1991 all over again…
At about 4 pm yesterday afternoon, I was browsing through the @U2 Forum and reading way too many over-the-top proclamations about “Get On Your Boots,” about No Line On The Horizon, and about U2 as a whole. The most prominent theme, aside from people just not liking GOYB, is that it’s not what people expected. And I agree 100% … it’s not at all what I expected.
And I started thinking … there were a couple quotes about an Achtung Baby-style departure in the build up to this album. And then it hit me: What I’m seeing people say about GOYB is probably similar to what fans said about THE FLY.
And then about a half hour later, I’m reading through my RSS feeds, and I came upon Beth, who wrote about something she found on U2start.com:
1991: rec.music.misc: ” U2′s ‘The Fly’ - Are you JOKING?”
Yep, it’s just like 1991 all over again.
Last 4 posts by m2
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I’ve been thinking the same thing! And I just don’t understand all the negative reactions people on this site are having.
If “Get On Your Boots” sounded like some expectation I had, THEN I would be disappointed.
Same here!
I was thinking today, U2′s got a much, much tougher time of “reinventing the wheel” this time around. for a bunch of reasons:
1.) They already have done several dramatic reinventions - at what point does U2 start to sound like the same old U2?
2.) At least initially, no one is going to give this album the time of day; either because they’re U2, or they’re too old, or Bono’s in the group, etc.
3.) I think Paul McGuinness is less than happy with the band, as he has not really been involved with very much on this album it looks like (this is a hunch. I think it’s right)
4.) but i think the most difficult thing is from the fans. we’ve all got a lot of pride about how much we love their reinvention albums, and how sonically aware we all are. If the album plays any of the same tricks, we’ll attack it, if it is brand-freaking-new (funny how we expect that from U2 and no one but U2) then no one will like it because they like AB better.
I think we’ve all got to be a bit more honest with ourselves as fans, and approach this album as fans of the music, not fans of the institution of the band. Because then we’re not doing the band, the music, or ourselves any favors.
When “The Fly” came out it would be hard to find previous U2 songs it would fit right in with. “God Part II”, maybe “Bullet The Blue Sky”. Those are stretching it a bit. This song would feel right at home with most of their 90s work, as well as Elevation, Vertigo, Love And Peace, etc. As much as I would love to say it’s a dramatic departure like “The Fly” was, it’s not. This is equivalent to if after Rattle & Hum, U2 went away and came back claiming reinvention and the first single sounded like something from War or Boy.
Boots is pretty much just what I was expecting - an average zoorocker (maybe above average, time will tell), not really that different then Vertigo. Personally, I think Boots is what Vertigo should have been. It’s better then anything off of Bomb. And there are some new sounds buried in there which hold promise for the new album.
I do hope that the new album is infact a departure for U2 and re-establishes their creative genius that was nearly destroyed by an ‘atomic bomb’ that will remain nameless.
But come on people, stop acting like this is The Fly. Though it’s refreshing to hear something that doesn’t sound like “Crumbs From Your Table” or “Original Of The Species”, this is still pretty much the same old U2. Ballad Of Ronnie Drew was more of a radical departure for them then this song is. I like Boots better, but I’m just saying.
I for one agree with the original posting. this song has people scratching their heads….I can’t say at all that it’s the same ole U2
Uh, this song IS deep. It’s a perfect anthem for this moment in history and really capures the mood of so much of the world right now….
I agree with Edwardo its not that different from Vertigo but different enough. I can’t comment on whether its a “good” or a “great” song all I can say is that like all of the U2 songs I like it struck that right chord on the first couple of listens. For me it was the chorus: “you don’t know how beautiful you are.” For me U2 has always been about lyrics.
I don’t have a problem with U2 trying something different. The song isn’t perfect — the lyrics are a little clunky and it isn’t well-engineered — BUT it has a great beat, it’s something you can listen to without getting bored, and it’s nice to have the band back with a strong song after suffering through WITS and Waves of Sorrow. If the rest of NLOTH is like this, we’ll have an album people talk about, and nothing wrong with that.
Thank you, Carol. People losing sight of the true meaning of the song. They’re all focused on what artist U2 is ripping from, what this song sounds like (or doesn’t sound like), but NO ONE IS LISTENING TO THE LYRICS! If you’re looking for your “typical” U2 (if such a thing exists), look there.
Okay, so it’s an exaggeration the no one is listening to the lyrics, but is seems as if the majority are focused on the orchestration. The two complement each other. Bono is talking about the discord in the world today. No other musical background could give the song the power it has: it emphasizes the global discord, the chaos, the confusion.
It is sort of like 1991. I remember, as a senior in high school, being over at my friend’s house and staying up late to watch MTV (yep, that’s how we had to get our U2 back then) premiere The Fly video. It totally blew our minds because it was like NOTHING they’d ever done before. And when I finally got my cassette tape single (yeah, you remember those) and played it over and over, the more I fell in love with the song.
I was hoping for that kind of feeling for GOYB, and while it is catchy and layered and interesting, that’s all I can really say about it. I hope I hope I hope the album is great, and perhaps this song will make more sense as part of the whole. True we were all shocked by The Fly, but I just remember loving it. I wish I could say the same of this song…
Thanks Erika! Great point and I agree that the sound is perfect for the lyrics. Have you seen Jonathan’s comment about possible meanings in the last post? (“what does ‘boots’ remind you of”?)
Here’s part of what he said:
“GOYB is, I believe, a battle cry of sorts for America and for women throughout the world. The timing of the release, the day before the inauguration of the president, is significant. The idea is to inspire. Read the lyrics. Listen to the song as if it were being sung to the USA directly. It speaks to a country that is hopeful, but doesn’t know what to do and feels ugly on the world scene. The message. You are beautiful and all you have to do is get on your boots. (Work hard, rebuild your image.)”
“Then you can take the song a slightly different way, and you have a very empowering song for women in backwards nations. The idea here is that sexiness is empowering. Women in developing nations can be the driving force behind change, reform and advancement.”
I remember how long it took me to get into Zooropa and now it’s probably my favorite U2 album!
Sorry, but I just don’t see how anyone can possibly compare what U2 was trying to say with The Fly vs. GOYB. I believe The Fly originated from a dark period in U2 when they even pondered breaking up due to lack of creativity with their recording sessions in Berlin. Edge had marital problems at the time too. They worked extremely hard under poor conditions. When it came out there was nothing like it. Great guitar riffs, solos, lyrics. It has way more depth the GOYB.
GOYB was made to “attract a younger audience”. These cats are almost 50…so let Brittney do her thing alone. And what about writing for us “older” true fans?
And read all the comparisons to other artists songs this one has. Unique? I think not. And recorded at their 4 year leisure from the comforts of lear jets, vacation homes, with their teenage kids and wives nagging at them.
The Fly was raw true and cutting edge and came out after Bono declared “we need to go away for a while and dream it all up again”. It also spawned the Macphisto charater, fly shades and a great tour and album. We’ll see how NLOTH does.
Sorry for venting. I’m a loyal true fan and have been to 40 U2 concerts around the world starting with the Unforgetable fire. Hope they keep it going….
Sorry, but I just don’t see how anyone can possibly compare what U2 was trying to say with The Fly vs. GOYB.
I wasn’t trying to compare that. I was comparing the fan’s reactions to the two songs.
I wasn’t a U2 fan in the early 1990s, so I can’t articulate on The Fly versus GOYB but here’s a thought. U2 is trying to do what few rock bands have done: keep making hit records and stay forward thinking as they move into their 50s.
Yes, there are bands that have played that long, but most break up long before then or deteriorate into tribute bands. The most successful artists who remain hit makers are solo acts, like Bruce Springsteen, even though he’s brought the E Street Band with him at times.
I’m happy to see U2 give it a go, especially since I think 3/4s of the band still looks extremely hot. They’re the same age as Obama, basically, and he’s considered a “young” president with a lot less experience at governing than U2 have in playing music. Don’t start counting them out on age alone, judge them on what it sounds like.
i am Soooo happy that when i first heard Boots, i said, ‘what kind of crap is this?’ i said the same thing about War, Unforgettable Fire, Rattle and Hum, Achtung baby, Zooropa and Pop. and all those albums, over time, have matured into masterworks. it’s a good omen, folks.
but is Boots a strong single? nope. i predict it’ll flop in the charts like Discotheque - a quick hit number one then fade miserably. Discotheque is like Boots in that there really isn’t anything THERE, other then it’s just different then what u2 did before.
GOYB’s a catchy tune (it will certainly ROCK live!), but I wouldn’t read too much into it regarding the entire album. It’s been a while since a U2 album had a consistent sound throughout (Joshua Tree maybe?). I’ve said it elsewhere… with U2, you can count on the song you absolutely HATE being someone else’s absolute FAVORITE. That’s the great thing about U2′s music - not all of it is for everyone, but there is SOMETHING for everyone!
Flame away!
You’d think U2 fans would be used to the SHOCK single, after “The Fly”, “Numb”, & “Discotheque”. None was really indicative of the albums they came from, and they were simply U2 abusing their status as a giant band to get something distinctive on the airwaves. The crying that the band should “hang it up” is hardly a new thing, and it’s just as incredibly narrow minded now as it was in 1991 or 1993. Think of the amazing stuff that would never have seen the light of day if “fans” had their way after hearing “Numb.” Do U2 fans realize that album had “Zooropa” and “Stay(Faraway, So Close!)” on it, and “Numb” was a giant throw-off?
and “Boots” is a fricking groove machine. ; )
… and doesn’t anybody remember the uproar when With Or Without You was released as the first Joshua Tree single? “A BALLAD?!? U2 HAS GONE SOFT!” Now it’s a classic…
i was taken aback by the amount of critical reaction that I read, but it’s interesting that I have not received any criticism from people I know.
let’s face it, any U2 release at this stage in their marketing life is going to be anticlimatic for many. but i predict they will have the last laugh; we need to remember that this is track #6, and it’s the first single because it’s likely the most commercial. goyb will be the record that links nloth (the 3rd lp in the current trilogy) with atyclb & htdaab. from there, i am hoping and praying for the amazing.
maybe some are shocked; maybe some are disappointed. the 2 aren’t necessarily the same thing. at this point i am not shocked at a new sound, but i don’t feel GOYB is a new sound, as we’ve all noticed the similarities to other tunes.
i do agree with the last post that this is likely the most commercial song, which does bode well for the new album, because i think in general, for us old u2 fans, the less commercial the better.
i also wonder…do the fans who really like GOYB also really like ATYCLB & HTDAAB…and vice versa?
Well, “The Fly” didn’t have Bono singing free-versey drivel, now did it?
So. I waited about a week before finally cracking and listening to GOYBs, reading all the posts and reations, trying to piece together in my mind, a sonic template for what I would be hearing. Initally, upon the first listen, it most definitely was not what I was expecting; particularly when Bono spoke of a “sonic departure”, akin to that of the sounds of The Joshua Tree evolving to that of Achtung Baby. But, as many know who follow artists (be they writers, muscians, filmmakers, painters, etc.), the artist’s personal vision/expectation of their work rarely aligns itself with that of its audience, as was the case with GOYBs for me.
Now, this is not necessarily a bad thing, as GOYBs reminds me of a amalgamation of the “raw” production feel, and stacatto lyric delivery of “Vertigo”, mixed with the pop sheen of “Elevation”, and “Beautiful Day”, and a VERY catchy groove vaguley reminiscent of “Discotheque”. Does this mean that U2 have run out of ideas, that they’re merely rehashing “old tricks”? No. Does it mean that at this stage, with studio album number tweleve, and each previous album inhibiting a unique sound and grouping of lyrical motifs and metaphors, that we, the audience, are going to wean out some similiarities in songs regarding their musical and lyrical arrangment from time-to-time? Yes. I can’t think of another contemporary, mainstream popular music rock band that have created such a beautiful artistic tapestry as U2 have, if someone does know of such a group, please tell me, as I’d like to hear what they have to offer in comparision.
I “discovered” U2 with “Discotheque”, which is still my favorie all-time lead off single for an album, and one of my favorite videos. So I’m a little bias when it comes to their 90s output, and the Pop album in particular. For me, Pop is easily their most sonically adventurous album of their 90s triad, with some of Bono’s best lyrics, albiet it was an album deemed not quite complete by band members’ admission. Not that if they’d “completed” it, that it would’ve changed much, nor been more “accepted” in America in my opinion, as they were attempting to juxtapose rock music with electronic dance music, something I feel the album balances quite well.
But, back to the crux of my point, that of adventure and experimentation. These two terms are what make U2 who they are, at least for me. While each lead off single kind of makes people do a sonic double-take; eventually, we the audience, adjust to the “new” sound and incorporate it into the larger U2 canon, at least that’s what I do. What will NLOTH sound like, based off of GOYBs, its anyone’s guess. Though judging from initial press releases of those journalists fortunate enough to gain privy to the album, it looks to be quite eclectic in its range of songs and sounds.
Personally, I feel it’ll be a closure to ATYCLB and HTDAAB, as well as an opening to a new artistic direction, the same as Pop closed the 90s triad and offered hints of ATYCLB (listen to it and focus on the musical arrangment of how each of the songs have a similar “essence” feel to them as ATYCLB, but whose production is overlayed/interspeced with elements of electronic dance music, and then listen to ALYCLB). Will this be another “back-to-basics” album, as the previous two are commonly deemed, I don’t think so, and judging from inital press reports, it will be very eclectic.
Not that ATYCLB and HTDAAB are anything remotely close to “back to basics”, because if they were, they’d be pure punk, as U2 started out as part of the punk movement, and still identify themselves as coming from that movement. If anything, the last two albums are, for me a sort of quintisential “essence”, a sort of organic sound that belies the maturity and depth that are found in the lyrics. They may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they (and NLOTH) were inspiring for U2, each in their turn, and eventually they were (and NLOTH will be) the same for me.
I’d like to close with two quotes, one from an earlier post from John, and one from Bono, as each hit upon what I’m attempting to articulate, better than I can.
Jon states: “I think we’ve all got to be a bit more honest with ourselves as fans, and approach this album as fans of the music, not fans of the institution of the band. Because then we’re not doing the band, the music, or ourselves any favors.”
Bono notes, in reference to Irish poet Brendan Kennelly’s notion of “the best way to serve an age is to betray it” and how that idea played a large role in the years between Achtung Baby and the end of the ZooTV Tour, but an idea which, in my opinion, also holds true to all U2 albums:
“That became our theme for the next couple of years, to do everything U2 weren’t supposed to do. We had a deep-seated belief that the spirit of the band was true enough and imperishable enough to not rely on any obvious guitar sounds or signatures to come through. It would come through anyways. . . . What we were trying to say was: ‘We exist as a band. It’s our chemistry, not a formula.’ And so we threw out all the sounds and themes that were associated with our band.” (U2 By U2, p 225)
While, some more “familiar” elements sounds have found their way onto ATYCLB and HTDAAB, as well as GOYBs, I still feel U2 are as alive with adventure and experimentation as ever, even if I’m stilll warming up to GOYBs (lol!!) I think its important to let the music speak for itself, and not let our expectations of what that music may sound like, speak for us instead. I look forward to the new sound of NLOTH, let me in, let me in, “LET ME IN THE SOUND!!”