― gareth, Tuesday, 3 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― michael dieter, Tuesday, 3 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Tom, Tuesday, 3 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
Michael, I don't understand your argument. Is it of '50 000 000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong!' variety? The majority is always right, huh? Not that it even is a majority.
― Nick, Tuesday, 3 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
But I won't use the argument that U2 has millions of followers around the world, because so do NSYNC and Britney Spears, and we all know how talented (gag) they are. Instead, think about their 20+ year career history, and the number of hits they've produced. Whether someone likes U2's music or not should not be criteria in considering a group to be a classic. I'm not a Rolling Stones fan, but I have to admit, they are a classic, whether I like their music or not. U2 is in the same category- despite personal musical preference, they supercede personal taste because, in essence, THEY ARE A CLASSIC! You do not need to be a fan of U2's music to realize that they are a classic. Besides, how many are involved with Greenpeace, Amnesty International, etc etc and donate countless hours and money to causes, such as relieving 3rd world debt? Too many other rock groups are too high on coke and are too self-involved to partake.
Many of the previous arguments I've read are hardly convincing and seem petty, "U2 = dud, their music sucks and it's for old people and like, Bono's a twat and egomaniac...blah blah blah" So what if Bono's a drama queen? It's all part of the Rock act and makes it more interesting to the fans and followers (of which, you all know, they have millions). The group isn't just about Bono, come on, it's the entire package. U2 is without a doubt, a classic, and an undeniably great group.
― V. MacManus, Monday, 11 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― tarden, Monday, 11 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
Oh, that's a completely rubbish argument. Why is wrong for people to consider things on their own terms, and not accept pronouncements from Rolling Stone, Q et al at face value? I rather like the idea of people actually thinking for themselves instead of blindly accepting what they are told.
― Nicole, Monday, 11 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
I can't hardly stand early U2 (whiny, monotonous, overblown), but everything from Joshua Tree on I find to be real groovy. Even Rattle & Hum. Achtung Baby is a great classic. The first side of Joshua Tree is flawless. Am I crazy?
― brah gruplee, Wednesday, 13 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― tarden, Thursday, 14 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
Early U2 is quite clearly the bomb. The first three albums are glorious in their entirety. After that, they tend to be a mixed affair (the sole exception being _Achtung, Baby_ which is pretty much brilliant except for one song which is so dull that I can no longer recall its name or tune).
― Dan Perry, Thursday, 14 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Luke, Thursday, 21 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
Are you sure you mean this? Though I entirely agree.
― Tom, Thursday, 21 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Omar, Thursday, 21 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-two 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-two 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-two years ago) link
― Tom, Friday, 3 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Sterling Clover, Friday, 3 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Ally, Friday, 3 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-two years ago) link
― Dan Perry, Friday, 3 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-two 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.
We should have a dedicated SPHERE thread
― kirsten gilla band (Whiney G. Weingarten), Tuesday, 3 October 2023 04:37 (five months ago) link
Only if it's for these guys.
https://i.discogs.com/7BTVwvw83IN53TUVy9Bn3_oHmQebRVFbqkeb6994jII/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:516/w:400/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9BLTIwMTEw/ODEtMTUwMTAxNDg1/OC0xNzM4LmpwZWc.jpeg
― read-only (unperson), Tuesday, 3 October 2023 13:24 (five months ago) link
I like how the sphere looks from the outside. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/F7TXe66WkAADFRR?format=jpg&name=large
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 3 October 2023 13:35 (five months ago) link
https://www.zeyusmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Akira-WW3-Explosion-2.jpg
― Chavez video on MTV, July 1995 (morrisp), Tuesday, 3 October 2023 14:14 (five months ago) link
Wait, is no one going to invoke the Saudi Orb?
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRNOcem4Vwtkkh0OsYF0-IahlFNvpHCzbBKEw&usqp=CAU
― The Royal House of Hangover (Ye Mad Puffin), Tuesday, 3 October 2023 14:26 (five months ago) link
https://musicimage.xboxlive.com/catalog/video.movie.8D6KGWZL5VBW/image?locale=fr-be&mode=crop&purposes=BoxArt&q=90&h=300&w=200&format=jpg
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 3 October 2023 15:03 (five months ago) link
Feel like this is my most listened to bootleg ever
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN-oQWqrDi4
It's not even the best PopMart boot - it sadly omits the Lemon Perfecto mix and obv a lot is missed out by not having the visuals - but it just sounds so great.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Thursday, 16 November 2023 16:18 (four months ago) link
I heard what must be a new (to me) U2 song on the radio today, something called "Atomic City." It's fine, and sounds a bit like "Big Neon Glitter" by the Cult. I think it was maybe released to promote the Vegas thing. I'd paste the video but ... nah, it's basically a commercial, and the band seems bored.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 27 November 2023 19:05 (four months ago) link
That single was depressing. By far the most memorable thing about it was the hook they borrowed from Blondie's "Call Me." I get it's an homage, but with little of value to add, the record suggested they were out of ideas.
― birdistheword, Monday, 27 November 2023 23:04 (four months ago) link
(For new records that is - they still put on a good spectacle.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXfwz0fMWdQ
― MaresNest, Monday, 15 January 2024 10:31 (two months ago) link
Cool. They look so strange stuck on that little stage after so many vast sets. I bet Bono is relieved not to have to run around the whole time.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 15 January 2024 14:25 (two months ago) link
I saw the band pop up in the news again, was it just because the Vegas residency ended?Apparently Larry was there but is still recovering from his surgery. And I guess Bono hasn't been seen playing guitar since his bike accident, too. Age or injury eventually gets everybody.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 6 March 2024 17:47 (three weeks ago) link
Well, Bono has never been particularly good at playing the guitar, so not much is lost. That may be harsh but it's the case. Even when he played, it was mixed low and made little difference.
― alpaca lips now (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 6 March 2024 18:28 (three weeks ago) link
i think the Vegas stuff has worked out really well for them, kind of the opposite of the iPhone shit. using this venue as a way to get back into the conversation after several albums which didn't do the trick was pretty sharp.
― omar little, Wednesday, 6 March 2024 18:34 (three weeks ago) link
I was surprised to learn a few years ago that Bono's playing the only electric guitar on Roy Orbison's "She's a Mystery to Me" besides Orbison himself.
― poppers fueled buttsex crescendo (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 6 March 2024 18:38 (three weeks ago) link
the footage looked rad as hell tbh
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 6 March 2024 18:56 (three weeks ago) link