Today's U2 is no more real that yesteryear's

[blueyedpoet]

I've noticed a peculiar trend among many U2 fans on this website.
Many are upset with the recent work of U2. Perhaps it is not innovative enough; perhaps Bono's recent lyrical production is not up to the high standard he set earlier; etc.
What's interesting, though, is how some of the people who feel this way seem to abandon U2 as a whole.
The recent incarnation of U2 is no more real than any previous incarnation. This U2 exists in time and space in a similar way they did previously. One should not abandon U2 completely. U2's comments, songs, tour productions over the years still exist and can still be celebrated.
In other words, the latest version of U2 does not invalidate previous versions nor is it the most REAL U2. All versions are equally real.
I hope this makes sense.

 

[U2girl]

Imposter post 1997 fake U2.

 

[vaz02]

I hope this makes sense.

Im baffled.

So u2 is in the 3rd dimension ?

 

[Axver]

Imposter post 1997 fake U2.

Pfft, that was a fake U2 too. We ALL know U2 died immediately after their 10 January 1990 concert.

 

[An Cat Gav]

I for one am not in love with a lot of their work in this decade, but when they are on form they have produced songs that sit comfortably amongst their best, for example The Ground Beneath Her Feet, Beautiful Day, COBL, Electrical Storm. Just because I feel no wish to buy U218 doesn't mean that U2 are not my favourite band or that they still don't mean the world to me. i dont think there are many posters on here who although they may hate the u2 of the 00's don't still love the particular era of U2 that they fell in love with and we all hold out hope for another masterpiece.

 

[kennerado]

Pfft, that was a fake U2 too. We ALL know U2 died immediately after their 10 January 1990 concert.

Close, but after the winter of 91.

 

[Axver]

Close, but after the winter of 91.

Pfft, they were dead by 1991. I have the gravestone. "RIP U2, 1976-1990. May your music, especially One Tree Hill, always resonate in our ears."

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

well the real edge was kidnaped by evil bono 5 years ago, so we haven't seen the real u2 in quite a while now

 

[LemonMelon]

Nah, that's still the real U2.

The only band I know of where all the original band members died/were kidnapped and then replaced is Weezer. You DO know they've all been replaced by robots, right? (that's the only way I can feasibly explain their recent, post-1996 suckitude)

Oh, and Paul McCartney.

 

[MrPryck2U]

To address your post seriously, I would say it's pretty difficult to "dream it all up again" every four years. U2 are now all dudes in their mid-40's, so hopefully, they're facing different issues then they were 20 years ago. People get older. It's just a fact of life. They're in the Rock and Roll HOF, they have nothing left to prove to me. I'm just happy they're still together and putting out music.

 

[Salome]

I still don't understand how anyone can think that U2 is that much different than the band was 10 years ago or 20 years ago

when you realize how much they've changed as people, how much they have learned about making music then - relatively speaking - it seems to me that they have actually stayed very close to how they started

I reckon I have changed more the last 10 years than U2 has done the last 20 years

/random

 

[Bono's shades]

I don't see anyone here who doesn't like U2's recent work saying their previous work is crap in retrospect. Speaking for myself, the reason I don't like the current stuff is I don't think it has the depth of their previous work. In fact, I appreciate some of their pre-2000 work, such as Zooropa and Pop, even more these days than I did in the past.

 

[blueyedpoet]

Really, I'm thinking in terms of metaphysics.
Some may be tempted to dismiss their appreciation for U2's past because they disagree with decisions U2 has recently made. This current version of U2 does not negate the real-ness of U2 ten or twenty years ago.
Personally, there are aspects of all the versions of U2 that I like and dislike.

 

[doctorwho]

Pfft, that was a fake U2 too. We ALL know U2 died immediately after their 10 January 1990 concert.

Thank goodness that version of U2 "died". I couldn't take 2 more decades of preachy "oh look at how sincere I am" comments. Besides, Edge looked ridiculous then.

 

[phillyfan26]

The current U2 is why most of my friends think they are adult contemporary crap singing to 50 year olds.

And I refer to ATYCLB. HTDAAB actually turned things around a bit. It had a little more going for it.

 

[kingofsorrow]

no matter what, i still love those sneaky irish bastards

 

[mandrake]

The current U2 is just the same people but they dont present themselves with all that irony that the general public didnt understand.

 

[annabelle]

Really, I'm thinking in terms of metaphysics.

Metaphysically speaking, I'm just glad that no matter where or when or what I am, all versions of U2 will contimue to exist, at all times, and always will.

 

[blueyedpoet]

Metaphysically speaking, I'm just glad that no matter where or when or what I am, all versions of U2 will contimue to exist, at all times, and always will.

and that's exactly how i feel

 

[Salome]

The current U2 is why most of my friends think they are adult contemporary crap singing to 50 year olds.

I'll ponder fora bit whether that says more about your friends or about U2

 

[Sunny69]

Behind all the kinds of sounds U2 has produced since the late 70's, is the underlying melody of the song. Its amazing how U2 keep changing their melodic style and come up with great songs for so long. Now AC-DC on the other hand, I can only listen to for so long before everything starts sounding the same...

 

[becca_lyn]

Sometimes I wonder if people want them to resort back to their original sound, or if people want them to sound like every other band out there.

Wow. Could you imagine if they went Emo?

 

[Alisaura]

Wow. Could you imagine if they went Emo?

I'm.... trying... not to.....

 

[blueyedpoet]

The current U2 is just the same people but they dont present themselves with all that irony that the general public didnt understand.

I thought I posted this, maybe it was somewhere else......

The people that are in U2 today, cannot be the same as yesteryear.

Consider the basic candle: after several hours of burning it has a completely different form than "it" originally had. Obviously the ingredients are essentially the same, but is "IT" the same thing?

My point is this: if you don't like the current U2, then enjoy the U2 you do enjoy. The Joshua Tree U2 is not here, but it still abstractly exists. No matter what U2 does today, they cannot make their prior "selves" irrelevant or immaterial.
Today, U2 is real - the members are objects in space and time (they have extension); likewise, U2 during Popmart were objects in space and time, so they can never cease to be real. The current version may try to lead you to believe differently, though.