About U2's "Vertigo"...I don't get it.

[tuvor]

Why is everyone so excited? This is the kind of song Bono and the Edge probably fart out in their sleep.

I mean, I've spent three minutes in worse ways, but c'mon. Do they keep straight faces when they say they haven't felt this passionate in ten years???

ON EDIT: Fan since Live at Red Rocks, lost interest around Zooropa.

[Dogmudgeon]

1. Here's what I don't get ...

It's the intensity of hatred for this song here on DU.

I myself like it, but I know that not everybody has the same tastes in music as I do.

I never did get the whole music-hate thing. If I don't like a song or a group, I just tune them out.

And it's not as if I'm detatched from music -- I'm a competent singer, songwriter, and can play the guitar. My entire family is "musical", and my brother is a some-time professional musician. But to hate a piece of music or a musician? That happens very rarely, and it's usually due to the lyrics, not the music.

--p!

[tuvor]

6. Hope you're not getting that vibe from me.

I just think it's mediocre.

Plus, I work in an industry that doesn't really allow me to tune it out.

[frylock]

17. the intensity of hatred for this song..

speaking for myself, and just to let you know up front that I'm the furthest thing from a fan of U2, it's the exposure to the song that pisses me off. I can't get away from it; if I watch any sports over the weekend, it's a given that I will be subjected to that U2/iPod commercial no less than 30 times. Yes, I hate that fuckin song. It's overexposure like that which drove me away from FM radio. I'm just now, after 7 years, able to listen to my Sublime CD.

[Dogmudgeon]

18. That makes sense

I watch about 2 hours of broadcast TV a week, and never watch sports at all. I've seen the iPod commercial maybe three times. I'm sure if I had to watch it twice an hour over several days, I'd become annoyed by it, too.

--p!

[kariatari]

22. I don't even understand why they put Vertigo on the CD....

It doesn't really fit with the rest of the tracks, which are pretty damn good, by the way. My guess is that they threw it on there just because they needed a catchy single.

[radwriter0555]

49. It's a great tune; great sound, great orchestration, & I know the STORY

behind the lyrics, which is appallingly simply.

Bono met up with a friend of a friend of mine at a show. They were just chatting, and she brought up the subject of her affliction, "Vertigo". Bono asked her at length about it, and said then it would be a cool title for a song. He mentions her cross swaying to the music, the big one her complimented her on, while they were chatting.

NO great deep socially conscious lyrical content, but 8 years for a song to come to fruition... which is interesting.

I like the tune. It's got energy, and motion and passion, and the video is VERY hot, artistic, visual dynamite...

Met bono myself 20 some odd years ago on his first tour of the US. Sat with him on a road case, shared his cola, laughing at the J.Geils band. Nice guy.

[Dogmudgeon]

54. Coulda been me

Well, not for meeting Bono -- I've met a few rock stars, but not Bono.

However, I do have a real bad case of vertigo from ear damage. When I was in my 20s, my favorite "treatment" for the unceasing spinning was to go out dancing. If I danced fast enough, with enough spinning, the internal spinning would go away for a couple days. Sometimes, I would just spin like a dervish for half the night.

These days, damaged feet and severe tobacco-smoke allergies keep me out of the "dance halls", but for a while, it was an extremely effective way to deal with vertigo.

--p!
That was before iPods came out, of course.

[kariatari]

56. You MET BONO?!!! FUCKING AWESOME!

[ClevelandSportsCurse]

2. It's definitely not as good as their 80's stuff

Vertigo is a good pop song, but nothing more. U2's best days are long gone. They have been in the twilight of their careers for the last decade. While they still crank out a good song or two nowadays, they will never match what they achieved with The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, Unforgettable Fire, War, and other albums from that era.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

3. Because their stuff just keeps getting better and better.

They rock. I'm sorry you lost interest. It might be time to try to get reinterested. :shrug:
Duckie

[tuvor]

9. Yes, of course it rocks.

They should be able to at least do that, being rockers and all.

It's competent, but all the hype is all, well, just a lot of hype.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

14. That I will agree with you on, the hype.

Also, Bono's head is so huge, it's a wonder he can walk around at all.
Duckie

[high density]

4. Everybody is accidently buying the wrong album

This is what they're really shopping for:

[RPM]

5. perhaps - the first releases since Achtung have confounded listeners

My first thought when hearing "the Fly" was "what the fuck are these guys doing"; in the end - i loved Achtung Baby.

Same thing with "Elevation" - possibly the worst song on that CD.

Its their pattern at this point.

[tuvor]

7. Achtung was GREAT. n/t

[RPM]

11. I agree...

... but the first thing i thought was :wtf:

[nyrnyr1994]

8. 1.......2..........3........14!

I don't get the counting at the beginning:

Uno...dos...tres...catorce!

Other than that I like the song.

[StrongbadTehAwesome]

16. yeah, the first time I saw that commercial I spit soda across the room

as my 7-year old cousin said, "Hey! He can't count!"

[kariatari]

21. It's a tribute to producer Steve Lillywhite...

He produced U2's first three albums (Boy, October, War) and now their 14th (HTDAAB)

[Phillycat]

44. OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

That's the coolest random fact I'm going to learn today. Thank you!

[democracy eh]

46. this post proves

DU Lounge DOES make you smarter

I learned last night that aardvarks are solitary animals and don't travel in large herds.

and that JohnKleeb is a very popular guy

[Phillycat]

47. I feel smarter already!

Well, maybe not smarter. Smart-assier, for sure!

[AntiCoup2K4]

29. One likely explanation for the counting

I believe this is U2's 14th album. And with Vertigo being the lead track on the CD, that's how they chose to start it off.

Or it's a tribute to Sam the Sham & the Pharoas count in on "Wooly Bully"?

[WindRavenX]

10. U2 does a lot of different formats

People have noted that they have disliked "Elevation" "The Fly" and now "Vertigo"; all three of these songs are stand out songs that do not fit the overall mood of the album that they appear on. HOWEVER, just because that they may not "fit" the mood of the album does not make it automatically crap.
I fail to see how U2's best days are over. The fact that they create odd, unique tracks is a sign of their talent.
PS- I adore all three songs, especially "The Fly".

[tuvor]

12. I NEVER CALLED IT CRAP.

Again, it's just mediocre. But so many people (not here, I hardly read the music posts, honestly) are just peeing themselves over the song.

Maybe it's just a case of looking for any shred of decent music in the vast Ashlee Simpson wasteland.

[WindRavenX]

15. I didn't say you called it crap

But the fact is a lot of people are going apeshit bashing this song for no reason other than it's their subjective taste. Fine. I can live with that. But to say U2's best days are behind them? I don't get that.
Personally, the reason "Vertigo" rocks is because it just sounds wicked awesome- the lyrics make no sense and it doesn't have a story like most U2 songs. But, it's a graet song to me because it always gets me in a rockin' mood. :headbang:

[WildEyedLiberal]

55. Yep

That's one thing I LOVE about U2 - they can make mellow, profound, lyrically and melodically brillant songs that make you think, and they can also make short dumb loud ROCK songs that make you want to :headbang: The fact that they are excellent at both proves their immense talent.

I loved "Elevation" too - that song makes me want to go get in a convertible and drive really fast.

[progressiveBadger]

59. Yep

Their music "grows" on me more than anyone else. I usually like their album when it's first released, but the more I listen to it, the more I grow to love it. Even Pop.

[RPM]

13. yep - i was confused by it at first...

... then it became one of my favorites

[NashVegas]

51. I Loved "Elevation"

Still think it's one of the sexiest songs they've ever done.

[radwriter0555]

52. U2 would be HORRIBLY BORING if they didn't constantly change, evolve

and grow...

I LOVE that these guys are my age, they're not trying to be young studs, they NEVER take themselves seriously and they still FUCKIN' ROCK.

LOVE these guys.

[Skip Intro]

19. If it only got a little more airplay...

kidding, of course - at leat three stations here play it at least once an hour.

I like it, but I've heard it enough times...

I haven't heard the album/cd, or anything else off of it...

[corporatemedia]

20. I'd give it about an ...85 mainlly because it's easy to dance to.

[Placebo]

23. I'm a HUGE U2 fan as well...

and HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB is their worst album EVER.

It's so boring, soft, ordinary and mainstream. Nothing about it pushes the envelope. It's sad that a mediocre album is getting so much attention just because it's been put out by U2, while countless kick ass bands who sound great and fresh are barely getting any attention and are forced to scrounge for scraps in U2's long-since depleted shadow.

[kariatari]

24. I'm a HUGE U2 fan and I'm going to disagree.

HTDAAB kicks the living shit out of everything on ATYCLB, R&H, and October. Also, I can listen to this one the whole way through, which is something I can't do with War and Boy.

[Placebo]

27. EEK, that's sad to hear.

Since all the albums you name are better than HTDAAB on its best day. :D

[kariatari]

30. Onlly if you like Bono's Banshee wailing

And for the record. ATYCLB was a complete piece of shite.

[AntiCoup2K4]

31. If you can't listen to WAR all the way through

...I seriously question your credentials as a U2 fan. Same with Boy and October, for that matter.

Now POP, on the other hand, would be completely understandable.


Signed,

AntiCoup2K4, U2 fan since 1980

[kariatari]

32. If you can't listen to Pop...

Then I seriously question your understanding of what makes U2 so great. Pop is the essence of what U2 is. Pushing the envelope with innovative sounds on songs that masterfully blend religion, politics, and sex. Lyrically, the album is up there with U2's best. In terms of sonic complexity, it blows everything they've ever done out of the water. I'm constantly finding new sounic layers on that album that I've never noticed before. Pop was and is brilliant. It was a U2 masterpiece before it's time.

Bono's voice is just too damn obnoxious on War. I'd almost (but not quite) rather listen to Rush and Geddy Lee, whom I've compared to a chihuahua being castrated.

October had shite lyrics and shite for melodies. The only songs on October worth remembering are Gloria, October, and Fire.

[WildEyedLiberal]

40. U2 is my ultimate favorite band

I haven't given "Pop" much of a listen, however, I must admit. I listened to it a LONG time ago (5 years, something like that) and remember liking "Staring at the Sun." I need to relisten to it, so I can actually remember what the other songs sound like.

Now, I love War. Yes, Bono's voice is very strident, but it fits the mood of the album. Songs like "Seconds" and "Like a Song" are super earnest and contain more than a fair amount of wailing, but that's why I like them. Sometimes I'm in the mood for a super-sincere political anthem. And "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is a great song. It just is.

I actually do much prefer HTDAAB to ATYCLB. I loved "Walk On" because I think it has great lyrics, and "Kite" and "Beautiful Day" for the melodies, and "Elevation" because it makes me want to drive my car fast, but other than that, I can't say I have an affinity for any of the other songs on the record. However, I can listen to HTDAAB front-to-back. Yeah, "Vertigo" is a big dumb rock song. So what? Granted, I don't watch TV so I don't see the iPod commercial, but still, Vertigo's a lot of fun. And I really, really like just about every song on the remainder of the album.

The Unforgettable Fire is another album I haven't listened to in its entirety in a while; I basically recall "Pride," "Bad," and "The Unforgettable Fire" from that CD, all of which I like. Oh, and "MLK" is really good too.

But "The Joshua Tree" and "Achtung Baby" are simply superb. Hands down the best albums of the past 20 years.

[Phillycat]

53. You and me both, babe.

Signed, wore Unforgettable Fire shirt to school every day for her 10th grade year. (yes, washed in between)

[kariatari]

57. Haha! Awesome.

[ofrfxsk]

25. This U2 baby doesn't get it either

I don't watch TV so I don't know what commercials folks are talking about. I haven't bought the album yet but I am not impressed with Vertigo at all. It sounds like a lazy amalgamation of several songs to me. They need to focus on one thing. This saving the world plus putting out creative music just aint workin' for 'em.

I want my old U2 back!

[kariatari]

26. By "old U2" i hope you don't mean

the sugarcoated-so-sweet-your-teeth-rot-pop U2 of All That You Can't Leave Behind.

[ofrfxsk]

35. Oh God no! I'm talking Unforgettable fire

(my fav album of all time)

[kariatari]

36. OK good. I also heart UF. :)

[Phillycat]

50. Are you four?

Who would say "old U2" and mean their last album?

[kariatari]

58. You'd be surprised.

[chenGOD]

45. "I want my old U2 back!"

You mean you want Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno to start producing them again...:)

[tjdee]

28. My god I love that song.

It's loud, and it's fast.

And it's Bono, and it's Edge, and it's Larry, and it's Adam.

[Forkboy]

33. I dont get U2 period

Maybe I should take that damn Agorophobic Nosebleed CD off :evilgrin:

[Zomby Woof]

34. it's shit

That is all there is to get.

[solinvictus]

37. Overexposure..

The damned song has been in heavy rotation here for the past two months. Now, it's officially released, meaning it'll be played even more. I hated it before the album came out.

[kip_russell]

38. i have been a fan

since Joshua tree was first released .. at first, i was not impressed with their latest album, however, like their previous albums, over time i find that i am enjoying it more and more

[corporatemedia]

39. "I don't want anything to do with U2" - Francis Gary Powers

[orpupilofnature57]

41. what dont you get?fan since OCTOBER

[ForrestGump]

43. Dude, that's just over a month ago now

Not impressive creds.... :P

[vi5]

42. I like it but don't love it.....

It's got some deent hook. I think I'm still scarred from Zooropa and as long as they aren't putting out crap songs like that one with the Edge singing and doing tours with huge lemons in the arena, I'm o.k. with it.

[democracy eh]

48. it is a pop song

reasonable expectations are in order

[Maestro]

60. Been listening to them since '81

and Vertigo is in my CD right now. It is a great album. And the poster that said that the song really doesn't fit the album is correct. The other songs all have the emotion and ephemeral feel that something like the Unforgettable Fire had. I love the song "Miracle Drug." It's just awesome. And as far as overexposure goes, my God they are U2. Whatever they do they create publicity and music still is a business so they did an iPod spot for no money. Big deal! These guys are class acts and nothing like the primadonna princes and princesses we have nowadays. It's a great album, period.

[homebrewer]

61. its just a ripped off riff from sonic youth's "dirty boots"

well, it is......