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Just the fact that there is a poll on here at all attests to the fact that they have earned a place on our horizon where people would have an opinion about them at all... which is saying something.
But as someone who idolised them from 'Under a Blood Red Sky' (and so all that went before) until Zooropa, I feel sufficiently connected to them to say 'give it up, boys'.
It's never becoming when someone is trying to pass himself off as cool at the age of 55 in the same way he did when he was 20, and I think Bono could have better channeled his energies into establishing himself as an elder-statesman in a Geldof-ian sort of way, as opposed to hammering away with the same old lyrics to pretty featureless music.
After the heady early days of Under a Blood Red Sky, Live Aid, the Joshua Tree album followed by Rattle and Hum (even with all its weaknesses), and the remarkable emergence of Achtung Baby and the Zoo TV concept, I've just felt ambivalent since.
At least when Pink Floyd got back together as they did at Live 8, they didn't pretend at being anything other than aged rock stars who had once performed some good music, and were up on stage doing it one last time. I expect Bono will still be marketing himself as some sort of pop culture guru when he's using a zimmer frame.
Yes? No?
Some I like, some I don't.
Anything up to and including Under A Blood Red Sky still sounds fine to me.
Couldn't stand The Joshua Tree for some reason, put me right off them.
The only other thing they've done which has clicked since then was Achtung Baby, which I still love.
Few good radio songs. Thats about as far as my fondness of U2 goes. And I think Bono (in fact the whole band) come across as pr!cks.
They are a perfect example of a band that peaked and haven't moved on.
I loved their stuff up to Achtung Baby. But now I'd answer "a bit meh" to the poll.
Last three tracks of The Joshua Tree are still great.
To be fair Bono does a lot to end poverty.
Here is spreading his wealth.
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DaveyBoyWonder - Member
And I think Bono (in fact the whole band) come across as pr!cks.
Did Beethoven clean out his rabbits?
🙂
Who cares?
If we're going to boycott all known ****s we'll run out of tunes by Easter.
..and threads.
Got to agree with Saxon Rider to a large extent - they did make some great stuff in their heyday, but they don't seem to have come to terms with the fact they're yesterdays news now.
The Rolling Stones are the kings of this, they still sell out huge tours, still idolised - but they know no one goes to see them to hear 'Rough Justice' - they they belt out 'Satisfaction' and 'Gimme Shelter' and everyone's happy, it seems (to me at least) U2 what to still be credible, but they're just not in the right demographic anymore to appeal to people who are really looking for new music - the slightly older people who make up their fan base have pretty much settled on their musical tastes.
Here is spreading his wealth.
Running one of those keeps a lot of people in work!
I'm a weirdo, I love Pop, Joshua Tree's decent, they've never done another album I felt like listening to more than a couple of times. But Pop is ace. Haterz; commence hatering.
I too didn't mind their earlier stuff, when they had something relevant to say.
However, two things have blotted their copybook for me:
Firstly, while I laud anyone in a position of privilege using the platform to discuss poverty and inequality, there's something that grates about a bunch of fifty-something trying to guilt me with the "Every toime oi clap moi hands, a choild in Oifrica doies" speech before jumping into a luxury private jet to fly off to another concert, dodging millions of Euros worth of tax on the way.
It's the same reason why I'd like to poke Sting in the eye.
The other thing that U2 have done to piss me off is to download themselves onto my iPhone and defy any reasonable attempt I make to remove those gurning celtic coprophiles from my eardrums.
I'd have been happier if they'd simply donated the money this publicity stunt cost them to starving children instead.
Nothing I particularly like and Bono is an irritating two faced "let's save the world" knob end.
The other thing that U2 have done to piss me off is to download themselves onto my iPhone and defy any reasonable attempt I make to remove those gurning celtic coprophiles from my eardrums.
This, but to my 6 year olds iPad.
If they want to help kids he should stop clapping his hands and killing them all the time.
They are so far up themselves that Thunderbird 1 couldn't rescue them now. I'm out.
I couldn't resist posting this...
Afraid that U2's catalogue of work definitely falls into my 'Alan Partridge' clause:
Jesus - what are the chances of that?
The only other thing they've done which has clicked since then was Achtung Baby, which I still love.
Still haven't paid us the royalties for nicking all our best ideas.
I really couldn't stand them when they came out, the faux christianity to sell to a gullible market. Later that became the faux eco warriors while jetting bonos hats around in private jets, and lecturing the world on poverty while squireling all their own greed in offshore tax havens.
I did think that Achtung Baby was the only innovative thing they ever did, and quite liked it, but that good work is undone by bonos insistence on wearing sunglasses indoors, which is surely his most heinous crime.
some music I like, others less so.
I can take or leave the poverty/wealth thing, he's probably given more to charity than I have.
Pretty much agree with you SaxonRider. For me, Achtung Baby was the last good album, with a few good tracks here and there since. I saw them live 3 times, the last time being the Zooropa tour. They were great live back then but I have no urge to see them live now.
I liked them when they had massive heads on TFI friday, irony?
They've had a few decent tracks but nothing I'd buy. They fall into the same category as Cold Play for me and the poll says it all really. Meh!
The three U2 albums I have are Achtung Baby, Zooropa and Pop, and Pop is definitely my favourite of them. I was never particularly interested in them before they started to push beyond their earnest rock origins nor once they gave up trying to do so after Pop. I like Passengers too, which isn't officially a U2 album.
There's at least a chance I'd like some of their earlier stuff too but I've never felt much of a need to investigate it.
no one actually likes bongo, do they?
I saw them live 3 times, the last time being the Zooropa tour.
I saw them at Wembley with PJ Harvey supporting. She was ace, they were average.
As with the others up there, I liked their earlier stuff (especially October and Unforgettable Fire albums) but ran out of enthusiasm somewhere between The Joshua Tree and Zooropa
There's at least a chance I'd like some of their earlier stuff too but I've never felt much of a need to investigate it.
Effortless investigation!
Alas, those were the days...
Even their earlier stuff was fairly bland imho, they've not improved
Even their earlier stuff was fairly bland imho, they've not improved
You're probably right, kimbers, but what it was their passionate live work that so impressed me as a teenager.
I loved *seeing them perform at the US festival, for example, and was seriously influenced by their headlining of the Amnesty International Conspiracy of Hope Tour. No other band at the time spoke to our generation the way they did. At least I thought so then...
I love Bono, I was a tax adviser once and he gave us so much hope.
I really like their earlier stuff, and some of their later stuff, but post Joshua Tree they just loved themselves too much. I think they always sound better when you can't actually see Bono. He is just such a tit. I do like this jazzy version....nice
Lance Armstrong, Tony Blair, Bono, Prince Andrew... .
Did Beethoven clean out his rabbits?
I thought I was reasonably knowledgable re. Beethoven but I didn't know he kept rabbits. Or were you asking if he cleaned out Bono's rabbits?
Tenfoot- I saw them at a much smaller venue in Manchester, I've not generally been impressed by huge venues for concerts like Wembley, though I did see U2 at Wembley once, but I was right at the front which helped.
Lance Armstrong, Tony Blair, Bono, Prince Andrew... .
Is that a really crap version of We Didn’t Start the Fire?
Never liked U2, bono is a dick, the edge has a stupid name.
U2 -The Netherland's greatest pop band
what's up with rattle and hum? not a great fan of U2 but, R&H and actung baby are their 2 best albums.
Early stuff up to the unforgettable fire was great.After that Zooropa stood out achtung baby was average the rest just blandness droning on
Not only were they rubbish, they also ruined another good band.
I remember an interview with Jim Kerr where he said that he had seen what U2 were doing (financially) and he wanted a piece of it.
So the band who produced music as beautiful as 'Somewhere in Summertime' metamorphosed into the godawful band who made 'Waterfront'...and worse.
Not many bands not only make bad music but also ruin music as a concept. U2 did that.
So it's U2's fault that Jim Kerr has neither integrity nor balls?
They wielded the knife. I suppose you're right, he didn't need to get them out to be chopped off !
Still love Bullet the Blue Sky but the guy is a right tit
Much as I hate Bono for being a pompous , self righteous git, I don't think you can blame him for ruining Simple Minds.
Simple Minds did that ....
Mr Woppit - Member
The only other thing they've done which has clicked since then was Achtung Baby, which I still love.
Still haven't paid us the royalties for nicking all our best ideas.POSTED 4 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST
He's right ,The Sound were far superior and Bonio stole their place in rock history.
At least The Sound won't have internet threads about how annoying they are.
I got to know U2 via their Joshua Tree album which is also the last time I heard of their songs.
In the far east we were trying to decide which side they sided in the then trouble N.Ireland ... actually I still don't have a clue tbh.
In those days of lacking interweb we thought they were bonkers killing each other for their God ...
Achtung Baby - a better album by far than many would give them credit for as its partner album - Zooropa. Debut album, Boy is fantastic record - considering they were 18-19 whe they wrote the songs...
Loved their early stuff and went to see The Joshua Tree tour at Wembley.
Struck me that they weren't really trying.
Spear Of Destiny were great in support though.
Best use of U2 on TV has to be in the old Miami Vice series where there was a car chase set to 'Wire'.
Keep trying to find it on YouTube to no avail.
Apart from the drum break from Sunday Bloody Sunday that appears in Lost & Found, I've never knowingly listened to a U2 track. Until Apple and U2 uploaded some rubbish to my iTunes. Never forgiven either party.
Well I admire him for what he has achieved, it's not just about the music if you broaden the view a little....
http://www.elevation.com/ep_it.asp?id=112
Bono is also a committed and successful activist in global politics and development policy. During 1999-2000, Bono played a leading role in persuading the U.S. and other industrialized nations to write-off over $30 billion of old debt owed by the poorest countries, so that the monies freed up could be spent on health and education. In partnership with other activists, his campaigning efforts contributed to the U.S. decision to triple foreign assistance to Africa, and to mount a response to the AIDS crisis, resulting in 2 million Africans receiving life-saving anti-retroviral medication. He is a co-founder of ONE, a campaign backed by more than 2 million people from around the world who are committed to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease. He also co-founded (RED), a private sector initiative involving some of the world's leading brands. (RED) channels funds from purchases of (RED) products to The Global Fund’s programs fighting AIDS in Africa.
Not a bad set of achievements to have on a cv, is it ? I'll put up with some music thrown at my iPad if that's ^^ the upside... It's not as if he was responsible for crashing the world economy or being as catastrophically poor at singing at public events as Paul McCartney....
I like(d) them. They still make a couple of good songs per album, but don't make good albums any more, but it's very odd for any band to last a long time without a changing lineup. They were terrific live but they don't do much for me now, and Bono's voice isn't what it was. I was at that Wembley gig too, thought it was excellent. Support was Spear of Destiny+World Party+The Pretenders.
Once went to see them play in Newcastle on The Tube, along with The Undertones and Big Country. Then hop in an Austin Maxi and race down to Leeds for their main gig, and back to the Kirk for afters.
Edit: I'm on the telly, stage invasion on the Tube
what is the differnce between Bono and God?
God doesn't walk around Dublin pretending to be Bono.
- knock knock
"Who's there?"
- "Bono"
"**** off, you shit"
the whole band grates me. "hi, i'm the Edge".... wtf... you've given yourself an article? you are now a "thing"? "**** off, Dave"
"hi, i'm Bono" what is wrong with Paul? oh, and "**** off".
the audacity to tell us to give money to hungry people when they themselves have millions and have set up elaborate schemes so that they pay next to zero tax.
they've turned from being a band to a brand. **** em.
The other thing that U2 have done to piss me off is to download themselves onto my iPhone and defy any reasonable attempt I make to remove those gurning celtic coprophiles from my eardrums.
Pretty sure it really doesn't require very much more effort to remove the U2 tracks than it does any other music downloaded from iTunes.
FWIW I like their albums up to Joshua Tree, which is definitely their peak, although Songs Of Innocence, the free one, isn't as bad as many maintain, especially as most of those making the loudest whining noises have never actually listened to any of it, which basically denies them the right to have any sort of opinion on it.
It's not a [i]great[/i] album, but it's a much more understated, more bluesy album than most of what they've done previously, and I'm perfectly comfortable to have a track pop up every now and then on shuffle.
I only own one Simple Minds track, the extended mix of [i]Waterfront[/i], and my interest in owning any more is about on a par with owning a Coldplay song, or anything by that even bigger bunch of sanctimonious, overblown asshats Manic Street Preachers; if I never hear another Manics song between now and the day I'm buried, it'll still be too soon.
This is probably my favourite U2 track. I'm mainly posting it here because I reckon that the old school U2 fans will be screaming with rage at having been reminded of its existence. Also because watching the Edge trying to keep a straight face through the video is quite funny.
wiki entry on "the" edge
The Edge has been criticised for his efforts to build five luxury mansions on a 156-acre plot of land in Malibu, California.[7] The California Coastal Commission voted 8–4 against the plans, with the project described by the commission's executive director, Peter Douglas, as "In 38 years... one of the three worst projects that I've seen in terms of environmental devastation. ... It's a contradiction in terms – you can't be serious about being an environmentalist and pick this location."[7] The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy agreed to remain neutral on the issue following a $1 million donation from The Edge and a commitment from The Edge to designate 100 acres of the land as open space for public footpaths.[
go edge.
There's a song on their Unforgettable Fire album called Elvis Presley and America (I think) - it's all shuffling and muffled sounding and basically wonderful, I guess Brian Eno was responsible.
I don't think I like anything else of theirs very much.
The singer seems mildly annoying but seems to want to help people so can't be all bad.
Whoever writes the songs needs to stop using the word 'tonight' though. I think it features in every U2 song I've ever heard. In much the same way as the word 'heart' is prominent in every Rod Stewart song.
I got given tickets to see them for free at Hampden once. It was rubbish, you couldn't see anything and the sound was just a mess. People were very excited though. It wasn't even dark! Mrs Tyred and I decided not to waste the babysitter so left after a bit and went to meet some friends in the pub.
I can't decide who I dislike the most.
Coldplay or U2......... but U2 have the edge
😀
Pretty sure it really doesn't require very much more effort to remove the U2 tracks than it does any other music downloaded from iTunes.
It's easier as there's a tool for doing it.
https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT201396
ChrisL - I thought I'd be the only person who thought that was their best track.
The Edge can't play guitar for sh#t
the New York Post revealed that in 2008, the most recent year for which tax records are available, ONE took $14,993,873 in donations from philanthropists, of which a thrifty $184,732 was distributed to charity. More than $8m was spent on executive and employee salaries
From the Guardian.
After the heady early days of Under a Blood Red Sky, Live Aid, the Joshua Tree album followed by Rattle and Hum (even with all its weaknesses), and the remarkable emergence of Achtung Baby and the Zoo TV concept, I've just felt ambivalent since.
+1
The Edge can't play guitar for sh#t
He tends to play for quite a lot of money now instead.
Not particulary a fan ...but I did see them at Slaine Castle (Ireland) in 2002 for their homecoming gig and it was pretty amazing...but probably more to do with the the atmospshere on home turf than their music....
the New York Post revealed that in 2008, the most recent year for which tax records are available, ONE took $14,993,873 in donations from philanthropists, of which a thrifty $184,732 was distributed to charity. More than $8m was spent on executive and employee salaries
The supposed charity work of U2 does seem to be very much based on the Armstrong charity shield model.
I did think that Achtung Baby was the only innovative thing they ever did
Nope, That was our innovation, and their theft.
Genuinely?
Not over familiar with your stuff, something I keep meaning to rectify.
Used to be a big fan. Haven't done anything particularly decent for about 20 years. The odd album track but that's it. Saw them live several times in the 90s and they were fantastic.
Bono may be considered a prat, but i've tended to base my musical taste on the actual music rather than the personality of any band member. John Lennon was an absolute **** by all accounts.
And just because the Edge isn't all sweeping picking and finger tapping, don't think he's a shit guitarist.
Rusty, start with Live in The Hothouse.
Will do.
🙂
Julian Cope, interviewed in the NME probably 1981 or'82ish, had the line: "music's getting really complicated these days, it's no longer enough just to know that U2 are shit, you have to know [i]why[/i] they're shit too..." (This thread is a rich mine of reasons.)
Now that's a name. If Julian Cope said it must be true, the mans absolutely barking and that for me makes him great.
I'm with the general consensus on Bonio, a tax dodging hypocrite and friend of Blair. U2 did do some good tunes though back in the day.
BB King about Edge "Great rhythm guitarist".
Thing with the Edge is, he's not a guitarist, he's a guitar-and-effects-ist. It's not really the same thing. It's a bit like the difference between playing piano and synth.
OTOH Matt Bellamy can do everything the Edge can and much more, and generally makes him look like an absolute knobber. But then Bellamy's some sort of nuclear powered guitar robot from the future.
Nope, That was our innovation, and their theft.
Actually I listened to a bit off achtung baby yesterday on youtube having not done so for many many years. It struck me that it was just following the general indy (and to a certain extent madchester) trends of the time. In many ways it was kind of generic, although it was still quite well done.
Is that what you were also doing?
I don't know if I agree with everything being said about the Edge, but it does bring to mind this brilliant take on him by Bill Bailey:
That is a great sketch by Bill Bailey, but then Bill Bailey is a fantastically talented musician and comedian. I cannot play a note, but I do seem to be aware that you have to be a great musician to play really bad on "purpose", aka Les Dawson playing the piano.
Anyway, I think U2 are an amazing band. They don't hit it every time but they seem to try and take every album to different places whilst funneling their influences. They could have remade The Joshua Tree for the rest of their career and made a lot of people very happy, but they didn't.
They might not be to your taste, but they are certainly not shit, and live they are still an awesome spectacle as I witnessed on their last Innocence + Experience tour. It's a shame you stopped listening SaxonRider 🙂
U2 are a peculiar beast really. They were, for a period, one of the biggest and are still one of the most recognisable bands in the world but it became cool to hate them a couple of years ago for some reason. Much like Oasis, they've sold an awful lot of music for a band that everyone professes to have always hated!
For the record I'm not a huge fan or anything but they do have a lot of really good instantly recognisable songs.
I gave up on them when they released Rattle and Hum
Must say after seeing the Paris show on TV over Xmas, the new album comes across better. But still not a patch on Achtung Bay.
I stopped liking them after 'October'. They weren't my fave band, but there was some 'post-punk' originality to singles like Fire and 11 o'clock Tick Tock. Then they just merged with all the other bland 'rock bands'.
No interest in them so don't care if they give it up or not. Why would they of there are still people buying their stuff and going to their gigs?
This was my final nail in the coffin, a "lyric" from Elevation
A mole, living in a hole
🙄
they didn't do anything good after ...and justice for all..