Maybe it's time again for... the album contest

[Princey]

1. Pop
2. Achtung Baby
3. Joshua Tree
4. Zooropa
5. Boy
6. Unforgettable Fire
7. How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
8. All That You Cant Leave Behind
9. Rattle and Hum
10. War
11. October
12. Passengers

 

[Aygo]

wooooooowww... people really hates October!!!

 

[edge_2125]

1. The Joshua Tree
2. Achtung Baby
3. Zooropa
4. Pop
5. The Unforgettable Fire
6. Rattle and Hum
7. How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
8. All That You Can't Leave Behind
9. Boy
10. War
11. October
12. Passengers

 

[MrBrau1]

OMG- All the newbies don't "get" Passengers.

 

[heyho_letsgo]

1 Achtung Baby
2 Zooropa
3 Pop
4 War
5 Joshua Tree
6 Boy
7 Unforgettable Fire
8 Passengers
9 How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
10 Rattle and Hum
11 All That You Can't Leave Behind
12 October

I don't know how October got last, it just sort of happened

 

[GibsonGirl]

01. Achtung Baby
02. The Unforgettable Fire
03. Pop
04. The Joshua Tree
05. Zooropa
06. War
07. Passengers
08. How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
09. Boy
10. October
11. All That You Can't Leave Behind
12. Rattle & Hum

My top 5 usually change every few months (excluding AB, which is always top.)

 

[U2DMfan]

1. Achtung Baby
2. The Joshua Tree
3. Zooropa
4. The Unforgettable Fire
5. War
6. Rattle and Hum
7. Pop
8. Passengers
9. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
10. All That You Can't Leave Behind
11. Boy
12. October

 

[Earnie Shavers]

OMG- All the newbies don't "get" Passengers.

Pffft, there's nothing to 'get', it just takes a bit of time to 'get into' and some people don't care for that with their music - which is perfectly cool. And besides, even those that adore Passengers, like myself, still can't justify it above the midway mark. It hovering at the bottom isn't exactly a surprise. It and October should hook up, get drunk and swap tales of rejection and loneliness.

 

[The OOTS]

1. Achtung Baby
2. The Joshua Tree
3. Pop
4. Unforgettable Fire
5. Boy
6. Atomic Bomb
7. ATYCLB
8. War
9. Zooropa
10. Rattle and Hum
11. October
12. Passengers

 

[U2DMfan]

really, I love Passengers and can't justify placing it higher than 8th.

after 32 votes and with an overall average ranking of 8.4
it appears that ATYCLB is taking it up the arse as well.

The difference being that 4 years ago, it would probably have been anywhere from 3rd-5th on this list. It's not going to be a surprise when HTDAAB lands at #3-#4 overall on this poll.

Interesting how the forum has already moved on from that supposed "third masterpeice".

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Interesting how the forum has already moved on from that supposed "third masterpeice".

ONE Rolling Stone review called it that. I personally place it higher than HTDAAB because, even in it's lowest points, it feels fresher and more natural than HTDAAB. More like those songs had a natural creation and birth, while the HTDAAB songs were geneticaly engineered to be something specific. And if U2 want to do easily accessible, commercially geared pop, Beautiful Day is perfect and above and beyond any and all attempts on The Bomb. Listen to Beautiful Day and Vertigo back to back. Beautiful Day makes me feel like as the song is supposed to. Vertigo makes me feel like as something so genericaly blueprint built always will.

 

[MrBrau1]

while the HTDAAB songs were geneticaly engineered to be something specific.

For a second I thought you were describing Pop.

 

[Chizip]

1. Achtung Baby
2. Pop
3. Zooropa
4. The Joshua Tree
5. The Unforgettable Fire
6. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
7. Rattle and Hum
8. Boy
9. All that You Cant Leave Behind
10. War
11. October
12. Passengers

 

[timothius]

1. Achtung Baby
2. Zooropa
3. Pop
4. Joshua Tree
5. Rattle & Hum
6. War
7. The Unforgettable Fire
8. Passengers
9. ATYCLB
10. Boy
11. HTDAAB
12. October

 

[Earnie Shavers]

For a second I thought you were describing Pop.

Yes, I think in both cases there is certainly guilt there in regards to working backwards from a pre conceived idea, rather than just letting it take it's course, but "one of these things is not like the other".

HTDAAB is like a Toyota Camry: of a perfect quality, ridiculously reliable, does everything you need, yet it's generic, bland, will never stand out on the highway as something special. Pop is like that car Homer Simpson designed: absolutely everything you want is in there, but many find the finished combined product at best impractical, at worst ugly and even it's biggest fans admit it has flaws.

 

[timothius]

HTDAAB is like a Toyota Camry: of a perfect quality, ridiculously reliable, does everything you need, yet it's generic, bland, will never stand out on the highway as something special. Pop is like that car Homer Simpson designed: absolutely everything you want is in there, but many find the finished combined product at best impractical, at worst ugly and even it's biggest fans admit it has flaws.

Best. Analogy. Ever.

 

[Queen Bee]

1. The Unforgettable Fire
2. Achtung Baby
3. Zooropa
4. Pop
5. The Joshua Tree
6. How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
7. October
8. Boy
9. War
10. Rattle and Hum
11. Passengers
12. All That You Cant Leave Behind
    [/list=1]

 

[U2DMfan]

ONE Rolling Stone review called it that. I personally place it higher than HTDAAB because, even in it's lowest points, it feels fresher and more natural than HTDAAB. More like those songs had a natural creation and birth, while the HTDAAB songs were geneticaly engineered to be something specific. And if U2 want to do easily accessible, commercially geared pop, Beautiful Day is perfect and above and beyond any and all attempts on The Bomb. Listen to Beautiful Day and Vertigo back to back. Beautiful Day makes me feel like as the song is supposed to. Vertigo makes me feel like as something so genericaly blueprint built always will.

I can agree with what you said.
I feel like ATYCLB was pretty natural, I just didn't really dig the songs. I feel like it had 4 great songs and some filler.

I feel like HTDAAB has much less filler, but is much less natural, which is where we agree. I feel like it's very much the 'cousin' of POP in that sense. It did feel engineered.

Difference being, POP had some really outstanding songs on it and it's peaks are so much higher than anything on HTDAAB, that is where the comparison stops. Discotheque may err in 36 different ways, but in the ways it hits, it nails it. Vertigo may err in 27 different ways and doesn't make up for it. That's pretty convuluted for someone as articulate as you, but I can't paint the picture any better w/o typing on and on for hundreds of words.
If it's hit and miss, better hit more often than not.

I'd also say I think while ATYCLB peaks early and turns into a snoozefest, HTDAAB remains what it is throughout, good or bad. I still rank HTDAAB higher because, as an album it doesn't totally drop off the fucking map before it's half over. HTDAAB was just overcooked, and it's about the only way I have found to describe it. Had they took an extra 6 months, or a year on Achtung Baby or The Joshua Tree, maybe they would have ruined them as well.

Basically, you'll find a constant thread in my criticisim of the last three albums, they are taking too long in the studio, being far too calculated and dumbing themselves down. In a nutshell.

More miss than hit. I can deal with miss, I deal with Babyface.

 

[MrBrau1]

I don't know if studio time has as much impact as you think. HTDAAB was essentially recorded in 6 months. The problem is, they write as they record. Which leaves songs wide open to manipulation, and makes the process LONG. Then they get on tour duds become gems.

Examples:

New York on album: It's ok.

New York Live: Another world.

Please Album: meh.

Please Live: Another world again.

Dirty Day Album: Worthless

Dirty Day Live: out of this world.

I think the songs they've gone back and tinkered with after the fact have essentially been influenced by live arrangements: Gone, Please, Discotheque.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

1. The Joshua Tree
2. All That You Can't Leave Behind
3. Achtung Baby
4. Zooropa/The Unforgettable Fire (never can decide)
6. War
7. October
8. How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
9. Boy
10. Passengers - Original Soundtracks I
11. Pop
12. Rattle and Hum

 

[Zoots]

I can agree with what you said.
I feel like ATYCLB was pretty natural, I just didn't really dig the songs. I feel like it had 4 great songs and some filler.

I feel like HTDAAB has much less filler, but is much less natural, which is where we agree. I feel like it's very much the 'cousin' of POP in that sense. It did feel engineered.

Difference being, POP had some really outstanding songs on it and it's peaks are so much higher than anything on HTDAAB, that is where the comparison stops. Discotheque may err in 36 different ways, but in the ways it hits, it nails it. Vertigo may err in 27 different ways and doesn't make up for it. That's pretty convuluted for someone as articulate as you, but I can't paint the picture any better w/o typing on and on for hundreds of words.
If it's hit and miss, better hit more often than not.

I'd also say I think while ATYCLB peaks early and turns into a snoozefest, HTDAAB remains what it is throughout, good or bad. I still rank HTDAAB higher because, as an album it doesn't totally drop off the fucking map before it's half over. HTDAAB was just overcooked, and it's about the only way I have found to describe it. Had they took an extra 6 months, or a year on Achtung Baby or The Joshua Tree, maybe they would have ruined them as well.

Basically, you'll find a constant thread in my criticisim of the last three albums, they are taking too long in the studio, being far too calculated and dumbing themselves down. In a nutshell.

More miss than hit. I can deal with miss, I deal with Babyface.

Great post! I agree with most of it if not all!

Okay.. let's give this a shot here...

1. Achtung Baby
2. The Joshua Tree
3. Pop
4. Zooropa
5. The Unforgettable Fire
6. War
7. Rattle And Hum
8. Boy
9. Passengers
10. October
11. How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
12. All That You Can't Leave Behind

Even though I don't even listen to the last 4 or 5 songs of Passengers, I still didn't want to put it at the bottom because it is still a brave experiment and innovative record for the boys... which can't be said for the 'greatest hits' feel of HTDAAB or the 'totally watered down pop-rock' of ATYCLB!

But really, it's hard to tell. Some days I'd rather listen to uplifting songs from ATYCLB or HTDAAB than interesting sonic masterpieces from Passengers or Pop! It all depends on moods so much. There almost is no point in doing these lists! Oh well.

 

[Lemonfix]

HTDAAB is like a Toyota Camry: of a perfect quality, ridiculously reliable, does everything you need, yet it's generic, bland, will never stand out on the highway as something special. Pop is like that car Homer Simpson designed: absolutely everything you want is in there, but many find the finished combined product at best impractical, at worst ugly and even it's biggest fans admit it has flaws.

 

[amerrydeath]

1. Joshua Tree
2. Achtung Baby
3. The Unforgettable Fire
4. Pop
5. War
6. Zooropa
7. Boy
8. ATYCLB (honest, but lacking)
9. HTDAAB (solid, but contrived)
10. Rattle & Hum
11. October
12. Passengers

And I love my Toyota Camry I think it's more attractive than most of the cars out there, especially the American cars. I wish somehow that there were a way to combine VW aesthetics (Passats and Jettas, esp. the new ones, are gorgeous) with Toyota/Honda reliability and performance. Sigh.

 

[bono_212]

1)Achtung Baby
2)Pop
3)ATYCLB
4)The Unforgetable Fire
5)HTDAAB
6)Joshua Tree
7)War
8)rattle and Hum
9)Zooropa
10)Boy
11)October
12)Passengers

That top five is always changing for me
But I gotta give ATYCLB lovin' It was my first after all

If you don't wanna count my passengers that's cool...I've never heard it...I just didn't wanna leave it off.

 

[TheBrush]

1. Achtung Baby
2. How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
3. Joshua Tree
4. Pop
5. All That You Can't Leave Behind
6. Boy
7. The Unforgettable Fire
8. War
9. Zooropa
10. Rattle & Hum
11. October
12. Passengers

 

[Roland of Gilead]

I love seeing the Pop fans ranking Pop so high and UF so low.

Pop, meet your father, the Unforgettable Fire. I guess you had to be there in a way to see that UF was U2's Pop in the 80's. Only a more successful experiment.

 

[jacobus]

01. Achtung Baby
02. The Unforgettable Fire
03. The Joshua Tree
04. Zooropa
05. Pop
06. Rattle & Hum
07. War
08. Boy
09. Passengers OST
10. October
11. All That You Can't Leave Behind
12. How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb

#01 Achtung Baby best album ever, #04 + #05 always changing,
#12...the wooden spoon goes to the so called BOMB 'cause it lacks creativity

 

[U2DMfan]

I don't know if studio time has as much impact as you think. HTDAAB was essentially recorded in 6 months. The problem is, they write as they record.

Which is precisely why U2 taking a long time in the studio has a huge impact on their music.

They are always recording and changing. There is a saying that art is never finished but abandoned, well that's certainly true with U2.

If we weren't talking about U2, then 'studio time' itself, yeah I'd agree with you.

I mean, it's the difference in the Chris Thomas album and the Steve Lillywhite album. Essentially 6 months of studio time.
I think it is a substantial impact.

 

[U2girl]

1. JT
2. AB
3. Bomb
4. Zooropa/ATYCLB
5. Rattle and Hum
6. Pop
7. UF
8. Boy
9. War
10. October

 

[U2Man]

1. AB
2. JT
3. ATYCLB
4. HTDAAB
5. Zooropa
6. POP
7. Boy
8. Unforgettable Fire
9. Rattle and Hum
10. War
11. October
12. Passengers (although not a U2 album)