when did U2 start to suck?

[Walter Sobchak]

{ redacted }

[Jarid in Cedar]

IMO, they have not put out a strong album, top to bottom since Achtung Baby. There are several song put out since then that are good, but they are becoming fewer and farther between. Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum were the zenith and will always be in my top 20

[TripletDaddy]

I think they formed sometime in the very early 80s. So right around then.

[RC Vikings]

Zooropa is a better album they many give it credit for. I'm not sure where POP came from but I do like Discotheque on that album. All That You Can't Leave Behind was fair but I really like Atomic Bomb, their best work since Achtung Baby.

[MarkGrace]

Bono has secretly been replaced by Robin Williams. That's who you actually saw last night.

I watched the beginning of Beautiful Day, then flipped it off -- the expiration label on these dudes was ten years ago.

And I absolutely hated their stage. Concerts are about the music, not the spectacle.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Bono has secretly been replaced by Robin Williams. That's who you actually saw last night.

I watched the beginning of Beautiful Day, then flipped it off -- the expiration label on these dudes was ten years ago.

And I absolutely hated their stage. Concerts are about the music, not the spectacle.

Sincerely,

Gene Simmons

[LiveCoug]

I love all U2 albums up to Achtung Baby (91? 92? can't remember). There has been a song here an there post AB, but that's about it.

[MarkGrace]

Sincerely,

Gene Simmons

I read this article where he talked about bands these days need to do more in their concerts. They need to be entertainers and put on these big productions and blah, blah, blah.

I couldn't disagree more with him.

[MarkGrace]

Did anyone think they looked older than they even are? I guess the oldest member of the band is still 49, which is not that old. Looking at them, I would have guessed they were all at least mid-50s.

[MarkGrace]

I think they formed sometime in the very early 80s. So right around then.

I don't know, some of those early albums where they're just hacking Joy Division are pretty solid.

[TripletDaddy]

Bono has secretly been replaced by Robin Williams. That's who you actually saw last night.

I watched the beginning of Beautiful Day, then flipped it off -- the expiration label on these dudes was ten years ago.

And I absolutely hated their stage. Concerts are about the music, not the spectacle.

U2 has a great gig.....their name is now basically a brand. They use music to promote the brand. The days of U2 music being relevant are over. They are following the Rolling Stones business model. I would expect to see U2 selling out large arenas every few years for the next 15 or 20 years. They will also continue to put out albums with decreasing relevance.

It is interesting to see the arc of U2. In their early catalog, you have to look at each album as a whole entity. War. Unforgettable Fire. Joshua Tree. With each subsequent release, the album itself ceases to be relevant and attention is diverted simply to specific tracks. With their last couple of releases, each album seems to produce maybe one memorable track. The albums as a whole are entirely forgettable.

A few other things that would not surprise me from U2 in the near future...these things would cement their dedication to their brand:

soundtrack/score for commercially popular children's cartoon/Pixar type franchise movie ($$$)
greatest hits tour (perhaps they have already done this, Im not sure)
one of them moves to NYC or LA
some sort of bizarre foray into crossover music....maybe a U2 rap/hip hop collaboration or a U2 christmas release

[MartyFunkhouser]

I read this article where he talked about bands these days need to do more in their concerts. They need to be entertainers and put on these big productions and blah, blah, blah.

I couldn't disagree more with him.

I agree with your disagreement. Concerts for me are all about the musicians ability to improvise and play off each other in the live setting.

[Color Me Badd Fan]

Does Bono still pull his pants up over his belly button? He employs some strange methods to try to make himself appear taller.

[il Padrino Ute]

U2 started to suck after The Unforgettable Fire.

[jay santos]

I hate everyone who posted in this thread.