Author Topic: U2 thread (Read 50146 times)

KevShmev · « **Reply #280 on:** March 28, 2016, 05:13:31 PM »

Stadler, I am sure that is what Bono meant, in regards to the best band in the world, but putting it the way he did just came off as arrogant...which is a problem he often seems to have. I love the guy as a singer and entertainer, but sometimes I really wish he would shut up.

As for best bands in the world right now, that is obviously subjective as hell, but I think they are unquestionably the most popular active* band in the world right now. I mean, what other band in the world could do a stadium tour for years like they did with U2360 and pack them in at pretty much every show?

*By active, I means bands that still record and tour at least somewhat regularly.

Kotowboy · « **Reply #281 on:** March 28, 2016, 05:15:36 PM »

They released Pop unfinished since Paul McGuinness booked the tour and they didn't finish the album in time for the tour so they just put it out.

Stadler · « **Reply #282 on:** March 29, 2016, 10:01:22 AM »

Quote from: SebastianPratesi on March 28, 2016, 04:59:29 PM

Quote from: Stadler on March 28, 2016, 12:32:18 PM
You can say a lot about U2 both good and bad, but you CANNOT say they do things halfway, and you CANNOT say they phone it in.

I think it's a really weak argument to say they aren't one of the three best bands in the world right now (Springsteen is another, and I'll leave the third for the discussion).

About the 1st part: didn't they release Pop half-baked? I remember reading that they weren't pleased with some of the songs/mixes, and that's why they included many different versions on The Best Of 1990-2000.

About the 2nd part: if U2 is a Top 3 band, Maiden also have to be in the Top 3. They've been around for basically the same ammount of time than U2, they keep releasing strong music, the musicians have a strong bond with the fans (and amongst themselves), they tour all the time, etc.

This is hard for me; VERY hard. Maiden is literally the first band I ever saw live (they opened for Priest when I went to the "Screaming..." Tour back in '82. And I would put them up there.

But I think about this more transformationally. As much as I love Maiden, they aren't going to be asked to do a Super Bowl halftime any time soon. They aren't going to be asked to headline the 9/11 tribute concert any time soon. No one was waiting for them to issue their "take" on 9/11 when it happened (like many - not all, I get it, but MANY) were with Springsteen (his response was "The Rising").

There are bands that transcend their genre. They transcend their time. They transcend their fan base. Look, I love Maiden; Dickinson is my favorite lead singer of all time, and Murray is in my top ten guitarists. Powerslave, top ten albums all time. I get it. I love them. But they don't transcend like U2 do.

I think the top three right now are:
Springsteen
U2
McCartney (I'm iffy on this one; I could go either way here).

Stadler · « **Reply #283 on:** March 29, 2016, 10:06:37 AM »

By the way, it's not just 'size of venue'; I know Maiden does football stadiums everywhere else other than the States. And Taylor Swift and Genesis can do stadia without an album. I'm talking more about how a band comes to represent their time. Musically, politically, socially. Beatles, Dylan, Hendrix in the 60's. Zeppelin, Sex Pistols, Floyd in the 70's. Duran Duran, Van Halen, and The Police (you could put AC/DC here too) in the 80's. Pearl Jam, as much as it pains me Nirvana, and Metallica in the 90's.

SebastianPratesi · « **Reply #284 on:** March 29, 2016, 09:10:36 PM »

Maybe we take into account different factors when considering how great a band is. I mainly focus on their art, their work ethic, and how strong a bond they share with themselves and their audiences. I don't take into account any political or historical aspects - I'm not interested in that. For instance, had Bono never developed his interest in third world countries, politics, religion, etc., or had they never associated with Apple, I would still consider U2 one of the greatest bands of all time - for many reasons. To each their own, I guess.

Quote from: Kotowboy on March 28, 2016, 05:15:36 PM

They released Pop unfinished since Paul McGuinness booked the tour and they didn't finish the album in time for the tour so they just put it out.

Oh yeah, you're right, thanks.

By the way, how do all of you rank Pop? When I was young, and started reading about '80s/'90s bands in music magazines, I always read that it was usually considered by critics/audiences as the worst album. Still, to me, it's not their worst - I think October is.

I wouldn't rank it as a Top 3, either. I'm no U2 fan, but I've listened to every album except for 2 (Zooropa and NLOTH). My Top 3 might be:

1. How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
2. Boy
3. Achtung Baby

I have a feeling I might like NLOTH a lot, though.

KevShmev · « **Reply #285 on:** March 29, 2016, 09:15:13 PM »

Pop is a disorganized mess that still manages to sounds good because there is a lot of good stuff on there, even if some of the songs are unfocused and a bit too clunky. I think it's a better album than Zooropa, which has a few total throwaway tracks. Even the least best songs on Pop still have something to offer.

fadetoblackdude7 · « **Reply #286 on:** March 29, 2016, 10:56:15 PM »

Yeah Zooropa is a very strange album. Most of it sounds like they were on acid when they wrote/recorded it, which makes it difficult to listen to casually. You need to be in a certain mood to listen to it, or at least I do. But props to them for trying something so different.

erwinrafael · « **Reply #287 on:** March 30, 2016, 12:02:39 AM »

My favorite U2 album is Rattle amd Hum. Followed by Achtung Baby.

Stadler · « **Reply #288 on:** March 30, 2016, 07:47:21 AM »

See what I wrote in the other U2 thread; I think... wait, I'll bring it over here, too...

U2 has a history of sorts with albums being up and down, so it's no surprise. It's like they put out an album and it kills, and they have the inspiration but maybe not the ideas and the next one flounders, but then they realize they have to knuckle down and the next one after that is a monster...

WAR
Unforgetable Fire
THE JOSHUA TREE
Rattle and Hum
ACHTUNG BABY! (My vote for their best album)
Zooropa
Pop - isn't great, but it was a vast improvement over Zooropa, and was of a longer period (the "Achtung-Zooropa-Pop" touring arc).
All That You Can't Leave Behind - isn't great, but was a more muted, reserved return after the glitz of Pop).
ATOMIC BOMB (Third best album, after AB! and TJT)
No Line...
SONGS OF INNOCENCE

Pop is the anomaly, because it's not for lack of ideas, or inspiration, it's lack of time. That really COULD have been a great album (the last song is one of their best ideas, but just... needed to gel. The other "lesser" records are the opposite. They put a LOT of time into No Line, and it's a mess. Zooropa would have been a better EP than an actual standalone album (the only song I REALLY like is the title track).

erwinrafael · « **Reply #289 on:** March 30, 2016, 08:48:49 AM »

I don't see how Rattle and Hum is a down album when it delivered us Desire and All I Want Is You and the best live versions of I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and Pride. But then again, maybe it's my love for those songs that is coloring my view of the album.

Kotowboy · « **Reply #290 on:** March 30, 2016, 09:04:25 AM »

I prefer All That You Can't Leave Behind to Atomic Bomb probably because HTDAAB came out during the absolute lowest point in my life. So every song bar Vertigo which I love just brings all the negative emotions back.

Stadler · « **Reply #291 on:** March 30, 2016, 11:45:33 AM »

Quote from: erwinrafael on March 30, 2016, 08:48:49 AM

I don't see how Rattle and Hum is a down album when it delivered us Desire and All I Want Is You and the best live versions of I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and Pride. But then again, maybe it's my love for those songs that is coloring my view of the album.

Perhaps I'm failing, but I am trying to keep the subjective out of it. I personally love Rattle and Hum (and I don't like War much, for example). AIWIY is a top five U2 song for me.

King Postwhore · « **Reply #292 on:** March 30, 2016, 12:19:26 PM »

R&H was big but I didn't play it much. I don't have an answer to why.

Kotowboy · « **Reply #293 on:** March 30, 2016, 01:28:16 PM »

Quote from: Stadler on March 30, 2016, 11:45:33 AM

Quote from: erwinrafael on March 30, 2016, 08:48:49 AM
I don't see how Rattle and Hum is a down album when it delivered us Desire and All I Want Is You and the best live versions of I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For and Pride. But then again, maybe it's my love for those songs that is coloring my view of the album.

Perhaps I'm failing, but I am trying to keep the subjective out of it. I personally love Rattle and Hum (and I don't like War much, for example). AIWIY is a top five U2 song for me.

All I Want Is You is really good on the PopMart DVD.

KevShmev · « **Reply #294 on:** March 30, 2016, 05:23:59 PM »

Rattle & Hum was, by all accounts, a big success. It had four hits that were all pretty successful to some degree, and it sold 5 million copies. It just had the unfortunately timing of being sandwiched in between what most agree are, far and away, their two best albums, plus it does have a weird flow because of the half live/half studio format.

erwinrafael · « **Reply #295 on:** March 30, 2016, 05:46:34 PM »

What gets me when I read critic reviews of Rattle and Hum is that a lot of the criticism is not about the music, but mostly about U2's choices of paying homage to rock and roll greats, which the critics said was pretentiousness because U2 was supposedly trying to put themselves at the level of the greats at that point in their career.

What a bullshit criticism, if you ask me.

Kotowboy · « **Reply #296 on:** March 30, 2016, 06:04:14 PM »

Bashing U2 for the sake of it is trendy.

KevShmev · « **Reply #297 on:** March 30, 2016, 07:38:51 PM »

Critics are the worst, and while U2 have always been a critics' darling, even those darlings are not immune from the poison pen of the dolts who are good at nothing but bashing the work of true artists.

SebastianPratesi · « **Reply #298 on:** March 30, 2016, 08:48:31 PM »

Quote from: Kotowboy on March 30, 2016, 09:04:25 AM

I prefer All That You Can't Leave Behind to Atomic Bomb probably because HTDAAB came out during the absolute lowest point in my life. So every song bar Vertigo which I love just brings all the negative emotions back.

Sorry, bad to hear. Many of its songs ("Miracle Drug", "City Of Blinding Lights", "Yahweh") made me feel happier when I was feeling down (the album was released when I was 15, so that happened frequently).

I remember enjoying playing guitar along many of Atomic Bomb's songs - the aforementioned, "Vertigo", "All Because Of You", "Sometimes...". Leave Behind also had some songs which were/are fun to play along to, though - the four singles, and "Wild Honey".

Cyclopssss · « **Reply #299 on:** March 31, 2016, 02:58:11 AM »

Achtung Baby will always be the best U2 record for me.

On Rattle & Hum, I thought it was fantastic. But it was clearly a band in the midst of an identitiy crisis in that period. It has some fantastic studio tracks and a LOT of definitive live versions of songs like Pride, Bullet the Blue Sky. They were clearly struggling between their musical inherritance (blues/punk/rock) and trying to catch up with the modern sound at the time.

After a lot of internal struggle, they fully embraced dance music on Achtung Baby, and did so brilliantly in my opinion.

Stadler · « **Reply #300 on:** March 31, 2016, 04:00:05 PM »

Quote from: KevShmev on March 30, 2016, 05:23:59 PM

Rattle & Hum was, by all accounts, a big success. It had four hits that were all pretty successful to some degree, and it sold 5 million copies. It just had the unfortunately timing of being sandwiched in between what most agree are, far and away, their two best albums, plus it does have a weird flow because of the half live/half studio format.

But as a record, it's transitional at best. Part and parcel with the film, it was a roaring success, but - singles notwithstanding - it was a trying record. If you believe the story about the "double set" of Joshua Tree, you know that there was a battle (that The Edge ultimately won) between The Edge and Bono for TJT. The Edge wanted it the way it was, and Bono wanted a rootsier, more "Americana" record, in keeping with the "MJK" vibe of TUF, or Silver and Gold. R&H was much more in that vein, but it wasn't necessarily the way the entire band wanted to go. Even when they started Achtung Baby, the band was conflicted; many interviews say that they almost called it a day, until they came up with "One" which became the catalyst and the lynchpin for the album.

KevShmev · « **Reply #301 on:** March 31, 2016, 04:53:59 PM »

The band always seems to struggle in the studio, taking forever sometimes to write songs. Plus, they a) care too much what critics think, and b) worry about singles too much, so when R&H was ripped by brain dead critics and didn't have a hit the likes of With or Without You or I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, I am sure they considered it a step back, hence them beating themselves up early on when writing for what eventually became Achtung Baby.

Kotowboy · « **Reply #302 on:** March 31, 2016, 04:57:00 PM »

Get On Your Boots was a terrible lead single. It should have been "Magnificent".

KevShmev · « **Reply #303 on:** March 31, 2016, 04:58:51 PM »

Get On Your Boots is a terrible song. We can just leave it at that.

Kotowboy · « **Reply #304 on:** March 31, 2016, 05:07:31 PM »

The opening two songs on that album are great. After that....hmmm... Breathe is ok i guess ?

KevShmev · « **Reply #305 on:** March 31, 2016, 07:22:39 PM »

Eh, the title track is okay. With Breathe, you can tell that it had a lot going for it, but it's like they just missed the mark with it.

Best songs from that are definitely Magnificent, Moment of Surrender, Unknown Caller and Fez/Being Born.

erwinrafael · « **Reply #306 on:** March 31, 2016, 10:32:47 PM »

Quote from: Stadler on March 31, 2016, 04:00:05 PM

Quote from: KevShmev on March 30, 2016, 05:23:59 PM
Rattle & Hum was, by all accounts, a big success. It had four hits that were all pretty successful to some degree, and it sold 5 million copies. It just had the unfortunately timing of being sandwiched in between what most agree are, far and away, their two best albums, plus it does have a weird flow because of the half live/half studio format.

But as a record, it's transitional at best. Part and parcel with the film, it was a roaring success, but - singles notwithstanding - it was a trying record. If you believe the story about the "double set" of Joshua Tree, you know that there was a battle (that The Edge ultimately won) between The Edge and Bono for TJT. The Edge wanted it the way it was, and Bono wanted a rootsier, more "Americana" record, in keeping with the "MJK" vibe of TUF, or Silver and Gold. R&H was much more in that vein, but it wasn't necessarily the way the entire band wanted to go. Even when they started Achtung Baby, the band was conflicted; many interviews say that they almost called it a day, until they came up with "One" which became the catalyst and the lynchpin for the album.

Since you put it that way, yeah, it is indeed a transitional record. Still, it produced All I Want Is You, so it is a big

for me.

Cyclopssss · « **Reply #307 on:** April 01, 2016, 12:57:46 AM »

Not to mention 'Desire'.

KevShmev · « **Reply #308 on:** April 01, 2016, 06:19:39 AM »

All I Want Is You is still not only the best song U2 has ever done, but one of the best songs ever by anyone.

Hawkmoon 269 is still criminally underrated.

Stadler · « **Reply #309 on:** April 01, 2016, 07:11:33 AM »

^^^ I don't disagree with either of those statements.

7deg_inner_happiness · « **Reply #310 on:** April 01, 2016, 08:31:06 AM »

IMO the 5 album run of War > The Unforgettable Fire > The Joshua Tree > Rattle and Hum > Achtung Baby! may be one of the best by any artist ever. For me The Unforgettable Fire is just as strong as the others in this 5 album run. I find it hypnotic and very atmospheric.

I was so hooked by U2 at that point, that The Joshua Tree was the first album I ever purchased on the day it was released.

fadetoblackdude7 · « **Reply #311 on:** April 01, 2016, 04:02:08 PM »

Quote from: KevShmev on March 31, 2016, 07:22:39 PM

Eh, the title track is okay. With Breathe, you can tell that it had a lot going for it, but it's like they just missed the mark with it.

Best songs from that are definitely Magnificent, Moment of Surrender, Unknown Caller and Fez/Being Born.

Breathe worked great as the show opener on that tour. After I saw that, I liked the song way more.

KevShmev · « **Reply #312 on:** April 01, 2016, 08:06:41 PM »

It didn't work that well as the opener, considering it didn't stay the opener, or even in the set lists at all, for very long.

7deg_inner_happiness, I love the atmosphere of TUF. It has a few songs that are a bit average, but as a whole, the vibe of the album is pretty sweet.

Kotowboy · « **Reply #313 on:** September 25, 2016, 03:45:20 PM »

Today - U2 are 40.

" I will sing. Sing a new song "...

The band formed today . 25th September 1976.

Happy birthday guys ! Looking forward to Songs Of Experience.

Adami · « **Reply #314 on:** September 25, 2016, 03:48:34 PM »

Can't wait till Judd Apatow makes a documentary about it.

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Author Topic: U2 thread (Read 50146 times)

SebastianPratesi

SebastianPratesi