U2: The "tugging at the heart strings" era?

[Zoots]

If Bob Hewson hadn't been suffering from cancer before eventually passing away in August 2001, would we have seen a totally different U2 this decade? Plus wasn't The Edge's daughter diagnosed with cancer too? The more I think about it, the more I get the feeling that the main reason the band has (and esp. Bono who obviously has a very strong influence on the other 3) really mellowed down and softened up lately is directly due to these tragic events.

I can see it in the lyrics of songs like... Stuck In A Moment (these tears are going nowhere, baby...), Walk On (and I know it aches and your heart it breaks, you can only take so much..), Kite, In A Little While (slow down my beating heart...), parts of New York (mid life crisis, lose your balance lose your wife in the queue for a lifeboat...), Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Miracle Drug (God I need your help tonight..), LAPOE (here's my heart I'll let you break it... we need love and peace), One Step Closer, OOTS (the end is not as fun as the start..) etc. etc. etc... Granted, there are upbeat songs too like Beautiful Day, Wild Honey, Elevation, Vertigo, COBL, ABOY etc. but everything is pretty much themed on love. Everything. They've been reeeeally pulling at our heart strings... something they have probably never done??? Except for maybe Tomorrow from October which was influenced by (surprise!) Bono's mother's death!

Are you hearing me? It seems like Bono's basically a very sensitive man who is having a hard time getting over his father's death. And to make things worse, now there's Sian's illness. And all of this is showing big time in their music. And hence the much more direct lyrics. Less poetry.

See, they were political and full of fiery passion in the 80s. They were cool as heck in the 90s. Now they're tugging at our heart strings? And maybe people that aren't so soft on the inside or at least don't show it... or people that haven't had the misfortune of losing a loved one.. can't relate to this new incarnation.. Maybe... That's my rough take on it.

Thoughts?

 

[Aygo]

I think that for the first time in U2's career, the band is speaking right from their heart and piercing the other people's heart with it. U2 had never done it before.
This is reason I think U2 had been having two main kind of moments: anger and mellow. However, even the more angry moments seem to show the compassion of the feeling because of the possible heartache Zootlesque talked.
I don't mind with U2 having this attitude in their last works. In fact, I like it and maybe that was what the band had to do yet and what they felt they had go do before they go.

 

[Zoots]

34 views and only 1 reply? Maybe I made a little too much sense this time and there's nothing to argue about?

 

[Aygo]

I think that's because everybody is keeping theirselves to attack all at the same time with the 00's bashing speech. That's the only possible ending for a thread like this.

 

[Chizip]

00's U2 sux, 90's U2 rulez!!!!!111!

 

[Zoots]

I think that's because everybody is keeping theirselves to attack all at the same time with the 00's bashing speech. That's the only possible ending for a thread like this.

But that is not my intention. I think I have truly realized why they have softened up so much and lost a lot of the mystery and depth in their work. Everything has become more direct.

edit: Chizip, for God's sake, change that avatar!

 

[U2Man]

i think you're right.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I think it's a third of that, a third distraction, and a third the new focus in regards to how the music is made, jumbled with how it ends up being made via this prolonged process. I think they used to know the starting point and let it run from there to wherever it may go (which is why I think they regularly shipped off to different locations for recording - find something and run with it), now they know what they want from the finished product and try and build to that. I think the recording process isn't anywhere near as free spirited, and thus, neither is the finished product, plus you get the whole stretched out recording process, doing it over and over and over, and that's washing a lot out. You're right, but I think it's part of a mix of a few things. I seriously think U2 used to create songs, now they manufacture them. And I don't mean that in the way it's usually stated around here. Just look at Edge's guitar playing. Technically better/tighter, but creatively dead. Bono's lyrics - direct mostly, but through a lot of it I bet it's an aside, coming from a mind that has so much more going on, put together at the last minute, filled in as the least important part of the puzzle. Just the sense I get, as to why their music sounds so empty now.

 

[Zoots]

a third, distraction

Yeah.. Bono seems to have gotten much more involved with Africa this decade.

and a third the new focus in regards to how the music is made, jumbled with how it ends up being made via this prolonged process.

Are you talking about new music in general or only U2? Because I don't get that "manufactured" feeling with other bands I'm listening to at the moment like Pearl Jam, Oasis, Snow Patrol, Muse, Keane, The Killers etc.

 

[Zoots]

Just look at Edge's guitar playing. Technically better/tighter, but creatively dead. Bono's lyrics - direct mostly, but through a lot of it I bet it's an aside, coming from a mind that has so much more going on, put together at the last minute, filled in as the least important part of the puzzle. Just the sense I get, as to why their music sounds so empty now.

Completely agree.

 

[LyricalDrug]

Interesting post. I agree. I've always thought Bono's recent lyrics have been cheezy / Hallmark card-y / Oprah-y ("please stay a child / somewhere in your heart" etc.) and I miss the "I was drinking some wine / and it turned to blood" moments of coolness and rock n' roll poetry that U2 perfected in the late 80's and 90's.

Still, sometimes it works. 'Sometimes,' 'WITS,' and 'Beautiful Day' are as good as any songs the band has ever written.

 

[BVS]

See, they were political and full of fiery passion in the 80s. They were cool as heck in the 90s. Now they're tugging at our heart strings?

Well in a way I think you've summarized life, in another I think you've completely trivalized each era, especially the 90's.

You start off idealistic and fiery, you grow into that skin and know what you are saying, then you come to the point where you are introduced to your own mortality.

And maybe people that aren't so soft on the inside or at least don't show it... or people that haven't had the misfortune of losing a loved one.. can't relate to this new incarnation.. Maybe... That's my rough take on it.

I think part of the problem is "soft" is being used as a negative, vulnerability is considered weak...

 

[BVS]

Yeah.. Bono seems to have gotten much more involved with Africa this decade.

I think the bigger problem of the 00's is actually Larry and not Bono. Larry's the one nixing songs like Native Son, Mercy, etc for more "pop" songs.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Yeah.. Bono seems to have gotten much more involved with Africa this decade.



Are you talking about new music in general or only U2? Because I don't get that "manufactured" feeling with other bands I'm listening to at the moment like Pearl Jam, Oasis, Snow Patrol, Muse, Keane, The Killers etc.

Distractions for all of them that come with age, families, saving the world - the usual.

As for manufactured - I mean, it sounds like U2 used to pack up with a bare minimum of ideas already in place, head off to Berlin, Miami, some castle or whatever and just let it flow from there. It sounds now like this is much more of a pre-conceived and planned thing, and they try and build what they think they want, rather than just seeing what falls out and figuring out what to do with that. I hate using terms like 'manufactured' & 'formulaic' because they get thrown around here too much and too often in the wrong sense, but, I think they are true to a degree. The music sounds like - and they sort of almost admit it - like they have a computer there and they are just cutting and pasting parts "Inspiring Edge Lift", "Big Bono Screaming Moment" "Passion!" "Hook 1" "Hook 2" "Hook 3" and there's someone standing over. "Okay, hit them with hook 1 & 2 quickly, then drop everything off to almost silence, then insert the Inspiring Edge Lift there, then bang with the Big Bono Screaming Moment. Done. Wait, what's missing? True, it takes to long to build from the opening to the first chorus. Just cut and paste the chorus in at the 3rd or 4th line. Research shows that 84% of people at our concerts just can't wait to sing a long with the big choruses anyway."

I think that's why you get stuff as satisfying yet unsatisfying at the same time as the last little bit of Miracle Drug. Technicaly it's all there, all those very U2 things, but in reality it leaves you empty at the same time. That guitar part of his - it just sounds like they knew the song needed it "Quick! Just do something that sounds 'soaring', they love that shit!" rather than something Edge came up with in a moment of sheer creative brilliance at 2am in the morning. It all just sounds so clinical and uninspired now.

 

[Aygo]

But that is not my intention. I think I have truly realized why they have softened up so much and lost a lot of the mystery and depth in their work. Everything has become more direct.

edit: Chizip, for God's sake, change that avatar!

I know it was not your intention, I can see it.
But after 12 replies, you see how I was right? I was right, wasn't I?This is getting way too predictable...

 

[AtomicBono]

Re: Re: U2: The "tugging at the heart strings" era?

Well in a way I think you've summarized life, in another I think you've completely trivalized each era, especially the 90's.

You start off idealistic and fiery, you grow into that skin and know what you are saying, then you come to the point where you are introduced to your own mortality.

I think Earnie and Zoot both have good points as well, but I never got the big idea about the 00's, I mean why everyone gets so upset about them. I just see it as another U2 era, same as the 80's or 90's. Sure I prefer their 90's work overall, but I don't mind that they've shifted direction. It's bound to happen. We'll just have to see if they stay in this "mellow" (though as Zoot pointed out there are plenty of rocking and upbeat songs; I don't know if this era is much more mellow than any other) and somewhat poppy mode, or shift lanes again so to speak. I think they'll change, though perhaps not as drastically as before.

 

[MrPryck2U]

I think it's really rather simple: They're getting older. These boys are now men in their mid 40's. By then, more than likely, a parent or two of theirs is likely to die. Hopefully, the older you get, the more your perspective on life changes. It's called growing. Try not to put too much thought into it.

 

[tuwie]

interesting point (btw, totally unrelated, zoots, but your avatar completely took me by surprise and i didn't know it was you at first, lol).

i actually just see this as another U2 era as well. not necessarily worse or better, just different. to me, each era has its strengths and weaknesses, so it's hard to choose a favorite, but that's just me.
I think it's also partly due to the fact that they "grew up". When you're young, you're just starting out, you're full of ideas, you don't want to listen to others, you think you're indestructable, etc etc. not to an extreme point, but there is some idealism in their older lyrics. not that there's not now, but now i think the direction has shifted because they're older, less idealistic, less naive, and they've just come to terms with life and all it's mysterious ups and downs. It's not to say that they're suddenly full of worldy wisdom and they've figured out the meaning to life or anyhting like that, but it's just the fact that because they've grown up and experienced so many things, it can change their perspective, you know? Their ideals and values probably don't chnage that much, but it is possible to just look at it another way, from another point of view, and that's just how i'm feeling this "era". If you look at it, they've always talked about love, ever since the beginning, and now they're still doing it, just from another point of view =)


lol (MrPryck2U, i had just pressed submit after writing my post to see that you and i were thinking the same thing at the same time! crazyy!! ^______^ hahah)

 

[Earnie Shavers]

So why do/should those things (growing up, getting older, families etc etc) completely neuter creativity in Edge's guitar playing and Bono's lyric writing?

 

[BVS]

So why do/should those things (growing up, getting older, families etc etc) completely neuter creativity in Edge's guitar playing and Bono's lyric writing?

Why should your opinion dictate that it does?

I can show you example of weak riffs and lyrics in every era, in fact in every band.

 

[Aygo]

Why should your opinion dictate that it does?

I can show you example of weak riffs and lyrics in every era, in fact in every band.

 

[Aygo]

interesting point (btw, totally unrelated, zoots, but your avatar completely took me by surprise and i didn't know it was you at first, lol).

i actually just see this as another U2 era as well. not necessarily worse or better, just different. to me, each era has its strengths and weaknesses, so it's hard to choose a favorite, but that's just me.
I think it's also partly due to the fact that they "grew up". When you're young, you're just starting out, you're full of ideas, you don't want to listen to others, you think you're indestructable, etc etc. not to an extreme point, but there is some idealism in their older lyrics. not that there's not now, but now i think the direction has shifted because they're older, less idealistic, less naive, and they've just come to terms with life and all it's mysterious ups and downs. It's not to say that they're suddenly full of worldy wisdom and they've figured out the meaning to life or anyhting like that, but it's just the fact that because they've grown up and experienced so many things, it can change their perspective, you know? Their ideals and values probably don't chnage that much, but it is possible to just look at it another way, from another point of view, and that's just how i'm feeling this "era". If you look at it, they've always talked about love, ever since the beginning, and now they're still doing it, just from another point of view =)

I like your comment, it's accurate and it doesn't run in the way of bash-bombing. I feel the same way you do too.

 

[Bono's shades]

I think that for the first time in U2's career, the band is speaking right from their heart and piercing the other people's heart with it. U2 had never done it before.

I'm not sure I follow you. Aren't Tomorrow, Wake Up Dead Man and So Cruel cries from the heart?

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Why should your opinion dictate that it does?

I can show you example of weak riffs and lyrics in every era, in fact in every band.

Of course you can, and so can I. And of course I'm not dictating anything. But, honest answer here, post-Bomb, how confident are you that the next album will have something jaw dropping on it from the Edge. I mean Love is Blindness type jaw to the floor holy crap brilliant? Give it to me out of 10. I reckon it's about a 1/10 chance there'll be something that great on there. I'd be surprised if you, deep down, have the confidence to go beyond 5/10.

I give the chances of more dialled in Miracle Drug/Love&Peace/Vertigo/Sometimes type stuff a solid 10/10.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I'm not sure I follow you. Aren't Tomorrow, Wake Up Dead Man and So Cruel cries from the heart?

Mofo, Gone, Love is Blindness.

 

[Aygo]

I'm talking about being personal. I mean, expose to those who want to listen what's personal for they.
00's has the most honest , the most direct and the most personal lyrics. LIB and WUDM, for instance, do not follow these points entirely.
And even in the songs that are not exactily personal (talking about the 2000's), almost all of them have something that approches Bono (or Edge if he wrote it too) to the one who's listening. That never happened so massively in the 80's and in the 90's.

 

[BVS]

Of course you can, and so can I. And of course I'm not dictating anything. But, honest answer here, post-Bomb, how confident are you that the next album will have something jaw dropping on it from the Edge. I mean Love is Blindness type jaw to the floor holy crap brilliant? Give it to me out of 10. I reckon it's about a 1/10 chance there'll be something that great on there. I'd be surprised if you, deep down, have the confidence to go beyond 5/10.

I give the chances of more dialled in Miracle Drug/Love&Peace/Vertigo/Sometimes type stuff a solid 10/10.

Well to be honest LIB is a great song, love it, but wouldn't describe it as jaw dropping Edge.

I think Ground, When I Look at the World, Kite, New York, Crumbs, LAPOE, or Yahweh have some pretty strong Edge work.

So I'd give the next album a 7/10 chance.

 

[Bono's shades]

I'm talking about being personal. I mean, expose to those who want to listen what's personal for they.
00's has the most honest , the most direct and the most personal lyrics. LIB and WUDM, for instance, do not follow these points entirely.
And even in the songs that are not exactily personal (talking about the 2000's), almost all of them have something that approches Bono (or Edge if he wrote it too) to the one who's listening. That never happened so massively in the 80's and in the 90's.

Tomorrow is about the death of Bono's mother. And it's pretty direct. My heart was certainly pierced the first time I heard it. Music almost never makes me cry, but I definitely started to tear up.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Well to be honest LIB is a great song, love it, but wouldn't describe it as jaw dropping Edge.

I think Ground, When I Look at the World, Kite, New York, Crumbs, LAPOE, or Yahweh have some pretty strong Edge work.

So I'd give the next album a 7/10 chance.

Love is Blindness isn't strong Edge but Yahweh is? On one of those tracks Edge puts more of the feeling running in the song through his guitar than Bono could hope for (it's one of my favourite Bono lyrics,but he couldn't ever bring the feel of complete heartbreak into a song like Edge's guitar does in that). In the other none of the band were even in that day, someone just found an 80's Casio that had a Demo Song on it that sounded Stereotypicaly U2ish and for a laugh they recorded some lyrics over the top. I love him on Ground, NY, Kite & New York, adore him on In A Little While, hate the dialed in part at the end of Love & Peace, and think his part in When I Look at the World is the only thing that saves the song from the b-side collection, but otherwise isn't anything special.

 

[Varitek]

I agree to some extent, but I really agree with Ernie about the musical production. I said a while back in a thread in WTAHNN that I'd like to see the next album be less polished, more raw. And more complex would be nice too. I wish they'd have another "dream it all up again" moment.