U2

Started by MacGuffin, September 15, 2004, 07:30:01 AM

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tpfkabi

Quote from: MacGuffin on February 21, 2009, 12:55:56 AM
Upon first listen, I'm somewhat disappointed. If they penned 50 to 60 songs, these feel more like the outtakes. Aside from a few tracks, the overall tone of the album feels so maudlin; so monotone. The experimental sounds sound more over-produced than making strides like Achtung Baby did.

I just got it yesterday and these are pretty close to my feelings.
The only melody or lyrics I remember are from Boots, though granted, I had heard it a couple times before.

I got out ATYCLB last week in preparation, and almost every song has a memorable melody and lyrics.
I am Torgo. I take care of the place while the Master is away.

Gold Trumpet

Quote from: bigideas on March 05, 2009, 12:43:32 PM
Quote from: MacGuffin on February 21, 2009, 12:55:56 AM
Upon first listen, I'm somewhat disappointed. If they penned 50 to 60 songs, these feel more like the outtakes. Aside from a few tracks, the overall tone of the album feels so maudlin; so monotone. The experimental sounds sound more over-produced than making strides like Achtung Baby did.

I just got it yesterday and these are pretty close to my feelings.
The only melody or lyrics I remember are from Boots, though granted, I had heard it a couple times before.

I got out ATYCLB last week in preparation, and almost every song has a memorable melody and lyrics.

It's a rare U2 album that gets better with repeated listens. I'm not putting it with their best stuff of all time, but it certainly is much better than anything in the last 15 years. It's even better than Zooropa, but beyond that, I'm not sure.

Sorry Big Ideas, but you almost disqualified yourself to me by speaking of how good ATYCLB is. Cute album with some cute songs, but that album was if The Beatles did all of their concept albums first and decided a follow up to their most experimental and thorough work was Rubber Soul. A totally dissappointing prospect. That's how I felt when U2 released the album because Pop wasn't a total artistic success, but it showed a lot of promise. At least U2 is back on the right path with No Line on the Horizon and the album does feel more complete than a lot of their other experiments.

MacGuffin

Quote from: Gold Trumpet on March 05, 2009, 01:11:34 PMIt's a rare U2 album that gets better with repeated listens.

I definitely agree with that. I'm on my four go 'round, and it does reveal itself with each listen.
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

tpfkabi

You read a lot into one sentence.

I had Horizon on during lunch. I always thought the title track was pretty good and now I'm liking Moment of Surrender.

I haven't had the time of the pre-release downloaders, and yesterday was literally the first time any of the music hit my ears other than Boots, so it is purely a first run through reaction.

I wasn't crazy about the latest Animal Collective the first few spins and now it's hard for me to see it being topped this year...but I still find it unlikely that I will have that same sentiment with Horizon.

btw - the Beatles did follow up their most experimental work with a return to roots...Let it Be (though you may be purely going the 'cute' route - since ATYCLB wouldn't be considered a return to early U2 - I see what you mean with Rubber Soul. I've never seen how anyone would pick that over Revolver).

I've wondered if City of Flashing Lights had high sales on iTunes during the Obama campaign - did anyone see any news item on that?
I am Torgo. I take care of the place while the Master is away.

Gold Trumpet

I apologize if my tone sounded harsh and came off as personal against you. I try not to sound like other members who only know how to counter an opinion with a slam, but I did lash out a little at just one sentence and considering you have some good points, let me try to revert back to my old self...

Yes, Beatles went simplistic with Let it Be late into their career, but it was a better transgression than the one U2 did to ATYCLB. First, in their genre of music, the Beatles had already accomplished more of their goal. U2 already had classic albums like Joshua Tree, but their work in the 90s was meant to be experimentation with sound. From Achtung Baby to Passengers, they were looking for perfection in something once believed to be unfit for them. Like the Beatles were originally considered unfit for concept albums.

It's just U2 was still a work in progress after Pop while the Beatles seemed to have hit a creative crescendo. Besides, the sound in Let it Be was a lot more progressive than the mainstream pop of ATYCLB. Let it Be still felt like a quality new thing for them. ATYCLB had the creative complexities of Rubber Soul. It didn't sound like Boy, but only because that was 1981 and pop music just sounded different then.

MacGuffin

U2 to 'Kiss the Future' with global tour
Band to perform through fall 2010
Source: Hollywood Reporter

NASHVILLE -- Kiss the Future, U2's world tour in support of the band's new album "No Line on the Horizon," will play stadiums around the world, beginning June 30 in Barcelona. Details of the tour will be announced March 9.

It's a groundbreaking tour with production that includes a 360-degree audience configuration, ambitious staging, and a cylindrical video screen. "We're very excited about the idea to go on the road with this album," the Edge said. "It's an album that I think is going to translate so well to the live context. The songs we've tried in rehearsal are sounding fantastic, so that's got everyone really fired up."

The tour will be global and lengthy. U2 will stay in Europe through Aug. 22, then hit American shores on Sept. 12 with a show at Soldier Field in Chicago; they'll play in North America until Oct. 28 and plan on working the globe until the fall of 2010. In addition to its production firsts, the tour is destined to become one of the highest-grossing tours ever; at $389 million, the band's 2005-2007 Vertigo tour is second only to the Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang trek.

After playing arenas in North America and stadiums elsewhere on their last few tours, U2 will play stadiums everywhere this time out. "This is going to be completely different, and that's what makes it exciting, finding something new to bring to the touring culture," said the Edge. "It's hard to come up with something that's fundamentally different, but we have, I think, on this tour. Where we're taking our production will never have been seen before by anybody, and that's an amazing thing to be able to say. For a band like U2 that really thrive on breaking new ground it's a real thrill."

As they have for well over a decade, Live Nation global music chairman Arthur Fogel and his team will produce and promote U2 worldwide. Committing to a global stadium tour is "obviously a major undertaking on a bunch of different levels," said Fogel. "On the last tour it basically broke down indoors in America and stadiums outside of America. Both shows were pretty different and they were both incredible, but I think the general feeling, and certainly mine, was the experience of U2 in a stadium is special and unique, and it would be great for North America to experience that the way the rest of the world did the last time around."

Playing in a 360 configuration will increase the capacity by about 15%-20%, depending on the stadium. The configuration opens up myriad opportunities for scaling ticket prices, an important consideration for Fogel and the band. The top ticket price will be slightly higher than last time and the bottom price will be lower, with the floor seats - the closest to the stage - the lowest priced. In fact, playing larger capacity venues allows for more conservative pricing overall. Field level is going to be $55, and there will be 10,000 tickets a show, every show, at $30, Fogel says. The price points are $250, $90-$95, depending on the market; $55, and $30.

On-sales will begin in Europe in mid-March, and North American on-sales will start in late March/early April. U2 will also resurrect its random upgrade program first seen on Elevation in 2001, where random fans purchasing GA tickets will be moved closest to the stage.

The basic layout of the tour is Euro July/Aug., America Sept.-Oct, a total of 40-45 shows this year; more stadiums in America in June/July next year, then Aug/Sept in Europe, then tentatively South America in the fall of 2010 for potentially as many as 90-100 shows over the next two years.

This will be the first tour under U2's 12-year multi-rights deal with Live Nation, though the band's relationship with Fogel dates back to a show at the El Mocambo in Toronto in 1979. "Arthur and I are great friends and I've been very interested in the Live Nation project for years now, and we've been very supportive of it," said U2 manager Paul McGuinness. "We obviously intend to go on performing for a long time to come and that's what the deal reflects. U2 always had parallel careers as recording artists and a touring act and it was always fundamental to our way of thinking that the two should be complimentary."
"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks