Dear U2,

You had a great career. You put out some landmark albums. You've made songs that will be remembered forever.

But please, just stop. Your last 2 albums sound so watered down and bland that you're tarnishing your image as one of the better bands to come out in the last 20 years. No more.

Stuck in a Moment is awful. And here I thought "The Sweetest Thing" was as low as you guys could go...

Regards,

DTSC

You realize of course that "Sweetest Thing" was actually a b-side on the single for "Where The Streets Have No Name" (circa 1987). Granted, the re-release of this track was "mixed", but apparently they could be as low as they could go 15 years ago.

I will however completely agree with everything else in your post. They've released two albums too many. Time to pack it in boys! Call it a career already!

-matt

Our music tastes are very different but I love these open letter threads you do, keep'em coming. This I do agree with this one however

You are being a little kind...

I would say that every album they have put out since Achtung Baby has sucked

I disagree with everything you said. 8 Grammy nominations and the top rock tour of the year tells me A LOT of people still listen to U2. I don't see their image being tarnished. If you don't like them anymore, don't buy the albums. I've been listening to them since I was six years old, and am far from being sick of them. It's all entirely subjective, though.

Grammy nominations may be a sign of a band's popularity, but they tell nothing about a band or artist's quality. The Grammy's have been a joke for as long as I can remember.

I like Negativland better than U2! "These guys are from England, and who gives a ****??!!"

BTW my favorite Grammy winner is Milli Vanilli!

Right, but musical quality is completely subjective.

Hey! the creed one was funny. But I actually bought there latest album.

"quality"

It's entertainment folks, chill out.

U2 is talented & entertaining. Period.

U2 =

I enjoyed that song as well as some other b-sides from the Joshua Tree(Bass Trap, Spanish Eyes, Walk to the Water). I don't listen to them like I used to, maybe their fan-base has changed.

You seem very bitter towards music groups. Are you okay?

Music is also a form of artistic expression which U2 has been seriously lacking on their last two albums.

All That You Can't... =

I really All That You Can't Leave Behind, I mean I wasn't freaking expecting the Joshua Tree from it.

It is a good album in my opinion.

Yes, it COULD BE, but doesn't mean it HAS TO BE.

I'm sure you've done a few things in your life "just for fun" -- I wish music critics (professional and otherwise) would remember the fun/entertainment aspects, they'd seem a lot less snobby amd elitist.

He's still bitter that New Edition passed him over and went with Bobby Brown. The Wahlberg kid slightly edged him out of the last New Kids on the Block spot. I think the ones that really hurt him is when Joey got in Nsync and LFO wouldn't let him be a member. The LFO one really is a bad one to mention. That one line should have been "If you love DTSC, or you hate DTSC."

Yeah, I'd have to say the LFO snubbing is the one that upset him the most. You know their hit song "Summer Girls", part of the song goes,

"New Kids on the Block had a bunch of hits
Chinese food makes me sick"

It would have been

"New Kids on the Block had a bunch of hits
DTSC likes young chicks"

Oh yeah, I guess if not for the Wahlberg kid, it might have been, "DTSC still likes young chicks."

But don't sweat it buddy. If that one Backstreet Boy has to go to rehab a few more times, I think you're in!

Dear U2,

Please disregard everything DTSC has to say. I, for one, appreciate your music. It is a welcome diversion from the mounds of crap that are vomited through the radio and MTV nowadays. Your latest album , All That You Can't Leave Behind, is a great "comeback" for you guys. I was a little disappointed with POP but you redeemed yourselves with this one.

I'm sorry I didn't make it to your tour this year, it was too expensive (What up with that?), but I did download both shows you did here in Phoenix and enjoyed those. Keep doing what you love.

Regards,

reptile590

If there was a 'smily' to indicate that something is going over someone's head ... I'd certainly use it now!

I enjoy when a band will admit that they are doing it for fun. However, U2 has never and will never admit that. They still believe they are socially progressive. That they are original. That they are deep and emotional. They are lying to themselves and millions of fans. How do you reconcile that?

and reptile you are right...their tour was so high because they are money grubbing snobs themselves. Bono has become a little too impressed with himself.

So by that logic, everyone should like boy bands and hair/rap metal bands because they are "just for fun"? Don't push your idea of what is entertaining onto someone else.

U2's last album is completely uninteresting to me. "Period."

U2 has always tried to be socially aware, even recently (e.g. that horrendous version of "What's Going On?" that Bono produced). Bono's whole persona is that he is a sensitive rock star so they have never been "just for fun." But since they are woefully inadequate in terms of substance, I should excuse it and say "oh it's ok, this music is just for fun." Sorry, no.

So... U2 is still wannabe socially conscious and they're not in it "for fun'

SO WHAT?

Who cares what THEY think about the music?

You can listen to it for what suits YOU.

YOU have the power to enjoy something as entertainment/fun or as a social message. Screw what the artist wants.... look at it with your own eyes and take it for what best suits you.

I'd have to agree with the late, great George Harrison on the U2 subject.

Umm, you do realize WHY Bono got all those artists together and recorded that song? Woefully inadequate? Umm, sure. What are some of YOUR favorite bands? And why do we feel the need to start threads simply to sh*t all over bands and movies? Good God.

I appreciate Bono’s effort on the “What’s Going On?” charity song but that version of the song is dreadful. The artists involved did not particularly bother me. There were just too many artists singing on top of each other (rather than together). Just my opinion.

My favorite bands are irrelevant. This thread is about U2, specifically their disappointing recent works. I do not see anything wrong with someone expressing his opinion about a seemingly great band putting out generic and bland material.

sigh.
(or should I say, SIGH )

I like music that is entertaining and has some sort of depth. Both can happen at the same time and that happens to be my preference. You see my brain can comprehend on more than one level at once.

I feel like I am talking to a brick wall here but, I do not care what you do or do not like, but your arguments that quality is irrelevant in music are asinine. The intended message of the band (or lack thereof) does matter, as does my interpretation of that message.

Furthermore, what entertains you does not necessarily entertain everyone else. According to you, "U2 is talented & entertaining. Period." Well, I wish life was that black and white but it is not. I would contend that they are talented but they certainly are not at all interesting or entertaining nowadays.

That is about all I have to say about U2 for now.

“Period.”