived posts...oh...and your a moron."
"stuTV, are your parents cousins?"

 

[Numb1075]

i agree with your critique of each song and how it's "new territory". but, overall, i still think it's U2 by the numbers. U2 by the #s is ok by me.

 

[Numb1075]

that "cousins" line was

 

[rjhbonovox]

Repeatedly one hears that HTDAAB is "u2 by the numbers" or "of few surprises." Actually, I would like to contest. There is no doubt we have some straight-up classic no-surprise u2 material here, but what reviwers seem to gloss over are the progressive moments/tracks on the album (and b-sides!).

Here is my opinion on some progressive tracks:

Highly Prog:

Love Peace or Else--yeah, I'd say it's pretty different

Vertigo--we've heard it a million times, but it's still one of the best/innovative u2 singles in a long time

Fast Cars--v.strange v.good i like mucho

Somewhat Prog:

a man and a woman--elements I don't think i've heard in modern music in a while

one step closer--customized lo-fi brainwash

original of the species--60's beats with a twist

are you gonna wait forever--edge!

Not real Prog but great songs:

Miracle Drug
SYCMIOYO
City of Blinding Lights
Crumbs
All Because of You
Crumbs
Yahweh

overall i think HTDAAB is a great album...sure it's vintage in a way, but lets acknowlege the progressive undercurrents.

thoughts? am I full of crap? (Don't answer that)

Yep agreed about Love and Peace Or Else, which happens to be the best song on the album. But look how many songs you have listed not progressive. Does that not tell you something about U2's song making these days?

 

[stuTV]

i'll i'm trying to say is that i don't believe the notion of HTDAAB in its entirity is u2 by the numbers - and a reviewer who does such, imo, makes an error

==my grievances==

u2 is too experimental they should make a simple rock n' roll record

out of the same lips

u2 is too straight up and conservative; they need to make a more experimental record

==============
i don't think everyone, by any means, needs to like HTDAAB; but the reasons for doing so i wish were a little more consistent (in general)

 

[ImOuttaControl]

I'm gonna have to disagree a little bit...I think this album is pretty safe and there isn't much in there that, well, suprised me. Looking back on my first listen, here's what I was blown away by.

Vertigo: What an amazing chorus and guitar riff! I was suprised.

Love and Peace or Else: The point in the song where about 3/4 through the sound just drops out and comes back in like and explosion.

ABOY: The guitar effects at the beginning moving to the dirty guitar riff.

Honestly that's it for me. None of this is groundbreaking, but these where all things that sort of suprised me at first listen.

 

[intedomine]

Progressive:

1. A Man and A Woman - Love it or loathe it, U2 have never ever sounded like this.

2. Fast Cars - Ditto

3. Love and Peace or Else

4. All Because of You - Garage Rockish. If Jet were really any good this is the song they would write.

5. Vertigo - It's different to everything else that has happened previously.

6. Original of the Species - Never heard a do-do-do from Bono before. Very 60's.


Non Progressive at all:

Crumbs - think Walk On
Miracle Drug - think Beautiful Day
City of Bliinding Lights - think Streets
One Step Closer - If you wear that velvet dress/Tryin to throw your arms round the world/Running to Stand Still/


Hard to Say:

Yahweh
Sometimes You Can't make it on Your own.


Just how I view the new album and I find it overall to be a more complete form of ATYCLB. I find it to be the music they were trying to make 4 years ago.

Just my opinion

 

[U2girl]

As was the case with its predecessor, there are songs where U2 does new things.

From the album, most notably A man and a woman and Love and peace or else and Original of the species. Also Vertigo and All because of you.
Also Yahweh - more upbeat and positive than usual U2 closers.
Mercy - I don't think they had a song like this yet.

 

[Jamila]

What I don't understand is - why are U2 always held up to a different standard than other groups out there? Why does U2 always have to plow new ground in music (which I personally think they do quite well in HTDAAB) when other groups out there are much more formulaic than U2 could ever be?

What a lot of folks can't accept is that U2 HAS GROWN UP - and the ways in which they write their music and want to play their music has changed.

They are no longer the young punk band of the early 80s, the social commentary band of the late 80s, the experimental Rock band of the 90s - THEY ARE ALL OF THESE IN THE 2000's.

U2 has BEAUTIFULLY BLENDED their energies and their experiences in music and in life into the music that we hear today - it is wiser, slower (at times) and filled more with questions than anger in an attempt to bring people together to find solutions to the world's continuing dilemmas.

All I can say is that it is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness - if someone doesn't care for HTDAAB then go and find an album that you do like.

But allow those of us who LOVE HTDAAB and appreciate it as the music that God wants U2 to do right now to simply enjoy it in peace.

Thanks for this thread.

ORIGINAL OF THE SPECIES....

 

[Flying FuManchu]

Progressive for top 40 radio? Maybe... progressive for music over the past few years, especially with the bands out now but not scoring the "hits".... don't think so... but I don't mind, really.