So I know this may be trivial, but I had this idea as I was reviewing U2's career. They have written a lot of unreleased stuff, but they are starting to suck and realize, wait, we can't release stuff that sucks anymore and I think they think the stuff they have written isn't up to par. So... All the stuff they wrote with Rick Rubin, Danger Mouse, Brian Eno, etc. they release with a Best of 2000-2010 release as all B-side stuff, which they need to do to follow suite with the other decade releases they did. Then release something totally awesome like Achtung Baby or War or something that does what they have been doing each decade- create a new theme. If they can't produce a totally awesome album by 2012 I think they should break up. Just sayin.
U2 has been one of my favorite groups... even or especially during their 90s irony period. I know they get a lot of crap for many different things, and well then I have to look at their music and can't agree with most of their "crap."
Anyways, those are my thoughts about them now. I feel like if they don't quit ahead like R.E.M. did, they are going to turn into the Rolling Stones.
Why make a thread with a title warding off criticizers? Then the thread will be boring - it will have no real conflict or discussion. _________________ A dick that's bigger than the sun.
For me, I have no problem hating parts of U2's career, but I think it's pretty much a fact that they were one of the best bands of the 80's. Whoahh, Mr. Shankly! Aren't you supposed to be some kind of musical elitist? That's not entirely true. Consider this exhibit A. Anyways, I digress.
For me, they were one of my favorite bands growing up. I loved the anthemic, change the world, quality about their music. I saw U2 on the first leg of the Joshua Tree, and I still consider that to be of the best concert experiences of my life. The band's sense of self-importance got overbearing by the time of Rattle and Hum, even though there were a few good songs on that album (Angel of Harlem), but still I was curious what they would do next. I didn't like Achtung Baby, at first, but it has since grown on me big time, and I think it's one of their best. One has be one of the greatest ballads ever, for example. Then I went to see them on the Zoo TV Tour, and if there's one concert experience from my history I would erase, it would be that one. I just didn't get the whole spectacle, or what exactly the point of it was. Irony? That's for indie rockers like Pavement, not the overly earnest U2. Anyways, from that point, all the way through most of the 2000's, I was fairly bored by U2's music that I heard (with the exception of that kind of garagey song that opened atomic bomb), and I think they just got more and more irrelevant. And then for some reason a couple years ago, I checked out No Line on the Horizon from the library, and was pleasantly surprised. It's actually a good album and working with Brian Eno again was a smart move on their part. I'm getting past the age where everything has to be hip and cool for me to enjoy it. If it sounds good to my ears, it sounds good, period, and No Line on the Horizon sounds good.
I mentioned this to Jhereko a year ago, when we had a long argument about The Joshua Tree (my introduction to him). 😉 I really think there's a generational difference in how one perceives U2. If you grew up in the 90's and 2000's, then I totally understand why you think U2 sucks. I thought they mostly sucked then too. Maybe also when one listens to a band like Coldplay that sounds really boring to my ears, and traces back their U2 influence, this might also influence your perception of the band. But if you grew up in the 80's or are a bit older, you know that U2 was originally one of the alternatives to a lot of bad music on the radio. Basically, there was U2, R.E.M., The Talking Heads, The Pretenders, The Police, and a few other decent bands mixed amongst a whole lot of crap in the 80's (By the way, I hated synth pop then, and I hate it now, and I find it amusing, that it's suddenly considered hip music). U2 stood out. They were my generation's Arcade Fire or Muse. So that period will always hold a special place in my heart. I do think it would be a good idea for them to call it a day soon though.
Although, you have to applaud their longevity. I'm not totally positive, but I think they might have the greatest longevity of any rock band in history. Think about it. They've kept the same line up for 32 years. R.E.M. couldn't claim that. The Rolling Stones couldn't claim that. No one could. That's amazing for a band of musicians to stay together that long! 👏
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