Maybe this is the new direction

[rjhbonovox]

Think harder!! Saving the world is pretty ambitious. HTDAAB shows the path that Bono has taken and is taking regarding his world-saving endeavors. HTDAAB is also a kind of blueprint for world coexistence. Hell, I'd even go so far as to say that the album is almost too ambitious with its big ideas and big songs.

Mmmmm I think you are seeing these songs through rose coloured spectacles. Ambitious aint a word you can use to describe U2's last 2 efforts never mind what the lyrics are about. You must realise that 85% of the record buying public couldn't give a fuc# what Bono's message is in his songs whether its about trying to save the world or not. They buy for what the songs are, probably as close to pop music as U2 have EVER done, on the past 2 albums. So if its ambitious to make catchy pop music with very little substance and even smaller amount of progression musically then I suppose the last 2 albums have been ambitious.

 

[Hallucination]

I don't know what direction U2 is heading but my gut says that the next album will blow us all away. I just have a feeling that their best is yet to come. Whether that means an album better or equal to Achtung Baby I don't know but I'm confident that the next album will be somthing special. I love HTDAAB and I think it's their 2nd best album but I didn't have such optimisim for it as I do already for the next album whenever that should happen. I just know it. I think U2 are ready to explode again(maybe one last time) and in a really good way.

 

[Zoots]

Mmmmm I think you are seeing these songs through rose coloured spectacles. Ambitious aint a word you can use to describe U2's last 2 efforts never mind what the lyrics are about. You must realise that 85% of the record buying public couldn't give a fuc# what Bono's message is in his songs whether its about trying to save the world or not. They buy for what the songs are, probably as close to pop music as U2 have EVER done, on the past 2 albums. So if its ambitious to make catchy pop music with very little substance and even smaller amount of progression musically then I suppose the last 2 albums have been ambitious.

As much as you keep saying the same thing over and over again, annoying the shit out of some people in this forum, I have to say that you speak the truth. It IS the truth but I'm okay with it. I enjoy the last 2 albums for whatever merits they have.

 

[LMP]

If the last 2 albums are Pop-ish, atleast you can say their music is diverse

from Punk
to Rock
to Atmospheric
to somewhat Bluesy/Americana
to Euro-Rock
to Electronica/Whatever the hell Passengers was
to TripHop
to Pop and Punk Rock on Venus

 

[Zoots]

Punk Rock on Venus

Gimme a fucking break!

*bitchslaps Bono for saying that*

 

[roy]

As much as you keep saying the same thing over and over again, annoying the shit out of some people in this forum, I have to say that you speak the truth. It IS the truth but I'm okay with it.

Does an opinion suddenly become a universal TRUTH just because you happen to agree with it?

 

[Zoots]

Does an opinion suddenly become a universal TRUTH just because you happen to agree with it?

Oh.. lighten up! It's my opinion that what he said is the truth. Happy?

 

[LMP]

Gimme a fucking break!

*bitchslaps Bono for saying that*

forgot to add the "</sarcasm>" note after that, lol

 

[rjhbonovox]

Does an opinion suddenly become a universal TRUTH just because you happen to agree with it?

Oh dear Roy. You just don't like any critics of the 'new' U2 or well its not so new but u get my meaning. Come on, I have my opinions, I say what I feel and you gotta fuc#ing live with it! Ahh think I'm just gonna play "She's gonna blow your house down" again, when U2 WERE the greatest band on the planet!

 

[Axver]

RJH, I hope you get tired of being a negative wanker soon.

 

[Layton]

Mmmmm I think you are seeing these songs through rose coloured spectacles. Ambitious aint a word you can use to describe U2's last 2 efforts never mind what the lyrics are about. You must realise that 85% of the record buying public couldn't give a fuc# what Bono's message is in his songs whether its about trying to save the world or not. They buy for what the songs are, probably as close to pop music as U2 have EVER done, on the past 2 albums. So if its ambitious to make catchy pop music with very little substance and even smaller amount of progression musically then I suppose the last 2 albums have been ambitious.

What do you mean saying "never mind what the lyrics are about"? Like it or not, they're part of the equation. Also, I don't need to realize that 85% of the public could give a shit about messages because I'm not speaking for them.

HTDAAB is a subversive record anyway. It cloaks it's thematic content in melodically familiar terrain. It takes the point of view that in a day and age defined by tragedy and terror people need to get their own house in order to survive. When that happens familiarity and safety become paramount. HTDAAB uses it's pop ideas to lure listeners into that content. That's the element of subversion that the album has.

Of course most aren't going to get that, but it's a real lame effort on your part to claim that the album doesn't have any ambition. I'd say it's very ambitious to TRY to give it's listeners a guide for existing in today's world.

 

[Matthew_Page2000]

I can't wait until they start experimenting again and you all start bitching about it and then start having second thoughts about ATYCLB and HTDAAB

Ha! Too true. Painfully true. The reality is that U2's fan base is so large and so diverse and their songbook is so diverse that they're always going to disappoint half the fans.
I cannot recall a worse time to be a U2 fan than just after the release of the R&H movie or the beginning of the PopMart Tour in the States. U2 were getting slagged left right and sideways in the media. The fans were screaming bloody murder and people openly confronted me about my fandom. Seriously.

And yet. And yet... there are many, many fans on Interference who would murder puppies and orphans to go back to the Pop Era or even the Rattle and Hum era (Hello Axver).

U2 will never make everyone happy. The only time they did was with JT. It will never happen again.

 

[Meghan]

Lots of people seem to like Achtung Baby a fair bit too.

 

[impy13]

all the unnecessary X&Y bashing makes me a saaaaaaaaaaaad panda

 

[U2DMfan]

HTDAAB is a subversive record anyway. It cloaks it's thematic content in melodically familiar terrain. It takes the point of view that in a day and age defined by tragedy and terror people need to get their own house in order to survive. When that happens familiarity and safety become paramount. HTDAAB uses it's pop ideas to lure listeners into that content. That's the element of subversion that the album has.

Of course most aren't going to get that,....

So musically it's redundant, but thematically it's ambitious? Ok.
Wow, a recipe for a great rock and roll record. The second part sounds exactly like the theme of ATYCLB, more redundancy?
HTDAAB uses it's pop ideas to lure listeners into the content of brand U2, for relevance, for popularity. This is what the band says. This isn't my own justifications for the sound, it's their words. They could convey this "theme" you speak of with ANY sound, choose one.

Which one do they choose and what does that say to you, thematically? Okay, it's designed to go down easy so more people will get the "theme". Even if I bought that, what does it say musically? That U2 only care about the ambition of their message rather than ambition as a musical act? I don't buy it either. It's a pop album by a rock band. It's just songs, there is no great mystery. It's all on the surface, all on the top, all right there for you to hear, easily. That is the theme, IMO.

I see mortality as a theme to U2's later music, even dating back to POP to an extent. Innocence maybe early on, irony in the middle and so on. All indicative of the time in which the author of the lyrics lived in. Bono is just growing through a natural process. He didn't dream up an idea to be "subversive" and write pop songs with a huge agenda. He wrote pop songs as himself and we got what we got. There is no big concept.

 

[*sofia*]

Originally posted by inmyplace13
all the unnecessary X&Y bashing makes me a saaaaaaaaaaaad panda

 

[roy]

Oh dear Roy. You just don't like any critics of the 'new' U2 or well its not so new but u get my meaning. Come on, I have my opinions, I say what I feel and you gotta fuc#ing live with it!

I have no problem with criticism of the last two albums. There are plenty of people on here, who I respect, who dislike the current era. What separates them from you (and the Shaun Vox's of this world) is that they do not actually enjoy slating the band.

For you to actually get your kicks in this way is pretty sad and detestable IMO...

 

[shaun vox]

I have no problem with criticism of the last two albums. There are plenty of people on here, who I respect, who dislike the current era. What separates them from you (and the Shaun Vox's of this world) is that they do not actually enjoy slating the band.

For you to actually get your kicks in this way is pretty sad and detestable IMO...

there is only one shaun vox and thats me DUH

 

[ZeroDude]

there is only one shaun vox and thats me DUH

There's only one Shaun Vox......................

There's only one Shaun Vox....................

 

[LMP]

I can't wait until they start experimenting again and you all start bitching about it and then start having second thoughts about ATYCLB and HTDAAB

Too true man, and ATYCLB will their Album of Glory!

While HTDAAB will be The Greatest Album Ever Made

and the next album will be "what happened to all the rocking stuff on HTDAAB? Larry on congas? wtf mate?"

 

[Zoots]

there is only one shaun vox and thats me DUH

 

[AtomicBono]

Gimme a fucking break!

*bitchslaps Bono for saying that*

You mean you don't think One Step Closer is Punk Rock from Venus?

 

[Zoots]

You mean you don't think One Step Closer is Punk Rock from Venus?

I didn't know that they have a different style of punk on Venus... they call it snooze rock.

 

[AtomicBono]

I didn't know that they have a different style of punk on Venus... they call it snooze rock.

maybe I should just communicate in smilies from now on

 

[Axver]

there is only one shaun vox and thats me DUH

Even one's too many.

 

[rjhbonovox]

It's a pop album by a rock band. It's just songs, there is no great mystery. It's all on the surface, all on the top, all right there for you to hear, easily. That is the theme, IMO.

There is no big concept.

I agree with this. Theres no big ideas with U2's music today. Is it really ambitious to make music that they could make in their sleep. Miracle Drug, COBL are hardly out of this world creative songs that no ones heard before....are they?

 

[rjhbonovox]

RJH, I hope you get tired of being a negative wanker soon.

Have you noticed that I'm not braindead enough to launch personal attacks against anyone that doesn't agree with me. I could call you names but come on now aren't we more grown up than that. Aren't you an Aussie by the way? Hey we sure give your guys a fuc#ing hammering at Cricket heheheheeh

 

[Axver]

Have you noticed that I'm not braindead enough to launch personal attacks against anyone that doesn't agree with me. I could call you names but come on now aren't we more grown up than that. Aren't you an Aussie by the way? Hey we sure give your guys a fuc#ing hammering at Cricket heheheheeh

But you launch persistent attacks at post-Pop U2 and it's just become tiresome.

And while I live in Australia, I'm a New Zealander and I was bloody happy when England won the cricket. I support two teams: 1. New Zealand, 2. Whoever's playing Australia.

 

[rjhbonovox]

But you launch persistent attacks at post-Pop U2 and it's just become tiresome.

And while I live in Australia, I'm a New Zealander and I was bloody happy when England won the cricket. I support two teams: 1. New Zealand, 2. Whoever's playing Australia.

Yep up to the England team to sort the Aussies out. Now England quite rightly back where they belong, The Best Test Match Team in The World!

 

[Layton]

HTDAAB uses it's pop ideas to lure listeners into the content of brand U2, for relevance, for popularity. This is what the band says. This isn't my own justifications for the sound, it's their words. They could convey this "theme" you speak of with ANY sound, choose one.

Which one do they choose and what does that say to you, thematically? Okay, it's designed to go down easy so more people will get the "theme". Even if I bought that, what does it say musically? That U2 only care about the ambition of their message rather than ambition as a musical act?

I know we've had this conversation before, but I'll bang my drum again for the fun of it. First off, why do you think they want relevance and popularity? Well, I'll tell you---lol. It's because they're putting one of their oldest philosophies into practice for the first time. That being the philosophy of 'music may not change the world, but it can change the world inside of you'; which instigates change on a larger level. They REALLY believe that by offering a recipe of soul changing songs they would be doing a part in positively affecting the world.

This is music at it's most ambitious, I believe. It takes major dreams of grandiosity to believe this, but they do. This is certainly more ambitious than going the aurally/aesthetically adventurous route which so many around here are disturbed about. It's also alot more appropriate given the way the world has changed since the '90's. I believe the changed world climate and mood (which they anticipated with ATYCLB since it preceded the mood change, but knew a change was in the air) has motivated U2 to put aside they're purely musical/creative ambitions for the much bigger ambitions of which I speak of.

Remember, there was a time when rock embraced the idea of changing the world. Part of U2 clearly has always belonged to that school of thought regarding rock greatness. They've always had an uneasy relationship with the rock greatness school of thought that says one should make their music solely for one's self and whoever likes it, likes it. There is a time and place for that school of thought, but U2 doesn't believe that time and place is now. I happen to agree with them.