Almost Finished with U2

[CosmoKramer]

Like I commented, I get they have always used pre recorded sounds but I have never observed this in such an obvious fashion.

They play canned string on One? didn't even notice strings in any version have heard live, im guessing it was subtle unless they played the "string" version live and it was canned (I have only watched one performance of that song and it had an orchestra, so I haven't seen any or I would say the same thing).

The LOH version they chose to play live was the St Petersburg Strings version...so the strings are a very prominent aspect of that version of the song and it stuck out like a sore thumb to me.

 

[CosmoKramer]

DJs play “live” - not sure why playing against a backing track is any different.

So the standard for U2 is now "DJs"....ok.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

So the standard for U2 is now "DJs"....ok.

I mean the post prior to mine was indicating that backing tracks are a common feature on live performances for the band. So maybe you’ve been duped all these years?

 

[LuckyNumber7]

For many musicians and some music fans there's a definite distinction.

There’s no distinction between someone hitting play as a DJ and someone hitting play as a backing track. The difference is in one case somebody put the guy who pushes play under the stage instead of center stage.

Now, U2 is still playing their part. That’s a different part of the equation.

 

[Hewson]

There’s no distinction between someone hitting play as a DJ and someone hitting play as a backing track. The difference is in one case somebody put the guy who pushes play under the stage instead of center stage.

Now, U2 is still playing their part. That’s a different part of the equation.

That's not what I meant.
There's plenty of musicians who will only play live music that the band members play with no added help, no backing tracks etc. and plenty of fans who think that's the only way music should be played live.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

That's not what I meant.

There's plenty of musicians who will only play live music that the band members play with no added help, no backing tracks etc. and plenty of fans who think that's the only way music should be played live.

But what’s your point about U2? That’s not what U2 does.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Like I commented, I get they have always used pre recorded sounds but I have never observed this in such an obvious fashion.

They play canned string on One? didn't even notice strings in any version have heard live, im guessing it was subtle unless they played the "string" version live and it was canned (I have only watched one performance of that song and it had an orchestra, so I haven't seen any or I would say the same thing).

lol come on man.. for real?



Please, PopMart. canned strings

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

hey look - beautiful day - canned strings. the whole damn intro is canned.

 

[AndrewCowley]

Backing tracks are ok. The canned sound effect during Bono’s “whooo hooo’s” in Bad are a line crossed in my view. That siren noise sounds ridiculous. It doesn’t even remotely fit in with his voice.

 

[Hewson]

But what’s your point about U2? That’s not what U2 does.

They're lazy.

 

[LuckyNumber7]

They're lazy.

They’re talented writers whose image as a four piece has long since eliminated welcoming or working with additional artists on stage (e.g. they are old). They’re not the most talented of musicians and I love them for that, since music doesn’t have to be about how tactical and skilled you are. I hate that shit.

 

[pacemaker]

Much like almost every other job or trade in the entire history of civilization, musicians have always looked for ways to make playing their music easier. There are virtuosos and try-hards and elitists, sure but they're few and far between and niche.

They've earned the right to be lazy so that they can present the songs in a way that they're expected to present them... as they are on the record. Also, backing tracks are just an evolution of the Edge using delay. Trickery has always been a part of their sound. That showbiz, baby.

 

[Montrose]

Those backgrounds in movies that actors act in front of? Sometimes green screens, sometimes large paintings? Also fake.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Those backgrounds in movies that actors act in front of? Sometimes green screens, sometimes large paintings? Also fake.

 

[Joey788]

While I have no problem with U2 using backing tracks (they've done so for decades), I do think E&I was a missed opportunity to do something different by having a string quartet onstage with them to switch things up.

The band has always prided themselves on having a different presentation from tour to tour. And while E&I was almost a sequel tour, having the exact same stage setup as 2014 made it feel more like the band was going through the motions. (It doesn't help that I saw them in NY and sat through the Innocence suite for the fourth time, having seen them on I&E three times. If I had the Europe set, that would've been a nice change.)

Granted, I still had a great time. It was worth it for Acrobat alone. But repeating the exact same stage setup was nothing different except that it's a higher quality screen felt like a missed opportunity to put a new twist on it.

 

[DeVaul]

And while E&I was almost a sequel tour, having the exact same stage setup as 2014 made it feel more like the band was going through the motions. (It doesn't help that I saw them in NY and sat through the Innocence suite for the fourth time, having seen them on I&E three times. If I had the Europe set, that would've been a nice change.)

This was my biggest issue with it - the setlist and associated production. Innocence Suite unnecessary redux, new stage element felt underutilized (bottom breakaway portion of main screen, specifically) in the US shows. I enjoyed it, but definitely didn’t wow me like the original presentation. The Fly and Zoo Station was the right idea, and we missed out.

 

[ascender_RS]

The news that there's some U2 Funko Pops on the way must surely see a swift reversal of any thoughts to turn your back on U2.

 

[LemonMelon]

hey look - beautiful day - canned strings. the whole damn intro is canned.

Leo has a U2-related YouTube channel?

 

[Hewson]

The news that there's some U2 Funko Pops on the way must surely see a swift reversal of any thoughts to turn your back on U2.

But will they have zombie versions?

Spoiler

and yes, I bought both the regular and zombie editions of the Pearl Jam Funkos, and eagerly awaiting the release of the Eddie Van Halen Funko next month

 

[Montrose]

For a tour where one of the opening songs started with “Shouldn’t be here cuz I should be dead” I wasn’t too picky on the band not spending extra effort on mixing up the stage presentation. I did feel the fist iteration of the tour held together better, but just like when the 360 tour resumed, I was mainly happy that the band was whole and able to perform.

 

[pacemaker]

For a tour where one of the opening songs started with “Shouldn’t be here cuz I should be dead” I wasn’t too picky on the band not spending extra effort on mixing up the stage presentation. I did feel the fist iteration of the tour held together better, but just like when the 360 tour resumed, I was mainly happy that the band was whole and able to perform.

That's the spirit. I have my quibbles with this band, but at the end of the day I'm just glad they're still going at all.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i have zero issues with reusing the same general stage setup (as the tours were supposed to play off each other, much like the albums).

but as devaul said, the mini-Zoo set should have been there from the start. rehashing the end of the previous tour's first set was unnecessary.

 

[tommycharles]

They've used backing tracks since TUF, but I agree that they've stuck out more on recent tours. With Kite, or One, or Bad or, WOWY, these were loops going during parts of the song . The I&E/E&I shows were a bit different - Volcano features a ton of prerecorded _guitar_ parts, which just feels weird.

Lights of Home and Love is Bigger were both practically karaoke on tour - which doesn't do anything to alleviate the feelings SOE was Bono singing over music Ryan Tedder wrote/played.

 

[ascender_RS]

I know we've moved on from NLOTH, but I was listening to a podcast earlier with Steve Lilywhite. Its from a while ago so might be old news, but he was talking about how U2 would have a "big idea" which would then translate in to how the music and the whole album would sound, regardless of where you recorded it. He cited The Joshua Tree and the idea of a desert... Achtung Baby with the sounds of Berlin and Eastern Europe... ATYCLB with the idea of returning home and NLOTH which was Morocco.

And then, paraphrasing him, he said "but that one didn't quite work out and I'm not going to say anymore."

So there you go, even Steve Lilywhite thinks they screwed that one up.

Release the early Morocco versions now!!!

 

[Rich79]

Yeah, I feel like cohesion is important for a full piece of art like an album. They've always had a variety of different flavors, but it would all fit under one main musical theme until HTDAAB. They could've reeled it back in on NLOTH but blew it in the eleventh hour when they thought they'd miss an opportunity to re-re-re-apply to be the biggest band in the world. I feel like they (mostly) got a handle on that cohesion again on SOI, but Apple (I'll die on that hill) blew the release and the quality of material and story was buried. Then SOE became a disjointed mess when they had a great idea about letters to the past, younger generations, lovers, etc and then for some reason decided to wait for Lincoln's ghost to walk in the room.

If they get that main thematic thing going again on the next batch, it could be the return of a great band; unless that main theme is "Here are 12 songs to save your life".

 

[womanfish]

Yeah, I feel like cohesion is important for a full piece of art like an album. They've always had a variety of different flavors, but it would all fit under one main musical theme until HTDAAB. They could've reeled it back in on NLOTH but blew it in the eleventh hour when they thought they'd miss an opportunity to re-re-re-apply to be the biggest band in the world. I feel like they (mostly) got a handle on that cohesion again on SOI, but Apple (I'll die on that hill) blew the release and the quality of material and story was buried. Then SOE became a disjointed mess when they had a great idea about letters to the past, younger generations, lovers, etc and then for some reason decided to wait for Lincoln's ghost to walk in the room.

If they get that main thematic thing going again on the next batch, it could be the return of a great band; unless that main theme is "Here are 12 songs to save your life".

I think it is THE most important thing. ATYCLB, IMO, has more bad songs than No LIne. But the former's bad songs still fit the sound and theme, while the latter's did not.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

They've used backing tracks since TUF, but I agree that they've stuck out more on recent tours. With Kite, or One, or Bad or, WOWY, these were loops going during parts of the song . The I&E/E&I shows were a bit different - Volcano features a ton of prerecorded _guitar_ parts, which just feels weird.

Lights of Home and Love is Bigger were both practically karaoke on tour - which doesn't do anything to alleviate the feelings SOE was Bono singing over music Ryan Tedder wrote/played.

i'm not going to belabor the point as it's already been beaten to death - but this has been going on forever. a great example of this is Gone. Edge isn't playing that 747 guitar. All Because of You is another one. Go watch a clip from the chicago show. There's a rhythm guitar playing throughout the track in addition to Edge's lead - but Bono's playing a tambourine.

 

[pacemaker]

I think it is THE most important thing. ATYCLB, IMO, has more bad songs than No LIne. But the former's bad songs still fit the sound and theme, while the latter's did not.

Crazy - I've never thought of it like this, but this is spot on. I'm fairly certain SUC wouldn't grate on me nearly as much if it was on a different, more suitable release. Meanwhile, I don't actually like very many songs on ATYCLB, but if/when I listen to it, I don't skip anything.

i'm not going to belabor the point as it's already been beaten to death - but this has been going on forever. a great example of this is Gone. Edge isn't playing that 747 guitar. All Because of You is another one. Go watch a clip from the chicago show. There's a rhythm guitar playing throughout the track in addition to Edge's lead - but Bono's playing a tambourine.

Exactly. Backing tracks are a feature of this band, not a bug. Popmart got off to a rocky start because they were under-rehearsed. I wonder what they possibly could have had trouble with...

 

[wolbersu2]

Yeah, I feel like cohesion is important for a full piece of art like an album. They've always had a variety of different flavors, but it would all fit under one main musical theme until HTDAAB. They could've reeled it back in on NLOTH but blew it in the eleventh hour when they thought they'd miss an opportunity to re-re-re-apply to be the biggest band in the world. I feel like they (mostly) got a handle on that cohesion again on SOI, but Apple (I'll die on that hill) blew the release and the quality of material and story was buried. Then SOE became a disjointed mess when they had a great idea about letters to the past, younger generations, lovers, etc and then for some reason decided to wait for Lincoln's ghost to walk in the room.

If they get that main thematic thing going again on the next batch, it could be the return of a great band; unless that main theme is "Here are 12 songs to save your life".

Agree on this. Please no individual 'songs that saved our lives'. I don't want to hear that again and again. Cohesion of songs is very important to have a great album.
I had the feeling Songs of Ascent could've been such an album.

 

[lazarus]

Yeah, I feel like cohesion is important for a full piece of art like an album.

I feel like they (mostly) got a handle on that cohesion again on SOI, but Apple (I'll die on that hill) blew the release and the quality of material and story was buried.

From a thematic perspective, yes. But working with Danger Mouse for that long and only winding up with 3 songs where his production wasn't tampered with by Tedder and/or Epworth, not to mention tacking them all at the end of the album (to say nothing of Invisible being dropped from it completely), means that it doesn't have the sonic/stylistic cohesion that it should have and could have.

I think it is THE most important thing. ATYCLB, IMO, has more bad songs than No LIne. But the former's bad songs still fit the sound and theme, while the latter's did not.

Crazy - I've never thought of it like this, but this is spot on. I'm fairly certain SUC wouldn't grate on me nearly as much if it was on a different, more suitable release. Meanwhile, I don't actually like very many songs on ATYCLB, but if/when I listen to it, I don't skip anything.

Agree with this as well, in part. I don't know that ATYCLB has any "bad" songs for me but rather more mediocre ones, and I don't skip anything on there, whereas No Line has two jarring, vibe-interrupting stinkers that cause the album to just hit a major pothole halfway through.