# Against U2. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 26, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107 "2009-01-26T19:51:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107/21 "2009-01-26T21:15:38Z")
> [@Xan](#): > > Which explains a lot. File under “Whinge” ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107/22 "2009-01-26T21:15:52Z")
Man, that was a funny rant. More! ---
**Author:** ![Xan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ac8455/32.png) [@Xan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xan)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107/23 "2009-01-26T21:20:11Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > File under “Whinge” I was thinking “Pretentious artsy shit” but that works. ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107/24 "2009-01-26T21:20:44Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > Fun Fact: Radiohead and Coldplay are the same band. 😕 Based on what? They don’t sound anything alike. Thom Yorke isn’t exactly known for his songs about love. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107/25 "2009-01-26T21:21:05Z")
> [@Xan](#): > > Which explains a lot. That’s another one I don’t get. In what way are Coldplay and Radiohead similar? Plus Interpol always got accused of being a Joy Division knockoff. Another comparison I don’t hear. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107/26 "2009-01-26T21:24:43Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Which U2 songs in particular? Gang of Four’s _Entertainment_ is one of my favorite albums, but I don’t hear it in the Edge’s guitar sound, at least not in any of the delay-laden stuff I’m most familiar with. To me, Gang of Four guitars sound like razor blades. The Edge, not so aggressive, and more effects-heavy. > > U2’s fine, up to (and including) about _Achtung Baby._ After that, they got a bit much for me, but a decent band overall. Pretty much the whole album, to me (with the exception of maybe “Anthrax”) sounds like stuff The Edge did later. But I’m by no means a guitarist, so maybe I’m only making the comparison because I don’t really understand enough about what I’m hearing. Gang of Four is indeed more harsh-sounding - maybe I should have said The Edge sounded like a watered-down Andy Gill. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107/27 "2009-01-26T21:33:19Z")
Meh. Billy Joel: The iceberg lettuce of rock. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107/28 "2009-01-26T21:37:32Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > That’s another one I don’t get. In what way are Coldplay and Radiohead similar? I’ll grant you that I’ve not listened to either bands entire catalog, but the both come off with that thin voiced, whiney, foppish thing that only skinny little English guys can do. Like Nick Drake writing for Beck. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107/29 "2009-01-26T21:37:32Z")
I loved the OP’s rant, even though I don’t really agree with it. I like U2, but there are dozens of bands I like better. My main objection is that their stuff all sounds the same. Well, that’s an overstatement, but it’s truer than befits a Major Band. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107/30 "2009-01-26T21:39:14Z")
> [@Cluricaun](#): > > I’ll grant you that I’ve not listened to either bands entire catalog, but the both come off with that thin voiced, whiney, foppish thing that only skinny little English guys can do. Like Nick Drake writing for Beck. I guess I can see the comparison in vocal stylings, perhaps, but the underlying music is _quite_ different to me. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107/31 "2009-01-26T21:43:22Z")
> [@Freejooky](#): > > Eh, at least “Macca” has the Beatles catalog and a couple decent solo records under his belt. And about half of “memory almost full” was shockingly decent - “ever present past” in particular is probably the best hook he’s written in 25 years. This post invalidates everything you have said about U2 (and I fucking HATE U2). It’s simply inarguable that McCartney has done NOTHING worth two shits since the Beatles (and I’m including Wings. It’s so uniformly awful that you have to wonder if Paul engineered it that way on purpose). ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107/32 "2009-01-26T21:45:25Z")
_One_ is easily one of the top ten songs of all time. But yeah, they are a bit, you know, too much. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107/33 "2009-01-26T21:46:25Z")
What’s so bad about Coldplay? I like Coldplay. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107/34 "2009-01-26T21:50:31Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > This post invalidates everything you have said about U2 (and I fucking HATE U2). It’s simply inarguable that McCartney has done NOTHING worth two shits since the Beatles (and I’m including Wings. It’s so uniformly awful that you have to wonder if Paul engineered it that way on purpose). And while I’m at it, the Beatles were a lot more marginal than most people are willing to admit. Awful production, in most cases, and lots of boring, crappy filler in and amongst anything listenable. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107/35 "2009-01-26T21:58:30Z")
The Edge isn’t 50-something…yet. ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107/36 "2009-01-26T21:59:18Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > A couple of points for creativity, but negative several points for the “it’s cool to hate X” bandwagon. Whoa, there. It is definitely NOT cool to hate X. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107/37 "2009-01-26T22:13:13Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > And while I’m at it, the Beatles were a lot more marginal than most people are willing to admit. Awful production, in most cases, and lots of boring, crappy filler in and amongst anything listenable. Wait a minute…what? Marginal? OK. And awful production, are you kidding me? Their post 1965 sessions with George Martin at Abbey Road were nothing short of groundbreaking, particularly given the mechanical limitations (like reel to reel tape machines) of their time. What utter nonsense. You killed John Lennon, didn’t you? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107/38 "2009-01-26T22:21:00Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > This post invalidates everything you have said about U2 (and I fucking HATE U2). It’s simply inarguable that McCartney has done NOTHING worth two shits since the Beatles (and I’m including Wings. It’s so uniformly awful that you have to wonder if Paul engineered it that way on purpose). That’s why I can’t continue to argue with **Freejooky**. He’s clearly insane! ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107/39 "2009-01-26T22:26:56Z")
What I couldn’t dig was why U2 became the musical artist choice for the 9/11 Homage in the 2002 Superbowl. Bono opened his jacket and showed the inner lining is the Stars and Stripes while singing. An emerald green-blooded Irish guy showing off the red white and blue colors of the USA? Home of the Evil Corporate Machine itself? How far apart did Boneo have to spread his legs to get that gig? One of life’s true enigmas is how Bono and Jesse Helms became friends. Bono gave the Helms family backstage passes to one of U2’s shows and they came! ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2009, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107/40 "2009-01-26T22:27:45Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > A couple of points for creativity, but negative several points for the “it’s cool to hate X” bandwagon. > > Personally, I don’t understand this level of hate for something that doesn’t directly affect your life. It’s silly. It’s like having a stroke over Mt. Rushmore or Baseball, because you can’t understand why other people like it. > > It’s not all about you, get over yourself, go on living your life and let go of the U2 fixation before I have to bring in the psychoanalysis tools and ask why you’re jealous of their success. 😉 Agreed. If you don’t like a band, don’t listen to them. As I said [in this CS thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=503094), life’s too short to let other people’s tastes bother you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/against-u2/483107.md?page=3)