U2....

[Homebelly]

Getting past the cheap done it before publicity stunt nature of the video.
I quite like this song..
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7915370.stm

[logic_user99]

The new album is the single most boring thing I've heard so far this year. I listened on Spotify the other night, and had to skip through most of the songs. Least. Interesting. CD. Ever.

[Homebelly]

I've felt that about just about every thing they have done since the Berlin records.
Having said that, there have been some small moments of craft to enjoy.
I don't hold out much hope for the entire CD, but i still quite like this song as far as songs go..

[nebulae]

It's a boring record. Nothing memorable at all.

[Lephrenic]

Zooropa or STFU

[nebulae]

I thought Zooropa was pretty good. Lemon is good, and Far Away is still in my top 20 all time favorites!

[Tone Deft]

Zooropa or STFU

Joshua Tree and earlier or GTFO.
after the movie Rattle and Hum came out I took down their poster off my wall. epic album but a departure from the early days.

[tigali]

Being Irish I've had U2 shoved down my throat my whole life, it's almost treason to hate them, but the only time I ever found myself actually wanting to listen to them was Achtung Baby and Zooropa. Everything before and after those just leaves me nauseous.

[mkelly]

Best albums are Achtung Baby, Zooropa, Pop. Can't quite decide between AB and Pop for my favourites. I know Pop is pretty widely slated, but for me it's a great album.

[Green Lemon]

Zooropa FTW

Pop


Brilliant, very under rated albums...at least among the people I hang out with. The sarcasm which packages these 2 is just the polar opposite of their tragic sincerity back in the Joshua Tree days, making both somehow more authentic.

[beatpoet]

Being Irish I've had U2 shoved down my throat my whole life, it's almost treason to hate them.

It's almost the opposite, no ? The media fall all over them every time they fart so they get invited to the right parties, so it can be hard to avoid listening to them but I know very few people here who will admit to actually liking the tripe they produce, bar a few die hards.

Never cared much for them myself, they held my attention for a bit around Zooropa, but that was all smoke and lemons.

[LoopStationZebra]

Ahh, the band everyone loves to hate.

I love 'em. Sorry, lads. Should I erect my own stake now for the burning, or will someone do that for me?

I can easily move from Derek Bailey's 'Pieces for Guitar' to U2s 'How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb' and feel no less a man.

Is that smoke I smell?

[nebulae]

I'm sorry, but The Unforgettable Fire is clearly their best record. It has the energy of their post-punk days, along with one of the first Eno-produced sensibilities, embracing technology. The songs are pure and from the heart, but not overly political. It's a brilliant record.

A close second would be All That You Can't Leave Behind - a very very consistent record, where almost all the songs are really rally good.

Achtung Baby was good, but I felt it was more of a crowdpleaser, and they finally embraced having fun with music. Joshua Tree was all about anthem rock, but again, not something that really makes me feel anything.

As for the others, they all have one or two great songs per album, but as good solid albums, I don't think the remain consistent.

My two cents.

[LoopStationZebra]

Yeah, I do love Unforgettable Fire. The addition of Eno was genius.

Love em or hate em, I'm hard pressed to think of a band that has so radically reinvented themselves on nearly every release (at least between War and All That You Can't...). Achtung especially. It's like a different band put out that record. Bowie is the only other pop star that I can think of that did it as successfully (sort of) and as often.

My least favorite is Rattle and Hum. Unlistenable. The whole aspect of them 'discovering' American Blues and then presenting this newfound genre to the world was painful.

[nebulae]

agreed, it was rattle and shit