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