Shuttlecock XXV: Cool Hats Club

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Last month marked 20 years since I found this site. My fandom had begun way beforehand, but it was a genuine pleasure to find a forum dedicated to the band that was also mostly devoid of the sort of toxic behavior that seems to define so many corners of the internet. I formed a decent amount of friendships here - some just digital, others I actually met in person over the years - much to my surprise and delight (I still think about my random Laz encounter now and then). I just do 1-2 drive by posts per year and such but I will always have a soft spot in my heart for this place. I wish it was more robust but I'm part of the problem, obviously.

Also, I recently watched a smattering of performances from Coachella, none of which really elicited much of a response, but, I did see some imagery from the crowd that I found very interesting. I understand that the younger generation embraces technology in ways that I simply don't, and that I need to modulate what I deem to be regular behavior at music festivals and such. That being said, I have attended such events in the past and just am not used to seeing certain sights, and no amount of embracing generational shifts can prepare you for things like observing constant live streaming, influencers posing for photos in front of a performance then leaving immediately and not even pausing to enjoy the music, and other things of that variety. Anyway, I took a screenshot of something I noticed in some of the footage that simply didn't resonate with this Gen X old man, and it left me confused and perhaps concerned for future generations of concert go-ers....

backstagecoachella.JPG



And I didn't love or hate the HTDAAB reassembled stuff. As long as "you want to kill me and I want t die" didn't materialize, I was going to be fine with it.

Also:

I love Andor and Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light. And Hacks.

I watch Dune Part 1 and 2 every other month or so.

I've been binge reading the Mick Herron Slough House books.

Devin Williams makes me sad.

"This Could be Texas" by English Teacher was my favorite new album of 2024.

Bye.
 
No spoken words said:
Last month marked 20 years since I found this site. My fandom had begun way beforehand, but it was a genuine pleasure to find a forum dedicated to the band that was also mostly devoid of the sort of toxic behavior that seems to define so many corners of the internet. I formed a decent amount of friendships here - some just digital, others I actually met in person over the years - much to my surprise and delight (I still think about my random Laz encounter now and then). I just do 1-2 drive by posts per year and such but I will always have a soft spot in my heart for this place. I wish it was more robust but I'm part of the problem, obviously.

Also, I recently watched a smattering of performances from Coachella, none of which really elicited much of a response, but, I did see some imagery from the crowd that I found very interesting. I understand that the younger generation embraces technology in ways that I simply don't, and that I need to modulate what I deem to be regular behavior at music festivals and such. That being said, I have attended such events in the past and just am not used to seeing certain sights, and no amount of embracing generational shifts can prepare you for things like observing constant live streaming, influencers posing for photos in front of a performance then leaving immediately and not even pausing to enjoy the music, and other things of that variety. Anyway, I took a screenshot of something I noticed in some of the footage that simply didn't resonate with this Gen X old man, and it left me confused and perhaps concerned for future generations of concert go-ers....

View attachment 24080



And I didn't love or hate the HTDAAB reassembled stuff. As long as "you want to kill me and I want t die" didn't materialize, I was going to be fine with it.

Also:

I love Andor and Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light. And Hacks.

I watch Dune Part 1 and 2 every other month or so.

I've been binge reading the Mick Herron Slough House books.

Devin Williams makes me sad.

"This Could be Texas" by English Teacher was my favorite new album of 2024.

Bye.
Click to expand...

there's room for everyone

nswbaby.jpg
 
I've been posting here over half my life. The funniest thing is that when I signed up, I think this site actually recommended a user name for me, based on my actual name. My name is not actually mikal, but I just never changed it.
 
Interesting article.

On one side I can buy the notion that Bono's attention has not been focused on his day job for the past 20 or so years and their music has suffered because of it. This gives me some hope that a new album with his full attention could possibly be something worthwhile.

On the other hand the other three members in the band do not have that excuse, at least not to that level and that worries me that we are going to get more of the same with possibly some better lyrics.
 
well - there's an argument to be made that Bono is the true creative force in the band. a lot of people assume it's The Edge - but you can see in From The Sky Down how Bono just crafts together One on the spot.

so if they've been recording without him, or with him being a part time participant, i can see how things could suffer.

he also seems like the one who's most passionate about whatever direction they may choose - so if he's half in, half out - it could also explain the indecision and last minute pivoting that has negatively impacted, well, every album since No Line.
 
exactly 20 years ago at this very moment, after standing in line under the hot sun all day with some weirdo, I was seeing U2 live for the first time ever.
 
elevated_u2_fan said:
Do you think anyone they trust in their inner circle has really sat them down over the past decade and said "You are making (for the most part) objectively terrible music compared to your previous output, what is up with that?"
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Doubtful. I'm guessing it's filled with "yes men".

Remember, U2 is like a street gang, a punk rock street gang.
 
I'm not sure Eno's full heart would be in it.

And even if it is, and he gives them the guidance they really need, they'll just dump those tracks, hook up with some run-of-the-mill EDM-lite producer and give us more of the same rubbish.
 
With a few notable exceptions, I'm not in the "they are making terrible music" camp. That's a bit over the top in my opinion. Not as good as classic albums doesn't make it terrible (not you, Boots, you go sit in the corner).

I'd put it more in the mediocre to good category, with occasional flashes of the old magic (and occasional flashes of awfulness). Which, let's be real, is true for most older bands (please don't give me exceptions to the rule as if you're trying to prove a point- I know there are exceptions. It's implied by saying "most").

In all honesty I think the combination of not realizing that they're the old guy in the club now (so stop chasing popular radio hits you geezers) and Bono being a part time participant in the writing is the lead cause.

Both of those things appear to be resolved - although time will still tell as to whether or not they're truly comfortable not chasing the youngs anymore.

re: Eno - he doesn't exactly seem like a guy who signs up to do something half assed. So I would strongly disagree with any idea that his heart wouldn't be in it. If his heart wasn't in it, he wouldn't do it.

They do seem to have patched up the issues they had with Eno. They've given out plenty of writing credits over the last few albums, and Eno mixed the Sphere remixes, and gave them his turntable as a stage.

So I do think the stage is set for them to put out an album that is well received critically and warmly welcomed as a return to form commercially, amongst the olds at least. It's long past due that they get recognized for their careers and stop being the butt end of iTunes jokes.

And if that happens... The Interference Five™ will still be torn over whether or not it's good.
 
Maybe "terrible" was the wrong word, mediocre is more applicable I guess?

The problem I have with mostly their output in the last decade is that has been 5% great, 50% mediocre, 30% recycling old material and 15% awful and that adds up to a whole lot of meh.

Sure that 5% is like water in the desert but the rest really starts to taint how I feel about them overall. I wish it wouldn't and I tell myself logically that that I still have all their old stuff and anything they do now is just a footnote but man, its tough some days.

I mean, everyone here must feel sort of the same way right?
 
has there ever been a band or act that stayed active for as long as U2 has stayed active where reasonable arguments have been made where their later output was equal to or greater than their earlier output? it seems like an inevitability that there will be a drop off - real or perceived.

like... time out of mind is a good album and all, but it's fuck all compared to highway 61 revisited.

so while yea, i think they could improve the quality of their output - specifically over the past 10 years - i also think they're fighting an unwinnable battle.
 
elevated_u2_fan said:
Maybe "terrible" was the wrong word, mediocre is more applicable I guess?

The problem I have with mostly their output in the last decade is that has been 5% great, 50% mediocre, 30% recycling old material and 15% awful and that adds up to a whole lot of meh.

Sure that 5% is like water in the desert but the rest really starts to taint how I feel about them overall. I wish it wouldn't and I tell myself logically that that I still have all their old stuff and anything they do now is just a footnote but man, its tough some days.

I mean, everyone here must feel sort of the same way right?
Click to expand...
I actually listened to their full discography a couple months ago but purposely stopped at HTDAAB (and the shadow album), and it made me appreciate their career a ton more than I had been feeling the last few years.
 
I haven’t thought about this band in a long time, and after popping in here saw this Atomic Bomb shadow thing I didn’t know existed. Really pleasantly surprised by some of the stuff on here (also lol Mercy). Then realized I think I listened to Songs of Experience exactly one time ever when it released so started that up again. Man it’s fucking bad, couldn’t finish. I dunno, everything else is mediocre at worse but that’s such stinker imo.
 
elevated_u2_fan said:
I mean, everyone here must feel sort of the same way right?
Click to expand...
If I really, really think about it I find it despairing, but I've also got so, so, so many other artists that I love dearly who are releasing great music all the time that thinking about why U2 keep releasing bad music is just eliciting unnecessary suffering.

Headache in a Suitcase said:
has there ever been a band or act that stayed active for as long as U2 has stayed active where reasonable arguments have been made where their later output was equal to or greater than their earlier output?
Click to expand...
Nick Cave. Since I became a fan in 2013 everything he's released since has been either the equal or greater, and he lives so in the present and is so embodied in what he's creating, that I've barely touched his back catalogue.

Lancemc said:
I haven’t thought about this band in a long time, and after popping in here saw this Atomic Bomb shadow thing I didn’t know existed. Really pleasantly surprised by some of the stuff on here (also lol Mercy). Then realized I think I listened to Songs of Experience exactly one time ever when it released so started that up again. Man it’s fucking bad, couldn’t finish. I dunno, everything else is mediocre at worse but that’s such stinker imo.
Click to expand...
Experience is awful, but it at least has three or four tracks that I enjoy. Innocence has one, maybe two at a stretch, and has the added benefit of being the reason that everyone on the planet hates them!
 
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