U2, no line on the horizon
from no line on the horizon
i actually don't hate u2, they exist for me in that netherworld of giant critically acclaimed bands/artists*, that in my ever so humble (okay, that's a joke) opinion-- either have a good record in em or enough hits to squeek out a cdr comp, but don't deserve the godhead status they receive. let's cut to the u2 chase:
-a bunch of good songs (and a few great)
-a horrid rhythm section (which is actually beside the point)
-boy completely sucks, the next one too and war sounds more dated than the joke that i wrote to finish this
-a one trick pony guitar player (who's still channelling keith levene's early PiL work ... also beside the point)
bono ... somehow i'm kinda not bothered by him (well, after 'war' and even then sometimes, but 'bad' is GIHYB awesome.)
to me, "achtung baby" was the high water mark. "one" is an amazing song.
that said, they have alot of tunes that i really like. and one (the sole one on my ipod) that i have to have at the ready if i ever wanna get laid again.
i heard the new single on the radio. sounded to me like late-period janes addiction. SURPRISE, i actually love most of janes addiction. i can guarantee you i will never listen to the rest of the album. Xmas already tipped me the official single stinks, so that's enough.
*soon to come chil'n
12 comments:
[sound of KJ rolling up his sleeves...]
- "[U2] don't deserve the godhead status they receive."
Debatable. Almost 30 years of acclaim and a solid catalog, with risk taking left-turns--and occasional duds, but then again, EVERYONE has 'em--is not accidental and can't easily be ascribed to hype.
- "a horrid rhythm section..."
Mind-blowing? No.
Flashy? Never.
Consistent and forceful? Absolutely.
- "boy completely sucks, the next one too and war sounds...dated..."
The first two albums are by a band trying to find its footing and have their moments. As for War sounding dated, you should alert the likes of Franz Ferdinand, The Dead 60s, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, The Futureheads, etc etc etc and their fans; as well as all of their clueless champions in the media, who find these new bands' War-retread sound, quite fresh.
- "a one trick pony guitar player..."
The Gibson Les Paul gtr could also be considered "a one trick pony", but it makes quite a pleasurable sound. Not gonna knock it, either.
- "bono ... somehow i'm kinda not bothered by him (well, after 'war' and even then sometimes, but 'bad' is GIHYB awesome.)"
"Bad" IS an awesome song. It's even more poignant by allegedly being about a friend of the band who OD'd on heroin.
- "i heard the new single on the radio. sounded to me like late-period janes addiction. SURPRISE, i actually love most of janes addiction. i can guarantee you i will never listen to the rest of the album. Xmas already tipped me the official single stinks, so that's enough."
Dunno where to start..."late-period jane's addiction"? Like the Entourage theme song? Um, no way. Not that monstrosity. (Btw, if it's not one of the Jane's Addiction albums with Eric Avery on bass, all should stay clear.)
No Line on the Horizon is being streamed in its entirety on the band's MySpace page. Go ahead, listen, and make up your own mind. (Although, judging from your post, I take it you already have.)
Cheers.
this has nothing to do with hype. it's kinda the opposite.
question, is there an easier job in rock music than playing bass for u2?
not saying war wasn't influential, but it sounds miserably dated ... (not to keep harping on this, but the fucking RHCP's have been influential! and should be jailed for it ... has one band in rock history spawned a greater number of awful bands??? i smell a new blogpost!)
and no, by late-period, i don't mean a one-off reunion record
agreed on the chili peppers. should be imprisoned for spawning thousands of "jam-funk" bands that are horrific (in other words Limp Bizkit.) closely followed by Dave Matthews' sinful influence over every white guy with an acoustic guitar.
as per the rhythm section, "horrid" may be strong, but youre right re: bass. As in the drummer from Def Leppard could easily step in play bass for u2.
I picked up the new cd. It didn't move me. Nothing as embarrassing as Outlaw Pete, just a collection of mediocre songs.
"question, is there an easier job in rock music than playing bass for u2?"
...and now, let's welcome our returning champion: Meg White, of The White Stripes!
"not saying war wasn't influential, but it sounds miserably dated..."
I disagree.
Dude, think back at what rock records sounded like in 1983...do you hear any super-compressed, over-chorused guitars and cannon-like drums on War?
"(not to keep harping on this, but the fucking RHCP's have been influential! and should be jailed for it ... has one band in rock history spawned a greater number of awful bands???"
Van Halen has SO MUCH to answer for in that reagrd, but I ain't knockin' a killer band 'cause a bunch of knuckleheads missed the point. Not that I think the Peppers are of the same status, but you get my point. (For the record, I only own the RHCP's Mother's Milk and Blood Sugar Sex Magik, and still enjoy 'em.)
"and no, by late-period, i don't mean a one-off reunion record"
So, are you comparing Horizon to Ritual?
X, I always thought the Anthrax/Public Enemy version of "Bring the Noise" was great, along with some similar-type stuff from that era. (The Judgement Night soundtrack, for instance.) But I'm not gonna enjoy it any less 'cause of Fred Durst and co. and their bullshit.
U2 blows.
I guess someone who goes by "boner in my vox" knows a thing or two about blowing, huh?
I certainly do!
I always think of Larry Mullin Jr when I hear a good military beat because of Sunday Bloody Sunday. Not that he invented it, but it sounds great. Haven't heard the new record, but I hate when people like Achtung Baby best and say they love One and Mysterious Ways. They are invariably chicks. Sorry, but the best songs on that one weren't even chosen to be singles.
It seems like Achtung Baby is the only U2 album that both fans and non-fans of the band agree to liking. Personally, I'm way more partial to "Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World", which was an album track, than "The Fly" or "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses", which were singles from Achtung.
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