[Purple Haize]

Ok so everyone is biting their nails over the SSU game, as they probably should.
And now for something completely different (Python fans?)
I know we have done this with other types of music and genres, but as I drove from "Where America started" to my home by "Where America Reunited" I commenced in a U2 jam fest on my iPod and it got me to thinking. U2 has a new book out and it is more autobiographical then the biographical Unforgettable Fire. Are they the greatest rock band of all time? Bigger then the Beatles? Zepplin? Stones? Doug Oldham? Did their music shift after, some say before, Rattle and Hum? Are you "Old School" or "New School"? Do you feel they are arrogant and walk around like their poopy doesn't stinky? Is Bono (not Sonny) a great humanitarian or an airhead ditz like Sean Penn and Babs? And finally, what songs do you like?
Here are mine in no particular order off the top of my head
"Old School"

The Ocean - Boy
Electric Co - Under a Blood Red Sky cut
Gloria - October
October - October
Drowning Man - War
War - The ENTIRE album (Emphasis on Refugee, Drowning Man, Surrender and 40)
Unforgettable Fire - Unforgettable Fire
Wire - Unforgettable Fire
Bad - Wide Awake in America
Trip Through Your Wires - Joshua Tree
In God's Country - Joshua Tree
All I want is You - Rattle and Hum
Bullett the Blue Sky - Rattle and Hum

[PAmedic]

Are they the greatest rock band of all time? NO

Bigger then the Beatles? NO

Zepplin? OH, HECK NO (SACRILIGE!)

Stones? Maybe, I hate the Stones

Doug Oldham?

Are you "Old School" or "New School"? Old

Do you feel they are arrogant and walk around like their poopy doesn't stinky? YES, and why I now boycott them

Is Bono (not Sonny) a great humanitarian or an airhead ditz like Sean Penn and Babs? airhead ditz like Sean Penn and Babs, only worse. And morons actually listen to/validate his stupidity (UN)

And finally, what songs do you like? Pride (In the Name of Love) AND THATS ALL

[Purple Haize]

Wow, I sense some U2 bitterness there PA. I agree that they seem a little "high and mighty" now. Seems to have happened during the Joshua Tree/Rattle and Hum era. I still but their CD's in HOPES of some good stuff, but you just can't beat the early years.
I was more of a THE WHO guy then a Zepplin, so take your Stairway to Heaven tee shirt and turn up the amps!!!

[El Scorcho]

I've quit enjoyed their last two albums in addition to the old stuff. I could have lived without Pop, but I understand why they made it.

The wifey and I saw them at the MCI Center almost a year ago now. It was a really great show. I'd go again...if they didn't charge enough to buy Bono a new pair of Dolce & Gabbana shades for each ticket.

[adam42381]

I respect U2. They've made a lot of great music. However, they are not the best band of all-time. I'd actually say they are probably in the bottom of the top 10 for me. I'm not knocking them in any way. I just feel that there have been several more talented and influential bands. The Stones, Beatles, Zeppelin are in another league (as are Pearl Jam in my book).

[bigsmooth]

medic is a hater.....as sly says don't hate, appreciate . U2 is a classic band, which i have had the pleasure of seeing live many times.

[RubberMallet]

not the best by far.

[Libertine]

One word: Zooropa. Don't try to tell me that anyone is the greatest band of all time w/ that cowpie in their discography. U2 peaked w/ Joshua Tree and it's been varying shades of beige mediocrity ever since.

[PAmedic]

thank you for your support, LIB. The check is in the mail

[RubberMallet]

got a digital delay pedal? you can probably then learn to play 80% of U2's songs in a day....

[El Scorcho]

got a digital delay pedal? you can probably then learn to play 80% of U2's songs in a day....

But it will sound a lot better if you have an analog delay.

[RubberMallet]

real bang up job on mnf.....what a bunch of tools...

[TallyW]

Why the hatin' mallet?

[PAmedic]

real bang up job on mnf.....what a bunch of tools...

Agreed. I turned it off.

[adam42381]

I'm gonna agree. It was a bad performance all around.

[RubberMallet]

green day and u2 and THE GOOGOO DOLLS???

[Libertine]

The Googoo Dolls are still around?

[mrmacphisto]

Relax guys, they were playing in support of a good cause. If there's one thing U2 will sell out for, it's a worthy cause. Sure, food and shelter may seem more important to the Katrina victims than musical instruments, but to some people, music IS their food and shelter.

U2 are possibly the greatest band of all time, but they are not as universally well-liked as The Beatles, and so they will never achieve their due recognition. Had U2 started in the 60s, they may have been recognized as the greatest band of all time, but they wouldn't have even formed were it not for The Beatles. The Beatles wil never not be cool, and so they will always be widely recognized as the greatest band of all time, despite the fact that they didn't last nearly as long or play live nearly as much as U2 has.

The Stones are so overrated it's not even funny. They had some good tunes, but Mick never could sing. Now they just look ridiculous on stage, a bunch of geriatrics trying to jam it out, with Jagger's flappy granny arms waving in the breeze. Zepplin is overrated as well. Again, some decent music, but I put the Jimi Hendrix Experience head and shoulders above Zepplin, but still not on the level of The Beatles.

I think Bono is an idealist, not unlike the late John Lennon. He has great ideas and ways to achieve those ideas if only people would listen and try to help. I think he'lll go down in history much like Lennon, as a dreamer with some good ideas that never really came to fruition.

I like all of U2's albums. Some are an acquired taste, that's for sure, but their music has a way of growing on me. If I had to pick between old school and new school, I'd choose old, but only by a nose. Achtung Baby is probably my favorite album to date. Some of you may bash Zooropa, but it did win the Grammy for Best Alternative Album, and while it's far from their best offering, it's none too shabby.

It would take tooo long for me to list the songs I like, but I'll include a few:

11 O'Clock Tick Tock
Out Of Control
The Electric Co.
October
Gloria
The Refugee
Sunday Bloody Sunday
New Years Day
40
Like A Song
Pride
The Unforgettable Fire
Promenade
Where The Streets Have No Name
I Stilll Haven't Found What i'm Looking For
With Or Without You
Running To Stand Still
Red Hill Mining Town
In God's Country
All I Want Is You
Heartland
Love Rescue Me
Desire
Zoo Station
Even Better Than The Real Thing
One
The Fly
So Cruel
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
Love Is Blindness
Zooropa
Numb
Stay
Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car
Do You Feel Loved?
Last Night On Earth
Staring At The Sun
Wake Up Dead Man
The Wanderer
Please
Beautiful Day
Stuck in a Moment...
Elevation
When I Look At The World
The Ground Beneath Her Feet
Electrical Storm
Vertigo
All Because of You
Original Of The Species
City of Blinding Lights
Sometimes You Can't Make It...
Mercy

[Libertine]

U2 are possibly the greatest band of all time, but they are not as universally well-liked as The Beatles, and so they will never achieve their due recognition. Had U2 started in the 60s, they may have been recognized as the greatest band of all time, but they wouldn't have even formed were it not for The Beatles. The Beatles wil never not be cool, and so they will always be widely recognized as the greatest band of all time, despite the fact that they didn't last nearly as long or play live nearly as much as U2 has.

Great idea! Let's start in on the Beatles next! I hate them, too!

[Sly Fox]

That was a very well-stated argument. It just was completely wrong. U2 is by no means even in the discussion of the greatest bands of all time. Joshua Tree is one of the best albums and Pride is arguably one of my favorite songs. But the body of work is not remarkable.

I agree that the Stones are highly overrated even though they were a very influential band in the development of the rock genre in the Late 60s & Early 70s. But there is no way to downplay the significance of the Beatles. They broke new ground in about 3 or 4 different genres. Their influence continues to be felt today.

As for Pearl Jam, let's just say they wouldn't make my Top 150.

[PAmedic]

Zepplin is overrated as well. Again, some decent music, but I put the Jimi Hendrix Experience head and shoulders above Zepplin, but still not on the level of The Beatles.

what!?

you sir, are certifiably off your nut

and SLY is dead on here- "Pride", and thats it. Trash the rest

[RubberMallet]

Zepplin is overrated as well. Again, some decent music, but I put the Jimi Hendrix Experience head and shoulders above Zepplin, but still not on the level of The Beatles.

what!?

you sir, are certifiably off your nut

and SLY is dead on here- "Pride", and thats it. Trash the rest

yeah i completely discounted everything this guy said at that point....

but once he started listing songs i certified him insane

[Purple Haize]

MRMAC - Don't let them bring you down. GREAT points. Of course your song list was freakin HUGE!! (Forgoet Red Hill great tune) I just can't get hyped about any of their stuff since Rattle and Hum. I know they have achieved much bigger commercial succes with the "new" stuff, but the old stuff was so raw and powerful. I have been jammin to Under A Blood Red Sky recently. I have tried to acquire a taste for their new albums, but don't find much I like other then SOME of the popular stuff.
The Beatles are a very popular band for sure, but I would call them the greatest POP band ever, have a hard time putting "I wanna hold your hand" with a Rock label.
The Stones ARE just an oddity. They were a great "rebelous" band of the 60's but when you are whacked out on angel dust and hemp, Mick DOES sound like Tony Bennett (At least that is what TALLY says)
And I will jump right dab smack in the middle of this one. LED ZEPPLIN IS OVER RATED BY FAR. I will say it again in case I stuttered LED ZEPPLIN IS OVER RATED. While they had some good tunes (Immigrant Song, Stairway To Most Over Played Song in Heaven Kashmir) most of their stuff is DRIVLE. I have tried. They even ran a little Led Zepplin block on XM that I tuned into. After awhile it sounded the same. NOW due to PA's former alcohol and illicit drug past, I can see where he finds them insightful and meaningful in ways only understood by the enlightened, but for those of us who are sober, we prefer music that doesn't cause flashbacks!!!!!

And great points about BONO. He is an idealist and tries to change the world. While he does seem a little less "HOlier then thou" then recent years, they still seem a mite haughty for me. The great thing is at this stage of their career it is getting close to the time they feel the need to "get back to their roots" and tour with just the old stuff. At which point I will have tickets and do what needs to be done to get to a show!

[RubberMallet]

After awhile it sounded the same.

did a U2 fan really say this about another band?

[adam42381]

As for Pearl Jam, let's just say they wouldn't make my Top 150.

At least I know I'm not the only one who holds Pearl Jam in high regard. Here are the results of USAToday's reader's poll of the greatest American rock band of all-time (Of course, this excludes U2, the Stones, Beatles and Zeppelin from the equation). http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/ ... andy_x.htm