WHAT'S THIS SH*T ABOUT a.t.y.c.l.b. BEING A COMEBACK ALBUM

[kingofsorrow]

when did U2 have to make a comeback? and comeback from what? POP sold millions worldwide, not a few hundred thousand, MILLIONS. the tour outdid anything that was on the road at the time and any tour after it. unlike all the other bands that have survived the 80's, U2 has not experienced a 5 to 10yr slump in their career. and all these bands have had to return to their trademark sound to re-capture their former fans. U2 has kept forging ahead by not sticking to an antiquated formula.

 

[MrPryck2U]

The media were the ones who labelled ATYCLB a comeback album. U2's last mainstream success album before then was Zooropa. POP sold well but was not viewed by the media as a huge mainstream success. U2 took a chance and did something a little different from the rock norm with POP. The idiot general public/media just didn't get POP. Well, whatever. ATYCLB for U2 fans was just a continuation of their greatness. Right now, U2 are the best Rock and Roll band on the planet, barnone. But, then again, I'm kinda preachin' to the choir. Peace!

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

The media were the ones who labelled ATYCLB a comeback album. U2's last mainstream success album before then was Zooropa. POP sold well but was not viewed by the media as a huge mainstream success. U2 took a chance and did something a little different from the rock norm with POP. The idiot general public/media just didn't get POP. Well, whatever. ATYCLB for U2 fans was just a continuation of their greatness. Right now, U2 are the best Rock and Roll band on the planet, barnone. But, then again, I'm kinda preachin' to the choir. Peace!

 

[wertsie]

The media...

I remember the summer of '97...Popmart was the biggest and best thing out there. The media generally seemed to be supporting it and everything was fine. Of course, I also noticed that I wasn't hearing U2 on the radio as much, but overall it seemed like the reaction to Popmart was positive.

And then, a few years later...I can't remember when or what exactly it was, but all of a sudden there was all this backlash against Popmart and I was like wtf??! Where did this come from?

One of the mysteries of life, I guess. While I love ATYCLB, another quote about it has always perplexed me...The media said that the band was "returning to their roots." How's that?

 

[elfyx]

The media...

I remember the summer of '97...Popmart was the biggest and best thing out there. The media generally seemed to be supporting it and everything was fine. Of course, I also noticed that I wasn't hearing U2 on the radio as much, but overall it seemed like the reaction to Popmart was positive.

And then, a few years later...I can't remember when or what exactly it was, but all of a sudden there was all this backlash against Popmart and I was like wtf??! Where did this come from?

One of the mysteries of life, I guess. While I love ATYCLB, another quote about it has always perplexed me...The media said that the band was "returning to their roots." How's that?

that was pretty much my experience as well. pop was fantastic, i was living in san antonio, tx at the time and they had scheduled a show in the alamodome, a big deal for SA. discotheque, SATS, and LNOE were all over the radio. it was only after the tour had concluded that the backlash began. i remember most critic reviews were positive, though they did mention, rightly so, how it sounded rushed.

the media always looks for a story, and there was one to be dug in pop, i think. i know many fans didn't like it, and the tour didn't sell out everynight, and so that may some of the reasons the media could latch on to the idea pop was a failure.. i also think when pop came out, the media supported it because, well just the same - there was a story to be dug in pop, how new and different it was, how u2 were back, how it was expected to catapult a slumping music industry out of the dumps, etc...

namaste'
elfyx

 

[wertsie]

how u2 were back, how it was expected to catapult a slumping music industry out of the dumps, etc...

namaste'
elfyx

I think that was it, really. It did really well, by most standards, but maybe not as well as was projected, so...Yeah, that's it.

 

[jick]

when did U2 have to make a comeback? and comeback from what? POP sold millions worldwide, not a few hundred thousand, MILLIONS. the tour outdid anything that was on the road at the time and any tour after it. unlike all the other bands that have survived the 80's, U2 has not experienced a 5 to 10yr slump in their career. and all these bands have had to return to their trademark sound to re-capture their former fans. U2 has kept forging ahead by not sticking to an antiquated formula.

Be confused no more! While POP sold millions, U2's standards are much higher than the 1.3 million US and 6 million worldwide.

So when ATYCLB sold 4 million US and 12 million worldwide, it was a comeback to commercial success.

With POP, U2 never lost their artistic and musical edge. It just didn't sell as much as their extremely high standards would expect.

So ATYCLB is basically just a comeback to commercial success on U2's standards - nothing more nothing less.

Cheers,

J
The King Of POP

 

[Salome]

yep, I agree with J


after 10 years U2 finally released an album that had about the same amount of commercial success as Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby

in the eyes of some media that would be a comeback I guess

 

[Desire4Bono]

The idiot general public/media just didn't get POP.

But of course! No defense of Pop would be complete without this statement None of you consider the possibility that Pop was not LIKED as much as ATYCLB by as many people, just because of the way it sounded, and that does not make those people 'idiots'. But of course, those minority of U2 fans who loved Pop are an exclusive group on a higher plane of intelligence and cosmic significance, so they can see what no one else can, and have a right to judge. I almost forgot. Isn't that right J?

 

[scatteroflight]

But of course! No defense of Pop would be complete without this statement None of you consider the possibility that Pop was not LIKED as much as ATYCLB by as many people, just because of the way it sounded, and that does not make those people 'idiots'. But of course, those minority of U2 fans who loved Pop are an exclusive group on a higher plane of intelligence and cosmic significance, so they can see what no one else can, and have a right to judge. I almost forgot. Isn't that right J?

Yup...Pop just can't be mentioned without the classic "didn't get it" statement being dragged in. It's like a law of nature, such as gravity. It would break all the rules to not mention that people who didn't like Pop didn't like it, not because they may have had legitimate reasons for doing so, but because they "didn't get it."

 

[U2girl]

But you have to admit ATYCLB does have lots of typical U2 moments.

 

[walkon11]

I'm not sure I would call the fans who like POP a minority...it seems to me that there are quite a few that did like the album, and there's obviously plenty of support for it on this forum. Although I happen to love the album, there are those who dislike it for other reasons...it's just a matter of personal taste.

 

[Zoomerang96]

desire4bono and scatterbrain, your opions were already known, and yes thats right - noone cares about them.

alright?

we know you dont like pop, cause you dont get it.

i know i dont like atyclb - because i DO get it!

voila!

you are now free to go back and listen to your adult contemporary radio station, hoping that maybe they'll play an extra slow and tender version of stuck in a moment that none of us have heard before.

 

[wertsie]

I'm not sure I would call the fans who like POP a minority...it seems to me that there are quite a few that did like the album, and there's obviously plenty of support for it on this forum. Although I happen to love the album, there are those who dislike it for other reasons...it's just a matter of personal taste.

Actually, I have come across more fans who liked it than those who didn't. I think it's just a matter of the whole "mainstream success" thing that someone mentioned before. Many who were already fans liked it, but maybe it didn't draw as many "new" fans as previous albums? I don't know!

 

[scatteroflight]

desire4bono and scatterbrain, your opions were already known, and yes thats right - noone cares about them.

alright?

we know you dont like pop, cause you dont get it.

i know i dont like atyclb - because i DO get it!

voila!

you are now free to go back and listen to your adult contemporary radio station, hoping that maybe they'll play an extra slow and tender version of stuck in a moment that none of us have heard before.

*trying not to get pissed off, because I know deathbirdbrain too well...*

This may be irrelevant, but Led Zeppelin and Midnight Oil are a couple of my favourite bands, and they rock hard. Some of my favourite U2 songs include Electric Co, Stranger in a Strange Land, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Like a Song, Wire, Until the End of the World...all hard rocking songs. I do not have a problem with rocking hard, in fact, I greatly enjoy it...when it's accompanied by good solid songwriting. And a big reason why I greatly appreciate ATYCLB is the good solid songwriting. I don't think there's any substitute for that, but I don't even know why I'm wasting my time typing this because I know no one cares in the slightest and good solid songwriting is not a priority for many people on this forum.

I don't think you can blame people who don't like Pop for getting a bit sick of the tired old saw "you didn't get it." It is very, very insulting and either people don't realize that or they do but insist on denigrating people who don't worship and drool over Pop. Anyway, I'll shut up now because I am really wasting my time on this and don't know why I even started.

 

[MrPryck2U]

Hey, if you didn't like POP, that's ok. I'm betting that you still probably "got it", though. You just weren't thrilled with what you "got". Fair enough.

 

[wertsie]

Yeah, I don't really like the whole, "Well, if you didn't like POP, it's because you didn't get it" attitude. People can just not like something, without it having anything whatsoever to do with their intelligence!

 

[Catman]

Yeah, I don't like it when people call "All That You Can't Leave Behind" a comeback album, either. But, I'm not exactly sure how things went down back in '97 (didn't really listen to music all that much, then), so I'm thinkin' U2 wasn't exactly on top of things (but according to a few users on this board, they did alright). Yeah, alright, so then "ATYCLB" struts itself onto the charts and tramples the competition (receiving an overwhelming amount of positive feedback and the like), the band wins many many grammies, and the "Elevation" tour is a HUGE success. Now, when in juxtaposition with "POP," "ATYCLB" seems a bit like a comeback album. I don't like saying this because, well, I don't like admitting U2 has ever had to make a comeback record, but I guess, in the public's view, it's true.

BTW: I, as well as many others, am sick of the "you don't like it because you just don't get it" argument used for "POP" (even though I really like the album, I can see how it might be a bit of a turn-off for others). That's stupid. Also, the need for others to bash "ATYCLB" just to make "POP" look good (or because it was more accepting by the public than "POP"). Come on, now! "All That You Can't Leave Behind" is a really good record (in my opinion), and if people's main beef with that record is the fact that it's too AC (or something of that nature) for 'em, well then maybe they just haven't "gotten it," yet.



That is all...

...and there was much rejoicing...

 

[david]

I consider it a comeback album in the way that Achtung Baby was a comeback album for them.

 

[wertsie]

I consider it a comeback album in the way that Achtung Baby was a comeback album for them.

Hmmm...That's an interesting way of looking at it. AB was such a departure from R&H and JT, and ATYCLB was such a departure from POP...Interesting. I think I like that!

 

[GypsyHeartgirl]

Yup...Pop just can't be mentioned without the classic "didn't get it" statement being dragged in. It's like a law of nature, such as gravity. It would break all the rules to not mention that people who didn't like Pop didn't like it, not because they may have had legitimate reasons for doing so, but because they "didn't get it."

Oh, of course!

LMAO!!

 

[GypsyHeartgirl]

yep, I agree with J


after 10 years U2 finally released an album that had about the same amount of commercial success as Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby

in the eyes of some media that would be a comeback I guess

Yes.

There is an excellent piece on U2 'coming back' with ATYCLB in LIFE'S 50 Years of Rock and Roll Book. If anyone has it please post it.

One more thing- some of you have contridicted yourselves and your main points here. You always claim that the 'media' hurt Pop and PopMart, now you're saying the media bashing didn't start until after it was over??!! Gee, that must mean it was the FANS who rejected it of their own free will, just as I've been saying all along!

 

[Stories for Boys]

I don't think there's any substitute for that, but I don't even know why I'm wasting my time typing this because I know no one cares in the slightest and good solid songwriting is not a priority for many people on this forum.

here's another thing: what i'm sick of, as a pop lover, is statements like this one and "worship and drool over pop". if you don't want us to say inconsiderate things...perhaps you should also be a bit more careful. i mean, i would never insult another u2 fan just because they don't like a song i do or an album i do...but it does tend to go both ways. we aren't neanderthals either, ok?

to me, this whole "war" over pop is absolutely ridiculous. we're all fans and all friends here. it's just an album. i wish everyone would just stop making mountains out of mole hills.

here's my treaty flag:

*EDIT* scatteroflight...i am in no way singling you out purposfully...i'm talking in general...

 

[wertsie]

One more thing- some of you have contridicted yourselves and your main points here. You always claim that the 'media' hurt Pop and PopMart, now you're saying the media bashing didn't start until after it was over??!! Gee, that must mean it was the FANS who rejected it of their own free will, just as I've been saying all along!

I don't think the media hurt PopMART. As I remember it, the Rolling Stones was the only tour that was more successful than Popmart in the summer of 1997. I never heard anything negative about the tour until a couple of years ago. All of a sudden it was labeled the "lemon" of the band's career.

On the other hand, shortly after Discotheque was released, I noticed that I was seeing U2 played much less on MTV...In fact, I hadn't even seen the music videos for SATS, LNOE, Please, or IGWSHA until about a year ago.

And I wouldn't call selling out in stadiums all over the world "rejection."

 

[wertsie]

ok...i am a pop lover...just so you all know. but see, i also think it's a bit rude to say people didn't "get it" because they don't like it. imo, many "didn't get it" and many just didn't like it...so there shouldn't be statements insinuating unintellegence in the subject.



here's another thing: what i'm sick of, as a pop lover, is statements like this one and "worship and drool over pop". if you don't want us to say inconsiderate things...perhaps you should also be a bit more careful. i mean, i would never insult another u2 fan just because they don't like a song i do or an album i do...but it does tend to go both ways. we aren't neanderthals either, ok?

to me, this whole "war" over pop is absolutely ridiculous. we're all fans and all friends here. it's just an album. i wish everyone would just stop making mountains out of mole hills.

here's my treaty flag:

Hi, Laura! Nice to see ya over here!

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

Hey, if you didn't like POP, that's ok. I'm betting that you still probably "got it", though. You just weren't thrilled with what you "got". Fair enough.

i agree.

looking on both sides...it was a bit uhhh, i dunno what the word is really, unneccessary i guess, to say those who didn't like pop didn't "get it." but on the same side, i'm getting sick of those who don't like pop to take one sentence that probably came out wrong in the first place to blow things out of proportion. it was a simple comment, and i think everyone (about anything, not just about pop) tends to take things a little personally.

 

[wertsie]

it was a simple comment, and i think everyone (about anything, not just about pop) tends to take things a little personally.

This is true. I know that I can be guilty of this at times.

 

[GypsyHeartgirl]

I'm not sure I would call the fans who like POP a minority...it seems to me that there are quite a few that did like the album, and there's obviously plenty of support for it on this forum. Although I happen to love the album, there are those who dislike it for other reasons...it's just a matter of personal taste.

Exactly. ON THIS FORUM. There are dozens of people on this forum who will rush to its defense, and fewer and fewer who disagree because of the lashing we get. That does not mean that Pop lovers are the majority. The sales numbers prove that. No don't throw the old Britney Spears/commercial sales don't mean good or bad argument in my face. Let's compare U2 to U2. The sales of JT, AB and ATYCLB compared to the sales of POP proved that millions more fans liked JT, AB and ATYCLB than liked POP. So while a few dozen very vocal Pop advocates exist on this forum and on wire, overall they are the minority among U2 fans, and I think even the band knows that. That's what J has been trying to say for years. It's true.

 

[GypsyHeartgirl]

here's another thing: what i'm sick of, as a pop lover, is statements like this one and "worship and drool over pop". if you don't want us to say inconsiderate things...perhaps you should also be a bit more careful. i mean, i would never insult another u2 fan just because they don't like a song i do or an album i do...but it does tend to go both ways. we aren't neanderthals either, ok?

Yes it does go both ways, but what pisses me off is no one can ever say how much they like it without throwing insulting comments about the ones who don't like it! Stuff like, 'didn't get it,' 'not a true fan' 'brainwashed by the media' or make like we just can't understand it because we don't have the intelligence. I do not say anything until I see crap like that being stated, and I don't think anyone else has either. Perhaps EVERYONE should be a bit more careful!!

I also agree that these wars are ridiculous, but as long as the comments keep flying, I will step in too. I really do wish it would all stop. But as someone else said, that's what 90% of the threads are about and it always comes up. Will it ever stop!!

 

[wertsie]

Exactly. ON THIS FORUM. There are dozens of people on this forum who will rush to its defense, and fewer and fewer who disagree because of the lashing we get. That does not mean that Pop lovers are the majority. The sales numbers prove that. No don't throw the old Britney Spears/commercial sales don't mean good or bad argument in my face. Let's compare U2 to U2. The sales of JT, AB and ATYCLB compared to the sales of POP proved that millions more fans liked JT, AB and ATYCLB than liked POP. So while a few dozen very vocal Pop advocates exist on this forum and on wire, overall they are the minority among U2 fans, and I think even the band knows that. That's what J has been trying to say for years. It's true.

Why does it bother you so much if people like POP? I really don't understand! It seems like you go out of your way to prove what a failure Popmart and Pop were. You didn't attend any of the Popmart concerts. You did not see the 1000s of happy, screaming fans in the sold-out stadiums. I'm sorry, but I do not equate masses of people flocking to these shows with failure.

By the way, I am in no way implying that you didn't "get it." You didn't like it, that's all. That's fine, but there ARE people who did...PLENTY of them!