U2start.com | The End of U2 =(

^ Well written.

Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:[..]

Lack of good songs, and lack of big hit. There was no Beautiful Day, Elevation, City Of Blinding Lights, or Vertigo on NLOTH. You can take any example across their entire career, point is, NLOTH didn't have any really great hit singles.

Boots was too weird (people were turned off by sexy boots, bossy boots, etc.), a little bit too much like Vertigo, and just generIally not that appealing to a casual listener. It wasn't joyful, and it didn't have a good tempo to "dance" to. Sure we could rock out to it live, but it didn't have that extra something like other singles do. It came alive in a live setting, but I think a large part of that was due to the high that everyone was already feeling in the presence of U2, and because it was surrounded by other great U2 songs in the set. When U2 played Boots at the various award shows when it first came out, everyone went "meh".

Magnificent was a stab at something in the same vein of Beautiful Day, but again, something about it just didn't capture people. Was it the lyrics? Was it the key? Who knows. I for one never really loved the song. Maybe when it first came out, when it was new, but I don't htink it'll stand the test of time like Beautiful Day or Vertigo will. I think Magnificent mainly suffered because Boots came before it though. People had already decided "Ah, the new U2 isn't that good, time to move onto something else". I think if Magnificent, or even for that matter No Line 2 (that remix version) came out as the first single, the album release would've been a totally different story.

I think U2 realizes all of this now, and they won't make the same mistake again for the next album. I'm not saying that they have to release a classic sounding hit single before they can hit people with the new sounding stuff, because The Fly would counter that point in a huge way. I'm saying that they just need a better first hit single next time. Something that will really make people go "wow, what else is there?" Rather than "Crappy U2 song, who else has a new album out?"

^
Well said, though I love 'Magnificent', and think that THAT should've been single #1. If they felt so strongly about 'Boots' it could've been the LAST single.

pleasegone

13 years

Posted by kezman(edited):

Rock music will never die but it certainly isnt the "theme" of the moment,and does their age REALLY matter? Susan Boyle was top seller in 2009 and she isnt exactly part of todays youth movement.
Songs like Breathe,Crazy Tonight and Unknown Caller were all good tunes but can you see these songs on future tours? I can only see Magnificent or maybe MOS appearing again.
Get On Your Boots was abysmal sorry,it came to life a bit live but it still makes me cringe esp the "sexy boots" bit.
Dont panic guys its NOT the end!

My response:

Yeah, I just looked at the charts, and they are filled up with over 50 groups. I couldn't find a single artist under 50. It is amazing how Prince, U2, The Eagles, Michael Jackson, Madonna, REM, Susan Boyle, Gomer Pyle, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Van Halen,
Frank Sinatra, and Cliff Richard have all had # 1 worldwide hit singles in 20 or more countries....

Now back to reality....U2 have had only ONE single get anything remotely close to airplay in the United States from 2003 to 2011. That was Vertigo, and it hit #31. It did get great airplay on "Classic Rock" stations, but was only played on Pop Radio for around 6 weeks, and then it was gone.

To think that U2 can have a chart hit is about as dumb an Idea as it would be for them to make a rap album with Jay-Z. Sure, if they make a dance song with the Black Eyed Peas, or the latest Gangster Rapper of the month, they could possibly have a hit...but for anybody to think that U2 could have a hit with a rock song without awful modern samples is living in a dream world.

It is possible, that they could have another Vertigo, but even that is a long shot.

I just want a good U2 record. If they do something experimental like Pop, great. If they do another back to basics like All That YCL Behind, then I'm still fine. I just don't want all the ridiculous hype about how "Experimental" and "Ground Breaking" the album is. Eno or Lanois said that Moment of Surrender was "My greatest Moment ever in a studio."

What? I guess Achtung Baby paled in comparison to NLOTH. I like NLOTH, and if we get another album like that, I'm happy...I just don't want my expectations to be raised by too much stupid pre-release hyperbole.

I'd rather have them say "I think we made a nice album, and hope our fans like it."

I know I'll like the new album, but I'm not gonna let myself think they're gonna top their past. Only Prince and U2 have come close to their past level of greatness, but Prince's dreadfully dumb business decisions have made people ignore some brilliant music that only Prince's die hard fans would hear. As one of the few SUPER DANGEROUS HARDCORE fans of both Prince and U2, I am pleased with both of them, but wish U2 had Prince's multi-genre talent, and wish Prince had U2's business sense, and ability to release the right album at the right time or the wrong time. Prince has had over 30 albums, and if he just pared it down to 14 or 15, his legend would be as huge as U2's, but that's another argument that probably belongs at prince.org.

clover68

13 years

Originally posted by pleasegone:...
I'd rather have them say "I think we made a nice album, and hope our fans like it."
..

alanofjones

13 years

^^

me2

RattleandHum1988

13 years

In U2byU2 it's Larry that says something like "We were proud of our work, and whether it was going to be our last album, we were glad to be going out with something we thought was that great" - on Achtung Baby.

I think that's the kind of attitude that most fans want from them on a new album. Forget about radio play, forget whether or not you think people will like it, write something they think is great and be done with it.

That being said, anybody who thinks that should read Neil McCormick's column. He makes some good points about how they're a different band now. It isn't music over everything anymore, now music is just another part of their lives, just as much a priority as other things are. Also, like it or not, they'll never NOT care about radio play. They've always cared about it. They've always wanted to win grammys and be number 1. So if anyone is expecing a Passengers 2, you'll be waiting forever.

The most we can hope for is something like Achtung Baby. Change, but with singles in mind. I think if they keep the same mind set that they have now (at least Bono) then we might see something like that again. Who knows. The one thing I do know is that if they're going to re-invent themselves again, Bono needs to re-invent himself a lot. He's become a cliche to the general public, at least that's what I've gathered.

Personally, at this point I'd be happy without a reinvention, as long as the music is great. I'd love it, don't get me wrong. I'd love to see the next U2 be unrecognizable, even if that means being forced to make a conscious decision on whether I'd follow them or not, I'd be all for it, because I'll respect them for it. But for some reason I doubt it'll happen again like it did in 1991, but I'd LOVE for them to prove me, and every U2 hater out there wrong! I think the next album (if one does come out, I'm almost 100% sure one will) will be great whatever it is.

kris_smith87

13 years

Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:

Just curious how you would suggest he do that? Lose the glasses maybe (though I love them) and stop talking about Africa? I think that would be a shame. (Insert rant about people being bashed because of a cause they hold near and dear to their hearts).

MattG

13 years

If they break up, they break up. If they don't, they don't.

I'm not in the band, so I really don't care what they choose to decide. It's like the passing of an elderly sick relative- they've given you so much love and joy, letting them live on in your heart might be better than them suffering anything for longer.

LikeASong

13 years