U2- for fans not haters

[Mr. Shankly]

[sethmadsen]

Thank you for joining us RyanF1. I like what you had to say. I do know kids your age, and all they know of U2 is Vertigo and Beautiful Day, or maybe Get On Your Boots (which wasn't a hit, but a great guitar lick). I remember when I was a kid my older siblings are the ones that got me into U2. They are probably Mr. Shankley's age. I first fell in love with Joshua Tree and Paul Simon's Graceland because my family would play those two over and over again on road trips. I remember vaguely hearing some of Rattle & Hum and Achtung Baby, when I was a kid, but I didn't know what it was. Then I became a teenager- my older siblings left and that influence left. I got into Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, R.E.M. came out with "What's the Frequency Kenneth" which at the time I thought was awesome rock- it was around this time I decided I was into ALBUMS!!!

I wanted to own my favorite bands entire catalogs. My favorite bands could only be bands that could produce an album in which every song was worth listening to. U2 soon became my favorite band at that time because Radiohead just had Creep and not much more. I hadn't heard of the bends till much later, and thankfully I came back to them when they did OK Computer; I digress ever so slightly.

Anyways, after buying Joshua Tree for myself, I bought Pop of all albums. I actually grew to really like it. I liked the "irony" of "Discotheque" (that music video cracks me up), but more importantly it had amazing music on it like Gone, Please, If God Will Send His Angels, and Staring at the Sun. This might be an interesting phase for you GARY, because at this time U2 went from super religious, and overly earnest, to mocking Las Vegas trash and debating God's "ways," especially in Wake Up Dead man, but also throughout the whole album. I think the 90s were philosophically not understood and were much deeper than people allowed themselves to understand. I mean Pop's release party was at a K-Mart- how Ironic is that. The imagery of evolution from baby to consumer... genius. They did a lot of genius stuff around this period that I think a lot of people didn't get- Passenger's Original Soundtrack 1- a side project not many have listened to. It is a soundtrack to movies, half of which don't exist. The others are random shorts. I agree that those earlier post-punk albums had more spunk to them cause they were young, but earnest like R.E.M. I disagree, however, that U2 lost it in the 90s. I think they lost it in the 2000s. Sure they had their mainstream comeback, but their ALBUMS weren't as solid.

Then they left all of that "darkness" and philosophical thinking behind a bit and "re-applied" for the best band in the world by going back to their "roots." At first I was sold on this, wholeheartedly. Beautiful Day and Elevation was the return of Rock n' Roll as we knew it (after nothing but Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys on the radio). That was my first U2 concert- and by far the best concert I have ever gone to. They ditched stadiums of 50-80,000 people and made an arena of 20,000 feel like they were playing in your front living room. Very capturing and somehow "wholesome." I really liked that period, but looking back on it, ATYCLB is an ok album. I would take No Line over it anyday. Stuck in a moment I convinced myself to like in the beginning and don't like it now- however LOVE the acoustic version of that song.

Then How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb came out- again the return of real rock to mainstream- but then you listen to that record and you have an amazing beginning (miracle drug is arguably one of their best) of the first 6 songs, and then it falls horribly flat except for "one step closer."

From No Line on the Horizon, I love each individual song, but as an album- it feels like a group of random songs- not the U2 that knew how to craft an album. It's like they gave into the itunes world. I would agree it is their best of the 2000s. So with them ending on their best album and all-time best tour for themselves and out of any other artist, including the rolling stones- Do we wish them goodbye and say great last album, glad I saw you for the last time- or do you think with the following material they might still have something up their sleeve?

I would disagree that they are sick of making music. If they are writing this Spiderman musical, have albums in the works with will.i.am, brian eno, rick rubin, and danger mouse- I doubt that they are sick of making music. They have always made a shit-load since Joshua Tree. I heard Bono in this interview of why they aren't releasing all of this work- who wants another U2 album so soon? Nobody. I remember hearing about Songs of Ascent within a year after release of No Line, and was amazed they had another album lined up so soon. It was supposed to be 1st leg of the tour one album and second leg the this new Songs of Ascent album. Crazy, but they did it for Achtung Baby and Zooropa (which is a very underrated and very artistic album IMO).

Here's a taste of stuff from unreleased projects (obviously these songs have kinda been released)

I actually really like this piece that was going to be on Songs of Ascent:

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This was from the Rick Rubin days which wasn't that bad either. A little too poppy if that's the only sound they had on the new record, but you expect that from U2 to have at least one pop song that could be on a 45. To Bono, that is rock n' roll after all:


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[sethmadsen]

Hmmm... I get why someone would think U2 is bland. I think I finally get that, as all their hype is taken away, they have some amazing moments of "the clearing of the trees" as some call it- and then sometimes they are just desolate. I would take U2's 36 year career over a one off album a band makes that is great- but then the rest of their stuff is blah. I do agree though that they can be bland, kinda like a rock concert versus a symphony. At the symphony, if your not paying attention, it is easy for most people to fall asleep. For people that don't know U2, as I have shared them with many different folks, they do take time to warm up to them, if they ever do because of this "bland" quality.

I guess to make this topic fresh- which bands have the longest longevity, but are still good... if that makes any sense. Weezer for example- their last two albums were just the worst things ever written. I would consider myself a Weezer fan, up until those last two.

For me Smashing Pumpkins continue to make good music after many years.
R.E.M. did
Pearl Jam, hmm- if you think ATYCLB was a bad comeback album- backspacer was pretty weak.
I am sure many here could name some metal bands that have made great music for a long time.
I haven't checked out Paul McCartney's newest stuff, but he has made great music for forever.
I think the Stones totally sucked past the 80s- but maybe you can prove me wrong.
Paul Simon I think has gotten better in age, like a fine wine.
Beck has as well.

[Hermes_requite]

Weather you love him or hate him, you must hear Bono's vocals on this song. And The Edge tears it up on this one and provides one Hell of a solo. Enjoy!


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[BlueNote]

U2 has been my favorite band since I first heard The Joshua Tree, sometime in 1988 (I was a little behind the times). I also realize they have put out some crap, mostly after 2000. I understand why Bono annoys people. But no album has affected me the way that album did. I can't see any other album ever reaching the top of my list.

[Hermes_requite]

[Hermes_requite]

U2 was already making quality music in 1980. It was fairly simple but very good.


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[Hermes_requite]

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[sethmadsen]

I was contemplating getting rid of my record player because the amp is starting to short out for the connection to my computer. I was thinking of getting some AudioEngine 5s and a sub to replace my over 20 year-old system, but then I switched over to phono and started listening to my vinyl again and it didn't short!!!

Why is this on the U2 thread, you may ask? Well I have just listened to Boy, October, War, and side 1 of The Unforgetable Fire on vinyl. U2 has an amazing catalog. I skipped the under a blood red sky because I just recently listened to it on cd.

I think I am still going to get those speakers to hear my records on even better speakers. To think, I was about to get rid of my 80s U2 collection, a few R.E.M. from the 80s, ABBEY ROAD, a couple Bob dylan vinyls, and an Aretha Franklin vinyl- all I just realized are originals. My parents gave me the 60s stuff and I bought the 80s stuff.

Don't follow your rash decisions!

[Robert Anton Wilson]