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Originally posted by drewhiggins:^ Couldn't be worse than much of the output on ATYCLB and Bomb.

no thanks! hehe
there is no limit for the worst

Originally posted by drewhiggins:^ Couldn't be worse than much of the output on ATYCLB and Bomb.

They should get a new producer - Trent Reznor - and start working on something better than Pop. I could imagine this new U2 album with a total orchestral backing on every track, electronic undertones, with guitar solos on every single track, piano, multiple layers of drums and loads of weird keyboard effects.

Best idea I've heard.

kris_smith87

12 years

Originally posted by ahn1991:[..]

I listened to ATYCLB as a whole again and I think I've really fallen in love with it again.

This album has so many sentimental memories associated with me which is why it is in my top 3, I just love it. It sounds like a real "summer record" (perhaps because I got the CD in the summer).

If the guys put out another album sounding like this with mixtures of dance and some experimental No Line stuff I think I would quite enjoy it.

vanquish

12 years

Originally posted by ahn1991:[..]

NLOTH had Stand Up Comedy, which I think may have ruined the entire album for me...

But if you want to talk about albums that not only flow well but also had great songs, ATYCLB stands right up there. Granted, I ended up enjoying the single versions of Walk On and Elevation more than the album versions, all the other songs on the album are great and definitely fit the general feel of the album. I listened to ATYCLB as a whole again and I think I've really fallen in love with it again.

Well, you could always just not play SUC when you listen to the album?

ATYCLB was a good, if conservative album - though I personally hate the album version of Elevation (only the single mix was bearable, though still ridiculous) and don't see why everyone likes Walk On so much, it's rather generic and feels a bit forced and hammy (I like the outro though). My favourite song of ATYCLB is In A Little While - great lyrics married to a fantastic upbeat, though slightly melancholy tune (much in the vein of The Sweetest Thing). It's definitely one of their best songs.

vanquish

12 years

Originally posted by RattleandHum1988:I agree that we can't expect Edge to come up with new guitar signatures each album, but you have to agree that he's been somewhat conservative with his tone over the past 12 years.

Yes but that's mainly due to ATYCLB and HTDAAB which were back to basics albums, he started to diversify on NLOTH. His playing is probably largely determined by the band's direction for the particular album.

Why should it be too much to expect to hear something like Numb and Lemon on the same album in terms of being that innovative in such a short time? The echoey chimey guitar has been played out over the past little while and it's time to move on.

Well he has largely moved away from the echoey chimey guitar on NLOTH.

For the record I didn't say they were pre-written, I said they sounded pre-written. And I still don't know why everyone gives it up for MOS so much, to me the version on the album sounds horrible. It got better live as the show closer but to me it really just doesn't sound that good. There's a difference between a voice sounding vulnerable and raw and emotional and sounding bad, and to me MOS walks somewhere in between those, not only on the one side.

I don't know how to tell whether something sounds 'pre-written' or not, do you mean overproduced? Or that the songs lack the passion and authenticity of say Running to Stand Still or ISHFWILF? If so, then i'd agree but the issue then is that this kind of authenticity is hard if not impossible to 'fake'. You have to be in that mood and at that time and place to write a song that sounds authentic. And i'm afraid Bono has a comfortable existence these days and has definitely mellowed out in his old age and this tends to show in his songwriting ie. songs like Crazy Tonight, Breathe, SUC reflect his overall mood better than UC or MoS

And I still don't know why everyone gives it up for MOS so much, to me the version on the album sounds horrible. It got better live as the show closer but to me it really just doesn't sound that good. There's a difference between a voice sounding vulnerable and raw and emotional and sounding bad, and to me MOS walks somewhere in between those, not only on the one side.

I have always maintained (indeed was one of the very few who said so on here when NLOTH came out) that the album version of MoS is definitely not a masterpiece as many people think and that they surely would have been better off doing more than one take of it as it is quite underdeveloped. This seems to be borne out by the fact that the track is much better live.

The other issue of course with MoS is Bono's voice which is really not what it used to be and so he sounds strained on MoS because he is strained.
Bono simply can't sing like he used to (I blame the smoking) and I think he should rethink his vocal lines accordingly (eg, maybe not try to hit such high notes on the chorus of Crazy Tonight). For instance i'll wager that Rise Above has Reeve Carney singing the chorus because Bono couldn't sing it properly. And we all know how Edge is covering Bono for the high notes live

And I disagree about North Star and Every Breaking Wave with YOU sir! They're not top 20, but I think they beat pretty much everything on NLOTH and some of Bomb and some of ATYCLB. They were gems

Well, to be fair I haven't listened to them in a year or so. Link me to the best performance of each and i'll have another listen and see what I think.

ahn1991

12 years

If you're looking for stronger performances of North Star, I recommend the Munich remaster. It's a high quality bootleg and Bono is much more confident with the song. The way the crowd takes over and finishes the song is amazing as well.

AMLBONO

12 years

The band needs to stop self editing themselves so much. For a band to be together for as long as U2 have been it is so disappointing that they have only released 12 albums. The latter part of the 360 Tour had the debuts of many new songs Every Breaking Wave, North Star and Mercy (changed from the outtake of HTDAAB) to name a few and the reactions from the crowd were outstanding! Apparently they have just had the best studio sessions they have had since 1979. Hopefully we do not wait till 2019 for the next album. Give us the goods U2!!!

ahn1991

12 years

Originally posted by AMLBONO:The band needs to stop self editing themselves so much. For a band to be together for as long as U2 have been it is so disappointing that they have only released 12 albums. The latter part of the 360 Tour had the debuts of many new songs Every Breaking Wave, North Star and Mercy (changed from the outtake of HTDAAB) to name a few and the reactions from the crowd were outstanding! Apparently they have just had the best studio sessions they have had since 1979. Hopefully we do not wait till 2019 for the next album. Give us the goods U2!!!

I have to disagree here.
Even though their album output isn't as high as some other bands, there are two things that people constantly forget. The first is quality over quantity. Most "pop stars" nowadays release an album every couple years, but to be honest you'll get maybe one or two listenable songs in the midst of a lot of garbage. Also, artists that release more albums do not tour well at all. That's why they have to release so many albums. U2 is a touring band. They've said it again and again. Additionally, their process works. Even though they haven't released many albums, I would take any of their albums over nearly every single album your typical pop artist has released. They're back in the studio, so be patient.

AMLBONO

12 years

Originally posted by ahn1991:[..]

I have to disagree here.
Even though their album output isn't as high as some other bands, there are two things that people constantly forget. The first is quality over quantity. Most "pop stars" nowadays release an album every couple years, but to be honest you'll get maybe one or two listenable songs in the midst of a lot of garbage. Also, artists that release more albums do not tour well at all. That's why they have to release so many albums. U2 is a touring band. They've said it again and again. Additionally, their process works. Even though they haven't released many albums, I would take any of their albums over nearly every single album your typical pop artist has released. They're back in the studio, so be patient.

I agree with your Quality over Quantity theory but they proved through the performances over the latter part of the 360 tour that they had "quality" new songs. I still shake my head how a song like Mercy could have been left off the album HTDAAB. I love this band to death but eleven (11) new songs every four (4) years....? I guess I may just be greedy and want more.