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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.