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  1. I still find it hard to believe that they shelved the album so soon. After a massive pre-album launch promotion in the UK and US, playing the lead single at all of the big award shows (Grammy's, Brits etc) and starting the tour with seven of the songs in the setlist it suddenly faded to scrapping the fourth single and closing the tour with only three songs remaining. Dropping four songs may sound not that bad, but we were left with a specific Crazy Tonight, the weak lead single and a song that actually suited the encore. When you consider No Line On The Horizon, Magnificent, Unknown Caller and Breathe were dropped it becomes a real shame. As we move into the new era, how many of those three will remain? My guess is just Get On Your Boots.

    Breathe was fantastic as the opener in my opinion, No Line On The Horizon was full of energy, Magnificent transformed from the album version into a good live track and Unknown Caller was a particular favourite of mine, though I sometimes wish they'd gone back and redesigned it a little for the live show.

    Pop wasn't well received at the time but it didn't stop them pushing it. Each single was released twice (From memory this is correct) and the Popmart tour started with ten Pop songs being played and ended with seven though it must be said that every Pop song had a run out over the course of the tour. Looking back, sometimes I wish some of those tracks would make an appearance today but I'm also happy knowing that there is one era of U2 where they all come together in a typically Pop themed show, something that can be said for most tours. The Boy tour encapsulates Boy, The Joshua Tree tour is a good representation of The Joshua Tree, Zoo TV perfectly sums up Achtung Baby, Popmart with Pop, Elevation is the essence of ATYCLB, Vertigo was a good representation of HTDAAB but U2 360 was not in the same vain as NLOTH. It started out that way, but moved a few times and became a mash up of Zoo TV and Vertigo but in a more Elevation style than that seen at the end of the Vertigo tour.

    Maybe U2 360 wasn't about the 360 stage, it was a cover up for U2 going full circle with their tour, bringing together the best of the past 30 years in one tour. We were treated to some Boy classics, some October rarities, War classics, The Unforgettable Fire reborn, The Joshua Tree best of, Zoo TV introductions, Pop? maybe a snippet of Discotheque counts and a best of ATYCLB/HTDAAB/NLOTH.
  2. Originally posted by iTim:I still find it hard to believe that they shelved the album so soon. After a massive pre-album launch promotion in the UK and US, playing the lead single at all of the big award shows (Grammy's, Brits etc) and starting the tour with seven of the songs in the setlist it suddenly faded to scrapping the fourth single and closing the tour with only three songs remaining. Dropping four songs may sound not that bad, but we were left with a specific Crazy Tonight, the weak lead single and a song that actually suited the encore. When you consider No Line On The Horizon, Magnificent, Unknown Caller and Breathe were dropped it becomes a real shame. As we move into the new era, how many of those three will remain? My guess is just Get On Your Boots.

    Breathe was fantastic as the opener in my opinion, No Line On The Horizon was full of energy, Magnificent transformed from the album version into a good live track and Unknown Caller was a particular favourite of mine, though I sometimes wish they'd gone back and redesigned it a little for the live show.

    Pop wasn't well received at the time but it didn't stop them pushing it. Each single was released twice (From memory this is correct) and the Popmart tour started with ten Pop songs being played and ended with seven though it must be said that every Pop song had a run out over the course of the tour. Looking back, sometimes I wish some of those tracks would make an appearance today but I'm also happy knowing that there is one era of U2 where they all come together in a typically Pop themed show, something that can be said for most tours. The Boy tour encapsulates Boy, The Joshua Tree tour is a good representation of The Joshua Tree, Zoo TV perfectly sums up Achtung Baby, Popmart with Pop, Elevation is the essence of ATYCLB, Vertigo was a good representation of HTDAAB but U2 360 was not in the same vain as NLOTH. It started out that way, but moved a few times and became a mash up of Zoo TV and Vertigo but in a more Elevation style than that seen at the end of the Vertigo tour.

    Maybe U2 360 wasn't about the 360 stage, it was a cover up for U2 going full circle with their tour, bringing together the best of the past 30 years in one tour. We were treated to some Boy classics, some October rarities, War classics, The Unforgettable Fire reborn, The Joshua Tree best of, Zoo TV introductions, Pop? maybe a snippet of Discotheque counts and a best of ATYCLB/HTDAAB/NLOTH.


    +1

    I agree with this very good analisis
  3. Its a great point,and imo still i believe they should have stuck with the songs they dropped right through to the Moncton show.
    I really feel it wouldve been a great show in 2010/11 mixing songs like Stingray Guitar,Scarlet,HMTMKMKM,Boy Falls From The Sky,Every Breaking Wave with UC,Breathe and NLOTH.
  4. it would be cool of them to bring back Crazy Tonight in the normal album version. I was listening to that today and it sounded much better than i remember
  5. Originally posted by Genaro92U2it would be cool of them to bring back Crazy Tonight in the normal album version. I was listening to that today and it sounded much better than i remember


    It always works like that. Give a listen out of the blue to whatever song you used to think was "meh" and you'll be surprised of how your appreciation increases.
  6. Originally posted by LikeASong[..]

    It always works like that. Give a listen out of the blue to whatever song you used to think was "meh" and you'll be surprised of how your appreciation increases.


    One Step Closer?

    I liked the Redanka/Dirty South mix that was played live. Probably wouldn't want to see it to return next tour though.
  7. Originally posted by iTim[..]

    One Step Closer?

    I liked the Redanka/Dirty South mix that was played live. Probably wouldn't want to see it to return next tour though.


    Give a listen out of the blue to whatever song you used to think was "meh"


    I don't think One Step Closer is "meh", I think it's crap. The songs you have already archived as "crap" don't/won't get much better with one sudden listen
  8. My ranking almost 3 years on, now:

    1. No Line on the Horizon
    2. Unknown Caller
    3. Moment of Surrender
    4. Magnificent
    5. FEZ- Being Born
    6. Breathe
    7. I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
    8. Get On Your Boots
    9. Cedars of Lebanon
    10. White as Snow
    11. Stand Up Comedy
  9. Good to see some love for Unknown Caller

    Originally posted by LikeASong:
    I don't think One Step Closer is "meh", I think it's crap. The songs you have already archived as "crap" don't/won't get much better with one sudden listen


  10. Prologue: I grew up with U2. One of my first records was Under A Blood Red Sky. I adore them, and so would not patronize them by giving this particular album any sort of 10/10 rating. There is NO song on this record that scores a perfect 10. The only interesting and thrilling track on the album is I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight.

    Honestly, if you listen to Achtung Baby or Zooropa and then this record, you cannot possibly consider this U2 being at their best. This record sounds like it was taken from hours of recordings from numerous sessions... giving it a listless, unfocused, and lyrically/musically boring narrative. Come on... Stand Up Comedy? If young Bono were listening to this record, he would have broken up the band at their VERY peak, the cathartic How To Dismantly An Atomic Bomb.

    And for all those people whom consider October one of U2's weakest albums, you have not been to the "place." Driving for hours through frozen wilderness without sleep with your closest friend when there is no moon, only speed and nicotine and obtuse loss/dream sequence... that is October.

    I hope their next album is finally that crazy White Album Bono has been promising.

    Long live the mullet!
  11. My opinions about NLOTH haven't changed since I last posted here. I don't consider it to be a terrible album, and there are no tracks that I downright just can't listen to. This is as opposed to Pop, which contains a confused mix of some of my favorite tunes alongside some songs I have listened to once and never returned to again.

    I think the reason why people think NLOTH is a bad album is because they are using the tour as a means to rate it. I mean, the Vertigo Tour had 10/12 songs on the album performed live with 8 out of those 10 appearing on a regular basis. The 360 Tour did start out that way with 7 songs from the album, but they had to drop many of the songs simply because they were weak live songs. They sounded great on the album, but not so much live.

    Also, I personally think the album is best defined by which song opens the tour in which it is featured. It makes sense, really.
    Joshua Tree Tour - Streets
    ZooTV Tour - Zoo Station
    PopMart Tour - Mofo
    Elevation Tour - Elevation
    Vertigo Tour - CoBL
    360 Tour - Breathe (at first)

    Comparing all those songs, Breathe is clearly the weakest. Especially when you compare it to the way CoBL opened those Vertigo Tour shows, Breathe didn't stand a shadow of a chance. I bet people were expecting U2 to open their 360 shows like they opened their Vertigo shows. Lights go down, an extended guitar intro starts up, building up to a climax where Edge and the lighting of the stage let loose. Interestingly enough, this is how they ended up opening their shows, thanks to a revamped version of Even Better Than The Real Thing. That opening style has worked for them time and time again. You can see it when you compare the opening songs. All of them have intros that can be extended to build up excitement and anticipation (I consider the Elevation remix an amazing intro to the actual song because they did a phenomenal job transitioning the two).

    So if you asked me what I think U2 learned from this album... It's their focus. They wanted an album that would be played all over the radio, but their honest tried and true formula is to create songs designed to be played all over the world in concert.

    I think U2 may try to experiment with different musical themes, but I know they will be working to see that each and every song is even better live than it is on the album.
  12. Originally posted by ahn1991:
    ...
    Comparing all those songs, Breathe is clearly the weakest. Especially when you compare it to the way CoBL opened those Vertigo Tour
    ...


    i have to completely disagree with this assertion.
    Breathe is definetely upper than City Of Blinding Lights both as song and opener .. same thing compared to Elevation.
    all this in my opinion of course
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