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=> GENERAL DISCUSSION => Topic started by: Bags on November 16, 2004, 12:07:00 pm
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I have a feeling next year's going to be all U2 all the time. Which is fine; it could be all Back Street Boys all the time (or all Outkast all the time, like 2003).
The accolades begin rolling in:
November 14, 2004
The New York Times
U2: The Catharsis in the Cathedral
By JON PARELES
DUBLIN -- THROUGH the windows of Hanover Quay, the rehearsal and recording studio that U2 has called HQ for the last two decades, streetlights made rippling patterns on the Liffey, the river that runs through Dublin, matching the shimmering overtones coming from the Edge's guitars as the band ran through songs from its new album, "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" (Interscope).
Gearing up for a year of promotion and touring to follow the release of the album on Nov. 23, U2 was methodically at work, translating multilayered studio creations into songs that would allow four musicians to rock arenas again. U2 is to play a handful of small-scale shows this month, including an appearance Nov. 20 on "Saturday Night Live," and will start a world tour of arenas and stadiums on March 1 in Miami.
The Edge had two dozen guitars at his feet, and an assistant noted which guitar, which effect and which setting would be used for each section of each song. Larry Mullen on drums and Adam Clayton on bass were scrutinizing rhythm tracks, trying to strip away clutter without losing swing.
As the band plunged into "Vertigo" and "All Because of You," the sound of early U2 - the Who's power chords blasted into U2's own domain of spaciousness and yearning - was merged with an added 25 years of experience, experiments and world-beating success. Standing with one leg forward and one behind him, Bono rocked back and forth and belted, "I'm at a place called Vertigo/It's everything I wish I didn't know/Except you give me something I can feel."
Tensions between intellect and passion, and between pragmatism and faith, drive the songs on "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb"; so do burly guitar riffs, galvanizing crescendos and fearlessly emotional vocals. The album easily stands alongside the best work of U2's career - "Boy," "War," "The Joshua Tree" and "Achtung Baby" - and, song for song, it's more consistent than any of them.
U2 is almost alone now among rock bands in its determination to merge lofty ambition and pop impact. With songs that determinedly blur divine and earthly love, seeking grace as often as romance, the band doesn't pander to vulgar impulses. Yet U2 has no interest in being a hipsters' cult band; it has always aimed for audiences that can fill arenas, where its music is most at home. "At our very best, at anyone's very best, the great rock bands could always make a pop 45," Bono insisted.
Since the release of "Boy" in 1980, U2 has gone through musical phases that coincided with the decades. The group arrived with a wide-open, pealing sound that immediately separated itself from punk rock and metal, and has been imitated ever since. Next came an infatuation with American blues and country. Then, in the 1990's, U2 swerved from rootsy to futuristic, deliberately setting aside its old sound to toy with distortion, funk and electronics. Each metamorphosis produced at least one superb album.
"It's really more my fault than Edge's, the putting on of blinkers and going in a different direction," Bono said. "I felt that the spirit of the group was so strong that you could destroy it, that you could burn the flesh of it and still know who it was, and that's what we did through the 1990's."
In 2000, with "All That You Can't Leave Behind," U2 decided to stop fleeing its past and let its music ring more clearly. The four songs that start the album became anthems of hope and determination, particularly after Sept. 11, but the rest was anticlimactic. "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" also embraces the open chords and resonant spaces of early U2, but it has more punch, more abandon, some genuine grandeur and some glimmers of humor.
While the Edge's tremolo-picked sustained notes and arpeggios are familiar, the music is by no means a retreat to the chiming marches of early U2; instead, it encompasses grunge pugnacity, glam-rock stomps and the sudden benevolent fanfares of "Abbey Road"-era Beatles. The music scales dynamic peaks and dives into abysses and whirlpools, only to resolve into the next chorus. Every song is memorable.
As usual, the songs don't bother with petty topics: Bono sings about mortality, the meaning of life, social justice, fame, science and the heroic intimacy of love. For much of the album, particularly the slow-building ballads "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" and "One Step Closer," the lyrics reflect on Bono's admiring and contentious relationship with his father, who died in 2001.
Many of the songs ponder faith. The album's finale, "Yahweh," is nothing less than a prayer. When Bono was singing nonsense words to come up with a melody for the song, he found himself singing "Yahweh," a Hebrew name of God.
"There's cathedrals and the alleyway in our music," Bono said. "I think the alleyway is usually on the way to the cathedral, where you can hear your own footsteps and you're slightly nervous and looking over your shoulder and wondering if there's somebody following you. And then you get there and you realize there was somebody following you: It's God."
Bono's mother was a Protestant and his father a Catholic, and when he was a schoolboy he was severely beaten up when walking through a Catholic neighborhood in the uniform of his Protestant school. Speaking just days after the American presidential election, which might have hinged on the votes of evangelical Christians, Bono said: "I don't talk about my faith very much, because the people you might want to talk with, you don't want to hang out with.
"To have faith in a time of religious fervor is a worry. And, you know, I do have faith, and I'm worried about even the subject because of the sort of fanaticism that is the next-door neighbor of faith. The trick in the next few years will be not to decry the religious instinct, but to accept that this is a hugely important part of people's lives. And at the same time to be very wary of people who believe that theirs is the only way. Unilateralism before God is dangerous."
"Religion is ceremony and symbolism," he added. "Writers live off symbolism, and performers live off ceremony. We're made for religion! And yet you see this country, Ireland, ripped over religion, and you see the Middle East. Right now, unless tolerance comes with fervor, you'll see it in the United States."
That night, Bono was off to his other job, as freelance do-gooder. "Saving the world is now a daily chore," he joked. He was going to Madrid to appear at a fashion show for Edun, a company he and his wife own; the clothes are made in Africa from textiles manufactured in developing countries, a practical symbol of Bono's conviction that poor countries need trade as much as aid. He was wearing a pair of Edun jeans along with his ubiquitous sunglasses, a black sports jacket and a dark blue shirt, unbuttoned to reveal a wooden cross around his neck.
While the album was being made, Bono was juggling his political missions - among them debt relief for poor countries and getting AIDS drugs to Africa - with his duties in U2, which has always written its songs cooperatively. That left the Edge more time to work up structures and arrangements to await Bono's melodies and lyrics. "It turns out I'm much better in small doses," Bono said. "I don't need to be around for the mining," he added. "They put on these helmets with lights on them and they go into very dark places, and they're crawling around looking for a break in the plumbing or fixing wires. I have to go to a dark place also, but it isn't, ah, technical. It's a place of honesty. Call it soul, call it spirit, but it's the place where you're really living."
The other band members say they don't mind Bono's comings and goings. "I wouldn't trade my place with him for a billion dollars, not in a million years," Mr. Mullen said. "I make music, that's why I joined a band."
"When Bono's away there is a different chemistry," Mr. Clayton said. There's much more contact and interaction between the three of us than perhaps when Bono's there, because he has certain needs and demands. It can be like a benevolent dictatorship. But he works so hard on the band's behalf, and just because he's not in the room it doesn't mean he's having a better time."
While Bono was meeting with world leaders, the Edge was stockpiling aggressive guitar parts. "The album started off with a throwdown from Edge," Bono said. " 'O.K., you want rock 'n' roll? This is rock 'n' roll.' He had a whole bunch of guitar riffs up his sleeve, and believe me, that is not always the way. Him turning up with rifferama is just, 'Hello! Stop press!' "
U2 started working with the producer Chris Thomas, who had made albums with the Sex Pistols and Roxy Music, but the results didn't satisfy the band. "We wanted that directness, but in the end it felt too one-dimensional," Bono said. Early this year, U2 turned to Steve Lillywhite, who produced the band's first albums. "He understands how we improvise," Bono said, "and we went back to the playpen." As the album deadline neared, U2 also brought in some of its other past producers - Flood, Daniel Lanois, Nellee Hooper - and hooked up with a young keyboard programmer, Jacknife Lee.
Although it took a long time to work out structures for the songs, many of the performances were recorded quickly. "The paint is fresh, even though it took a while," Bono said. "It's just that there's a lot of mixing the ink." The vocal for "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own," a song Bono had struggled with for years, was recorded in a single take during a visit to the studio from Jimmy Iovine, the chairman of Interscope Records.
A conversation with Bono inevitably takes broad leaps from personal memories to economic theories to music, the state of U2 and the state of the world. More as citations than as name-dropping, Bono mentioned his discussions with, among others, Ethiopia's prime minister; Wim Wenders's cinematographer; Beyoncé Knowles; Johnny Cash; and Steve Jobs, the chief executive of Apple Computer. Apple is manufacturing a black-and-red U2 iPod with the album stored on it, and later this month its iTunes Music Store is releasing "The Complete U2," a digital album of 400 songs, including 25 previously unreleased. To inaugurate the band's partnership with Apple, U2 and its song "Vertigo" appear in an iPod commercial for which, Bono said, the band was not paid.
"My idea of selling out is when you do naff things for money," he said, going on to define "naff" as very embarrassing. "That's subjective, but I think it's quite clear: don't embarrass your fans, they've given you a good life. Our audience are thrilled about the Apple thing. They can't believe their band has its own iPod.
"I have a very strong sense of survival," he added, "and I know that 'Vertigo' is not the biggest pop song in the world. I know that riff has to be hammered home to become a pop song. With the commercial, we had a rock video coming on during the baseball playoffs in a way a record company could not afford.'"
U2's other response to the age of downloading is to offer a collectors' item for fans who want something more than a CD: a special edition of the album with a bonus DVD and a hardcover book including paintings by Mr. Mullen, photographs by Mr. Clayton, odd Internet finds from the Edge and handwritten lyrics and manifestos by Bono. One explains how to dismantle an atomic bomb: "Don't build a bomb!"
Before heading to the airport, Bono eased the band into "Original of the Species," a love song that also observes, "Some things you shouldn't get too good at/Like smiling, crying and celebrity." With a chuckle, he said: "I might try a little guitar - don't get upset. There's a very good reason why I'm the singer." He didn't disgrace himself, though, and after he took his leave, a visitor noted the neat lettering on the pickguard of his vintage Gretsch guitar: "The Goal Is Soul," it read.
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kosmette heard on wxpn yesterday that Snowpatrol is being tapped as the opener for the spring tour....
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I heard that as well. And I HOPE it is the case. Though it will be far different from seeing them a few feet away at a not nearly sold out 9:30 Club... ;)
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Originally posted by Bags:
I have a feeling next year's going to be all U2 all the time.
:(
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outkast all the time>u2 all the time
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I Kosmo Vinyl pledge to keep any U2 related conversation from me to a dull roar for the next year or so. Don't expect the same for De Novo Dahl. Unless of course by some vastly remote chance U2 plays the 9:30 club. Then I wouldn't tell if I knew anything.
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November 12, 2004
Billboard Magazine
Exclusive: U2 Tour To Kick Off March 1
Look for U2 to start its world tour on March 1 in Florida in support of its new Interscope album, "How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb," the band's manager Paul McGuinness tells Billboard.
"We'll play approximately 35 shows in the arenas in the spring in the U.S., McGuinness says. U2 will then play 30 stadium shows across Europe, return to North America for another 35-date arena swing and the proceed to Japan and Australia.
Rumors have circulated that potential openers include Snow Patrol and the Scissor Sisters. McGuinness said no decision has been made, but added "We love Snow Patrol. Their producer, Jacknife Lee, also worked on U2's album and they're Irish. There's a close connection."
The upcoming trek will be promoted by Clear Channel Entertainment's TNA International, which is spearheaded by president Arthur Fogel. U2's 2001 tour, also promoted by Fogel, grossed $104 million from 106 shows worldwide, according to Billboard Boxscore.
Continuing the move toward a more rock-driven approach emphasized on 2000's "All That You Can't Leave Behind," the new set is front-loaded with a host of satisfyingly straightforward tracks that should thrill U2 fans. Highlights include the chiming, strident "City of Blinding Lights," the powerful Edge showcase "All Because of You" and the emotive, atmospheric "Miracle Drug," where Bono scales the heights of his vocal register.
First single "Vertigo" is in third week at No. 1 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart.
-- Melinda Newman, L.A. and Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
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stop teasing pollard....
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What's the presale password?
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Originally posted by Bombay Chutney:
What's the presale password?
The catch is deciding which of the seven presales will get you the best tickets?!?
I'm going with "refugee," the DC101 password.
:D
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I waw U2 way back in 85...and I really wouldn't mind seeing them again. I know the wife would love it. Wonder how hard it will be to get decent seats on the upcoming tour.
Evil Santa, where are you???
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Please release that album, U2. I'm dying of Vertigo.
I won't stop talking about U2, however more talk of U2 will stop me from talking about TiVo, Social D, Halo 2, and the Democrats. I'm not sure if this is good news or not for you folks.
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he's been drafted... and seeing as it's a clear crap promoted tour very little will be forthcoming from him.
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Originally posted by vansmack:
Please release that album, U2. I'm dying of Vertigo.
I won't stop talking about U2, however more talk of U2 will stop me from talking about TiVo, Social D, Halo 2, and the Democrats. I'm not sure if this is good news or not for you folks.
awww, your slacking (http://www.mtv.com/music/the_leak/u2/atomic_bomb/#)
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motherf*&^($& #&%^ %$@#*&^ ^&^^ Clear Channel....
Meanwhile, Venerable -- you ROCK.
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Originally posted by Venerable Bede:
awww, your slacking (http://www.mtv.com/music/the_leak/u2/atomic_bomb/#)
No sound card on the office machine. I knew it was there, but I can't listen to it until I get home, which is extremely painful.
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i plan on spending my entire work bonus on seeing u2 repeatedly on tour. i LOVE them, damnit. always have. always will. and here's to them playing on my birthday in april. how excited i would be! now if they would just do a date at redrocks sometime this year. i've always wanted to see them at redrocks.
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Since I don't pay attention to mtv, i've been checking out the album from nme.com, they've had it up since 7 am EST.
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Live u2 performance..
http://www.thegoalissoul.cjb.net/ (http://www.thegoalissoul.cjb.net/)
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i guess i am the minority in the tought that their new single is annoying. almost as bad as an old navy comericial...
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U2 is so 1987. Geesh, you people are old.
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I'll be honest. I'm fairly indifferent about just about anything U2's put out since Unforgettable Fire, perhaps Joshua Tree. It's just never been very high on the radar for me since the mid 80's. But, I love the first 4 or 5 records they put out, and seeing them in 85 made me realize the power of rock (this was well before flawd was even born!!). It was definately a defining moment in my life.
But flawd I'm with ya. If I was a youg whipper snapper such as yourself I'd probably hate them. Or maybe not, who knows.
Anyway, I think I'll try to snag some tix for this tour when they are available. Partly out of nostalgia (I'm sure I'll have a blast) and partly as a surprise to my wife, who last saw them on the Joshua Tree tour.
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I'm with you on not caring for anything after Joshua Tree. I liked them through that era.
But going back and listening to that old stuff now is tough for me. Bands like the Stones, Beatles, and Clash sound like so classic and timeless that they can be appreciated forever. U2 just sounds dated and irrelevant.
Originally posted by chaz:
I'll be honest. I'm fairly indifferent about just about anything U2's put out since Unforgettable Fire, perhaps Joshua Tree. It's just never been very high on the radar for me since the mid 80's. But, I love the first 4 or 5 records they put out, and seeing them in 85 made me realize the power of rock (this was well before flawd was even born!!). It was definately a defining moment in my life.
But flawd I'm with ya. If I was a youg whipper snapper such as yourself I'd probably hate them. Or maybe not, who knows.
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I still like the old stuff. Do I listen to it? Rarely. Less than i listen to the beatles? Yes.
But the Beatles last album came out the year I was born, and I snatched up some of those early U2 albums the week they came out...so somehow it's different for me.
Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
I'm with you on not caring for anything after Joshua Tree. I liked them through that era.
But going back and listening to that old stuff now is tough for me. Bands like the Stones, Beatles, and Clash sound like so classic and timeless that they can be appreciated forever. U2 just sounds dated and irrelevant.
Originally posted by chaz:
I'll be honest. I'm fairly indifferent about just about anything U2's put out since Unforgettable Fire, perhaps Joshua Tree. It's just never been very high on the radar for me since the mid 80's. But, I love the first 4 or 5 records they put out, and seeing them in 85 made me realize the power of rock (this was well before flawd was even born!!). It was definately a defining moment in my life.
But flawd I'm with ya. If I was a youg whipper snapper such as yourself I'd probably hate them. Or maybe not, who knows.
[/b]
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I snapped up the debut albums by Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails the first week they released. They haven't stood the test of time for me either.
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The problem with comparing the U2 or NIN's debut album to early Beatles is the record industry was dominated by 45 rpm singles in the early days of rock. So saying that all of "Boy" doesn't stand up to the single for "I want to hold your hand" is not really acurate. Can you even say what the b-side was? The Beatles didn't even get cool before they started smoking pot.
Songs like "Electric Co." or "New Years Day" stand the test of time and a band shouldn't be faulted for the bad luck of being born post-Beatles. I mean the Beatles were just trying their best to copy Buddy Holly anyway.
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To be honest, I don't really listen to the Beatles much.
But I can compare them to the Stones. I don't listen to Stones 45's, I listen to the likes of Beggars Banquet, Let it Bleed, and Sticky Fingers, and can say that those stand the test of time for me much better than any U2 or NIN album.
Originally posted by tbmtt:
The problem with comparing the U2 or NIN's debut album to early Beatles is the record industry was dominated by 45 rpm singles in the early days of rock. So saying that all of "Boy" doesn't stand up to the single for "I want to hold your hand" is not really acurate. Can you even say what the b-side was? The Beatles didn't even get cool before they started smoking pot.
Songs like "Electric Co." or "New Years Day" stand the test of time and a band shouldn't be faulted for the bad luck of being born post-Beatles. I mean the Beatles were just trying their best to copy Buddy Holly anyway.
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Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
I snapped up the debut albums by Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails the first week they released. They haven't stood the test of time for me either.
Oh forget it.
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Never cared much for U2 back in the 80s and care much, much less about them now. Have no desire to have anything to do with them now other than to avoid them.
But have to admit the song on the iPod commercial isn't as annoying as most of the crap they've put out in a very long time.
Bono for Anti-Christ!
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Originally posted by tbmtt:
I mean the Beatles were just trying their best to copy Buddy Holly anyway. [/QB]
That's a great line....LOL
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U2 are go! I like the sound of Bono&Edge playing The Beatles' "Rain" at the Clinton library dedication yesterday:
http://www.clintonpresidentialcenter.org/wmp/ded-performance-u2.wmv (http://www.clintonpresidentialcenter.org/wmp/ded-performance-u2.wmv)
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Originally posted by edbert:
U2 are go! I like the sound of Bono&Edge playing The Beatles' "Rain" at the Clinton library dedication yesterday:
http://www.clintonpresidentialcenter.org/wmp/ded-performance-u2.wmv (http://www.clintonpresidentialcenter.org/wmp/ded-performance-u2.wmv)
By most accounts, the acoustic verions of Sunday Bloody Sunday and The Hands That Built America were the real highlights of their performance.
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on the daily show they showed the part of one song when he sings how long, how long must i sing this song...
then the cut to stewart and he says yes, how long must you sing that song. then he said something in his little geek voice...
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Anybody stick around long enough on SNL to see U2 perform "I Will Follow" at the very end of the show?
Bono, after offering a fan a lap dance, even made an embarrassed Amy Pohler cry. Too bad NBC cut off "All Because of You" at the end because they were starting to play it as the fourth song.
Vertigo
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
I Will Follow
All Because of You
If anybody finds a web site that shows them performing All Because of You, please post it. Quality stuff from a band that refuses to mail it in.
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oh i saw it...and i nearly cried myself when they started in on "i will follow".
smackie, i think you, and our respective partners, should meet up when they play red rocks. i've always wanted to see them there.
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From gothamist:
U2's Free Concert In Brooklyn Today
2004_11_u2.jpg
There have been rumors of a free U2 concert in New York for the past week or so, and now there's confirmation: Today, U2 will be performing at Empire Fulton Ferry State Park in Brooklyn, which is between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges at Plymouth and Washington Streets. MTV is filming the performance to coincide with publicity for U2's new album. For tickets, click here for 1iota.com's MTV surprise performance; arrival time is 2:30PM, the show starts at 3PM.
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Originally posted by vansmack:
Bono, after offering a fan a lap dance, even made an embarrassed Amy Pohler cry.
It was funny to watch SNL cast members, who interact with celebrities all the time, look completely starstruck.
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Originally posted by helicon1:
From gothamist:
U2's Free Concert In Brooklyn Today
2004_11_u2.jpg
There have been rumors of a free U2 concert in New York for the past week or so, and now there's confirmation: Today, U2 will be performing at Empire Fulton Ferry State Park in Brooklyn, which is between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges at Plymouth and Washington Streets. MTV is filming the performance to coincide with publicity for U2's new album. For tickets, click here for 1iota.com's MTV surprise performance; arrival time is 2:30PM, the show starts at 3PM.
:eek: :eek: :eek:
how thrilled would i be to see that. i wonder when mtv is broadcasting the show?
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They did 3 songs after the show ended; All Because of You, they repeated Vertigo, and another song, don't know the name of that one. Right now they are driving around NYC on the back of a flat bed truck, stopping at various spots; they just left Columbia Univ. Apparently they are shooting the video to All Because of You.
Bono's voice sounded great, I was surprised how much older Larry looked. Edge is always the Edge, hasn't changed. I Will Follow brought me waaaaay back, and I'm amazed that the song still sounds so relevant today; it is timeless. I liked the emblem on Bono's jacket: "EST. 1979". It's been a long time, and they still have it.
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Originally posted by lily1:
oh i saw it...and i nearly cried myself when they started in on "i will follow".
http://homepage.mac.com/elevationusa/iMovieTheater15.html (http://homepage.mac.com/elevationusa/iMovieTheater15.html) (Quicktime required)
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Why does Bono need gloves?
Originally posted by vansmack:
Originally posted by lily1:
oh i saw it...and i nearly cried myself when they started in on "i will follow".
http://homepage.mac.com/elevationusa/iMovieTheater15.html (http://homepage.mac.com/elevationusa/iMovieTheater15.html) (Quicktime required) [/b]
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Is "I Will Follow" a rarity for them these days? I was very surprised for them to pick that to close the show. I agree that it was very cool to watch the cast standing there a bit awestruck. The lap dance was a little disturbing though.
I may have to go see them when they come around. It's been a long time. Unless they play FedEx or RFK. Ugh.
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"I Will Follow" got played on the last tour (I think I remember it on PopMart in 97 too).
Shouldn't be a stadium this time around - I understand they are doing arenas in the States.
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Stereogum (http://www.stereogum.com/archives/001041.html) has a few photos from today's filming online.
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Originally posted by eros:
"I Will Follow" got played on the last tour (I think I remember it on PopMart in 97 too).
yeah, they played it during the popmart tour.
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So why is Bono wearing gloves?
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Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
So why is Bono wearing gloves?
He's not, where are you seeing gloves?
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In the I Will Follow video from SNL that Vansmack posted. Fingerless gloves.
Originally posted by Arlette:
Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
So why is Bono wearing gloves?
He's not, where are you seeing gloves? [/b]
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Nah, I don't think so. At least his right hand is clear of gloves, but I didn't watch the whole thing again. I think it's just the sleeves of his jacket. His sleeves are always long, he's a small fellow.
Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
In the I Will Follow video from SNL that Vansmack posted. Fingerless gloves.
Originally posted by Arlette:
Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
So why is Bono wearing gloves?
He's not, where are you seeing gloves? [/b]
[/b]
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U2 Take New Album to the Streets of New York
1 hour, 59 minutes ago Entertainment - Reuters
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Irish rockstar Bono brought traffic to a standstill at the heart of New York on Monday, blasting out songs from U2's latest album as the band cruised down Broadway on a flatbed truck.
Office workers on their lunch-breaks whipped out their camera phones to catch the surprise appearance by the band whose album "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" is released in Britain on Monday and in the United States on Tuesday.
"I can't believe it. I have to call my mom right now," said one tourist in a crowd of hundreds as Bono sang Christmas favorite "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" in Times Square.
The stunt was filmed for the video of the forthcoming single "All Because of You" and the band was due to make another free appearance in Brooklyn later in the day.
Slideshow available here:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041122/en_nm/people_u2_dc (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041122/en_nm/people_u2_dc)
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Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
So why is Bono wearing gloves?
Why do you need to repeat yourself when you're clearly being ignored?
He's not wearing gloves. The appropriate question is "why are the jacket sleeves so long on Bono's jacket?" and that's a question I think only Bono can answer.
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Originally posted by lily1:
smackie, i think you, and our respective partners, should meet up when they play red rocks. i've always wanted to see them there.
I'm in! I've been a fan for a long time and am really looking forward to seeing them again. It's hard to imagine how they will top the intimacy of the Elevation tour, but then they surprise me every time.
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bunnyman and i were discussing that last week actually. with the way the stage was set up on that tour and the general admission seating, it felt like you were never more than 50 feet from a band member, provided you were in the general admission area.
yay, one more for red rocks!
Originally posted by kurosawa-b/w:
I'm in! I've been a fan for a long time and am really looking forward to seeing them again. It's hard to imagine how they will top the intimacy of the Elevation tour, but then they surprise me every time. [/QB][/QUOTE]
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so i went to my local best buy today to buy the new u2 super deluxe version cd+dvd+book and they only charged me 16.99 which is the price for the deluxe edition. i saved me 8 bucks! worth looking into in case it ain't a fluke :)
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Originally posted by evildraftboardmember:
so i went to my local best buy today to buy the new u2 super deluxe version cd+dvd+book and they only charged me 16.99 which is the price for the deluxe edition. i saved me 8 bucks! worth looking into in case it ain't a fluke :)
you got ripped off, they are supposed to pay YOU to take the u2 cd
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Sorry, my 17" monitor screen the gov't loans me must be inferior to your jumbo screen. Uopn closer scrutiny, y'all are right, his jacket is too big. No gloves at all. Thought maybe he was doing a Michael Jackson tribute, but guess not.
Originally posted by vansmack:
Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
So why is Bono wearing gloves?
Why do you need to repeat yourself when you're clearly being ignored?
He's not wearing gloves. The appropriate question is "why are the jacket sleeves so long on Bono's jacket?" and that's a question I think only Bono can answer. [/b]
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Originally posted by pollard:
you got ripped off, they are supposed to pay YOU to take the u2 cd
You, of all people, should sit down and shuddup. :p
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Originally posted by Random Citizen:
You, of all people, should sit down and shuddup. :D
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Originally posted by pollard:
don't be jealous because my favorite band is better than yours :D
U2 isn't my favorite band...that would be the Afghan Whigs, who to their credit (despite fan sadness), knew when to call it a day.
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Originally posted by Random Citizen:
U2 isn't my favorite band...that would be the Afghan Whigs, who to their credit (despite fan sadness), knew when to call it a day.
I stand by my statement, in other terms
GBV > every other band --> my favorite is better than yours ;)
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Originally posted by Rhett Miller:
Sorry, my 17" monitor screen the gov't loans me must be inferior to your jumbo screen. Uopn closer scrutiny, y'all are right, his jacket is too big. No gloves at all. Thought maybe he was doing a Michael Jackson tribute, but guess not.
17 inch government monitor myself.
The right hand is clearly gloveless when he holds the mic, the left hand is clearly gloveless when he grabs the camera.
I guess I just pay a little more attention, although I didn't even bother to look until you asked your question.
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Bono is wearing invisible gloves.
or Bono is an alien wearing human gloves...
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Originally posted by evildraftboardmember:
so i went to my local best buy today to buy the new u2 super deluxe version cd+dvd+book and they only charged me 16.99 which is the price for the deluxe edition. i saved me 8 bucks! worth looking into in case it ain't a fluke :)
since my boss is an idiot, i didn't get out of work this evening until 945..and by the time i got to the tower records(only store open), they were all sold out
i'm the saddest obsessive U2 fan ever
oh well..i guess i'll just go buy it tomorrow..but its not the same
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Originally posted by MaLo:
i'm the saddest obsessive U2 fan ever
oh well..i guess i'll just go buy it tomorrow..but its not the same
Spend the extra few bucks on the special DVD version. The acoustic version of "Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own" is by far my highlight of the package. Can't stop listening to it.
The book version is for the truly obsessed fans only, but there's a lot of reading material there because you have to decipher the scribbles.
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Originally posted by vansmack:
Originally posted by MaLo:
i'm the saddest obsessive U2 fan ever
oh well..i guess i'll just go buy it tomorrow..but its not the same
Spend the extra few bucks on the special DVD version. The acoustic version of "Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own" is by far my highlight of the package. Can't stop listening to it.
The book version is for the truly obsessed fans only, but there's a lot of reading material there because you have to decipher the scribbles. [/b]
Yeah, i got the deluxe version at lunch today. Haven't had the chance to check out the DVD yet. Best part - it was mislabled at Best Buy, so i got it for $10 instead of $17.
I've heard theres a cool extra song on the Book version which isn't located on the other two versions....but yeah, i dont' really have the patience to read thru bono scribby scrable
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Originally posted by MaLo:
I've heard theres a cool extra song on the Book version which isn't located on the other two versions....
That must be "Fast Cars" which is track 12 in the Book version (after Yahweh), but not listed on the DVD or CD versions. I wasn't sure if it was a hidden track on the other versions or not. It is a cool song and also where "How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" comes from.
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Say what you want, U2-detractors. But this album is really good. Much more variety than the last and Edge's guitar work will keep the guitar scientists buzzing. U2 are also the masters of the middle 8! Happy T-day.
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I am just going to buy the U2 boxset on Itunes. It is incredible.
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Well it will go nicely with your black ipod.
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I used to be a huge fan, and still admire thier career. But this cd is a bit of a disappointment IMO. It come down to three songs that pull this disc. Three songs that would fit nicely into the mold they have pressed many times before. I'll see them this tour again, but I'm not waiting for GA again. I just hear so much better music from people half thier age and experience, but I suppose being the biggest band in the world comes with much baggage.
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Originally posted by Deepak Chopra:
I am just going to buy the U2 boxset on Itunes. It is incredible.
yeah the 12 versions of discotheque really seal the deal ;)
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can the u2 cd/dvd/book be ordered online at bestbuy or is it instore only?
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the cd+dvd+booklet is available at outlets besides best buy, i.e. tower, amazon,
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Originally posted by myuman:
I used to be a huge fan, and still admire thier career. But this cd is a bit of a disappointment IMO. It come down to three songs that pull this disc. Three songs that would fit nicely into the mold they have pressed many times before. I'll see them this tour again, but I'm not waiting for GA again. I just hear so much better music from people half thier age and experience, but I suppose being the biggest band in the world comes with much baggage.
People who know me, will agree, i'm a completely obsessed U2 fan...but yeah, i'm pretty disappointed with this CD as well. There are 4 songs that i like, the rest of the cd is really boring. I hoped and hoped i would like the cd, but i really don't...which is upsetting. But yeah, there is better music being put out.
Oh well...i will still go see them when they tour...but not 5 times like i did on the last tour.
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Monday, November 29, 2004
'Love and Peace or Else' (for Hockey)
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By John Buccigross
Special to ESPN.com
There are two things I can't do fast enough:
One is tie my skates next to a salacious sheet of ice. That boyish impatience has stayed with me to this day. It can be 6 a.m. on a dry, cold January day, and that warm-blooded eagerness goes right to my fingers. If you threw a keyboard down in front of me in the middle of skate tying, I could type 700 words a minute.
The other is open a much anticipated new CD.
My third-favorite quote of all time is by Sir Thomas Beecham: "The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought."
Music provides a current of energy I need to live. So, combine my fervent CD anxiousness with the insane ways CDs are packaged in 2004 and you have an experience that is only more maddening than breaking a skate lace in the middle of said skate tying -- especially since I'm usually opening my new CD while DRIVING. Is anything more difficult to open than a new CD? The next time Gary Bettman and Bob Goodenow get into a conference room they should seal the doors with that last piece of sticky tape that seals a CD case. What is that thing??!! And when a piece of it gets on your finger, you CANNOT get it off. It's like a strand of hair on a piece of soap. I hear they seal nuclear reactors with that substance. Are record companies doing everything possible to discourage CD purchases? It's not downloading, bad music, $18.99 for a new CD, or bad marketing that sent CD sales plummeting at the start of the decade. IT'S THAT DAMN BIONIC ADHESIVE!! After the TV show "MacGyver" was cancelled in 1992 the CD industry must have bought all of MacGyver's bonding strips at a "MacGyver" going-out-of-business sale.
The other benefit of a new, freshly opened CD is the sweet smell of the liner notes booklet. That's the first thing I do once I get the industrialized tape off the case. I bury my nose right in the booklet and inhale deeply. I did the same thing with those prehistoric copier machines we had in elementary school and I did the same thing when my Dad would take me to hockey games as a kid. He'd buy the hockey program "GOAL" and I would open up that thing and SNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIF deeply. I loved the smell of a fresh new hockey program. The only time it wouldn't give me a hockey high is when I realized I just inhaled deeply on an action photo of a sweaty Johnny "Pie" McKenzie.
Last week, I was heading to my mom and dad's for a visit. Before the two-hour trip, I rushed into Borders, plopped down my $12.99 and got U2's newest release, "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb." Its title is a perfect metaphor for this CBA season. The negotiations between the owners and players are much like a bomb, figuratively speaking. If it goes off and obliterates the season, who knows what the damage will be? So, with that in mind, let's go through U2's 11 songs on their new disc as we wait for Gary and Bob to start dancing.
1. Vertigo
Money lyric: "A feeling is so much stronger than a thought."
A 3 minute, 15 second song of pure U2 worldly testosterone that makes nearly every other band sound like a local garage band. The above money lyric is the exact reason there hasn't been an NHL season thus far. The only way to save the season is to remove emotion from the equation. I don't know who decides the order of U2's songs, but they have fallen into a certain pattern in terms of tempo and style. I think I could do better. Baby names and song orders on mix CDs are two strengths of mine. Song order is what made "Joshua Tree" PERFECT. "Vertigo" is the equivalent of "Beautiful Day" on "All That You Can't Leave Behind" and the pattern continues from there. These songs are a little better, but the "How to ... " CD has actually made me appreciate ATYCLB more. That CD is a lot better than I gave it credit for.
2. Miracle Drug
Money lyric: "Freedom is a scent, like the top of a new born baby's head."
The money lyric is my favorite on the CD because the smell of a baby's head is my favorite scent in the world -- right before John "Pie" McKenzie. This is a lyric Bono would not have thought of when he was 21. Now that he is 44, it fits. And it explains the durability of the band. I like this song the more I hear it. What is the NHL's miracle drug to a CBA truce? An aggressive NHLPA offer to start. Put the pressure on the owners. Make the offer public. Spell it out. Let us see it.
3. Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Money lyric: "And it's you when I look in the mirror/And it's you when I don't pick up the phone/Sometimes you can't make it on your own."
Gary Bettman and Bob Goodenow have similar levels of stubbornness and one wonders if a mediator, or mediators of some sort, is the only solution. What about Brian Burke, Ken Dryden and Don Meehan? Burke was once an agent, a league VP and a GM. Dryden was a player and a front office suit. Meehan is the players' hawk. Some of his players are whales in terms of contracts, but his reputation is solid. Let's say the three take the players' proposal to Bettman next week. Bettman tweaks, and then the Three Wise Men go back to Goodenow. They talk about where the owners could move. Burke knows. Dryden knows. They've been there. That proposal is taken to Bettman and civilized conversations again are held to get a deal done. At that point, if the two sides can't get together, cancel the season.
4. Love and Peace or Else
Money lyric: "Baby don't fight/We can talk this thing through/Between me and you/I'll call or you'll phone."
This song was too high on the CD. I would have had it lower. It's the "Bullet the Blue Sky" song on the disc. That song was the fourth song on "The Joshua Tree." See the synergy? "Love and Peace" is nowhere near as powerful as "Bullet," and it will play much better live than on a CD, but it is good and grimy. Imagine Bettman or Goodenow singing this lyric in a Mississauga karaoke bar? Speaking of "Love and Peace," I believe that tickets for the first game after the lockout should be free. The players will give up their pay for the first game back. The owners will provide a high-quality item as a giveaway. The players will come out for the warm-up and give the fans a standing ovation around the ice and they all will throw autographed team jerseys, provided by the owners, into the stands. Love and Peace or Else.
5. City of Blinding Lights
Money lyric: "Can you see the beauty inside of me?/What happened to the beauty I had inside of me?"
This is a great good morning song and should have led off the disc. The way it fades in and builds and builds, and is immediately listenable would have made it an ideal leadoff hitter. This won't be a single because it's too long, but it's pure U2. It is an ideal summer song. The above money lyric reminds us of the NHL. What happened to the beauty and fun? Well, it's been smothered by money, corporate ticket holders, arenas that are too big, stick clutching and hooking of those with and without the puck, and less net to shoot at. A new CBA needs drastic on-ice change as part of the NHL's civil war reconstruction.
6. All Because of You
Money lyric: "I like the sound of my own voice/I didn't give anyone else a choice."
This is the best song on the CD and should be the next video/single. If Henry Kissinger melted every U2 song in the band's discography into a metallic ball for the purpose of cultivating one song, planted the songball of matter, watered it, and put it under a heat lamp, he would reap this "All Because Of You." It should have been the second song on the CD. Having this song sixth is like batting Manny Ramirez sixth. A waste. Playlist order matters! "All Because of You." Great title. Got me to thinking, why are YOU a hockey fan? I became a fan for life all because of my Dad who would listen to his favorite team on AM radio and write down all the game stats in a notebook. As always, I was by his side for every goal.
7. A Man and a Woman
Money lyric: "I know that everything is not OK/But you're like honey on my tongue"
I could do without this song to tell you the truth. In my mind it's the weakest on the disc. Do this: When you buy the new U2 CD, burn a CD or download it on your iPod and put the songs in this order for a better experience. I'm better at this than I am naming the top of a newborn baby's head.
1. City of Blinding Lights
2. Vertigo
3. All Because of You
4. Crumbs from Your Table
5. One Step Closer
6. Love and Peace
7. Miracle Drug
8. Original of the Species
9. A Man and a Woman
10. Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
11. Yahweh
There. Much better.
8. Crumbs from Your Table
Money lyric: "Where you live should not decide/Whether you live or whether you die."
Doesn't the NHL have to go to full blown revenue sharing to support teams like Nashville and Pittsburgh? Can the Pens and Preds even afford a $30 million payroll? Or are they just mice nibbling at crumbs from the table of the Red Wings, Avalanche and the like? I don't understand why massive revenue sharing hasn't been a part of the equation. You don't need revenue sharing in a 16 or 21 team league. But 30?
9. One Step Closer
Money lyric: "I'm 'round the corner from anything that's real/I'm across the road from hope."
Noel Gallagher of Oasis gave Bono the phrase that spawned this tune. The above money lyric is a good phrase for the NHL's current state of affairs. But as we've been saying here, an aggressive offer will be coming soon from the players in a week or so. It will put all the pressure on the owners to make a deal out of the offer. I still remain confident we will have hockey this year.
10. Original of the Species
Money lyric: "Some things you shouldn't get too good at/like smiling, crying and celebrity/Some people got way too much confidence baby."
Another thing you shouldn't be too good at is producing good PR, because it usually is masking the truth. The NHL says it wants to have an even playing field economically, and that has driven their PR machine. But remember, there is only one reason we are having this work stoppage: to lower and control labor costs. Every corporation does it every now and then.
11. Yahweh
Money lyric: "Take these hands/Teach them how to carry/Take these hands/don't make a fist, no."
A spiritual finale in the vein of "40," "MLK," and "Mothers Of The Disappeared." A fitting ending to a wonderful work of art and a good theme song for the NHL and NHLPA to adopt. "Yahweh" is an expository song of cleansing and hope. There is no need anymore to make a fist in this negotiation. The time is now for the NHLPA to make an aggressive offer. Then the owners need to convene and go point by point over the proposal and give an aggressive counteroffer calmly, professionally and purposefully. This is an exciting time. They will clarify themselves and we will soon know who wants to dismantle the atomic bomb. And who doesn't.
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Originally posted by MaLo:
People who know me, will agree, i'm a completely obsessed U2 fan...but yeah, i'm pretty disappointed with this CD as well.
Give it time. While I was never disappointed with it, the first few times through it I didn't like it as much as I do now.
Now I can't stop listening to it.
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Originally posted by lily1:
how thrilled would i be to see that. i wonder when mtv is broadcasting the show?
December 10 at 6:00 PM (maybe 9:00 PM ET, I'm not sure) in an Episode of "Jammed." It will only be 30 minutes, despite the set list appearing to be a lot longer:
Vertigo
All Because Of You
Miracle Drug
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
City of Blinding Lights
Original of the Species
She's a Mystery To Me
Beautiful Day
I Will Follow
Out of Control
Vertigo (again for a reshoot)
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I bought "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb" (+ bonus DVD) yesterday, and first off it has to be said:
Bono is as sexy and gorgeous as ever. I want him. ;) "Miracle Drug," "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" and "City Of Blinding Lights" are 3 of my other faves.
I love the line in "Original Of The Species" where Bono sings, "I'll give you everything you want, except the thing that you want."
I've been having fun listening to this.
P.S. The B-side to "Vertigo" ("Are You Gonna Wait Forever?") is not much to speak of, IMO. I'm sorry I bought the single.
Cheers
DJ Medusa.
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Originally posted by Medusa:
I've been watching the DVD and strangely, it seems the sound was recorded really low (am I the only one experiencing this?).
Also, when it first loaded up there was all of this static and I thought I had a defective DVD. Then I watched it using another program and the static seems to have gone away (and I don't mean the static in the beginning of "Vertigo" (Temple Bar Mix)).
]
My DVD plays just fine and I've used it on a couple of different DVD players (computer and stand alone). See if one of your friends has the DVD and compare because it sounds like it might have a problem.
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Originally posted by Medusa:
Bono is as sexy and gorgeous as ever. I want him. ;)
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Originally posted by Medusa:
"Vertigo" is brilliant and of course this has been out for a bit now (and *swoon*, the video! - Larry Mullen, Jr. in the shades and I think it's been said that he has some sort of a Dorian Gray thing going on where he never ages). ;) "Miracle Drug," "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" and "City Of Blinding Lights" are 3 of my other faves.
i love city of blinding lights...my favorite on the disc
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U2 You HAVE TO be kidding me. Bono is such a pompous arrogant ass and that pop musick they play is worse than fingernails across the chalk board. When they come on the radio I can't switch stations fast enough!
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Originally posted by Medusa:
My thoughts on the album so far are that I really like it, but I wish the whole thing was as upbeat as "Vertigo." I'm a little disappointed in the slowness of the other songs.
"Vertigo" is brilliant and of course this has been out for a bit now (and *swoon*, the video! - Larry Mullen, Jr. in the shades and I think it's been said that he has some sort of a Dorian Gray thing going on where he never ages). ;) "Miracle Drug," "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" and "City Of Blinding Lights" are 3 of my other faves.
I love the line in "Original Of The Species" where Bono sings, "I'll give you everything you want, except the thing that you want."
I've been having fun listening to this.
P.S. The B-side to "Vertigo" ("Are You Gonna Wait Forever?") is not much to speak of, IMO. I'm sorry I bought the single.
Cheers
DJ Medusa.
Maybe that's why I like the album so much - and I've had this discussion with others - it's all about when you got into U2. I first got really into them during the War album circa 83, and was sold by the Unforgettable Fire album. That's not the most up beat of albums either. And it's also completely unlike their next 5 albums.
But after a few listens I picked up on the brilliance of the songs and was thought Bad was about the best thing I'd ever heard.
Same thing with this album, although I think it's more upbeat than it's getting credit for. Vertigo, All Because of You, Peace and Love Forever, City of Blinding Lights, Crumbs from Your Table all get going (sometimes after after slow entries), kind of like the UF. I love this album. I've been waiting for a UF type album since 85.
I also think that "Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own" will be HUGE.
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Originally posted by RatBastard:
U2 You HAVE TO be kidding me.
What did you think this post was going to be about?
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I got into U2 when they put out their first seven inch on Blarney Records. The vinyl's emerald green.
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Originally posted by econo:
I got into U2 when they put out their first seven inch on Blarney Records. The vinyl's emerald green.
Dude. You're old.
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[Donald] Trump? He's phenomenal. Much like Bono, he's one of those rare celebrity self-parodies who somehow remains in on the joke. I'm not sure how he pulls it off.
That's a great description. Too bad some of you aren't in on the joke.
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Originally posted by econo:
I got into U2 when they put out their first seven inch on Blarney Records. The vinyl's emerald green.
whatever, thats nothing, when i liked U2, they werent even a band yet.
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another great description
With the release of All That You Can??t Leave Behind, U2 abandoned this approach, trying to revert to a more traditional rock band. This time around, they had the veneer of an organic rock band, but their music was pure pop fluff at the core. The album sounds like U2 Lite??it continues some of the themes of the band??s music, but it lacks the subtlety of their other music.
...
Their new album promises to be little better. Only one single has been released so far, but ??Vertigo? appears to be continuing the pattern of pop tunes from a band trying to remake themselves into something they never were. This newest song contains a few moments that truly hearken back to their early days, but it is a pure pop hit at heart.
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Originally posted by pollard:
The album [All that you...] sounds like U2 Lite??it continues some of the themes of the band??s music, but it lacks the subtlety of their other music.
...
Their new album promises to be little better. Only one single has been released so far, but ??Vertigo? appears to be continuing the pattern of pop tunes from a band trying to remake themselves into something they never were. This newest song contains a few moments that truly hearken back to their early days, but it is a pure pop hit at heart.
I think by reading the posts here (because I know you won't listen to the album but will post comments on it all day long), you will see this new album reverts to the old subtlety, save for Vertigo (and maybe one/two others), which is clearly an upbeat Pop tune. I think that's why I love it and others are disappointed.
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I've listened to this about 15 times in the past week (long T-day road trip, commute, etc.). This album is so pop. Simple as that. It is right down the middle. I'm also comparing it to the other disc I've played a lot lately... the Fiery Furnaces... Just about anything is right down the middle after listening to that!
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Yeah, well, I liked U2 when they were just U....
sequels always suck...
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Despite my subscription ending a few months ago (after 10+ years), SPIN is still sending me magazines. I received the December '04 issue today with U2 on the cover. I wonder if this will continue into 2005...
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Originally posted by pollard:
another great description
Their new album promises to be little better...to be continuing the pattern of pop tunes from a band trying to remake themselves into something they never were.
[/b]
What about a band continuing a pattern of evolving, making themselves into something they are now. ?? The criticism seems overly wrought....
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Originally posted by Bags:
What about a band continuing a pattern of evolving, making themselves into something they are now. ?? The criticism seems overly wrought....
yeah, if you make a great album or two and then
a) make the same album six more times, you suck
b) evolve and keep changing your sound so that people dont know what to expect, you suck
really, its a lose-lose situation
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Originally posted by sonickteam2:
yeah, if you make a great album or two and then
a) make the same album six more times, you suck
b) evolve and keep changing your sound so that people dont know what to expect, you suck
really, its a lose-lose situation
b should be, if you evolve and keep changing your so sound, and the sound that comes out sucks, you suck