U2: HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB

[Josh]

[Josh]

[DvChWi]

[Jrodder]

[Escuchame]

You can't copyright song titles, so I find that dubious.

[Jrodder]

You can't copyright song titles, so I find that dubious.

I was referring to the movie of that title.

[bloop]

The Kubrick and Hitchcock estates will have a short time of solidarity to bring down a common enemy:  U2.

[Josh]

@U2 reports that the album's official title may indeed be HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB.

[Guest]

That is possibly the worst title for an album that I've ever heard.

Even worse than "all that you can't leave behind."

Why are U2 getting so awkward?

[bethany]

Am I the only one who finds it hard to muster enthusiasm for this album? Every time I listen to ATYCLB I like it less.  

[Josh]

Am I the only one who finds it hard to muster enthusiasm for this album? Every time I listen to ATTYCLB I like it less.  

Sorry... can't back you up on this one.

For me, ATYCLB is just as exhilarating as it was when it first came out nearly four years ago. It's got more heart and soul than most other records in my collection combined.
 

[bethany]

Sorry... can't back you up on this one.
 

Well, I knew YOU wouldn't, fanboy

[Jrodder]

Am I the only one who finds it hard to muster enthusiasm for this album? Every time I listen to ATYCLB I like it less.  

ATYCLB has some great songs, but as a whole, I enjoy The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby more. But I'm not having any trouble mustering enthusiasm for this album. Even if ATYCLB was a dud, I was be excited that U2 has some new music on the way.

[Josh]

Sorry... can't back you up on this one.
 

Well, I knew YOU wouldn't, fanboy

Hey, there are a few U2 songs that I don't like, so if you wanna bash, say, "Some Days" or "Elvis Presley and America," I'm game.

But I really do think ATYCLB is a great album, if not quite a masterpiece.

[Escuchame]

It's pretty good, but far from a masterpiece.

[oneafroboy]

I never listen to ATYCLB. It's mediocre U2 music, which granted, is still better than a lot of ppl's good music, but nonetheless, it just comes off to me as mediocre. (I do like some of the songs on there, but they still lack the "magic" that I find in songs on their other albums.)

Still, I'm interested to see what this new album brings. I don't know how "excited" I am by it, but I know I'm looking forward to hearing what they have to offer after having been around for a quarter of a century.  

[murlough23]

I think ATYCLB is an above average album, because of the high quality of the songwriting, but the music does sound a bit limp in several places (and because Bono's vocals grate on me at times). While my favorite era of U2's history is the 90's, I'd actually say that I haven't heard an album from them where the production was up to par since The Joshua Tree. (Rattle and Hum sounds quite vibrant as well, but I didn't count it because whoever ordered the tracks on that album is a fool.)

Hey, while we're on the subject of U2, I should mention that Christine asked me to make a U2 compilation for her. I've done personal best-ofs for some of our other mutual favorite artists for her - Michelle Tumes, Jars of Clay, and Sixpence so far. Michelle just took one disc, Jars and Sixpence took 2, and I'm thinking U2 needs three. I'm planning on breaking them up by era, and I'm packing what I can onto each disc, maybe excluding a minor favorite of mine from time to time in favor of a song that she'd be more likely to enjoy, but sticking with my favorites and their most popular songs for the most part. Here's what I've come up with so far:

Disc 1: 1980-1987
1. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
2. Sunday Bloody Sunday
3. Pride (In the Name of Love)
4. Where the Streets Have No Name
5. Bullet the Blue Sky
6. New Year's Day
7. I Will Follow
8. With or Without You
9. Gloria
10. Seconds
11. In God's Country
12. Bad
13. Like a Song
14. Trip Through Your Wires
15. Out of Control
16. The Unforgettable Fire
17. October
18. Tomorrow
19. 40
(Count by album: Boy, 2; October, 3; War, 5; The Unforgettable Fire, 3; The Joshua Tree, 6)

Disc 2: 1988-1995
1. Until the End of the World
2. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
3. Mysterious Ways
4. Numb
5. Desire
6. One
7. Even Better than the Real Thing
8. God Part II
9. The Fly
10. Lemon
11. When Love Comes to Town
12. Hawkmoon 269
13. Angel of Harlem
14. Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
15. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
16. Love Is Blindness
17. All I Want Is You
(Count by album: Rattle and Hum, 6; Achtung Baby, 7; Zooropa, 3; Miscellaneous, 1)

Disc 3: 1996-2004 (not final order because I want to put some new stuff on here when Vertigo releases)
1. Elevation
2. Discotheque
3. Electrical Storm
4. Beautiful Day
5. Gone
6. Staring at the Sun
7. Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out of
8. New York
9. If God Will Send His Angels
10. Please
11. Grace
12. Walk On
(Count by album: Pop, 5; All that You Can't Leave Behind, 6; The Best of 1990-2000, 1; Vertigo, probably 5 or 6, depends on how good the album is)
 

[DvChWi]

Am I the only one who finds it hard to muster enthusiasm for this album? Every time I listen to ATYCLB I like it less.  

ATYCLB is a good album, but U2 played it way too safe IMO. They've shown us what they're really  capable of with albums like Achtung Baby!, so I find it a little disappointing that they took the easy route and made what I've heard called a "paint by number" U2 album.   I hope this latest release sees them returning to the more daring approach they've taken on earlier albums.

[murlough23]

Let's play rank the U2 albums.

1) Pop
2) The Joshua Tree
3) Achtung Baby
4) War
5) All That You Can't Leave Behind
6) Zooropa
7) The Unforgettable Fire
8) Rattle and Hum
9) Boy
10) October
 

[DvChWi]

The ones I  know:

1. Achtung Baby!
2. The Joshua Tree
3. War
4. Pop
5. All That You Can't Leave Behind
6. Zooropa
7. Rattle and Hum

[Josh]

1. The Joshua Tree
2. ATYCLB
3. Achtung Baby!
4. Pop
5. Boy
6. War
7. Zooropa
8. The Unforgettable Fire
9. October
10. Rattle and Hum

And, while we're on the subject of ATYCLB's apparent "mediocrity"... let's go through it song by song, shall we?

1. Beautiful Day-- One of the best songs they've ever done.

2. Stuck in a Moment-- Flawless.

3. Elevation-- A few cheesy lyrics, but still outstanding.

4. Walk On-- Powerful and moving. One of their best rockers.

5. Kite-- Great.

6. In a Little While-- I prefer the live version, but this one is still first-rate stuff.

7. Wild Honey-- Joyful and delightful. I love it.

8. Peace on Earth-- Clearly the weakest link. A few corny lyrics and less interesting music, but Bono's ongoing dialogue with the Divine keeps it interesting.

9. When I Look at the World-- Not U2's best, but solid.

10. New York-- Great.

11. Grace-- Great.

Overall: A

[DvChWi]

For me, ATYCLB really loses its edge after "In A Little While."  The back half the of the album is much weaker than the first, IMO.

[murlough23]

And, while we're on the subject of ATYCLB's apparent "mediocrity"... let's go through it song by song, shall we?

Okay.

1. Beautiful Day - Awesome. One of U2's best songs.

2. Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of - A "grower" for me, since it's a mellower song early in the album and Bono's vocal sounds a little weary here, but ultimately a good fit (I just might have moved it farther back).

3. Elevation - Cheesy lyrics, but a fun song.

4. Walk On - I still think the talking at the beginning is cheesy and that Bono's vocals aren't the best here, but once it gets going, it's a classic.

5. Kite - Great lyrics. Unbelievably poor execution, by U2 standards.

6. In a Little While - Mildly irritating.

7. Wild Honey - The acoustic guitar is a nice change of pace. Bono sounds "old", but it's a fun song that might just have a double meaning.

8. Peace on Earth - Powerful lyrics, but the music is... well, dinky.

9. When I Look at the World - Sub-par all around. Sometimes I can tolerate it, sometimes it grates on my ears.

10. New York - Excellent.

11. Grace - Excellent lyrics. Music is a little too "safe" here.

And josh, you'd really put Boy over War? I guess I need to listen to Boy a bit more.

[Josh]

I love the youthfullness and exhuberance on Boy. I've always thought of that album as a great soundtrack to high school, but I can still relate to it quite a bit post-graduation.

[danny316]

I'll play rank the albums, but I think my....uh....lack of credibility is painfully evident here:

1. Achtung Baby
2. The Joshua Tree
3. All That You Can't Leave Behind
4. Rattle And Hum
5. Under A Blood Red Sky

....and I really shouldn't count the last three, as RaH and UABRS rely mostly on older material, and I've only heard ATYCLB a few times (never did buy that one).

[Josh]

and I really shouldn't count the last three, as RaH and UABRS rely mostly on older material

So?

[danny316]

So?

I just can't see a live album with no new material counting as a real album. A mixed live album with a few new cuts mixed in doesn't exactly strike me as a "real album" as much as it hits me as a fan thing.

Speak of the devil, I only have Rattle and Hum and Under A Blood Red Sky on cassette....anyone here with mp3s of those two willing to hook me up?

[Josh]

I just can't see a live album with no new material counting as a real album.

So, eventually, then, all live albums become non-real albums?

[danny316]

So, eventually, then, all live albums become non-real albums?

I said that wrong. Hm. I just don't see how a live album can stack up against a full-length album of fresh material. It seems kind of unfair to count previously released hits as an album. Obviously, there are some good live albums out there, but it still seems odd to say that they could be better than any polished studio work. Agh, I'm talking in circles....but do you get what I'm saying?

Although, some of my favorite live CDs are imaginary albums....my 20-track live Switchfoot disc comes to mind, as well as a few of my favorite Jars of Clay recordings.

[DvChWi]

So, eventually, then, all live albums become non-real albums?

I don't count live albums as real albums.

[danny316]

So, eventually, then, all live albums become non-real albums?

I don't count live albums as real albums.

It'd be silly to think of them as imaginary albums though, if they were really released.

The technicality here is interesting....

[DvChWi]

To me, a "real album" is a plane-jane studio album.  No remix albums, no rarities albums, no live albums.  Not that these aren't actually "albums" in the strictest sense, but I don't think they should belong in the same category as studio albums, since they are entirely different animals.

[Josh]

It's official: The title is How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.

And here's the first official promo photo:

[murlough23]

The Edge's shirt has crosses on it! This must mean that he's renounced his previous renouncement of Christianity, which was evident in the fact that he said "piss" in a song on the Zooropa album! Praise the Lord!!!!!

NP: "All for You", Starfield

[Guest]

Not so fast Murlough!

U2 have always been masters of irony and PROFOUND STATEMENTS...what I think Edge is trying to say with his shirt of many crosses is that He isn't sure whether he is a Christian or not because people are starving and war kills people.  U2 have always made deep spiritual statments like the one I listed above.  I hear there is a song called Yahweh on the new album and judging by previous albums the chorus probably goes something like...

Yahweh...why do people starve?
Yahweh...why does war kill people?
Yahweh...Yahweh...are you blind, or merely stupid?
whooooaaaaaaaah...Yahweh

Or something of the like.   So I think it's obvious that what Edge is trying to say is that He is still almost a Christian but as long as God lets babies be killed in African countried he will remain a conscientious objecter.

(yes, I'm joking...but I'm getting a little sick of Jesus being Bono's whipping-boy as on the last two "spiritual" albums)

(and the title is awkward, too)

(but yes I will buy the album the day it comes out)

[Josh]

(yes, I'm joking...but I'm getting a little sick of Jesus being Bono's whipping-boy as on the last two "spiritual" albums)

1. Is it really that different from some of David's Psalms?

2. What, exactly, is a "spiritual album?"

[-iota-]

1. I guess what I find annoying is that there is no balance.  Whenever Jesus is mentioned, it is because there is a very pointed question directed at Him.  There's no flip side of the coin.  I know Bono can play the Christian when he wants (when he needs support from evangelical colleges) but according to Bono's songs, it seems like being a believer is nothing but asking God where He is and why He isn't doing enough.  Where's the expression of the joy of His presence, or what God DOES do?  If U2 makes a song that extols the benefits of knowing God, it's always much more vague than the "where the hell are you God" songs.

2.  Achtung Baby was a spiritual album.  There was the depth and the layers and the mystique.  The U2 mystique has evaporated.  The lyrics are getting downright sophmoric, the music is rehashed, the songs are so tightly wound there's no breathing space and now this deliberately awkward and cheesy album title.  

I've just been disappointed w/ post-Zooropa U2 overall.  There've been moments, but something's been missing since ZooTv signed off 10 years ago.

I'm still remaining cautiously optimistic for the actual album.  If it's good enough, it'll overcome it's clunky title; but it'll have to be better than the last one.

[popsadie]

I can't say that I agree with this argument.  Beautiful day is joyfull...makes quite direct allegory to God's rainbow of redemption.  Elevation is joyful...the I and I clues one into a deeper meaning of the elevation...walk on is joyfull.....when I look at the world places the blame on the singers perception..."I can't see what you see when I look at the world"...grace celebrates grace.  Only one song on ATYCLB has that "where are you god" tone; the song being "Peace on Earth"...I don't see how you lump pop and atyclb together thematically...to me...they are looking from two sides of the coin.

[murlough23]

Not so fast Murlough!

You are aware that I was joking... right?

NP: "Heart of the House", Alanis Morissette

[Josh]

I can't say that I agree with this argument.  Beautiful day is joyfull...makes quite direct allegory to God's rainbow of redemption.  Elevation is joyful...the I and I clues one into a deeper meaning of the elevation...walk on is joyfull.....when I look at the world places the blame on the singers perception..."I can't see what you see when I look at the world"...grace celebrates grace.  Only one song on ATYCLB has that "where are you god" tone; the song being "Peace on Earth"...I don't see how you lump pop and atyclb together thematically...to me...they are looking from two sides of the coin.

Spot on. I couldn't agree more.