I'm listening to what most people regard as their worst album (which I happen to enjoy, thank you very much) - Zooropa.
Personally, and as somewhat of a musician, I think that each creative cliff they jump off is amazing. How many artists would have had the collective spine to go from Joshua Tree to Achtung, Baby!? How many would have taken the Joshua thread through to Rattle? How many would have extended the Achtung thread to the natural conclusion of Zooropa? And then tweaking it into Pop? Pure spine, no yellow.
Their recent output has been good, if somewhat rote for them. They could reel off songs like "Beautiful Day" and "Original of the Species" all day. And they do. But songs like "Yahweh" and "Peace On Earth" are very special, songs that lots of bands would love to have in their back catalog.
Regarding the future, though, Bono has even said that they're kind of sick of the current tack and will be doing something very different on the next album.
Keep yer Stones and their old bones tours, I'll take a U2 every day of the week.
(Oh, and since MOG doesn't track iPod plays, check out my last.fm page to see the Zooropa-fest in all it's glory. Or horror, depending on your viewpoint. :)
My Trusted MOGs
...I disagree with your first sentime...I liked Zooropa, son...the title track..."Lemon" and "The Wanderer" are three of my favorite BonoCo tracks...and also, the album chronicles when JC made his comeback with rockier stuff than the country...that "I went out walking bible and a gun" line was righteous, yo...still, I just can't seem to warp my noodle around How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb...yet..
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And for the first time they released the DVD of the concert. Great viewings if you are so inclined.
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I must admit that I liked "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb" better than most of what they released since "Achtung Baby", but I find their entire catalog very listenable. I think that some people give them a hard time because they are held to higher standards and every song can't achieve anthem status like "New Year's Day", "Where The Streets Have No Name", "City Of Blinding Lights", "Pride In The Name Of Love", "Sunday Bloody Sunday", "I Will Follow", "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" and the others I know I have missed...
Now I feel like listening to Zooropa again. Thanks for the reminder!
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I never understood why Zooropa got so much flack back in the day. I guess perhaps because it was such an experimental "supposed sidestep" for them. I thought it was an incredibly bold step forward. Zooropa is probably among my fav cds of theirs next to "Achtung Baby". Zoo is such a futuristic vision & was so far ahead of anything made at the time in the rock realm.
At the time of Zooropa's release, even though I liked the songs I heard, I didn't buy it due to being into all sorts of other bands at the time & that whole grunge thing going on. I was into The House Of Love, Blur, Nirvana, The Darling Buds, Happy Mondays,Curve, PJ Harvey, The Charlatans UK, The Breeders, Afghan Whigs, The Soup Dragons, etc. It wasn't until years later when I p/u a used copy of it that I realized the true brilliance.
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CP: The sentiment wasn't mine, just the general feeling of my peers at the time. I think some of them still feel that way. I dunno if the Wiki article on the album is stretching or not, but it sure makes it sound like a pretty deep album:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zooropa
Rk: I think I remember seeing that concert on the TeeVee recently. Good stuff.
sb: I agree, their early stuff is so strong and rooted in that time that it's probably hard to get past it. I like all of their stuff, too. I don't really think there's a clunker in the bunch. How many bands can say that?
A1: I was into a lot of those bands at the same time. :) I was also working at a record store and had the benefit of hearing it there. I was the one putting it on to listen to, I don't think many other people liked it. I know a guy I worked with at the college radio station hated it. :)
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What sugarbaby said. And, on a slight tangent, I can't quibble about Bono's pomposity when he and crew can produce stuff as flat-out thrilling as "Where The Streets Have No Name" and (years after they should have passed their sell-by date) songs as engaging and memorble as "Beautiful Day" and "Vertigo" - while trying to make the world a little better. I'm just sayin'...
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Zooropa is great: in my mind probably the most adventurous of their albums. I think it has really aged well too. Not a bad song on it.
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Mike: I'd throw out for the haters that it ain't braggin' if you can do it. I mean, of everyone in the world, I think Bono has earned the right to be a little pompous. :)
Wade: Agreed. I should listen again. :)