The album seems to be still progressing...

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Yeah, ATYCLB is probably the only album I dislike by U2. Elevation, Wild Honey, Peace on Earth, Grace ... God, there's just some awful stuff there.

It's their least musically interesting album and Bono's worst lyrical effort.
 
Interesting that those who are surprised that my new BFF Cobbler likes ATYCLB because he has good taste in music. As if the two are mutually exclusive.

Like many works of genius, part of ATYCLB's brilliance is in its simplicity. To see that, you have to look with better eyes, and to hear it, you have to listen with better ears. As The Cobster has done.
 
it's still better than the lyrics to Playboy Mansion and If God ... combined

that being said, POP is bettter lyrically
so pointing out clunckers, barely proves a point

the great thing about ATYCLB behind is perfect coherence in vision
something that can't be said for all U2 albums
 
Nick66 said:
Interesting that those who are surprised that my new BFF Cobbler likes ATYCLB because he has good taste in music. As if the two are mutually exclusive.

Like many works of genius, part of ATYCLB's brilliance is in its simplicity. To see that, you have to look with better eyes, and to hear it, you have to listen with better ears. As The Cobster has done.
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I really hate to side with you here but the simplicity is what I like about it as well. I can absolutely see why people hate Stuck, for example. It is pure cheese from the second it begins, but the melody, the lyrics, the music, Edge's falsetto, all combine to make it a 10/10 track for me.
 
I see brilliance in the simplicity of the early Beatles work. I see brilliance in the simplicity of a Rolling Stones classic album like Beggar's Banquet. I could go on.
To me, when you fellows hear "simplicity" in ATYCLB, i hear mediocrity. But that discussion really goes nowhere.
 
To be honest the only thing I dislike about ATYCLB is that it is the start in the decline of the overall 00s output. As a stand-alone album, I think there's plenty to be happy about. If they had gone in a completely different direction after that, I doubt people would have such extreme feelings about it...and I mean, how does one have extreme feelings anyways for such a mild-mannered album? It's like hating the quiet nerd who never says boo in class, I mean, he's pretty fucking harmless...but anyways..lol

It was just subsequently hearing "part 2s" (and 3s) of the cheesiest/worst tracks on it on the next two albums that sometimes causes me to dislike it. I think it's got some good points, otherwise.

I will say thought that I still maintain SYCMIOYO is miles better than SIAMYCGOO. Haha, those two acronyms look pretty funny written in the same sentence.
 
U2girl said:
Tons of Grammys in 2002, and that they were the unofficial "healing band" for the States. Prolongued popularity of the album as a logic consequence.
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The album was already huge well before 9/11. Did it take on another dimension after the tragedy? Yes. Is 9/11 the reason why All That You Can't Leave Behind was successful? Fuck no.
 
Like others have said, the 360 tour was a worry for me as I really enjoyed the shows which had a decent number of songs from the new album and I was hoping for more as the tour progressed but it turned in to a greatest hits show. And while there's no doubt that seeing U2 live is a great event, I thought it was sad they just ditched the NLOTH material.

I get the feeling this next album is a big one for both the band and many fans. Speaking personally the work I feel the greatest affection to is from the AB, Zooropa, Pop, Passengers era. The Joshua Tree is an all-time classic and was the first U2 record I fell in love with while growing up, but that period from AB when they weren't afraid to try something new both on the record and live is just untouchable as far as I'm concerned. I know that some of the sounds they were playing with were obviously a commercial decision, but they embraced it and it worked. It wasn't perfect, but everything they did had a certain edge to it (no pun intended) and they seemed to be pushing themselves.

I'm not wanting them to go back to that era, just try something new, not be afraid to fail and not resort to what they were trying to do as a band in the 80s, 90s or even the 00s. One of my biggest disappointments with the band is that for people who were talking about the potential of the internet as a distribution method years before it went mainstream, they've done so little to embrace it. Every album, promo and tour cycle seems to be exactly the same as they've done since the start and they still seem to want to perfect it but times have changed.

For such a bunch of creative individuals who are so financially secure, I guess I just hoped they'd be more likely to take some risks and release more material on a regular basis via the web as and when they fancied instead of one album every few years. I know we've discussed the fact that solo artists have more control over as and when they record and release, but if its all about the music I genuinely don't understand why U2 haven't tried to shake things up.

Definitely a crossroads for me, they need to do something special and different this time round or I can see me drawing a line under things and moving on I guess.
 
...and there's a line in One Step Closer that clearly predicts Hurricane Katrina. Bono is rock's Nostrodamus :shifty:
 
Pop was already written with 9/11 in mind. Just listen to the lyrics for Please.
 
FlyontheHorizon said:
What ATYCLB lacks in ingenuity it makes up for in heart.

I suppose, to some though, it's so inoffensive that it becomes offensive. The band isn't breaking any new ground with it, but it's still nice to listen to every once in a while.
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Mostly, ATYCLB lacks a good second half*. BD-IALW stretch (minus Elevation) is arguably their strongest first half after JT but the album never really keeps up the pace. Nor does it stick with the alleged U2 goes pop direction.

*switching from pop to espresso depresso with WILATW/POE really kills the record. And end with something stronger than Grace.
 
Headache in a Suitcase said:
The album was already huge well before 9/11. Did it take on another dimension after the tragedy? Yes. Is 9/11 the reason why All That You Can't Leave Behind was successful? Fuck no.
Click to expand...

Well, the difference is it became the third most important album of their career instead of a mere comeback album.
 
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