U2 Discussion thread

Here i hope U2 fans if any here will come and talk about about thier recent Elevation Tour 2001, their new album, old albums, tours, ect... anything about U2 just no bashing the 4 lads from Dublin.



General band discussion isn't allowed in the Amphitheatre. Please take it to this thread. Thanks

 

I like U2, I have some of their CD's, and I think they are very good.

DarthNut,
the nuttiest guy around.

 

I have a feeling this thread exists...

EDIT: sorry my mistake, thats on another forum, i though i was on the YJCC

EDIT EDIT: You can discuss this on the YJCC, it has 12 pages already, there is not point to this here as well as there
Heres a link for it

http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=2481281&replies=282

EDIT EDIT EDIT (ok thats lame): i didnt write it to offend anyone, i love U2 myself

 

I just got the Elevation Live DVD and am once again amazed at how relevant and passionate these guys are. The new songs sound great, the old stuff still comes across live, and Bono always manages to connect with the audience and dig deep to make it work.

I think my favorite album is still Achtung! Baby - it's just a production masterpiece and way ahead of it's time.

 

U2 fan discussion

Just thought I'd post a link that works!*
Come talk to us if you haven't.









*actually, I am morally obligated to revive any thread that has mention of U2

 

I was looking at a musical comparison chart and it says stuff like this band sounds like a mix of these 2 other bands. And under U2 it said "you know what they sound like" Love it how lots of other bands have a U2 feel but U2 sounds like no other band.

I like their songs and music, also some of their videos are quite good.

 

Great thread! U2, in my opinion, is the best rock and roll band ever. I saw them on their ZOO TV tour and I must say it was a near religious experience. I am glad they took a different direction with All That You Can't Leave Behind. In my opinion, they were starting to go in a bad direction with the Pop album. I am impressed with how their older hits keep "evolving" from tour to tour. For instance, they play Sunday, Bloody Sunday differently now than they did during the last tour. I love the way they did "The Fly" on the Elevation tour. To me, their ability to constantly update even their older hits while on tour keeps them fresh and new. I know I wouldn't want to keep buying their live performances if they always sounded the same. I appreciate their creativity and their longevity.

 

U2 should be ranked up there as one of the greatest bands ever even though I've been disappointed with the recent direction the band has taken. Bono is one of the best frontmen in Rock and Roll history and The Edge's guitar style is one of the most distinct and original sounds anywhere. My favorite albums are:

War
The Unforgettable Fire
The Joshua Tree
Achtung Baby

 

This thread can only stay open if there's artistic discussion that goes on. It can't just be a rehash of the JCC U2 thread .

 

Having never been in that thread (I hate long threads) I don't know if I'm rehashing or not.

But being a fan of U2, and wishing to contribute to this thread, I am trying to think of something to discuss...hmm...

Ok, here's one: Somebody explain to me the meaning of the lyrics of "Elevation". Such as

"At corner of your lips
As the orbit of your hips
Eclipse
You elevate my soul"

The rest of it bears some semblance of logic, but they've got me there.

 

He is comparing her physical features to celestial objects (objects elevated in the heavens).


Which do you think is the most 'groundbreaking' of U2's albums?


Unforgettable Fire
Joshua Tree
Achtung, Baby
Zooropa
Passengers
Pop

Most of the other albums, while tremendous, aren't really 'vanguard' albums, breaking new ground or sound.


Personally, I think the order of 'groundbreaking/influential' should be: AB, UF, Pass, Zoo, JT, Pop.

 

Don't forget Boy, their first album... most underrated U2 album, IMHO.

In terms of inventiveness, there's no question that - for the band, at least - there were two major turning points:

- The Unforgettable Fire, when they first hired Eno and Lanois to produce.

- Achtung Baby, when they decided to "dream it all up again."

But for sheer sonic novelty, nothing beats Zooropa: it sounds like nothing U2 has done before or since (intentionally so: their goal was to sound like anyone BUT U2) and it's hard to even compare to other bands. The closest modern band that approaches Zooropa is Radiohead, but even their work has been more coldly detached.

THAT may be the oddest thing about Zooropa: for something so disorienting and superficial (at first glance), the album has a remarkable ability to connect with the listner's heart and hips.

 

A few months back, I wouldn?t have been turning up the radio each time one of their songs were played, but my opinion since then has been reversed.

They have enjoyable tunes, relevant lyrics, and overall, they?re an attractive sound. Although they have been around for quite some time, they are one of the only groups who have managed to retain their decency and not let the pressures of the media affect them. As someone on this thread previously said, they are so very passionate about their music. Why do you think this still stands, even over the years?

They have gained a lot of popularity, especially with the release of "Elevation" ? however, some would argue that they?ve always been in the spotlight, and never fallen below the clouds. I?ve certainly read articles concerning the break-up of bands after one single, and the bitter rivalry amongst group members. U2 seems to differ from this. These guys are dedicated to music, not cheap trash to make a buck off.

Am

 

I know I may be going out on a limb on this one - and that I've been bringing up religion quite often today - but I believe their passion to the music and dedication to each other has A LOT to do with the spirituality of the music.

Three members of U2 are acknowledged Christians (Adam being the exception; whether he has changed his mind since the '80s is unclear), and their music often seems to have God in mind. Off the top of my head, here's a brief list of songs that mention God, are about God, or COULD be about God.

Gloria
Scarlet
Surrender
40
Pride ("One man betrayed with a kiss")
Bad (letting go)
Where the Streets Have No Name
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Love Rescue Me
When Love Comes to Town
Until the End of the World
The First Time (the Trinity - lover, brother, Father)
Staring at the Sun (sun = Son)
Gone
Wake Up Dead Man
Peace on Earth
When I Look at the World

It is, I believe, how their songs soar despite (because of?) such a heavy subject matter that drives them to getting up in the morning.

Bono often said of the last tour that he felt "God in the room," and that it felt like going to church (in a good way). I went to a few of the Elevation shows and I know EXACTLY what he's talking about.

 

I'm very glad "All that you can't leave behind" is a return to the type of music that made them great. "Pop" was terrible album, and I had basically given up on U2 after they brought out that one.

In my opinion they have redeemed themselves.

I think "Unforgettable Fire" was their defining moment, though I still love the "War" album.

 

I don't think it was terrible. It was just a different venture for them. I think Gone is an excellent song, as is Mofo. Both stand their ground with almost any U2 song.

 

Really? I honestly can't listen to that album.

U2 played Mofo as their first song when they toured Australia a few years ago and it received a very lukewarm reaction from the crowd. Bono even said something about it. I missed most of it because I was buying some beverages from the bar. Thought it would be a good time to do so. The rest of the concert was incredible.

 

POP was the first U2 album I really got into, so I'm kinda partial to it. CERTAINLY, they fouled up by scheduling their tour too far in advance. They couldn't finish the album on time, used their tour rehearsal time to finish the album, and were explaining the album when they should have been hyping up the tour. Thus, both the album and the tour were received luke-warmly.

Sure, POPMart could be considered a bit of a mess, but what a mess! I saw them in Atlanta, the day before Thanksgiving, 1997, and they were in rare form.

...and what a way to open a show! The combination of MOFO and I Will Follow - the very new and the very old, both are Bono's most intimate songs about his mother's death - is a bold way to open a show supposedly focusing on consumerism.

Beauty was there in the 'Mart, if you were willing to work and look for it.

 

The Popmart tour was fantastic, don't get me wrong. I loved it. When they played here it was a very hot day that ended in a thunderstorm right when the band were playing on a little stage in the centre of the stadium. Bono had the lights turned off so the stage was lit up by the lightening flashes while they were playing in the pouring rain. It was brilliant. Best moment I've ever had at a concert.

They then did a tribute to Michael Hutchence from INXS as a final oncore, playing One with a huge screen display of Michael behind them. It was very moving, the crowd sang for at least 10 minutes after U2 left the stage.

I still can't bring myself to like anything on the Pop album though.

 

To me, U2 are the Star Wars of bands, that`s how MUCH I love them!! I can`t really think of any album I don`t like, although Zooropa is a bit dodgy in places! One thing I`ve never understood is the bad reviews of Pop, which I think is one of their best, my view of it may be a bit biased, cos I`d just met my girlfriend when it came out and the whole world seemed rosy to me, but still...an album which has Discotheque, Mofo, Please, etc on it?

I`ve seen them twice, once on the Zoo TV tour, and once on the Popmart tour - I actually preferred the Popmart tour, probably for the reason I`ve already mentioned (I went with my gf).

Favourite album is still, and will always be, The Joshua Tree - I`ve actually got a tattoo of the tree on my arm, and my gf has promised if we ever have a son I can call him Joshua!! Now, if I can only bring her round to Leia for a girl.....!

Seriously, U2, IMO, are one of the greatest bands ever, it`s just a shame that in todays cynical world mindless critics just want to tear them apart and won`t appreciate just how important they are until long after the fact.

 

Why wasn't I told of this thread? As big a fan of U2 as I am, somebody who knows me should've said something.

Ok, it really isn't that big of a deal. I was just surprised to see this thread in here.

To me, U2 are the Star Wars of bands, that`s how MUCH I love them!!

Amen to that! I so love U2 it's not even funny. Just like I'm insanely crazy about Star Wars.

I wouldn't consider myself a seasoned fan. There's still so much of their work I haven't heard I consider myself a semi-newbie fan. I knew all their big hits from the Joshua Tree on, but I really got into them after All That You Can't Leave Behind. I so loved that album.

Anyway, what I find so amazing about this group is how long they have lasted. Sure there are other bands out there that have been together as long or longer (like the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith), but what group has had the impact? If I recall correctly (and I'll admit I'm not really a fan here), the Rolling Stone's last album did not do well. They are not attracting new fans, but the people who have always listened to their music.

Yet U2 still has not only fans who have liked them since the beginning, but fans who have come on board with Achtung Baby, Pop, and All That You Can't Leave Behind.

~*~Bria

 

I think with Acthung Baby EVERY song on it could have been a hit. A classic album IMO.