U2...what's wrong with them?

TripleB · September 2014

I don't understand this universal dislike towards this band, who have been making music for 35 + years. All I see are blogs and posts complaining about Apple putting U2's new album on everyone's iTunes account. Maybe too many fans are stuck in the 80s and only want U2 to compose and release hits like the ones from Boy through Joshua Tree. (Kinda like some who are still stuck on Pearl Jam Ten through Vitalogy). I personally like their new album. U2 isn't for EVERYBODY, as Pearl Jam isn't for EVERYBODY. But still, U2 needs to be shown a little more respect in my opinion. I'm sure I'll get some flack for this post, but I don't care.

josevolution · September 2014

Why even waste your breath it should only matter to you how you feel about the band i personally love U2 from way back ....and this album is kicking my ass

PJ_Soul · September 2014

IMO, what's wrong with them is that they used to make awesome music and now they don't. :( I wish they still made music that good. But I don't dislike them. On the contrary. They're one of my favorite bands of all time just for the work they did 1980 - 1991. As for whatever other complaints I hear, like they are too commercial or Bono is a jackass or whatever... I don't give a fuck either way. I just love the music from the earlier half of their existence. What they do outside of the music is meaningless to me unless you're talking all the amazing charity work they do, which I admire.

JWPearl · February 2016

another time another place is a good old song...was just thinking of it

BrainofBGA · February 2016

Personally whenever I here a new U2 song it sounds just like the previous one I heard. Just my opinion. I do like some of their stuff but sometimes u feel like you're hearing the same song over and over. I put them in the 'don't mind them' category as opposed to 'like them' or 'love them'.

g under p · February 2016

Outside of RUSH, U2 is it for me. Yes they are not for EVERYBODY, years from now they will be looked upon as one of the top 20 great bands of all time. Btw they put on one hell of a show consistently like RUSH.

Off to Iron Madien tonight it's been almost 30 years since the last time I saw them. Pumped.

Peace

weddingparade · February 2016

JWPearl said:
another time another place is a good old song...was just thinking of it

"nice" bump......

buck502000 · February 2016

I liked their early stuff

lexicondevil · February 2016

I was a Boy to Joshua Tree fan. When I was a sophmore in high school we played "I Will Follow" for the talent show. What made me really start to dislike them wasn't their later lackluster music as much as I just started to hate Bono. He falls into that same pompous category that is completely occupied by Sting. Maybe both those guys are genuinely nice people in person, but they both come off as a bit on the douchey side.

bootlegger10 · February 2016

One of the great bands and great front man of all time. Easily a top 5 band in my opinion but not out of the top ten. I would find it hard to find nine other bands that have had as much of an impact for as long as they have. You got: Beatles, Stones, Zeppelin, and then I would put U2 up there in the four spot. Springsteen/EStreet Band number 5.

Drowned Out · February 2016

PJ_Soul said:
IMO, what's wrong with them is that they used to make awesome music and now they don't. :( I wish they still made music that good. But I don't dislike them. On the contrary. They're one of my favorite bands of all time just for the work they did 1980 - 1991. As for whatever other complaints I hear, like they are too commercial or Bono is a jackass or whatever... I don't give a fuck either way. I just love the music from the earlier half of their existence. What they do outside of the music is meaningless to me unless you're talking all the amazing charity work they do, which I admire.

same here, word for word.
Bad is one of the best songs ever written imo...but nothing past Achtung has grabbed me.

brianlux · February 2016

I loved their early stuff. I knew a guy who saw them in a run down hotel in San Jose, California the first time they came to the states and he raved about the show. He said everyone there danced the Pogo so hard the floor of the place almost collapsed (would have made that band a brief footnote in rock history if it had- it was a second story floor).

I saw them at the S.F. Civic Auditorium, June 1, 1983. It was an amazing show. I still have the "U2 War" sleeveless t-shirt from that show.

Sadly, I lost interest years ago. Getting really big the way they did didn't do it for me. I'm so not a fan now and yet was very much so back in the day. Kind of sad really.

bluegrace · February 2016

I've been a fan since 11 yrs old and hearing 11 o'clock tick tock on TV. Still a fan after all these years, but I stopped listening to the new stuff after Achtung Baby. Saw them on the recent tour and they were great, absolutely fab.

Of The Aggie · February 2016

Was a fan up through Actung Baby then I liked a song here and there but Songs of Innocence is really good and I listened to it all the time. And you know if it hadn't been for Apple giving it to everyone for free, I probably would've never listened to it. I did go buy the vinyl and the bonus tracks so I did show them my appreciation for the record.

Thirty Bills Unpaid · February 2016

Their later albums don't come close to their earlier works, but they did churn out 'Beautiful Day' which is one of their best songs ever.

PJs last couple albums aren't on par with their earlier albums either if we are being honest with ourselves. This happens to great bands- sustaining awesomeness is pretty damn difficult.

U2 is awesome. I love seeing them even though I have no interest at all in their newer offerings.

Croos1226 · February 2016

It seems I'm not in the minority when I say I lost some interest after the Achtung Baby album. I remember being in high school and talking to an upperclassman who told me he saw them live and it was like a religious experience. From that point on I knew I had to see them live. My first U2 concert was for the Joshua Tree tour in '87 at JFK Stadium. Just me and about 85,000 other people. Still the best concert experience of my life. Absolute insanity!

bootlegger10 · February 2016

Thirty Bills Unpaid said:
Their later albums don't come close to their earlier works, but they did churn out 'Beautiful Day' which is one of their best songs ever.

PJs last couple albums aren't on par with their earlier albums either if we are being honest with ourselves. This happens to great bands- sustaining awesomeness is pretty damn difficult.

U2 is awesome. I love seeing them even though I have no interest at all in their newer offerings.

If we say that the Rolling stones are one of the top bands, then I think U2 shouldn't be penalized for their later music not being as great as the early stuff (not that you are saying that). U2's new music is much more loved by their fans than the Rolling Stones and their latter albums.

HughFreakingDillon · February 2016

I can't think of any band in existence where someone says "their newest stuff is the best ever". it's because, on top of the band being fresh and hungry and possible more emotional, their earlier work most likely has the nostalgia factor tacked on. it's hard to beat that.

if pearl jam released every single album from Ten to Lightning Bolt at the same time, I wonder what would everyone's favourite be? I don't think it would be a slam dunk at all.

I think a big part of it, too, is that people don't like Bono cause he appears to have a god complex. Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. I think the guy honestly believes that he has a responsibility to do what he's doing; he has the ears, he has the potential to influence decisions at the highest level. is that a god complex? or is it just someone who wants to make the world a better place?

either way, I was never a huge fan. Saw them on Popmart in 1997 and when they came back in 2011 was it? I don't know. can't even remember what album they were touring behind.

it's so hilarious to me that so many people were up in arms that they "forced" people to have their new album on their ipods. all you had to do was "uncheck" it and you didn't have to have it there. they gave their fucking album away for free and it made people mad. unbelievable.

JTH · February 2016

HughFreakingDillon said:

it's so hilarious to me that so many people were up in arms that they "forced" people to have their new album on their ipods. all you had to do was "uncheck" it and you didn't have to have it there. they gave their fucking album away for free and it made people mad. unbelievable.

These people probably go to parties/weddings with open bars and complain about the free alcohol they don't want to drink.

Thirty Bills Unpaid · February 2016

HughFreakingDillon said:
I can't think of any band in existence where someone says "their newest stuff is the best ever". it's because, on top of the band being fresh and hungry and possible more emotional, their earlier work most likely has the nostalgia factor tacked on. it's hard to beat that.

if pearl jam released every single album from Ten to Lightning Bolt at the same time, I wonder what would everyone's favourite be? I don't think it would be a slam dunk at all.

I think a big part of it, too, is that people don't like Bono cause he appears to have a god complex. Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. I think the guy honestly believes that he has a responsibility to do what he's doing; he has the ears, he has the potential to influence decisions at the highest level. is that a god complex? or is it just someone who wants to make the world a better place?

either way, I was never a huge fan. Saw them on Popmart in 1997 and when they came back in 2011 was it? I don't know. can't even remember what album they were touring behind.

it's so hilarious to me that so many people were up in arms that they "forced" people to have their new album on their ipods. all you had to do was "uncheck" it and you didn't have to have it there. they gave their fucking album away for free and it made people mad. unbelievable.

I don't think Johnny Guitar would be the preferred song over Alive or In Hiding among many others. I'd say Lightning Bolt has the chance to offer a hit over Backspacer (maybe Getaway).

Is Avocado 'newer'? A pretty damn good 'newer issue' in my mind.

Thirty Bills Unpaid · February 2016

bootlegger10 said:

Thirty Bills Unpaid said:
Their later albums don't come close to their earlier works, but they did churn out 'Beautiful Day' which is one of their best songs ever.

PJs last couple albums aren't on par with their earlier albums either if we are being honest with ourselves. This happens to great bands- sustaining awesomeness is pretty damn difficult.

U2 is awesome. I love seeing them even though I have no interest at all in their newer offerings.
If we say that the Rolling stones are one of the top bands, then I think U2 shouldn't be penalized for their later music not being as great as the early stuff (not that you are saying that). U2's new music is much more loved by their fans than the Rolling Stones and their latter albums.

A friend of mine and I always say that U2 is the Rolling Stones of our generation. I agree with you: I don't judge a band by their twilight era releases.

U2...what's wrong with them?

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