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KUEFC09U2

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get your reviews in on amazon.com because that site is really starting to drag this album down,
 
But if you read some of the reviewers that give it 2 or 3 stars they are actually big U2 fans who are majorly disappointed. Maybe the album is not the classic album that quite a few on here feel it is.
 
The strangest thing is that ATYCLB had overall glowing reviews on Amazon. Hell, just check out the newest reviews posted. I think it's safe to say that none of us thing HTDAAB is weaker than ATYCLB, yet somehow it has a lower rating (3 1/2 stars vs 4).

People are saying it's overly commercial, boring, okay, bland, etc. Every time I see a negative review like that, they go on to talk about how Vertigo is the only good track. Yet if you look at posts around here, you'll find that Vertigo is usually a lower-ranking track on people's list.

Basically, I think they either don't "get" U2 in general or they've listened to the album only a time or two. I think over time, the reviews will become more positive, and it'll go to at least 4 starts. We can help with that :)
 
gorman said:
The strangest thing is that ATYCLB had overall glowing reviews on Amazon. Hell, just check out the newest reviews posted. I think it's safe to say that none of us thing HTDAAB is weaker than ATYCLB, yet somehow it has a lower rating (3 1/2 stars vs 4).

People are saying it's overly commercial, boring, okay, bland, etc. Every time I see a negative review like that, they go on to talk about how Vertigo is the only good track. Yet if you look at posts around here, you'll find that Vertigo is usually a lower-ranking track on people's list.

Basically, I think they either don't "get" U2 in general or they've listened to the album only a time or two. I think over time, the reviews will become more positive, and it'll go to at least 4 starts. We can help with that :)

the horrid reviews are from people who are sick of U2 (i know this one girl who tells me she doesn't like bono because of the "messages" he puts in his songs).. the honest reviews are the ones which describe all of the songs, and don't bash bono/the rest of the band
 
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bcrt2000 said:


the horrid reviews are from people who are sick of U2 (i know this one girl who tells me she doesn't like bono because of the "messages" he puts in his song).. the honest reviews are the ones which describe all of the songs, and don't bash bono/the rest of the band

Ah yep, I'd say you nailed it. 'tis a shame for those people.
 
what messages? Like love and peace and compromise and religion and...

Yeah, things like the above definitely hurt a song's street cred.

:ohmy:
 
gorman said:
The strangest thing is that ATYCLB had overall glowing reviews on Amazon. Hell, just check out the newest reviews posted. I think it's safe to say that none of us thing HTDAAB is weaker than ATYCLB, yet somehow it has a lower rating (3 1/2 stars vs 4).

People are saying it's overly commercial, boring, okay, bland, etc. Every time I see a negative review like that, they go on to talk about how Vertigo is the only good track. Yet if you look at posts around here, you'll find that Vertigo is usually a lower-ranking track on people's list.

Basically, I think they either don't "get" U2 in general or they've listened to the album only a time or two. I think over time, the reviews will become more positive, and it'll go to at least 4 starts. We can help with that :)

I think it's odd that you seem to feel that the opinions of people who have a less positive (not necessarily negative -- just not gushing) view of the album are less valid than yours. Not everyone is going to like it. Certainly post your review if you want, but because someone doesn't like it as much as you do doesn't mean they are wrong (or that they don't "get" it -- they simply don't like it).
 
i think the issue is with people who post that don't like U2 and may not have heard the album or even gave it more than 1 listen!
 
What bothers me is that these people say the new album is crap, but don't offer up alternatives, IE recent albums from other bands that they think are good.

Or maybe they do still think U2 is the best, despite not liking the album? I don't know.
 
indra said:


I think it's odd that you seem to feel that the opinions of people who have a less positive (not necessarily negative -- just not gushing) view of the album are less valid than yours. Not everyone is going to like it. Certainly post your review if you want, but because someone doesn't like it as much as you do doesn't mean they are wrong (or that they don't "get" it -- they simply don't like it).

Nah, that's not what I meant. If someone truly doesn't like the album, then I have no problem with them posting a negative review. It just seems like people are going in expecting a hard-rocking album all the way through, realizing a good number of the songs are slower, and immediately calling it bland or boring without actually taking those slower songs into consideration. The problem is that Vertigo is everywhere, and I think a lot of these reviewers heard that over and over, and figured the entire album would be like that. That's not their fault, but I really don't think they're giving the album a fair chance. This is what I meant by not "getting" U2, as I don't think anyone that's an actual fan would have expected every track to be a Vertigo. That's why I think over time, as people do listen to the album a few times, the reviews will become more positive.

My other comments were just pointing out the difference in majority opinion on these boards and Amazon. I have yet to see anyone here post saying that they liked ATYCLB more than HTDAAB, and I have also seen very few people put Vertigo in the top 3 slots of their song rankings for HTDAAB. I don't care who is right or wrong, but I just find it very interesting how different the opinions are between Amazon and Interference.
 
Yeah I don't mean to rain on anyone's parade about the album. If you're listening to it on repeat and think it's the greatest thing ever then that's wonderful that you've got something that moves you like that but I'm with the camp that this album just isn't that good and I think it's a fair assesment. The tide of opinion on here has shifted from the first day the album was leaked. It was almost uniformily hailed as the greatest thing ever and only after a few days did some people start posting about how it was disappointing to them.

So I think generally maybe it's coming out that the reviews on the album are mixed leaning towards good and not unabashed praise as some think it was going to get.


ATYCLB blows HTDAAB out of the water. :D There. *


* This is my honest opinion. HTDAAB just isn't very aurally interesting. The soundscapes on ATYCLB are so much more varied than HTDAAB.
 
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LiveFire said:
ATYCLB blows HTDAAB out of the water. :D There. [/B]

Here, you are wrong. ATYCanLB is a "collection of songs", it's not an album. And we all know what kind of "britney_artists" are out there to make collection of songs, U2 should be better than that. All songs are diferent from eachother (+), but have one thing in common, they all sound claustrophobic, like recorded in a closed phone-booth (-), there's no "space" in those songs, not enough air to beath (if you know what I mean).
With this new album (just as their every other albums, except for ATYCanLB) the songs are huge once again. There's so many things happening there... it's like standing on open field with huge landscapes around you, and that's U2 that I know and that I like. Maybe it's just about production, but those pop melodies aren't good either on ATYCanLB.

...no my friend, it's HTDAAB that "blows ATYCanLB out of the water"... in fact it's that good that I want to forget the mistake of even making an album like ATYCLB!
 
you guys should look at it like this, there are 338 reviews on this new album!!!! That is some kind of record.
in 1/2 a week!
Biggest Band in the world: accompished.
 
i just read a review on amazon a few pages in that basically said u2 are getting boring because they keep on making good music and its getting old. ??? Thats hilarious. She gave it like 2 stars.
 
well... as a fan pointed out, mixed reviews say it everything :shocked:

sorry my friends but I really dislike this safe U2 :ohmy: :sad: :(
 
Most reviews (apart from those who probably worship anything that was made in the 90's and the "I hate U2/Bono" people) were very positive on amazon.

Those who say HTDAAB is nothing different than ATYCLB clearly weren't listening.
 
Anyone who says ATYCLB is better than HTDAAB...there is something seriously wrong with him. I just can't understand that someone can think that. It's like saying that Creed's worst album is better than Pearl Jam's best.
 
djerdap said:
Anyone who says ATYCLB is better than HTDAAB...there is something seriously wrong with him. I just can't understand that someone can think that. It's like saying that Creed's worst album is better than Pearl Jam's best.
:lol:
 
djerdap said:
Anyone who says ATYCLB is better than HTDAAB...there is something seriously wrong with him. I just can't understand that someone can think that. It's like saying that Creed's worst album is better than Pearl Jam's best.


I see it exactly opposite. :D

Sonically HTDAAB has one tone for most of the songs. Crumbs, SYCMIOYO, Miracle Drug sound very similar to me and I don't hear what is in there that you're hearing that make them all different and unique beautiful snowflakes. I just put it in again last night and listened to it and just got bored.

ATYCLB each song has its own style and sound that matches what the song is about.

HTDAAB is a big chunk of (IMO mediocre) rock with nothing particularly distinquishing it while ATYCLB has a hundred different variations on it to make it interesting.

It sounds like your ATYCLB critique is "It's too popish and commercial." and yet HTDAAB is simply safe formulaic U2 (tm) songs. Generic lyric about love and peace + Edge guitar + Bono wail = BIGGEST BAND IN THE WORLD DON'T YOU FORGET IT!

Then again I think Passengers is one of their best albums. So our taste are probably radically different.

Also I wouldn't rank ATYCLB particularly high on the list of albums. Listing them I've got to say ATYCLB probably wouldn't break the top 5 in my book. You're right it's more of a group of good songs rather than it is a coherent album but the same can be said of an album like Magical Mystery Tour. Sgt. Pepper's is a much better album but there's songs on MMT that are better than some of Pepper's songs.


That said: Creed's worst album is better than Pearl Jam's best.
 
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ponkine said:
well... as a fan pointed out, mixed reviews say it everything :shocked:

sorry my friends but I really dislike this safe U2 :ohmy: :sad: :(


safe U2??? Did you like the safest of all U2's records that was ATYCLB? Please, stop this "safe" matter!!!
 
:wink: It's amazing how diverse U2's fanbase is. We actually have a member who likes Creed better than Pearl Jam.
How interesting.

I wouldn't say that there has been much of a shift in our take on HTDAAB either. Almost everyone on this list likes it.
There is a very vocal minority who doesn't agree and that's fine.
If you elimate posts by Ponkine, U2_Guy, rjhbonovox and LiveFire
you'll find there is an overwhelming consensus that HTDAAB is, at the worst, an extremely good U2 record.
Most of the members of this board think that it's one of the best U2 albums ever.

That doesn't mean we're any more right or wrong than Ponkine, U2_Guy, rjhbonovox and LiveFire. It just means that there are more of us. A lot more.
 
true, mp2000, especially with the amazon reviews. There are hundereds of reviews and most people are giving it 4-5 stars, but its the 1 stars that bring the average down big time and are also the ones that catch the attention, more than "this album is great. u2 rock." Overall, majority of the people like it.
 
LiveFire said:



I see it exactly opposite. :D

Sonically HTDAAB has one tone for most of the songs. Crumbs, SYCMIOYO, Miracle Drug sound very similar to me and I don't hear what is in there that you're hearing that make them all different and unique beautiful snowflakes. I just put it in again last night and listened to it and just got bored.

ATYCLB each song has its own style and sound that matches what the song is about.

HTDAAB is a big chunk of (IMO mediocre) rock with nothing particularly distinquishing it while ATYCLB has a hundred different variations on it to make it interesting.

I agree with you on this... :up: :up:
Even though HTDAAB is a great album, I don't feel it's better than ATYCLB. With ATYCLB I feel lots of emotions, and the melody of the songs are quite intimate. :rolleyes:
 
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