Four Reasons Why 'Atomic Bomb' should not be derided so foolishly....

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Apparently my dislike for Atomic Bomb comes from having forgotten what any of the songs sound like. :huh: I have listened to these songs, they have been tried, and found lacking.

No album is perfect, but some are a heck of a lot closer to it than others.
 
I love Bomb, it's a beautiful albums, and Miracle Drug and OOTS are among my favourite U2 songs. Thinking of COBL live is giving me goosebumps. I have never understood all the Bomb bashing, I still love the album and listen to it.
 
ozeeko said:
1) I hate this song.

2) I hate this song, i don't care what it's about, subject matter doesn't sway me at all if the song is lame.

3) Vertigo was fun for about a day.
I could care less how many fans U2 wins with each album. They could gain every person in the world, they could whittle their audience down to me and Bono's kids, it wouldn't matter the slightest bit.

4) Yahweh is the worst U2 song i have ever heard. I'd rather listen to the French guys talking from the beach clips.
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Winner!

I think it's a terrible album. U2 are way, way better than Atomic Bomb.
 
I think we have to remember that HTDAAB was written and put out at a rather stressful time for the members of U2, Bono still getting over the loss his father, and Edge's young daughter being ill, so they had a lot of personal stuff going on, and maybe they were not just concentrating on the music as much as they had been on previous albums which was probably why some people find it weaker,
but still I thonk COBL and Vertigo and OOTS are pretty good songs that I could happily listen to over and over again no problem
 
boystupidboy said:
HTDAAB suffers from the classic 'its cool to slag off u2's last album and praise the hell out of their latest offering' syndrome.
Just watch NLOTH suffer the same fate as time goes on.Then after 5/7/10 years HTDAAB will be seen as 'not a bad album....actually it was quite cool' etc etc etc.

same old same old.......................

BsB
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Actually I think it suffered from following ALYCLB. It would be hard for anything to match that, and rather than comparing HTDAAB to what was released the same week, people will inevitably compare it to the band's previous/most recent works.
 
If anything, HTDAAB suffers from having been released by U2. Had any other band released it as it is, it would have been a huge huge album. However, U2 have such an immense reputation that, well, HTDAAB just doesn't cut it.

Also, some of the songs on that album are far overdone. See: SYCMIOYO, Yahweh, ABOY, OOTS.

There is some brilliance on the album though, and some real pointers toward the NLOTH sound. See: One Step Closer, LAPOE, Fast Cars, COBL

And then there's some great U2 stuff. See: Crumbs, AMAAW, Miracle Drug, Vertigo
 
Salome said:
hating on any U2 album seems quite silly to me :hmm:
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Bravo! :up:

I can easily say that I don't hate any U2 album. I might have a least favorite album, but there's no hate for any of them. I even went back recently and listened to October and really enjoyed it.

I'll always have a special place for Bomb in my heart. Lots of memories associated with that album. For the last 20 years or so, U2 have been at the forefront of the soundtrack of my life and Bomb is another chapter. Just like NLOTH.
 
I think the album is good. Easy to listen to and the emotional side is good to have.
Alot of the songs mean something different to everybody.

Sometimes means so much as it helps me think about an emotional time in my life. But the same song would mean something different to another person.

Saying that there are tracks on the new album which again has emotional values on it and can be interpretated different ways.

Thats why U2 are so good live because you can feel the emotion of the song. But i'm a sucker for breaking down a song to see what it actually means (if anything).
 
To me, Bomb is a dip in quality between ATYCLB & NLOTH, both which overall have not only consistently better songs, but simply flow better as albums. Don't get me wrong however. Bomb was not a complete disaster. There's still a handful of songs on it that I really like, but, until the release of the NLOTH, the album's relative weakness had me concerned about future album releases. Fortunately though, NLOTH is a very good album - so good in fact, that I can't choose which is better between it & ATYCLB, which is fine by me. I love how each of the 2 albums has it's own special sound and songwriting approach and yet I love them both the same!
 
Earnie Shavers said:
Winner!

I think it's a terrible album. U2 are way, way better than Atomic Bomb.
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I disagree. U2 haven't made one "terrible" album. I think Bomb is a very personal album for them, especially for Bono, and many of the songs really improved live. I still love to listen to it, though I enjoy NLOTH much more at the moment, but NLOTH is new. How knows how we will talk about that album in a couple of years.
 
City Of Blinding Lights- it only worked well live- in the studio flat and uninspired.
SYCMIOYO- Too much schmaltz. Kite was a much better reflection on his father
Vertigo- great track, not as great as Native Son though
Yahweh- U2 by numbers, sorry

You won't change my mind on HTDAAB- it's derivative, badly produced and contrived. Apart from Vertigo the only interesting song is A Man And A Woman.
 
manicmarc said:
Actually I think it suffered from following ALYCLB. It would be hard for anything to match that, and rather than comparing HTDAAB to what was released the same week, people will inevitably compare it to the band's previous/most recent works.
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It shouldn't have suffered from that. It's way better than ATYCLB. It just seems similar, and ATYCLB was "the" return album since Pop, so probably that's the reason that it isn't very well received now, it's the same theme, back to basics.. and yeah, both are a collection of songs.
 
Although I like singles, I primarily listen to albums and judge them based on their strength as an album... and Bomb fails pretty badly on this front. A few of its songs are great (COBL is one of my favorite U2 songs ever, but partially because of its live legacy), but a few of the songs are terrible (Crumbs is, hands-down, my least-favorite U2 song), and the album doesn't work as an... album.
 
HTDAAB did win Best Album at the Grammys. It's got some really emotional songs. I love Miracle Drug and OOTS, and some rock-out tunes like ABOY, L&POE, Vertigo, and then uplifting songs like COBL and Yahweh.

I think it's a great album.
 
I think its great, although i say my view is influenced because that was the first U2 release where i was actually aware of what was going on!

I love Crumbs from the album.
 
digitize said:
Although I like singles, I primarily listen to albums and judge them based on their strength as an album... and Bomb fails pretty badly on this front. A few of its songs are great (COBL is one of my favorite U2 songs ever, but partially because of its live legacy), but a few of the songs are terrible (Crumbs is, hands-down, my least-favorite U2 song), and the album doesn't work as an... album.
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my thoughts too.

imo, this album doesn't have a non-single that can be considered a cult classic like "Kite", "Gone", "Until The End Of The World", "Running To Stand Still", etc...

with that said, i do still enjoy the album, just not on the level of JT, AB, UF, and NLOTH.
 
The U2 diehards seem to hate Bomb, even though the general public and more casual fans respect it and generally like it. I thought it was their 3rd best at the time. Since NLOTH, I will rank as their 4th best. Bomb is actually pretty good. Not great, though it does have a few great songs. Overall it is a good record. Just as good, IMO, as UF, War, ATYCLB.
 
Four reasons why the Bomb should not be derided so foolishly...

1. City
2. Of
3. Blinding
4. Lights

Theres my corny contribution ;)
 
Two cents from Mr Sarajevo:

1. "Vertigo" - brilliant rocker, a great song to drive to, great live. 5/5
2. "Miracle Drug" - doesn't quite do it for me. It should work but somehow it doesn't. 3/5
3. "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" - a masterpiece. One of the greatest songs ever written. Emotional, great tune, great chorus, meaningful lyrics. 5/5
4. "Love and Peace or Else" - great lyrics, heavy guitar, heavy sound. Love it. 4/5
5. "City of Blinding Lights" - the second masterpiece on the album. Fantastic vibe about the song. A real cinematic type of song - transporting you to another time and place. Great vocal / lyrics from Bono and superb guitar work from the Edge. 5/5
6. "All Because of You" - another great rocker. Great guitar work from the Edge. Vocal and lyrics don't quite match the guitar work. 4/5
7. "A Man and a Woman" - this is the most underrated song on the album. Fantastic bass by Adam. Brilliant vocal and a middle 8 taken straight from the heavens. 4/5
8. "Crumbs from Your Table" - this is the one that along with Love and Peace or Else really grew on me. The lyrics, vocal, guitar and rhythm are all very good. When Bono talks about 'very good being the enemy of greatness' he may be referring to the likes of Crumbs from Your Table. It's not in their top 30 songs of all time but its still better than 99.9% of what you hear on the radio these days. 4/5
9. "One Step Closer" - this for me is the 'Peace on Earth' of the album. I like it but not all that much. 3/5
10. "Original of the Species" - great song. Couldn't work it out at first but turned out to be a real grower. 4.5/5
11. "Yahweh" - a great song to end the album. Guitar work reminiscent of The Unforgettable Fire album. Builds gradually to a real spiritual and emotional high towards the end of the song. Only U2 can write songs like this. 4.5/5
12. Fast Cars - a fun song, performed well. I like it but don't play it that much. Again it is a case of 'very good being the enemy of greatness'. 3.5/5

Overall the album would be a 4/5 for me. Not their best work but it has 4 or 5 songs that could legitimately claim to get into U2's top 50 songs (and one or two that could squeeze into the top 15). Probably doesn't work all that well as one body of work. It is nevertheless a collection of mostly great songs. But hey that is what iPods are for. If you prefer an alternate version of a song, prefer the Edge's guitar solo from a live show or wish that Mercy was on the album (I for one wish it was) then just download the track from youtube and change the play list on your iPod. That’s what I do. The only limits are the limits of your imagination!
 
It's typical of this Forum that one wag responded, "You're not going to change my mind!"

Has it ever occurred to you that no one IS trying to change your mind? It's just a discussion forum. Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. It's NOT all about a Rat-Race after all!

Anyway, I've posted before on how much I love HTDAAB. My "five-star" U2 albums would be Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, and HTDAAB. (I might like Rattle & Hum more than Bomb, but some of the live tracks drag it down a bit.)

I dunno, I might be a bit soft on Bomb because of their age when making it. It's unknown to me to hear guys almost in their mid-40s making rock music as essential as in their 20s. But in any case, I am unable to see how a U2-fan could here it as anything less than a good album.

The criticisms of HTDAAB that seem to re-occur on this forum are as follows:

-- 'Vertigo' isn't as good as 'Native Son'
I find this opinion laughable. Nothing against 'Native Son', but 'Vertigo' is infinitely superior musically. The lyrics scan much better too. The chorus is a lot more exciting.

-- In general, the alternate versions are better than the released ones.
This might have been true of Pop to some extent, but I fail to hear ANY improvement in the unreleased Bomb tracks. In fact, without exception, every single one is worse than the album-version, for me. (But I should say I haven't really heard the single-mix of "Original of The Species".) The only one that's remotely close to the quality of the album is "Yahweh", but even it lacks the musical bridge that is the best part of the official track.

-- 'All Because Of You' sucks
As someone said earlier, this track is like a high-powered Gospel tune. I love this song, and I wish they'd write more uptempo rockers like this. To me, this kind of song is like old U2 doing young U2, and it works for me.

-- 'Yahweh' sucks
I understand that 'Yahweh' is different from most U2 songs, so maybe that's why people don't like it. Other than that, I can't figure it out, because I think this is one of the most beautiful things they've ever done. Amazing melody; fantastic vocal.

-- The Production is bad
After I heard ATYCLB, my thought was: "Nice album, but wimpy production." I was hoping the next one would be loud, brash, and in your face. It was, and I LOVE that sound. They are a post-punk band, after all. Again, it makes HTDAAB sound like a more mature version of Boy or October.

-- It doesn't hang together as an album
I've never really understood this kind of criticism. I mean, you could say this about The Beatles' Revolver. Definition of "album" = collection of songs. In any case, there are clear lyrical themes from song-to-song on Bomb, and the general sound of most of the songs is similar, so I don't see how it doesn't hang together as an album.


Did I forget anything? Anyhow, I'm not trying to change anyone's mind.

Oh, and now I'm going to say the unthinkable for this forum . . .




I like HTDAAB more than the new album!

(Now expecting to be banned from the site)
 
Mr Sarajevo said:
Two cents from Mr Sarajevo:

1. "Vertigo" - brilliant rocker, a great song to drive to, great live. 5/5
2. "Miracle Drug" - doesn't quite do it for me. It should work but somehow it doesn't. 3/5
3. "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" - a masterpiece. One of the greatest songs ever written. Emotional, great tune, great chorus, meaningful lyrics. 5/5
4. "Love and Peace or Else" - great lyrics, heavy guitar, heavy sound. Love it. 4/5
5. "City of Blinding Lights" - the second masterpiece on the album. Fantastic vibe about the song. A real cinematic type of song - transporting you to another time and place. Great vocal / lyrics from Bono and superb guitar work from the Edge. 5/5
6. "All Because of You" - another great rocker. Great guitar work from the Edge. Vocal and lyrics don't quite match the guitar work. 4/5
7. "A Man and a Woman" - this is the most underrated song on the album. Fantastic bass by Adam. Brilliant vocal and a middle 8 taken straight from the heavens. 4/5
8. "Crumbs from Your Table" - this is the one that along with Love and Peace or Else really grew on me. The lyrics, vocal, guitar and rhythm are all very good. When Bono talks about 'very good being the enemy of greatness' he may be referring to the likes of Crumbs from Your Table. It's not in their top 30 songs of all time but its still better than 99.9% of what you hear on the radio these days. 4/5
9. "One Step Closer" - this for me is the 'Peace on Earth' of the album. I like it but not all that much. 3/5
10. "Original of the Species" - great song. Couldn't work it out at first but turned out to be a real grower. 4.5/5
11. "Yahweh" - a great song to end the album. Guitar work reminiscent of The Unforgettable Fire album. Builds gradually to a real spiritual and emotional high towards the end of the song. Only U2 can write songs like this. 4.5/5
12. Fast Cars - a fun song, performed well. I like it but don't play it that much. Again it is a case of 'very good being the enemy of greatness'. 3.5/5

Overall the album would be a 4/5 for me. Not their best work but it has 4 or 5 songs that could legitimately claim to get into U2's top 50 songs (and one or two that could squeeze into the top 15). Probably doesn't work all that well as one body of work. It is nevertheless a collection of mostly great songs. But hey that is what iPods are for. If you prefer an alternate version of a song, prefer the Edge's guitar solo from a live show or wish that Mercy was on the album (I for one wish it was) then just download the track from youtube and change the play list on your iPod. That’s what I do. The only limits are the limits of your imagination!
Click to expand...

Excellent post.

Such an excellent post Mr S, it deserves repeating. Sounds like something I would have written in a parallel universe, I agree with everything you have said above and totally endorse your scores out of five for each song.

I actually think U2's three 00s albums have shown an improvement and a progression in each one, with ATYCLB evolving and being improved upon to HTDAAB which has now morphed into the even more wonderful NLOTH...
 
65980 said:
It's typical of this Forum that one wag responded, "You're not going to change my mind!"

Has it ever occurred to you that no one IS trying to change your mind? It's just a discussion forum. Everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. It's NOT all about a Rat-Race after all!

Anyway, I've posted before on how much I love HTDAAB. My "five-star" U2 albums would be Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, and HTDAAB. (I might like Rattle & Hum more than Bomb, but some of the live tracks drag it down a bit.)

I dunno, I might be a bit soft on Bomb because of their age when making it. It's unknown to me to hear guys almost in their mid-40s making rock music as essential as in their 20s. But in any case, I am unable to see how a U2-fan could here it as anything less than a good album.

The criticisms of HTDAAB that seem to re-occur on this forum are as follows:

-- 'Vertigo' isn't as good as 'Native Son'
I find this opinion laughable. Nothing against 'Native Son', but 'Vertigo' is infinitely superior musically. The lyrics scan much better too. The chorus is a lot more exciting.

-- In general, the alternate versions are better than the released ones.
This might have been true of Pop to some extent, but I fail to hear ANY improvement in the unreleased Bomb tracks. In fact, without exception, every single one is worse than the album-version, for me. (But I should say I haven't really heard the single-mix of "Original of The Species".) The only one that's remotely close to the quality of the album is "Yahweh", but even it lacks the musical bridge that is the best part of the official track.

-- 'All Because Of You' sucks
As someone said earlier, this track is like a high-powered Gospel tune. I love this song, and I wish they'd write more uptempo rockers like this. To me, this kind of song is like old U2 doing young U2, and it works for me.

-- 'Yahweh' sucks
I understand that 'Yahweh' is different from most U2 songs, so maybe that's why people don't like it. Other than that, I can't figure it out, because I think this is one of the most beautiful things they've ever done. Amazing melody; fantastic vocal.

-- The Production is bad
After I heard ATYCLB, my thought was: "Nice album, but wimpy production." I was hoping the next one would be loud, brash, and in your face. It was, and I LOVE that sound. They are a post-punk band, after all. Again, it makes HTDAAB sound like a more mature version of Boy or October.

-- It doesn't hang together as an album
I've never really understood this kind of criticism. I mean, you could say this about The Beatles' Revolver. Definition of "album" = collection of songs. In any case, there are clear lyrical themes from song-to-song on Bomb, and the general sound of most of the songs is similar, so I don't see how it doesn't hang together as an album.


Did I forget anything? Anyhow, I'm not trying to change anyone's mind.

Oh, and now I'm going to say the unthinkable for this forum . . .




I like HTDAAB more than the new album!

(Now expecting to be banned from the site)
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Well my friend, you HAVE changed my mind. Thanks to your comments I now have even more reasons to like HTDAAB, I have changed my mind about how much I love the album... even more than I did!

Your comment about the brash production and overall sound of the album is a very good one - for some reason, when I listen to Bomb, all I hear is some of the most superb production on a U2 album ever.

For instance, while I love the Pop album and all of the songs on that record, I can definitely hear the faults in the production, the general sound of "unfinished" tracks... some disjointed parts of songs badly spliced together, some guitars that sound like the final mastering did not capture them properly, even some lyrical moments where Bono is muttering strange chants and incantations because he had not quite finished writing the words...

On Bomb, I hear nothing but U2's most perfectly, crisply and sharply produced music... and I have a feeling it's exactly the sound they were aiming for... because I hear a lot of the same quality of production and mastering on NLOTH....
 
I like a lot of the songs on Bomb. Don't care for the album. It seems to be an album stuck in transition between lo-fi "punk rock from venus" and early 2000's (that sounds weird to say) pop. Like, the band wanted to make a punk rock album along the lines of Boy in spirit, if not sound, but then got scared and changed their minds. ATYCLB leftovers were added (OOTS, MD) and songs that sound like they should be on this supposedly lo-fi album were over-produced for pop radio (Vertigo, Sometimes, ABOY, LAPOE, Crumbs). And it just made a mess of the whole thing.

COBL even though it's a great song is marred by the same over production with the synth bells on there. But I still can't sonically place it on this album. Great tune, would never want to have not heard it, but where the heck does it fit?

Yahweh is a beauty of a song, I think. Exceptional lyrics, great hook and melody. It is horribly produced though.

HTDAAB has some great songs on it, but given what it could have been, to me it artistically is a failure because they chickened out.
 
Dalton said:
I wouldn't worry about getting banned for that opinion. I was speaking with my father in law yesterday and it seems that almost all of you aged people like Bomb more.

Nothing wrong with that. We don't discriminate against the elderly here.
Click to expand...

What do you think I am -- a senior citizen?
 
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