Stereogum Home

 

January 11, 2006

New U2 Video - "Original Of The Species"

New Atomic Bomb video premieres today at AOL Music. Watch here. If you've had ENOUGH of Time's Man Of The Year, you will hate the clip, which plays like an update of Godley & Creme's "Cry" ... except every face is Bono's. There are shots of a pregnant belly too, though ... so apropos timing I guess.

Posted at 11:24 AM in




28 Comments

When will people learn - the last truly cool album U2 released was "War" - and it's been a steady decline since then.

Congrats to Brad and Angelina though - they seem like a very likeable couple. Best of luck to them. I'm sure they'll have a long and happy relationship. Cough.

Posted by: David at 01/11/06 12:31 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Who is this "U2" are they any good? Hopefully the blogs will spread the word on them and they'll make it big some day

Posted by: Josh at 01/11/06 12:40 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

hasn't this video been on mtv for a few weeks already? i swear ive seen it

Posted by: nick at 01/11/06 12:42 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Too bad the song is crap. Dunno why they ever made it a single.

Posted by: bono at 01/11/06 1:55 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

bono is a vegan, which means he only eats dairy because hes allergic.

Posted by: the edge at 01/11/06 2:25 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Why did they release this single, like, one year after that Atomic Bomb album came out? To prove they're Grammy contenders or something?

I hate the video--it makes me not want to buy that Atomic Bomb album even more.

Posted by: Penny Woods at 01/11/06 3:12 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Premiere? That video's been on rotation on MTV for weeks. O_o

Posted by: macphista at 01/11/06 3:14 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Umm yeah this vid came out at least a month ago...and I frickin hate it. Seriously, it creeps me out and I greatly dislike this song.

Posted by: alexis at 01/11/06 3:49 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

What the hell kind of video is that? Why didn't they just play a clip of them playing live, with Bono's burned-out voice, and Larry barely, barely hitting the drums..........argh! Do some solo stuff you guys, because you suck together now. Play with someone else, and maybe it'll inspire you to play and sing better. Not the Edge though; he's still got it. Adam, too; he still swings a crunchy bass. Larry: the object is, you hit the drums, not fall asleep at them. Bono: you need to give away all your money, so you start writing like you're hungry again.

Posted by: Schneider from "One Day at a Time" at 01/11/06 5:08 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

The Beatles strings are really lame. The Edge's theme to that Batman cartoon is way better than this.

Posted by: adam at 01/11/06 5:39 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Like the video. But if any of you don't care for Bono, you won't like it. I am a big U2 fan.

Posted by: kakvox at 01/11/06 8:42 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

It's actually a different version of the video, so it's technically new. I don't like either version, really. But the song is lovely.

Posted by: corianderstem at 01/11/06 9:30 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

schneider - go fix valerie bertinelli's door, it's been broken for a long time. your u2 analysis is as woeful as your handyman skills....

Posted by: c at 01/11/06 11:17 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

God I hate you, Bono.

At least he took off those FUCKING GLASSES

Posted by: Warren at 01/12/06 1:51 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

The word you are looking for is 'appropriate', not 'apropos'.

Posted by: Chimp at 01/12/06 4:03 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Perhaps you are all just scared of your feelings - it really is a lovely song. Mainstream videos in general just seem pretentious and dated lately (with the exception of Beck, I guess, and I sure love seeing Beyonce in the mornings!), but I do think it was fairly novel to take off the "FUCKING GLASSES". Maybe Bono wore them all the time just for this moment?

Posted by: Belle at 01/12/06 9:14 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

I actually like U2, but that is one damn boring video. They used to be such an interesting band up until about 5 years ago, but these days they're playing every SO safe. I hope they get bored soon and make another wacky album like Zooropa or something. I can dream...

Posted by: Patrick at 01/12/06 10:11 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

I'm also a U2 apologist, but everything about this video sucks.

Posted by: kyle g at 01/12/06 10:59 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

God U2 fucking sucks. Isn't shit like this, i.e., rich, balding, middle-aged losers making crappy corporate rock, the reason punk rock started in the first place?

Posted by: Fuck U2 at 01/13/06 3:34 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

wow. i'm glad the band got so much screen time. it's nice to see that bono hasn't let all this attention get to him. *rolls eyes*
come back, mephisto! all is forgiven!

Posted by: peggo at 01/16/06 12:53 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Wow, so much u2 bashing.

Someone said they haven't made a good album since War? That's laughable. Try spinning Achtung Baby or Unforgettable Fire.

Someone called it safe? A good song is a good song. When Lennon wrote Imagine, they didn't call it safe. They called it beautiful - and still do. Oh, that song Yesterday is so safe! Bowie's Space Oddity is so safe!

Not everything has to be cutting edge just for the sake of being cutting edge. That IS for the 20 year olds to do. U2 has been there, done that.

The thing is, the most massive band in the world can't win. If they start writing the occassional song that suits their age you call them corporate sellouts. If they had kept writing War, you'd call them lame.

U2 is lame compared to what?? Cliche hip hop videos with greasy whores and grade school rhymes? Eminem whining about his kiddies not knowing their daddy? Mariah Carey flashing her fat thighs trying to act 20? All those whiny emo-screamo bands posing as rebels, selling their songs to advertisers and hoping for an MTV reality show. Bands like Gorilla that are more bald-facedly marketing ploys than music?

Or how about we compare u2 to some of the bands who came up through the ranks with them? Oh wait, none of them exist. There's always INXS. Right.

For a band that started in 1978 to be at the top of the charts and still writing compelling songs is impressive. If you're only gripe is that they're rich, balding middle-agers, good luck to you when you're a poor, balding middle-age loser. Just because your musical ambitions didn't work out, don't blame it on a musical force like u2.

When did everything that is popular become shit just because it's popular, you simple-minded malcontents? Time to grow out of your adolescent "everything mainstream sucks" mentality and grab a life.

The video is shit, however. Can't win 'em all.

Posted by: Graham at 01/18/06 2:08 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

SO WHAT ABOUT THE VIDEO EVEN THOUGH THE ORIGINAL WAS BETTER- IT'S THE SONG THAT COUNTS- THE LYRICS AND MUSIC- GIVE U2 A BREAK THEV'VE BEEN AROUND FOR DECADES AND ARE GREAT ICONS WHO HAVE CREATED GREAT SONGS OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS- LIKE SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY. THEIR MUSIC IS DIFFERENT AND THEY ARE ALWAYS DEVELOPING NEW SOUNDS SUCH AS VERTIGO. IF THEY ARE SO CRAP, THEN WHY IS IT SO HARD TO BUY TICKETS TO SEE THEM ON TOUR???!!!!
they've done a lot for irish rock music!

Posted by: lorraine at 01/18/06 8:06 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Amen to that, Graham and Lorraine. I am so tired of people bashing U2 for doing what they love and doing it well. I suppose if they'd gone the way of the common drugged-out, jaded herd of rockers, people would talk of them in hushed tones and refer to them as iconic and legendary and all those things we only seem to call musicians who choked on their own vomit after recording one album. Everyone's got a right to their opinion of the band, but kindly allow them the right to exist. If we can tolerate with something like equanimity the presence of ten thousand cloned whiny emo-punk bands who all look like ads for some kind of hair gel, surely there's room for U2?

Posted by: noa at 01/19/06 9:31 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

u2 rock now piss off losers

Posted by: findingliamo at 01/21/06 3:28 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

why do u guys have to have a narrow mind bout things? i think it's an awesome video and i love the lyrics. i hope u know, u2 is one of the biggest band in the world. u2 is not like any other band, u look at now a day bands, and they r made up of a bunch of kids with their hair on the side of their heads singing bout killing themselves. or a couple of guys singing like girls. so wht, bono wears glasses all the time, and the edge wears a benie all the time as well. they r still a great band, and some of u need to get pass all tht and look at the best part about them, the music.

Posted by: sam at 01/22/06 2:35 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

to the knobs slagging u2 off, What bands r u into? listen to your bands lyrics. 99% of todays bands lyrics are embarrasingly cheesey (yes even the "cool" bands) u2,s time will pass but for the last 15 years they have been in a league of their own, the only band big enough to challenge them was the rolling stones but now even they should feel privaliged to be mentioned in the same breath as U2.

Posted by: paul at 01/22/06 5:56 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

I dont know why people care about singles and videos just because it makes the song known. It's the song that counts not the fact that it's a single or a video or not.

Posted by: adam at 01/25/06 8:37 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

I am a coldplay and u2 fan, im used to taking criticism!

Its a great song, not the best as there is miracle drug but still a great tune!

What happened to the other video? it was played on e4 music (the one with the plastic head), this version is shit, possibly the worst video i have ever seen

Posted by: sparky at 02/07/06 2:24 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Leave a comment


Staff

  • Founder/Editor-In-Chief: Scott Lapatine
  • Executive Editor: Amrit Singh
  • Senior Writer: Brandon Stosuy

Info

Contact

Get Flash to see our mp3 player. Here are our mp3s: Jonathan Boulet - A Community Service Announcement (The Album Leaf Remix) (»)
El Guincho - Antillas (XXXchange remix) (»)
El Guincho - Antillas (»)
Wolf People - October Fires (»)
Fan Death - Cannibal (»)
Fan Death - Reunited (CCENTURIESS Remix) (»)
Chll Pll - Dick Moves (»)
Chll Pll - Pass Out (»)
Beck - Harry Partch (»)
Tim Cohen - Haunted Hymns (»)
Tim Cohen - Take Aim Goliath (»)
Ducktails - Sandglider (»)
tUnE-YaRdS - Hatari (Drunkenmonkey Remix) (»)
tUnE-YaRdS - Hatari (Karn Remix) (»)
Beach House - Norway (»)
The Golden Filter - Thunderbird (»)
Crystal Antlers - It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan Cover) (»)
CFCF - How Bizarre (OMC Cover) (»)
The Acorn - Strange Animal (Gowan Cover) (»)
Black Tambourine - Black Car (»)
Boyracer - Sunshine And Violence (»)
Henry's Dress - 1620 (»)
Honeybunch - Mine Your Own Business (»)
Lilys - Claire Hates Me (»)
Lilys - February Fourteenth (»)
Lorelei - Today's Shrug (»)
Sleepyhead - Different Colored Letters (»)
Small Factory - Merry-Go-Round (»)
Swirlies - Sarah Sitting (»)
The Ropers - Waiting (»)
Velocity Girl - My Forgotten Favorite (»)
Monsters Of Folk - Say Please (»)
Rain Machine - Give Blood (»)
Wetdog - Tidy Up Your Bedroom (»)
Beck - Little Hands (Feat. Feist, Wilco And Jamie Lidell) (»)
Brendan Benson - Feel Like Taking You Home (»)
Yeasayer - Ambling Alp (Memory Tapes Remix) (»)
Solange - Stillness Is The Move (Dirty Projectors Cover) (»)
Pearl Harbor - California Shakedown (»)
LoneLady - Immaterial (»)
Andrew Cedermark - Hard Livin' (»)
Family Portrait - Super Cool (»)
The Soft Pack - Answer To Yourself (»)
Bear In Heaven - Dust Cloud (»)
Bear In Heaven - Lovesick Teenagers (»)
Atlas Sound - Doctor (Five Discs Cover) (»)
Atlas Sound - The Screens (»)
Cloud Nothings - Hey Cool Kid (»)
The Mary Onettes - Dare (»)
The Mary Onettes - Puzzles (»)
Digital Leather - Photo Lie (»)
Memory Tapes - Easy Pert Mom (»)
Memory Tapes - Graphics (Sci-Fi Edit) (»)

Progress Report logo
Commercial Appeal logo
Premature Evaluation logo
Band to Watch logo
Quit Your Day Job logo
The Outsiders logo
The 'Gum Drop logo