matt Wow, I am totally shocked that you have never seen them live. Shocked.

I consider myself fortunate to have seen them twice. Most recently last summer for the Joshua Tree show. Gillette Stadium, nosebleeds, in the back, in the corner. What a great fucking show that was. They came out on fire. Sunday Bloody Sunday, New Year's Day, Pride. Bad. Then it was the Joshua Tree album. It sounded so good and the breathtaking visuals behind them took it to another level. Then... they started playing newer stuff, and you could literally feel the energy being sucked right out of the gig with every note. People were flooding the aisles in droves for the restrooms and beerstands. But again, I was way in back, so I dunno.

But their volume of work in the 80's and 90's speaks for itself. One of the greatest bands of all-time, in my opinion.

Nope. Never seen them live.

Never been the right time nor the right place for me. But for the most recent tour? Far too pricey I’m afraid - I know they have to make back the money for the massive production values but even I baulked. And, just my luck, they played just across the river at the O2 from where I live! I wasn’t too fussed at the time because I hadn’t got Songs of Experience and I didn’t expect much in all honesty, and yep, sure enough a year on I really dig the album despite its faults!

The Joshua Tree tour looked immense though and that’s a real regret. I laughed when I saw that announced - saw it as evidence of a band run out of ideas and they’d finally become the heritage act they feared - but then I saw the reviews, the reaction and then the videos of it and it looked immense.

I really should have known better and it was unfair to compare them to The Rolling Stones who look ridiculous singing those hedonistic songs as OAPs and the uninspiring drudgery of The Stone Roses reunion. The album was always more mature and mystical than any of the other heritage acts that try to act young again with songs that are evidently written by young men, but even for a bunch of 20 something’s when U2 wrote that album, it’s obvious it’s an album that doesn’t rely on any fad or movement or age bracket and is just timeless. It was a ridiculous assumption to make on a band that looks way more comfortable ploughing into their back catalogue than any other act.

When all is said and done, it is about the music and The Joshua Tree tour proved that. This video in particular - what a tune, what a tune. If you don’t think it’s great, you might as well bin your entire music collection and call yourself tasteless. This performance alone is worth the entry fee and is worth ten billion times any Stone Roses reunion farce.

Songs of Experience would have been a decent way to go out if that's the case, better than you'd imagine from 2017 U2.

If they want to call it a day, then good bye.

They don't have anything to prove anymore, it's sad, they are one of my favorite bands, I'm a fan since 97 when I heard Pop, even before Oasis, I love their 80's and 90's work, but now they are in the same position that The Rolling Stones were in late 90's, releasing soulless albums as an excuse to go on tours, and those last worthless albums just doesn't help them either, Atomic Bomb may be one of the blandest album I've ever heard, I just hate that album with a passion, and how it won thousands of Grammys, from that point on I realised Grammy were more about business than the music itself, but don't worry, we will always have their classic past albums.

A little strong perhaps.... But you know what, I really can't argue with anything you said in your post.

Funnily enough, Atomic Bomb is the only post-Pop U2 album I really enjoy. From start to finish. I even prefer Miracle Drug over some songs from Achtung Baby. The first half of No Line on the Horizon has its nice moments as well. But I agree, their remaining output since 1997, bar the odd song (Beautiful Day of course) is the definition of bland.

On a side note, I've been to Ireland for 6 days a few weeks ago, visited plenty of pubs with a lot of live music and alongside Whiskey in the Jar, One has apparently become the inofficial Irish national anthem. It was everywhere.

The Killers were pretty huge back then too.

They had some good songs in recent years aswell. And bono still kills it live. Saw them twice, once with The claw which was mind blowing, it looked like an ufo has landed in the stadium and in 2015 which was also the better show, not so gigantic and more intimate indoors. Formed in school going on for 40years I think they had quite a good run. And yes I hate the double standards from bono but he always fought publicly for the right thing, and thats a rare thing for artists these days.

I'd agree. It's a solid album and touches on several eras of the band, sonically, and while it doesn't necessarily cover new ground, it serves as a nice counterpart of SOI and seems to put a period where a comma would usually go. I would be sad if they stopped performing and retired after SOE, but they've done well and now wouldn't be a bad time to step away. 13 (There is a Light) feels like a nice close on the band's story and accentuates how it's time for someone else, possibly their kids, to really go out and make a difference in the world like they have (and will continue to do even if they no longer make music).

If they do make new music, I would love to see another Passengers-like album or something in the vein of their '90s stuff that could be considered innovative or cutting edge, or even a re-imagined version of their sound (a la TUF, AB, or Pop), whatever that may be. Stop trying to chase hits, go for artistic fulfillment more than anything. I doubt that will happen, but I'd be extremely giddy if that did. 

U2 for a time were a band that could surprise you, and not many bands can do that to you. U2 went from Anthem Rock of War to the soundscapes of Unforgettable Fire to the heart of America with Joshua Tree to the European alternative rock of Achtung Baby and Zooropa to dance rock of Pop back around to mix all those sounds together but with a modern touch with All That You Can't Leave Behind and How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. After that things got shaky with them, but aside from Rattle and Hum I don't think they ever made a truly awful album. Sure Bono talks out of his ass, but Edge is one of my favorite guitarist's, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullan are just a solid bass and Drums combo.

Seen them live 3 times and I wasn't ever disappointed and they total blew me away. Definitely one of the greatest bands ever.