I think U2 has appeal to many different groups... ages... Some of you like Zooropa, some dislike it... some say this one is cool, some hate it... Some act like "A Beautiful Day" is old school... The Unforgettable Fire was old... Joshua Tree was the best album... Rattle and Hum was classic... And this is the most throwbackish album yet. Sold on listen 1. Listened all the way through about 7 times already. But then, I've found enjoyable content on every album they've done. The song on now (Tuesday, March 3, 2009) on Letterman will be a hit.
I've listened to the album a couple of times on their MySpace site and for the most part was not that impressed, but this song was amazing. Definitely going to be hit.
I literally grew up listening to U2. Boy, October, War, Under a Blood Red Sky, and The Unforgettable Fire were staples in my cassette player in high school. I kind of phased out of them when I went to college. Bono started taking himself too seriously and I think they kind of got away from just being a really good band. It seems like they’re kind of getting back to that now. I’ve liked their last 2 albums. I’ve watched Letterman all week and really like what I’ve heard from them. I guess I’ll have to pick this one up as well. I loved them doing the Top 10 list last night. The Edge slamming Sting. LOL. Larry Mullen Jr has seriously got to be one of the most underrated rock drummers in the last 25 years. The guy is so solid and comes up with the most creative grooves/beats.
I would say that the majority perception of them in the 80s was that they took themselves too seriously then and were humorless even though there is evidence to the contrary: This was them during the Joshua Tree tour pretending to be a bar band known as the "Dalton Brothers" from a "ranch in Galveston, Tx." They did it like 4 times. Notice Adam is actually a Dalton sister. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74SHiOlFULo Anyways, I think they had more fun in the 90's but they never got away from being a really good band. I guess because I was just a little kid and not really aware too much about music between 87-91, I'll never know what it must have been like to see them shift so dramatically from the Joshua Tree to Achtung Baby. It must have shocked a lot of fans. But even though it was a dramatic evolution of their sound, it's alwasy about the music.
Well, I'm biased. Achtung Baby, in my humble opinion, is one of the top 5 best records of all time, along with Born to Run, Murmur from REM, Layla from Derek and the Dominoes, and Marvin Gaye's What's Going On. Zooropa just seemed like such a letdown. "Numb" was a little too monotonous, "Daddy's Gonna Pay for Your Crashed Car" and "Some Days" are kinda weird- I don't know, I try and try to listen to that album, and it just doesn't move you like "One," "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses," "So Cruel," "Acrobat," "Ultraviolet," "Fly," "Love is Blindness," "Trying to Throw Your Arms.." and the list goes on. There is not one bad song on that album at all- it's just amazing how consistently excellent it is. Even with The Joshua Tree, which has a LOT of good songs, you have a few that are so-so for U2. Not Achtung. Best U2 ever. (sorry for the rant) I do like "Stay," the one with Johnny Cash, and "Lemon." And I understand the point with wanting to sound different, but "Achtung" already accomplished that, and in a big way. But Zooropa is cool for being different, just not a personal favorite. My very debatable ranking would be: 1. Achtung Baby 2. War 3. Boy 4. The Joshua Tree 5. October 6. The Unforgettable Fire 7. Pop 8. Rattle and Hum 9. All That You Can't Leave Behind 10. How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb 11. Zooropa No Line- too soon
Not a bad ranking, but I'd say Unforgettable Fire is way lower than it should be. I feel the same way about it as you do about Actung Baby. I don't think it has any so-so tracks. Every track is greatness IMO. Personally, I think it's Bono's finest album vocally. His voice is pretty much at its peak during that time. He sings with such passion and range, especially on Bad (my favorite U2 song ever). I love the way it just keeps building and building throughout the whole song. And The Edge really starts to ‘explore the space’ (to quote THE Bruce Dickinson) with his guitar work. Mullen’s drumming is creative and solid as usual, and there’s even a bass solo (4th of July). That whole album just takes me to a different place. Just the whole ambient and atmospheric feel of it. Probably has a lot to do with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. I think it’s one of the best albums of the 80’s, if not THE best. Just my flea bitten opinion though.
"Bad" is spectacular. Probably my favorite U2 song ever, as well. I would have to say that if I had to pick a favorite album from them, it would be Achtung Baby. Love every track on that record...
Kiss The Future Tour announced, it looks like the floor General Admission will be $55, and there will be 10,000 tickets at each show priced at $30. I just hope they have found a way to keep those damn Ticket brokers from buying them all up and jacking the price on the most affordable tix.
Ive never seen U2 live because I always thought their ticket prices were too high. But I think I will bite the bullet and just pay it this time if they come to Houston. Hope I get better seats than what I paid for those Springsteen tickets last month...
You know- agreed. I'd put it at #4 personally, actually- even though it would be like heresy to some U2 fans to put Joshua Tree at #6, that's where it should be. Just because it's considered the best by many doesn't mean it's so. One Tree Hill, In God's Country, Trip Through Your Wires, Red Hill are good songs, but not in the category of Wire, Promenade, Bad, etc.
They tried to keep it low these last 2 tours for the General Admission/floor. I think it was like $40 or $45 in 2001 and $50 or $55 on the last tour. The problem is those tickets get bought up immediately and also by ticket brokers and then the after market markup is ridiculous because even though the original price was cheap, they are the best tickets to have so they end up being sold in the hundreds of dollars.
