U2 - Songs of Experience

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Dr. Medulla
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Re: U2 - Songs of Experience

Post by Dr. Medulla »

WestwayKid wrote:
07 Dec 2017, 11:12am
Dr. Medulla wrote:
07 Dec 2017, 11:00am
Heston wrote:
07 Dec 2017, 10:45am
WestwayKid wrote:
07 Dec 2017, 9:24am
Easy Lover - still an awesome track after all these years!!
Classic! :shifty:
No. Stop that at once.
If Trump ever builds his wall - I'm just going to go down to Texas - play that song on a huge system and let Phil's POWERHOUSE drumming knock that wall to the ground! It will be HUGE! :mrgreen:
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Re: U2 - Songs of Experience

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muppet hi fi wrote:
07 Dec 2017, 11:18am
The first three albums - 'Boy', 'October' and 'War' (and attendant singles/b-sides) - are still one of the greatest trilogies in popular music history. Add 'The Unforgettable Fire' as a cleanser.
Hard agree. I actually like them through Pop. The rest I can leave.

I still reserve the right to hate on Bono. Politically, he's a neoliberal hack.
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Re: U2 - Songs of Experience

Post by Low Down Low »

October is a bit weak I think, like they came in with 3 good/great songs and somehow muddled through to the end of an album. “Is that all?”, dear Bongo sings at the end and that pretty much sums it up for me.

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Re: U2 - Songs of Experience

Post by muppet hi fi »

Low Down Low wrote:
07 Dec 2017, 12:09pm
October is a bit weak I think, like they came in with 3 good/great songs and somehow muddled through to the end of an album. “Is that all?”, dear Bongo sings at the end and that pretty much sums it up for me.
The sound is the thing on 'October'. And the feeling. Oh, and "Gloria".
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JennyB
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Re: U2 - Songs of Experience

Post by JennyB »

Heston wrote:
07 Dec 2017, 10:45am
WestwayKid wrote:
07 Dec 2017, 9:24am
Easy Lover - still an awesome track after all these years!!
Classic! :shifty:
I will even admit, as the board's most vocal PC hater, that this is a tasty tune. But only, and I mean ONLY, because of Phillip Bailey.
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Re: U2 - Songs of Experience

Post by Mimi »

revbob wrote:
01 Dec 2017, 8:02pm
WestwayKid wrote:
01 Dec 2017, 2:27pm
I’d counter that by somewhat going back to a question I posed several weeks ago. I asked if there was a live retirement age for musicians, but to take it a step further: is there a general retirement age for musicians? I’m not a staunch U2 fan, but I’m a fan. I enjoy their music. I sometimes get the vibe that people hate on them simply because they’re an easy target. It’s easy to dismiss a bunch of millionaires who play gigantic stadium tours. I get that. If that is a valid argument, though, we should then write off a whole slew of rock stars. I’ll give U2 credit for at least trying to remain relevant. They could easily just coast at this point, but they’re still willing to put new music out there. I did have an issue when they toured The Joshua Tree recently. That felt like coasting on former glories. I’m just not going to hold it against them simply because they have been very successful. A good song is a good song.
I hated them before it was cool.
Same. Bono's voice is like nails on chalkboard for me.

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Re: U2 - Songs of Experience

Post by revbob »

Mimi wrote:
07 Dec 2017, 12:40pm
revbob wrote:
01 Dec 2017, 8:02pm
WestwayKid wrote:
01 Dec 2017, 2:27pm
I’d counter that by somewhat going back to a question I posed several weeks ago. I asked if there was a live retirement age for musicians, but to take it a step further: is there a general retirement age for musicians? I’m not a staunch U2 fan, but I’m a fan. I enjoy their music. I sometimes get the vibe that people hate on them simply because they’re an easy target. It’s easy to dismiss a bunch of millionaires who play gigantic stadium tours. I get that. If that is a valid argument, though, we should then write off a whole slew of rock stars. I’ll give U2 credit for at least trying to remain relevant. They could easily just coast at this point, but they’re still willing to put new music out there. I did have an issue when they toured The Joshua Tree recently. That felt like coasting on former glories. I’m just not going to hold it against them simply because they have been very successful. A good song is a good song.
I hated them before it was cool.
Same. Bono's voice is like nails on chalkboard for me.
Where's that hi five emoji when you need it?

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Re: U2 - Songs of Experience

Post by WestwayKid »

muppet hi fi wrote:
07 Dec 2017, 12:14pm
Low Down Low wrote:
07 Dec 2017, 12:09pm
October is a bit weak I think, like they came in with 3 good/great songs and somehow muddled through to the end of an album. “Is that all?”, dear Bongo sings at the end and that pretty much sums it up for me.
The sound is the thing on 'October'. And the feeling. Oh, and "Gloria".
I know his lyrics were stolen from the airport before they went in to record that album...so a lot of the words were made up on the spot. October is definitely about mood over substance. It was a step back from Boy...but then they went for the moon with War.
"They don't think it be like it is, but it do." - Oscar Gamble

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Re: U2 - Songs of Experience

Post by WestwayKid »

revbob wrote:
07 Dec 2017, 12:53pm
Mimi wrote:
07 Dec 2017, 12:40pm
revbob wrote:
01 Dec 2017, 8:02pm
WestwayKid wrote:
01 Dec 2017, 2:27pm
I’d counter that by somewhat going back to a question I posed several weeks ago. I asked if there was a live retirement age for musicians, but to take it a step further: is there a general retirement age for musicians? I’m not a staunch U2 fan, but I’m a fan. I enjoy their music. I sometimes get the vibe that people hate on them simply because they’re an easy target. It’s easy to dismiss a bunch of millionaires who play gigantic stadium tours. I get that. If that is a valid argument, though, we should then write off a whole slew of rock stars. I’ll give U2 credit for at least trying to remain relevant. They could easily just coast at this point, but they’re still willing to put new music out there. I did have an issue when they toured The Joshua Tree recently. That felt like coasting on former glories. I’m just not going to hold it against them simply because they have been very successful. A good song is a good song.
I hated them before it was cool.
Same. Bono's voice is like nails on chalkboard for me.
Where's that hi five emoji when you need it?
Haters... ;)
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WestwayKid
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Re: U2 - Songs of Experience

Post by WestwayKid »

JennyB wrote:
07 Dec 2017, 12:26pm
Heston wrote:
07 Dec 2017, 10:45am
WestwayKid wrote:
07 Dec 2017, 9:24am
Easy Lover - still an awesome track after all these years!!
Classic! :shifty:
I will even admit, as the board's most vocal PC hater, that this is a tasty tune. But only, and I mean ONLY, because of Phillip Bailey.
My dad was a big PC fan back in the 80's. It's funny because my mom and dad have never been big music fans...but my sisters and I (especially me) all grew up to be fanatical about music. I just never remember my mom or dad ever going out and buying music when we were growing up...but my dad did have all of Phil's albums! :mrgreen:
"They don't think it be like it is, but it do." - Oscar Gamble

Marky Dread
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Re: U2 - Songs of Experience

Post by Marky Dread »

Low Down Low wrote:
07 Dec 2017, 10:41am

I've still not heard this new U2 record but without listening to it thus far I expect there to be a couple of songs I like a couple that are OK and the rest is just the rest. I know that plenty of people will not bother to listen to it and slag it off regardless because they hate Bono or whatever. I hope never to get that jaded.
I appreciate this viewpoint marky, but it doesn’t take into account the sheer hype that comes with a U2 release and the heightened expectations this is inevitably going to create. On another forum, where I lurk mostly, there’s a U2 fan thread where, quite laughably, even the mildest criticism of the album is met with cries of “Bono hater”, probably haven’t even listened to the record etc. I have listened to a lot of it, it’s non stop on the radio over here, and I’m struck by how ordinary and uninspired it sounds. That might go for a lot of bands, but U2, like em or not, are no ordinary band.

I still love War, though. They don’t make riffs like those anymore and yet, I hear bono going on and on about how they are trying to keep things simple these days.
Yeah of course and they were incredibly big headed when they "So called" kindly gave away their album to iTunes users for free. I understand the hype but never buy into any of that nonsense. No band should have to live up to former glories. How can you move on if you constantly make the same album over and over again. People enjoy a certain style a certain feel to music and bands will lose fans along the way as they progress musically. It's a very rare thing that any group with longevity will ever match their first run of albums.
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Re: U2 - Songs of Experience

Post by WestwayKid »

U2 is an interesting case. On one hand, still the “biggest” rock band in the world. I read that their last 3 tours made over a million dollars. Same four guys who met in high school. There is part of me that wants to believe they still want to make relevant records. I really don’t think they don’t care. I don’t think they’re coasting...but they’re struggling to sound fresh. It is almost like they’re trying too hard to be hip - like the 50 year old guy wearing skinny jeans. I don’t think they’re beyond redemption, but they need to find the mojo that made them good. I feel like they think every album has to be a moon shot - but it doesn’t. Go out and bash together an album in a couple of weeks. One producer. One studio. Four guys. I won’t give up on them...at least not yet.
"They don't think it be like it is, but it do." - Oscar Gamble

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Re: U2 - Songs of Experience

Post by muppet hi fi »

WestwayKid wrote:
07 Dec 2017, 2:39pm
muppet hi fi wrote:
07 Dec 2017, 12:14pm
Low Down Low wrote:
07 Dec 2017, 12:09pm
October is a bit weak I think, like they came in with 3 good/great songs and somehow muddled through to the end of an album. “Is that all?”, dear Bongo sings at the end and that pretty much sums it up for me.
The sound is the thing on 'October'. And the feeling. Oh, and "Gloria".
I know his lyrics were stolen from the airport before they went in to record that album...so a lot of the words were made up on the spot. October is definitely about mood over substance. It was a step back from Boy...but then they went for the moon with War.
Bono's lyrics were actually stolen backstage at First Avenue here in Minneapolis. And mood has always been what U2 were about. "Substance" is always subjective, especially with post-punk bands of that era. Plus, the mix was toughened up enough to let the rhythm section shine through, even though the overall mix was murkier. I've always thought of 'October' as their 'Sandinista!' - for both the mix and the manner in which it was developed and recorded.
Strong shoes is what we got and when they're hot they're hot!
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Re: U2 - Songs of Experience

Post by gkbill »

WestwayKid wrote:
07 Dec 2017, 8:27pm
U2 is an interesting case. On one hand, still the “biggest” rock band in the world. I read that their last 3 tours made over a million dollars. Same four guys who met in high school. There is part of me that wants to believe they still want to make relevant records. I really don’t think they don’t care. I don’t think they’re coasting...but they’re struggling to sound fresh. It is almost like they’re trying too hard to be hip - like the 50 year old guy wearing skinny jeans. I don’t think they’re beyond redemption, but they need to find the mojo that made them good. I feel like they think every album has to be a moon shot - but it doesn’t. Go out and bash together an album in a couple of weeks. One producer. One studio. Four guys. I won’t give up on them...at least not yet.
Hello,

As others have expressed, I like early U2 (saw them first with about 100 people in JB Scott's in '81, Albany, NY, then later in college '83). I agree with the above post. For the last few years, it seems as if they've tried to release albums that will change the world. They're better off trying to write a great rock and roll album - a simple thing that's so difficult.

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Re: U2 - Songs of Experience

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Win a chance to play mini golf with U2! :)

https://www.omaze.com/experiences/U2-pl ... a_h=fmaxqx
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