The first argument I will refute is this: U2 never should have recorded "Achtung Baby" because it goes against everything they believe in.
First of all, it's their decision to record what they record. U2 was not happy with the "Joshua Tree" tour and "Rattle and Hum." At their final concert on that tour, Bono declared that they needed to "go away for a while and just dream it all up again." This gave them freedom to do what they wanted. Isn't that what rock-n-roll is all about? Doing what you want? You could argue that they should have just quit and gone their separate ways. That's like my saying you should quit your job because I don't like how you do it. U2 was creatively starved and needed something new to do. They realized that with almost every other band, the stage persona and the real personalities were different. With "Achtung Baby" they used that philosophy for their recording. They gave their music a more throw-away sound, but lyrically it was much much deeper than anything they'd ever done. Listen to the lyrics. With the ZooTV tour, they wanted to put on a fun show. During the "Joshua Tree" years, critics slammed them for taking themselves way too seriously. They were also condemned for not acting like rock stars and putting on a big serious show. So, they did the opposite. They made their music much more serious, and they put on a show that was, frankly, pretty funny.
Argument 2: U2 used to stand for something. Now all they're interested in is money.
U2's ZooTV tour barely broke even. If they were only after money, they would have stripped down the stage and just been four guys. Instead, they wanted to give their fans a good show. With songs like "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "Pride," and the first half of the "Joshua Tree," it can easily be claimed that U2 stands for something. You might, when considering their three latest albums, not including "Passengers," think that they have become shallow. You, like most people, are probably only taking into consideration the radio-friendly tracks. "Pop" is more than just "Discotheque!!" If songs like "Until the End of the World," "One," "The First Time," The Wanderer," "Please," and "Wake Up, Dead Man" are meaningless, then so is every othe song U2 ever recorded. Watching Bono sing "Please" on stage was incredible. The passion and the pain were overwhelming.
Argument 3: U2 should go back and do a "Joshua Tree 2."
That goes against everything U2 stands for. They have always been about moving forward, not treading old ground.
Not everyone likes U2, and I'm not saying they should. I am saying that it is wrong to accuse someone of something they didn't do. If U2 had sold out, we would see U2 candy bars, trading cards, and dolls. They would advertise Pepsi. But they made a conscious decision not to do so. No U2 tour has ever been sponsored by anyone.
