passe?

[u2aregods]

i listened to u2 's new single ' electrical storm' and i'd like to
reiterate a few things , in keeping with the level of consistency
of the material. i feel that the new song doesn't break any new ground sonically. it's an okay sound, but it does not push the limit of creativity that u2 is known for.
over the past five years listening to their last albums; 'pop' and ' all that you can't leave behind' i got the impression that u2 had reached a summit where their creativity was at a virtual standstill.
don't get me wrong though. the first part of 'POP' was really pulsing and grooving in a different territory than the band's previous efforts. but as the album progressed i felt the intensity
drop off and become tiresome toward's the end, no doubt do to the limitations of time and pressure to release the new material .
and i guess ' all that you can't leave behind ' is like a break from that creativity , a loose almost relaxed feel. it kind of makes me think of u2 singing their brand of campfire songs. you know?
whatever.
but i noticed in songs like, 'summer rain, beautiful day, walk on, that u2 almost immediately launch into full chorus instead of the usual buildup that makes most of their better songs resonate with much more fervor and insight.
if you look at the lyrics their more like a laundry list of things to say rather than anything introspective that would define where they are emotionally at this stage of their career. their in their forties , something must have happened in their personal lives?
divorce? infedelity? drug use? death? war in the middle east?
their vocals and lyrics on ' ATYCLB' seem very dry.
i hope , i really hope this is just a phase and that they'll get back to doing what they do best: creating songs that linger and resonate with introspection and emotional angst and thunder.

 

[ishkash]

Point noted.Thanks!

 

[doctorwho]

Wow... I can't disagree more.

To my ears, mind and eyes, "Pop" and ATYCLB are two vastly different albums. To not appreciate either is questionable to me. Whenever I hear people say what you wrote, I can't help but think, "Oh, another War, JT or AB era fan that can't stand U2 sounding different." I know, I know... you will argue that this is not what you are writing, but that's the feeling *I* get when I read comments like yours.

"Pop" not only captured the zeitgeist of the time (which might be one of its larger weaknesses) but it is a reflection of the band members' personal lives and beliefs. How many times can a band do a marching beat singing "Sunday Bloody Sunday"? Yet, 14 years after that song was recorded, the problem in Ireland remained. I felt Bono beautifully captured his own personal desperation at this plight on "Please." "Sunday Bloody Sunday" worked great in '83, because it reflected a young man's view of a war he did not create. "Please" shows the angst of an older person who has now lived with this war for his whole life - it truly is a plea to finally end this torment.

"Pop" also contained some of U2's most experimental songs. People, including myself, praise "Zooropa" endlessly for its experimentation, but U2 really let loose on "Pop" with songs like "Mofo." This brilliant, introspective song is perfect on "Pop" but would not belong on any other album. Kudos for U2 for knowing how and when to create such a song.

Then there is ATYCLB. Yes, the album is more mellow, which may be its biggest fault. However, to dismiss this album as "adult contemporary" is to place U2 in some sort of box with little room to breathe. It also ignores U2's past. U2 are not really a "rocking" band. Yes, they have created their share of rocking songs - and ATYCLB contains some of them ("Elevation", "Beautiful Day", "New York"), but some of U2's biggest hits have been ballads or slower songs like "With or Without You", "I Still Haven't...", "One", "All I Want Is You".

ATYCLB featured Bono doing vocal experimentation, but not with gadgets or studio tricks. Songs like "In a Little While" succeed because of Bono's scratchy, pleading, romantic voice. This song simply would not work if Bono belted it out (like he does on "Electrical Storm" or any JT era track). Yet, Bono's vocals on ATYCLB are the strongest I've heard since R&H.

Also, a song like "Walk On" may have a hint of U2's former style in it, but it is so powerful NOW because only the U2 of today could have created it. This song is something that only men in their late 30's and early 40's had the experience to create. As such, "Walk On" not only captures our minds and hearts today, but it can be applied to any time, any generation.

In other words, I feel U2 have done a wonderful job of not only creating new sounds, but new thoughts and ideas for us to ponder.

 

[Salome]

creating songs that linger and resonate with introspection and emotional angst and thunder.

emotional angst???
I think they hit puberty some years ago

 

[U2Soar]

As usual Dr. Who - very well written and right on the mark !

 

[follower]

Re: Re: passe?

emotional angst???
I think they hit puberty some years ago

Great Salome, simply great.

 

[wertsie]

As usual Dr. Who - very well written and right on the mark !

Exactly what I was thinking. Bravo!

 

[Shine * Like* Stars*]

I agree with Dr. Who and Salome, and I love Electrical Storm. What new ground did you expect them to break, maybe some death metal or country? This is a great song. Maybe the original poster should change his SN LOL.

 

[wertsie]

I agree with Dr. Who and Salome, and I love Electrical Storm. What new ground did you expect them to break, maybe some death metal or country? This is a great song. Maybe the original poster should change his SN LOL.

U2 doing country...now there's an interesting thought....

Maybe they should create their own *brand new* genre of music...

 

[OzAurora]

I think I can see where the original poster is kinda coming from, I think it is very hard sometimes when you are a U2 fan when they release new music they are a band who are in the same category I believe as bands like the Stones and the Beatles in that they have such an impressive, mostly successful and briliiant back catalogue which I guess can be hard to keep up with when new music is released, I would hate to be a band or musician trying to come up with stuff that is better than the gem material that is on say J-Tree and as a result not everything that they release is always going to be liked by everyone, you have to remember after all that they are only human and whilst I dont really dig ATYCLB all that much, I have found that with the releases since Achtung that it takes a little while for them to sink in with me, I didnt start really listening to Pop until 1999 and now I just love the first half of it passionately- so maybe give the new stuff time and dont always think back, I would love it personally if U2 were still making music that sounded like stuff from 'War' however I know that they probably have forgotten how to do it that way and I also know that they are a very different band now, but I must disagree with what you said about ATYCLB, whilst I dont really like the song stuck, musically that is, I think that Stuck is some of Bonos best lyrics in a very long time, it is straigthforward and very to the point and well written and when you think of it in the context of past friends of his such as Michael Hutchence I have to wonder where 'U2 are Gods' came up with the idea that the album did not feture any provoking music, like I said I can say that I dont like the song musically cause to use the word that I know the Doctor hates so much, it does sound Adult Contemporary, however I can say that I think the lyrics are amazing......anyway my main point is I guess, is to not be so harsh to begin with, let the new music take time to resonate and remember that U2 are always evolving and dont always compare the past to the new, I know for me that if I did that , as I love their older music immensely that I would never get past it and never learn to appreciae the new songs and one example I can use is Gone, like I said I really didnt like Pop at all when it came out, however a few years later and many, many listens I now see Gone as one of my all time fave songs.....anyway time for me to stop blabbering


oh and I will also say that I am really digging Storm- the orbit mix that is, this is the first new U2 song that I have gotten into when it has been released, I think it is just amazing and sheer brilliance!!

 

[mikal]

Well, I did read that U2 is collaborating with P. Diddy!

Now that's new ground!

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

Woohoo!

Wow... I can't disagree more.

To my ears, mind and eyes, "Pop" and ATYCLB are two vastly different albums. To not appreciate either is questionable to me. Whenever I hear people say what you wrote, I can't help but think, "Oh, another War, JT or AB era fan that can't stand U2 sounding different." I know, I know... you will argue that this is not what you are writing, but that's the feeling *I* get when I read comments like yours.

"Pop" not only captured the zeitgeist of the time (which might be one of its larger weaknesses) but it is a reflection of the band members' personal lives and beliefs. How many times can a band do a marching beat singing "Sunday Bloody Sunday"? Yet, 14 years after that song was recorded, the problem in Ireland remained. I felt Bono beautifully captured his own personal desperation at this plight on "Please." "Sunday Bloody Sunday" worked great in '83, because it reflected a young man's view of a war he did not create. "Please" shows the angst of an older person who has now lived with this war for his whole life - it truly is a plea to finally end this torment.

"Pop" also contained some of U2's most experimental songs. People, including myself, praise "Zooropa" endlessly for its experimentation, but U2 really let loose on "Pop" with songs like "Mofo." This brilliant, introspective song is perfect on "Pop" but would not belong on any other album. Kudos for U2 for knowing how and when to create such a song.

Then there is ATYCLB. Yes, the album is more mellow, which may be its biggest fault. However, to dismiss this album as "adult contemporary" is to place U2 in some sort of box with little room to breathe. It also ignores U2's past. U2 are not really a "rocking" band. Yes, they have created their share of rocking songs - and ATYCLB contains some of them ("Elevation", "Beautiful Day", "New York"), but some of U2's biggest hits have been ballads or slower songs like "With or Without You", "I Still Haven't...", "One", "All I Want Is You".

ATYCLB featured Bono doing vocal experimentation, but not with gadgets or studio tricks. Songs like "In a Little While" succeed because of Bono's scratchy, pleading, romantic voice. This song simply would not work if Bono belted it out (like he does on "Electrical Storm" or any JT era track). Yet, Bono's vocals on ATYCLB are the strongest I've heard since R&H.

Also, a song like "Walk On" may have a hint of U2's former style in it, but it is so powerful NOW because only the U2 of today could have created it. This song is something that only men in their late 30's and early 40's had the experience to create. As such, "Walk On" not only captures our minds and hearts today, but it can be applied to any time, any generation.

In other words, I feel U2 have done a wonderful job of not only creating new sounds, but new thoughts and ideas for us to ponder.

*Applauds*

I completely agree with you on everything you just said.

Angela