Have you ever liked U2?

UglyBolloxFace · 12-04-2011 9:59am #1

There seems to be a lot of hatred directed at U2 and their (insufferable prick of a) frontman Bono.

I like their old stuff; Sunday Bloody Sunday, Where the Streets Have No Name, etc. But as soon as Bono began to up the ante on his preachy "let's all save the world" crap, I became disillusioned, like a lot of other people.

So my question is - have you ever actually liked U2 at some stage or have you always hated them?

IBTRRPYTYLMB*

*In Before The 'Rabble Rabble Pay Your Taxes You Little Midget Bastard

DrumSteve · 12-04-2011 10:03am

I liked U2.

When it was out fightin those commies.

Korvanica · 12-04-2011 10:04am

Theyre a big fat meh.... some catch songs, but overall no..

wolf moon · 12-04-2011 10:05am

don't like them, don't hate them.
they have few good songs, nothing too fantastic though.

Dravokivich · 12-04-2011 10:06am

I still do...

Minstrel27 · 12-04-2011 10:08am

I like the U2 of the 80's and very early 90's

AnnyHallsal · 12-04-2011 10:08am

Remember when they used to be in Irish textbooks: "Is maith liom ceol. Is e U2 an grupa ceol is fearr liom."

And in the German textbooks: "Ich liebe U2."

Hated them since then.

macman2010 · 12-04-2011 10:09am

they are like the simpsons, old stuff was good but new stuff is muck

Norma_Desmond · 12-04-2011 10:09am

Their older songs aren't bad, like you can't really dilike the music just beause of Bono!
But no don't like them much anymore, and it seem to be a popular opinion at least with people I know!

Xavi6 · 12-04-2011 10:10am

Haven't released anything decent since 1991 and Bono's a cock.

In summary, no I never have.

Biggins · 12-04-2011 10:10am

Minstrel27 wrote: »

I like the U2 of the 80's and very early 90's

Same here - when they were a great music band, creator of unique music and lyrics, etc.

Now they are just a corporate entity. Pass...

kfallon · 12-04-2011 10:11am

Liked the old stuff, gave up on them after Zooropa!

Hate Bono and his save the world rubbish, our country is in the shit now Bono why don't you come home and pay some taxes to help us out ya wankbag!

AnonoBoy · 12-04-2011 10:12am

Joshua Tree is still a great album.

I gave up on them in the 90's though.

CreepingDeath · 12-04-2011 10:13am

UglyBolloxFace wrote: »

*In Before The 'Rabble Rabble Pay Your Taxes You Little Midget Bastard

It's okay, Degsy is still on a week long ban.

splashthecash · 12-04-2011 10:13am

I used to be a massive U2 fan a few years ago - saw them in Slane for Elevation tour, and in Croke Park for Vertigo & 360 tours. Loved everything from Joshua Tree up to How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb....then it just went "....meh".

All of a suddent their music didn't sound as great as it used to. Don't get me wrong, as a poster says above they have some great tunes "One, Where the streets have no name, Still haven't found what I'm looking for" and these are the ones that they will be remembered for imo...but standing against other music I've been listening to they don't compare anymore.

starbelgrade · 12-04-2011 10:16am

I loved them when I was a kid - they'd a real punk attitude back then... their first two albums, 'Boy' & 'War' are excellent. They haven't done anything like that since then.

I think they peaked with "The Unforgettable Fire". It's one of the Top 10 best Irish records of all time (in most critical lists).

Since then, they've had some good songs, but very few decent albums (apart from maybe Acthung Baby) & their output for the last 15 years has been for the most part, mediocre.

If they had given up 15 years ago, their rock legendary status would have been that of "cool" & "influencial" instead of "annoying" & "shite", as it is now.

Some bands just can't quit when they're ahead. And U2 are one of the worst offenders for that - the older & less musically relevant they get, the bigger the tours & stage shows get. All of it just a distraction from the fact that they really aren't that good anymore.

I always thought that if they'd have gone the other way & stripped back their sound & concert venue sizes, for a more intimate approach to music, they'd be a whole lot better.

But I think that fame, money & the desire to continually be the "biggest band in rock music" is often the driving factor behind most, if not all, of what they do these days.

Gneez · 12-04-2011 10:16am

Xavi6 wrote: »

Haven't released anything decent since 1991 and Bono's a cock.

In summary, no I never have.

this right here

admiralofthefleet · 12-04-2011 10:18am

i liked discoteque, elevation and hold me, thrill me, kill me, kiss me but thats it

HooterSnout · 12-04-2011 10:24am

AnnyHallsal wrote: »

Remember when they used to be in Irish textbooks: "Is maith liom ceol. Is e U2 an grupa ceol is fearr liom."

Hated them since then.

Ah yeah I remember that. Being forced to say "The Joshua Tree" is my favorite album in Irish was a bit silly. Can't really fault them though. So yes, liked them and still do.

Miguel_Sanchez · 12-04-2011 10:27am

I was in Buenos Aires recently and U2 were playing 3 or 4 nights there. Argentinians couldn't believe that we as Irish people weren't fans of "U Dos".

Nah, their 80's stuff is good but that was a long time ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8dZwXnMrRU

UglyBolloxFace · 12-04-2011 10:28am

CreepingDeath wrote: »

It's okay, Degsy is still on a week long ban.

Degsy's banned? What did he do this time, start a thread about McSavIwontfinishthatname?

dlofnep · 12-04-2011 10:28am

Joshua tree = class album. U2 are a savage band..

bullpost · 12-04-2011 10:29am

They were good in the 70's, not so in the 80's once they discovered bombast, intermittently interesting in the 90's and meh ever since.

veryangryman · 12-04-2011 10:31am

Theyre pretty cat these days to be honest. Ive liked nothing since Vertigo and even then not so great

I did love that day out at Slane many moons ago though. Ireland beating Holland and U2+Moby FTW!

Birneybau · 12-04-2011 10:40am

Biggins wrote: »

Same here - when they were a great music band, creator of unique music and lyrics, etc.

Now they are just a corporate entity. Pass...

Bang on there Biggins, the fact that they are willing to work with Will.I.Am just says it all, creatively exhausted.

I still think 'Achtung Baby' and 'Zooropa' were great, weird, alternative european rock albums.

Son Of A Vidic · 12-04-2011 10:44am

I like their older stuff, one or two experimental albums in the Nineties were shyte. I didn't like their last album at all and I'm a bit sick of St. Bono tbh. But I can see pass his bullsh1t and I don't hold it against the rest of the band. So I now take each album as it comes.

hondasam · 12-04-2011 10:57am

I like some of their songs, hate Bono insufferable prick that he is.

Pauleta · 12-04-2011 11:01am

They have a few good songs, nothing that blows my mind. I wouldnt purposely seek them out to listen to them. I suppose we all have to automatically like them of we are "Begrudgers" :rolleyes:

Aoifey! · 12-04-2011 11:06am

I do like a couple of their songs but over all not really. Wouldn't exactly the biggest Bono fan either.

bonerm · 12-04-2011 11:13am

I think the problem with them is (like the Rolling Stones) once they started to focus on being a huge live band that their actual studio work went to shít and never recovered.

Basically they were good up until Achtung Baby in 1991. After that everything became a little hollow and repetitive, like they're deliberately crafting their songs for the live performances in front of large crowds of sheeple who love easy to remember tunes about nothing.

Even the uninitiated could stick on their best of's 1980-1990 and 1990-2000 and hear a world of difference between the two decades.

landsleaving · 12-04-2011 11:15am

Pauleta wrote: »

They have a few good songs, nothing that blows my mind. I wouldnt purposely seek them out to listen to them. I suppose we all have to automatically like them of we are "Begrudgers" :rolleyes:

Irish people aren't begrudgers, we just have an inordinate amount of irritating people in our media. I call it 'The Tubridy Effect'.

No beef with Bono himself though, he does good work, made some great music until the early nineties, and keeps his profile high so he can continue to be influential (to some tiny degree) as a human rights campaigner. I can see why he's irritating, but there are far worse people out there.

So yeah, on topic, I prefer the early stuff.

/hipster.

greendom · 12-04-2011 11:18am

I remember seeing them on "The Tube" in the early 80s performing in concert in Gateshead I think. I'd never heard of them before and I was struck by their energy and thought they were great. Bar the odd song or 2 I've never really taken to them since.

AnonoBoy · 12-04-2011 11:19am

Latchy wrote: »

Like their early stuff like Gloria , I Will Follow , New Years Day , up to Pride ,Streets Have No Name ,Still Haven't Found , With or Without You , Beautiful Day and the Joshua Tree's a great album . I never got into Bono.inc/ save the world stuff but they will always be one of my top fav bands

Early stuff?

CSU · 12-04-2011 11:20am

U2's music is like going to the finest Chinese Restaurant in town and ordering a chicken curry + chips.

Booooooooooooring!

Appleguy · 12-04-2011 11:20am

Over 7 million people saw them during the 360 tour. Somebody must like them!

hidinginthebush · 12-04-2011 11:20am

veryangryman wrote: »

Theyre pretty cat these days to be honest. Ive liked nothing since Vertigo and even then not so great

I did love that day out at Slane many moons ago though. Ireland beating Holland and U2+Moby FTW!

Absolutely awesome day!

Angron · 12-04-2011 11:21am

Not particularly. I don't hate them really, but it's just not the sort of music I like or will listen to.

hatrickpatrick · 12-04-2011 11:36am

Not only are they my favourite band, while I adore the old stuff No Line on the Horizon is my favourite album by them, of which "Breathe" is the best song IMO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxO3Zrp5aFE

Ahoy hoy · 12-04-2011 11:38am

While their music today is nothing like the 80s to the early 90s, it sure is a lot better than the stuff that is out there today.

Latchy · 12-04-2011 11:43am

AnonoBoy wrote: »

Early stuff?

I put 'up to ' in my post :rolleyes: although I could have put ' their later stuff like ' after

th3 s1aught3r · 12-04-2011 11:43am

Liam Gallagher said he has never met a U2 fan. Or someone who admitted it I guess

Run_to_da_hills · 12-04-2011 11:44am

Out of Control, Joshua Tree and Beautiful Day album probably the only U2 stuff I would listen to, anything else from them would give me a headache.

wandatowell · 12-04-2011 11:45am

That gold best of they released years ago was fantastic IMO,

Blackpitts · 12-04-2011 11:51am

I love them! oone of the reason I'm in Ireland is because of U2.
When I was a kid i had this sort of magic idea about Dublin, which is still true if I forget about the celtic tiger, D4 people and the scumbags in the city centre.
U2 are still able to get me excited when I see them live, although I don't like their last 3 or 4 albums.
I wish they could take a break from the politics, the live acts, the fare trade economy and go back to their roots, so they can deliver another master piece like The Joshua Tree or Achtung baby.

mike65 · 12-04-2011 11:58am

bonerm wrote: »

I think the problem with them is (like the Rolling Stones) once they started to focus on being a huge live band that their actual studio work went to shít and never recovered.

Basically they were good up until Achtung Baby in 1991. After that everything became a little hollow and repetitive, like they're deliberately crafting their songs for the live performances in front of large crowds of sheeple who love easy to remember tunes about nothing.

Even the uninitiated could stick on their best of's 1980-1990 and 1990-2000 and hear a world of difference between the two decades.

+1 to this, U2 is now a machine designed to make as much money from as many people as possible and touring/Tshirts on an Enormo-Tour are much more profitable than selling actual songs. The Stones last decent studio album was sometime around 1978-80. Subsequent releases became increasingly haphazard and less popular and yet live they went from strength to strength.

stovelid · 12-04-2011 12:08pm

Bono irritates me.

I do like a lot of their music though but (actually unrelated to me not liking him) you could take Bono out of most of it and it actually wouldn't much difference to me.

gracehopper · 12-04-2011 12:45pm

There is a lyric in one of the songs on their new album: "Stop helping god across the road like a little old lady" The minute I heard bono sing that I turned the album off and have not listened to it since. Over produced, under written, pure ****e!

Liked the Joshua tree and actung baby and a few other songs along the way. Always liked the edge as a guitar player. great use of effects. What he can do he does well.

Went to see them for the first time for the 360 tour and was bored to be honest. They didnt serve drink on the pitch so it was like going to a childs birthday party, that resless feeling where you just want to sneak away without being seen.

walshb · 12-04-2011 12:53pm

Musically they are good. They finally got the act together. Some good tracks, some very good ones. BUT, they are not what I would call giftred or natural musicians. They work at it. Simlar to say Ken Doherty in snooker. Ronnie is natural, fluid and gifted. Ken is good, and works to be very good.

U2 compared to bands like Queen or The Beatles, well, there is no comparison in the musical sense. Those two bands were natural, gifted, effortless.

A lot of the recent U2 stuff is quite poor. They were simply getting by on their reputation.

smokedeels · 12-04-2011 12:55pm

no

AnonoBoy · 12-04-2011 1:15pm

Latchy wrote: »

I put 'up to ' in my post :rolleyes: although I could have put ' their later stuff like ' after

Not in the version of the post I read you didn't. Perhaps you edited it after I quoted it. Apologies.

Although your post seems to have vanished now so I can't tell.

Micky Dolenz · 12-04-2011 1:16pm

Moved from AH.

Have you ever liked U2?

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