U2's Most Overrated Album

[Miggy D]

Which of U2's 11 studio albums is their most overrated? Which album do you think is getting a lot of praise that is somewhat undeserved? Why do you feel this way, and what album should replace this 'overrated' one in the minds and hearts of the misguided?


-Miggy D

 

[Yahweh]

I go for Joshua Tree.

 

[beau2ifulday]

I think HTDAAB is hugely overrated - it's a good album, but it's not great. I guess it's down to preference, but I would rank War and ATYBCLB above it any day.

 

[Bono's shades]

ATYCLB. I can't get over the fact that it won more Grammys than The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby combined. That just isn't right. To me ATYCLB is U2 taking the path of least resistance for the first time in their careers and settling for being just OK rather than striving to be extraordinary. Despite what Rolling Stone might say, this will never be U2's "third masterpiece" in my eyes. I think War or maybe The Unforgettable Fire deserve that honor instead.

 

[phanan]

HTDAAB. I get a kick how some reviews have it on the same level as, say, Achtung Baby. It's a really good album, but I don't consider it the masterpiece that some people say it is.

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

War

 

[pwmartin]

ATYCLB: It has only about 4 memorable tracks on it. It's not bad, just overrated.

I think the 4 memorable tracks are:
Beautiful Day
Stuck in a Moment...
Walk On
In A Little While

And maybe Kite, too.

 

[U2utah2U]

I think that HTDAAB is getting a lot of exposure. It's hard to say if it's too much but I don't think it is as good as ATYCLB. But, that album took awhile to grow on me. I guess I love the 90s stuff too much. I think I'll need to experience some of these songs live before I can form my definitive opinion. Don't get me wrong, I love the new album. I think the melodies, song structure, lyrics, musicianship are fantastic. But, I think that they are taking the safe road on this more than on ATYCLB. Having said that, I would rather listen to this than pretty much any other current music out there right now. U2 still reigns supreme in my music reality.

Regarding ATYCLB winning so many Grammys, I think it was kind of way for the industry to give U2 the credit they deserved. It's kind of like Santana. Did he really deserve all of those awards? It was just years and years of being overlooked.

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

War

The Unforgettable Fire

 

[madonna's child]

ATYCLB

 

[beli]

All That You Cant Leave Behind

 

[Rono]

Rattle and hum

 

[Saracene]

WAR. It's a landmark rather than a masterpiece IMO; I find it too shrill and Bono's vocals unbearable.

I also find JT teensy bit overrated; for an album that is always referred to as the ultimate U2 masterpiece it's got too many songs that are either duds or just okay-ish. I still consider it a great album, but mainly for the strength of its individual winners rather than overall consistency.

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

I think War is too lopsided. The weaker tracks on TUF don't detract from the highlights; rather, the provide a sort of ambience on which the pinnacles find footing.

War just has too many songs that take away from the album; "The Refugee," "Redlight," and dare I say "Drowning Man"?

 

[U2girl]

POP.

AB and Zooropa did the same thing much, much better.

*edit* Of course, you realize ATYCLB won't get a fair treatment here.

 

[Dima]

ATYCLB...a bad album from every point of view.


BTW i don' understand all those votes for HTDAAB (that's a great album and received mixed reviews: not at all overrated) and for Pop (Pop is already poorly rated by critics and fans...do you really think it's still overrated?)

 

[Diemen]

I'm going to go with War. The only reason that album rates so highly is because of the overwhelming brilliance of Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Years Day. Take those (and 40) away and the rest of the album is quite noticeably weaker.

 

[sulawesigirl4]

War, for the same reasons Diemen mentioned (btw, Diemen)

 

[yimou]

ATYCLB,,,

 

[Popmartijn]

I think War is too lopsided. The weaker tracks on TUF don't detract from the highlights; rather, the provide a sort of ambience on which the pinnacles find footing.

War just has too many songs that take away from the album; "The Refugee," "Redlight," and dare I say "Drowning Man"?

Although you dare not say "Drowning Man"

And BrazilianFly:





Marty

 

[Aardvark747]

War

 

[mysticchild]

I personally feel that The Unforgettable Fire is underrated. I think it was a masterpiece of an album. It came out at a great time and the music is so spiritual to me. I feel that Zooropa and Pop were going down the hill in my opinion.

 

[vivaSA]

I'd go with ATYCLB, while in my opinion War is classic.

 

[beli]

Yes I'm finding the voting for War odd also. I hadn't noticed this before. I wonder if its an age thing and the people who are voting for War are too young to have heard it "fresh" at the time?

Just a theory. Most likely a crap one at that.

 

[Aardvark747]

Yes I'm finding the voting for War odd also. I hadn't noticed this before. I wonder if its an age thing and the people who are voting for War are too young to have heard it "fresh" at the time?

Just a theory. Most likely a crap one at that.

To be honest, when I looked at the thread, I thought how the hell can I do that. When I love all the albums?!
I just thought which one did I skip the most on recently...and it was War. Red Light/Drowning Man/The Refugee/40....and SBS

I do really enjoy all these, when im in the mood to listen to the whole album..And ive just heard SBS too many times right now. In about a month ill probably be able to listen to it all and really enjoy it again. I much prefer the live versions I have of 40 too.

I dont know....im starting to wish id voted for ATYCLB...

Elevation/SIAMYCGOO/WILATW/NY/POE.....

 

[Niceman]

I say ATYCLB because
A. It is a good album instead of a GREAT album
and
B. It felt incomplete to me without really having its share of rockers...Too soft to my taste. Yeah, you had elevation, maybe I can call Beautiful Day a rocker, maybe, but that was it. I don't count New York because I don't care for the song, it having the worst lyrics of any U2 song ever.
Oh, and When I Look at the World, while not a bad song, was B-side quality.

 

[Saracene]

Yes I'm finding the voting for War odd also. I hadn't noticed this before. I wonder if its an age thing and the people who are voting for War are too young to have heard it "fresh" at the time?

Hmmm.... apart from ATYCLB, I haven't heard any U2 albums "fresh" at the time. And I absolutely love Boy and UF.

 

[beli]

Thats cool. It was just a passing thought. Bit like how Flock of Seagulls made sense at the time but now

 

[intedomine]

Rattle and Hum.

It's a mess.

Tracklisting lacks coherence and the album is the only case where u2 take their inspiration too far. (Love Rescue Me/God Part 2/When love comes to town).

For me personally, it seems like a hastily put together urgent attempt to release some kind of follow up to the Joshua Tree while they were still taking the world by storm. The end result (the album anyway) was abysmal. (I havent seen the movie yet so maybe that will give me more appreciation of Rattle and Hum)

Heartland, All I want is you, Angel of Harlem, Desire and Van Diemans Land are all brilliant songs which deserved to be included on their own studio album rather than thrown into the incoherent mishmash of live tracks, covers, new songs and 30 second clippets.

In many respects I feel Passengers is stronger, especially if you exclude the terrible Ito Okashi.


All That You Cant Leave Behind and Zooropa are over rated in some respects whilst Boy, October, Unforgettable Fire, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb and Pop dont get the respect they deserve.

 

[sulawesigirl4]

I would say that voting for War doesn't mean you think it is a bad album per se, just that as a whole it is over-rated. Personally, I like the album a lot, there are some serious classic songs on it and it was a seminal moment for U2....BUT....as someone said earlier, when I listen to it, there are a lot of tracks I either skip or just don't pay attention to.

Zooropa and UF are imho, the most underrated U2 albums.