I had to defend the band

[Edgeman]

So in my usual message board travels I came across a topic about HTDAAB and let's just say that it wasn't a love thread. Words thrown around were mediocre, boring, and not like the old stuff. So as a reply I sent them this. It started off as a small reply, but ended up being a letter of sorts. I hope I did a good job here. Here it is:

Okay, I'm a firm believer of letting a cd "grow" on a person. Pop had to grow on me for a while, as did All That You Can't Leave Behind. This cd is different, the first time I heard it I fell in love with it. Listen to "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" again. Listen to the lyrics, and keep in your mind that this song is writen for the late Bob Hewson (Bono's father). Now tell me that this song doesn't move you a little.

Maybe I listen to close to my U2 cd's. This cd is driven by not only the return of good Edge guitar, but the even bigger return of Adam Clayton's bass. It's on all the songs, he "saves" some of the lesser songs on the album with his wicked bass lines. Knowing the story of the songs might help a little in getting right into a cd, but like I said, the first listen of this cd (without knowing all the stories) blew me away.

You call it mediocre and boring? You want this cd to be another Joshua Tree? Wel I have news people, if this cd (or the next) was the Joshua Tree part 2 you would be saying that U2 couldn't make a new album so they went back to what made them huge. That is the problem with bands as big as U2, some of their "fans" love to hate them. No matter what direction they go in, the "fans" give them crap about it because it's not the same direction they've gone before. It's called progression, and for U2 it's a very good thing. Just be glad that Bono has his falsetto back. Be glad that Edge is playing harder guitar this album. Glad that Adam is leading the way with his bass. Glad that Larry's back making Bono hurt everytime he stomps on the bass drum. But really, be excited that U2 are back better than yet, ready to move, rock, and live up to the moniker of Greatest Band In The World!

 

[bananacologne]

Edgeman, I couldn't agree more. Although it's all relative, people coming out with statements that it isn't relevant, or it's poor work etc are talking outta their behind. Ever heard the saying: 'You can please some of the people all of the time, but you can't please everybody all of the time?' Never a truer word spoken. If it was another 'Pop'-esque record or another trip down the road of experimentation of 'Zooropa', then their would be complaints. If it was another stripped back, 'Joshua Tree' type of record etc etc ad-nauseum, then...their would be complaints and cries of cop-out.

Without a doubt, this is their most urgent and emotionally raw work in (dare I say it...(yes!)) YEARS.

Not 2 say that 'Achtung Baby', 'pOp', 'ATYCLB' etc are not good albums - they are all wonderful on their own merits. Persoanlly, 'pOp' left me cold, but I defiantely appreciated it for the one fact alone that it showed a band in full-flow of following it's muse and not afraid 2 take a chance, go out on a limb and experiment. How many bands of U2's stature can u honestly say dare to risk their careers to do that? I can think of few if any.

This is compelling stuff. Sheer powerhouse riffs from The Edge (On 1st impressions, 'Vertigo' sounds such a simple song, but it's actually quite complex for a rock song), Soaring vocals from our Bono, Cracking drum parts by Larry, and this amazing bottom end holding it all 2gether by Adam.

This is like taking a trip back to the early Eighties, before all the hyperbole, before all the tricks and fancy lights, and just damned bloody good, EXHILERATING music.

I have 2 ask myself - How can that possibly be a bad thing?

 

[boystupidboy]

oh.........you..........look............so...........beau...........ti...........ful............toniiiiiiiiiite!!!!.....
Life don't get any better than that,nuff said

 

[trevster2k]

Stupid U2, putting out new music every 3-4 years, writing their own songs, playing their own instruments, who the hell do they think they are? Sheesh, next thing you know they will playing live shows and not lipsynching. Cats and dogs will be friends, the whole world is going down the tubes. Aaarrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

 

[ultrraviolette]

Stupid U2, putting out new music every 3-4 years, writing their own songs, playing their own instruments, who the hell do they think they are? Sheesh, next thing you know they will playing live shows and not lipsynching. Cats and dogs will be friends, the whole world is going down the tubes. Aaarrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

 

[bananacologne]

Stupid U2, putting out new music every 3-4 years, writing their own songs, playing their own instruments, who the hell do they think they are? Sheesh, next thing you know they will playing live shows and not lipsynching. Cats and dogs will be friends, the whole world is going down the tubes. Aaarrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

 

[Edgeman]

Well done....well done.

 

[Windmilllane]

U2 knows what rock is about. A lot of people are bashing All Because of You, but the first time I heard it, it rocked. It sounded like classic U2... Edge's guitar playing and Bono's singing are awesome..

 

[MofoMcphisto]

oh.........you..........look............so...........beau...........ti...........ful............toniiiiiiiiiite!!!!.....
Life don't get any better than that,nuff said

That part of the song reminds me of the Blondie song "Atomic", I guess it's just that the lyrics are nearly the same.

 

[Windmilllane]

So in my usual message board travels I came across a topic about HTDAAB and let's just say that it wasn't a love thread. Words thrown around were mediocre, boring, and not like the old stuff. So as a reply I sent them this. It started off as a small reply, but ended up being a letter of sorts. I hope I did a good job here. Here it is:

Okay, I'm a firm believer of letting a cd "grow" on a person. Pop had to grow on me for a while, as did All That You Can't Leave Behind. This cd is different, the first time I heard it I fell in love with it. Listen to "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" again. Listen to the lyrics, and keep in your mind that this song is writen for the late Bob Hewson (Bono's father). Now tell me that this song doesn't move you a little.

Maybe I listen to close to my U2 cd's. This cd is driven by not only the return of good Edge guitar, but the even bigger return of Adam Clayton's bass. It's on all the songs, he "saves" some of the lesser songs on the album with his wicked bass lines. Knowing the story of the songs might help a little in getting right into a cd, but like I said, the first listen of this cd (without knowing all the stories) blew me away.

You call it mediocre and boring? You want this cd to be another Joshua Tree? Wel I have news people, if this cd (or the next) was the Joshua Tree part 2 you would be saying that U2 couldn't make a new album so they went back to what made them huge. That is the problem with bands as big as U2, some of their "fans" love to hate them. No matter what direction they go in, the "fans" give them crap about it because it's not the same direction they've gone before. It's called progression, and for U2 it's a very good thing. Just be glad that Bono has his falsetto back. Be glad that Edge is playing harder guitar this album. Glad that Adam is leading the way with his bass. Glad that Larry's back making Bono hurt everytime he stomps on the bass drum. But really, be excited that U2 are back better than yet, ready to move, rock, and live up to the moniker of Greatest Band In The World!

 

[bonojr62]

Its not AB But It just might be the long awaited follow up to the Joshua Tree

 

[dazzledbylight]

Edgeman, I couldn't agree more. Although it's all relative, people coming out with statements that it isn't relevant, or it's poor work etc are talking outta their behind. Ever heard the saying: 'You can please some of the people all of the time, but you can't please everybody all of the time?' Never a truer word spoken. If it was another 'Pop'-esque record or another trip down the road of experimentation of 'Zooropa', then their would be complaints. If it was another stripped back, 'Joshua Tree' type of record etc etc ad-nauseum, then...their would be complaints and cries of cop-out.

This is compelling stuff. Sheer powerhouse riffs from The Edge (On 1st impressions, 'Vertigo' sounds such a simple song, but it's actually quite complex for a rock song), Soaring vocals from our Bono, Cracking drum parts by Larry, and this amazing bottom end holding it all 2gether by Adam.

any road they went down would have it's share of LOUD complainer's!

Thier top 3 albums for me have been AB, then JT, then ATYCLB- without negating the fact that a few of my fav u2 songs are on the other albums not listed here.

I've only heard V, MD, COBL, OOTS, ABOY & SYCMIOY so far.

Don't laugh, I'm on the poor side of the USA economic continium- I spent my 2 weeks extra money [extra carfare, food, film, netcafe] finding out about SNL, checking net, chasing, looking for the U2/NYC Truck around 1/3 of Manhattan , & getting back down to the EFFSPark for the concert! So hopefully Tower will still have HTDAAB on sale in another week, when i'll have alittle extra money! {i hope}

But based on the strength of those songs alone- for now I'd have to reshuffle my list: AB/HTSAAB/JT/ATYCLB. Really! I was hoping that this new album might 'do that' 'to' me , but not knowing if it would. {oh, I've been a fan since 80-81}.

I think the album is that strong & amazing in the beautiful melodies with some interesting twists and turns in them, the playing as you said {go E/A/L~ WOW} and the incredible things Bono is now doing with his voice.

I don't have a computer yet, so it is very hard for me to hear things on the public computers I use [as in downloading etc, no mp3 player either].
So then, on first time hearing SYCMIOYO & COBL last Sun KROCK's listening/Q&A event, I almost 'dropped' to the floor in stunned joy at the flow & power there were again in his falsetto's! ANd also the beautiful & interesting things he was doing in his mid-range.

This is like taking a trip back to the early Eighties, before all the hyperbole, before all the tricks and fancy lights, and just damned bloody good, EXHILERATING music. [/B]

I think there are AB sensibilities in V, COBL on the hearings {i taped the KROCK thing, till I can get the album itself} I 've done numerous times already. Since I love AB, for me that's a gooood 'thang' !

my fav song on JT is In God's Country, particularly because of Edge's descending high-noted guitair riff's in IGC, the one after the chorus [second time?], where Adam's bass first comes in, and then THOSE Edge riffs. omg.

To me those riffs aurally represent the unbeleivable expansiveness & wild beauty of the rock formations, & light/sky of the HIgh Desert of No. Arizona, So Utah etc. :state of bliss:
I know, i've traveled through there twice. It's so different from the Mid-atlantic states, I actually came to appreciate my area's NYS's [& NJ etc] beauty all the more after seeing the beauty of the SW USA desert.

thanks, u2 for another magnificant album. :cheers:

 

[jcool]

I was so pissed off with a critic that gave the album no stars on the album.

That critic should be stripped and send to the lion cage.

 

[Edgeman]

I was so pissed off with a critic that gave the album no stars on the album.

That critic should be stripped and send to the lion cage.

I'm sure he panned it to get attention. Maybe he was one of the guys who got dumped to a U2 song. That might explain a hatered for the band right there....he's crazy!

 

[bananacologne]

any road they went down would have it's share of LOUD complainer's!

Thier top 3 albums for me have been AB, then JT, then ATYCLB- without negating the fact that a few of my fav u2 songs are on the other albums not listed here.

I've only heard V, MD, COBL, OOTS, ABOY & SYCMIOY so far.

Don't laugh, I'm on the poor side of the USA economic continium- I spent my 2 weeks extra money [extra carfare, food, film, netcafe] finding out about SNL, checking net, chasing, looking for the U2/NYC Truck around 1/3 of Manhattan , & getting back down to the EFFSPark for the concert! So hopefully Tower will still have HTDAAB on sale in another week, when i'll have alittle extra money! {i hope}

How about an early Christmas present?

I have a spare, sealed copy of HTDAAB (The deluxe, Limited book version) that I would be glad to send over to you if it will help you out.

Message me with your name and address and I'll post it out to you Tuesday.

Paddy

 

[Moysie]

Good Songs

I think a good song is a good song and should be judged on it's own merit, not on how it measures against songs from the past. HTDAAB has some good songs on it, no question, and that makes it worth buying.

My favourite part of buying the new album it that my favourite song now will change numerous times the more I listen to the album, it makes sure I get my money's worth.

I'm sure that watching them live will have an impact on songs that at the moment I don't regard as my favourite (happened with Bullet the blue sky and Walk on).

And that's my two cents

 

[dazzledbylight]

How about an early Christmas present?

I have a spare, sealed copy of HTDAAB (The deluxe, Limited book version) that I would be glad to send over to you if it will help you out.

Message me with your name and address and I'll post it out to you Tuesday.

Paddy

I don't get to all the threads each time I'm able to get to a public computer, so i didn't go to this thread and see your message till today.

Thank you for a very kind offer!
Honestly, I wasn't trawling for favors

Well, I am poor, but not destitute. there are definately things I can't do, or realisitically save up for in a short or medium length of time, that I'd been used to before. Other things, like a CD, or a movie or dinner out with friends is something I do way less since i became poor {with hopes to change my situation in the next several years ahead}.

So it'll just take me several weeks to get the album, what with the holidays coming for me to give a few modest presents/cards to my kin & kith.

If you still have it, I'd consider it, if: you got it for free through friends, associates, or yourself in some conection realated to the music biz or some association/business, or that amount of money [since it's the deluxe version] was- how can i put it; when i was working if I lost a few quarters, or several dollars or so-it wasn't usualy a big deal. Now if i lose the same amounts it is often a big deal- so that's what I'm trying to say if you had bought 2 copies.

and if it's a DVD, I don't have one so it would be a moot point ,but again, it's the spirit of giving that is really wonderful to have you extend it to me.

I'll check back on this thread in the next few days to see what you say.

cheers!

 

[ADecentMelody]

If it'll make you feel better, I can burn you a copy along with the b-sides/bonus tracks. Let me know.

Ya gotta hear the rest of the songs...

 

[dazzledbylight]

Thank you bananac & ADM for your kind offers

I just got the album tonite, went home, ate & ran back here to the netcafe so I could visit INF. I get home late from the net so I'll probably just go thru the album on one full run through then start listening to it more Sun.

thanks again