“Some of their earlier stuff” when they were trying to sound like Sebadoh was actually quite good. They did a good supporting slot to Ash in Dolans around 2000.
and the u2 linkup with apple wasnt just a commercially cynical?
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spitting games is an absolute classic. most of the rest is dirge
Some good tracks on this from what I recall
I was standing backstage when they went on at Oxegen in 2004. It was the year they’d just broke big. The crowd noise from them going from backstage to arriving on the stage was electric. Left the gig a few songs in though.
The trend of the favourite musical genre on TFK being “their early stuff” continues unabashed.
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Handing out roses here to asylum seekers.
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U2 were a commercial band, The Beatles were a commercial band, the Stones were a commercial band, but anything that U2 did they were always trying to make good music. They always succeeded as well, up until they got old and did the last one.
Also, Bono is a cunt but he’s always been honest / naked / vulnerable in his music. Chris Martin is “really nice” but is he still honest like that? I don’t think so. Did he have any great divorce or marital break-up songs?
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Ghost Stories is an album all about separation and divorce.
Well I take it back then, I obviously need to listen to more of their shite music.
Having an opinion on things you have never seen nor heard is the TFK way.
Since around 2000 they have tried to go completely bland radio friendly.
Beautiful Day for instance.
Granted I haven’t heard their entire catalogue since then,
I was young at the time but I really liked that album and history will judge it kindly. “New York” - cool song. “Kite” - very vulnerable performance from Bono about his father getting sick/dying (the first of a little mini-genre of such songs from U2). “In a Little While” - another very vulnerable and honest song about riding Andre@ C0rr.
Discotheque was an interesting song I thought and that Pop album in general.
But then they just seemed to be happy to keep things safe.
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They’ve obviously gone badly downhill though. The experimentation has gone completely. Much to say on this. Partially old age, a lot of artists get like this as they get older, just get completely focused on the nuts and bolts of the art form.
A more accurate assessment though would be that U2 were completely destroyed as a band by the Edge’s cowboy hat in the Discotheque video. Pop was a fantastic album, it just wasn’t Achtung Baby and perhaps it was slightly rushed. It was full of experimentation. It was really trying to push music forward. It was derided because of the Edge’s gimpy Stetson that made him look like something out of the village people.
Compare the big camp Stetson that Edge wears in Discotheque to the cool battered hat he wears on the Joshua Tree. It’s a sad tale.
When Pop received a poor reception U2 were hurt and retreated into a musical and visual conservatism from which they’ve never re-emerged.
The cowboy hat destroyed the band.
Things I learned today
That always confused me.Why would you want to ride a woman who’s the spit of your wife albeit a bit younger.
Remembering the glory days?
Or perhaps one is dirtier than the other. #filthy
Pop was U2 in their embarrassing dad phase. It was forced and not authentic. Trying to write “for the kids” None of the songs are in their setlist for a reason.
Passengers and Zooropa were experimental but still authentic.
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U2 were finished by and large (few exceptions) when they released The Fly and Numb