You've heard GET ON YOUR BOOTS? - Post all thoughts, reviews, discussion HERE Part 3

[the tourist]

Well, one good thing about the song is that Bono's voice is better than it's been lately (and by lately, I mean the past 14 years or so).

 

[MadForIt]

You guys have missed the boat with this song

It's Bono's pro war song

He is telling everyone to fight and 'get on their boots'

and that war is 'beautiful'

Bono cant do simple meaningless feel good rock n roll you know

Looks like someone doesnt have any boots

 

[RedRocksU2]

Ok I just finally listened to it turned up loud in my car on my way to work. I like it even more now (and I already liked it a lot.)

Exactly.

The guitar on the last part is amazing in a good stereo system. wow.

 

[LemonMelon]

Wow. What a disappointment.

Well, it's not good enough to be a Starflyer 59 demo, but then again, what is?

 

[bigjohn2441]

listen to the song and watch these smiles, kinda funny.

 

[popshopper]

Wow. U2 have finally, successfully become a vapid party band to compete with and for the young folks.

While I can recognize this as the same band that came up with "Elevation" and "Vertigo", I cannot believe this is the same band that made "Bad" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and "Until The End of The World". Where did the class and maturity go? The striving for genuine spiritual and artistic transcendence? Were the '70s, '80s and '90s just a big fluke? Were those records rescued by the stellar efforts of in-their-prime producers who clearly no longer give a shit what this band does with itself?

You would hope that the guys that came up with The Joshua Tree in their 20s would be able to come up with something better than this empty tripe in their late 40s. You would hope that all of their experience would give them better taste. You would hope that their friends might step in and offer some needed criticism. I want to believe that if you let Bono listen to this song in 1987, he would have vomited and smashed the record to bits. I want to believe that this is a clever joke, like Bono's adoption of the "Fly" persona in '91.

But, the truth is, we're left with four middle-age guys trying desperately to be hip and have hit records that teenyboppers might buy instead of a new Justin Timberlake album (something that will never happen). Sadly, U2 have officially become the dads who try too hard to fit in with their kids' friends, and end up only embarrassing their own children until they won't even speak to them anymore.

And this is the song that is supposed to generate hype for the new album? This is a sad day, folks, so recognize it for what it is. What was once a beautiful and dignified career is coming to a screeching, shuddering halt with this empty, soulless bubblegum shit.

I mean they've never just tinkered with an obvious pop song have they?

This is the band who cut out some of the best songs they'd ever written to fit "A Trip through your wires" on Joshua Tree, wrote the Sweetest thing, Some days are better than others, Babyface, Discotheque all pretty straight forward party songs. I'm not the biggest fan of GOYB, while they've added some new bells and whistles they've essentially came up with a cross between discotheque, fast cars and salome. But if you think this is some radical departure for the band then you are dead wrong, they've been writing pop songs on and off for 30 years.

And as throwaway as GOYB it's 10 times as deep as Vertigo.

Essentially the song is serving it's primary purpose, it's a up-tempo song they can release with a cranked mix for modern radio.

 

[zwervers2]

Wow. What a disappointment.

The service in the hotel was not what you expected?

 

[Irvine511]

It does not however – not by a long, long, long, long shot – come close to matching the Achtung Baby singles for that perfect mix of commercial catchiness mixed with creative excellence and depth.

is anything ever going to be?

i mean, it could be, but no one is ever going to allow anything they ever do again to be as good.

 

[Matthew_Page2000]

As I said, its just my opinion, but for you or anyone to defend it adds strength to my opinion, if it wasn't U2 singing it most people would ignore it, it wouldn't get anywhere chartwise, and would be totally ineffective in promoting the album, but because its U2, it will definetly go top 10,maybe even No.1, & the LP will go to No. 1. I'm not going out of ,my way to knock U2, for the sake of it, I've been a lifelong fan, & will continue to be so, but after such a long wait, & especially after, an at best patchy last album, I'm just left with such a huge feeling of anti-climax at this particular songs lack of anything special. Think of all the truly great U2 songs, of which there are many, and this doesn't come close to joining them, does it, really?

What about "The Fly"? It went to number 1 in GB and #31 in the U.S..
Do you honestly think it would have charted if it had been just another band? Of course not. Does that mean it isn't a great song? Of course not.
So what's your point again?

 

[Dani California]

have i posted about the "sex as epiphany" brilliance of the lyrics to "elevation"?

the mole is the male member. start from there.

Ooh I want to hear more on this theory........ Was just thinking about elevation and its er, meaning as no one believes me when I say its rude

Maybes should start another topic?

I can't keep up with this thread.....argggh!!

 

[pgv]

Well, one good thing about the song is that Bono's voice is better than it's been lately (and by lately, I mean the past 14 years or so).

I think he's starting to work with what he's got more... instead of trying to belt out the same things he could when he was 20, he's gone for a throatier sound. Which I'm rather partial to.

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

*raises hand*

many many pages back, long before people started posting weird pictures of lathery african american men.

I found it. And a lot of other things

Wilco has overtaken U2 as my favorite band in the last year or so, in large part because of Jeff Tweedy's songwriting. I can definitely see where you and Atomic Bono are coming from with seeing some similarities. I'm expecting bigger, more sonically layered albums from both bands this year, and this song has gotten me excited about Bono's songwriting again after a year or so of just becoming indfferent at best to it.

 

[LemonMelon]

I mean they've never just tinkered with an obvious pop song have they?

This is the band who cut out some of the best songs they'd ever written to fit "A Trip through your wires" on Joshua Tree, wrote the Sweetest thing, Some days are better than others, Babyface, Discotheque all pretty straight forward party songs. I'm not the biggest fan of GOYB, while they've added some new bells and whistles they've essentially came up with a cross between discotheque, fast cars and salome. But if you think this is some radical departure for the band then you are dead wrong, they've been writing pop songs on and off for 30 years.

And as throwaway as GOYB it's 10 times as deep as Vertigo.

Essentially the song is serving it's primary purpose, it's a up-tempo song they can release with a cranked mix for modern radio.

My favorite part about this post is the Salome comparison. I can't believe how many people missed that.

 

[subnet]

BOYB heeheehee

 

[thanksu2]

Wow. What a disappointment.

I'm disappointed that you're disappointed. It's such a good song.

 

[Sicy]

I think Bono's voice sounds fabulous. Very crisp clean and clear.

And I mentioned this before, but I love the parts at .30 / .31 and 1:48. Is it some kind of guitar effect?

 

[Night & Day]

I think Bono's voice sounds fabulous. Very crisp clean and clear.

 

[bigjohn2441]

this song has nothing to do with vertigo

GOYB - Godzilla
Vertigo - Japan

 

[pgv]

I like the "you don't know" bits - he sounds really great on those.

 

[zwervers2]

I think Bono's voice sounds fabulous. Very crisp clean and clear.

And I mentioned this before, but I love the parts at .30 / .31 and 1:48. Is it some kind of guitar effect?

yes it is It wil be a bit difficult to describe this but I have the effect on one of my effectboxes linked with the computer. Sounds cool

 

[thanksu2]

I like the "you don't know" bits - he sounds really great on those.

That's the part I like the most...

 

[Matthew_Page2000]

I do have one question though that seems to keep coming back to me....if we compare Streets or ISHFWILF to GOYB/Vertigo....there's such a big difference....and I think GOYB, in this case, is missing something that songs like Streets and ISHFWILF have...an epicness factor...Now, in terms of lead singles, where did this vibe go? I don't know...I'll agree that GOYB really doesn't sound like much else...but it has this cheap pop vibe to it in the same vein as Vertigo that is sort of off-putting...it seems like if NLOTH is a brilliant record, GOYB is going to be the low point...

Fair enough. However, there is nothing "epic" about EBTTRT, Zoo Station, WGRYWH, TTTYAATW, TTYW, IGC and those songs are on two of U2's most "epic" albums. What really matters is how Boots will fit in the album mix sonically and thematically. I really like the song and am optimistic but the album could still suck. We just don't know yet.

p.s.- When I say those songs aren't "epic" I don't mean that they're not good. I love 'em. Like I love Boots. Epic isn't always good. Just ask Creed.

 

[Screwtape2]

I think my favorite parts of the song are the seconds at the end of the chorus before it kicks back into the verses. They sound so exotic.

 

[hadtowin]

This is a great song, you have to listen to it intently and then you'll realise. I love it when I hear their music and think wtf?! cos that's what u2 is about for me. When I first heard discotheque I was confused, gob-smacked, blown away, scratching my head as to what it was all about. The same happened with vertigo and now the same again with boots. When I bought Pop I listened to it for days and weeks, trying to figure it out, while friends who borrowed it gave it back after 1 listen saying 'nah, don't like it'. I was thinking, you have to give it a chance and give it time then you'll understand. That's what is so intriguing about u2. Thank god for them. GOYB is genius.

 

[LemonMelon]

I like the "you don't know" bits - he sounds really great on those.

Minor complaint from someone who does record his own music: those lines needed some kind of echo or reverb on them for full impact. They're also up way too high in the mix.

On the plus side, this song has crazy good dynamics. The parts that are supposed to be loud are right up in your face (this gives the chorus extra punch) and the slinkier, bass-driven parts in the verses give the song room to build. MUCH, MUCH better production here than on Vertigo.

 

[namkcuR]

Am the only one who thinks 'you don't know/how beautiful/you don't know how beautiful you are/you don't know/you don't get it do you/you don't know how beautiful you are' IS the chorus? I've heard people refer to the 'you don't know how beautiful you are' "parts", "bits", and so on, and I've heard a few people even say that they thought the song had no real instantly sing-along chorus. THIS is the chorus! And it's the most brilliant part of the song, imo. Surely I'm not the only one who views it as the chorus?

 

[bonocomet]

Exactly.

The guitar on the last part is amazing in a good stereo system. wow.

YES. That's exactly where I got more excited. I was thinking I can't wait to hear what Edge is going to do with that part live.

 

[onebloodonelife]

Am the only one who thinks 'you don't know/how beautiful/you don't know how beautiful you are/you don't know/you don't get it do you/you don't know how beautiful you are' IS the chorus? I've heard people refer to the 'you don't know how beautiful you are' "parts", "bits", and so on, and I've heard a few people even say that they thought the song had no real instantly sing-along chorus. THIS is the chorus! And it's the most brilliant part of the song, imo. Surely I'm not the only one who views it as the chorus?

Nope, I considered that the chorus as well. It quite obviously is, at least to me.

 

[thesandbox]

listen to the song and watch these smiles, kinda funny.

while doing the tango

 

[coemgen]

OK, I haven't posted anything yet on here. I love the song. Very fresh, but I hear a lot of classic rock references. The main one being . . . Hendrix, mainly in Larry's drums. (Except the "When the Levee Breaks" part at the end. I also hear the Hendrix influence in the backing vocals. (Think "Fire" and "Crosstown Traffic")

Anyone else hearing it?