― Mark Richardson, Wednesday, 28 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Luptune Pitman, Wednesday, 28 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Rebel Yellow Bleach Blondie Boy, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Kevin Enas, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Stephen, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― DG, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Shane Knepshield, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
I think they're a dud because of Bono's rather predictable vocal stylings and with a handful of exceptions I've not seen much in the songs to redeem that. But they were onto something production wise with the Eno/Lanois sound on the Joshua Tree, a kind of stadium artrock shimmer which was marred by Bono's OTT bellowing but made for some grand rock singles anyhow. Since they discovered 'irony' they've been utterly unbearable.
― Tom, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
1984 -- "What's this 'Pride' song on the radio? Hm, sounds nice."
1987 -- "This _Joshua Tree_ album is pretty good."
1988 -- "This _Rattle and Hum_ album is pretty shit, one or two tracks aside."
Through to the present -- occasional good tune to the contrary, *snore*
At this point, seeing U2 would rank up there as a 'pleasure' for me in the same way that seeing the Rolling Stones or Bruce Springsteen would. I leave that kind of joy to the deadened, blinkered likes of Robert Hilburn. Never has the continuing mainstream critical consensus been ever so increasingly frustrating and obnoxious, but I suppose they make a great band for somebody who buys one album a year.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
I thought they might be onto something with 'Achtung Baby', which I don't mind, but then of course pomp and bluster took hold again, and it's back to business as usual.
― Dr. C, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
the earnest stage, in, like the 80s, when they really meant it, and they rocked and all that stuff, and i don't even remember, just some ugly people on the tv. turn that over. boring. dud, of course they were dud. the 80s were grey and horrible, and they were grey and horrible for the simple reason that u2 were in them, dud dud dud.
the irony/postmodern thingy in the 90s, they didn't mean it anymore, they're only playing! "oh, we were pompous in the 80s, how silly we were' lets be as over the top as poss and subvert. irony, yeah!! no no no, dud again. is this phase more or less dud than the initial phase? can't decide.
now. they really mean it again. they're going to change the world with their big tuneful rock thats a bit pop too. and the pope likes them. and noel g too! dud, but not as dud as the other 2 phases. no wait, more dud.
aaargh, u2! the biggest dud of them all. but funny i guess.
so, dud then
― gareth, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
Musically, I think they go from Dud to Classic and back a lot, but mainly I have a big U2 trauma, because they were by 10 miles the favorite band of all obnoxious rich kids at school - "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is their fucking "Stairway To Heaven" and it's ruined that song for me.
I seem to prefer Under A Blood Red Sky, Rattle & Hum and Zooropa over The Joshua Tree (too much bombast, "Where The Streets Have No Name" has no discernible tune) Achtung Baby (half of it is undistinctive atmospheric in-one-ear-out-the-other stuff) and the latest one (hits-plus-filler), but that might be just a personal thing.
I have no opinion about Bono's personality, but I remember once kids from my secondary school making some sort of amateur video, lipsynching to some song or other - this would be in the mid-80's - and halfway through it one of them starts brandishing a big white flag around, not as a statement or anything, but 'cause that's what rock bands do, right ? Bono does it !
They were a very pernicious influence at one point. They were one of the bands that made it almost impossible at one point for mainstream rock fans to enjoy music that isn't stadium-size. Plus almost every goddamn new Canadian rock band around 1987-89 sounded like U2 and Simple Minds.
― Patrick, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Nick, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Tim Baier, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Tim, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Michael Bourke, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Robin Carmody, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
ANYHOW, I apparently have to wave the flag nearly by myself but U2 are goddamned classics. Sure, Bono apparently has had sunglasses surgically attached to his face, and sure he's annoying, and sure Zooropa and Pop were piss, but no band who could put out something the level of Achtung Baby! should ever, ever, EVER be referred to as a dud. EVER. Their greatest hits album is just beautiful. I mean, yes, Bono is a twathead at times. I WILL GIVE ALL OF YOU THIS FACT. Mainly because it is a fact - I mean, he's like my dad's age and running around in those ridiculous colored sunglasses and sparkly shirts looking all the world like a glam-rock The Fly (thank god that phase is over), but come on - Bad, With or Without You, One - these are all fantastic songs.
You can't convince me you don't sing along with them in the pub. Not a one of you.
― Ally, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― mark s, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― keith, Thursday, 29 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
Anyhow, how is Achtung Baby the stupidest album title? It's just there and bland, it's not like, say, Enter the Dragon. I still haven't figured out what that means.
― Ally, Friday, 30 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
The music itself is a bunch of hammy guitar effects pedal tricks, overlaid with a straining, toilet seat voice trying hard to be epic and enigmatic but just ending up thoroughly, soddenly middlebrow.
However their first LP - although still ultimately crap - was a leaner, artier thing, when they were grooving to northern soul and joy division. Worth checking out, if only to confrim to yourself it's a blind alley.
BTW where the fuck is the kudos attached to "meaning it"? Hitler meant it!
I read a funny story about John Lydon sacking his manager circa 1989 because he told him he should "try to be more like Bono". I wish I'd been a fly on the wall when that conversation took place..
― DS, Friday, 30 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Dr. C, Friday, 30 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
i don't care how much joy division they listen to (i mean, so does mogwai from all accounts). the overcooked grandiose "epic" vocals and cornball lyrics ("we eat and drink while tomorrow they die" *slap*) and totally nondescript rhythm section ruin very promising guitar parts and eno's production. i'd at least listen to an instrumental album by the edge.
search: "new year's day"
― sundar subramanian, Friday, 30 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― keith, Friday, 30 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 31 March 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
if one doesn't like bono's voice or even bono himself, then there's not much you can do. though if you can dislike the band just because of bono, you probably don't much like the music in the first place. for example, i hate thom yorke. truly and thoroughly. but when the music's fine, i can put that aside. (stunning revelation: i quite like "pyramid song.")
i'm arguably the most classic rock person on this board, so it should be no surprise that i'm a sucker for their grandiose arena rock. here's a question: how many of you that rate the rolling stones a classic, rate u2 a dud?
― fred solinger, Sunday, 1 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Robin Carmody, Sunday, 1 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Omar, Tuesday, 3 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― gareth, Tuesday, 3 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― michael dieter, Tuesday, 3 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three years ago) link
― Tom, Tuesday, 3 April 2001 00:00 (twenty-three 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-three 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.
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 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
― Jazz Police (NickB), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 14:43 (nineteen years ago) link
Unforgettable fire, joshua tree = less classic, but classic
rattle & hum = dud
acthung baby = classic
zooropa = less classic, but classic
since "pop" = so completely dud it is almost insane.
― Elvis is Dead, Wednesday, 20 October 2004 14:55 (nineteen years ago) link
― Wooden (Wooden), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 14:56 (nineteen years ago) link
It's not that hard, trust me.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 14:57 (nineteen years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 14:59 (nineteen years ago) link
de gustibus est non disputandem bla bla bla
― bono vox, Wednesday, 20 October 2004 15:04 (nineteen years ago) link
I like people who still think that 'good' is an objective term. You make me happy.
Now way up at the top of the thread you'll actually see that in the past I had quite a fondness for them, though never a full on 'must own everything' obsession. This fondness has been shot and has rotted away in the ground for almost fifteen years now.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 15:08 (nineteen years ago) link
― kephm (kephm), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 15:18 (nineteen years ago) link
― bono vox, Wednesday, 20 October 2004 15:39 (nineteen years ago) link
The first few records are brilliant. And they always craft one terrific tune per CD.
But Bono is such an annoyance. I wanna break his glasses bad.Plus, The Edge still calls himself The Edge. He's what, pushing 50?
Their current claim to quality is that they're not Sting.
― ian g, Wednesday, 20 October 2004 15:46 (nineteen years ago) link
― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 17:49 (nineteen years ago) link
― Leon Czolgosz (Nicole), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 17:54 (nineteen years ago) link
― danh (danh), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 17:59 (nineteen years ago) link
― n/a (Nick A.), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 17:59 (nineteen years ago) link
― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 18:03 (nineteen years ago) link
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 18:21 (nineteen years ago) link
― Leon Czolgosz (Nicole), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 18:22 (nineteen years ago) link
― Mr. Snrub, Wednesday, 20 October 2004 18:29 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 18:32 (nineteen years ago) link
― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 20:10 (nineteen years ago) link
has u2 ever had any grace or dignity? their entire career seems riddled with fashion don'ts. they were cuter in their youth, but they were still guilty of numerous crimes against decency (ok starting with war, I really don't know the first two albums well at all).
― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 20:16 (nineteen years ago) link
Well, i suppose it's all relative. Circa The Unforgettable Fire it certainly seemed like they were both graceful and dignified, but I'm sure it struck some that they were overreaching and pious at the time. Seems to me, though, that they stumbled after Achtung, Baby and still haven't re-found their footing.
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 20:22 (nineteen years ago) link
― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 20:23 (nineteen years ago) link
― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 20:25 (nineteen years ago) link
― H (Heruy), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 20:41 (nineteen years ago) link
Blasfemy!
― Elvis is Dead, Wednesday, 20 October 2004 23:29 (nineteen years ago) link
― teeny (teeny), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 23:32 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 23:39 (nineteen years ago) link
But without them, we wouldn't have the Negativland thing.
― Sasha (sgh), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 23:45 (nineteen years ago) link
ranking 'em, personal choices:
ZooropaAchtung BabyPopThe Joshua TreeWarATYCLBBoyThe Unforgettable FireRattle and HumOctober
Passengers would rank up high, but that ain't all U2. Never understood the dislike of their '90s work. Bono tones it down, better musically, better lyrics. Seems to be a good formula.
― Riot Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 20 October 2004 23:56 (nineteen years ago) link
― teeny (teeny), Thursday, 21 October 2004 00:01 (nineteen years ago) link
I think of Bono as an Irish David Lee Roth doing a bad impersonation of Springsteen. Sure, he says something quotably dumb and ridiculous every time he's interviewed...but thats why we* like like him.* = The "we" in question is me and my buds. "Bad Bono Quotes" is our favorite impromptu bar game.
― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Thursday, 21 October 2004 00:22 (nineteen years ago) link
― D.I.Y. U.N.K.L.E. (dave225.3), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 02:14 (eighteen years ago) link
― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 03:05 (eighteen years ago) link
― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 03:19 (eighteen years ago) link
― Matt McEver (mattmc387), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 03:44 (eighteen years ago) link
Zooropa remains their best album, and a largely unappreciated precursor to the likes of Kid A (Wake me up when Thom Yorke writes a song as good as "Lemon"), but I quite like their last two retro-80s efforts as well.
― John Hunter, Tuesday, 15 November 2005 04:11 (eighteen years ago) link
that said, I put on "Pop" for the first time in a long, long while at work today and I have to say I really enjoyed it. I liked U2 a lot more in high school, ive kinda grown out of it, but both Auchtung Baby and Pop are classics in my mind, fuck all the haters.
― JD from CDepot, Tuesday, 15 November 2005 05:36 (eighteen years ago) link
and achtung is a precursor to OK Computer. hmm, come to think of it Zoo Station and Airbag are similar in a lot of ways. never thought of that till now.
not that I love u2 by any means, I just love that album. it's that "ham-fisted attempt at soul or gospel whose title ends in a preposition" that's probably what gets me more than anything. and the pompousness that goes with it.
― AaronK (AaronK), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 13:42 (eighteen years ago) link
"You can't forget or cancel something you genuinely liked at some point", I was told. But for U2, I could. DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUD
― blunt (blunt), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 13:52 (eighteen years ago) link
20+ years later, I'd change that to "they *could* be one of the greatest bands ever, but post-Zooropa (which is the only other U2 album I listen to all the way through) they seem to be content just doing the same thing and load up the albums with one song for the old fans, one oddball song, and another overblown ballad which is their equivalent to an Aerosmith soundtrack theme.
Anyway, both classic AND dud simultaneously.
― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 20:42 (eighteen years ago) link
― Susan Douglas (Susan Douglas), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 20:56 (eighteen years ago) link
This is probably the closest to the truth of all of the responses to this question.
― John Hunter, Tuesday, 15 November 2005 22:42 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 22:44 (eighteen years ago) link
I'll always love "I Will Follow."
― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 05:06 (seventeen years ago) link
Ah well, fuck you 15 yr old Tom, you're too skinny anyway. DUD.
― winter testing (winter testing), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 09:14 (seventeen years ago) link
I heard "Gloria" subsequently, and went off them.
― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 09:44 (seventeen years ago) link
As for Bono's political activism, personally I find him annoying, but I'm easily able to put that annoyance aside because his efforts certainly have helped many people around the world, and my personal opinions are pretty tiny and selfish compared to that. I can't stand Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt either, but they're still doing great things, even if it's partially to improve their image (which I'm not claiming, but is certainly possible). We do have to remember that despite the fact that these folks have lived pampered lives, they've also had the opportunity to see horrible things that most of us haven't, and that's bound to affect anyone who still has the smallest degree of humanity.
― shorty (shorty), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 11:59 (seventeen years ago) link
― sonofstan (sonofstan), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 12:44 (seventeen years ago) link
― Mark (MarkR), Tuesday, 4 July 2006 13:10 (seventeen years ago) link
No Line On The Horizon
http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/music/newsid_7832000/7832748.stm
album track titles:
The full track listing is:
1. No Line On The Horizon
2. Magnificent
3. Moment of Surrender
4. Unknown Caller
5. I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
6. Get On Your Boots
7. Stand Up Comedy
8. Fez - Being Born
9. White As Snow
10. Breathe
11. Cedars Of Lebanon
― djmartian, Friday, 16 January 2009 12:41 (fifteen years ago) link
"Cedars of Lebanon" Bono's contribution to peace in the Middle East?
― Beloved lightbulb (Neil S), Friday, 16 January 2009 12:45 (fifteen years ago) link
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
^^^ Must be the Garth Brooks collab.
― "Two Ears" Laybelle (Noodle Vague), Friday, 16 January 2009 12:46 (fifteen years ago) link
bono has compared the U2 sound as being influenced by trance, Led Zep and Moroccan music
back in december 2007
People will “feel the difference” when they hear the new U2 album, Bono tells The Independent. The album will find the Irish rockers taking on trance, metal and Moroccan influences. “Normally when you play a U2 tune, it clears the dance floor. And that may not be true of this. There’s some trance influences,” says Bono, forgetting his band’s own Pop album. “It’s not like anything we’ve ever done before, and we don’t think it sounds like anything anyone else has done either.” According to Bono, guitarist The Edge has “real molten metal” coming from his guitar, and that the band has recorded enough material to fit two CDs.
2009
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/a140783/u2-album-inspired-by-led-zep-jack-white.html
Speaking to Rolling Stone, the guitarist said that he is a big fan of Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page and recently contributed to the documentary It Might Get Loud with the legendary musician.
"I was just fascinated with seeing how Jimmy played those riffs so simply, and with Jack as well," said The Edge.
The new album is said to include blues rock tracks, with the first single expected to be 'Get On Your Boots'.
Bono commented: "There's some very hardcore guitar coming out of The Edge. Real molten metal."
― djmartian, Friday, 16 January 2009 12:57 (fifteen years ago) link
Please tell me that 'Stand Up Comedy' is a spoken word interlude.
― Yehudi Menudo (NickB), Friday, 16 January 2009 13:01 (fifteen years ago) link
At last Larry gets to shine!
― Beloved lightbulb (Neil S), Friday, 16 January 2009 13:02 (fifteen years ago) link
Fez - Being Born - this must be the Moroccan track
― djmartian, Friday, 16 January 2009 13:04 (fifteen years ago) link
Fez
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fesis the fourth largest city in Morocco, after Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakech with a population of 946,815 (2004 census). It is the capital of the Fès-Boulemane Region.
― djmartian, Friday, 16 January 2009 13:05 (fifteen years ago) link
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee305/azou7/TommyCooper-1.jpg
― Beloved lightbulb (Neil S), Friday, 16 January 2009 13:09 (fifteen years ago) link
just like that
― djmartian, Friday, 16 January 2009 13:10 (fifteen years ago) link
Just when I thought our cherished Martian comedy was gone for good, it's back. Incongruous painstaking revival of a U2 thread, with pasted information about North Africa? What next?
― the pinefox, Saturday, 17 January 2009 14:10 (fifteen years ago) link
jesus this album sounds bad. trance blues....shudder.
― Local Garda, Saturday, 17 January 2009 14:23 (fifteen years ago) link
tho haven't u2 always been influenced by trance?? or indeed influencing it? it's no coincidence that Paul Oakenfold used to play "Where The Streets Have No Name" or that that "Take Me To The Skies" above record used the bassline from "With Or Without You"
― Local Garda, Saturday, 17 January 2009 14:25 (fifteen years ago) link
the new single gets premiered on alex zanes xfm show this monday apparently.
― uk grime faggot (titchyschneiderMk2), Saturday, 17 January 2009 14:39 (fifteen years ago) link
Once, when I was with my then girlfriend, U2 came on the radio, and I said
I loathe U2
and she said
You loathe me?
― GamalielRatsey, Saturday, 17 January 2009 14:49 (fifteen years ago) link
lol
― Local Garda, Saturday, 17 January 2009 14:58 (fifteen years ago) link
There are bands I love more, but I don't think there's a band I love more that's hated more by people whose opinions I respect.
That said, it took me seeing them live after the last album (my first U2 concert) for me to become a full-on, high-school-era-level believer again.
― Pete Scholtes, Saturday, 17 January 2009 20:42 (fifteen years ago) link
(I.e. back when I wore a "U2 - Boy" t-shirt and my classmates would go "You, too, boy!")
― Pete Scholtes, Saturday, 17 January 2009 20:43 (fifteen years ago) link
So I humbly retract this review:
http://www.citypages.com/2005-01-05/music/sunday-boring-sunday/
― Pete Scholtes, Saturday, 17 January 2009 20:50 (fifteen years ago) link
I like people who are passionate about early U2. Cheers.
― Shoegazey Goth Metal Phone (Bimble), Saturday, 17 January 2009 21:27 (fifteen years ago) link
The U2 effect
http://www.boredrevolution.com/?p=34
― Michael B, Thursday, 12 February 2009 15:22 (fifteen years ago) link
Coldplay, however, released two beautiful records of everyday heartbreak and insecurities
No.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 12 February 2009 15:26 (fifteen years ago) link
and they were both singles...
― Mark G, Thursday, 12 February 2009 15:38 (fifteen years ago) link
http://www.spotify.com/go/20090223-u2-excl-preview-guardian
― the pinefox, Monday, 23 February 2009 14:58 (fifteen years ago) link
Fixed!
― ilxor, Monday, 23 February 2009 16:00 (fifteen years ago) link
recent sets: http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/u2/2011/angel-stadium-anaheim-ca-63d31217.htmlsuggest Glastonbury is going to be amazing. they deserve it after so much bile's been aimed at them these last years. people randomly hating on U2's career just because Bono is up his own arse is just the worst criticism of music ever.
DL otm here http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jun/19/u2-headline-glastonbury-debate
"Here's the world's most successful live band moving outside their comfort zone and needing to prove themselves to an audience that could go either way. However it goes down, that should be something to see."
― piscesx, Tuesday, 21 June 2011 07:13 (twelve years ago) link
i'm with DL as well.
wondering if this will give them a way to cut back on the excess of the recent glass spider tour, and declare a rediscovered love of back to basics gigs ..
[i mean, surely they are not bringing the spider contraption to G ? ]
― mark e, Tuesday, 21 June 2011 07:31 (twelve years ago) link
i'm american, so glastonbury doesn't mean much to me, but DL OTM. few things more tiresome than knee-jerk U2 hate.
― And the piano, it sounds like a carnivore (contenderizer), Tuesday, 21 June 2011 07:59 (twelve years ago) link
that said, i spent years hating them for the negativland "U2" business, so...
― And the piano, it sounds like a carnivore (contenderizer), Tuesday, 21 June 2011 08:00 (twelve years ago) link
cant figure out the thread that the recent Achtung Bay docu has been given some love on, so dropping on this one.tis fascinating to see the band so riddled with doubt during their rattle & hum era.i would have thought by that stage they had their thing locked down.and the fact they believed they believed that they didn't have enough material for a stadium (as opposed to arena) shows despite the fact they were several albums into their career.other than that, its a great watch .. loved the section re the breakdown of bands ("bought out", "snuck out" etc)so many good quotes ..
― mark e, Friday, 14 October 2011 22:23 (twelve years ago) link
of course : bay = baby
― mark e, Friday, 14 October 2011 22:24 (twelve years ago) link
October is by far the best Christian rock record ever made. In all seriousness, it's an incredibly overlooked record, both in their catalog and overall. (This was brought to light in a recent discussion with a self-professed "huge U2 fan" who had never even heard it.) The urgent, devastating, soaring guitar solo in "Tomorrow"? Edge's guitar work overall? Bono is his usual strident self, but there's a lot less chest-beating than on the overrated War, and the whole band is tighter, more singular, and more focused than on Boy. It's a strange and captivating record, and I wonder if any ILMers have visited it lately.
― Clarke B., Wednesday, 17 October 2012 22:56 (eleven years ago) link
why do I have this thread bookmarked
― The Owls of Ja Rule (DJP), Wednesday, 17 October 2012 22:57 (eleven years ago) link
HE'S WATCHING YOU, DAN.
http://www.john-lee-ministries.org/Bono-Macphisto.jpg
― Clarke B., Wednesday, 17 October 2012 22:59 (eleven years ago) link
anyway OTM re: October
― The Owls of Ja Rule (DJP), Wednesday, 17 October 2012 23:04 (eleven years ago) link
I think it's a terrific record. But it's their hardest to get a handle on - I think largely down to the flat-yet-echoey production, it's of-its-time in a way that the others aren't, because they all get scooped up into the U2 sound. So while I like it, I'm more likely to consider it in another context, like if I'm thinking about Echo & The Bunnymen rather than U2 (I almost never do this btw).
I don't know if this is why I also find it slightly impenetrable - I know that personally they were wrestling with Christianity, but whether (other than a couple of obvious examples) and how that feeds in lyrically I just don't know. Is it Christian Rock? Is Tomorrow? I'm wary of categorising it as such - for one thing, anything prior to Zooropa seems equally worthy of the term.
― Ismael Klata, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 23:10 (eleven years ago) link
x-post
I don't think I'll ever fully understand the vitriol spewed at Bono by so many... I mean, I get it: he's pretty douchey, he's pretty self-righteous, fine. But the dude has an amazing voice, and he's not any more over-the-top than so, so, so many other famous vocalists, neither in personality nor in vocal style/presence. I guess I should say that, while I can comprehend the vitriol, I can't inhabit it. I just can't. But that's a blind spot I'm happy to have.
― Clarke B., Wednesday, 17 October 2012 23:11 (eleven years ago) link
think of it this way; if Jane's Addiction had released a bazillion albums, Bono would have been supplanted by Perry Farrell a long time ago
― The Owls of Ja Rule (DJP), Wednesday, 17 October 2012 23:14 (eleven years ago) link
Ismael, it somehow feels more Xtian to me than anything else by them, but I would never call it "Christian rock"... I mean, there's "Gloria", there's the chorus that goes "Je-RUUUUU-saaa-lem", there's "Rejoice"... I like the production quite a bit; there's a simplicity and dry-ness to it that you don't really hear on any of their other records. You can really hear the individual parts and hear the players interact. Edge's "gentle cascades of fireworks on the horizon" guitar shadings are more implied than so explicitly framed as on The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree. He sounds more like a very creative, very economical, very distinctive postpunk guitarist; the link between him and Steve Fellows of Comsat Angels is its most explicit on this record.
― Clarke B., Wednesday, 17 October 2012 23:16 (eleven years ago) link
Best angle I have on the Bonophobia is that it's a mix of envy and embarrassment. Because when you're young Bono is the guy you want to be, then you grow all cynical and failed in various ways, but he's still that guy - so what else are you going to do but hate?
In breaking Bono news, my sister was passing the famous Bono Vox shop last week, and it's closed down. The sign's still up, but the windows have been boarded over. One of the less-heralded sad days for rock & roll.
― Ismael Klata, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 23:39 (eleven years ago) link
I actually always wanted to be Edge when I was younger...
― Clarke B., Wednesday, 17 October 2012 23:42 (eleven years ago) link
He's the first guitarist I remember registering as "a guitarist I really like"--this was at age, like, 10 or so. Discovering postpunk early in college blew my head right open because all of a sudden here were all of these guitarists who did cool economic angular things like Edge!
― Clarke B., Wednesday, 17 October 2012 23:43 (eleven years ago) link
when you're young Bono is the guy you want to be
really?
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 23:49 (eleven years ago) link
lol what
― the ones that I'm near most: fellow outcasts and ilxors (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 17 October 2012 23:51 (eleven years ago) link
I so adore psychoanalytic explanations for why we dislike rock star posturing.
I don't think I'll ever fully understand the vitriol spewed at Bono by so many...
admittedly this is recent, but I still offer it up as exhibit A:
HAHAHA! OH MY GOD BONO NOOOO SOMEONE MAKE HIM STOP OH THE HUMANITY
― sleeve, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 23:54 (eleven years ago) link
Bill Flanagan deserves a Nobel Prize for literature for making Bono a probing intellect in U2 At the End of the World, still one of the most intelligent tour biographies extant.
― the ones that I'm near most: fellow outcasts and ilxors (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 17 October 2012 23:56 (eleven years ago) link
Well yeah, he should probably be drawn and quartered for that... I just get the impression that Bonohate among the cognoscenti has been around pretty much as long as the band itself, to the point where it's bascially institutionalized. Why so much hatred in the early days?
― Clarke B., Wednesday, 17 October 2012 23:57 (eleven years ago) link
that was an x-post BTW
The only thing I remember about U2 At the end of the world was this picture and caption:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_u-zEPWVQP0E/S0Nf1g5Cs6I/AAAAAAAAD9I/3iaDjwEIhm8/s800/lm1.jpg
Larry Mullen, toughest guy in the band
― flamboyant goon tie included, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 23:58 (eleven years ago) link
And a chapter about Bono's nautical kleptomania that was too awesome to be true
and swimming nude on Bondi Beach with a waitress they shanghaied.
― the ones that I'm near most: fellow outcasts and ilxors (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 17 October 2012 23:59 (eleven years ago) link
mullen is such a beaver, damn
― i dox in yellow gox dox socks (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 17 October 2012 23:59 (eleven years ago) link
I'm mulling that one over
― flamboyant goon tie included, Thursday, 18 October 2012 00:00 (eleven years ago) link
Why so much hatred in the early days?
I don't remember any Bono hatred at all in the early (pre-Joshua Tree) days, apart from the stray "Boy, that singer's crazy, climbing up the scaffolding!"-type comment.
― 5-Hour Enmity (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 18 October 2012 15:20 (eleven years ago) link
Holy crap does it bother me when people inexplicably invoke the "U2 was being ironic" line when it comes to talking about "Achtung Baby" and "Zooropa," two of their most heartfelt and honest albums, imo. Like, who listens to "Achtung Baby" and just thinks such a dark record is actually the band being silly, ironic and goofing around?
http://www.avclub.com/article/foo-fighters-taylor-hawkins-why-he-hates-u2s-disco-204670
Seriously, what album was he listening to? I can imagine hearing "Discotheque" and hating it, and yeah, that song is one of the few examples of U2 actually being ironic/silly, but even "Pop" is a pretty dark record. But I totally don't get people who shrug at "Achtung" as some sort of digressive lark.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 23 May 2014 14:36 (nine years ago) link
"I know! Let's ask the Foo Fighters drummer why he hates U2."
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 23 May 2014 14:38 (nine years ago) link
I remember back in the ’90s when the song came out that these talk show guys on KROQ out here in L.A.—Kevin and Bean—they kept going, “Okay, we’re going to play you a little bit of the U2 song. We’re going to play you a little bit of the new U2 song. We can only play a little bit of it and here it is right here. Ready? Okay!” Then they’d play that Rick Astley song [starts singing] “Never gonna give you up / Never gonna let you down!” And then they’d turn it off really quickly and go, “That’s the new U2 song! They’ve changed direction!” And the funny thing is, a couple of weeks before, Tommy Lee had been interviewed so they had a sound bite of Tommy Lee going, “You guys are fags!” So they’d go, “We’re going to play the new U2 song, we’re going to play a little snippet of it. Here it is,” [starts singing] “Never gonna give you up / Never gonna let you down,” then they’d turn it off and you’d just hear Tommy Lee go, “You guys are fags.” And it was so fucking funny, man.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 23 May 2014 14:40 (nine years ago) link
Beat me to it
ha ha ha that sure is a good one
― christmas candy bar (al leong), Friday, 23 May 2014 14:42 (nine years ago) link
TH: I remember back in the ’90s when the song came out that these talk show guys on KROQ out here in L.A.—Kevin and Bean—they kept going, “Okay, we’re going to play you a little bit of the U2 song. We’re going to play you a little bit of the new U2 song. We can only play a little bit of it and here it is right here. Ready? Okay!” Then they’d play that Rick Astley song [starts singing] “Never gonna give you up / Never gonna let you down!” And then they’d turn it off really quickly and go, “That’s the new U2 song! They’ve changed direction!” And the funny thing is, a couple of weeks before, Tommy Lee had been interviewed so they had a sound bite of Tommy Lee going, “You guys are fags!” So they’d go, “We’re going to play the new U2 song, we’re going to play a little snippet of it. Here it is,” [starts singing] “Never gonna give you up / Never gonna let you down,” then they’d turn it off and you’d just hear Tommy Lee go, “You guys are fags.” And it was so fucking funny, man.
― balls, Friday, 23 May 2014 14:42 (nine years ago) link
xpost
― balls, Friday, 23 May 2014 14:43 (nine years ago) link
'pop' is dope imo.
― christmas candy bar (al leong), Friday, 23 May 2014 14:43 (nine years ago) link
that whole thing may be the dumbest conversation ever transcribed. a post-exodus av club writer talking to the second best drummer in the foo fighters.
― balls, Friday, 23 May 2014 14:44 (nine years ago) link
next up ask him about vaccines and whether or not HIV causes aids.
― christmas candy bar (al leong), Friday, 23 May 2014 14:44 (nine years ago) link
Ugh, I can't think of a drummer who's more of an utter non-entity than Taylor Hawkins.
Like, who listens to "Achtung Baby" and just thinks such a dark record is actually the band being silly, ironic and goofing around?
This is otm.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Friday, 23 May 2014 14:47 (nine years ago) link
― christmas candy bar (al leong), Friday, May 23, 2014 10:43 AM (4 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
^^^ this. They should've packed it in after Pop, because everything after was strictly snoozeville.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Friday, 23 May 2014 14:49 (nine years ago) link
"AVC: It feels like both Pop and Achtung Baby were supposed to make listeners think U2 was this fun party band, which they never really were."
featuring such floor fillers as "so cruel" and "wake up dead man"
― christmas candy bar (al leong), Friday, 23 May 2014 14:49 (nine years ago) link
yeah but he likes Queen. Those guys were fags. It was so fucking funny, man.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 23 May 2014 14:50 (nine years ago) link
I'm down w their post-pop stuff generally (NLOTH >ATYCLB>>>HTDAAB) but probably the worst thing abt U2 is how they distanced themselves from their most bizarre '90s stuff so quickly.
― christmas candy bar (al leong), Friday, 23 May 2014 14:51 (nine years ago) link
achtung and pop : quite simply, brilliant albums.
i hated, i mean, really hated, u2 before these albums (and bh was even more anti-u2 than me, out of principle !).
however, a friend gave me tix to see the zooropa live show in leeds, and i have never seen anyone totally denouce their previous groove as quickly as bh did that night.
after the gig the band became hq faves ..
i do wish the band would kick that groove again (there is a chance given that the new track was all about the minimal electro drums ?)
― mark e, Friday, 23 May 2014 15:43 (nine years ago) link
In HateSong, we ask our favorite musicians, writers, comedians, actors, and so forth to expound on the one song they hate most in the world.
― difficult listening hour, Friday, 23 May 2014 20:03 (nine years ago) link
Kevin and Bean, holy shit, they were (are?) the worst.
― tylerw, Friday, 23 May 2014 20:10 (nine years ago) link
Taylor Hawkins: Let me start out by saying that I love U2. I really do, especially the first four records. They’re very, very important records. They were super, duper important to me growing as a musician, whether I was 10 or 12 or 14. Boy, October, War, The Unforgettable Fire, and The Joshua Tree, those records, they’re part of my musical DNA and structure.
(Insert Drummer Math Joke Here)
― Damnit Janet Weiss & The Riot Grrriel (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 23 May 2014 20:26 (nine years ago) link
Achtung Baby is cool and I liked No Line on the Horizon, remember old friend giving me shit for how dad-rawk some of it was though and I have to concede he was right in parts
― nova, Friday, 23 May 2014 21:53 (nine years ago) link
This HateSong seems like bullshit
Or rather, a mildly diverting idea executed terribly
― Master of Treacle, Friday, 23 May 2014 23:28 (nine years ago) link
Their panicked backsliding from Pop is so tragic. They were really finding something there, oh well.
― Matt Armstrong, Saturday, 24 May 2014 00:34 (nine years ago) link
The panicked backsiding started with Pop itself. Jettison the U2 anthems, begin with "MOFO," and you got something.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 24 May 2014 00:44 (nine years ago) link
Actually, I've liked a few of those. The Black Lips guy's Lorde one was good, the Black Eyed Peas one was good, the Macklemore one was good (both by comedians, it helps). It's Taylor Hawkins who executes poorly.
http://www.avclub.com/article/bitchface-comedian-joe-mande-why-he-hates-macklemo-202946
http://www.avclub.com/article/eugene-mirman-on-why-the-black-eyed-peas-i-gotta-f-92678
http://www.avclub.com/article/black-lips-cole-alexander-naivete-lordes-royals-202578
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 24 May 2014 13:47 (nine years ago) link
Maybe this was the Macklemore?
http://www.avclub.com/article/al-madrigal-on-why-he-abhors-macklemore-ryan-lewis-98825
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 24 May 2014 13:53 (nine years ago) link
So ... there's a new album out.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 19:18 (nine years ago) link
01 The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)02 Every Breaking Wave03 California (There Is No End To Love)04 Song For Someone05 Iris (Hold Me Close)06 Volcano07 Raised By Wolves08 Cedarwood Road09 Sleep Like A Baby Tonight10 This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now11 The Troubles.
I love this tracklisting so much I almost want to hear the album
― da croupier, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 19:21 (nine years ago) link
Sounds fine so far.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 19:22 (nine years ago) link
Snap reaction: the fact that this is the real Bono and not any of a few dozen not-Bonos is a benefit to an album that's trying (albeit not too hard) to sound like all the bands fronted by not-Bonos.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 19:24 (nine years ago) link
1. The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)Produced by: Danger Mouse, Paul Epworth and Ryan Tedder
― da croupier, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 19:25 (nine years ago) link
Jesus fucking
― famous instagram God (waterface), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 19:26 (nine years ago) link
Haha are those really the song titles? Those are great.
― tylerw, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 19:26 (nine years ago) link
track-by-track at rolling stone
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/u2-songs-of-innocence-surprise-album-guide-20140909
― da croupier, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 19:27 (nine years ago) link
The amazing song titles on "No Line on the Horizon" are what sparked the ILX precovers concept.
― Immediate Follower (NA), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 19:30 (nine years ago) link
However "Songs of Innocence" is a terrible album name.
― Immediate Follower (NA), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 19:36 (nine years ago) link
the next album is called Songs of Experience
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 19:37 (nine years ago) link
Sex of Songperience
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 19:40 (nine years ago) link
the tedderization of everything is complete
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 19:43 (nine years ago) link
Dongs of Senecense
― Liquid Plejades, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 19:46 (nine years ago) link
I guess there was a proposed album called Songs of Ascent that was never released?
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 20:34 (nine years ago) link
Please tell me there isnt a song on this thing called The Troubles
jesus
― Master of Treacle, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 20:42 (nine years ago) link
Not about the IRA! But an earlier song is.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 20:57 (nine years ago) link
the mIRAcle (of joey ramone) right?
― john wahey (NickB), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:03 (nine years ago) link
The Miracle (Of the Troubles)
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:10 (nine years ago) link
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2014/09/09/u2-makes-history-offers-new-album-for-free-on-itunes-during-apple-event/
U2′s new album being automatically added to our iTunes library is the most disgusting invasion of personal space by technology in history
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:16 (nine years ago) link
― everyday sheeple (Michael B), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:18 (nine years ago) link
when I got my first Mac in 2001 it came with some songs preloaded, including New Order's "Age of Consent", and I guess Apple did that? so not unprecedented ... though still it's 2010s we're talking about here
― Euler, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:30 (nine years ago) link
Wait, is this getting downloaded to our computers without us asking for it or do you have to click download to get it in your iTunes?
― brotherlovesdub, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:30 (nine years ago) link
You have to click download. (Note: you do not have to click download. No one is forcing you to listen to U2.)
― Humorist (horse) (誤訳侮辱), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:32 (nine years ago) link
some folks on twitter exaggerating a bit, and quoted in that Post article
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:33 (nine years ago) link
some folks on twitter exaggerating a bit
nothing new to ILX there tbf
― nakh is the wintour of our diss content (darraghmac), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:36 (nine years ago) link
I remember that my sister's macbook has Nick Cave's 'Into My Arms' preloaded sometime in the early 2000s
― wolves at doors: they flan @ u face (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:39 (nine years ago) link
Free album? When is Bono gonna come through with some fuckin' free t-shirts, man?
― dave matthews' gland (sic), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:39 (nine years ago) link
Is there really supposed to be a period after Troubles?
The Troubles.
WTF man
― Rand McNulty (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:40 (nine years ago) link
That is so fucking precious
So everyone who bought a MacBook in the early 2000s was greeted with "I DON'T BELIEVE IN AN INTERVENTIONIST GOD"xpost
― Immediate Follower (NA), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:40 (nine years ago) link
Sonic Cathedral @soniccathedralU2 are already in my music library are they? no they're not *deletes itunes*
U2 are already in my music library are they? no they're not *deletes itunes*
http://perfectedpixels.weebly.com/uploads/4/5/9/3/459344/5939044.png
― LIKE If you are against racism (omar little), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:43 (nine years ago) link
The Miracle (Of Joey From Friends)
― Doran, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:46 (nine years ago) link
apparently, iTunes was bundled with all of the following songs when first launched in 2001:
Amanda Ghost, IdolAmanda Ghost, CellophaneAndreas Johnson, GloriousArkarna, Life Is FreeArkarna, InsecurityArkarna, House On FireBarenaked Ladies, If I Had A $1,000,000Barenaked Ladies, JaneBarenaked Ladies, One WeekBelly, Feed The TreeBob James, Raise The RoofBoney James, All Night LongBoney James, R.S.V.P.Brad Mehldau, MadridDave Ralph, Max Graham "Airtight"Dave Ralph, Tea Freaks "Arms of Orion"Depeche Mode, StrangeloveEuge Groove, Romeo & JulietHolly Palmer, Come Lie With MeInfected Mushroom, SymphonaticJoshua Redman, NeverendKenny Garrett, G.T.D.SKevin Mahogany, Still Swingin'Lang, K.D., When We CollideLang, K.D., Only LoveLarry Carlton, FingerprintsThe Living End, Roll onNick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Into My ArmsPat Metheny, Follow MePat Metheny, JamesPaul Oakenfold, Ascension "Someone" (Slacker Mix)Penelope Houston, SweetheartPenelope Houston, Grand PrixPhish, Heavy ThingsPhish, Sample In A JarPhish, Limb By LimbRandy Newman, The World Isn't FairRandy Newman, Can't Keep A Good Man DownSasha & John Digweed, Breeder 'Tyrantanic' (Slacker's Kingdom Come Mix)Submarine, Sunbeam (Deepsky's Desert Sunset Mix)Total Eclipse, Psychedelic TerroristWilco, MondayWilco, A Shot In The Arm8 Stops 7, Question Everything
― wolves at doors: they flan @ u face (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:46 (nine years ago) link
A lot of harsh zings of a band that literally every adult has liked at some point in their lives.
― Immediate Follower (NA), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:47 (nine years ago) link
― Rand McNulty (Jon Lewis)
please god, we'll be living in it soon enough
― nakh is the wintour of our diss content (darraghmac), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:47 (nine years ago) link
every adult
speaking of exaggerations
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:50 (nine years ago) link
Not an exaggeration.
― Immediate Follower (NA), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:51 (nine years ago) link
xxxxpost a poll that has to happen
― Rand McNulty (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:51 (nine years ago) link
If you're over 20 years old, you have liked U2 at some point.
the public should probably sue these fuckers but apparently a lot of the lawyers involved would be pro bono
― john wahey (NickB), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:52 (nine years ago) link
They should have a hidden track on this called Fuck REM
― Master of Treacle, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:52 (nine years ago) link
woah sell it to grantland, don't give it away for free
― da croupier, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:53 (nine years ago) link
I'm trying to think of any other band that I rallied around in the early 80s where I just do not care about a new release any more. REM got there too at the end, but I think I cared about them longer.
― Dick Clownload (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:54 (nine years ago) link
― Immediate Follower (NA), Tuesday, September 9, 2014 5:51 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
44 and nope
― Rand McNulty (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:54 (nine years ago) link
the public should probably sue these fuckers but apparently a lot of the lawyers involved would be pro bonoi'm definitely mullen over some legal action
― tylerw, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:55 (nine years ago) link
lololol
― Rand McNulty (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:56 (nine years ago) link
can the latest update of imovie come bundled with the bono tinariwen video?
― Rand McNulty (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:57 (nine years ago) link
woah sell it to grantland, don't give it away for free― da croupier, Tuesday, September 9, 2014 3:53 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― da croupier, Tuesday, September 9, 2014 3:53 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
dying
― mattresslessness, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 21:57 (nine years ago) link
You've polled everyone in China, Indonesia, Sudan...
― curmudgeon, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 22:00 (nine years ago) link
the lamest imaginable 20-something year olds in china probably like u2 just as much as the lamest imaginable 20-something year olds in the us do
― sleepingbag, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 22:01 (nine years ago) link
David Byrne tracks from something unspeakable called Look Into My Eye or something was already on my pc somehow when i bought it some time in the 90s.
― piscesx, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 22:12 (nine years ago) link
likely story
― da croupier, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 22:12 (nine years ago) link
haha!
― piscesx, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 22:14 (nine years ago) link
"And you may find yourself with tracks from my solo album on your new PC/And you may ask yourself, "How did they get there? My god what have I Done?"
― You and Dad's Army? (C. Grisso/McCain), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 22:16 (nine years ago) link
how could ppl born in 1993 ever possibly have liked U2
― dave matthews' gland (sic), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 22:17 (nine years ago) link
^^^ haha A+ (xpost)
Look into the Eyeball is an album by musician David Byrne, released on May 8, 2001. The single "Like Humans Do" was supplied with Windows XP Home Edition operating system to showcase Microsoft's Windows Media Player.[2][3]
― Dick Clownload (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 22:17 (nine years ago) link
ah yeah that was it.
― piscesx, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 22:18 (nine years ago) link
Eric Harvey pointed this out on twitter
“We were paid,” Bono tells TIME. “I don’t believe in free music. Music is a sacrament.”
sac·ra·ment noun \ˈsa-krə-mənt\: an important Christian ceremony (such as baptism or marriage)
the Sacrament : the bread and wine that are eaten and drunk during the Christian ceremony of Communion
― da croupier, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 22:20 (nine years ago) link
how much is communion these days anyway?
still only the one wafer iirc
― john wahey (NickB), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 22:22 (nine years ago) link
dud
― mattresslessness, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 22:22 (nine years ago) link
at least it wasn't free with the Daily Mail i suppose.
― piscesx, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 22:23 (nine years ago) link
i lost steam on the whole bono is damien theory after the spider-man musical and no line on the horizon flopped but if he's saying sacraments should be sold i say
SEE THE OMEGA CODE
― da croupier, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 22:24 (nine years ago) link
This:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uojmgiWfC0
― MarkoP, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 22:26 (nine years ago) link
And Weezer and Edie Brickell had music videos come with the original Windows 95 CD.
― MarkoP, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 22:27 (nine years ago) link
xxxxpost a poll that has to happen― Rand McNulty (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, September 9, 2014 2:51 PM (43 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Rand McNulty (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, September 9, 2014 2:51 PM (43 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
indeed Best Song Bundled with the original iTunes Launch in 2001
― wolves at doors: they flan @ u face (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 22:36 (nine years ago) link
the entry for pop music on the OG encarta cd had a snippet of elvis costello's "pump it up" and maybe one of "the lion sleeps tonight"
― adam, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 22:37 (nine years ago) link
― MarkoP,
man do you know how life changed when I knew I could program my PC bought in January '96 to serenade me with "Buddy Holly"
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 9 September 2014 22:41 (nine years ago) link
Soundgarden was on there too - "Nothing To Say"
― Master of Treacle, Tuesday, 9 September 2014 22:43 (nine years ago) link
There are some OK songs on this new one. Bono's lyrics are pretty bad, but more interesting than Chris Martin bad. There is a block midway through this that would have sounded great with old-U2 production. "Volcano," "Raised by Wolves," "Cedarwood Road," "Sleep Like a Baby Tonight" (this one pretty unusual for U2). They've been burning through today's B-list A-list producers, but probably could have been better prodded by an old-school A-lister like Lillywhite, or just Flood, or someone to counter the drift toward keeping up with the joneses slick.
Interesting: there are a couple of guitar solos on this thing. Remedial, sure - it's the Edge - but there.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 10 September 2014 13:18 (nine years ago) link
i like a very tiny sampling of u2, mostly boy, after which they generally misunderstood their own importance, until zooropa which is a kind of perfect equation of self-serious and sardonic bono (plus, from the same era, "hold me thrill me").
having said that i listened to this out of morbid curiosity and i... kind of like it? "every breaking wave" has more ideas in it than all of no line on the horizon and the tedder production is indelibly gross and overcalculated but that makes me like it... more? they sound pretty invigorated by it, way moreso than the amnesiac washes of no line. even the songs i don't like take sort of interesting turns i.e. the reported edge "solos" are all pretty great
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Wednesday, 10 September 2014 15:04 (nine years ago) link
reserving the right to suddenly hate this on second listen
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Wednesday, 10 September 2014 15:05 (nine years ago) link
The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)
Just thinking about this title, wasn't Joey listening to U2 when he passed away? 'One' iirc
― john wahey (NickB), Wednesday, 10 September 2014 15:07 (nine years ago) link
"In a Little While."
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 10 September 2014 15:12 (nine years ago) link
ah, indeed it was:
On the live concert film, Elevation 2001: Live from Boston, Bono introduces the song by explaining it was the last song Joey Ramone heard on his deathbed. He notes his honor of having one of his favorite musicians loving a song of his
― john wahey (NickB), Wednesday, 10 September 2014 15:18 (nine years ago) link
died as he lived, listening to Bono
― Barry Gordy (Neil S), Wednesday, 10 September 2014 15:20 (nine years ago) link
Presumably it's explicated elsewhere that he liked it, cos dying while listening to it's pretty ambivalent criticism
― sonic thedgehod (albvivertine), Wednesday, 10 September 2014 15:21 (nine years ago) link
05 Iris (Hold Me Close)
i just want u2 know who i am
― example (crüt), Wednesday, 10 September 2014 15:23 (nine years ago) link
Nope. And i saw them before any of youse - first, maybe second gig they played post -Hype. Shit then, shit now, shit in between.
― Fine Toothcomb (sonofstan), Wednesday, 10 September 2014 15:55 (nine years ago) link
I am 38 and at one point in my life they were my favorite band ("Joshua Tree" though "Rattle & Hum").
Sort of serious question, are Apple & U2 such tight bros cuz Apple used (uses) Ireland as a tax shelter?
― chr1sb3singer, Wednesday, 10 September 2014 17:25 (nine years ago) link
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6525315?start=0&tstart=0
turingtest2Sep 9, 2014 2:48 PM Re: How do I remove the free U2 album from my iTunes library?
iTunes Store > Quick Links > Purchased. Use All and Not on this computer as you would expect. If you delete the album and hide from iTunes in the Cloud it will disappear from both lists.
Unfortunately, I clicked on the song 'The Troubles' from my iPhone, causing it to download to my phone. Hiding the album within my Cloud does not delete that track. also unfortunately, 'The Troubles' does not show up as a track in my iPhone's Music library, even after syncing, so the track can not be deleted. and the iPhone only lets you 'delete' or swipe-to-delete tracks on playlists. so I now have a U2 track permanently stuck on my iPhone.
even more maddeningly, when I try to side-swipe it, it just plays the track, and there's a click option beneath the track saying 'Show Complete Album' even after I have explicitly jumped through hoops trying to erase all traces of the record from my library.
― Milton Parker, Wednesday, 10 September 2014 20:29 (nine years ago) link
so you're saying this album is musical kudzu
― stacked as fuck & imposing (DJP), Wednesday, 10 September 2014 20:34 (nine years ago) link
I am reminded of the scene in that Black Mirror episode where the television wall screen pauses the advertisements when you try to close your eyes during them, while playing a friendly reminder that you should open your eyes
I'll bet you anything if I accidentally hit that 'Show Complete Album' link, it restores the whole thing to my library permanently. as in, it shows up again, and when I go back to the Cloud, it's still hidden there so I can't redelete it.
Sorry to U2 fans! I hate it when people show up on a band's thread just to say that they kind of hate the band. But y'know what, there is no other band on that planet that would have the balls to agree to a deal where you weren't allowed to delete their work from your library.
― Milton Parker, Wednesday, 10 September 2014 20:51 (nine years ago) link
oh i wouldn't assume that - most haven't been given the opportunity
― da croupier, Wednesday, 10 September 2014 20:54 (nine years ago) link
yes
yes you are right
― Milton Parker, Wednesday, 10 September 2014 20:55 (nine years ago) link
i don't really give a shit about u2 anymore and their hits are way overplayed but i do want to point out the brilliance of "lemon", that tune rules
― marcos, Wednesday, 10 September 2014 20:58 (nine years ago) link
that whole record is great. if they'd kept going with that and Passengers the U2 conversation would be very different today I think.
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Wednesday, 10 September 2014 21:13 (nine years ago) link
as it stands wtf is this shit in my iTunes?
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Wednesday, 10 September 2014 21:14 (nine years ago) link
Bono's lyrics are pretty bad, but more interesting than Chris Martin bad.― Josh in Chicago
(xxxxp) I noticed that in the digital booklet all of the lyrics are credited to Bono and The Edge.
― ArchCarrier, Wednesday, 10 September 2014 21:22 (nine years ago) link
Loving? It killed him, you egomaniac!
― dave matthews' gland (sic), Wednesday, 10 September 2014 22:13 (nine years ago) link
you're not fit to trim Bono's whiskers
― OutdoorFish, Wednesday, 10 September 2014 22:39 (nine years ago) link
http://pando.com/2014/09/11/apple-offends-music-critics-and-iphone-owners-alike-with-u2-album-assault/
― sleeve, Thursday, 11 September 2014 14:22 (nine years ago) link
http://www.newyorker.com/culture/sasha-frere-jones/u2s-forgettable-fire
I am MAD MAD MAD about this free music that can be removed in seconds.
― Your Favorite Album in the Cutout Bin, Thursday, 11 September 2014 14:47 (nine years ago) link
"removed in seconds"
― example (crüt), Thursday, 11 September 2014 14:56 (nine years ago) link
yeah, no shit
― sleeve, Thursday, 11 September 2014 14:56 (nine years ago) link
http://thequietus.com/articles/16217-bono-u2-songs-of-experience
I like specific angry takedowns like this better than mere lol U2. There are so many reasons to hate the band and Bono more than for the music.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 11 September 2014 15:21 (nine years ago) link
well this album isn't too notable huh
"volcano" is the only memorable one so far
― rap steve (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 11 September 2014 15:39 (nine years ago) link
That piece is otm.
xp
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 11 September 2014 15:42 (nine years ago) link
well...
Face down on a pillow of shameThere are some girls with a needle trying to spell my nameMy body’s not a canvasMy body’s now a toilet wall
― rap steve (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 11 September 2014 15:43 (nine years ago) link
Album is fine and forgettable. The last three should have all been EPs. Viva LA Vida was the last great U2 album. I'd blame the producers, but eno and lanois muffed the last one.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 11 September 2014 15:44 (nine years ago) link
Songs of iNonsense
― john wahey (NickB), Thursday, 11 September 2014 16:32 (nine years ago) link
dying at this 5-star Fricke review
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 11 September 2014 16:46 (nine years ago) link
a song about imminent eruption, through a propulsive delirium of throaty, striding bass, alien-choral effects and the Edge's rusted-treble jolts of Gang of Four-vintage guitar.
Couldn't read past this. I imagined myself as Skylar White shouting "shut up shut UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP" at Fricke.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 11 September 2014 16:53 (nine years ago) link
A FB friend of Mr Veg's wrote "It's their best album since Pop!" to which we were both like, ok that's a REALLY low bar.
― difficult-difficult lemon-difficult (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 11 September 2014 17:02 (nine years ago) link
that fking California song sounds like it's destined to be in a shitty middle-age Rom-Com within the next 2 years
― difficult-difficult lemon-difficult (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 11 September 2014 17:03 (nine years ago) link
The teenage Bono once gave her Kraftwerk's The Man-Machine as a gift while they were dating.
"Teenage Bono gave you that record, Adult Bono's gettin' it back!"
― You and Dad's Army? (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 11 September 2014 17:06 (nine years ago) link
fricke review almost makes this worthwhile
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Thursday, 11 September 2014 17:20 (nine years ago) link
I thought you guys were kidding about a five-star Fricke review. How'd I fool myself?
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 11 September 2014 17:25 (nine years ago) link
I didn't even want to read the review, but it just popped up in my email box this morning.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 11 September 2014 17:27 (nine years ago) link
your neighbors overheard Fricke whispering, "Hee hee, this'll get Josh."
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 11 September 2014 17:29 (nine years ago) link
have you tried deleting it?
― john wahey (NickB), Thursday, 11 September 2014 17:30 (nine years ago) link
You can't.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 11 September 2014 17:30 (nine years ago) link
What happened to Danger Mouse? Gorillaz & Gnarls productions were flawed and fun. This is slick and boring.
― alanbatman (abanana), Thursday, 11 September 2014 17:30 (nine years ago) link
Considering the band has now worked with some 13 or so producers credited on their last three records, I've come to the conclusion that this all might just be the band's fault.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 11 September 2014 17:34 (nine years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG4hOjJ9tEs
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/u2-songs-of-innocence-20140911
the photo's so perfect - larry looking up confused at the five stars, bono and the edge trying to walk past like they didn't see it, adam oblivious
― da croupier, Thursday, 11 September 2014 17:35 (nine years ago) link
Just find one of your own. Then shout as hard as you can.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 11 September 2014 17:37 (nine years ago) link
Clickhole should republish that review verbatim.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 11 September 2014 17:38 (nine years ago) link
When they release "Songs of Experience" in five years, I bet they retroactively bill half a billion people for their free download of "Songs of Innocence." Plus interest. Everyone will be like, what, I didn't download any U2 album! "Songs of Innocence," I've never heard of ... oh, wait, that thing? I totally forgot about that. My bad, just take my money, I'm sure it was good.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 11 September 2014 17:52 (nine years ago) link
It is a clear-eyed and inspired U2 who crafted Songs of Innocence, an insuperably strong record that in time may well reveal itself to be a classic. World, meet U2, Irish band.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 11 September 2014 17:54 (nine years ago) link
Fricke, you go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 11 September 2014 17:58 (nine years ago) link
i can hardly read it for all the saliva
― difficult-difficult lemon-difficult (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 11 September 2014 17:59 (nine years ago) link
ouch.
i happen to think that POP was their last really good album ..
― mark e, Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:09 (nine years ago) link
That SFJ post is the glibbest, snarkiest thing I've ever seen from him. It's a weird thing to have on the New Yorker website.
― Re-Make/Re-Model, Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:10 (nine years ago) link
You think the publisher brought Fricke into the office, poured a couple glasses of whisky, leaned over the table and said "I need you Fricke, I got a bad one here, worst yet, I need the old David Fricke review, I need your magic."
― chr1sb3singer, Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:24 (nine years ago) link
― Bitterer than Bitter (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:27 (nine years ago) link
bet it's more like "hey dave, new u2 album" "five?" "yup" "cool"
― da croupier, Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:27 (nine years ago) link
dude might not even bother with the star ratings himself, just pump out the copy and let someone else sweat where on the four-to-five spread this lands
― da croupier, Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:30 (nine years ago) link
I doubt he even pumps out the copy himself.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:31 (nine years ago) link
c'mon it's not a nancy drew novel, it's just seven paragraphs
― da croupier, Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:33 (nine years ago) link
Pump it out dave
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:34 (nine years ago) link
U2 needs u
lol chr1sb3singer! bad U2 really brings ILX's funny to the fore.
― piscesx, Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:36 (nine years ago) link
confession - had to google the ref
― da croupier, Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:36 (nine years ago) link
Confession (Had to Google the Ref) - lyrics by Bono and the Edge / production by Dangermouse
― LIKE If you are against racism (omar little), Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:39 (nine years ago) link
ok.
forgive the noob (uk vs usa perhaps) groove, but all this inner circle joke thing is going over me.but is there history between david fricke and u2 ?
i read the review, and even i found the review somewhat over zealous.
[ ftr : as a fan of achtung baby onwards, i think the album is ok. nothing more, nothing less. hoping a few more listens may reveal its secrets more]
― mark e, Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:40 (nine years ago) link
i wonder if there was just one guy in the boardroom that went 'uh.. guys.. '. he probably got shouted down left right and centre, and is now pulling his 'what did i tell you?!' face.
― piscesx, Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:41 (nine years ago) link
^ assuming you're talking about Rolling Stone here
― example (crüt), Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:43 (nine years ago) link
is there history between david fricke and u2 ?
There's history between David Fricke and five-star bands
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:44 (nine years ago) link
ahh. he has form then.fair enough.
― mark e, Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:44 (nine years ago) link
At first listen this has a couple of solid cuts but the rest passed me by, kinda like how to dismantle an atomic bomb ended up for me. I think pop was actually pretty great and no line on the horizon was also really good except for the middle section. I imagine this will grow on me a bit since I generally like their sound but it'll also probably end up with HTDAAB and october and rattle & hum, which are basically the last ones I'd listen to in their discography at this point.
― LIKE If you are against racism (omar little), Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:46 (nine years ago) link
i agree with omar.
― mark e, Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:48 (nine years ago) link
Carefully!
― Bitterer than Bitter (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:51 (nine years ago) link
(is how you dismantle an atomic bomb)
― Bitterer than Bitter (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:52 (nine years ago) link
RS' deal for years has been to give bands they want to do "exclusive" cover stories on a 5-star review -- hence the nutball writeups for the Who's It's Hard and whatever the fuck that Jagger solo thing was.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:53 (nine years ago) link
huh, beasties didn't get a cover in 2004. maybe fricke's 5 star of To The 5 Boroughs was a labor of love
― da croupier, Thursday, 11 September 2014 19:57 (nine years ago) link
I think sometimes RS does it to cover their asses just in case, cf. publishing a 5-star review of The Final Cut on the off chance it took off/Floyd toured that year.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 11 September 2014 20:00 (nine years ago) link
same drill as Q in the mid-90s mega-selling era. hence Oasis' BHN getting 5 stars.
― piscesx, Thursday, 11 September 2014 20:03 (nine years ago) link
To be fair to Fricke he kind of gives 5 star reviews to everything. In his King Crimson live review he stopped just shy of calling the new line-up the greatest rock band that has ever existed.
― chr1sb3singer, Thursday, 11 September 2014 20:08 (nine years ago) link
ahh.that said, is there anything wrong with loving music to that level.people who know me IRL know that i flip from genre/band to genre/band on a daily basis declaring the latest groove to be the best ever.i realise this a shallow take on the art, but so what.a quick hit of momentary bliss is sometimes all you need to get you through the day to day grind.
― mark e, Thursday, 11 September 2014 20:12 (nine years ago) link
all this fake surprise that U2 are shit
― OutdoorFish, Thursday, 11 September 2014 20:16 (nine years ago) link
is there anything wrong with loving music to that level.
It's go nothing to do with love and everything to do with marketing.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 11 September 2014 20:17 (nine years ago) link
how you dismantle an atomic bomb
I thought the answer was practice, practice, practice?
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 11 September 2014 20:19 (nine years ago) link
give it five stars
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 11 September 2014 20:20 (nine years ago) link
ahh, such a cynic.
there are times i love my world of innocence and naivety.
(and my bills are paid by the world of marketing software - so i should be more attuned to such darkness !)
― mark e, Thursday, 11 September 2014 20:21 (nine years ago) link
can't give it away
http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/227923/u2s-free-album-downloaded-by-less-than-5-of-users/
― piscesx, Thursday, 11 September 2014 20:35 (nine years ago) link
Millions of people have U2 and don't even know it. Please: discuss U2 with your children. The more you know ...
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 11 September 2014 21:15 (nine years ago) link
The more you ignore them, the more annoying they get
― OutdoorFish, Thursday, 11 September 2014 21:58 (nine years ago) link
It should be noted that they are practically at the Bridges To Babylon point in their career.
― You and Dad's Army? (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 11 September 2014 22:15 (nine years ago) link
with BTB the better album
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 11 September 2014 22:17 (nine years ago) link
Well, yeah.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 11 September 2014 22:20 (nine years ago) link
You'll never unmake a saint of Bono...
― You and Dad's Army? (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 11 September 2014 22:21 (nine years ago) link
over 20, have never liked U2 - basically because I thought the music was boring. In the 80s, I found them overbearing and WAY TOO MUCH on the radio. After that, I found them one of those brands you simply have no feeling for because, hey, it's a brand. I actually did think it was interesting when they started embracing dance music/electronics, but more in a conceptual way than actually enjoying most of what they did.
Anyway, I won't have to deal with this until I get a new laptop, but I think more disturbing than the fact iTunes would work with U2 like this (which really isn't that surprising, unless the files' undeletability is true), is the 5-star review. I don't read RS, and haven't in a while, but imo that kind of endorsement smacks of a fairly obvious promotional tie-in. Do you believe these people (RS) think they're doing good work, or are they resigned to know all of this is part of the business as a whole, justifying it by saying they are speaking to/for their audience? The remark above about wanting to believe someone really loves music that much -- yeah people actually do love music that much, but considering the reaction from most of the world apart from David Fricke and RS, it's hardly cynical to see something like that as part of a marketing plan.
― Dominique, Thursday, 11 September 2014 22:46 (nine years ago) link
how do people get themselves into situations where they are plagued by marketing campaigns?
― OutdoorFish, Thursday, 11 September 2014 23:10 (nine years ago) link
Those still holding regular reviewing gigs.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 11 September 2014 23:11 (nine years ago) link
sounds horrible
― OutdoorFish, Thursday, 11 September 2014 23:13 (nine years ago) link
This isn't in my iTunes or iPhone yet, what gives?
― 龜, Thursday, 11 September 2014 23:18 (nine years ago) link
I'm sorry, I haven't really been paying attention and am now skimming. Is this true? Surely not...
have you tried deleting it?― john wahey (NickB)You can't.― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn)
― john wahey (NickB)
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn)
― alpine static, Thursday, 11 September 2014 23:20 (nine years ago) link
yeah afaict the best you can do is hide it
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Friday, 12 September 2014 00:21 (nine years ago) link
https://twitter.com/AndyRichter/status/509701981053927424
― Stephen King's Threaderstarter (kingfish), Friday, 12 September 2014 00:39 (nine years ago) link
no 'soused,' that's for sure. albini should have 'recorded' this
― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 12 September 2014 22:32 (nine years ago) link
http://touch.dangerousminds.net/all/just_say_bo_no_mark_hosler_of_negativland_on_apples_u2rusion#1
― You and Dad's Army? (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 12 September 2014 23:59 (nine years ago) link
nice, I just saw Negativland a couple of weeks ago and was wondering what their take on this was
― sleeve, Saturday, 13 September 2014 03:02 (nine years ago) link
http://itunes.com/soi-remove
― Barry Gordy (Neil S), Monday, 15 September 2014 20:09 (nine years ago) link
http://i.imgur.com/1rpF20H.png
― Allen (etaeoe), Monday, 15 September 2014 20:16 (nine years ago) link
more like poo poo
― ienjoyhotdogs, Monday, 15 September 2014 20:30 (nine years ago) link
It should be noted that they are practically at the Bridges To Babylon point in their career.― You and Dad's Army? (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, September 11, 2014 3:15 PM (4 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― You and Dad's Army? (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, September 11, 2014 3:15 PM (4 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
In purely chronological terms, they're pretty much exactly at that point.
― Man, when I tell you she was cool, she was red hot, I mean she was (intheblanks), Monday, 15 September 2014 20:30 (nine years ago) link
Bono's as old as Mick was when Bridges to Babylon came out.
― Man, when I tell you she was cool, she was red hot, I mean she was (intheblanks), Monday, 15 September 2014 20:31 (nine years ago) link
he's aging better.
― piscesx, Monday, 15 September 2014 20:46 (nine years ago) link
Would love to see U2 enter a neon "Let's Work" period.
― the man with the black wigs (Eazy), Monday, 15 September 2014 20:55 (nine years ago) link
Fricke's review is the beginning of U2's Doodoo Lounge period:http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/doodoo-lounge/Content?oid=885084
as this state of affairs continues, reviewers will be forced to make finer and finer distinctions to keep describing records as better than the last one but not as good as Some Girls. Mathematically, this recurring loop can be demonstrated thusly, where Some Girls is given a value of 1, its successor, Emotional Rescue, is arbitrarily assigned half that value, and each succeeding album is assigned half the value of its predecessor plus the total of all the fractions before it:1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + 1/16 + 1/32 .While this progression is theoretically infinite, it may eventually strain the bounds of human journalism. It's possible reviewers will eventually agree that some future Stones album is better than Some Girls, and then compare it to the previous watershed, probably Exile on Main St. (As the quotations below demonstrate, this process may have already begun.) Exile will hold for a while, and then even earlier benchmarks (Beggar's Banquet, Aftermath) will be cited and then breeched. Finally, inevitably, England's Newest Hit Makers, the Stones' U.S. debut, will rise and ultimately fall in the face of their extraordinary continuing artistic growth. All of which can only mean one thing: the band's best work is ahead of them.
1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + 1/16 + 1/32 .
While this progression is theoretically infinite, it may eventually strain the bounds of human journalism. It's possible reviewers will eventually agree that some future Stones album is better than Some Girls, and then compare it to the previous watershed, probably Exile on Main St. (As the quotations below demonstrate, this process may have already begun.) Exile will hold for a while, and then even earlier benchmarks (Beggar's Banquet, Aftermath) will be cited and then breeched. Finally, inevitably, England's Newest Hit Makers, the Stones' U.S. debut, will rise and ultimately fall in the face of their extraordinary continuing artistic growth. All of which can only mean one thing: the band's best work is ahead of them.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Monday, 15 September 2014 22:10 (nine years ago) link
I feel like Eno should devise a series of Oblique Strategies exclusively for U2:
235. "Losing Your Edge"14. Record in a room filled with money. Then record the sound of just the money. Then delete that recording and burn the money. Then record that.72. Replace Larry with a machine. Then replace Adam and the Edge with a machine, too. Then replace Bono with a machine, but bring back the real Larry, Edge and Adam.875. Cut your hair like Macklemore.65. Wrap it in foil, stick it in the microwave, see what happens. 8777. Record an album in a week.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 00:05 (nine years ago) link
I feel like we can replace Eno with an Oblique Strategy.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 00:12 (nine years ago) link
Not really bothered about reading his U2 review or even listening to the album, but I'm just wondering... does David Fricke still have that haircut that makes his head look like the shape of the helmet of a penis?
― Welcome To (Turrican), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 00:24 (nine years ago) link
Would be funny if one of the rhythm section decided to do a Bill Berry at this point. Maybe funnier if they actually carried on
― Master of Treacle, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 00:25 (nine years ago) link
Xpost at least as of a Robyn Hitchcock concert in manhattan a few years back, yes he does still have that haircut
― Rand McNulty (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 00:35 (nine years ago) link
Fricke looks like a cross between Johnny Ramone and Skeletor.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 00:44 (nine years ago) link
http://www.programmingthenation.com/production_stills/David_Fricke.jpg"Five stars. You're welcome."
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 00:47 (nine years ago) link
(To be fair, he always seems like a nice guy, and he's one of the few older critics who still goes out to shows all the time.)
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 00:48 (nine years ago) link
Greates Marky Ramone tribute act ever
― Master of Treacle, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 00:59 (nine years ago) link
I dunno. Could also read that as the Greatest Tom Scholz tribute act ever.
― Elvis Telecom, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 04:36 (nine years ago) link
― Master of Treacle, Tuesday, September 16, 2014 12:25 AM (8 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I think U2 could quite comfortably carry on if Adam Clayton left. Maybe less so if Larry Mullen left.
― Welcome To (Turrican), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 09:01 (nine years ago) link
I think at this point they could carry on if they all left.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 13:33 (nine years ago) link
"Ladies and Gentlemen, HoloBono and the U2s!"
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 13:42 (nine years ago) link
We are all U2, that is why they are called U2.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 13:48 (nine years ago) link
this is not "No Line on the Horizon" by U2
Indeed!
― Mark G, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 15:20 (nine years ago) link
Anyway, I won't have to deal with this until I get a new laptop― Dominique, Thursday, September 11, 2014 5:46 PM (5 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
^i really love this, the new U2 album as something you're gonna have to man up and face someday, like death and taxes
― u2 removal machine (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 18:43 (nine years ago) link
I thought I'd lost my mind during the 'ba ba barbara, santa barbara' part
― Bitterer than Bitter (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 19:26 (nine years ago) link
does this album sound weird, or do iTunes files just sound bad?
― Bitterer than Bitter (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 19:41 (nine years ago) link
so when I download the latest version of itunes this is gonna be in my library?
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 19:49 (nine years ago) link
if you download it before Oct 13, yeah. I think so.
― Bitterer than Bitter (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 19:52 (nine years ago) link
― 💻 👀 (am0n), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 19:53 (nine years ago) link
ughhh it's on my ipod touch
― marcos, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 19:55 (nine years ago) link
Nelson Muntz should have been on the cover of this album, basically
― Bitterer than Bitter (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 19:56 (nine years ago) link
You can miss it if you have automatic downloads turned off in iTunes, I think.
― Malibu Stasi (WilliamC), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 19:58 (nine years ago) link
yeah I don't have that turned on (why would I want anything automatically from iTunes)
― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 20:00 (nine years ago) link
oh wait, there is a little cloud icon with an arrow, so i think it's in my library but i have to download it to get it? anyways this is so fucking stupid
― marcos, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 20:01 (nine years ago) link
It's on my wife's iPhone, she's never plugged it in to iTunes or ever synced it. It just appeared on her phone.
― nate woolls, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 20:01 (nine years ago) link
the album is now part of your default consciousness, and you only need to remember that you've heard it
― Bitterer than Bitter (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 20:04 (nine years ago) link
My new perspective on this is that U2 is the perfect musical equivalent of Apple, so if you own an Apple product and use iTunes, you deserve to have a new U2 forced on you and are not allowed to complain about it.
― Immediate Follower (NA), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 20:08 (nine years ago) link
complaining was cool last week. this week, it's cool to listen to the whole album and enjoy it.
― Bitterer than Bitter (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 20:13 (nine years ago) link
it sounds like it was recorded in a glass bottle, it's so airless/dead sounding
― difficult-difficult lemon-difficult (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 20:32 (nine years ago) link
That, my friend, will never be cool.
― OutdoorFish, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 20:57 (nine years ago) link
They should have given out Zooropa for free to help the global audience to one last chance to rediscover this gem and thus correct one of the great misjudgements in the history of human art.
― the european nikon is here (grauschleier), Tuesday, 16 September 2014 20:59 (nine years ago) link
http://www.whoisu2.com
― piscesx, Tuesday, 16 September 2014 22:46 (nine years ago) link
OTFM. It's amazing how many people I know (c. pre-nu-U2) like "everything but 'Zooropa," or got off the boat with "Zooropa." "Zooropa" is amazing. Even "Pop" is mostly good. I think what really bristles about this latest marketing gambit is that U2 is finally so rich and so powerful - which really didn't happen til the post nu-U2 era - that they can do whatever they want, and what they choose is ... whatever it takes to get more.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 00:16 (nine years ago) link
As a friend noted:
in the book 'U2 by U2', Bono says of The Unforgettable Fire, the band’s fourth album, “all we had to do was to keep doing what we were doing and we would have become the biggest band since Led Zeppelin.” And though Bono said they were “reapplying for the job of the best band in the world” in 2000 they have often substituted “biggest” for “best.”
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 00:23 (nine years ago) link
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/s720x720/10599301_10152707347799214_8572691908702938605_n.jpg?oh=ec8debc3b5711692bdd81e180ebb64e4&oe=548BA421&__gda__=1422905812_cb5edaff3d10e2e4cb47b9be0793102a
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 00:24 (nine years ago) link
Didn't realise Morten Harket was into U2 then. Subtle A-ha influence?
― Master of Treacle, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 01:00 (nine years ago) link
from the Torygraph
The Irish band’s 19-album back catalogue sold 6,744 copies in the last week ...based on data from then Official Charts Company. That compares with 697 sales the previous week. Almost all of the extra sales were digital downloads, with fewer than 60 U2 albums sold on the high street.
― piscesx, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 01:26 (nine years ago) link
well there is the beautiful day / sun always shines on tv thing so... xp
― john wahey (NickB), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 04:50 (nine years ago) link
nobody that likes their own music would behave in such a way
― OutdoorFish, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 06:27 (nine years ago) link
I know that the internet is filled within whining whiners who like to whine but all the complaining about a free album irritated me to no end. (I guess I am whining about this... Whatever.)
I got the album on my computer, listened once and (apparently unlike everyone else) had zero problem making it go away once I realized it was boring and I'd never listen to it again.
― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 07:26 (nine years ago) link
Yeah it's kind of incredible. I don't like it but I dunno I'll probably keep it just for shits & giggles
― u2 removal machine (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 12:54 (nine years ago) link
Not feeling the album so much, it's probs my least fave of theirs from what I can tell (disappointing bc NLOTH was really good and has some epic U2 jams) but it's an amazing troll effort.
― LIKE If you are against racism (omar little), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 14:16 (nine years ago) link
hey look, free albumdog shit i threw into your front window! i think it's a useful case of tech company overreach because the intrusion is more personal. if you don't think tech is monitoring and selling everything it can around "you" to the highest bidder or you're ok with it because oh em gee it's so cool there's nothing to say really. it isn't about the thickness of u2 "the band" that makes "rock music" it's about the truthiness of this band being applied to current "benevolent" consumer ideology which relies on the maxim that you can't be ungrateful for or criticize something if it's free.
― mattresslessness, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 15:53 (nine years ago) link
Very well put. That is one major aspect why I think it is odd some people find all the upheaval odd.
But the second one is the tech side - or rather, ethical side - of it: Apple showed a complete disrespect to its users personal digital space. Just days after the news broke that dozens of accounts had been compromised and had their private photos stolen, here comes Apple flipping you the finger, saying: "You know what? We can do it the other way around too! We'll put something in your personal cloud, something you didn't ask for, without your consent, and something you can't get rid of! And we'll break it to all our users as if they won the fucking lottery, haha!"
If you don't understand why people take issue with that, then I don't know what to tell you.
― ambient yacht god (Le Bateau Ivre), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 16:15 (nine years ago) link
It's not a 'free album'. It's an album that is rammed down your throat. A real free album would be: go to apple.com/U2 and click download, and presto, you have a free album! It can only be a free album if you have the choice to grab it or not. I don't care if people see this as anal or nitpicking. I didn't ask for a fucking U2 album being buried in my iCloud, taking up space, unable (at the time) to get rid of.
― ambient yacht god (Le Bateau Ivre), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 16:17 (nine years ago) link
I get shit sent to me or pushed from Apple and a dozen other companies all the time. Apps on my machines, icons that pop up, things that disappear, new OS that supplants the old OS but does a worse job, etc. There are a dozen things I have no control over that Apple (and google and facebook and others) are changing or pushing or adding or taking away all the time. I think of the new U2 album no differently than I think of Apple maps or whatever, just another shitty app I won't use. If Apple really fucked up it's in not forcing people to listen to it from start to finish the first time their new iPhones are booted up.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 16:26 (nine years ago) link
For a company struggling to uphold that iCloud is secure to use for your private things, opening it up themselves and shitting a new U2 album in it is the dumbest thing to do. It is not the same as apps who push you stuff about software updates or whatever.
― ambient yacht god (Le Bateau Ivre), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 16:30 (nine years ago) link
But aren't google, facebook, apple et al. constantly invading your privacy? Or threatening to? Or doing so without you even knowing it? They all have equally onerous terms of service. They know where you are, they know what you look at on the web, they send you targeted ads, etc.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 16:32 (nine years ago) link
I do admit the timing was absolutely terrible, in terms of doing this right after the iCloud was breached (though not hacked, Apple is quick to note!). Would have been perfect if there were Bono nudes in there.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 16:33 (nine years ago) link
if facebook automatically friended everyone with bono, would you be okay with that?
― john wahey (NickB), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 16:34 (nine years ago) link
Yeah, I think Josh in Chicago is otm here in general. But with that said, I feel like it's usually some seemingly random thing that triggers public outrage about long-running, deep-seated issues. So even if it's kind of a trivial tip-of-the-iceberg, I feel like that's usually how these things go.
― Man, when I tell you she was cool, she was red hot, I mean she was (intheblanks), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 16:37 (nine years ago) link
Bono owns 2.3% of Facebook. We are definitely all his friends.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 16:41 (nine years ago) link
it's not really invasion of privacy imo it's reconstitution of it along useful lines, like it was always a fuzzy concept to begin with, maybe important because it helped capitalism to happen, now it needs to be marshalled in a new way that tech is still figuring out how to do palatably, people will go along with it in the name of efficiency relevance and new market economics but when it starts to fuck with their moral emotional aesthetic sense of themselves that's when it goes too far and they get creeped out by this sense of being diffuse and subject to the control of obscure forces as if they ever aren't.
― mattresslessness, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 16:55 (nine years ago) link
…which is why I can totally see why Apple didn't see this as a dumb move. It's hard to predict the things people will get outraged about, especially when there's all manner of "data-sharing" going on, both at the corporate level but also users willingly sharing their info.
― Man, when I tell you she was cool, she was red hot, I mean she was (intheblanks), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 16:57 (nine years ago) link
Doesn't seem that hard to me: U2 shows up in my phone shuffle, and I hate them, so fuck you Apple and U2. The fact Apple had to enact a fix just to let me get rid of the songs = album is worse than spam. The thought process that just because it was free means I have no right to complain about it, or even be grateful, is very typical of large corporations. They have an agenda, they push it, they deal with the consequences later (presumably after the money has been made). In this case, it looks like even Apple/U2 knows they screwed up.
― Dominique, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 17:04 (nine years ago) link
they deal with the consequences later (presumably after the money has been made)
i.e. there are no consequences
― mattresslessness, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 17:06 (nine years ago) link
i mean there's recalibration sure via the wrong people getting punished.
― mattresslessness, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 17:08 (nine years ago) link
from their perspective, none that matter nearly as much -- theoretical consequences like customer satisfaction, reputational loss don't usually stand in the way of big initiatives
― Dominique, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 17:10 (nine years ago) link
oh my god you guys, U2 are on my spotify!
― Bitterer than Bitter (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 17:13 (nine years ago) link
NO ESCAPE
― sleeve, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 17:15 (nine years ago) link
they on my rdio, too!
― Bitterer than Bitter (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 17:17 (nine years ago) link
they missed a trick IMO by not forcing this onto our devices & computers in Apple Lossless so that ppl who were making out their storage could be really fucked
― arthur treacher, or the fall of the british empire (Jon Lewis), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 18:07 (nine years ago) link
U2 and Apple have beat us at our own game. In fact, their bravery has made us re-evaluate our position towards capitalism.
To reflect our admiration we are transitioning into a profit-based entity.
From now on, all future Banaka posts will cost $5 US or the equivalent in the currency of your choice (we accept Bitcoin!) to view. All previous posts before this date should be considered advertisements.
In addition to single Banaka posts we have several other exciting options for the consumer:
Banakafied (tm) - This revolutionary new subscription service allows users access to all Banaka posts past and present. Pricing plans are as follows: $20 per month and $250 per year.
The Banakapp (free): this is a free app for iOS and Android users to view all previous (up until 9/17/2014) Banaka posts at their leisure.
Banakapp Plus ($10): the standard app plus full access to the Banaka wiki and a "Banaka Quote of the Day" feature. Users with a subscription to our Banakafied (tm) service can use the app to view future posts as well as receive alerts when new posts are made.
The Banaka Power Pack ($300): this incredible deal includes Banakapp Plus, a full year's subscription to Banakafied (tm), a limited-edition Banaka t-shirt, a thermal mug, and a $25 Bed Bath & Beyond gift certificate.
― Banaka™ (banaka), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 18:31 (nine years ago) link
Of course, all options come pre-installed with the love and care that has become synonymous with the Banaka brand.
― Banaka™ (banaka), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 18:32 (nine years ago) link
<3_<3
― mattresslessness, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 18:33 (nine years ago) link
How much to not get another U2 album?
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 18:43 (nine years ago) link
applause xxp
― sleeve, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 18:49 (nine years ago) link
I knew I bookmarked this thread for a reason
― Dokken played here for a Ribfest and people were total assholes (Sparkle Motion), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 18:53 (nine years ago) link
BanakaMouse
― Bitterer than Bitter (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 19:04 (nine years ago) link
banaka my house
― plax (ico), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 19:20 (nine years ago) link
Let's be honest if it wasn't U2 and it wasn't shit even by their shitty standards, it wouldn't have pissed people off half as much.
― OutdoorFish, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 20:49 (nine years ago) link
Apple are proud to team up with Guns n' Roses
― Bitterer than Bitter (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 21:15 (nine years ago) link
Dunno. If Vampire Weekend had done this, 95% of the world would have gone 'huh?', but those final five percent would have been FURIOUS.
― Frederik B, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 21:47 (nine years ago) link
I think it would have gone down badly (if not as widely publicized) for any band because you couldn't initially get rid of the files. I think it would have been fine for U2 had they just given users the option of downloading the thing, instead of attaching it to their libraries, borg-style. In a way, they're trailblazers in this, because they taught every other band what NOT to do.
― Dominique, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 21:52 (nine years ago) link
loving everybody acting like extended family at christmas - "good lord, your nice cloud provider buys you a u2 album and all you can do is complain. you should be nicer to that conglomerate, or maybe next time they won't buy you anything."
― da croupier, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 21:57 (nine years ago) link
why u hurt apple's feelings
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 21:59 (nine years ago) link
They should've force fed the world a new Dr. Dre album. They already bought Dre anyway iirc.
― ambient yacht god (Le Bateau Ivre), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 22:05 (nine years ago) link
I thought you could get rid of the files, but you just couldn't get rid of the 'purchased' label?
― Bitterer than Bitter (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 22:05 (nine years ago) link
― ambient yacht god (Le Bateau Ivre
nah forget about Dre
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 22:08 (nine years ago) link
Show some respect Alfred, he is - after all - still D.R.E.
― ambient yacht god (Le Bateau Ivre), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 22:18 (nine years ago) link
re: “it isn’t a big deal—”
Apple isn’t Google or Facebook. 83-92% of Google’s revenue is advertising. Likewise, 88-94% of Facebook’s revenue is advertising. Less than 4% of Apple’s revenue is advertising. You can’t compare Apple with Google and Facebook when discussing privacy issues. They have completely different incentives.
― Allen (etaeoe), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 22:36 (nine years ago) link
I guess it is now back to Metallica's turn to do something so publicly obnoxious that people find even more reasons to hate the band, since Kiss, Kanye and U2 have had their say for this quarter.
― earlnash, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 22:44 (nine years ago) link
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/metallica-to-issue-27-live-albums-by-end-of-2014-20140917
― da croupier, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 22:55 (nine years ago) link
In other Metallica news, the band recently set a Guinness World Record for touring, earning the distinction of being the first group to play all seven continents. "Seven continents in one year with Antarctica being the gig of a lifetime...." Frontman James Hetfield said in a statement earlier this month. "Yes, 120 scientists and competition winners. Not to mention the 300 very curious penguins!"
― da croupier, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 22:57 (nine years ago) link
The Rose Programming LanguageLanguage ReferenceRust language constructs have a very direct mapping to machine operations, and Rust has no required runtime or external dependencies.SyntaxComments # …Multi-line comment /* * … */Nested comment /* * /* * * … * */ */Literals
Type systemType inferenceType signatureA type signature specifies an expression’s type. : typeUsage point: (Integer, Integer) ← (3, 2);point is specified to have the product type (Integer, Integer). subroutine increment(a: Integer) → Integer { … }The parameter a to the function someFunction is specified to have the type Int.TypesBottom typeThe bottom type is valueless. It’s the foundation of the type hierarchy.⊥Composite type Composite { name1: type1, …, namen: typen } name;Function type type → typeOption type type?Primitive data typeBasic typeArrayAn array is an indexed collection of elements. ⟨size × type⟩BooleanCharacterFloating pointIntegerStringProduct typeA product type is the product of other types. (type1, …, typen)Unit typeThe unit type is the type whose value is the unit type. ()Tagged union Union { name1: type1, …, namen: typen } name;Top typeThe top type is the type system’s universal type. It’s the peak of the type hierarchy. ⊤ExpressionsArithmetic expression1 + expression2 expression1 − expression2 expression1 × expression2 expression1 ÷ expression2Assignmentexpression ← valueBitwise operationBit shiftsConstantArray ⟨expression1, …, expressionn⟩Usage fruit ← ⟨“apple”, “banana”, “orange”⟩BooleanCharacter ‘…’Floating point 100,000,000.000000001Integer 100,000,000String “…”Relational operator expression1 = expression2 expression1 ≠ expression2 expression1 > expression2 expression1 ≥ expression2 expression1 ≤ expression2Type conversionCall name(arguments)Closure (parameters) → type { statement1, …, statementn return }Interval expression, …, expressionIterationIteratorfor (pattern in expression) { statement1, …, statementn }While loopwhile (expression) { statement1, …, statementn }Selection expressionexpressionTuples (expression1, …, expressionn)
Pattern matchingConstant constant patternExpression expressionIdentifier identifierTuple (pattern1, …, patternn)Wildcard _StatementsA statement is a component of a block.if (pattern) { statement1, …, statementn } else { statement1, …, statementn }switch (expression) { case pattern: statement1, …, statementn default: statement1, …, statementn }Return statement return expression;
iRant—
I don’t think it’s a privacy issue. But it was stupid.
My impression is that middle-managers have wrecked Internet Software and Services—the unit behind iTunes and the iTunes Music Store.While the other teams, Software and Hardware Engineering, exist without management and retain strong engineers, Internet Software and Services hasn’t. Because they’ve been unable to foster a productive engineering culture, product management was introduced. It’s a mess.
Internet Services e.g. the App Store, iTunes and the iTunes Music Store, and Maps, should encourage culture, but they’ve become a wasteland of miss-matched priorities and technology that’s been adopted and abandoned. Apple Pay, iAds, and Messages share resources and priorities—that’s fucked up. And it’s unnecessary.
If Apple spun-out iTunes and the iTunes Music Store from Internet Software and Services, staffed it with engineers who are passionate about the product and music, and treated the unit as an equal to the other three groups, it never would’ve happened. No one would’ve said “Hey, wouldn’t it be cool if we downloaded a new U2 album onto everyone’s Mac, iPhone, and iPad?” It was dumb decision made by people disinterested in their product and especially disinterested in music.
Blah, blah, blah …
― Allen (etaeoe), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 23:01 (nine years ago) link
LOL. Oops.
― Allen (etaeoe), Wednesday, 17 September 2014 23:02 (nine years ago) link
nah, otm
― imago, Wednesday, 17 September 2014 23:03 (nine years ago) link
xxxposts but framing it as a privacy issue and pointing out that one well-dressed Facebook already knows where you're hiding just seems deliberately obtuse.
It's not about "privacy," it's about the illusion of control of my digital living room. Like it's fine if Spotify wants to recommend the shit out of Iggy Azalea but if you drop her into my favorites and make her unremoveable you've gone too far without compromising my privacy in any way.
It's a clumsy overreach on apple's part at a time when the optics on reminding us that the landlord can enter our cloud spaces and rearrange the furniture are particularly poor.
It's lol that it's U2 and whatever but that's really beside the point.
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Thursday, 18 September 2014 01:40 (nine years ago) link
Apple should really do commercials based on this, just run with it comedically, like you get home from a long day at work and iggy azalea or U2 or biebs or vampire weekend is just chilling in your living room, eating a bag of chips or whatever.
― LIKE If you are against racism (omar little), Thursday, 18 September 2014 02:29 (nine years ago) link
I downloaded the album to my device today. I didn't realize that I was only streaming it before. So apple invaded my digital space with a few 10s of kBs of metadata.
― fruit ← ⟨“apple”, “banana”, “orange”⟩ (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 18 September 2014 02:50 (nine years ago) link
hey look, free dog shit i threw into your front window!
― Loud guitars shit all over "Bette Davis Eyes" (NYCNative), Thursday, 18 September 2014 02:51 (nine years ago) link
Would have made so much more sense to put it on the iTunes store for $0.00.
And yeah, I'm going 100% McLuhan because the medium is definitely dictating this message. If it's just going to be a free iTunes download, why even bother making an effort. Like everyone else, it feels like they procrastinated until the night before and then pulled an all-nighter. World peace or else indeed - sucker.
― Elvis Telecom, Thursday, 18 September 2014 03:18 (nine years ago) link
Were the files put on your hard drive?
― brotherlovesdub, Thursday, 18 September 2014 03:24 (nine years ago) link
people must be really pissed when they receive email attachments
― fruit ← ⟨“apple”, “banana”, “orange”⟩ (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 18 September 2014 03:45 (nine years ago) link
Nope. I was genuinely curious to hear the new U2 album. Too bad that it feels like a b-side comp.
― Elvis Telecom, Thursday, 18 September 2014 03:49 (nine years ago) link
'Raised by Wolves' is a jam
― fruit ← ⟨“apple”, “banana”, “orange”⟩ (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 18 September 2014 03:53 (nine years ago) link
I hate how 'This is Where You Can Reach Me Now' sounds like every Danger Mouse produced track ever, though.
― fruit ← ⟨“apple”, “banana”, “orange”⟩ (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 18 September 2014 03:55 (nine years ago) link
Oh, great. Now they also want to make their own Pono.
http://time.com/3393297/u2-apple-new-digital-format/
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 18 September 2014 12:13 (nine years ago) link
I love how the final three paragraphs are nothing but a dull financial report with a bit of gloss, but my favorite moment is this pathetic paranthetical:
(It bears repetition: many, many people really, really like U2.)
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 18 September 2014 12:32 (nine years ago) link
Oh it turns out it's an audiovisual format. BOUND TO SUCCEED.
http://consequenceofsound.net/2014/09/u2-and-apple-working-on-new-digital-format-that-will-tempt-people-into-buying-music-again/
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 18 September 2014 13:25 (nine years ago) link
It depended on the user’s iTunes Match configuration. It automatically downloaded on my Macs.
― fruit ← ⟨“apple”, “banana”, “orange”⟩ (Sufjan Grafton)
LOL
― Allen (etaeoe), Thursday, 18 September 2014 13:50 (nine years ago) link
speaking of bad analogies:
“It’s like everyone’s vomiting whatever their first impression is,” said Clayton at one point.
― katherine, Thursday, 18 September 2014 14:59 (nine years ago) link
"Ooh, Betty! Bleurgh!"
― Mark G, Thursday, 18 September 2014 15:03 (nine years ago) link
oh man just wait until people start vomiting their fully formed opinionsx-post
― willem, Thursday, 18 September 2014 15:05 (nine years ago) link
I'm in a baja fresh right now that is only playing u2. Is this supposed to be part of the push?
― how's life, Thursday, 18 September 2014 15:53 (nine years ago) link
The TroubbllLLARGGGHHH
― arthur treacher, or the fall of the british empire (Jon Lewis), Thursday, 18 September 2014 16:04 (nine years ago) link
just saw their new ad where they rock out to "the miracle of joey ramone" in vibrant colors while images of patti smith and joey and the clash etc appear in their hearts
Everyone who's being obnoxiously zen about any aspect of this campaign needs to go bake themselves a cookie cuz no one's going to give them one
― da croupier, Thursday, 18 September 2014 16:05 (nine years ago) link
"i for one took in stride when u2 appeared in my itunes" tell apple they'll appreciate it
― da croupier, Thursday, 18 September 2014 16:06 (nine years ago) link
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BxxHCYDIMAEWiLd.jpg
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 18 September 2014 16:11 (nine years ago) link
u gonna get the new U2
― LIKE If you are against racism (omar little), Thursday, 18 September 2014 16:14 (nine years ago) link
was about to vent about how these guys are managing to make the '90s stones look humble and unostentatious but to be fair the stones didn't have the ability to do much more than traipse around the TV and play stadiums, who knows what kind of campaign Bridges to Babylon would have had in our brave new world
― da croupier, Thursday, 18 September 2014 16:16 (nine years ago) link
the ad in question
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXJz3C12bWs
i was at an extended family gathering back when u2's "vertigo" ipod ad was on tv and some xtian music-loving relatives who knew i was writing rock reviews saw it and said "is this the kind of music you write about?"
can't believe it's been ten years
― da croupier, Thursday, 18 September 2014 16:21 (nine years ago) link
is this the kind of music you post angrily on the internet about
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 18 September 2014 16:23 (nine years ago) link
and ¡quatorze! years since "Beautiful Day"
― some dude, Thursday, 18 September 2014 16:23 (nine years ago) link
I knew some born again xtians in wisconsin who hopped off the U2 train around the time of the achtung baby tour bc shit was getting a bit profane. Macphisto really messed them up. They were all pretty happy with "all that you can't leave behind" tho.
― LIKE If you are against racism (omar little), Thursday, 18 September 2014 16:25 (nine years ago) link
yeah i'm sure these guys would have dug "walk on" or whatever, but "vertigo" was definitely too in-yo-face for them
― da croupier, Thursday, 18 September 2014 16:27 (nine years ago) link
whether that ad is an "alternative rock is dead" moment or a "u2 dug up alternative rock's corpse, fucked it and left it out in the rain" moment it definitely belongs on the timeline
― da croupier, Thursday, 18 September 2014 16:30 (nine years ago) link
― LIKE If you are against racism (omar little), Thursday, September 18, 2014 12:14 PM (16 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― marcos, Thursday, 18 September 2014 16:31 (nine years ago) link
My Baja Fresh visit earlier, the playlist included Sunday Bloody Sunday, (something I can't remember), Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of, One, and then circled back to Sunday Bloody Sunday. I was basically like, "guess I won't stick around and polish off these chips".
― how's life, Thursday, 18 September 2014 16:31 (nine years ago) link
could just be the manager's ipod classic
― da croupier, Thursday, 18 September 2014 16:31 (nine years ago) link
― fruit ← ⟨“apple”, “banana”, “orange”⟩ (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, September 17, 2014 10:55 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Is this the one that sounds exactly like "Come Undone"?
― Immediate Follower (NA), Thursday, 18 September 2014 16:49 (nine years ago) link
who invented the phrase 'Raised By Wolves'? feels like it must have been Izzard in that sketch from around 1992/93. i know it's been the name of a Caitlin Moran-penned TV series since then too but i assumed she was just nicking it from him.
― piscesx, Thursday, 18 September 2014 17:08 (nine years ago) link
xp I don't think so. it's the one with the theremin synth that danger man puts on every album he produces
― fruit ← ⟨“apple”, “banana”, “orange”⟩ (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 18 September 2014 17:12 (nine years ago) link
it kinda sounds like the black keys
― fruit ← ⟨“apple”, “banana”, “orange”⟩ (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 18 September 2014 17:14 (nine years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi_H1XBnPu0
― Sir Lord Baltimora (Myonga Vön Bontee), Thursday, 18 September 2014 17:15 (nine years ago) link
feels like it must have been Izzard in that sketch from around 1992/93
this phrase is super old
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 18 September 2014 17:16 (nine years ago) link
can't tell if serious
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Thursday, 18 September 2014 17:16 (nine years ago) link
that U2 ad pisses old people off...kinda like Joey Ramone. I see what they're doing.
― fruit ← ⟨“apple”, “banana”, “orange”⟩ (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 18 September 2014 17:25 (nine years ago) link
oh yeah i'm sure the kids love it
― da croupier, Thursday, 18 September 2014 17:52 (nine years ago) link
Another hour, another PR victory!
“The punk rock thing to do is annoy people and get in their faces...If people have a problem with the way we released the album, I’m sure they’ve read about it online.”
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 18 September 2014 18:16 (nine years ago) link
fuckin step up and take a swing at bono! he's in u face! he wants you to (U2)!
― fruit ← ⟨“apple”, “banana”, “orange”⟩ (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 18 September 2014 18:18 (nine years ago) link
all up in yo shit, the fly in your free ointment, he's almost as punk as google+
― da croupier, Thursday, 18 September 2014 18:25 (nine years ago) link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romulus_and_Remus
― rushomancy, Thursday, 18 September 2014 20:20 (nine years ago) link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mowgli
― fruit ← ⟨“apple”, “banana”, “orange”⟩ (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 18 September 2014 20:36 (nine years ago) link
Prepare to buy the White Album... Again
― ambient yacht god (Le Bateau Ivre), Thursday, 18 September 2014 22:09 (nine years ago) link
U2's corporate connections:http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/07/18/after-tough-years-elevation-partners-profits-on-sale-of-forbes-media/http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/05/28/in-search-of-star-power-fender-enlists-members-of-u2/
― Elvis Telecom, Thursday, 18 September 2014 23:30 (nine years ago) link
marie antoinette was so punk rock
― ILX preorders SPYRO for Playstation (Sufjan Grafton), Friday, 19 September 2014 00:40 (nine years ago) link
'let them listen to cake!' she said, and then everyone had 'The Distance' on their phones.
― ILX preorders SPYRO for Playstation (Sufjan Grafton), Friday, 19 September 2014 00:41 (nine years ago) link
'california, i've seen for myself, there's no end to Greece' - Bono predicts to the rest of the board in California that Greece will remain solvent
― ILX preorders SPYRO for Playstation (Sufjan Grafton), Friday, 19 September 2014 02:00 (nine years ago) link
No, it's "Grease", it'll be a school production staple for ever!
(full disclosure, Alice has auditioned, will report back)
― Mark G, Friday, 19 September 2014 08:56 (nine years ago) link
"California" keeps getting stuck in my head and then turning into Prefab Sprout's "Cars and Girls"
― goodoldneon, Saturday, 20 September 2014 15:35 (nine years ago) link
http://la.curbed.com/archives/2014/09/u2s_the_edge_could_be_allowed_to_build_fivemansion_clifftop_compound_in_malibu_1.php
One thing we know about U2 in 204 is that they do not care what anyone else wants. They do not care if you want their album, they are going to make you have it, and guitarist The Edge does not care if you want his mansion development on your untouched coastal land, he is going to do whatever it takes to build it. The Edge, aka David Evans, has been trying to build five "eco-friendly" houses—including one for himself—off of Sweetwater Mesa Road in the Santa Monica Mountains since 2006 and, after years of kinda-shady machinations, has gotten the support of the California Coastal Commission staff (they've recommended the CCC approve the project at its meeting in early October, with a few changes).The Edge submitted plans for the five houses separately, under separate names, which CCC staff originally took as an attempt to skirt environmental rules, according to the LA Times. They also found that the project "would scar a steep, undeveloped ridgeline visible from much of the coastline, cause extensive geological disturbance and destroy environmentally sensitive native vegetation." A few months later, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy suddenly switched their stance on the development from con to neutral after The Edge gave them $750,000 in cash, $250,000 worth of work by a consultant, and 97 acres of land for conservation. Then, in 2012, The Edge's "extensive team" started lobbying for a pro-development, anti-environment state bill that would've helped clear the way for the project. After passing the Assembly, it was rejected by the Senate.Finally The Edge tried just making the plans more acceptable. Following a year of negotiations with the CCC, the path has been clearcut for a modified version of the 151-acre development; the size has been slightly reduced and plans call for less grading of the hillside; some of the houses are also shorter and together they'll be placed lower on the ridge, so they won't be as visible from below. The five houses range from 8,786 to 14,980 square feet and would be accompanied by a new 20-foot-wide access road.
The Edge submitted plans for the five houses separately, under separate names, which CCC staff originally took as an attempt to skirt environmental rules, according to the LA Times. They also found that the project "would scar a steep, undeveloped ridgeline visible from much of the coastline, cause extensive geological disturbance and destroy environmentally sensitive native vegetation." A few months later, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy suddenly switched their stance on the development from con to neutral after The Edge gave them $750,000 in cash, $250,000 worth of work by a consultant, and 97 acres of land for conservation. Then, in 2012, The Edge's "extensive team" started lobbying for a pro-development, anti-environment state bill that would've helped clear the way for the project. After passing the Assembly, it was rejected by the Senate.
Finally The Edge tried just making the plans more acceptable. Following a year of negotiations with the CCC, the path has been clearcut for a modified version of the 151-acre development; the size has been slightly reduced and plans call for less grading of the hillside; some of the houses are also shorter and together they'll be placed lower on the ridge, so they won't be as visible from below. The five houses range from 8,786 to 14,980 square feet and would be accompanied by a new 20-foot-wide access road.
― Elvis Telecom, Tuesday, 23 September 2014 05:03 (nine years ago) link
the edge on the ledge
― ILX preorders SPYRO for Playstation (Sufjan Grafton), Tuesday, 23 September 2014 05:29 (nine years ago) link
blueprint of the tunnels underneath the five houses:
http://www.lds-temple.net/6a00ccff9823bf6ea501101675fe6c860d-500pi.png
― da croupier, Tuesday, 23 September 2014 06:00 (nine years ago) link
― how's life, Thursday, September 18, 2014 12:31 PM (5 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
always go for the chips first, the salsa bar's better than the burritos anyway
― linda cardellini (zachlyon), Tuesday, 23 September 2014 06:15 (nine years ago) link
anyway yeah i have no idea how i didn't want to punch them all in the nuts and also the face many many many times in 2002 or whenever the atom bomb album came out. i was 14 and totally into select 80s singles but still, they're essentially the same band now but they've become literally the most punchable group of human beings in existence. whatever they were in the 80s when they had mullets, they're different now, they're inhabited by some other species, i don't wanna say aliens or demons or ghosts or w/e because that's all way too nice, i really need to convey that they are constructed from some sort of compounded anal leakage or like a combination of things used in the second round of fear factor. just seeing bono's face trying to squirm out of his head makes me fearful. how did i ever not want to punch them? but i'm scared.
i still don't know what the other two guys look like
― linda cardellini (zachlyon), Tuesday, 23 September 2014 06:21 (nine years ago) link
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/12/u2-job-art-divisive-interview
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 12 October 2014 19:12 (nine years ago) link
"art"
― definite classic, predicting a solid 8/10 from the p-fork boys (Le Bateau Ivre), Sunday, 12 October 2014 19:25 (nine years ago) link
I've liked waaaaay more from this band than I have ever liked, but this image makes me hate everything about them retroactively:
http://cdn.u2.com/non_secure/images/20150201/news/ie_bed_logo_9002/large.jpg
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 4 February 2015 04:18 (nine years ago) link
Who's the dude on the left?
― kurt kobaïan (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 4 February 2015 04:35 (nine years ago) link
beaker
― don't ask me why i posted this (electricsound), Wednesday, 4 February 2015 05:39 (nine years ago) link
no it's ridge from Bold & the Beautiful iirc
― difficult-difficult lemon-difficult (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 4 February 2015 05:40 (nine years ago) link
http://htmlgiant.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/bob-carol-ted-alice-1969-2.jpg
― salthigh, Wednesday, 4 February 2015 06:08 (nine years ago) link
Classic, for their heavy influence on Minor Threat
― Poliopolice, Wednesday, 4 February 2015 08:12 (nine years ago) link
ghastly though that image is, it's somehow nice to have it confirmed that the edge even wears his hat in bed
― let me be your fan taytay (NickB), Wednesday, 4 February 2015 09:53 (nine years ago) link
jim jarmusch looking kinda sheepish on the left there
― bizarro gazzara, Wednesday, 4 February 2015 09:56 (nine years ago) link
Didn't know Michael Des Barres had joined up
― Elvis Telecom, Wednesday, 4 February 2015 09:59 (nine years ago) link
Kevin Bacon in there on the left, too, closing the circle even tighter.
Love how these are lifelong pals, parents, bandmates, and yet in the photo they look awkwardly arranged like adolescent boys, tilting this way and that so as not to accidentally touch one another and turn gay. The Edge is doing that trademark immature kid "my head is over here but my butt is wayyy over there, thankyouverymuch" pose.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 4 February 2015 14:29 (nine years ago) link
I'm surprised they're not posed head to toe to avoid gay contamination.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 4 February 2015 14:31 (nine years ago) link
The amount of plastic surgery in the photo is horrifying
― Poliopolice, Thursday, 5 February 2015 06:53 (nine years ago) link
Larry, I think it's time we had a talk about buttons on shirts and what they do
― difficult-difficult lemon-difficult (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 5 February 2015 15:25 (nine years ago) link
http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/Larry%20at%20Graceland%20aug%2016.jpg
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 5 February 2015 15:51 (nine years ago) link
aka, Bernard Sumner visits Ian Curtis's grave in 1981.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 5 February 2015 16:05 (nine years ago) link
LOL if that was what Curtis's grave looked like.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 5 February 2015 16:06 (nine years ago) link
Give it time.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 5 February 2015 16:08 (nine years ago) link
does he have a walkie talkie up his ass
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 5 February 2015 16:09 (nine years ago) link
eheh, Clayton looks like a mix between jarmush, jim carrey and southpark (edge has a southpark vibe too).great wtf pic anyway !
― AlXTC from Paris, Thursday, 5 February 2015 16:17 (nine years ago) link
too much perspective
― Ratt in Mi Kitchen (Neil S), Thursday, 5 February 2015 16:23 (nine years ago) link
I wonder how this picture got the OK from all the parties involved !
― AlXTC from Paris, Thursday, 5 February 2015 16:25 (nine years ago) link
― Ratt in Mi Kitchen (Neil S), Thursday, February 5, 2015 10:23 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
lol top 10 line in cinema history imo
― kurt kobaïan (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 5 February 2015 19:15 (nine years ago) link
so weird that college students today must see these guys the way i saw bridges to babylon-era stones.
― da croupier, Thursday, 5 February 2015 19:33 (nine years ago) link
with dangermouse as the dust brothers
― da croupier, Thursday, 5 February 2015 19:34 (nine years ago) link
I pretty much see U2 that way now.
― EveningStar (Sund4r), Thursday, 5 February 2015 19:54 (nine years ago) link
still would love to see them from a relative distance later this year, but i doubt i will make the early wake up call tomorrow required to get the seats of interest.
― mark e, Thursday, 5 February 2015 20:14 (nine years ago) link
Larry and Adam both look so incredibly Weekend At Bernie's that I'm questioning if they really did die last year & I forgot
― difficult-difficult lemon-difficult (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 6 February 2015 02:21 (nine years ago) link
Show me some men who look like old lesbians!
― bit of a singles monster (Eazy), Friday, 6 February 2015 02:30 (nine years ago) link
i got tix to see these old chaps in a couple months. good to see bono's upper body is unbroken enough that he can sing. i actually like the new album a lot. shame abt the release though.
― LIKE If you are against racism (omar little), Friday, 6 February 2015 02:35 (nine years ago) link
http://www.sketchoholic.com/uploads/userfiles/16639/793e256931_Edge__U2.jpg
― brimstead, Friday, 6 February 2015 05:59 (nine years ago) link
http://www.progarchives.com/progressive_rock_discography_covers/191/cover_493961992009.jpg
― ArchCarrier, Friday, 6 February 2015 09:35 (nine years ago) link
U2 played a KROQ show at the World Famous Roxy on Sunset last night.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-u2-500-fans-roxy-20150529-story.html
By Gerrick D. Kennedy contact the reporter
http://www.trbimg.com/img-5568bdec/turbine/u2-rare-club/1550/1550x872
U2's hottest ticket wasn't the Forum, it was at the tiny Roxy Theatre
“I’ve got to catch my breath,” Bono said after ripping through “Vertigo” during U2’s tiny club gig at the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood on Thursday night.
It was a rare break in the tight, hourlong show, and the frontman had rightfully earned his brief reprieve.
In the 45 minutes leading to this moment, the superstar Irish rockers had already moved through an exhilarating set that saw the band rip through some of their earliest tunes and a few of their defining smashes for just 500 fans.
With Thursday’s show, U2 were making good on their promise to make up for pulling out of KROQ’s Almost Acoustic Christmas in December after its frontman was injured in a bike accident weeks before.
The special show -- tickets were given to contest winners -- came during a whirlwind week for the rock band.
U2’s latest high-tech, high-concept spectacle, the Innocence + Experience Tour, launched a five-night stint at the Forum on Tuesday and the band’s longtime tour manager Dennis Sheehan died of a massive heart attack in L.A. the morning after its first Forum gig.
Tursday’s show was as much about looking back and thrilling fans with a once-in-a-lifetime experience as it was about paying tribute to their fallen comrade.
Opening with “The Ocean” from its 1980 debut “Boy,” Bono & Co. leaned heavily on older cuts -- and the crowd, literally -- for the show.
Thurday's show was crafted for diehard fans. (A few outside the venue even attempted to trade Forum tickets for a wristband.) The bulk of the material came from their debut and 2000's "All That You Can't Leave Behind," with their massive albums "The Joshua Tree" and "Achtung Baby" getting completely overlooked.
While their arena set is a sophisticated wonderland of sprawling catwalks and video screens the size of billboards, their no frills set-up at the Roxy delivered passion, intimacy and energy that no major arena could manage to capture.
When Bono – sporting his signature blue-tinted shades and a black leather motorcycle jacket – dug into the band’s second-ever single, “11 O’Clock Tick Tock,” he leaned into the swath of crowd that hugged the stage as if he was prepping a stage dive.
And that intimacy never waned.
At one point Bono, face aglow from a handful of smartphones pointed only inches from his chiseled face, grabbed a fan’s hand for balance as he climbed atop a speaker.
He used the speaker as a soapbox for a thrashing take of “The Electric Co.” Later in the show he felt comfortable enough to do a trust-fall into the crowd.
Although Bono has pulled fans onstage for years, this time when he hoisted up an adoring fan and put his arms around her to sing “Beautiful Day,” it was easy in this environment to feel like you were in her place.
At one point, the frontman took a gulp of water and hurled it from his mouth, then flung the entire bottle, droplets of water sprinkling throughout the crowd as it soared (something only the first few rows at an arena might be lucky enough to experience).
“I’m out of my mind right now, I’ve loved them since high school," one ecstatic fan told me as he jumped up and down. "I’m 50 and I haven’t heard some of these songs live in years.”
Despite the heady flow of dizzying energy, there were moments where Bono managed to still the crowd.
First he dedicated the heavy “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of,” inspired by late friend and fellow rocker Michael Hutchence, to Sheehan.
“You fight with your friends. You love your friends. You die for your friends. You work with your friends. It’s kind of a dysfunctional family in U2,” he explained, “but actually quite functional in other ways, because we do look after each other.
“You can sense the love and best wishes we had the last 24 hours, from all over the world,” Bono said later, both thanking the crowd and eulogizing his friend. “[Dennis] actually had the dignity that our music aspires to ... He had that dignity.”
The stage lights dimmed to a deep red as the boys fired up an electrifying version of “Sunday Bloody Sunday” in Sheehan’s honor. The band fed off the crowd’s hard jumping as the Edge, seemingly saving extra fire for the moment, unleashed his most intense guitar solo of the evening.
At the close of their set, Bono recounted the group’s first trip to Los Angeles, which included a visit to Zuma Beach in search of Beach Boys’ leader Brian Wilson’s house. One of the band's albums was in the room at their first rehearsal, he explained, and they believed Wilson “had the music of the spheres.” (Whatever that means.) The story set the tone for “California (There Is No End to Love),” one of two songs they performed from their most recent record “Songs of Innocence.”
“It’s another song about grief and the defiance that is the joy of rock and roll,” Bono explained before thanking the crowd and leading them through yet another sing-along.
Set list:
The Ocean
11 O’Clock Tick Tock
I Will Follow
The Electric Co.
Beautiful Day
Elevation
Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Out of Control/Iris (Hold Me Close)
Vertigo
Song for Someone
California (There Is No End to Love)/God Only Knows
Follow @PopHiss and @gerrickkennedy on Twitter for more music news.
― the future is now, Saturday, 30 May 2015 03:24 (eight years ago) link
idgi
― probs with the skag (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 30 May 2015 12:12 (eight years ago) link
Odd set list. No Achtung Baby or Joshua Tree tracks.
― tayto fan (Michael B), Saturday, 30 May 2015 13:15 (eight years ago) link
didn't really need the entire review to make that point
― probs with the skag (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 30 May 2015 14:36 (eight years ago) link
during U2’s tiny club gig
"tiny"
― ( who ALSO my boss and his sister!) (sic), Saturday, 30 May 2015 17:57 (eight years ago) link
Please U2, go away
― calstars, Saturday, 30 May 2015 18:06 (eight years ago) link
Even people I know who don't particularly like the band have had nothing but good things to say about the current tour.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 25 June 2015 14:58 (eight years ago) link
Ladies and gentlemen: the Rolling Stones!
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Thursday, 25 June 2015 16:21 (eight years ago) link
Tbh I don't trust the opinion of people who aren't U2 fans but still see U2 shows
― da croupier, Thursday, 25 June 2015 16:30 (eight years ago) link
like music critics you mean?
― feargal czukay (NickB), Thursday, 25 June 2015 16:32 (eight years ago) link
Roadies
― holger sharkey (Tom D.), Thursday, 25 June 2015 16:33 (eight years ago) link
hot dog sellers
― da croupier, Thursday, 25 June 2015 16:34 (eight years ago) link
a more diplomatic statement i could have made is "i am intrigued that people who don't particularly like U2 are seeing them on this tour, and would be curious to know the circumstances of their attendance"
― da croupier, Thursday, 25 June 2015 16:36 (eight years ago) link
U2 are arguably underdogs on this tour, post iTunes fiasco, Bono held together by metal pins. They seem vulnerable, which makes them a little more likeable.
― dinnerboat, Thursday, 25 June 2015 16:51 (eight years ago) link
The pathos of Bono with his diamond encrusted neck bolt that stops his noble head from wobbling off his millionaire's shoulders.
― feargal czukay (NickB), Thursday, 25 June 2015 16:55 (eight years ago) link
best thing, and its not rly close run tbh, about u2 are the ppl who make a point of disliking them
― irl lol (darraghmac), Thursday, 25 June 2015 17:07 (eight years ago) link
DeRo, no huge fan of the band/arena shows in general, raved about last night. And Kot, a longtime Bono foil (great recent interview he did with him), loved it, too. From the clips I've seen, looks almost like a high tech show and less a concert, per se. Special sound, staging, etc., but supposedly the band itself is at its most just four guys making music in some time, too. Which seems like a contradiction, but who knows.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 25 June 2015 19:55 (eight years ago) link
the band itself is at its most just four guys making music in some time
You see, this is where you lost me.
― holger sharkey (Tom D.), Thursday, 25 June 2015 19:58 (eight years ago) link
Bummed to learn "people I know" meant dero and kot, was rooting for it being the significant other of a fan or a hot dog seller
― da croupier, Thursday, 25 June 2015 20:01 (eight years ago) link
Eh, I can name some people I know you don't know, too. Like my cousin Mike.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 25 June 2015 21:29 (eight years ago) link
Also my friends Linda and Jon.
Though music critics are people too, at least some of them.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 25 June 2015 21:31 (eight years ago) link
DeRo is actually a muppet
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 25 June 2015 21:33 (eight years ago) link
stuck in a concert (that you can't get out of)
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 25 June 2015 21:35 (eight years ago) link
The Muppets haven't released a good album since Pink Flag. Now they're old and rich.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 25 June 2015 21:36 (eight years ago) link
why did mike, linda and jon see u2 if they're not fans? not to pry, but you brought it up
― da croupier, Thursday, 25 June 2015 21:49 (eight years ago) link
Possibly in the hope that it might be Bono's turn to fall off the stage?
― holger sharkey (Tom D.), Thursday, 25 June 2015 22:02 (eight years ago) link
perhaps an inheritance based challenge by Mike's late great uncle impelled Mike to treat Linda and Jon to the most expensive concert of their lives?
― mad maxwell's wasteland death suite (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 25 June 2015 22:13 (eight years ago) link
Ha. I never said they were not fans, but I admit I exaggerated their disinterest. They're fans, for sure, and I can't imagine them not going if they could. But I think like a lot of U2 fans, even though they have always gone to see the shows, they have not always been huge fans of everything the band has done, either albums or tours. Yet their take away following the first night here at least was it far exceeded expectations, and that they left the show with a greater appreciation for the most recent album, which supposedly dominates the show. And they said it looked pretty cool, too. So there's that.
I also know a couple of people in my boat who, yeah, can't really justify paying. I'd like to go; while the band has never been my numero uno, they were the first concert I ever saw and I've seen them be great before. But I'll be fucked if I'm going to pay $100 for a ticket that lets me hang from the United Center rafters.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 25 June 2015 23:13 (eight years ago) link
i kind of don't think any concert is worth $100. i mean wtf is that shit.
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Thursday, 25 June 2015 23:14 (eight years ago) link
Ha. I never said they were not fans, but I admit I exaggerated their disinterest.
You called them "people I know who don't particularly like the band" you two-faced liar mcliarman, you macphisto
― da croupier, Thursday, 25 June 2015 23:20 (eight years ago) link
the reason i've kept needling is i knew that first post was bullshit and i couldn't figure out why anyone would make up such an absurd story. the idea of people who don't like u2 seeing a new u2 show and liking it, what balderdash.
― da croupier, Thursday, 25 June 2015 23:22 (eight years ago) link
Yeah, Macphisto Macmea Culpa. Though to be fair, DeRogatis is a hard dude to please when a big target like this is served up (food metaphor!). Even if he liked it he would pretend he didn't, so I was honestly shocked he raved.
xpost I dunno, it's a lot of money, but I think some shows might be worth that, if there's a real degree of Broadway-style spectacle. But yeah, that's a lot to ask, for nosebleeds especially. I think the way these bands often do it these days is offer a bunch of GA seats early to fans at a lower, or at least <$100 price, so the diehards can do their thing without going broke. I also think bands like U2 inspire a silly level of dedication in their fans, who are also getting older and, I'm going to guess, don't hit three clubs a night in search of the next U2, and can maybe justify paying plane ticket prices to see them.
I'd love to know the economics of these bands, why they choose the prices they do, or what the minimum price could be to pay for the spectacle and expenses and still come away making a ton of cash. The word has always been that until the era of nu-U2, the band lost a lot of money on tour, but that doesn't justify desperately filling their coffers to make up for past mistakes. Broke Leonard Cohen out of the Buddhist retreat this band is not.
I just bought some tix to see the Mekons next month, and I thought the price was pretty high at $25. But that's in a small place, and they're also playing a big public park for less than that to get in.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 25 June 2015 23:25 (eight years ago) link
i assume aging arena bands charge an arm and a leg because they can
― da croupier, Thursday, 25 June 2015 23:29 (eight years ago) link
You know what is fun, though? Taking people to shows who claim they don't like the music! I took a friend to see Morrissey some years back, and all he knew was the second-hand "oh, whiny, wimpy, woe is me" reputation, but he left impressed. Likewise taking someone to see Rush who grew up slotting them in with Styx and REO. He left impressed, too. So it does happen, sometimes, even if it happens under duress. I recently took a friend to see Slowdive and Low, neither of which he had ever heard of, let alone heard, and he was blown away. It's nice to see some honest enthusiasm, which is actually what I often like about arena shows, people losing their shit at every pre-tested bit.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 25 June 2015 23:31 (eight years ago) link
For what it's worth, I don't see the point of paying that much for a ticket when I can watch The Edge fall off the stage from the comfort of my own home.
― You’re being too simplistic and you’re insulting my poor heart (Turrican), Thursday, 25 June 2015 23:34 (eight years ago) link
There's no price too high for that, imo.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 25 June 2015 23:38 (eight years ago) link
i don't see the point of taking people who claim they don't like the music to concerts when i can just pretend i did
― da croupier, Thursday, 25 June 2015 23:39 (eight years ago) link
I'd love to know the economics of these bands, why they choose the prices they do,
Supposedly, because he hates touring, Charlie Watts asks for a ridiculous guarantee in the hopes that it can't/won't be met. "Yeah, I'll do the tour...if you pay me $10 million!" His bluff is always called, which is at least one reason (among presumably many) Stones ticket prices are insane.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 25 June 2015 23:53 (eight years ago) link
xpost Because under the guise of a semi-pro, I often have two tickets and invite along whatever buddies can make it.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 26 June 2015 00:16 (eight years ago) link
xpost:
Oh right, so not only is he a ropey drummer, he's partially responsible for milking the wallets of his fans. Great stuff.
― You’re being too simplistic and you’re insulting my poor heart (Turrican), Friday, 26 June 2015 00:46 (eight years ago) link
I hear Mick tours to support his extensive money collection.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 26 June 2015 01:19 (eight years ago) link
I remember John Lennon laying into The Rolling Stones in his Playboy interview from 1980 for staying together for as long as they had, and that was 35 years ago now. If Lennon had lived, I wonder what he'd think about them still being together!
― You’re being too simplistic and you’re insulting my poor heart (Turrican), Friday, 26 June 2015 01:35 (eight years ago) link
I'm sure it'd be a regular subject on his podcast until his teary interview with jagger.
― da croupier, Friday, 26 June 2015 01:39 (eight years ago) link
After the Beatles' 1979 Get Back reunion album/tour debacle, Lennon didn't have a leg to stand on criticizing the Stones.
http://alexbledsoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/shipper04.jpg
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Friday, 26 June 2015 03:11 (eight years ago) link
Yeah, but that was the era of the band that only featured John, though Ringo did sit in on a few dates.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 26 June 2015 11:43 (eight years ago) link
Big arena spectacles rule. I would always go see U2, I love the huge stage stuff so much.
― kurt kobaïan (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Sunday, 5 July 2015 13:33 (eight years ago) link
"supposedly the band itself is at its most just four guys making music".
This is more or less related to one thing that I've always found the weirdest of seeing U2 live. With most stadium acts, it's usually them in those huge stages they use, filling them with a sizeable number of musicians/collaborators: you've got the E-Street band with their huge roster, Madonna with all those dancers or the Stones outnumbered by their dozen choir girls and their wind sections. U2 couldn't be more different in this aspect: it's just the four of them alone in the middle of those gargantuan stages, singlehandedly carrying these shows. It especially hits me when they play "New Years Day" and you see the Edge pulling his guitar aside to play the keyboards, because they don't even have a keyboardist with them on stage.
― cpl593H, Tuesday, 7 July 2015 13:00 (eight years ago) link
https://www.iorr.org/talk/read.php?1,1531542,1531569
― 29 facepalms, Tuesday, 7 July 2015 13:05 (eight years ago) link
^ They have extra musicians under the stage generally.
― 29 facepalms, Tuesday, 7 July 2015 13:06 (eight years ago) link
i think it's just an extra keyboardist on some few songs and mostly triggered loops and samples
― ufo, Tuesday, 7 July 2015 13:13 (eight years ago) link
Pretty sure I saw a documentary with an extra guitarist too, cant find it on youtube.
― 29 facepalms, Tuesday, 7 July 2015 13:17 (eight years ago) link
I listened to an in-ear-monitor intecept bootleg of one of their shows once, it was the Edge's headset and it was full of count in's and other directions, if those guys need all that just to be able to remember their boring music they must be dummies.
― MaresNest, Tuesday, 7 July 2015 14:09 (eight years ago) link
dunno if I'd say U2 are the dummies in that scenario
― Number None, Tuesday, 7 July 2015 14:15 (eight years ago) link
Not remembering U2 songs feels like a p good survival strategy for being in U2 for 30 odd years
― sʌxihɔːl (Ward Fowler), Tuesday, 7 July 2015 14:15 (eight years ago) link
This is Bono's in-ear monitor from a 2010 show:https://youtu.be/1KWgayvG52c
I don't really understand it. He wrote the song, he sings the song frequently; is it really necessary to have someone saying "verse...1,2,3,4" to come in at the right time?
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, 7 July 2015 14:21 (eight years ago) link
Zoo TV live broadcast showed a bunch of guitarists and a keyboardist or two under the stage.
― let no-one live rent free in your butt (sic), Tuesday, 7 July 2015 14:22 (eight years ago) link
Here's one from Edge's iem:https://youtu.be/vYt0LKuL2Po
I'd think it would be insanely distracting to hear "EDGE 2, 3, 4" and "SOLO 2, 3, 4." Maybe everything is so tightly cued to the visuals that even the slightest deviation (or a spontaneous "Hey guys, let's drag this intro out another 4 bars so Bono can prattle on about something") could throw everything off?
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, 7 July 2015 14:24 (eight years ago) link
The drummer plays to a tight click, what else is required? (is kinda my point, I guess)
― MaresNest, Tuesday, 7 July 2015 14:30 (eight years ago) link
Can't find an IEM feed of Adam's, perhaps it's just the cash register loop from Money
― MaresNest, Tuesday, 7 July 2015 14:33 (eight years ago) link
Ha.
I imagine all the guitar delay alone makes in-ear count-offs and the like pretty important. Factor in visual cues and running around and it could be a disaster without guidance. Playing arenas is probably the least ideal set-up for any band, let alone one defined by the sound of guitars echoing around.
Anyway, those in-ear monitors intercepts are cool. Here's one I just found with the Red Hot Shitty Peppers, from John's in-ear, which is funny, because it basically sounds like the band minus Kiedis and plus extra guitar and John vox: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCKtaKmg6fs
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 7 July 2015 14:48 (eight years ago) link
If they are playing to a click the delays on the guitar will be simply tempo synched to the pulse, with Dallas Schoo or whoever under the stage punching between presets for each song and section of a song.
― MaresNest, Tuesday, 7 July 2015 15:23 (eight years ago) link
U2 touring "The Joshua Tree" in its entirety this summer. I like the album, but snooze of an idea, and also, they've picked what could be the lamest slate of opening acts (like they need one) imaginable: Mumford & Sons, Lumineers and OneRepublic.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 9 January 2017 15:30 (seven years ago) link
I would be excited for this if it was "U2 tours the first side of The Joshua Tree"
― ¶ (DJP), Monday, 9 January 2017 15:45 (seven years ago) link
Silly idea, shows a complete lack of faith in their new material, please call it a day.
― Working night & day, I tried to stay awake... (Turrican), Monday, 9 January 2017 15:47 (seven years ago) link
in fairness, have you heard their new material?
― ¶ (DJP), Monday, 9 January 2017 15:49 (seven years ago) link
Yes. I'd have a complete lack of faith in it, too!
― Working night & day, I tried to stay awake... (Turrican), Monday, 9 January 2017 15:50 (seven years ago) link
Each set will be twenty versions of "Trip Through Your Wires" and then they leave without acknowledging the crowd.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 9 January 2017 15:56 (seven years ago) link
haha that would be awesome
― ¶ (DJP), Monday, 9 January 2017 15:59 (seven years ago) link
Tbf, their last tour leaned very heavy on the new album nobody wanted. Like, 7 or 8 songs, I think. So they have faith in their new material, I think they just currently lack new material. Bono's got to eat, and Edge has to keep up those Malibu estate payments.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 9 January 2017 16:02 (seven years ago) link
have they done the same thing with "Achtung Baby" or is it the first time they do that kind of things ?If so, I predict numerous tours in the coming years !
when did this trend of playing only one album during a tour start ?The first example I have in mind is Brian Wilson/Pet sounds but maybe it was done before...
― AlXTC from Paris, Monday, 9 January 2017 16:04 (seven years ago) link
I mean, not in the case of bands or artist who only have one album or just play the latest released album, of course !I mean play an older album with all the tracks in the same order, etc.
― AlXTC from Paris, Monday, 9 January 2017 16:06 (seven years ago) link
they've picked what could be the lamest slate of opening acts (like they need one) imaginable: Mumford & Sons, Lumineers and OneRepublic.
Here's who they had (at various stops) on the original Joshua Tree tour: Lone Justice, The Pretenders, Big Audio Dynamite, UB40, Little Steven, The BoDeans, Mason Ruffner, World Party, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Spear of Destiny, The Waterboys, Hurrah!, Los Lobos, Buckwheat Zydeco, The Pogues, The Alarm, The Silencers, and Lou Reed.
― how's life, Monday, 9 January 2017 16:10 (seven years ago) link
I was just thinking the other day about how they had Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy and Primus open for them on the Achtung Baby tour.
― how's life, Monday, 9 January 2017 16:11 (seven years ago) link
public enemy and the sugarcubes opened the dodger stadium achtung baby show i saw
― tylerw, Monday, 9 January 2017 16:12 (seven years ago) link
xps: the one time i saw them, which was on the tour before that, we got the gloriously dirgesome Belfegore
― NickB, Monday, 9 January 2017 16:14 (seven years ago) link
Heh, there's an air of "let's not pick a support act that's going to show us up" about those selections. U2 clearly don't want to end up on ILM's "blew off the stage" thread.
― Working night & day, I tried to stay awake... (Turrican), Monday, 9 January 2017 16:15 (seven years ago) link
The first big concert I ever saw was The Joshua Tree tour in Philly, at the Spectrum, in 1987, I think. Opening was some dude named Mason Ruffner.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 9 January 2017 16:18 (seven years ago) link
xpost there he is, in your list! My man, Mason Ruffner.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 9 January 2017 16:19 (seven years ago) link
Primus and Disposable Heroes opened the Achtung Baby stop I saw, iirc. I've subsequently seen PJ Harvey and Garbage open up for U2. The latter's amps blew up and they had the crowd sing along with Beatles songs while they replaced them, I think.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 9 January 2017 16:22 (seven years ago) link
i saw the trompe-le-monde-era pixies; they did not blow U2 off the stage
― mookieproof, Monday, 9 January 2017 16:24 (seven years ago) link
http://tours.atu2.com/opening/this-heat
― increasingly bonkers (rushomancy), Monday, 9 January 2017 16:27 (seven years ago) link
on the popmart tour in Chicago they had Fun Lovin Criminals open, which for a show in a football stadium was just a bit underwhelming.
― nomar, Monday, 9 January 2017 16:28 (seven years ago) link
not sure how this is much different than any other anniversary tour in recent years, cf underworld and springsteen or whoever. also i think the last album that everyone owns in virus format is actually vv good.
― nomar, Monday, 9 January 2017 16:32 (seven years ago) link
Wish I had seen them in Rotterdam with Einstürzende Neubauten opening
― MaresNest, Monday, 9 January 2017 16:34 (seven years ago) link
I saw them on the Joshua Tree tour. That was at their peak of popularity in the US. The problem with the show, as I recall, was that everybody in the arena sang along with every word at the top of their lungs, and it was hard to hear the actual band.
They sang 40 all the way to the parking lot, it was a little creepy.
― kornrulez6969, Monday, 9 January 2017 16:42 (seven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnxLhKfZ1x4
― MaresNest, Monday, 9 January 2017 16:47 (seven years ago) link
^ Talking about their one support date with U2
― MaresNest, Monday, 9 January 2017 16:48 (seven years ago) link
excited for bono updating the spoken-word bit in 'bullet the blue sky' for 2k17
― mookieproof, Monday, 9 January 2017 16:51 (seven years ago) link
Now there is a roster of Greenpeace compilation CD artists.
― erry red flag (f. hazel), Monday, 9 January 2017 16:51 (seven years ago) link
― kornrulez6969, Monday, January 9, 2017 11:42 AM (twenty minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I saw them on that tour too, the same week they were on the cover of Time. The crowd wouldn't shut up. Bono gave a lengthy introduction to Peggy Seeger's "Springhill Mining Disaster," and talked about the 1984-85 British miners strike. After the first verse, Bono said to the crowd, "Shut up for a second, willya? It's not the Beatles up here, it's just U2."
Ah, here it is, at 1:04:43https://youtu.be/zviYtGNNWgs
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Monday, 9 January 2017 17:03 (seven years ago) link
Saw them once in 1993, Rotterdam, with Utah Saints as support act.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Monday, 9 January 2017 17:09 (seven years ago) link
When I saw them in Paris for the "Achtung Baby" tour, the opening act was... the velvet underground !
― AlXTC from Paris, Monday, 9 January 2017 17:10 (seven years ago) link
Waht
― Le Bateau Ivre, Monday, 9 January 2017 17:11 (seven years ago) link
Did they blow U2 off the stage?
― Working night & day, I tried to stay awake... (Turrican), Monday, 9 January 2017 17:12 (seven years ago) link
well, it was in the racecourse and obviously, the sound was lousy.you could hear the songs but the crowd didn't really get into it.I'm still glad I can say I saw the VU live !
― AlXTC from Paris, Monday, 9 January 2017 17:19 (seven years ago) link
is it wrong that i am already looking forward to the 30th anniversary tour of bono's classic jam session with tinariwen?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqh6x29bc64
― NickB, Monday, 9 January 2017 17:22 (seven years ago) link
please god let us all live that long
― NickB, Monday, 9 January 2017 17:23 (seven years ago) link
haha i love the constant monocle adjusting that goes on whenever a popular old band decides to play shows featuring songs that a lot of people love and will enjoy....it's so sad really, they should have a little moral fibre and play b-sides from the how to dismantle an atomic bomb era
who gives a shit? they seem like they are probably still good live, there's a lot of ppl who would like to hear the joshua tree live what's the harm?
― blonde redheads have more fun (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 9 January 2017 17:28 (seven years ago) link
when I saw them at the Elevation tour's opening date in Ft Lauderdale, PJ Harvey was supposed to open; it was why I bought tickets. But strep throat forced U2 to replace them with...the Corrs.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 9 January 2017 17:30 (seven years ago) link
Cor!
― Working night & day, I tried to stay awake... (Turrican), Monday, 9 January 2017 17:32 (seven years ago) link
I sympathize, but Jon Pareles' review of the Joshua Tree tour redux reads like a robot wrote it. On the other hand, it concludes with this:
The band couldn’t let that energy go; Bono impulsively called for an oldie, “I Will Follow,” U2’s first single. Bono urged the crowd to take the roof off, but this was U2’s longtime habitat, a stadium. There was no roof.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 15 May 2017 20:50 (six years ago) link
Which maybe is meant to be sort of portentous? But I think it's hilarious.
I'm giving All That You Can't Leave Behind a listen now for the first time in years and while the singles jog memories of the years 2000-2001, I can see why I don't listen to this more often - it's more than a bit dull.
Not to mention that I'm 9 tracks in and I've already heard 'The Sun Always Shines On TV' ('Beaitiful Day'), 'Here Comes Your Man' ('Walk On'), Bon Jovi's 'Always' ('Kite'), an outtake from a shit late-period Stones album ('In a Little While') and just general shittiness ('Peace on Earth') ...
'When I Look at the World' is underrated, tho.
― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Saturday, 1 July 2017 20:54 (six years ago) link
*'Beautiful Day', rather.
― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Saturday, 1 July 2017 20:55 (six years ago) link
('New York' is underrated too, and possibly the best track on the LP. Sounds like it would have been more at home on Zooropa ... just needs more swirly FX.)
― The Anti-Climax Blues Band (Turrican), Saturday, 1 July 2017 20:58 (six years ago) link
you could craft one of their best albums out of the tracks from the tail end of their last 4 LPs.
― nomar, Sunday, 2 July 2017 00:59 (six years ago) link
these songs have all made zero impact on the U2 fanbase but they'd make a good playlist. none of them go beyond mid-tempo(ish), most are slower mood pieces or odd tracks they would never play live.
BreatheCedarwood RoadNew YorkThis Is Where You Can Reach Me NowFEZ (Being Born)White As SnowOne Step CloserWhen I Look At the WorldGraceThe TroublesCedars of Lebanon
― nomar, Sunday, 2 July 2017 02:10 (six years ago) link
Ready your barbs, new album imminent, new song circulating in some form. Sounds different from what I would expect from them, kind of generic alt rock maybe?
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 31 August 2017 19:42 (six years ago) link
https://www.facebook.com/u2/videos/10155989836631686/
― mark e, Thursday, 31 August 2017 19:48 (six years ago) link
This one's... uh... Songs of Incontinence, wasn't it?
― more Allegro-like (Turrican), Thursday, 31 August 2017 20:05 (six years ago) link
like with the pre-release of their Invisible track, i aint taking this on face value.
― mark e, Thursday, 31 August 2017 20:15 (six years ago) link
i loved Invisible and had high hopes for a lot more of the same kind of groove (i.e. the minimal electro drums), and we all know how that turned out.
― mark e, Thursday, 31 August 2017 20:16 (six years ago) link
Reports that edge in particular is v concerned about opinions itt
― passé aggresif (darraghmac), Thursday, 31 August 2017 21:52 (six years ago) link
Oh god is my iPhone safe?
― Le Bateau Ivre, Thursday, 31 August 2017 22:11 (six years ago) link
The Edge? More like the Dull!
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 31 August 2017 22:15 (six years ago) link
"You're The Best Thing About Me"
― Mark G, Wednesday, 6 September 2017 15:09 (six years ago) link
1. Zooropa2. Achtung Baby3. Boy4. The Joshua Tree5. The Unforgettable Fire6. War7. Pop8. All That You Can't Leave Behind9. October10. Rattle and Hum
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Thursday, 21 December 2017 19:08 (six years ago) link
11. the rest
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Thursday, 21 December 2017 19:09 (six years ago) link
pretty much OTM. I might have Unforgettable Fire ahead of Joshua Tree but why quibble?
― Larry Elleison (rogermexico.), Thursday, 21 December 2017 20:43 (six years ago) link
I listened to Boy a couple of nights ago and it blew me away how punchy and fresh it sounded.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Thursday, 21 December 2017 21:00 (six years ago) link
glad to see POP in the list.for all the crap that is thrown at the album (incl. from the band themselves), i still really enjoy it.
― mark e, Thursday, 21 December 2017 21:03 (six years ago) link
I think that Pop had the potential to be one of their best but they cocked it up during the recording... I really like 'Discotheque', 'Do You Feel Loved', 'MOFO', 'The Last Night on Earth', 'Gone', 'Staring at the Sun' and 'Please' and weirdly for all of Pop's flaws I don't like the attempts at remixing the tracks anywhere near as much as the ones that made the LP.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Thursday, 21 December 2017 21:08 (six years ago) link
as you say, something was not right. it sounds muddy.there is no clarity in the mix at all for Discoteque.i wouod suggest that a good straightforward remaster/remix to seperate the instrumentation would reawaken several of the tracks, but i think the band have disowned this album, so we just have to put up with it as it is.
― mark e, Thursday, 21 December 2017 21:15 (six years ago) link
I think they've gone off the LP, which is a shame because there's a lot of great material on it and it would have been amazing if the production had been more OTM - maybe they would have carried on in this direction. A lot of potential new directions opened up on Achtung Baby, Zooropa and the Passengers LP, and it would have been great if they'd explored more.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Thursday, 21 December 2017 21:25 (six years ago) link
They seem to regard the tour as being one of their best, at least presentation wise.
A lot of potential new directions opened up on Achtung Baby, Zooropa and the Passengers LP, and it would have been great if they'd explored more.
as i am sure i have said elsewhere, i came onboard at AB and so have always preferred this era.at times NLOTH revisited the same kind of groove for me hence why i rate that one highly.still working on the new album. always takes a few weeks before i either get fed up, or i succumb.at the moment, it's looking like the latter.
― mark e, Thursday, 21 December 2017 21:31 (six years ago) link
Fucking hell, Bono.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-42502453
U2 frontman Bono has criticised what he says is a lack of rock and roll in today's music.In an interview with Rolling Stone, the singer said: "I think music has gotten very girly."And there are some good things about that, but hip-hop is the only place for young male anger at the moment - and that's not good."He added that one of his sons, Elijah, "believes that a rock and roll revolution is around the corner".And the singer said he agreed with his son that the genre "will return".
In an interview with Rolling Stone, the singer said: "I think music has gotten very girly.
"And there are some good things about that, but hip-hop is the only place for young male anger at the moment - and that's not good."
He added that one of his sons, Elijah, "believes that a rock and roll revolution is around the corner".
And the singer said he agreed with his son that the genre "will return".
― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 28 December 2017 22:07 (six years ago) link
stfu bono
― Joan Digimon (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 28 December 2017 22:16 (six years ago) link
"When I was 16, I had a lot of anger in me. You need to find a place for it and for guitars, whether it is with a drum machine - I don't care.
looool. I love that that's where he draws the line.
― change display name (Jordan), Thursday, 28 December 2017 22:19 (six years ago) link
"Lady GaGa stole this music...we're stealin' it back!"
― Never Learn To Mike Love (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 28 December 2017 22:26 (six years ago) link
Bono is a knob but not quite sure why this is so offensive - the word 'girly' or a misunderstanding over his comment about hip-hip?
― PaulTMA, Thursday, 28 December 2017 22:35 (six years ago) link
yes "girly" as a pejorative, because there are a lot of women making great rock music right now and the idea that male anger is somehow underrepresented in rock music or the world in 2017 is fucking ridiculous
― Joan Digimon (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 28 December 2017 22:46 (six years ago) link
The drummer from Shed Seven isn't in agreement
Yes @U2's Bono is a top cunt, but fuck me, if you can't use the word "Girly" anymore to describe something as a bit sissy. In the name of.....— Alan Leach Shed7 (@AlanShed) December 28, 2017
― PaulTMA, Thursday, 28 December 2017 22:52 (six years ago) link
BONO PLEASE JUST GO THE FUCK AWAY
― calstars, Thursday, 28 December 2017 22:52 (six years ago) link
The most generous interpretation of the hip-hop line: "that's not good" meaning that hip-hop shouldn't be the only genre through which young men express anger. But I'm not feeling generous, and fuck Bono for "girly."
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 28 December 2017 22:56 (six years ago) link
Is this the same Shed Seven drummer who said girls couldn't be drummers in the 90s?
― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 28 December 2017 22:56 (six years ago) link
It's also remarkably immature to be in your fifties and still be obsessed with expressing anger
The same Alan Leach who declared in one of the weeklies that ALL female drummers were inferior to him
― Master of Treacle, Thursday, 28 December 2017 22:57 (six years ago) link
Xp lol sorry
Boner, Stink, please just go retire together in Tampa
― calstars, Thursday, 28 December 2017 22:59 (six years ago) link
I think it's the same Alan Leach who claimed the band name stemmed from his losing his virginity to his own dad in a shed, aged 7
― PaulTMA, Thursday, 28 December 2017 23:03 (six years ago) link
Good band, lots of good songs
― remember the lmao (darraghmac), Friday, 29 December 2017 01:57 (six years ago) link
Shed Seven is terrible
― Joan Digimon (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 29 December 2017 13:53 (six years ago) link
Better than U2 though, and I've never heard them.
― Whiney Houston (Tom D.), Friday, 29 December 2017 14:26 (six years ago) link
I don't know what's so special about electrified guitars. If you're a male with male rage, playing drums is a much better outlet anyway.
― change display name (Jordan), Friday, 29 December 2017 17:09 (six years ago) link
buddy rich was pretty angry
― Joan Digimon (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 29 December 2017 17:45 (six years ago) link
of all the ways to describe the edges guitar, angry sounding is not one of them.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 29 December 2017 17:47 (six years ago) link
"Who moved the feckin' stage?"
http://tonedeaf.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/theedge.jpg
― Whiney Houston (Tom D.), Friday, 29 December 2017 17:52 (six years ago) link
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91Va9naBeBL.jpg
― omar little, Sunday, 31 December 2017 00:56 (six years ago) link
Dud
― The times they are a changing, perhaps (map), Sunday, 31 December 2017 03:17 (six years ago) link
what are the odds of the next U2 album being the best of their entire career
― Karl Malone, Sunday, 31 December 2017 03:20 (six years ago) link
In the “sure, it’s a giant steaming turd, but look - there’s a flower growing out of one of the coils!” sense, sure, it could happen.
(What I’m saying here is that U2 are a bad band and all their albums are bad, but sure, the next one could be 1% less terrible than all its predecessors, why not?)
― grawlix (unperson), Sunday, 31 December 2017 03:58 (six years ago) link
More like Ew2
― The times they are a changing, perhaps (map), Sunday, 31 December 2017 04:00 (six years ago) link
U2 were a great band and let's face it, you're all massively jealous of Bono and the band in general.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Sunday, 31 December 2017 16:02 (six years ago) link
https://m.popkey.co/431c39/ZmM5G.gif
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 31 December 2017 16:06 (six years ago) link
But y'know, don't quit looking for reasons to get offended guys.
― Gholdfish Killah (Turrican), Sunday, 31 December 2017 16:07 (six years ago) link
There are 3 or 4 U2 albums I regularly play and love in their entirety, so I can't dismiss the group. Likewise, I think Bono can come off a real tool but I also think he can be smart and funny. Even so, I don't expect this band to record anything I want to listen to ever again. I blame the Edge, who I am convinced decades down the line still doesn't know how to play guitar, which is pretty limiting for a guitarist. But as I've always said, if I formed a U2 cover band, the Edge would still be my first pick.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 31 December 2017 16:28 (six years ago) link
well i mean Edge can definitely play guitar but it's weird to me how they have consistently kicked off their recent string of albums with singles where they're trying to use him as a blunt, choppy instrument instead of the more recognizable sound of peak U2. i think within that sound he can do a lot, like I'd include The Fly or Breathe or Moment of Surrender in that. but not so much Get On Your Boots, American Soul, The Blackout, The Miracle of Joey Ramone, etc...
― omar little, Sunday, 31 December 2017 16:44 (six years ago) link
I don't think he can play guitar, though he can do cool things with guitars. And he does those things well, so he doesn't need to play guitar well. That It Might Get Loud doc settled it for me.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 31 December 2017 16:55 (six years ago) link
of all the tired zings about U2, edge can’t play is the most tired. one of the most influential players of his generation (hi dere worship players) but yeah, sure, he can’t play. good thing there are a million bar band guys who can hold down the blooz wank while we wait for guitar jesus.
― Larry Elleison (rogermexico.), Sunday, 31 December 2017 16:58 (six years ago) link
Me I am somewhere in between Josh and omar. Like anyone of my age and class and temperament I have a long history of listening to these lads. I still like some songs. "Pride," "One." A few more if I cared enough to think about it but I don't.
Edge shouldn't be judged as a guitarist vs. other guitarists, because he has never had to play guitar like anyone but himself. Which is an admirable position to be in. I will fully confess that I envy him. In various documentaries (as Josh notes) he gives a lot of information about his method, which I think is interesting. More an architect of soundscapes than a shredder or technician, blah blah blah.
I've said this elsewhere but will say again: at their best they are a pretty good rock band, but to think about them as a rock band you have to ignore so much music-adjacent bullshit that it becomes a very difficult mental exercise. I mean, what do we talk about when we talk about U2? Can we ignore mullets? Checkered pants? The World Bank? It's possible, but difficult.
― twas in the fleek midwinter (Ye Mad Puffin), Sunday, 31 December 2017 16:58 (six years ago) link
i can agree to an extent and refer to something he himself said once along the lines of him being more a technician than a musician, but i think at its peak his sound (if not his ability) has been more compelling than most major superstar guitar players.
― omar little, Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:01 (six years ago) link
I am not doubting his influence at all! I like his playing, he's a cool guitarist with a lot of good ideas, and that's all you need, not technical prowess or anything. Like, he knows:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOhWSGbhxAo
He's the absolutely right guitarist for U2. But I do think he's pretty limited and limiting.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:02 (six years ago) link
i think him being a player who has experimented w/his sound to overcome his occasionally self admitted limitations has made him vv interesting and he was either crafty or lucky or both to hit upon a sound early on that really worked.
― omar little, Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:02 (six years ago) link
I totally agree. It's key that he has never had to be anyone but himself. But I was just saying that the incentive to change when you're in such an enviable position is low. Change the Edge, you totally change U2.
The other argument of course is that simple works, which is one reason he's still playing stadiums and Andy Summers, John McGeoch, Will Sergeant or Stuart Adamson (RIP) aren't.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:06 (six years ago) link
Or, you know, Michael Brook or even Daniel Lanois or any of the other guitarists who influenced him or who work in a similar sonic realm.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:07 (six years ago) link
like marv levy used to say, it’s simple but it ain’t easy. really nail the riff from “Bad” and get back to me.
― Larry Elleison (rogermexico.), Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:14 (six years ago) link
complexity isn’t why andy summers stopped filling stadiums lol. I agree we’d be all be better off if more players listened to daniel lanois.
― Larry Elleison (rogermexico.), Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:16 (six years ago) link
Right!
And that clip JiC linked (where he plays the same thing clean) is EXACTLY what I think of when I think of him nowadays.
I will never call myself a U2 fanboi. But would still vastly rather see them than yr Bonnamasturbatur/Satriwanki/Malmsteen thingy or Phish/Rush/Yes/Tool/whatever.
And though I am not a global superstar (and never will be) I follow more of an Edgian ethos in my own music. Play exactly like yourself, and put yourself in situations where that makes sense.
― twas in the fleek midwinter (Ye Mad Puffin), Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:17 (six years ago) link
For sure, doing even the simplest stuff he does while running around on stage in a stadium I imagine is really hard! Edge is the best Edge we will ever get.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:19 (six years ago) link
I want to say achtung baby and zooropa was the last time he did anything that caught my attention. A song like Until the End of the World, he's moving around a lot more than usual, even has a guitar solo!
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:22 (six years ago) link
Ok. I think there's at least an equally interesting debate about whether Adam Clayton can play bass or not.
Consensus in my youth was that Adam could not, in fact, play bass particularly well.
Consensus in their mid-career period was, who cares?
I don't know the current consensus. Still stuck on "don't care."
― twas in the fleek midwinter (Ye Mad Puffin), Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:24 (six years ago) link
my relationship with U2 ends abruptly around Zooropa/Passengers so it’s possible my perspective is tainted.I think adam is okay - he doesn’t have jazz chops or anything but you can catch him bringing something to the song.as an aside, it’s probably a different thread really but I can’t understand bonamassa at all. he’s like a walking museum of ancient licks and he will influence no one.
― Larry Elleison (rogermexico.), Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:29 (six years ago) link
rogermexico, as an aside, there are actually two good bonamassa threads
thread for discussion of guitarists i have only heard of because i read guitar magazines in the late 90s
OFFICAL ILX JOE BONAMASSA CELEBRATION THREAD
― sympathy for the tasmanian devil (Ye Mad Puffin), Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:32 (six years ago) link
Adam iirc couldn't even play bass when he joined up, they just thought he was a cool-looking dude and he happened to have a bass or something. i could be misremembering my U2 history. he's good, i think. he's had a lot of good bass lines in his career, memorable ones.
Larry is probably the best musician in the bunch.
Bono has been both great and terrible in terms of both singing and lyrics.
― omar little, Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:32 (six years ago) link
Larry is p much unimpeachable, agreed
― sympathy for the tasmanian devil (Ye Mad Puffin), Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:34 (six years ago) link
thanking u mad puffin
― Larry Elleison (rogermexico.), Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:37 (six years ago) link
For sure, doing even the simplest stuff he does while running around on stage in a stadium I imagine is really hard!
I prefer when he falls off stages in stadium, tbh, if only he'd do more of that I've have more respect for him. Seriously though I think he's always been the only interesting musician in U2 and still is.
― Whiney Houston (Tom D.), Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:42 (six years ago) link
my challenging opinion is that, in any creative field, if you don't think you're at least hypothetically capable of producing your very best work in the near future, you should just stop.
― Karl Malone, Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:45 (six years ago) link
I'm sure they think they are but hasn't the Edge got some ridiculous clifftop mansion to maintain?
― Whiney Houston (Tom D.), Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:48 (six years ago) link
...And my counterchallop is that as long as someone wants to hear what you're doing now and where you're going next, you may as well continue exploring/experimenting.
No, most people don't go to see the Rolling Stones with a burning desire to hear them say "here's one from our new album."
But on the other hand, making Tom Rush or Bob Dylan slog around with the same ten songs they wrote when they were 20 seems cruel in a different way.
― sympathy for the tasmanian devil (Ye Mad Puffin), Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:49 (six years ago) link
Oh right, he hasn't built it yet - well, as of May 2016 that is, an update would be appreciated...
http://static.latimes.com/the-edge/
― Whiney Houston (Tom D.), Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:50 (six years ago) link
IMO clifftop mansions are great for immensely rich older men with young, physically fit wives.
"Ooops, he slipped! There was nothing I could do!"
― sympathy for the tasmanian devil (Ye Mad Puffin), Sunday, 31 December 2017 17:54 (six years ago) link
Adam's bass playing is imo the highlight of "Pop." Adam, fwiw, also the only member of U2 to ever miss a gig (and, related, go to rehab).
I'd argue U2's major advances post Popmart have been stage design and presentation. The claw stadium stage, the Songs of Innocence set, even (in that context) the stripped down Joshua Tree redux stage.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 31 December 2017 18:04 (six years ago) link
He's not too nimble on his feet either, as we have seen earlier.
― Whiney Houston (Tom D.), Sunday, 31 December 2017 18:05 (six years ago) link
i heard American Soul off the new album on the radio recently and it reminded me that the way they've focused on 'rocking out' in the last 15 years or so, contrary to all their previous strengths, is so strange and i can't believe they're still at it
― ufo, Sunday, 31 December 2017 18:12 (six years ago) link
um throwing Alex Lifeson in with Phish when he's probably the most economical guitarist of his generation is pretty bonkers
― Joan Digimon (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Sunday, 31 December 2017 18:17 (six years ago) link
I think the new one "rocks" a bit more than the last one. The last one was also a better album.
― omar little, Sunday, 31 December 2017 18:19 (six years ago) link
xpost Lifeson also clearly glommed on to what the Edge and cohort were up to.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 31 December 2017 18:21 (six years ago) link
Bono thinks The Biggest Band in the World should record rock singles * shrug*
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 31 December 2017 18:23 (six years ago) link
Edge should have just had them include this Bill Bailey clip in that doco
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8dZwXnMrRU
― shackling the masses with plastic-wrapped snack picks (sic), Sunday, 31 December 2017 18:30 (six years ago) link
also Rush literally afaik has never jammed or improv'ed ever in concert
― Joan Digimon (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Sunday, 31 December 2017 18:31 (six years ago) link
GUYS the distinction is "admired by chops-hungry muso types" / "reviled by chops-hungry muso types."
You can quibble all you like about who is included/excluded from each bucket, but it is a recognizable distinction.
― sympathy for the tasmanian devil (Ye Mad Puffin), Sunday, 31 December 2017 18:54 (six years ago) link
Edge can't play
But hes read all the manuals of the post-playing equipment
This is not even up for argument tbh. He couldn't even figure out the chords for the weight ffs
― remember the lmao (darraghmac), Monday, 1 January 2018 00:56 (six years ago) link
Quick note here that Bono, in his introduction to Tom Doyle's Billy Mackenzie biography The Glamour Chase, specifically admitted that they tried to rip off the Associates (and that he knew there was no way for him to rip off Billy's singing, a wise assessment). And as Doyle himself says in the book, I think you can pretty clearly hear it on the band's 1980 song "Paperhouse," from their debut The Affectionate Punch -- definitely a proto-Edge guitar break in there:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U3xiazgtmA
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 1 January 2018 03:41 (six years ago) link
(Should add of course that said guitar is played by the other core member of the original band, Alan Rankine.)
so as ILM's likely most loyal U2 fan i feel the need to add my 2 cents about the new album. don't read if you hate them, or me i guess.
like all U2 albums, if you're a U2 fan you're probably going to enjoy it but it feels like only half their work, there are a lot of songs on here that sound very much unlike them. more generic. This one too often feels like the work of other parties in places (recognizing that U2 has worked with other parties before of course but it felt a lot more collaborative in those instances.) though in a few cases on this album it works, the song w/Haim and a couple of the tracks with Andy Barlow from Lamb are nice.
But this is down there with Rattle and Hum and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb but where the former fell flat on its face sometimes bc of miscalculation and the latter was U2 settling into a very by-the-numbers groove, at least in R&H there were some genuinely outstanding songs and in HTDAAB they nailed a classic U2 sound and there are a couple of genuinely rousing tracks.
(also: after sitting with it for awhile i think Songs of Innocence is the better album and actually winds up in the middle of their discography quality-wise for me. upthread i complained about it but i think it's actually very good and sounds like a very heartfelt U2 album -- similar to No Line on the Horizon, albeit not nearly as great.)
my updated, subjective album rankings:
Achtung BabyThe Joshua Tree ZooropaWarUnforgettablePassengersPopBoyNo Line on the HorizonSongs of InnocenceAll That You Can’t Leave BehindOctoberRattle and Hum/How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb/Songs of Experience
― omar little, Friday, 5 January 2018 17:35 (six years ago) link
Probably wouldn't quibble with that ranking, even if I might shift a couple of the top ones around. Haven't even bothered with the new one.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 5 January 2018 17:57 (six years ago) link
clicked this What's Going On cover expecting it to be disastrous, to my surprise it is not horrible https://open.spotify.com/track/5CPWcXuqQ2QSXJmc1sT19u
― niels, Friday, 5 January 2018 20:29 (six years ago) link
WarThe Joshua TreeUnforgettableAchtung BabyNo Line on the HorizonRattle and HumPassengersBoyZooropaOctoberPopSongs of ExperienceSongs of InnocenceAll That You Can’t Leave BehindHow To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 5 January 2018 22:08 (six years ago) link
one of us could win!
https://www.omaze.com/experiences/U2-play-mini-golf-red?ref=U2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO1gzR36K0I
― sleeve, Sunday, 7 January 2018 00:51 (six years ago) link
Just look at these two
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Sunday, 7 January 2018 20:31 (six years ago) link
Putt on your boots
― failsun ra (Ye Mad Puffin), Sunday, 7 January 2018 20:35 (six years ago) link
Just-For-Men-Gel of Harlem
― attention vampire (MatthewK), Sunday, 7 January 2018 21:12 (six years ago) link
where the geeks have no shame
― pee-wee and the power men (bizarro gazzara), Sunday, 7 January 2018 21:14 (six years ago) link
i still haven't found what i'm looking for, which is my golf ball, so i'll have to take a two stroke penalty
― omar little, Sunday, 7 January 2018 21:19 (six years ago) link
how long, how long must we play this hole
― failsun ra (Ye Mad Puffin), Sunday, 7 January 2018 22:08 (six years ago) link
Before and after hairplugs.
― MaresNest, Sunday, 7 January 2018 22:38 (six years ago) link
Stuck in a sandtrap you can't get out of.
― Whiney Houston (Tom D.), Sunday, 7 January 2018 22:45 (six years ago) link
“You’re the best thing about me” is worse than “I’m my own best friend” and bono should just go crawl under a rock somewhere and not bother anybody
― calstars, Saturday, 13 October 2018 22:53 (five years ago) link
this hardwell remix, which truly goes hard, is hilarious https://open.spotify.com/track/242D4gArhDykTJodk93EP1?si=ecxVeq4TQo-FhU10iDNqmA
― niels, Friday, 23 November 2018 10:39 (five years ago) link
U2 have shared a new song called “Your Song Saved My Life.” Their new track appears on the soundtrack to the upcoming animated film Sing 2, which stars Bono as a reclusive lion rock star named Clay Calloway. Listen to the new song below. Sing 2 hits theaters on December 22.
!!!!!!!!!!!
― have you considered that there are 1 shades of gray (Karl Malone), Wednesday, 3 November 2021 21:48 (two years ago) link
All of that sentence makes me a little ill.
― a superficial sheeb of intelligence (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, 3 November 2021 21:50 (two years ago) link
Wait till you hear the song :(
― o shit the sheriff (NickB), Wednesday, 3 November 2021 21:55 (two years ago) link
Finally, the Performance remake I’ve been dreaming of.
― JoeStork, Wednesday, 3 November 2021 22:00 (two years ago) link
Pretty sure KM's sentence gave me a good enough sense of that too!
― a superficial sheeb of intelligence (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, 3 November 2021 22:01 (two years ago) link
The only hope I have for this is that "rock star Clay Calloway" is an homage to rock star Clay Collins, played by Rick Moranis in SCTV's soap opera parody The Days of the Week.
― Halfway there but for you, Wednesday, 3 November 2021 22:26 (two years ago) link
Is it April 1 already? I could've sworn it was November.
― birdistheword, Wednesday, 3 November 2021 22:28 (two years ago) link
I've got to be honest, of all the people/bands to be mostly quiet these past couple of years, U2 is not the band I would have guessed. Like, Paul McCartney and Springsteen have been inescapable, Stones back in gear, other people have been doing shit, surely U2 wanted in on the international mood.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 4 November 2021 02:15 (two years ago) link
just imagine Bono nude
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 4 November 2021 02:20 (two years ago) link
please put "nsfw" on this thread after last post
― the utility infielder of theatre (Neanderthal), Thursday, 4 November 2021 02:22 (two years ago) link
I said international mood, not international nude.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 4 November 2021 02:25 (two years ago) link
Imagining Bono nude is a Political Statement
― Precious, Grace, Hill & Beard LTD. (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 4 November 2021 05:48 (two years ago) link
With or without pants
― gin and catatonic (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 4 November 2021 06:47 (two years ago) link
I can't believe the nudes todayI can't close my eyes and make it go away
― gin and catatonic (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 4 November 2021 06:50 (two years ago) link
lol YMP
― Vinnie, Thursday, 4 November 2021 07:02 (two years ago) link
Thought this was Richard Branson for a sec:
https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/261490777_6616405951765554_7450432136253468005_n.png?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=M0wXM_qcdUwAX9nA96L&tn=nMaCpl2pu4gQQq4y&_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-1.xx&oh=45a86d350faa8306443aad14fe8b281b&oe=61AFFCC0
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 4 December 2021 16:46 (two years ago) link
U2 will reportedly stage a Las Vegas residency to open a newly constructed Sin City arena in 2023.Billboard reports that Bono and company will be the premiere act when the $1.8 billion MSG Sphere finally opens at the Venetian resort next year. The residency’s dates have not yet been announced, but the shows will reportedly be non-consecutive and spread over the course of 2023.MSG Entertainment, the company building the new venue hailed as the world’s largest spherical structure, and U2 did not confirm the residency to Billboard. U2 has not performed a U.S. concert since the North American leg of their Experience + Innocence tour wrapped up here in July 2018. The band last played together onstage in Dec. 2019 when their Joshua Tree anniversary tour ended in Mumbai, India.The MSG Sphere was originally scheduled to open in 2021 but the Covid-19 pandemic delayed its arrival until 2023. When completed, the 388-foot-tall venue will hold between 17,500 and 20,000 people along with what is promised as a state-of-the-art audio and visual experience, including 580,000 square feet of programmable LED panels, KSNV reports.
Billboard reports that Bono and company will be the premiere act when the $1.8 billion MSG Sphere finally opens at the Venetian resort next year. The residency’s dates have not yet been announced, but the shows will reportedly be non-consecutive and spread over the course of 2023.
MSG Entertainment, the company building the new venue hailed as the world’s largest spherical structure, and U2 did not confirm the residency to Billboard.
U2 has not performed a U.S. concert since the North American leg of their Experience + Innocence tour wrapped up here in July 2018. The band last played together onstage in Dec. 2019 when their Joshua Tree anniversary tour ended in Mumbai, India.
The MSG Sphere was originally scheduled to open in 2021 but the Covid-19 pandemic delayed its arrival until 2023. When completed, the 388-foot-tall venue will hold between 17,500 and 20,000 people along with what is promised as a state-of-the-art audio and visual experience, including 580,000 square feet of programmable LED panels, KSNV reports.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 25 July 2022 02:18 (one year ago) link
Doesn't surprise me at all that U2 will have a Vegas residency.
U2 is a total dud. One of the worst bands I've ever endured. I live near a stadium and heard them rehearsing for their Joshua Tree anniversary tour every night for several nights in a row. One of the most horrific weeks I've ever lived through.
I'll admit they had some good songs in the '80s but it's all very formulaic and samey and anthemic and good god, someone please stop the endless delay...
― The Ghost Club, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 04:31 (one year ago) link
I live near a stadium and heard them rehearsing for their Joshua Tree anniversary tour every night for several nights in a row. One of the most horrific weeks I've ever lived through.
LMAO. Reminds me of a friend who actually worked next door to a stage where Led Zeppelin rehearsed daily for their big one-off reunion at the O2, except he actually likes Zeppelin, as did his colleagues, so it was a surreal and mind-blowing treat.
― birdistheword, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 04:40 (one year ago) link
Haha would be so psyched to have Ghost Club's problem
― Vinnie, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 05:54 (one year ago) link
Day 4, morning, groggy and confused from lack of sleep, can't figure out if you're hearing things or if the Edge's delay is still echoing from the night before
― papal hotwife (milo z), Tuesday, 26 July 2022 06:35 (one year ago) link
They're not the worst band ever and they're not the biggest band ever but on a graph of those lines they'd be the nexus of worst and biggest.
― papal hotwife (milo z), Tuesday, 26 July 2022 06:37 (one year ago) link
True. I can't think of a more polarizing band than U2, at least when you factor in the sheer number of people who love them or despise them, and that's probably applicable to both public support/opposition and critical support/opposition. Even my own fandom runs that way - they're discography kind of whiplashes all over the place for me.
― birdistheword, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 15:23 (one year ago) link
*their*
can’t emphasize enough how cool this band would be if they had any other frontman, though they wouldn’t be u2 i guess
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Tuesday, 26 July 2022 15:28 (one year ago) link
I actually think Bono is underrated. I mean, he can be annoying for sure, but so can Mick Jagger, and he (Bono) is as important to that band as the guitar. Back when my guitar teacher and I were trying to figure something out about "With Or Without You" (the repeating 4-note part at the start that turned out to be a synth) we found some recent (so, still several years back) clip of the band doing that song, and Bono was really struggling, because if you go back to the recording he sings the *hell* out of it.
Anyway, I can't think of any U2 songs/albums off the top of my head that I dislike because of Bono.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 15:32 (one year ago) link
he's a terrible and overwrought lyricist and vocalist
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Tuesday, 26 July 2022 15:36 (one year ago) link
like even at his best (achtung baby) his performance undercuts the ideas he's working with bc it's like he doesn't know what irony is (not that irony is objectively good or bad it's just a device)
his whole thing works on boy bc he has yet to become ponderous and who gives a fuck if those songs are about anything
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Tuesday, 26 July 2022 15:41 (one year ago) link
I'm used to be the biggest, sometimes only, U2 fan no matter where I roam :(
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 15:45 (one year ago) link
The purported "ironic" attributes of "Achtung Baby" are as invented as the "Exile on Main Street" parallels to Liz Phair's first record.
And by the standards of terrible and overwrought he's nowhere near the worst. I can think of several off the top of my head *influenced* by him that are worse lyricists and singers.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 15:45 (one year ago) link
I often think of something I read: “If U2 weren’t so full of shit they wouldn’t be as great as they often are.” Bono’s never bothered me.
― Antifa Sandwich Artist (Boring, Maryland), Tuesday, 26 July 2022 15:45 (one year ago) link
I think he’s a great vocalist, gonna get FPd to hell but I think you’re describing Robert Smith
― brimstead, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 15:46 (one year ago) link
i've probably made these points before, i just really hate bono. can you imagine how perfect the passengers record would be without "elvis ate america" which has to be in the hall of fame of the worst writing in human history
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Tuesday, 26 July 2022 15:46 (one year ago) link
xxxp
the funniest Bono moment is when he gives advice to Stephen Dorff in the terrible film Entropy
― brimstead, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 15:47 (one year ago) link
“If U2 weren’t so full of shit they wouldn’t be as great as they often are.”
i accept this
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Tuesday, 26 July 2022 15:48 (one year ago) link
xpost Elvis Ate America is terrible, but it's the worst song on a self consciously weird side project record, and Howie B is probably as much to blame.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 15:50 (one year ago) link
howie b forced bono to write those words and say them like that at gunpoint
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Tuesday, 26 July 2022 15:50 (one year ago) link
but he did so ironically
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 15:55 (one year ago) link
There's a helpful helping of 'dated' references (East 17, video stores, handicams, HIStory) in some 90s Bono songs that endear them even more to me
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 15:55 (one year ago) link
YAHWEHHHHHHHH
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 26 July 2022 16:12 (one year ago) link
God Part II is probably my favourite example of terrible lyrics good music in all of pop
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 16:13 (one year ago) link
It's like the rest of the band conspired to come up with that metallic INXS/proto-Achtung sound just to upend all that rather meaningless pontifying.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 16:15 (one year ago) link
"Angel of Harlem" is worse than any song mentioned.
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 26 July 2022 16:26 (one year ago) link
Worst 80s U2 single - I like When Love Comes to Town even less but the first 10 seconds or so are funny. No subtlety or tension-and-release for Bono he just cuts straight to it
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 16:31 (one year ago) link
I think Greg Kot came up with the best defense for Bono, calling him an Irish soul singer. Like once I heard that description, I enjoyed him more, as long as he didn't let his pretensions get the best of him. That's what sunk a lot of The Unforgettable Fire for me - I like the production but it's a wildly uneven batch of songs.
Going over U2's discography, if I gave a quick grade to everything (and these are very subjective):Boy A-, October B, War A, Red Rocks (the DVD) A, The Unforgettable Fire B-, Joshua Tree A-, Rattle & Hum B- or possibly C+, Achtung Baby A, Zooropa A-, Pop B-, ATYCLB A-, Dismantle a Bomb C+, No Line on the Horizon B, and I can't even rate the last two as "Every Breaking Wave" is the only song I've bothered to listen to again.
I can enjoy "Angel of Harlem" and even enjoy the first verse (having flown into JFK during winter many times, I'm probably biased). But it feels like a guy who strings together musical references without really understanding them. Like he's name checking Billie Holiday and John Coltrane but the whole song's built on Memphis Horns charts that are more fitting for a Stax/Volt record. (I think the live acoustic version is kind of nice FWIW.)
― birdistheword, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 16:33 (one year ago) link
I like B. B. King on "When Love Comes To Town." Granted, it sounds like he could've laid it down in one take without even a rehearsal, but his guitar does sound good. It sounds like a nothing song, something they could've knocked out very quick...I would be amazed if they labored over it.
― birdistheword, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 16:38 (one year ago) link
(I think the live acoustic version is kind of nice FWIW.)
Same to be fair. Works quite well during ZooTV, I would say 'strangely' but dissonance was the whole point of the thing.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 16:39 (one year ago) link
The purported "ironic" attributes of "Achtung Baby"
The thing is, after the ham-fisted humorlessness of Rattle & Hum (the film and the record, but especially the film), which essentially defined U2 from 1988-1990, Achtung felt like a goofball comedy record. And a welcome one.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, 26 July 2022 16:45 (one year ago) link
I think "Achtung Baby" is super dark and serious. But due to its ham-fisted humorlessness "Rattle & Hum" is actually pretty funny, which is ... ironic.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 17:03 (one year ago) link
Achtung and Pop both use their colourful veneers as trapdoors. And to this end both have the most miserable endings as well (along with NLOTH probably).
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 17:07 (one year ago) link
That Neil Tennant takedown of U2 justifies the existence of “when love comes to town”
― brimstead, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 17:08 (one year ago) link
Sep 96: Hay una discoteca por aqui?Feb 97: ¡aquí está!
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 17:14 (one year ago) link
When Bono learned PSB had covered "Where the Streets Have No Name," he faxed Tennant: "What have we, what have we, what have we done to deserve this?"
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 26 July 2022 20:12 (one year ago) link
I was fortunate enough to see this band at their seminal Red Rocks gig in 1983. My friend and I almost didn't go because of the rain. We were so happy we did, because even then we knew it was something special. At the time, Bono's act came across as sincere and inspirational. It was only later that the whole thing soured, at least for me. Probably in part because I waited in line all night for tickets for the Rattle and Hum tour (which sold out before I got halfway to the window), but mostly because they (Bono) started taking themselves too seriously and overstayed their welcome.
Verdict: dud overall, with occasional flashes of brilliance.
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Tuesday, 26 July 2022 20:18 (one year ago) link
Joshua Tree will always be perfection to me. Never really cared for any U2 albums after that incl Achtung Baby.
― oscar bravo, Tuesday, 26 July 2022 20:39 (one year ago) link
I use an iPhone for work and every once in a while, not sure why, it starts playing U2
― corrs unplugged, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 10:26 (one year ago) link
do you work at the U2 factory
― Critique of the Goth Programme (Neil S), Wednesday, 27 July 2022 10:52 (one year ago) link
Zoo Station led off Achtung Baby in fall 1991, and it came just on the heels of summer 1991's Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, featuring the character Station. When you realize that the year had started off with Cinderella's Heartbreak Station (released in Dec 1990, but come on guys, year of impact) and a remastered release of David Bowie's Station to Station, it was just a hell of a year for stations.
― peace, man, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 11:09 (one year ago) link
bono was at his best on achtung baby & zooropa because even just trying to adopt a pose was enough to counter his worst tendencies for the most part, he's fantastic on "the fly" and "lemon" and never anywhere near his worst
of course he invents new ways to be bad later in the decade like on "elvis ate america" and "the playboy mansion" so it didn't last that long, but he makes things work for at least some of pop (his vocals are fucking terrible on it though)
he made the big soaring shiny arena rock thing work some of the time in the 80s but still kinda in spite of himself. he's a big enough, soaring vocal presence to sell that sound but whenever his lyrics are anything more than vague they falls flat
― ufo, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 11:54 (one year ago) link
otm
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 27 July 2022 11:59 (one year ago) link
I really like the vocals on Pop - maybe just me but I think there's a tension there between two acknowledged points about the album: the dry, upfront vocal sound and moody singing style, and the fact the album was never completed so the mix is just all over the place. For all that he's apparently quite close-mic a lot of the time, he is well and truly buried on a "Mofo", say.
But I'm very used to being the Pop defender anywhere I go so salt/pinch etc. "The Playboy Mansion" is really dicing with death on Bono's behalf but I like how the music lands on the right side of its imagined trip hop/bar band divide while (ironically or not) still flirting with the other side.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 12:33 (one year ago) link
^^^well put. Pop is Bono being very non-bombast. On the New Order thread we were talking about how despite the burbling electronics Technique and Republic are downcast albums. I know U2 are Joy Division fans maybe those records influenced Pop.
― Antifa Sandwich Artist (Boring, Maryland), Wednesday, 27 July 2022 12:51 (one year ago) link
i'm sympathetic to pop but it's ultimately kind of a failure. the songs are solid but largely too long, the mix is really muddy and all over the place yeah, the dance-rock thing largely is forgotten about after the first three tracks, bono's vocals are unusually poor, the performances are often relatively lifeless and don't really do the songs justice...
"the playboy mansion" is decent musically, just bono's lyrical schtick completely flops. "miami" is worse lyrically and bizarre enough musically that i kinda respect it but still don't enjoy it
still though, "mofo" is fantastic, "discotheque" and "do you feel loved" are both very good, and the rest is generally fine despite the many problems. it just clearly could have been so much better than 'fine'.
― ufo, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 13:03 (one year ago) link
Yeah, "Mofo" and "Do You Feel Loved" work best.
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 27 July 2022 13:10 (one year ago) link
I appreciate and understand every problem there is with Pop but none of them get in the way when I listen to it. Think I'm gonna have to write about the album one day to at least try and understand why I really like it so much when I know its not the album anyone involved or buying it wanted it to be.
Like I know "Miami" is usually considered the worst track - musically rather than lyrically I think - but that weird clattery backmasked "Peek-a-Boo" whatever thing I really enjoy and especially when the bass comes in and it sounds like its in a loop of tripping over itself. Possibly another artist could have done more with it but I do very much like what there is.
"Mofo" is the best song. Considering there is so much in the mix (even seemingly Howie B going "okay, Bono" at one moment, unfinished indeed) it's remarkable how well it works.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 13:14 (one year ago) link
Second favourite is probably "Velvet Dress"
"Tonight the moon is a mirror-ball/light flickers from across the hall" - good Bono lyric because that's what the Edge's guitar sounds like at the same time
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 13:22 (one year ago) link
i still might rank it as high as their 5th best album which is heretical
― ufo, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 13:34 (one year ago) link
I like Pop more than it's reputation. The singles had some worthwhile B-sides. The "Please" CD single has an amazing renovation/remake of "Dirty Day" from Zooropa (one of my favorite songs from that album).
― Antifa Sandwich Artist (Boring, Maryland), Wednesday, 27 July 2022 14:06 (one year ago) link
I stop the album after "Gone", but those first seven tracks make for a pretty solid album. It's dicey after that: "Velvet Dress" is the best of the rest, but I'm never in the mood to hear it
― Vinnie, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 15:25 (one year ago) link
I think the lyrics of “lemon” are v good, also really like the line on “Zooropa” - “it’s cold outside, but brightly lit,” somehow that song affects me more than any of their more obviously rousing and inspirational songs.
― JoeStork, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 15:30 (one year ago) link
I like Pop a lot. I probably prefer it to The Unforgettable Fire, and I definitely prefer it to everything they've done since (including ATYCLB) by a wide margin. I think it's bizarre that U2 tries to essentially write that album out of their history; it was a continuation of what they were doing on Zooropa, and sure, there's a song or two that doesn't completely work, but it wasn't anything insanely disastrous by a long shot. It's weird that the lesson they took away from Pop/the PopMart tour was "stop taking musical risks" and not "don't book the tour until you're at least halfway done with the album."
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 27 July 2022 15:39 (one year ago) link
The singles had some worthwhile B-sides
I'm very fond of Steve Osborne's "Pop Muzik", particularly the second half which is four minutes of enormous but very distant stadium noise as the "Mofo" bassline rumbles remotely underneath. Has the excitement of a big tour entering its summer season.
The whole "Last Night on Earth" single is quite interesting to me because the A-side is their first de-Popped re-recording but the rest of it, "Pop Muzik" included, is among the closest they get to doing away with rock altogether. The UK CD2 doesn't even have LNOE on it - rather a moody breakbeat 'First Night in Hell' remix that has nothing of the original track left in. And there's the much-disliked "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" which discards the original composition in favour of some abstract studio contraption (it's a bit of a fun as the flipside to "Helter Skelter" at least).
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 15:45 (one year ago) link
Iirc, I think a hunk of the songs, maybe a third, were leftover from the "Zooropa" sessions.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 15:51 (one year ago) link
Zooropa as a whole has great lyrics - and that's even considering "Numb", "Some Days" and the first half of the title track are meant as (relatively lighthearted) list songs. Similarly to 'brightly lit' I think 'uncertainty can be a guiding light' is good - the sort of thing that later Bono might have integrated into a chorus (i.e. 'vision over visibility') than let through only once.
It's weird that the lesson they took away from Pop/the PopMart tour was "stop taking musical risks" and not "don't book the tour until you're at least halfway done with the album."
I think No Line on the Horizon was intended in part to be their return to art rock and it is quite a good album I think but they compromised it with the poppier songs in the middle, pushing one of those out as the lead single and what not. Being U2 they've laboured over their decisions since - lots of quotes from them here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Line_on_the_Horizon#Legacy (The Edge concurred, admitting that the group erred by "starting out experimental and then trying to bring it into something that was more accessible". He added, "I think probably we should have said, 'It's an experimental work. That's what it is.'")
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 15:53 (one year ago) link
I (unfairly?) judged No Line based on "Get On Your Boots," which struck me as an extremely forced "We're back, and we're rockin'!" move. "I'll Go Crazy" seemed to confirm that judgement, but it makes sense that the more experimental things didn't burn up the airwaves.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 27 July 2022 16:00 (one year ago) link
I like experimental stuff, I like U2, I like experimental U2, I like Eno and Lanois (who got their first writing credits on "No Line"), but ... I do not like that record. The songs just aren't particularly good, an experiment guaranteed to fail.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 16:05 (one year ago) link
i was assigned to review of no line for my college magazine, went in expecting to hate it through and through, had to give it up for "moment of surrender" regardless. i so wish it were the more interesting record you glimpse at its edges
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Wednesday, 27 July 2022 16:06 (one year ago) link
"Boots" as the lead single was a terrible decision. I think "Magnificent" would have been wiser - familiar sound to 00s U2 fans but without any forced rockingness. Or possibly even the title track which never got single treatment.
I like most of the album although I think, as the Edge/Lilywhite/Mullen quotes suggest, it could go further out. Beyond the above, "Unknown Caller", "Fez", "White as Snow" and "Cedars of Lebanon" are all good, open-ended, unresolved-seeming tracks - not that the early 00s albums don't have a few of these, it's just there's more this time round. "Moment of Surrender" is the obvious highlight I think.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 16:11 (one year ago) link
Lillywhite
The most 90s U2 thing about it is "Cedars" as a moody closer in the "Love Is Blindness"/"Wake Up Dead Man". The collagey effects in the background remind me of the latter in particular.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 16:13 (one year ago) link
Every once in a while, our kids will be playing around with the ipad and will start playing the U2 album that was automatically downloaded to every apple device years ago, presumably because they started the apple music app and this is the only album on there for our account.
― silverfish, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 18:11 (one year ago) link
Also, that whole album automatically added to every apple device move is a pretty good demonstration of what makes U2 and their fans annoying to a lot of people. At apparently no point did it occur to anyone (either U2 or the U2 fans at Apple who were responsible for this) that somebody might not be happy to have a U2 album automatically downloaded to their phone. They just assume that everybody loves U2 and will want to hear the new album.
― silverfish, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 18:18 (one year ago) link
yeah, that album they shoved into every phone was unfortunately one of their most forgettable, which compounded the problem. ("Every Breaking Wave" is good, but that should've been on No Line on the Horizon.)
I posted too much about this already, but No Line on the Horizon is more like an A- album to me IF you slice out those three duds in the middle ("Boots," "Crazy," "Comedy") and replace them with "Every Breaking Wave" and then "Winter" from Linear. 10 tracks, still nearly the same length, and it fulfills my best hopes for an autumnal U2 album.
I have a soft spot for Zooropa because it's sort of the first one I really knew when it came out. (I probably was late to it by several months, but I know got into it the year it came out.) The "Numb" video was everywhere and that was U2 to me - it made finding out about U2 Mach I all the more bewildering later on. Like "Sunday Bloody Sunday" - that's the same band?? Anyway, one of the very few CD's I had, and I would have it on a loop, sometimes even the same track. I remember playing "Babyface" for like an hour straight. I think it was my introduction to Johnny Cash too - like I vaguely knew who he was, but it was the first time I really heard him sing. Will always love that album.
After Pop I feel like they threw in the towel and became a legacy act, because they were just making new music for people who didn't really want NEW music. It's even suggested in their business plan for their comeback, which hit the reset button with a greatest hits album. But I still think ATYCLB is excellent. It gets by on focus and songcraft. Like it would've been a perfect retirement album, a victory lap that reminds me of what they once accomplished and how there's still mileage in what they've done in terms of crafting more good stuff in that mold.
― birdistheword, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 20:16 (one year ago) link
an extremely forced "We're back, and we're rockin'!"
One would not be surprised to hear them refer to "guys in a room" a la
Aging rock act on new album: This time we wanted to go back to the basics
― your marshmallows may vary (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 27 July 2022 21:24 (one year ago) link
This band I think falls into the "what have you done for me lately?" category that befalls many legacy acts. At the very least, almost every one of the band's first 8 albums, plus a live EP, plus Passengers, doesn't take too much effort to defend. That's a heck of a run for any act. The question becomes what to make of the next five or so, and how does or should that affect one's opinion of the band?
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 21:29 (one year ago) link
Atomic Bomb was the "guys in a room" one - or at least the back to basics one, in theory, because they went back to their Magazine/Banshees/et al EPs (even though I don't think this supposed Our Roots-ness comes over for most the album). Guys in a room not so much because Bono was apparently barely there.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 21:36 (one year ago) link
listened to 'no line on the horizon' this afternoon and it's just . . . boring. i mean it sounds like u2 and is no more embarrassing than anything else bono is involved with, but there's no reason i would ever listen to it before 10+ other records of theirs
for me it's mainly notable for the ilx covers version, which featured this:
https://i.imgur.com/hZVFcSL.gif
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 21:39 (one year ago) link
I have a soft spot for Zooropa because it's sort of the first one I really knew when it came out. I’d been following them fairly closely since The Unforgettable Fire — I first saw them in 1985, and it remains one of my favorite concert experiences. With each record I always wondered, “What’re they gonna do next?” Weirdly, that curiosity and anticipation were at a peak after Rattle & Hum. That is, “I assume they’re not continuing down this somewhat sucky road, but what will they come up with instead?” Achtung was more a fulfillment than a surprise, but Zooropa and Pop both felt very exciting at the time, further confirmations that they were going to keep challenging themselves (and, to varying degrees, their audience). After Pop I feel like they threw in the towel and became a legacy act, because they were just making new music for people who didn't really want NEW music.This is otm. I get that the process of assembling Pop was somewhat fraught, and that they were never completely satisfied with it, but instead of standing back and reflecting and thinking, “OK, let’s make the Pop album we REALLY want to make, and take our time and keep our schedules open…” they went the route of “No, wait, come back! We’ll be anthemic again, we promise! Edge, go on, show the people! Hit your delay pedal!”
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 27 July 2022 22:24 (one year ago) link
pop is generally at its best when it's at its most processed so i really wish they'd had the time to make most of the arrangements denser, throw drum loops everywhere, etc. like on the first three tracks, really make their late 90s ~electronica~ album or whatever
― ufo, Wednesday, 27 July 2022 22:43 (one year ago) link
They had no time. They wrote under a tour deadline.
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 27 July 2022 23:21 (one year ago) link
I remember a Spin article from the time where they admitted they were rushed. And a few years before that Edge admitting that a lot of Zooropa was unfinished, particularly mentioning Dirty Day’s mix fluffing the dramatic “The days run away like horses over the hills” climax.
― Antifa Sandwich Artist (Boring, Maryland), Wednesday, 27 July 2022 23:36 (one year ago) link
You probably can tell Dirty Day is one of my absolute favorite U2 songs.
― Antifa Sandwich Artist (Boring, Maryland), Wednesday, 27 July 2022 23:40 (one year ago) link
Zooropa is their masterpiece imo
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 28 July 2022 00:58 (one year ago) link
zooropa is prob my favorite u2 album outside of boy yeah. "some days" and "dirty day" are incredible
― flamenco drop (BradNelson), Thursday, 28 July 2022 01:00 (one year ago) link
"Stay (Faraway So Close!)" is one of my karaoke jams
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 28 July 2022 02:17 (one year ago) link
zooropa is absolutely their best
― ufo, Thursday, 28 July 2022 03:21 (one year ago) link
Yeah Bono should only record vocals when he has a cold
― willem, Thursday, 28 July 2022 07:45 (one year ago) link
Agreed on Zooropa as best album.
"Dirty Day" is fantastic - good use of a drone, and also that the main chordal interruption to said drone is actually the only bit with Eno (a bit like how the three most metallic songs on Achtung are the three without any Eno credit) (another contradiction I think is Bono's vox there are the most Pop-foreshadowing).
Favourite song is "Lemon" and I wish they'd done the full thing live rather than just the single edit.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Thursday, 28 July 2022 09:14 (one year ago) link
"Lemon" single edit certainly loses something. It's a quiet epic
― Vinnie, Thursday, 28 July 2022 10:37 (one year ago) link
extremely late to this thread but as a Zooropa truther this latest turn warms my heart
― poster of sparks (rogermexico.), Monday, 12 September 2022 22:46 (one year ago) link
Good interview with Bono here:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/10/24/magazine/bono-interview.html
Every once in a while he does one of these, where he plays good sport and sort of takes the abuse while cleverly subverting the appearance of self-awareness to his (more or less) rhetorical advantage.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 24 October 2022 14:16 (one year ago) link
I want the whole band to know that I for one know NLOTH was meant to be them getting their art rock on again (flawed though it is).
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Monday, 24 October 2022 16:29 (one year ago) link
The art rock aspect was not the problem. It's (at the very least) flawed because they wimped out on that promise.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 24 October 2022 16:33 (one year ago) link
Precisely
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Monday, 24 October 2022 16:34 (one year ago) link
It’s a very good album despite the flaws. I think the iTunes album is really good as well, obv they fucked up the release so much though. If they’d just gone the traditional route and maybe dropped a song or two its legacy would be better. Unlike the much lesser followup it sounds like a respectably uncool and occasionally subtle album. I guess it says a lot about me as U2 fan that I still find some positives in Songs of Experience but the only thing SOE has on SOI is it not being slipped into everyone’s library. Their strengths (1984-1997) were their more artsy endeavors, and even several tracks found on Rattle and Hum managed to be pretty great in that vein.
― omar little, Monday, 24 October 2022 17:21 (one year ago) link
yep. for such an ambitious group their career has been marked by several crises of confidence.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 24 October 2022 17:33 (one year ago) link
What the, Bono was not naturally black haired?!
https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/323437554_876775090039239_2210211909803804679_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5cd70e&_nc_ohc=FjxHdajU2WcAX-jK6a2&tn=bnunni0g8BRzxpO7&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAoUoc8kOcJ2OvnRkMvad5RCPRwhKDQnbdhRJEXh-klDQ&oe=63CBBAEC
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 16 January 2023 23:40 (one year ago) link
Wow, he looks so much better without the dye job.
― assert (matttkkkk), Tuesday, 17 January 2023 00:23 (one year ago) link
lol, he looks like the Irish poet he's always fancied himself!
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 17 January 2023 01:11 (one year ago) link
I just want to call him pappy now that I see the deep wrinkles streaming from his eyes and that distinct mouth/jawline he's got. I'm glad he's embracing the look and idea of being an old man. Kind of wish he had done that much earlier.
― birdistheword, Tuesday, 17 January 2023 01:45 (one year ago) link
into silver fox bono <3
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 17 January 2023 02:15 (one year ago) link
Should see Adam Clayton these days, he’s gone full bearded troubadour.
― omar little, Tuesday, 17 January 2023 02:20 (one year ago) link
also a fan
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 17 January 2023 02:28 (one year ago) link
lookin' good bono!
― Karl Malone, Tuesday, 17 January 2023 02:30 (one year ago) link
he looks fantastic, hope he keeps it that way
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Tuesday, 17 January 2023 10:40 (one year ago) link
As seen out the car window this morning:
https://i.imgur.com/T7JmrE9.jpg
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 20 January 2023 01:05 (one year ago) link
So the big news of course last night was U2's official announcement of their Las Vegas money printing venture, but the small print is that Larry will indeed be out. Replacement is some dude named Bram van den Berg.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 13 February 2023 13:59 (one year ago) link
Bram van 3000
― Chris L, Monday, 13 February 2023 14:02 (one year ago) link
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bram
― Auf Der Martini (Ye Mad Puffin), Monday, 13 February 2023 14:07 (one year ago) link
That trailer is fucking cringe
― MaresNest, Monday, 13 February 2023 14:20 (one year ago) link
your most important local news story the world must know about
― i saw mommy kissing twink henry kissinger (breastcrawl), Monday, 13 February 2023 14:29 (one year ago) link
I think the only U2 concert without all 4, to date, is one in Japan (?) when Clayton was hungover (?).
So this is a different ball game really. Makes U2 rather more like the Stones, Cure, or other band where lineup is variable.
I don't know more about the tour.
― the pinefox, Monday, 13 February 2023 14:33 (one year ago) link
That was Sydney in November 1993, the day before the Zoo TV film was done (my fav concert film EVAH)
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Monday, 13 February 2023 14:34 (one year ago) link
Kinda wish they'd just have retired from touring instead of replacing Larry. It's quite astonishing how long they've gone on with just the four of them and a bit sad to break that streak
― Vinnie, Monday, 13 February 2023 15:31 (one year ago) link
I'd rather they'd just wait til Larry's well, and skip over the idea of a Vegas residency anyway.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Monday, 13 February 2023 15:34 (one year ago) link
My guess is with this also being kind of the big launch event for the Sphere thing is that there was a lot of legal wrangling to make it happen and it's probably really difficult for U2 to back out or postpone at this point. But yeah, I've never seen U2 and probably never will, but no Larry is a big bummer.
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 13 February 2023 15:36 (one year ago) link
Yeah I didn't realize he was only undergoing surgery and plans to rejoin. They definitely should have waited for him, not like they need the money
― Vinnie, Monday, 13 February 2023 15:38 (one year ago) link
Are there musical reasons for wanting Larry there, or is more about tradition and personnel continuity?
I like Larry and Adam fine bit (speaking as a drummer and occasional bass player), I think their parts are replicate. I would not say that of the other dudes
― Auf Der Martini (Ye Mad Puffin), Monday, 13 February 2023 15:42 (one year ago) link
* but
** replicable
That's probably not wrong but, as noted above, it's exceedingly rare for a band to keep all of the original members this long into a career and it's a shame they couldn't wait a few more months or whatever for him.
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 13 February 2023 15:44 (one year ago) link
I haven't seen the band live in 15 years but I imagine a younger drummer can probably add a lot more energy than Larry nowadays. I was only thinking of the continuity
Though I do think Larry's drumming in fantastic and distinctive on War and some of their early songs
― Vinnie, Monday, 13 February 2023 15:48 (one year ago) link
Have to agree with the doubters here!
Inclined to say U2 without Larry Mullen Jr shouldn't happen, as long he's alive.
― the pinefox, Monday, 13 February 2023 15:49 (one year ago) link
After this run they should have another Vegas run that is just Larry and three other guys.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 13 February 2023 16:22 (one year ago) link
Larry Mullen Jr. and the Drifters live in Las Vegas
― the absence of bikes (f. hazel), Monday, 13 February 2023 16:26 (one year ago) link
It really is impressive. What other band has managed to perform with the same exact group intact for 40+ years? I don't think there's anyone even close.
― birdistheword, Monday, 13 February 2023 17:03 (one year ago) link
Up until the other year ZZ Top would like to have a word.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 13 February 2023 17:07 (one year ago) link
Larry Mullen Jr.'s U2 Experience
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, 13 February 2023 17:08 (one year ago) link
xp Ah, of course - seriously regret missing their show at the Beacon back in 2012. (Wanted to go but didn't have enough money at the time.)
― birdistheword, Monday, 13 February 2023 17:10 (one year ago) link
(This specific question came up on Twitter a couple of years back -- other candidates could include Los Lobos, who did expand their lineup but retained the same core since the early 70s as well. Oddly enough the Fixx are a good candidate as well, if just after U2, and one member did step away for a long while, but was never officially replaced.)
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 13 February 2023 17:13 (one year ago) link
Duos meantime are trickier subjects. Sparks is well over fifty years old at this point but then again it's always been Ron & Russell plus whoever else so it doesn't totally count.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 13 February 2023 17:14 (one year ago) link
If it's with Larry's blessing, cool. But if not -- as strongly implied by the Washington Post piece -- then no, they obviously shouldn't play without him. And it's less "oh, most drummers can play those parts" and more "when Bono wiggles his left earlobe, Larry knows to play ___" or whatever. I don't know if they still do this, but in the Under A Blood Red Sky video you can see Bono giving Larry signals behind his back.
If Larry's maladies are drumming-related (which, like his back surgery, it sounds like they are), I wish he'd talk more about them, and show how younger drummers can avoid bad habits.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Monday, 13 February 2023 17:15 (one year ago) link
And the Four Tops had a 44-year-run with the same lineup (1953-1997).
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Monday, 13 February 2023 17:17 (one year ago) link
Larry going on the injured list for a bunch of residency gigs isn't a big thing imo, the weirder thing is the residency. but it might be cool idk, i'm into the idea of them revisiting Achtung Baby, though i'd rather they used this as a jumping off point for making actually making some forward thinking music again. aside from a bunch of NLOTH, they left that behind w/Pop.
― omar little, Monday, 13 February 2023 17:18 (one year ago) link
Again I like Larry and see the virtue of waiting. However, the timing is about breaking in a new venue, so I kinda get it.
If you think you need the -ahem- WORLD'S BIGGEST ROCK BAND -ahem- to christen your stage, you're not gonna be satisfied with, like, I dunno, Semisonic. Your pristine space-age rafters need to reverberate with the bombastic belting of a Bruce or a Billy or a Bono.
For good or for ill, there are just not a lot of acts operating at that level. I can see why Team Hewson thought it needed to be them, even if they were a man short - if only to avoid it being the Stones or Elton John or REM or Green Day or T-Swizzle or whomsoever.
― Auf Der Martini (Ye Mad Puffin), Monday, 13 February 2023 17:20 (one year ago) link
Compare Mr. Joel closing Shea Stadium with a marquee residency. For which he pointedly brought along a background singer named Paulrus McCartney CH MBE BLT.
In short I can see why an appetite for Iconic Event pageantry might eclipse other considerations.
― Auf Der Martini (Ye Mad Puffin), Monday, 13 February 2023 17:25 (one year ago) link
R.E.M.'s never reuniting!!
― unknown blues singer (morrisp), Monday, 13 February 2023 17:27 (one year ago) link
Not keen on the idea of a Vegas residency, am keen on them revisiting Achtung Baby, puzzled why they're only doing it now though. The anniversary was two years ago and so was the last Achtung box set.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Monday, 13 February 2023 17:28 (one year ago) link
Also if they're doing Achtung then are they implicitly also committing more fully to the ZooTV nostalgia that they've only dabbled with over time (the Achtung mini-sets on the Vertigo tour and their 2011 performances [Glasto etc.], plus the face-filter MacPhisto from the last tour)?
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Monday, 13 February 2023 17:31 (one year ago) link
Iirc, they missed the anniversary for the Joshua Tree Redux tour, too, right?
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 13 February 2023 17:39 (one year ago) link
That tour was 2017 but they did an extra leg in Asia/Oz/NZ in 2019, the other side of the Experience + Innocence Tour
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Monday, 13 February 2023 17:49 (one year ago) link
They did play some ACHTUNG in 2011, as noted - I loved that Glastonbury set (on BBC).
I don't know anything about this venue and generally don't like new venues or new concert ticketing practices.
― the pinefox, Monday, 13 February 2023 19:40 (one year ago) link
Golden Earring managed 51 years, unchanged, and only split when one of them developed motor neuron disease.
― Maggot Bairn (Tom D.), Monday, 13 February 2023 19:48 (one year ago) link
ZZ Top also made it to 51 years.
― Chris L, Monday, 13 February 2023 20:11 (one year ago) link
Cowboy Junkies are still together with the same line-up after 38 years.
― lord of the rongs (anagram), Monday, 13 February 2023 22:35 (one year ago) link
the reason they're doing achtung baby at the residency is probably just that they (correctly) thought it'd be a more interesting exercise in nostalgia than just a greatest hits show and they'd already successfully done the joshua tree a few years back
― ufo, Monday, 13 February 2023 22:41 (one year ago) link
man I would kind of want to go to this; I've never seen U2 and hate everything they did after Zooropa but always regretted not seeing this tour and I love that album. But no Larry plus likely $1000 tickets means I will not go
― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Monday, 13 February 2023 23:39 (one year ago) link
I really do love these guys but opening Popmart with a Vegas show and 25 years later signing on for a Vegas residency is a bit https://www.theonion.com/ironic-porn-purchase-leads-to-unironic-ejaculation-1819565403
― omar little, Monday, 13 February 2023 23:46 (one year ago) link
This is not a Zoo TV reboot or anything, right?
― PaulTMA, Monday, 13 February 2023 23:50 (one year ago) link
no Larry plus likely $1000 tickets means I will not go
If Larry were there, they'd be $5000 tickets!
― Halfway there but for you, Monday, 13 February 2023 23:59 (one year ago) link
That PopMart Vegas show was also marred by probably their biggest ever on-stage problems. Careful now U2!
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 00:14 (one year ago) link
Maybe it'll be like Twin Peaks season 3, set in Vegas and things...happen.
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 00:16 (one year ago) link
i'd expect they'll be playing achtung baby in full and the stage setup will be heavily referencing zoo tv, so basically?
― ufo, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 00:16 (one year ago) link
I always said I'll see them if they ever reprised Zoo TV properly so it would be nice (if probably very unlikely) that this is the testing ground for a worldwide tour.
So Cruel, TTTYAATW and Love Is Blindness haven't properly appeared on their setlists since Zoo TV (apart from one impromptu LIB in 2006). Even then So Cruel was only played four(?) times. Acrobat was never played until 2018.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 00:42 (one year ago) link
not that i would have paid $$$$ to see the vegas show but no larry is a real kick in the dicklike that’s a real wtf decision
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 14 February 2023 00:47 (one year ago) link
I've always wanted to see them play "The Fly", but can Bono still hit those notes?
― Vinnie, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 00:50 (one year ago) link
It's not Zoo TV, it's Zoo TV+
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Tuesday, 14 February 2023 00:50 (one year ago) link
Bono hit the high notes on the album version of the fly but the edge has always done them live iirc
― omar little, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 01:04 (one year ago) link
can Bono still hit those notes?
Gonna say no. Here they are in 2018, and it sounds like some pre-recorded backing tracks are in the mix:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LY_uxUhap0
Which is fine, U2 has long used backing tracks, plus people off-stage triggering stuff, adding additional instruments, etc.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 01:08 (one year ago) link
I saw some clip of them doing "With Or Without You" some years back, and Bono struggling with the high notes actually really underscored for me what a singer he can be. For sure, he used to sing the hell out of songs like that, but there's no way I'd expect him to be able to keep it up. I think the same thing about someone like Springsteen. For years he was operating at 120%; dropping down to, like, 85% is still more than the work most people are doing.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 01:11 (one year ago) link
xp Someone I know who absolutely hates U2 used to say "they're playing to f***ing machines!" which always cracked me up.
― birdistheword, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 01:14 (one year ago) link
Ah that actually makes sense, given how Bono would need to sing the 'a man will beg' part
So my next question is, can Edge still hit those notes?
― Vinnie, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 01:35 (one year ago) link
I saw them on the Joshua Tree tour in 2019, Bono's voice was fucked then
― nate woolls, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 01:42 (one year ago) link
based on that 2018 video it sounds like the edge still does an alright job of it, just they've got a backing track of a choir or something in there too to make it sound fuller
― ufo, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 01:42 (one year ago) link
The band sounded great and it was a really good show. I'd go and see an Achtung Baby/Zooropa show in a heartbeat.
― nate woolls, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 01:45 (one year ago) link
I guess Edge falling off the stage isn't technically an on-stage problem.
― Unfairport Convention (PBKR), Tuesday, 14 February 2023 03:27 (one year ago) link
Fortunately Bono took over the falling-off-the-stage department on the next tour (I was there).
― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 14 February 2023 03:29 (one year ago) link
A friend who helps:
https://external-preview.redd.it/nzTdgnDim6TidIX266eBGFSqYmediJcO6kOadAKzT5E.jpg?auto=webp&s=f690df8368033ed2a01e84a22154ece5e0aaf4c9
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 03:40 (one year ago) link
There's being clumsy where you step and then there's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbriItBGGLM
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 04:11 (one year ago) link
Gonna say no. Here they are in 2018, and it sounds like some pre-recorded backing tracks are in the mix:As with “Even Better Than The Real Thing, “The Fly” was apparently always played in a different key for live performances. Which prompts the question, how many bands lowered the keys of brand-new songs (as opposed to older songs the singer may struggle with) in order to play them live?
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, 14 February 2023 12:22 (one year ago) link
It was said long ago that U2 didn't play 'Red Hill Mining Town' for long in 1987 for this reason (and didn't release it as a 45 because they couldn't play it live? - despite Neil Jordan having made a video?). Presumably it's never been played since.
I have an idea that 'The Unforgettable Fire' posed Bono a problem also, but then again I have a DVD of them playing that in USA 1987. It's exciting to see, but they can't really replicate the instrumental thrills in the middle.
― the pinefox, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 13:10 (one year ago) link
"Just What I Needed" by the Cars is pitched sharp on the record because Roy Thomas Baker sped it up, but it was always played live in a different, lower key.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 13:10 (one year ago) link
I have an idea that 'The Unforgettable Fire' posed Bono a problem also, but then again I have a DVD of them playing that in USA 1987. It's exciting to see, but they can't really replicate the instrumental thrills in the middle.When I saw them in 1985 they didn’t seem to struggle with it, though Bono didn’t attempt the highest falsetto notes. The instrumental midsection worked well with Edge doing the string parts on slide guitar against a sequencer. But since so much of the chorus is at the absolute top of Bono’s range, I can see why they may not have played it live much.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, 14 February 2023 13:25 (one year ago) link
how many bands lowered the keys of brand-new songs (as opposed to older songs the singer may struggle with) in order to play them live?
Would Friday I'm in Love count? The studio version of which was pitched up.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 13:44 (one year ago) link
Energy-wise you ain’t gonna get these guys anymore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEyrhdBIyD8
― omar little, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 14:46 (one year ago) link
Iirc they've been playing Even Better Than the Real Thing for years now with sort of energy-sapped verses. Maybe it's a purely artistic decision but idk.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 15:08 (one year ago) link
Just watched that "The Fly" 2018 clip and it sounds pretty great. I think Edge is the one hitting those notes with just the organ/pad and percussive elements in the backing track, as it is on the album
― Vinnie, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 15:50 (one year ago) link
FWIW, for post-2000 U2, the 2001 show at Slane is hands down the one to see IMHO. Cheap DVD's are easy to find for those who want a physical copy, and it challenges even the Red Rocks DVD for the best one they've released. (The Zoo TV DVD at Sydney is still my favorite, but a lot of people complain that the sound quality - perhaps the mix - isn't as good as it could be judging by audio-only releases from that tour, but I think the visuals make up for it.)
― birdistheword, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 16:25 (one year ago) link
that 2018 version of the fly does sound really good. that one remains solidly within Bono's vocal wheelhouse, probably 3/4 of achtung baby remains well within reach for him -- wild horses, mysterious ways, and ultraviolet are the ones where he really stretched out i think but the former pair might be well-served by the lower register vox, they would prob sound better. ultraviolet is the one where i kinda wish he'd still be able to hit all the high notes.
― omar little, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 17:27 (one year ago) link
Bono's own father pointed out early on that he was a baritone masquerading as a tenor. That being the case, a lot of U2's material had an inbuilt shelf-life. If even guys like Robert Plant lose their high notes, what chance did Bono have to still be able to sing something like "The Unforgettable Fire" by his sixties?
― Vast Halo, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 17:36 (one year ago) link
Bono's own father pointed out early on that he was a baritone masquerading as a tenor.
This makes sense. But did Bono take care of his voice? I feel like there's a lot of musicians for whom long-term self-care is an afterthought at best, or is maybe addressed too late to have much of an effect. I mean, Roger Daltrey is 78 and still singing "Tattoo" in its original key, and Paul Thompson is 71 and driving Roxy Music like he's 21, so it's definitely possible to retain one's strengths over the years.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, 14 February 2023 17:58 (one year ago) link
Paul Thompson is 71 and driving Roxy Music like he's 21
lol he sooooo wasn't. PT is one of my all time favorite drummers, and my eyes were on him most of the show, but there was no way he was driving much anything. Still good, tho.
Daltrey, not sure he was ever much of a smoker, which may be key.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 18:22 (one year ago) link
Bono def pushed his voice past its natural zone on earlier recordings and frequently sounded awkward in certain spots. i sense he probably got some vocal training after awhile which allowed him to lose that awkwardness and smooth everything out, but it all likely took its toll. He smoked for awhile too, which didn't help. He sounds good in the lower register, so it could be a net gain should he choose to go that route exclusively on future albums though who knows how many of those there will be.
― omar little, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 18:41 (one year ago) link
as far as old timers who can still do it, Richard Thompson is in a class by himself
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 14 February 2023 19:09 (one year ago) link
Andy McCluskey of OMD still has the chops, and the dancing
― omar little, Tuesday, 14 February 2023 19:11 (one year ago) link
Michael Penn recorded "No Myth" in C, but when he performed it on TV at that time he sang it in G.
― Halfway there but for you, Wednesday, 15 February 2023 17:03 (one year ago) link
regarding taking care of his voice, Bono is similar to Ewan McGregor in Moulin Rouge, he's very throaty and punches the high notes out, but his technique isn't actually very good, so no doubt he lost that range faster than if he'd sang properly - but even then, if you're operating at the top of your range in your prime and continue to tour for 100+ days a year for decades and decades, you're singing live more than the average musician, and for a longer time at each show, so the wear and tear adds up a lot quicker.
― waiting for a czar to fall (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 15 February 2023 17:56 (one year ago) link
^^ that plus the fact that he did more between- (and during-) song patter than probably any vocalist of his generation, most of which was shouted. And he didn’t get any relief during the shows: it’s not like there’s any long U2 instrumentals or more than two songs that the Edge could sing on his own.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 15 February 2023 18:26 (one year ago) link
holy shit bono & edge did a tiny desk concert & it’s so greathttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxo-loXdcH0
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 18 March 2023 19:46 (one year ago) link
I want a Tiny Desk Concert that is just Adam and Larry.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 18 March 2023 20:07 (one year ago) link
Mission: Tiny Desk
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 18 March 2023 20:12 (one year ago) link
bugger.i hate acoustic versions so was going to avoid this album.but yeah .. this is really good.
― mark e, Saturday, 18 March 2023 20:19 (one year ago) link
I checked out when boner started directing the choir
― calstars, Saturday, 18 March 2023 22:34 (one year ago) link
Beautiful Day had strong Flight of the Conchords vibes for me but I bailed on the rest
― assert (matttkkkk), Saturday, 18 March 2023 23:56 (one year ago) link
rmde i should have expected nothing less
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 19 March 2023 00:12 (one year ago) link
had no idea that the tiny desk space isn't tiny at all, I remember a Bono interview some years ago regretting not spending more time writing and recording new stuff, would have been totally possible and legendary to play the batman song acoustic though, and with a choir!? seems like a missed opportunity
― Florin Cuchares, Sunday, 19 March 2023 02:03 (one year ago) link
My sister and I used to joke about the day they'd do a Vegas residency.
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Sunday, 19 March 2023 02:05 (one year ago) link
I remember them releasing an acoustic version of "Stuck in a Moment..."on that 7 CD EP that was a Target exclusive back in the day. Not sure if they stopped doing this, but IIRC they used to do short acoustic sets of a selection of hits at all of their shows (like three or four songs), and they usually held up pretty well that way.
― birdistheword, Sunday, 19 March 2023 18:28 (one year ago) link
― ꙮ (map), Sunday, 19 March 2023 18:40 (one year ago) link
they also did a BBC piano room session with One, Vertigo and this, SOS by ABBA:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLbexDnt_a8
― StanM, Sunday, 19 March 2023 21:44 (one year ago) link
I listened to all of this yesterday. Better than I expected, not as good as I hoped it might be in the best case scenario, and it probably should just be regarded as U2: the acoustic sessions or as a bonus to Bono’s book vs any new path being charted. It’s not essential but not bad.
The last album suffered from overproduction so it’s nice to hear them a bit more back to basics. Just four two guys in a room, making music! Some of the versions are pretty stellar, some are a bit more perfunctory. I’m a completist, so I’m inclined to get this. but maybe not at the current price.
― omar little, Monday, 20 March 2023 18:11 (one year ago) link
You mean the 4-cd thing? Is it like "U2: Naked," minus all the (mostly) awesome production?
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 20 March 2023 18:15 (one year ago) link
More like Bono and the edge naked, in a room together, just two guys etc. etc.
― omar little, Monday, 20 March 2023 18:28 (one year ago) link
boner and the wedge
― calstars, Monday, 20 March 2023 18:29 (one year ago) link
I watched the Tiny Desk concert and thought it was awful. Like monumentally bad. It's time to retire and enjoy being billionaires for the rest of their lives.
― brotherlovesdub, Monday, 20 March 2023 18:42 (one year ago) link
Counter opinion: I thought it stripped away some of their heavy-handed seriousness, and looked like they were having fun. Note, I pretty much stopped listening to U2 circa Rattle and Hum, so I knew none of these songs previously.
― Three Rings for the Elven Bishop (Dan Peterson), Monday, 20 March 2023 19:23 (one year ago) link
It's not a completely bad idea - just to use one old example, they created a new, "less-produced" arrangement of the Pop-era B-side "North and South of the River" for a special broadcast that was held in response to the bombing in Omagh. To date, it's the only time the song's been performed live, and it's actually one of my favorites - I wish it was given an official release (it would've fit perfectly on this set had they been open to older recordings), but plenty of home recordings are out there: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueqt_KY1YlU
Having said that, most of this set is for collectors only as I can't imagine playing this whole thing ever again. It probably would've helped to make one LP of the best stuff and leave the complete four-disc set as a "limited edition" type of thing. "11 O'Clock Tick Tock," "Every Breaking Wave," and at least a few others made a nice impression, but they kind of get lost in a giant load of 40 tracks.
― birdistheword, Monday, 20 March 2023 21:16 (one year ago) link
Nm, I didn't realize there was a single disc version!
― birdistheword, Monday, 20 March 2023 21:46 (one year ago) link
giant load you say
― calstars, Monday, 20 March 2023 21:56 (one year ago) link
I enjoyed the Bono, Edge & Dave show on Disney+
― BrianB, Monday, 20 March 2023 22:43 (one year ago) link
I heard the full thing on release day and I may never hear it in full again but the best tracks imo are Dirty Day, Until the End of the World and the weird '93 fat lady falsetto arrangement given to Desire.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Monday, 20 March 2023 22:43 (one year ago) link
lol this version of "desire" is so weird
― ufo, Tuesday, 21 March 2023 00:02 (one year ago) link
This is so sleepy I h a t e it
― MaresNest, Tuesday, 21 March 2023 00:19 (one year ago) link
oh man this new album is so bad. There's 4 discs of it????????
The best version of "Dirty Day" was a remix that was a b-Side on the "Please" CD single
― "The pudding incident?" (Boring, Maryland), Thursday, 23 March 2023 20:12 (one year ago) link
4U2 would be U8 no?
― hootenanny-soundtracking clusterfucks about milking cows (Neanderthal), Thursday, 23 March 2023 20:17 (one year ago) link
unless 2 is a power and not a multiplier
suspect i will buy this when its cheap in a years time to flesh out a deal at amazon to get free delivery.
― mark e, Thursday, 23 March 2023 20:21 (one year ago) link
u-cubed
― "The pudding incident?" (Boring, Maryland), Thursday, 23 March 2023 20:22 (one year ago) link
Sadly this is a snooze. The takes of classic good songs aren’t any better than the originals and any hope that there’s a hidden gem amongst the more recent interpretations is soon scotched. Bono should definitely give up trying to do a falsetto.
Will make an exception for Stay (Faraway so close) which has a spectral beauty.
― Dan Worsley, Thursday, 23 March 2023 20:39 (one year ago) link
I think I'll take back what I said, even when you try to whittle it down to the ten best, it really is a snooze. Ah well, at least I was trying it before I actually bought it.
― birdistheword, Friday, 24 March 2023 21:22 (one year ago) link
My daughter's at Bono's son's band tonight, wild when your kid and you are at different shows in the same city at the same time.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 25 March 2023 02:24 (one year ago) link
Someone uploaded the 1988 Grammy Awards - I skimmed through it and it’s pretty strange. I’m not sure if it’s the whole thing or not, but surprisingly U2 and Prince didn’t perform even though they were clearly there (love the look Prince gives to the camera when his AOTY nomination is announced). Most of the performers aren’t even nominees and they way they’re presented is kind of odd and primitive. Lou Reed and his band are out in some balcony entrance, then Run DMC come running out below, and Billy Crystal’s reading out the names.
U2 only appears when they win AOTY and it’s the most anticlimactic presentation I’ve seen for a top award. There’s no real build up and they just present it halfway into the show. It’s cool to see Brian Eno up there, and he even gets a special mention from Bono, who also pays respect to Prince and Springsteen. He also makes a joke acknowledging how much Christgau/The Village Voice hated them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2tiwY2LTL8
― birdistheword, Thursday, 13 April 2023 04:14 (one year ago) link
Wow that opening Whitney Houston performance is greatAnd the list of names of who’s appearing - wow - Steven Wright! Dwight Yoakam! Lou Reed ! Miles Davis ! Etc
― calstars, Thursday, 13 April 2023 12:12 (one year ago) link
I heard what sounded like a perfectly fine MOR late-era U2 song on the radio the other day, and it turned out to be by Inhaler, the band fronted by Bono's son. I think it was this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0Hilyfp_8A
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 24 April 2023 11:06 (one year ago) link
Reading Bono's memoir yesterday, one of many thoughts I had was that he has bought into (and sold) the idea that everyone has that Achtung Baby was radically different and new because it was 'European', 'cool', 'futuristic', rather than 'rootsy', 'American'. OK. He even talks of how they were pursuing 'electronica' and 'dance music'.
There is clearly a kernel of truth in all this. But I also started to think that the idea quickly became a myth, which everyone has gone along with; and that it was a kind of marketing, a way of demarcating 'U2 eras' and making them easier to sell or at least describe.
How about this view: Achtung Baby was the most ROCK lp that U2 had made up to that point - save, admittedly, its immediate precursor RATTLE & HUM?
I think that's accurate.
Another odd thing, by the way, is that the idea persists that The Joshua Tree is 'about America' - again Bono himself continues to believe and promote this view. Again, at some level this must be true. But again, it's also something of an image that we've all been sold, for many years (including via literal images, cover art), and if it had been described differently we might hear it differently.
I thought about it and decided that *lyrically*, only two songs on The Joshua Tree actually mention the USA.
Two mention Central America. One is about Ireland. One the UK. One is meant to suggest Australia.
The Joshua Tree contains fewer guitar solos than Achtung Baby.
You could probably construct a counter-narrative about the LP that wasn't much about 'America' at all but about the things that people like to say Achtung Baby was about - 'European modernist soundscapes', say.
I don't mind the official standard narratives about these records, they've helped everyone 'understand' U2's career, but I can wonder whether they have limited relation to the facts of what's on the records.
― the pinefox, Monday, 24 April 2023 11:39 (one year ago) link
Achtung Baby was radically different and new because it was 'European', 'cool', 'futuristic', rather than 'rootsy', 'American'. OK. He even talks of how they were pursuing 'electronica' and 'dance music
Perhaps somebody should have told him to purchase a David Bowie record before saying this
― when you wish upon a tsar (Ye Mad Puffin), Monday, 24 April 2023 11:47 (one year ago) link
I feel that "Joshua Tree" was more about this romantic idea of America as a concept, which definitely lingered in the margins of "Unforgettable Fire" and was perhaps too on the nose on "Rattle & Hum." Wide open spaces, lonely highways, broad horizons, and the promises and rewards they portend (or fail to deliver), etc.
I think perhaps "Achtung" was similarly oblique about electronic music. It was more the idea of dance music than the actual execution (which sort of arrived via "Pop"). "European modernist soundscapes" does kind of broadly captures the sound of "Achtung."
The one marketing line I never understood c. "Achtung" and "Zooropa" was U2 as ironic. "Achtung" in particular has this almost oppressive dark night of the soul undercurrent to it which is the opposite of ironic, while "Zooropa" I've always thought was tinged by this pervasive sense of morning after sadness.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 24 April 2023 12:15 (one year ago) link
That's a pretty good, convincing post.
Though I would still say that the 'textures' of 'streets', 'with or without you', 'red hill mining town', are not 'American' (and that's fine).
― the pinefox, Monday, 24 April 2023 12:50 (one year ago) link
What I meant was: they're not rock, blues, or roots -- which is what RATTLE & HUM is about, and possibly what Achtung Baby claims not to be by contrast. (Yes, there have been other kinds of music from the USA, nothing to do with such roots.)
― the pinefox, Monday, 24 April 2023 12:53 (one year ago) link
and what R&H is "about."
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 24 April 2023 13:03 (one year ago) link
The first thing I heard from Achtung Baby was "Mysterious Ways," which sounded VERY different and definitely was more interested in dance and romance than anything than all of the earnest christian leaning stuff they had done before. Keep in mind, this is from the perspective of a teenager who didn't have MTV and was not really keeping up with things.
Was the ironic aspect primarily through touring and its live presentation? I agree, I don't see it in the music at all. I wonder if they were nervous about going in the general direction of Achtung Baby, moving away from what had previously been very successful. When it worked, maybe Bono realized he could really lean into that character and totally ditch the Serious Guy routine. Or was it a way of protecting their brand so they could move back into their earlier mode if the Fly character didn't catch on? "Oh, just kidding guys, we were being ironic." I've never been a huge U2 fan, apart from Zooropa and most of Achtung Baby, but Bono's Mr. MacPhisto and the ironic distance did not do the music any service. But I don't know how much Bono's persona helps the band in general.
"Numb" being the first single from Zooropa was kinda startling.
― Cow_Art, Monday, 24 April 2023 13:19 (one year ago) link
One is meant to suggest Australia.
― assert (matttkkkk), Monday, 24 April 2023 13:47 (one year ago) link
Van Diemen's Land is on R&H not JT.
― Maggot Bairn (Tom D.), Monday, 24 April 2023 13:52 (one year ago) link
I posted this in another thread, but I'd argue that "Night and Day" -- released a full year before Achtung -- was more of a left turn than anything on Achtung. It sounded very little (apart from Bono's voice) like what anyone expected U2 to sound like at that time.
― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Monday, 24 April 2023 13:56 (one year ago) link
^^ yes
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 24 April 2023 13:59 (one year ago) link
They tricked themselves eventually into thinking they'd been a rock band and that's what everyone wanted from them, but even their most "rock" albums were more devoted to the groove than any cliches of rock. Which isn't to say the argument about AB doesn't work, it's maybe correct, but I don't think the whole dance/ultramodern aspect was overstated. I do think it's fair to suggest that their image as a serious rock band obscured their true talents, ones already on display before that. There was a reason imo the '90s were so creatively good for them, right down to side projects and soundtrack songs.
― omar little, Monday, 24 April 2023 14:16 (one year ago) link
Assert: you're correct, it's NZ - I had read 'Auckland' and didn't remember where that was.
Tom D makes a fair point that the 'very American' R&H contains a song that's about both Ireland & Australia!
― the pinefox, Monday, 24 April 2023 14:36 (one year ago) link
Cow Art: a point about The Fly (character) is that he is very American - Bono drawling, wearing what the memoir refers to as an outfit mainly inspired by Elvis Comeback Special - so already, by the time that 'character' appears (late 1991, and then on the tour), the 'European' idea has been diverted.
― the pinefox, Monday, 24 April 2023 14:37 (one year ago) link
john boyle o'reilly -- who the song is dedicated to iirc -- did end up in the US (as editor of "america's oldest catholic newspaper" in fact)
― mark s, Monday, 24 April 2023 14:47 (one year ago) link
What song?
― the pinefox, Monday, 24 April 2023 14:52 (one year ago) link
I see: hats off to Mark S - I've dug out my 1988 double LP of R&H and it does say
(Dedicated to JBO'R / a Fenian poet deported from Ireland to Australia because of his poetry. It wasn't very good... '!)
Not very literate, but much more content than I had remembered.
And Mark S is quite right to say that this gives an American destination to the song in a sense.
― the pinefox, Monday, 24 April 2023 14:56 (one year ago) link
(The text on the LP does not give JBO'R's name as initials, and U2's parentheses are not consistent.)
― the pinefox, Monday, 24 April 2023 14:57 (one year ago) link
really wish they'd give zooropa a proper reissue and release all the outtakes from the sessions - i really wanna hear the early versions of some of the pop tracks from then, i'd be surprised if they weren't better than the pop versions
― ufo, Monday, 24 April 2023 14:59 (one year ago) link
I have heard that said.
In truth, for people whoa) like official bootleg stuff (as with Dylan)b) like U2 (which is a small minority of people) --
there must be tons, hours, of such outtakes from, eg, the RATTLE & HUM sessions, that we have never heard, that must exist.
More audio of Dylan on hammond organ in the 'Hawkmoon 269' session? 'Angel of Harlem' with and without horns? Demos of 'All I want is you'?
I expect so.
― the pinefox, Monday, 24 April 2023 15:06 (one year ago) link
I bet that stuff exists in some state of evolution, but since the band's material often stems from jam sessions I'm not sure how worthwhile it all is. I remember when an Achtung Baby work in progress boot leaked shortly before the album's release, and it had stuff like five versions of "Salome." Sure, you can hear it evolve and get tweaked, but it mostly sounded like five sketchy unfinished versions of "Salome."
The super-coolest work in progress release I've ever heard, btw, remains the one Peter Gabriel released with the anniversary edition of "So," which featured tracks edited together from various stages of a song's evolution, resulting in stuff like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJU_MLQc2fc
I bet that would work with U2.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 24 April 2023 15:14 (one year ago) link
The middle of that "Sledgehammer" evolution clip is wonderful. It's coming together: the guitar parts are basically locked in, his keyboards almost there, the vocal choices too.
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 24 April 2023 15:18 (one year ago) link
I love the Achtung Baby sessions! Had them on a cassette from a market stall.
We had no idea they would become 'Salomé' until ... about 4 months later when that B-side was released.
U2 were annoyed at this leak at the time, but I think the way things are now (with other acts), there would be some scope for a more deluxe version of such things.
― the pinefox, Monday, 24 April 2023 15:22 (one year ago) link
imo Joshua is halfway between 'European' Unforgettable Fire and (more misguided though it is) 'American' (romantic version) Rattle & Hum. They had to squeeze those 'European' connotations out in order for them to rediscover/redefine them in the 90s.
The 'irony' grab remained but wrapping paper most of the time. With Pop Bono said the execution, if not necessarily intention, was to start at a party and end at a funeral, the lurid interface slowly being shed. That describes Achtung pretty well too I would say. Their passion for 'irony' and the consequent contrasts were more vividly highlighted on the tours (incidentally I was rewatching the 98 Santiago show only this morning. The mothers of the disappeared on Bono addressing Pinochet all within about fifteen minutes of Perfecto being blasted over the PA and Bono descending the disco lemon in 'this suit of light').
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Monday, 24 April 2023 16:40 (one year ago) link
I heard what sounded like a perfectly fine MOR late-era U2 song on the radio the other day, and it turned out to be by Inhaler, the band fronted by Bono's son.
I saw Inhaler last month (sold-out show of mostly Gen Zers), and they really did come across as U2 without the baggage, the ego, the meaningfulness: just peaks and valleys of tight rock songs, anonymous and both bland and satisfying.
― underwater as a compliment (Eazy), Monday, 24 April 2023 16:48 (one year ago) link
"With Pop Bono said the execution, if not necessarily intention, was to start at a party and end at a funeral"
This is very Bono!
― the pinefox, Monday, 24 April 2023 17:33 (one year ago) link
Madonna used a similar line for Confessions on a Dance Floor iirc
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Monday, 24 April 2023 17:44 (one year ago) link
Albeit not as gravely as 'funeral'
My daughter saw Inhaler last month, and she doesn't know U2 at all. I have no idea how they got on the Gen Z radar.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 24 April 2023 17:48 (one year ago) link
I bet it was really hard for them to get a record deal.
Y'know, paying their dues in dive bars and tiny clubs, working their way up, gathering a following, stapling flyers to light posts, etc.
Just like those scrappy underdogs Jakob Dylan, Sean Lennon, etc.
― when you wish upon a tsar (Ye Mad Puffin), Monday, 24 April 2023 18:29 (one year ago) link
Anthony Burgess (like Paul Bowles, a notable composer himself, and certainly one of the best music writers of the 20th century) abhorred the music that Bono and The Edge composed for that Clockwork Orange musical
― beamish13, Monday, 24 April 2023 18:42 (one year ago) link
I don't think he liked The Beatles either!
― the pinefox, Monday, 24 April 2023 19:06 (one year ago) link
In the last 20% or so of Bono's SURRENDER. It has taken a rather disappointing tone, perhaps in keeping with Bono's career trajectory.
He has little to say, in this stage, about songwriting or making music. The band is almost forgotten much of the time. Bono seems to be doing most things alone, or with his wife. It makes it more logical that he's now doing more things without Clayton and Mullen.
His activism, which seems very sincere and substantial, as well as his celebrity, takes him into the orbit of global leaders: Clintons, Obamas, et al. This tends to make for blandness. And Bono's sense of the political is one that I find quite problematic. It seems not to involve conflict but only consensus. But what if people in the consensus do bad things?
A bad page records a visit to Steve Jobs in Palo Alto. This already sounds unpromising. Bono wants to make an advert with Apple, citing the fact that U2's not making adverts is costing them money. (Did U2 in 2004 really need more money?) He then asks, in return, for Apple stock, and not getting that, asks for a specialised iPod to be made. Bono says that all this association with Apple makes U2 look cool. I think, and would have thought at the time, the opposite: that it looks corporate and bad.
It doesn't surprise me that Bono hangs out with Barack Obama, but his whitewashing of GW Bush's Iraq war seems discreditable. Then when D.J. Trump comes along, Bono finally attacks a public figure, saying, in rather familiar terms, that Trump is orange and bad, and that he is a symptom of the virus of populism.
It seems to me that Trump, for people who want to hold these positions, is a scapegoat. He's easy to dislike, you can say nasty things about him, and be sure that everyone will agree. OK. But criticising 'populism' and 'fake news' and 'post-truth' won't wash when you won't criticise the Bush administration - which is infamous for lying at great scale, and indeed made explicit statements about its post-truth views; and which was arguably more 'populist' than Trump in starting foreign wars of choice, demanding national obedience and staging pictures on aircraft carriers. I can still remember the hatred I felt for the US government in those days. Many people on ILX probably can too - and actual ILX threads from the time would show it. Bono doesn't remember this. He thinks things only went bad with Trump.
As I say, all this comes up because there is so little about music. Was Bono still serious about music by this point? Why are his lyrics in this era so stilted compared to decades before? He can be very self-critical or at least self-deprecating, but he doesn't seem to reflect on this.
― the pinefox, Monday, 8 May 2023 11:01 (eleven months ago) link
i think bono's views are heavily skewed because bush was the sort of establishment guy that he could successfully lobby to spend more on aid for africa etc., so he can't have been that bad. there was never any chance that he could get anywhere convincing trump to spend more on foreign aid, so he could see him for what he is.
― ufo, Monday, 8 May 2023 11:35 (eleven months ago) link
Yes - I think that is an accurate assessment of Bono's outlook.
― the pinefox, Monday, 8 May 2023 11:45 (eleven months ago) link
I think Bono's views are skewed because he's an establishment guy who dodges taxes through Maltese holding companies and takes a what me worry/some of my best friends are corporations when he was exposed in the Panama Papers.
― Elvis Telecom, Wednesday, 10 May 2023 02:16 (eleven months ago) link
In his book he gives a paragraph to the controversy over U2's tax affairs. He says something like 'we may have gone too far'.
He said something similar, more strongly, about the time that they gave away their music to people via Apple. The puzzling thing about that story is - presumably only people with some kind of Apple music buying account received the music. (I didn't ... and I would have liked to! I bought the CD, very very cheap, a couple of years later.) So while it was described as 'U2 give everyone their unwanted music', it must really have been a minority of people.
― the pinefox, Wednesday, 10 May 2023 09:01 (eleven months ago) link
it showed up for anyone who had an itunes account, so anyone with an iphone and anyone who'd ever used the most popular way to buy music at the time
― ufo, Wednesday, 10 May 2023 09:10 (eleven months ago) link
Happy birthday, Bono!
― the dreaded dependent claus (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 10 May 2023 09:17 (eleven months ago) link
xp I recall it was effectively undeletable too, at least until they released a software update or two.
― assert (matttkkkk), Wednesday, 10 May 2023 09:29 (eleven months ago) link
I had iTunes on my computer, with thousands of songs on it. But I didn't receive the U2 LP. So I assume this is a difference between using iTunes and having some kind of commercial account with Apple.
I am not sure that this was a majority of pop music fans. Maybe a vocal plurality.
However, I agree with the view that people should not be given something they wouldn't want. And if it can't be deleted that's worse still.
― the pinefox, Wednesday, 10 May 2023 09:44 (eleven months ago) link
I am near the end of the book and the one LP that Bono has not commented on is NO LINE ON THE HORIZON. The only thing he's said is 'Had we gone too far from our punk roots with that album?'. If he's serious about this he should have a chapter explaining it. U2 naturally made a big deal about that LP at the time; it shouldn't be erased from history. In fact I think it's probably better than their later records FWIW.
The 'punk roots' stuff is mostly nonsense, as eg: the LP representing their supposed return to said roots was SONGS OF INNOCENCE, which is not punk at all.
― the pinefox, Wednesday, 10 May 2023 09:47 (eleven months ago) link
Bono: (excitedly) Gentlemen, it's an honor to have both of you here today. What brings us together?
Putin: (smirking) Bono, your charisma always intrigues me. I suppose we're here to discuss global issues and find common ground.
Blair: Indeed, Bono. We live in a complex world, and it's crucial for leaders to collaborate for the greater good. Let's get down to business.
― calzino, Wednesday, 10 May 2023 09:57 (eleven months ago) link
Bono: I appreciate your perspectives, gentlemen. How about we establish a joint task force that addresses poverty, stability, and security? We can pool our expertise and engage other influential figures to drive real change.
― calzino, Wednesday, 10 May 2023 10:07 (eleven months ago) link
That's rather accurate !!
― the pinefox, Wednesday, 10 May 2023 10:08 (eleven months ago) link
apologies, chatgpt was just giving me some lols. I'm tired and giddy and finding dumb stuff very amusing today.
― calzino, Wednesday, 10 May 2023 10:09 (eleven months ago) link
Calzino + AI -- a dangerous combination for satire.
Can't wait to see you produce some about KS!
― the pinefox, Wednesday, 10 May 2023 10:11 (eleven months ago) link
people should not be given something they wouldn't want
Isn't that a Sinéad O'Connor album?
― coolgnoscenti (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 10 May 2023 10:15 (eleven months ago) link
I suppose if an amalgam of The Wonder Stuff and weak Blondie callbacks are your thing...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVqWb0JKBdw
― MaresNest, Thursday, 21 September 2023 14:11 (seven months ago) link
Vegas show looks like a cross between real US, virtual ABBA and an IMAX movie
The inside of the Las Vegas Sphere looks stunning and U2 has always been good with visuals.But this must be so disorienting. Just give me Bono running laps around a stage while singing “One”.pic.twitter.com/tBJFPmZxyO— Trung Phan (@TrungTPhan) September 30, 2023
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 30 September 2023 15:35 (six months ago) link
gaudy as fuck, a perfect match of city, venue, and artists, this will make Bono an additional billion dollars
― Murgatroid, Saturday, 30 September 2023 15:50 (six months ago) link
I saw that place on CBS Saturday Morning. Venue looks Blade Runner crazy as he11, but it's just another rich man's pleasure palace.
― earlnash, Saturday, 30 September 2023 15:57 (six months ago) link
The one drawback is you have to listen to U2. The Channel 4 News feature on this was one of the most nauseating pieces of television I've had the misfortune to watch this year.
― The First Time Ever I Saw Gervais (Tom D.), Saturday, 30 September 2023 16:20 (six months ago) link
My wife’s boss is a huge fan and was at last night’s show (he has tickets for two of them). He sent some pre-show pics of the dome. Said that fans had been camped out since Wednesday in the GA ticket line, heard the band rehearsals, and were posting spoilers on the U2 messageboard (I guess they play Achtung Baby followed by random songs?). Just to give you a taste of that U2 fan lyfe…
― Chavez video on MTV, July 1995 (morrisp), Saturday, 30 September 2023 16:26 (six months ago) link
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/u2/2023/sphere-at-the-venetian-resort-las-vegas-nv-63a3fadb.html
― Chavez video on MTV, July 1995 (morrisp), Saturday, 30 September 2023 16:29 (six months ago) link
Photos look crazy. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/sep/30/u2-review-an-utterly-astonishing-admirably-raw-vegas-extravaganza
― Dan Worsley, Saturday, 30 September 2023 16:32 (six months ago) link
I was offered a couple tix to see this on Oct 7, and while i do love this band and the visual experience looks amazing, I don't like dealing with Vegas. Driving there, being there, driving back...plus it's only 3/4ths of the dudes.
― omar little, Saturday, 30 September 2023 17:12 (six months ago) link
^ I read that url as “raw vegan extravaganza” and thought it was about a U2 themed restaurant
― epistantophus, Saturday, 30 September 2023 17:51 (six months ago) link
Where The Sides Have No Name
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 30 September 2023 18:09 (six months ago) link
Unforgettable Fire-Roasted Tomatoes
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 30 September 2023 18:10 (six months ago) link
not gonna lie i would love to see this
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 30 September 2023 18:18 (six months ago) link
Xp All I Want Is Tofu
― The Royal House of Hangover (Ye Mad Puffin), Saturday, 30 September 2023 18:22 (six months ago) link
as would i.i once went to a 360 degree video thing at a planetarium where folks showed these films that they had made especially for the format.dj food had prepared a full film that accompanied his 'search engine' album.to say it was a massive headf^ck/dizzying experience would be an understatement.and the pics that i have seen of this basically looks like that experience but expanded to the power of XXXX.
― mark e, Saturday, 30 September 2023 18:22 (six months ago) link
yeah I'd just love to see U2 full-stop really.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Saturday, 30 September 2023 18:33 (six months ago) link
Sundae Non-Dairy Sundae
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 30 September 2023 18:33 (six months ago) link
The tours they've done in my adult life I haven't been able to see for one reason or another.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Saturday, 30 September 2023 18:34 (six months ago) link
Shake it shake it shake it vegan salami
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Saturday, 30 September 2023 18:35 (six months ago) link
tfw the venue is more interesting than the band
― calstars, Saturday, 30 September 2023 18:38 (six months ago) link
That looks sick as hell and I say that as someone who's gone to laser Floyd
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Saturday, 30 September 2023 18:50 (six months ago) link
lol I posted "real US" instead of "real U2," still works
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 30 September 2023 18:51 (six months ago) link
Two Artichoke Hearts Eat As One
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 30 September 2023 18:53 (six months ago) link
lime dill pine nut ground onion shaoxing slaw
― behold the thump (ledge), Saturday, 30 September 2023 18:56 (six months ago) link
i have never seen them livehad tix to see the 360 tour in Oakland then the tour was cancelled bc bono had to get back surgery & havent had a chance or financial wherewithal to see them since ;_;
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 30 September 2023 18:56 (six months ago) link
“raw vegan extravaganza”
Even Better Than the Real Thing
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 30 September 2023 18:56 (six months ago) link
Seen them a bunch, not for a while, might consider this if it were cheap and down the street.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 30 September 2023 18:57 (six months ago) link
i've seen them seven times, probably the best overall experience was the 360 Rose Bowl show, but Zoo TV was a truly iconic show. actually all the shows were really great, though Popmart wasn't a great experience as far as seeing the band, being so close to the back row at Soldier Field in Chicago. but the spectacle was fun. they always brought it live ime.
― omar little, Saturday, 30 September 2023 19:09 (six months ago) link
I've seen ... Joshua Tree tour in '87 (my first concert), Zoo TV in whenever that was ('92?), Popmart, two or three shows on the Elevation tour (which were the best), Vertigo tour and ... I think that was it. Started to get too hard to get tix, too expensive, didn't like the new albums, etc.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 30 September 2023 19:14 (six months ago) link
at the last minute i got tix for their massive roundhay park/leeds gig as part of the zoo tv tour.at the time my wife and i were not fans at all.but we decided to go along for the experience.yeah, that was a good day.
― mark e, Saturday, 30 September 2023 19:36 (six months ago) link
― tylerw, Saturday, 30 September 2023 21:17 (six months ago) link
All I can say is, imagine how annoying the average boomer+ fan is at an arena show, now make that arena a Vegas extravaganza that is actually in Las Vegas. This is going to be like being trapped in a Vegas casino elevator at 1am with drunk convention goers.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 30 September 2023 21:48 (six months ago) link
imo the experience of seeing them in that setting outweighs all that shit for me otherwise you’d never go anywhere!
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 30 September 2023 22:12 (six months ago) link
and almost every show i go to is a boomer show now #old
Are “boomer+” fans really more annoying than other fans?
― Chavez video on MTV, July 1995 (morrisp), Saturday, 30 September 2023 22:50 (six months ago) link
^ this
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 30 September 2023 22:55 (six months ago) link
Depends what you mean by annoying, but if you mean "more likely to just go to a show because they can afford it, and spend the time talking and going for beer," then in my experience, yeah, probably a little more likely to be annoying. Or at least annoying in a distracting way.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 30 September 2023 23:00 (six months ago) link
my U2 experiences have been almost all positive with the crowds except the Joshua Tree nostalgia trip. very much a "just play the songs we know" crowd, which usually doesn't happen at their gigs. i'd hope the visual experience would drown out the tourists in this case, though.
the Rose Bowl experience was A+ bc we got there early and bonded in line w/a bunch of superfans, and one of them (an Australian rugby dude) advised us all on where to go to get in the inner circle, and we did and all met up again with that same group of people (whom we never saw again after that.)
― omar little, Saturday, 30 September 2023 23:11 (six months ago) link
Superfans at any show can sometimes be annoying, but in general fan communities are tons of fun and really friendly.
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 30 September 2023 23:19 (six months ago) link
yeah true it can oscillate wildly from Drive by Truckers welcoming-party-crew-vibes one the cool end to Dave Matthews Band pyschofans shushing you for singing along at the other end (still have not fully gotten over that one)
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 30 September 2023 23:30 (six months ago) link
*on the cool end
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 30 September 2023 23:35 (six months ago) link
I didn't find the U2 crowd any different than any other big concert crowd, the vibe was fine
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Sunday, 1 October 2023 02:07 (six months ago) link
Experiences with superfans could be an amazing thread.
― Position Position, Sunday, 1 October 2023 02:23 (six months ago) link
I had a full panic attack at the Rose Bowl U2 show and had to leave, but it had been decades since I had seen them last. I'd love to see Laser Floyd inside the sphere.
― Elvis Telecom, Sunday, 1 October 2023 02:25 (six months ago) link
That would be the ultimate music experience
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Sunday, 1 October 2023 03:13 (six months ago) link
lol "U2 Presents: The Vegas Laser Floyd Experience."
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 1 October 2023 04:46 (six months ago) link
I'm not saying that the band should go full-hologram, but honestly if they ditched the band and went full Laser Floyd with a good mix of Unforgettable Fire->Zooropa I'd definitely go check it out.
― Elvis Telecom, Sunday, 1 October 2023 05:19 (six months ago) link
Ah, the old "just four holograms in a dome" routine...
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Sunday, 1 October 2023 15:29 (six months ago) link
Anyone ever see a Joshua Light Show gig?
― earlnash, Sunday, 1 October 2023 15:35 (six months ago) link
So who's playing drums? That Guardian review just says Larry Mullen isn't...
― read-only (unperson), Sunday, 1 October 2023 16:04 (six months ago) link
From the setlists link above:
Note: First U2 show without Larry Mullen, Jr., Bram van den Berg on drums
― Kim Kimberly, Sunday, 1 October 2023 16:16 (six months ago) link
Someone just sent me what is probably the best fan video from the U2 x Las Vegas Sphere event: Snoop. pic.twitter.com/jQMOG9vKLF— Trung Phan (@TrungTPhan) October 1, 2023
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 1 October 2023 17:08 (six months ago) link
Those sirens are a dead ringer the 1993 live intro to Lemon
I'm guessing it isn't Lemon
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Sunday, 1 October 2023 17:11 (six months ago) link
I'm only just seeing the setlist now. Big lol at the "Rattle and Hum interlude" slitting a hole into Achtung.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Sunday, 1 October 2023 17:28 (six months ago) link
Anyway now to immediately see what Love Is Blindness sounds like live after 30 years. The Zoo TV version of that is maybe my favourite thing U2 have ever done.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Sunday, 1 October 2023 17:29 (six months ago) link
Okay Love Is Blindness sounds excellent from the videos on YouTube. It reintroduces the lalalas from the album version which weren't there originally.
Arms Around the World seems on fine form too after the same amount of time.
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Sunday, 1 October 2023 17:39 (six months ago) link
weren't there originally live I mean
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Sunday, 1 October 2023 17:40 (six months ago) link
Holograms are not lasers!We must maintain the purity of the Laser Floyd experience.
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Sunday, 1 October 2023 17:45 (six months ago) link
Bono truly missing the opportunity to reprise his Sinatra duet, which would have been fitting for a few different reasons.
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 1 October 2023 17:47 (six months ago) link
That was the most arresting thing about the original Xoo TV production for me, falling through these idk star maps in slow motion for Love is Blindness, it was absolutely perfect, I wonder if they've replicated that.
― MaresNest, Sunday, 1 October 2023 17:49 (six months ago) link
You'd think it would be perfect - it's already planetarium shaped in there - but they've gone for silhouettes of butterflies and insects, increasing in quantity until they've blacked out almost the whole screen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZIYLMM0ykE
― you can see me from westbury white horse, Sunday, 1 October 2023 17:57 (six months ago) link
Eugene Robinson of Oxbow has made U2 the subject of his latest newsletter:
He was quiet. Unusually quiet. Or at least unusual for an Irish cat from New York. It could have been the drink, or the night, but it was significant enough to warrant an intervention, or at least a query. In this case, what the hell was wrong?“I just got back from Reno,” Shaughnessy said of “the biggest little city in the world”. This, in and of itself, may or may not have been a cause for sorrow. But I waited.“I saw Steppenwolf.” Steppenwolf of the heavy leathers, fringed vests and overall bad-ass biker beards and suggestion of the same in the shape of their hit song “Born to Be Wild.”“Did they play ‘Born to Be Wild’?”“They were playing it as I walked in,” he said, his brows knit. “They were wearing rented tuxes. And did it lounge style.” He paused in a way that indicated that this was not at all for comedic effect.“To be funny?”“There was nothing funny about this at all.”And so the last and enduring image is of the young turks having metastasized into old men just doing what old men do: looking for a warm place out of the rain where they might make a little scratch for having been any/everything but.A distinctly mixed bag of circumstances because on the one hand like the Chinese proverb seems to imply — “Don’t laugh at the prostitute. Laugh at the poor person.” — there’s nothing wrong with getting that money. On the other hand like Joseph Welch once asked of Senator Joseph McCarthy, “have you no decency, sir?”I’m unsure of what price is attached to decency but waking up this morning to news that the band U2 started their 25-night residency at Las Vegas’ MSG Sphere, complete with Paul McCartney, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre in the house, I had started to wonder. Specifically, when did it happen that there was no social sanction at all for doing the lamest shit ever?Or, more specifically, when did we outgrow shame?And don’t hit me with the “get it? card”, as if this was some meta ploy to mine irony for all it’s worth and I just don’t…get it, that is. If you had unlimited funds and means and were limited only by your imagination is this where it carries you? Keep in mind this is also not a critique of U2’s music, music I haven’t listened to after they sang about boys meeting men in the shadows. I mean I guess their music is fine.In reality I really have a soft spot in my heart for U2 as it was through their good graces that my group OXBOW actually managed to have a place to record, Windmill Lane in Dublin, when we recorded music for our Serenade in Red record, with vocals by Marianne Faithfull. Picking through the remnants of their equipment on the weekend that they were choosing not to work I got misty eyed about their graciousness, whether or not it was done specifically to help us.Moreover, I remember when in some sort of turmoil my friend Bruce Lamont from the great band Yakuza admitted to me in a quiet moment that he had a side project. The side project in question? A Led Zeppelin cover band. And a Led Zeppelin cover band that not only seemed to be sanctioned by Robert Plant but also had just got a booking for a national tour of the House of Blues.I was ecstatic, and said so. In the same way that you’d be if you had a friend who fought the law but instead of the law winning, it was your friend who had done so. It felt like a win for the little guy, like the house had taken one on the chin, and so how is it that the U2 deal is different?And more importantly is it better or worse after the Apple iPod stunt?For those with shorter memories, this was when Apple and U2, back in 2014, force fed the entire installed base of Apple users with the new U2 record, whether or not they had requested it. It felt like a muscle move, and for those of us who despair at how casually muscle moves are made, it was a casus belli.Bono went on to apologize for said stunt. Which was probably the right PR move. Though it should also be noted that he has not backed away from the latest Jann Wenner imbroglio, which seems very much the wrong PR move, but you know what? I’m not big on apologizing. Especially after having a boss who would routinely require these as some form of ritual humiliation, I find them to be an extension of muscle, and lacking in authenticity.In fact I dream of a malefactor standing at a podium to deliver a speech that I lust after with some sort of sexual intensity: “SO….you GOT me!” And then goes on to non-apologize in the most Christian of ways: “YOU who are sin-free step RIGHT UP!”Even Trump, the most massive of line steppers, has pulled shy of doing this instead just opting for the systematic denial of the reality of experience.But U2, replete with more money than G-d, critical accolades for the better part of their careers, and some small scintilla of integrity, pulls a Celine Dion and goes to the heart of a place that’s as steeped in corporate capital as any bank for…their fans? Their wallets? Their legacy? Even an exceedingly high Hunter S. Thompson dug on the soullessness of the Vegas endeavor and yet here they are.And apologies to those Dion fans. HER being here makes total sense and seems to stem from a deep understanding of her place in space. So hats off to her.But U2? Cui bono here?Well, it seems we have 25 days to figure this out. As a touring musician I sort of understand it from a mountain going to Muhammad perspective: if OXBOW could do 16 shows in a row, like we just did, without driving to 16 different places, wouldn’t that be cool?It would be. However if you think U2 is piling into a Mercedes Sprinter cargo van to scoot between shows you’re out of your mind. No, these climate conscious rockers are private jetting to gigs leaving me just where I was: why?I guess if I could figure this out I’d be where they are instead of where I am, but where I am is just fine since it’s absent all of the nettlesome questions regarding, what the FUCK was I thinking? when I look in the mirror.
“I just got back from Reno,” Shaughnessy said of “the biggest little city in the world”. This, in and of itself, may or may not have been a cause for sorrow. But I waited.
“I saw Steppenwolf.” Steppenwolf of the heavy leathers, fringed vests and overall bad-ass biker beards and suggestion of the same in the shape of their hit song “Born to Be Wild.”
“Did they play ‘Born to Be Wild’?”
“They were playing it as I walked in,” he said, his brows knit. “They were wearing rented tuxes. And did it lounge style.” He paused in a way that indicated that this was not at all for comedic effect.
“To be funny?”
“There was nothing funny about this at all.”
And so the last and enduring image is of the young turks having metastasized into old men just doing what old men do: looking for a warm place out of the rain where they might make a little scratch for having been any/everything but.
A distinctly mixed bag of circumstances because on the one hand like the Chinese proverb seems to imply — “Don’t laugh at the prostitute. Laugh at the poor person.” — there’s nothing wrong with getting that money. On the other hand like Joseph Welch once asked of Senator Joseph McCarthy, “have you no decency, sir?”
I’m unsure of what price is attached to decency but waking up this morning to news that the band U2 started their 25-night residency at Las Vegas’ MSG Sphere, complete with Paul McCartney, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre in the house, I had started to wonder. Specifically, when did it happen that there was no social sanction at all for doing the lamest shit ever?
Or, more specifically, when did we outgrow shame?
And don’t hit me with the “get it? card”, as if this was some meta ploy to mine irony for all it’s worth and I just don’t…get it, that is. If you had unlimited funds and means and were limited only by your imagination is this where it carries you? Keep in mind this is also not a critique of U2’s music, music I haven’t listened to after they sang about boys meeting men in the shadows. I mean I guess their music is fine.
In reality I really have a soft spot in my heart for U2 as it was through their good graces that my group OXBOW actually managed to have a place to record, Windmill Lane in Dublin, when we recorded music for our Serenade in Red record, with vocals by Marianne Faithfull. Picking through the remnants of their equipment on the weekend that they were choosing not to work I got misty eyed about their graciousness, whether or not it was done specifically to help us.
Moreover, I remember when in some sort of turmoil my friend Bruce Lamont from the great band Yakuza admitted to me in a quiet moment that he had a side project. The side project in question? A Led Zeppelin cover band. And a Led Zeppelin cover band that not only seemed to be sanctioned by Robert Plant but also had just got a booking for a national tour of the House of Blues.
I was ecstatic, and said so. In the same way that you’d be if you had a friend who fought the law but instead of the law winning, it was your friend who had done so. It felt like a win for the little guy, like the house had taken one on the chin, and so how is it that the U2 deal is different?
And more importantly is it better or worse after the Apple iPod stunt?
For those with shorter memories, this was when Apple and U2, back in 2014, force fed the entire installed base of Apple users with the new U2 record, whether or not they had requested it. It felt like a muscle move, and for those of us who despair at how casually muscle moves are made, it was a casus belli.
Bono went on to apologize for said stunt. Which was probably the right PR move. Though it should also be noted that he has not backed away from the latest Jann Wenner imbroglio, which seems very much the wrong PR move, but you know what? I’m not big on apologizing. Especially after having a boss who would routinely require these as some form of ritual humiliation, I find them to be an extension of muscle, and lacking in authenticity.
In fact I dream of a malefactor standing at a podium to deliver a speech that I lust after with some sort of sexual intensity: “SO….you GOT me!” And then goes on to non-apologize in the most Christian of ways: “YOU who are sin-free step RIGHT UP!”
Even Trump, the most massive of line steppers, has pulled shy of doing this instead just opting for the systematic denial of the reality of experience.
But U2, replete with more money than G-d, critical accolades for the better part of their careers, and some small scintilla of integrity, pulls a Celine Dion and goes to the heart of a place that’s as steeped in corporate capital as any bank for…their fans? Their wallets? Their legacy? Even an exceedingly high Hunter S. Thompson dug on the soullessness of the Vegas endeavor and yet here they are.
And apologies to those Dion fans. HER being here makes total sense and seems to stem from a deep understanding of her place in space. So hats off to her.
But U2? Cui bono here?
Well, it seems we have 25 days to figure this out. As a touring musician I sort of understand it from a mountain going to Muhammad perspective: if OXBOW could do 16 shows in a row, like we just did, without driving to 16 different places, wouldn’t that be cool?
It would be. However if you think U2 is piling into a Mercedes Sprinter cargo van to scoot between shows you’re out of your mind. No, these climate conscious rockers are private jetting to gigs leaving me just where I was: why?
I guess if I could figure this out I’d be where they are instead of where I am, but where I am is just fine since it’s absent all of the nettlesome questions regarding, what the FUCK was I thinking? when I look in the mirror.
― read-only (unperson), Sunday, 1 October 2023 21:50 (six months ago) link
a dullard ponders
― mark s, Monday, 2 October 2023 08:42 (six months ago) link
Dud.
― papal hotwife (milo z), Monday, 2 October 2023 09:01 (six months ago) link
Been looking through the various clips on YT, almost feel like polling the backgrounds, Streets is amazing.
― MaresNest, Monday, 2 October 2023 23:53 (six months ago) link
We should have a dedicated SPHERE thread
― kirsten gilla band (Whiney G. Weingarten), Tuesday, 3 October 2023 04:37 (six 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 (six 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 (six 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 (six 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 (six 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 (six 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 (five 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 (three 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 (three 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 (one month 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 (one month 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 (one month 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 (one month 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 (one month ago) link