All That You Can't Leave Behind Appreciation Thread

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jacknife23 said:
This album took away my eliteness in musical taste. It's appreciated by the masses hence it's shallow and lacks intellect in terms of music. How could I not say Bonos-worst-lyrics-ever.

IMO U2's darkest album ever, it's more misunderstood than POP.
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I dont see why everyone always says the lyrics on ATYCLB are that bad. I personally think the lyrics to walk on are brilliant. Do the lyrics always matter?
 
I think the music dictates the lyrics (or vice versa), so it's unfair to criticize Bono for not writing something mysterious and poetic when ATYCLB is soul music painted in big, bold colours. The lyrics reflect that directness. I couldn't imagine the imagery and poetry of say The Unforgettable Fire or The Joshua Tree to the music of 'Stuck in a Moment'. These are pop songs with a punch. They're not subtle in the same way as say 'Stateless', a song which was written during the making of ATYCLB, yet has a completely different style of writing. The music and lyrics always go hand in hand.
 
With the exception of Walk On, its a brilliant album, not their third masterpiece but brilliant nonetheless.
In my opinion TGBHF is track number 12, and its one of my favourite u2 songs ever, so are Beautiful Day and In A Little While,
I definitely appreciate ATYCLB.
 
Lancemc said:
I made a thread like this a long time ago where I wrote a ton on why ATYCLB is such a masterpiece. If anyone feels like finding it, I'd love to see what I said. :lol:
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:up: I love these '00 upholders!!!

Seriously ATYCLB is a fantastic album. Those who say it isn't are missing out.


RIP Brocky :sad:
 
It's great to see so many U2 fans who have the courage to express their love for ATYCLB. Sometimes I feel like they are being bullied by the pop kids.
 
Michael Griffiths said:
Would have been a masterpiece if 'Stateless' and 'Summer Rain' had been worked in there somehow. I think 'Stateless' would have worked after 'The Ground Beneath Her Feet' which should have come before and not after 'Grace'. Without listening to it first, something like this would have been one amazing album:

1. Beautiful Day
2. Elevation
3. Walk On
4. Kite
5. In A Little While
6. Stuck in a Moment
7. Wild Honey
8. When I Look at the World
9. Peace On Earth (even better with 'Smile')
10. New York
11. Summer Rain
12. The Ground Beneath Her Feet
13. Stateless
14. Grace

:drool:

Not sure if 'Summer Rain' really fits, mind you (it has that abrupt beginning). Maybe replace it with 'Smile'. When in doubt, just replace with 'Smile'! :wink:
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Well, "Smile" is from the HTDAAB sessions, I think it's one of the last songs to be written then. It couldn't match in ATYCLB because of that and because is more Bomb-alike...
 
I know 'Smile' was around during the Bomb sessions, however, to me at least, it has more an ATYCLB vibe to it and would fit better on ATYCLB.

Also, there are quite a few tracks that U2 keep around for years that show up on later albums ('City of Blinding Lights', 'Man and a Woman', 'Love and Peace', etc), so I don't think it really matters when the song first arrived.....just as long as it fits on the album.
 
Aygo said:


Darker than Pop? The darkest ever? LOL:lmao: Where? When?
It's the exact opposite, I guess!
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It's hard to explain when I see colors and all you will ever see is various shades of blue.
 
U2Man said:
This album gets bashed way too often in here.

Appreciate.
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I appreciate the fact that it's only 11 songs long.......couldn't finish soon enough
 
Michael Griffiths said:
Would have been a masterpiece if 'Stateless' and 'Summer Rain' had been worked in there somehow. I think 'Stateless' would have worked after 'The Ground Beneath Her Feet' which should have come before and not after 'Grace'. Without listening to it first, something like this would have been one amazing album:

1. Beautiful Day
2. Elevation
3. Walk On
4. Kite
5. In A Little While
6. Stuck in a Moment
7. Wild Honey
8. When I Look at the World
9. Peace On Earth (even better with 'Smile')
10. New York
11. Summer Rain
12. The Ground Beneath Her Feet
13. Stateless
14. Grace

:drool:

Not sure if 'Summer Rain' really fits, mind you (it has that abrupt beginning). Maybe replace it with 'Smile'. When in doubt, just replace with 'Smile'! :wink:
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Would Stateless really fit on ATYCLB? It sounds different to the uplifting/pop vibe of the album.

Switch POE and WILATW with Summer rain and Levitate and Falling at your feet instead of Grace, I say.
 
Aygo said:


Darker than Pop? The darkest ever? LOL:lmao: Where? When?
It's the exact opposite, I guess!
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image1qk0.gif
 
This album got me BACK into U2 after a bit of a hiatus. I was extremely turned off in the mid 90's by all that fucked up Zooropa shit but now I'm back - thanks to this album.

The only real dud that stands out to me is New York. My god, this song is flat-out awful. But I do believe that Walk On, Beautiful Day (live), Kite, Elevation, and Stuck In A Moment are as good as anything they've ever done.
 
it's an album that covers more emotions than people give it credit for

I think there is no other U2 album that covers life and death in as many aspects as All that you can't .....

it's a very special one
 
U2girl said:


Would Stateless really fit on ATYCLB? It sounds different to the uplifting/pop vibe of the album.

Switch POE and WILATW with Summer rain and Levitate and Falling at your feet instead of Grace, I say.
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'New York' doesn't sound much like the rest of the album either yet it still sneaks in there somehow due to the cohesive ambience that coats most of the back half of the album. 'Stateless' is quite deceptive however. It's a moody piece in the same vein as 'The Ground Beneath Her Feet' -- which is precisely what ATYCLB needed to give it some balance and relief from all the bold pop music -- yet 'Stateless' is actually uplifting in a subtle way, and the lyrics are quite positive: "You can cover the world with your thoughts....still so big, so bright, so beauitiful." I love that line and the music that accompanies it. And then when Edge's background vocal chants come in, the song takes off in a way that very few U2 songs have since they explored their more evocative side many years ago. This provides the imagination and brief side step that is needed to make the album a classic, as all U2's classic albums have had these moments.

In conclusion, I think if you include 'Ground Beneath', then 'Statelss' has no problem fitting in. It gives 'New York' (and 'Ground Beneath' in Europe) some much needed company.

The trouble I see for 'Levitate' is it uses the same lyrics as 'Mircacle Drug' and 'Wild Honey' in parts, which would obviously be redundant with those songs on the album.
 
I should also add that 'Always' sound AMAZING after 'Stateless'. It's too bad that 'Always' uses the same riff as 'Beautiful Day', as I wish I could put it after 'Stateless'. Seriously, try listening to it....:drool:

There's an example of how deceptive 'Stateless' is. You would never suspect it could mesh so well with an uplifting pop song like 'Always'....but it's amazing.
 
Somebody had a Double-Album Playlist here including the outtakes from the era and, 20 total songs... the only way I listen 2 the album now.
 
Michael Griffiths said:
I should also add that 'Always' sound AMAZING after 'Stateless'. It's too bad that 'Always' uses the same riff as 'Beautiful Day', as I wish I could put it after 'Stateless'. Seriously, try listening to it....:drool:

There's an example of how deceptive 'Stateless' is. You would never suspect it could mesh so well with an uplifting pop song like 'Always'....but it's amazing.
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Yes, you're right. It's sad that Always is just another version of Beautiful Day (not to mention that it has the same bassline as WOWY and MD in the verse). If it evoluted a bit more it could've give another great song like the twin one...
 
Michael Griffiths said:

'New York' doesn't sound much like the rest of the album either yet it still sneaks in there somehow due to the cohesive ambience that coats most of the back half of the album. 'Stateless' is quite deceptive however. It's a moody piece in the same vein as 'The Ground Beneath Her Feet' -- which is precisely what ATYCLB needed to give it some balance and relief from all the bold pop music -- yet 'Stateless' is actually uplifting in a subtle way, and the lyrics are quite positive: "You can cover the world with your thoughts....still so big, so bright, so beauitiful." I love that line and the music that accompanies it. And then when Edge's background vocal chants come in, the song takes off in a way that very few U2 songs have since they explored their more evocative side many years ago. This provides the imagination and brief side step that is needed to make the album a classic, as all U2's classic albums have had these moments.

In conclusion, I think if you include 'Ground Beneath', then 'Statelss' has no problem fitting in. It gives 'New York' (and 'Ground Beneath' in Europe) some much needed company.
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I don't agree that much... Ground Beneath and Stateless are too much jazzy (even more in the second one) and in ATYCLB, only Grace can compare or equal the feeling because of its relaxed and chilled felling - although Grace is more ambient music (that is present too in the MDH OST). ATYCLB is more minimalist, yes, but more rock oriented (generally speaking) than those songs.
New York is a more rock oriented song too, and there are similar elements in Walk On, Elevation and Beautiful Day, like the repeated guitar riffs, for instance.
I just think Ground Beneath could've made the final tracklist because it was radio/video released just a few months earlier and the final (little) explosion rates with the rest of the album.
 
Awesome album up to In A Little While. Then I like Wild Honey but after that it's a bit more hit-and-miss, not to say I don't like the songs but they're not quite as amazing as the others.
 
Michael Griffiths where have you gone?

ATYCLB...a wonderful album. A return to the basic sound of a bass/drums and gee-tar. Bono singing about what was going on in his life and who he was at the time. Timeless.

A little adult-oriented...but U2 were adults by then. 'Nuf said.
 
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