PookaMacP
War Child
Actually, 'monstrosity' is a bit harsh for Blackout, but the others I stick by. Love is Bigger is so saccharine, you can feel your teeth rotting as you listen.
New Album Discussion 1 - Songs of..... - Unreasonable guitar album
- Thread starter dan_smee
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Yes! Crazy and far from something I would have predicted in 2014. Even as someone with high expectations of and faith in them! Even more, if you told me after 2 of those tours, I'd be able to say I saw all of JT and AB performed, I'd have thought you were completely insane!
I honestly don't know what more fans could have reasonably expected from them going back now to around the "Ordinary Love" fall 2013 time period!
Yeah, they only put out 2 albums. So what? As Headache said, most old bands aren't around anymore! They far from spent the decade eating, drinking, sleeping and playing 15 hits in a few markets here and there. I'd also say they would've had at least one, likely two more albums had Bono not had his near-death episode! Ditto for COVID not happening.
The Blackout.... the verses are great, maybe not the lyrics but the overall vibe is cool. And then they self sabotage it with that cut and paste generic chorus with generic lyrics. You can tell that's probably Tedders input there, that cliched 'reach the sky' chorus. 'When the lights go out, throw yourself about'? Give me a break.
LuckyNumber7
Blue Crack Addict
I have a sweet tooth
Last 5 years their activity seems to be especially in the States. According to recording...we've got some lame RSD-releases and streaming stuff, and SOS, they should have released some great deluxe boxsets/JT30 blu ray. Last 5 years are the most dull u2-years to me as I wasn"t been able to get to the Sphere.
But it's personally of course.
The blame for any watering down, or any change in direction, is not Steve Lillywhite's fault whatsoever. It's not even Ryan Tedder's fault.
It's the band's fault. That's it. It's on them. No one else.
It's the band's fault. That's it. It's on them. No one else.
ascender_RS
Refugee
Lee’s work on the Surrender shows in particular makes me optimistic… and as I’ve said before, Atomic City is very promising - the guitar and bass stuff in particular.
I’d love to see how the dynamic in the studio works these days when they’re not working with someone like Lilywhite, Eno etc. I’m sure the buck stops with them, but there have been some weird artistic decisions taken over the last while.
I’d love to see how the dynamic in the studio works these days when they’re not working with someone like Lilywhite, Eno etc. I’m sure the buck stops with them, but there have been some weird artistic decisions taken over the last while.
But but… emerging markets!
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
Look, I agree with you that Danger Mouse's work stands tall above anyone post-Lanois/Eno, and that Lillywhite and Jackknife do not inspire confidence. But you're not going to get a lot of people here to agree with you that all 4 of those above titles sound bad. I dislike the production on Best Thing and Get Out (both Tedder), and am not a huge fan of American Soul, but I think those other ones all sound great. Love is Bigger isn't nearly as corny or anemic as Origin of the Species (much better in its live incarnation), which is its closest relative.
I blame fake Bono
PookaMacP
War Child
Yes, I appreciate the divergence of opinion - and I can understand why people like those songs. But when I listened to SoE yesterday, I was struck by the realisation that I hadn't gone back to these songs at all since 2017. There was just something soulless about them all.
Having said that, I'll paraphrase the Big Lebowski to admit, that's just, like, my opinion man.
I also suspect that the following is true:
Specifically, Edge's creative radar seems to have gone awry since HTDAAB. Where once his creative side outlets were things like the Captive soundtrack and Passengers, since the mid-2000s it's been things like Spiderman and that awful Euro 2020 song.
That's not to say that there haven't been flashes of inspiration in the past two decades (see parts of NLOTH, plus songs like Little Things) but without the counterweight of Eno and Lanois, it seems like the sharpness (deliberate pun) is dulled. Parts of SoS are good, too, but most of it veers into very similar territory. Interesting for a few listens, but largely unmemorable.
And the final thing to say on Edge is that Larry's comments about the band having become a benevolent dictatorship might be the greatest insight into their process that we have. I suspect that Bono and Edge always dominated the song-writing process, but Larry's comment suggests that the route for him and Adam to dissent from the others' vision for U2 has now largely closed.
... I liked the Euro 2020 song
::runs and hides::
::runs and hides::
ascender_RS
Refugee
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
I like Ahimsa. 
Registered Dude
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
we are the people we've been waiting for. all 4 of us.
You've gone too far this time, LazI like Ahimsa.
OP
OP
dan_smee
ONE love, blood, life
I liked We are the people, Ahimsa and Atomic City. YSSML isn’t high art, but it suited its purpose. There haven’t been any dead stinky songs since American Soul
lazarus
Blue Crack Supplier
Don’t worry, I’m sure there’ll be a couple stinky ones on the next album.
PookaMacP
War Child
Well, I couldn't have guessed the love for that song... 
Maybe we could have some love for two others in the U2-pop-electronica vein?
- Glorify
- Stars Don't Go (with Avicii)
Maybe we could have some love for two others in the U2-pop-electronica vein?
- Glorify
- Stars Don't Go (with Avicii)
Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
it seems like the 2-to-1 tours-to-albums ratio over the past 15 years is giving the fans what they want: hits, and nostalgia.
i want new music, but i don't think you average casual really cares, and i think they know this. and they also know that most of the die hards are impossible to please (and the rest of us are morally corrupt bootlicking rubes).
i want new music, but i don't think you average casual really cares, and i think they know this. and they also know that most of the die hards are impossible to please (and the rest of us are morally corrupt bootlicking rubes).
They’d please everyone by doing 2 (or more) night residencies in the top 10+ markets and properly communicate the plan and stick with it.
Night 1: a handful of new songs and THE HITS. Let them prove their new stuff belongs with/works alongside the classics.
Night 2: slightly larger selection of new songs and deep cuts - only the hardcore care about both, 4 song encore of One, Bad, Streets, 40
Good lord they’d need to learn 40-50 songs but could also finally deliver on the type of setlist plan they had a decade ago.
Night 1: a handful of new songs and THE HITS. Let them prove their new stuff belongs with/works alongside the classics.
Night 2: slightly larger selection of new songs and deep cuts - only the hardcore care about both, 4 song encore of One, Bad, Streets, 40
Good lord they’d need to learn 40-50 songs but could also finally deliver on the type of setlist plan they had a decade ago.
monkeyskin
Refugee
They're just not that sort of live band. Even at the Sphere, Bono announced that they'd be highlighting a different album after the opening Achtung Baby sequence. It was Rattle and Hum 3/4 of the time with some other classic 80s tracks sprinkled in.
Best hope for deep cuts is that they become a regular part of the set (An Cat Dubh / Into the Heart, Zooropa, Acrobat), but them dropping regular surprises night to night or rehearsing two completely different setlists are pretty low.
Best hope for deep cuts is that they become a regular part of the set (An Cat Dubh / Into the Heart, Zooropa, Acrobat), but them dropping regular surprises night to night or rehearsing two completely different setlists are pretty low.
Are their songs that difficult to play ? Edge has an entire studio for effects at his disposal. Larry basically plays the most basic beat for any song now, and with Bram I’d figure you got someone with the energy to be up for it.
Bono has a monitor for the lyrics so it really is quite baffling. They don’t need an elaborate effect for screen etc.
Maybe it’s the rehearsal time they don’t want to commit to
Bono has a monitor for the lyrics so it really is quite baffling. They don’t need an elaborate effect for screen etc.
Maybe it’s the rehearsal time they don’t want to commit to
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
So clearly, it's Adam's fault.
Hewson
Blue Crack Supplier
As great as that would be, I just don't ever see it happening with this band. They claimed we'd see it on i/e and it never materialized. Doubt there's any chance that they'll pull it off now that they are 10 years older.
mikal
Blue Crack Addict
Yeah, as a musician, I can confidently say that the static setlists are BS. They always have been. It's really not that hard to pull out a random song from your catalog or have a pool of up to 60-70 songs to play at any given time.
Registered Dude
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
what's the hardcore fan / casual concert goer split at your average u2 show?
40 years on - I'd hazard it's like 10/90.
They're playing to the 90% who don't want to hear Three Sunrises
40 years on - I'd hazard it's like 10/90.
They're playing to the 90% who don't want to hear Three Sunrises
mikal
Blue Crack Addict
In all fairness, neither do I.
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