digitize

All of them are .
Indeed. U2's foray into true ambient music produced some incredible results, largely because they had Bono's voice to work with which really fit the album.

dan_smee

agreed. I just dont think it worked all the time and I think SOME people get carried away with that

coolian2

now listen son, i don't really think os1 is really that far removed from the likes of zooropa, though. i don't even think it's terribly far removed from their more atmospheric stuff in the 80s, and some tracks on no line even feel like they have roots in passengers. cedars sounds a lot like corpse, for example.

besides, the way i see it, passengers is a u2 album.

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i like a lot of bad music

dan_smee

It is though, The ones you mention are pop/rock songs with atmospheric influences. OS1 is an atmospheric/ambient album played by a pop/rock band.

I see it as an Eno record with U2

digitize

Then Brian Eno has an excellent addition to his discography. Does it really matter if we classify it as U2, Passengers, Brian Eno, U2 with Brian Eno, Brian Eno with U2, U2 plus Brian Eno minus Larry Mullen, or anything else?

coolian2

i guess i see it as a more natural progression from achtung baby -> zooropa -> passengers.

i guess it's how you want to label it then. i see it as a u2 album and appreciate it as such. i mean, it's got all of the usual u2 collaborators, but the name throws people.

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i like a lot of bad music

dan_smee

No it doesn't matter at all

digitize

Exactly. I'm just glad they didn't shelve the sessions entirely or something.

dan_smee

true that.

I think some amazing things came from the sessions. I just don't think everything they did was shitting golden nuggets.

I would have loved an 8 track EP/ short album that had the best cuts.

digitize

What would have been really interesting is if U2 had gone the direction that Eno was hoping for after OS1 instead of towards Pop... I remember him saying that he thought songs like Slug and Miss Sarajevo were the "future of U2", and then he saw U2 as The Village People on TV.

Axver

I find I like U2's two extremes the most. It's no secret I'm a fan of U2's atmospheric side, and the more atmospheric they get, the better. I have said in the past that I wish they had gone further with the UF/Captive direction, and in many ways Passengers does that. I also love U2's more intense side, whether that's the early post-punk of Boy or the seriously rockin' God Part II, The Fly, HMTMKMKM, Gone kind of work.

What I dislike is the bland middle ground, and I feel like U2 have wallowed in that middle ground all too much, especially in the first half of this decade.

I reckon that you need to be consistent and classify Passengers the same way you'd classify UF. Now, I often joke that they're both "Brian Eno featuring U2". But in seriousness, I'd classify them both as U2 albums.

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digitize

Ehh, TUF is definitely less straight-up-Eno than OS1 is. Songs like Bad, Pride, ASOH, Wire, and ISS are all outside of normal Eno-fare, and are very different than OS1, but they all have strong Eno influences, and his hand is obvious in the production. I love both albums... probably TUF somewhat more, though.

Also, Dan Lanois seriously needs to be thanked for what he did especially with Adam and Larry on TUF.

dan_smee

Yeah, no matter how much anyone was invovled in either project, one is classified U2, and one passengers. If that is the only distinction (and it isnt btw) then they can't be grouped the same

subnet

what i was suggesting is that the quick improvisations and recording sessions from OS1 may be in line with the quick improvisation and recording session done for Disappearing Act over a couple summer days in France.

perfection sometimes comes out of quick improvisations and experimentation. Something I feel is part of Disappearing Act.

if you think all this talk is bullshit just let me know. maybe i'm out in left field.

dan_smee

I see what you're saying subnet.

It does sound funny though talking about a song 26 years old :P