Is it unfair to expect another truly great U2 album?

[Rob33]

His voice is a lot weaker than it used to be. It's due to the smoking of cigarettes.... I notice a significant vocal change from Zooropa to Pop. Maybe it's just that the way he sings has changed.

tourist, you still don't get it ...LISTEN TO UNION CHAPEL...one can make a good case for his vocals being better than zooTV right now...yes, BETTER!

and, "his voice is a lot weaker than it used to be" ....are you referring to pop? well, everything after pop tour was better (although he did have the zooTV type falsetto in him)...so he pretty much has the best voice now out of the past 15 years or so, not to mention the improvements he has made technically...

ok, more on topic...

 

[the tourist]

No, I get it all right. His voice is weaker than it used to be. And no, I haven't listened to Union Chapel. I don't bootleg anymore because it's illegal. And no, I'm not referring to Pop. I'm referring to everything after Pop. His voice is very thin now in comparison to what it used to be. Maybe he'll shock me on a new album.... But with all the recent official releases, I'm not convinced.

 

[U2opra]

It's not illegal, U2 themselves use fans bootlegs.

 

[last unicorn]

No, I get it all right. His voice is weaker than it used to be. And no, I haven't listened to Union Chapel. I don't bootleg anymore because it's illegal. And no, I'm not referring to Pop. I'm referring to everything after Pop. His voice is very thin now in comparison to what it used to be. Maybe he'll shock me on a new album.... But with all the recent official releases, I'm not convinced.

You're wrong here. His voice has been steadily improving in recent years. Pop was bad and his voice on ATYCLB and Elevation tour wasn't great either, but since then it has been getting so much better. It's anything but "thin" now. Saying something like this is ridiculous. If you listen to most of today's music on the radio, you can hear people with "thin" voices.

If you listened to the latest bootlegs from Vertigo tour or Union chapel you'd know. And no, they are not illegal.

 

[Liesje]

Last night I was ripping some U2 DVDs so I can listen to shows in the car. I know the DVDs often are not the best shows from the tour, but when you already have a crappy sound system, you gotta have quality live recording. Anyway, it occurred to me that I just really don't care about U2 albums, period. I love them live and that's really all that matters to me. They could skip recording new albums and just tour and tour, throwing in a new song here and there, and I'd be in heaven. At the moment, I can't think of a song I like better on the album than live (save for some great songs unfortunately never played live).

 

[schnumi]

It's not illegal, U2 themselves use fans bootlegs.

Exactly, just don't sell them on the internet or something like that but just trade and download.

I have tons of bootlegs and love every single one of them, so much great shows i have discoverd which i would have never heard if bootlegs werent there.

And yes just listen to the last (especially) Vertigo leg bootlegs, his voice is very strong again. A very very big improvement over his Popmart or Elevation tour.

 

[Peterrrrr]

I don't think its unfair, the band can release another masterpeice just like AB, UF and Zooropa. The problem would be solve if they stop thinking that they must produce music that most people like. That was the problem with ATYCLB and HTDAAB, they didnt want to take the risk after Pop.
Maybe they have more confidence now and know that the fans don't leave them only because they choose to do something different. It seems that when U2 fans meet the band members they don't dare to ask the band to do something more deep and dark.

 

[catlhere]

Why are people saying the only way they could make another great album is if they experiment? Who says they have to be experimental with crazy time signatures and mandolins and Gregorian chants in the background to make good music? What if they enjoyed making music like ATYCLB and HTDAAB?

I must have missed a big interview where Bono and the boys said they were stuck in a smelly dungeon somewhere trying to come up with radio hits their daughter's friends could dance around to while being whipped by executives. It seems the only people who didn't like the journey and result of the past 7 years are certain U2 fans, not the band themselves. I don't understand why people have to almost sell the past two albums short just because they don't favor them in comparison to their 90's material or whatnot.

The band obviously makes the music they want to at the time of making it. Each album could hit or miss. That's how it's always been for them. TJT hit, so did AB, Pop was a bit of a miss in comparison to the usual U2 success. Thankfully for them ATYCLB/HTDAAB both hit. What's with the need to make excuses for why an album one doesn't really like is a hit, and one loves is a miss. I can't fathom that people would say a band with as much history and experience as U2 would deliberately scrap their creativity or soul searching ways to just pump out a record they weren't proud of or didn't put their heart into. Yeah so what if he said they had to compete with the Britney Spears' of today. Do people really feel that he meant they were going to make Kidz Bop songs? That they honestly have just been sitting around writing tracks they think can make it on TRL? U2 is better than that and really, with how long they have been in the business, I don't buy for one second that they would they sit through 7 more years of music they didn't want to stand behind just to get more fans and radio time. They have found success in the new millennium, and it's well-earned.

 

[U2girl]

Statistics posted are ludacris.
Atu2.com poll surveying thousands of fans favoured ATYCLB and Bomb over Zooropa and Pop.
The only reason Bomb gets a bad rap (as did ATYCLB, for a long while) is because internet forums are heavily biased and most internet fans prefer the 90's and the experimentation (probably because they became fans in that era?).

 

[the tourist]

If you listened to the latest bootlegs from Vertigo tour or Union chapel you'd know. And no, they are not illegal.

It's odd to me, then, that U2emporium's live bootleg of the month section got shut down then....

 

[Rob33]

No, I get it all right. His voice is weaker than it used to be. And no, I haven't listened to Union Chapel. I don't bootleg anymore because it's illegal. And no, I'm not referring to Pop. I'm referring to everything after Pop. His voice is very thin now in comparison to what it used to be. Maybe he'll shock me on a new album.... But with all the recent official releases, I'm not convinced.

no, you don't get it, you're wrong..almost everything you mention is incorrect....and if you haven't listened to Union Chapel, then why are you even speaking of Bono's voice? His voice is not very thin now in comparison...not at all

 

[the tourist]

no, you don't get it, you're wrong..almost everything you mention is incorrect....and if you haven't listened to Union Chapel, then why are you even speaking of Bono's voice? His voice is not very thin now in comparison...not at all

And we all know that one performance defines a person's voice over a decade.


I think we'll just have to agree to disagree on this. It doesn't make me like the band less; it just makes me wish Bono hadn't taken up smoking. His voice is more soulful now. It's just not as breathtaking as it was the Joshua Tree-to-Zooropa era.

It's still a very good voice, and better than most contemporary pop/rock bands out there--but he used to be the very best.

 

[sue4u2]

What's with the need to make excuses for why an album one doesn't really like is a hit, and one loves is a miss. I can't fathom that people would say a band with as much history and experience as U2 would deliberately scrap their creativity or soul searching ways to just pump out a record they weren't proud of or didn't put their heart into.

I've never understood why some feel like this either.

You're entire post was spot on, catlhere!!

 

[kafrun]

Depends on what you consider great.

Ditto.

The only thing I definitely expect from them is more great live shows. When the tours stop being exciting, then I'll be disappointed.

 

[Rob33]

Ditto.

The only thing I definitely expect from them is more great live shows. When the tours stop being exciting, then I'll be disappointed.

can you honestly imagine a U2 show not being exciting? I can't , haha

 

[Zoots]

Why are people saying the only way they could make another great album is if they experiment? Who says they have to be experimental with crazy time signatures and mandolins and Gregorian chants in the background to make good music? What if they enjoyed making music like ATYCLB and HTDAAB?

I don't know who is saying that but it's not me. My point has always been that it is NOT the style of music that I am finding fault with. It's the quality. Quality of music and especially quality of lyrics. I don't give a rat's ass if they experiment again. They could continue in the same style singing beatlesque songs about love. But at least let it not be cliche ridden and cheesy like Window In The Skies, Vertigo or Love & Peace etc. Pop music can be so much more interesting and original.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F39RS3I0D0Y

Now that is some really good pop music!

 

[kafrun]

can you honestly imagine a U2 show not being exciting? I can't , haha

Never! Even when Bono is wheeling his way around the ellipse in his chair, it'll be exciting. Just watching him try to make those corners will have us all in suspense. Will he or won't he fall in tonight?!

 

[Saracene]

Well, I'm still waiting for U2 to make that one consistently great album which IMO so far has eluded them, They may be my favourite band but I always found their albums on the patchy side, even the ones I love dearly.

Are they going to make another album that's going to be remembered alongside JT and AB in terms of stature? I doubt it - not necessarily because I don't think they're capable of quality, but maybe because they've already made the albums that define them for history as far as general perception is concerned. JT is the Ultimate U2 Album and AB is the Ultimate U2 Re-Invention Album. It would be bloody hard for any album, no matter how brilliant, to squeeze in.

 

[LemonMelon]

Well, I'm still waiting for U2 to make that one consistently great album which IMO so far has eluded them, They may be my favourite band but I always found their albums on the patchy side, even the ones I love dearly.

There are weak songs on JT? Blasphemy, says I!

 

[xaviMF22]

There are weak songs on JT? Blasphemy, says I!

trip through your wires

 

[LemonMelon]

trip through your wires

Did I ever mention how much I despise everything you choose to be?

 

[xaviMF22]

Did I ever mention how much I despise everything you choose to be?

don't lie...I know you want to be like me?

you have better hair though

 

[LemonMelon]

don't lie...I know you want to be like me?

you have better hair though

You have facial hair. So I'm instantly pwned.

But we're getting off-topic like always.

 

[Rob33]

trip through your wires

\

i read one time on here that someone thought TTYW was the only weak song on JT and that they felt it wasn't complete enough and ready to be a part of the album...

this song flows so well on the album in my opinion and is one of my favorite songs...i don't understand all the hate

 

[LemonMelon]

\

i read one time on here that someone thought TTYW was the only weak song on JT and that they felt it wasn't complete enough and ready to be a part of the album...

this song flows so well on the album in my opinion and is one of my favorite songs...i don't understand all the hate

It's the oasis in the middle of a harsh desert filled with junkies, burning crosses, and broken hearts.

 

[Peterrrrr]

His voice is a lot weaker than it used to be. It's due to the smoking of cigarettes.... I notice a significant vocal change from Zooropa to Pop. Maybe it's just that the way he sings has changed.

His voice now is amazing. I hasnt been so near the 80's like it is now, it is stronger now then on ZooTV. Bono has done things from 2004 til now that he hasnt done on the 90 and also some thing in the 80s.

If we talkink hitting high notes, holding notes for long time, singing techniques... Well then Bono's Vertigo and 2007 vocals is the best ever. And also on the new performence of Desire he sings the line "let you go" stronger then on the studio version on that song from 88.

Here are some proofs

- Bono did hit the HIGH C in "Wide Awake on Bad" several times on Vertigo tour. Also he sang the "Wide Awake" without probelms three times in the song a couple of times on Vertigo tour.

- He also hit the HIGH C in "Don't you look back" on WGRYWH, something he never has done before, not even on ZooTV.

- He have never hold high notes for so long like he did on Vertigo tour("Touch" in BD 5 sec, "Sing" in SYCMIOYO 8 sec, "L'amoure" in Miss Sarajevo in 11 sec) and also" Wave" in WOS 10 seconds.

- He now holds the chours in Pride, something he never even did on JT/LT tour.

- One of his highest falsettos ever was done 2006-11-18 on Vertigo when he sang a snippet of Ac/Dc's highway to hell. It was an E5. And on MW he sang the word "Child" with the ZooTV falsetto sound. Togheter with WITS Bono showed that his falsetto is back.

- He realy showed power when he sang the duet with Alicia Keys on the Oprah winfield show when he sang "Keep my AAAAAAAAAAAARMS down below". Now imagine him use that force in ISHFWILF.

- Miss Sarajevo was amazing

- Bono's voice on the pirate song "A dying sailor to his shipmates" is incredible, it realy makes you think of the song "Wild Irish Rose" he did back in 89. He realy has a very deep sound in his voice on that song.

- Another Opera moment was in the end of SYCMIOYO from 2006-12-04 - Japanl

 

[Axver]

Peterrrrr, that post is starrrrrrting to feel like it's a copy and paste job.

And really, Bono doesn't need an apologist. It's OK.

 

[U2opra]

Don't bash Peter's passion!

 

[Peterrrrr]

Peterrrrr, that post is starrrrrrting to feel like it's a copy and paste job.

And really, Bono doesn't need an apologist. It's OK.

Im sorry Axver, I am. Hope I didnt destroy your day. Sorry.

Do you copy, paste everytime you write about Lovetown being the best tour(OTH live best thing ever...) and setlists? No, maybe sometimes.

Again Axver, Im sorry for my passion about Bono's voice.

 

[zuropa_fit]

Stand your ground, Peterrrrr