WTF happenned to U2?

S

SNS22

Not Dead Yet
I'm watching this DVD I ordered called "Live At Red Rocks". Now the cover Says the band is U2, but here is a band playing with such passion and emotion, I can't believe it's the same band that you see all over the net and gracing the playlists of every (Rock, Alternative, and Pop) station in the country. I mean songs like Out Of Control, The Electric Co, A Day Without Me....miles better than crap like Beautiful Day, Vertigo, and Elevation?

All Kidding aside, Seriously What The f*** Happened to the band with such intergrity that we thought they'd never sell out???
 
I was listening to one of the Point Depot Concert from Dec 1989, where Bono says the band has to go and re-invent themselves. I think that was the turning point. They've never been the same. Auctung Baby has some good songs, but it also was the beginning of the downward Spiral with "Mysterious Ways".
 
SNS22 said:
I'm watching this DVD I ordered called "Live At Red Rocks". Now the cover Says the band is U2, but here is a band playing with such passion and emotion, I can't believe it's the same band that you see all over the net and gracing the playlists of every (Rock, Alternative, and Pop) station in the country. I mean songs like Out Of Control, The Electric Co, A Day Without Me....miles better than crap like Beautiful Day, Vertigo, and Elevation?

All Kidding aside, Seriously What The f*** Happened to the band with such intergrity that we thought they'd never sell out???
Click to expand...

SNS22, in all fairness, you were probably a lot cooler and more intense 20 years ago, too. :p
 
"Boy" is such an awesome album. They had so much passion up until Achtung Baby. Then they had this other schtick going on which was OK and original, but it just went to their heads. Now Bono is so self-righteous, all the while hanging out with 19 year old in bikinis in France.
 
Chileiceman said:
"Boy" is such an awesome album. They had so much passion up until Achtung Baby. Then they had this other schtick going on which was OK and original, but it just went to their heads. Now Bono is so self-righteous, all the while hanging out with 19 year old in bikinis in France.
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I think that pretty much sums it up. I do have to give them and E for Effort for bringing back a lot of the Boy songs on the Vertigo tour, but it was about 20 years too late. It's kind of sad when a band turns their back on their own history.
 
As much as I love U2, it is a bit discouraging how their music has changed over the years. I liked the 90s albums, but they don't hold up at all compared to stuff like Boy and War. Really and truly, if you ignore the singles, there's some great songs on All That You Can't Leave Behind. But How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb was bland and lifeless.

Bono's going around claiming that this next album's going to be a big change in style for the band. I'll give it a listen to no matter what. We'll see what happens :eek:
 
++++++ said:
As much as I love U2, it is a bit discouraging how their music has changed over the years. I liked the 90s albums, but they don't hold up at all compared to stuff like Boy and War. Really and truly, if you ignore the singles, there's some great songs on All That You Can't Leave Behind. But How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb was bland and lifeless.

Bono's going around claiming that this next album's going to be a big change in style for the band. I'll give it a listen to no matter what. We'll see what happens :eek:
Click to expand...

One report says it's going to be Electronic Influenced, another says Edge will be playing Metal. I did like 1 or 2 of the songs of All That You Can't Leave Behind.
 
you have got to be kidding me~ the band almost departed with the making of Achtung Baby which is my favorite U2 album, hell probably my favorite album of all time. definitely full of "passion". as for u2 not seeming as "emotional" live now days, you obviously haven't been to a u2 concert. bono is truly a great performer on stage. / :rolleyes:
 
SNS22 said:
One report says it's going to be Electronic Influenced, another says Edge will be playing Metal. I did like 1 or 2 of the songs of All That You Can't Leave Behind.
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"When I Look At the World" and "New York" are quite good. I think I might be alone in liking "When I Look At the World," though.
 
MrTheEdge said:
you have got to be kidding me~ the band almost departed with the making of Achtung Baby which is my favorite U2 album, hell probably my favorite album of all time. definitely full of "passion". as for u2 not seeming as "emotional" live now days, you obviously haven't been to a u2 concert. bono is truly a great performer on stage. / :rolleyes:
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Don't get me wrong they are still awesome live, I saw them on their last tour and it was brilliant. But I just kind of liked rebellious U2 ("f*** the revolution!!") more than the diplomatic U2. And Achtung is one of their best albums, but it doesn't have that same fire burning inside them attitude as say, War. Musically is superior, but what I think the original poster is trying to get at is that they have lost their rawness.
 
MrTheEdge said:
you have got to be kidding me~ the band almost departed with the making of Achtung Baby which is my favorite U2 album, hell probably my favorite album of all time. definitely full of "passion". as for u2 not seeming as "emotional" live now days, you obviously haven't been to a u2 concert. bono is truly a great performer on stage. / :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I'm with you.

I was a huge fan of the early stuff but they started losing me with Rattle & Hum/Joshua Tree...Achtung Baby was such a 180 degree switch....one of my favorite albums.....gotta admit they lost me on Zooropa/Pop. ATYCLB is another great album full of great songs.....HTDAAB is not as strong. It'll be interesting to see what they do for their next album.

A great live band as well. My .02.
 
Dow Jones said:
"When I Look At the World" and "New York" are quite good. I think I might be alone in liking "When I Look At the World," though.
Click to expand...

i really dig that song actually, especially the last part. "im in the waiting room, i cant see through the smoke, i think of you and your holy book while the rest of us choke". i remember reading U2 by U2, that or Bono and uh Bono said that the "cant see through the smoke" was a fluke on his part because he was talking about being in a hospital and well,....NO SMOKING.:rolleyes:
 
People change...

I advise you to look vor a DVD bootleg of U2 playing in Dortmund 11/21/84, this is the last example I know of the "young Bono".

By "young Bono", I mean the guy who was totally immersed in the songs and not really aware of himself.

Then came the "responsible Bono", then "the fly Bono", then the "rock star Bono"...as he once said : "I'm a nice bunch of guys".

I like him all the way but the "young Bono" made me a U2 fan, I'm not sure the actual Bono could do that.

And again...people change : U2 members are married, have kids, have tons of $$$...that only would justify a major change of lifestyle for much of us, if not all.

"In the days when you were hopeless before, I just liked you more"

I've changed too in the last 20 years. A lot.

And remember U2 kept the same line up all the way and that's a bit of a miracle. What would have happened to The Smiths if they had stuck together all this years ?
 
I think the change happened when they decided to release Rattle and Hum in theaters instead of just video. I think that was their sell-out point, and I remember them being played nonstop on MTV during that period in time.

I was watching some interview with the band a couple of years ago and they seemed to miss their young selves, too.
 
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