Are you sure you mean this? Though I entirely agree.
― Tom, Thursday, 21 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Omar, Thursday, 21 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
Look guys, U2 is a powerful band. They inspire extreme hatred in some people, but they inspire extreme love in far more. Regardless of how much Bono offends you (I'm still unclear as to how that can happen... he's quite harmless) the facts still stand: U2 is one of most artistically and commercially successful bands of all time.
Many of you mantain that they were good in the 80's but sold out in the 90's. I suggest looking up the word "irony" in the dictionary. During their ZooTV and PopMart stadium tours they flat out refused corporate sponsorship (unlike the Rolling $tones) and lost money as a result. Just as you wouldn't assume that a battered old book is of poor literary quality based on its cover, you shouldn't attribute shallowness to a band just because they have video screens and flashy lights.
And if U2 were a dud band, why would they go out of their way time after time after time to change their musical style, often against what is currently popular. 'War' was a big success, so why go do 'The Unforgettable'? If 'The Joshua Tree' made them the most popular thing to come out of Ireland since the potato, why do something like 'Rattle and Hum'? And if their earnest, save-the-whales style of the 80's worked so well, why in God's name would you go off with something like 'Achtung Baby' and ZooTV? And why then change into 'Pop'? Why?
Because they've got balls. U2 just keeps changing and growing, usually with success (UF, JT, Achtung) but sometimes getting burned (Rattle and Hum, Pop). Instead of choosing the quick and easy path by just repeating a familiar sound over and over, U2 never let the critics, the media, or any of you punks drag them down.
Because like the Beatles and the other established classic bands, U2's twenty-year career has been a continuous growth process. U2 just keeps evolving, so they ALWAYS HAVE SOMETHING NEW AND INTERESTING TO SAY.
And THAT is the critical component in seperating the wheat from the chaff. THAT is what makes U2 a classic, and THAT is what makes the Rolling $tones a dud.
Amen.
― Sam Cunningham, Sunday, 29 July 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
classic in the sense that they came out with a few good pop songs and records
dud in the fact that they are absolute crap now, are absoulute hypocrites and sellouts (the abc documentry sponsored by McDonalds, ticket prices only the rich can afford, bono dissing the "violence" by anti-capitolist protestors in Genoa whilst he was on a luxury yacht with tony blair without one mention of that protestor who was shot twice in the head, etc), were influenced by punk and yet at the same time sneered at the genre, along with the fact that bono's ego is larger than the size of the american continent and believes that the world revolves around him
i also think they ripped off depeche mode-badly-when they came out with achtung baby, only a few good songs on that record, and pop was much, much worse
i no longer buy u2 albums anymore, not even used
― the walrus, Friday, 3 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Tom, Friday, 3 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Sterling Clover, Friday, 3 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Ally, Friday, 3 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Dan Perry, Friday, 3 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Dave, Tuesday, 2 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― chameleon, Saturday, 13 October 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Emeline Brunet, Friday, 21 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
Uh, no. They just *bore* me. Is that so hard to understand?
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 21 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
If so, dud.
If not so -- liked them well enough when I was a teenager. Thought Rattle and Hum (a/k/a Boring and Dumb) was the aural equivalent of a clump of pubic hair in the shower. Originally hated "The Fly," and thought Bono's Fly-schtick was stupid, but came to like Achtung Baby well enough. Stopped caring not soon thereafter. Like the fact that Bono speaks up for Jubilee and Amnesty International, but since when does being a do-gooder necessarily = being a good music-maker?
Verdict: classic, but barely.
― Tadeusz Suchodolski, Saturday, 22 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― bnw, Saturday, 22 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
A very good way of putting it.
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 22 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― kevin moore, Thursday, 24 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― adam, Saturday, 26 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
Your name is not Lestat.
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 26 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Mark, Saturday, 26 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
Well I guess you buy more than one album a year since "_Achtung Baby_ deserves death", U2 just bore you and "This _Rattle and Hum_ album is pretty shit, one or two tracks aside". Just curious, I wonder what kind of music has your favour and what albums you didn't drown in your acid remarks this year.
Emeline Brunet.
― Emeline Brunet, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― tav, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
Last year? Lateralus, Exciter, Group Sounds, The Blueprint, Ended Up a Stranger, Amnesiac, How I Loved You (and the Michael Gira solo) for starters, I could go on if you wanted me to. Point is, I love *that* and find U2 objectionable -- and I really don't care what you think. If you're a U2 fan in turn, you shouldn't be caring what I think. ;-)
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Dan Perry, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
I also love that guy at the top who said they experimented with electronica on 3 of their albums. you can't buy comedy that good. Don't you love when bands don't actually "experiment with electronica" but they say that they did and then all their fans are like "HEY THIS E-L-E-CTRONICA STUFF IS VERY GOOD".
― Ronan, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
I was so not a fan of that song when it came out. It's been years since I've heard it, so maybe time has dulled the pain -- though I suspect not.
― gareth, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Vinnie, Friday, 22 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
I will gladly weather any ridicule people want to toss my way for liking "Stuck In A Moment..." because it's a great song (even if the video is somewhat trance-inducing in a bad way).
MY POINT.
Vinnie: "Walk On" is a decent song; certainly it has a better chorus than "Elevation", but loses out in the end because, well, the tune is hella-weak. Maybe it's just the singer in me, but there was a very memorable moment last week when I was at a pizza place with some singing friends and when "Stuck In A Moment..." came on, we all joined in on the chorus simultaneously and without prompting. It was then that I realized how catchy that chorus is.
Remember, the difference in vowels in our name indicates that there will always be some minor points of conflict.
And a last thing : "If you're a U2 fan in turn, you shouldn't be caring what I think. ;-)"
Well I do love U2 but I care what you think : I'm not upset that you can't stand them, I just like the way you shoot them down, simple and sarcastic but still... funny. I guess I'm a fan who appreciates interesting remarks, even if there are sometimes a bit harsh.
― Emeline Brunet, Thursday, 28 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
The prospect of the whole band. As it happens, I rather think that Achtung Baby reflects U2 listening to Violator instead of the other way around! ;-)
Ah, that's quite all right, then! I'm crabbier than I seem, I think, and I like people who stick to their guns but allow for debate anyway. :-)
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 28 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Dan Perry, Thursday, 28 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Scott Smith, Friday, 27 June 2003 15:59 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Rockist Scientist, Wednesday, 20 October 2004 14:18 (nineteen years ago) link
― peter smith (plsmith), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 14:22 (nineteen years ago) link
― bono vox, Wednesday, 20 October 2004 14:36 (nineteen years ago) link
― peter smith (plsmith), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 14:38 (nineteen years ago) link
― Rockist Scientist, Wednesday, 20 October 2004 14:39 (nineteen years ago) link
― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 14:39 (nineteen years ago) link
>>>>>> the rest
― AaronK (AaronK), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 14:42 (nineteen years ago) link
Dud
― papal hotwife (milo z), Saturday, 31 August 2024 18:25 (three weeks ago) link
Gotta get that Zoo TV EP. They definitely should have put out the whole damn thing, I have their double disc 360 tour CD and it's great, they have a lot of good material out there locked away in the vaults. They don't have to empty them out like Neil Young but something more than the EP would be nice. They underestimate how much fans might want that kind of thing.
― omar little, Saturday, 31 August 2024 19:25 (three weeks ago) link
It probably feels a bit “legacy act” to the band, who would probably prefer to see themselves as creatively vital still
― assert (matttkkkk), Saturday, 31 August 2024 22:07 (three weeks ago) link
When what we (I) really wanted is for all their remastered albums to come with a bonus album documentary DVD a la Depeche Mode
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Saturday, 31 August 2024 22:17 (three weeks ago) link