Reflections on new tracks and U2 legacy

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Kmama07

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Miami

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Re: Reflections on new tracks and U2 legacy
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2017, 07:24:38 AM »
I agree with large chunks of what he's saying, especially the part when he says since atyclb he has noticed his enthusiasm for each subsequent release decrease bit by bit over the years.

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Kmama07

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Re: Reflections on new tracks and U2 legacy
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2017, 07:42:45 AM »
I agree with large chunks of what he's saying, especially the part when he says since atyclb he has noticed his enthusiasm for each subsequent release decrease bit by bit over the years.
Agreed.
Hey, hey, sha la la

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an tha

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Re: Reflections on new tracks and U2 legacy
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2017, 08:08:23 AM »
He is spot on about the overt forced attempts at being commercial/sounding modern.


« Last Edit: November 16, 2017, 08:10:05 AM by an tha »
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Aviastar

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Re: Reflections on new tracks and U2 legacy
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2017, 08:25:11 AM »
I agree with him on one primary thing: U2's missteps can be better than other band's best work. Of all the Post-2000 albums, I think ATYCLB is the weakest by far and I have never gotten much from revists. I don't neccesarily see the diminishing returns trend - I just see a succession of middling albums - two (NLOTH, SOI) better than others (HTDAAB, ATYCLB).
Hold on, people! The man's talking about waste management. That affects the whole damn planet.

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guest87

Re: Reflections on new tracks and U2 legacy
« Reply #5 on: November 16, 2017, 08:27:10 AM »
I didn't watch the clip but the guy looks like a realfan.

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The Ultra Beasts

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Re: Reflections on new tracks and U2 legacy
« Reply #6 on: November 16, 2017, 08:35:24 AM »
Except for now! Hype levels at 10!
Sign me petition to get some great missing albums on Spotify!
https://www.change.org/p/daniel-ek-bring-some-great-albums-to-spotify

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il_capo

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Re: Reflections on new tracks and U2 legacy
« Reply #7 on: November 16, 2017, 08:56:45 AM »
I thought this was an interesting take on post-00 U2 because he it isn't the usual binary juxtaposition - they were great and inventive (90s) and bland and commercial (00s).

He states that he misses the experimentation in their sound from the 90s but notes the pressure of the music industry on the way music has been recorded and released since about 2000.  In the 90s there was a much more vibrant alternative music scene - a thread on here has been lauding the records released in the early 90s as testament to this - and rather than just saying "I can't listen to anything after Pop" he points out that after the dust has settled and he revisits the 21st century records, he finds there is more to reward him than he initially first thought, particularly ATYCLB, and the vinyl issue of NLOTH.  I agree with him that their songwriting has become less original, however, and noted this in particular on SOI.

He doesn't consider their age or increasingly affluent lifestyles (well, let's be honest, they've been very affluent for over 30 years so perhaps that isn't so important?) and how that might dull, or enhance, their sense of creativity.  Bono has been increasingly politically active for about 20 yeas and perhaps that has been a source of artistic inspiration to the lyrics at least - e.g helped him consider how people think about others groups/communities/ individuals. 

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Zeropartii

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Re: Reflections on new tracks and U2 legacy
« Reply #8 on: November 16, 2017, 08:58:57 AM »
This a dude that you could spend hours at a record store talking to.  He's convinced me now to get SOE on vinyl.  I picked up UF for 8 bucks New this summer at the local store. 


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The Ultra Beasts

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Re: Reflections on new tracks and U2 legacy
« Reply #9 on: November 16, 2017, 11:43:00 AM »
This a dude that you could spend hours at a record store talking to.  He's convinced me now to get SOE on vinyl.  I picked up UF for 8 bucks New this summer at the local store. 


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Yeah, he seems like a nice guy to talk to.
Sign me petition to get some great missing albums on Spotify!
https://www.change.org/p/daniel-ek-bring-some-great-albums-to-spotify

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Zeropartii

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Re: Reflections on new tracks and U2 legacy
« Reply #10 on: November 16, 2017, 12:06:02 PM »
This a dude that you could spend hours at a record store talking to.  He's convinced me now to get SOE on vinyl.  I picked up UF for 8 bucks New this summer at the local store. 


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Yeah, he seems like a nice guy to talk to.

Probably brews his own beer and has a home garden for plants


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guest94

Re: Reflections on new tracks and U2 legacy
« Reply #11 on: November 16, 2017, 12:20:06 PM »
Good thoughts. I've enjoyed U2's post-2000 output but I can't deny that there's a sense of compromise and caution that comes with each release. You can sense that the band is holding back or overworking songs, killing off the initial spark and energy these tracks could have had. The band has allowed the culture to dictate what they do instead of following a genuine vision, or at least that's how it appears. I could be totally wrong on that count.

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The Exile

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Re: Reflections on new tracks and U2 legacy
« Reply #12 on: November 16, 2017, 12:41:23 PM »
I agree with him on one primary thing: U2's missteps can be better than other band's best work.


Maybe if someone's familiarity with other bands is passive and cursory. But to say that U2 is so good that their worst song (say Peace on Earth, or for many, Miami) is better than the absolute best by The Killers, Broken Bells, or Arcade Fire, is pure sycophantism. Utter bullshit in other words.


No band is that good.
Listen as Hope and Peace try to rhyme,
Listen over marching bands playing out their time.

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The Ultra Beasts

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Re: Reflections on new tracks and U2 legacy
« Reply #13 on: November 16, 2017, 12:59:39 PM »
I agree with him on one primary thing: U2's missteps can be better than other band's best work.


Maybe if someone's familiarity with other bands is passive and cursory. But to say that U2 is so good that their worst song (say Peace on Earth, or for many, Miami) is better than the absolute best by The Killers, Broken Bells, or Arcade Fire, is pure sycophantism. Utter bullshit in other words.


No band is that good.
I like Peace On Earth.
Sign me petition to get some great missing albums on Spotify!
https://www.change.org/p/daniel-ek-bring-some-great-albums-to-spotify

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Zeropartii

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Re: Reflections on new tracks and U2 legacy
« Reply #14 on: November 16, 2017, 01:08:38 PM »
I agree with him on one primary thing: U2's missteps can be better than other band's best work.


Maybe if someone's familiarity with other bands is passive and cursory. But to say that U2 is so good that their worst song (say Peace on Earth, or for many, Miami) is better than the absolute best by The Killers, Broken Bells, or Arcade Fire, is pure sycophantism. Utter bullshit in other words.


No band is that good.
I like Peace On Earth.
I used to dislike it but in the context of the album it's quite lovely.  In fact the b-side of atyclb is 100% improved by listening to the whole album


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