I like that last paragraph in your post. Walking the commercial path is a very easy thing to do.
The yawn on U2 can be expected, after all they're Irish. No matter where in the world, people will somewhat be enthousiast when a local makes it big. You see it in sport, you see it in music, in film, ...
And let's stay fair and square, they did write a huge number of classics and can bring a very entertaining show even with only those epics. I must say: respect for them for playing also some less known songs in their setlist. During the tour they played songs like An Cat Dubh that maybe are well known amongst U2 fans but not amongst the mainstream audience. To play such a song and leave out recent hits such Sweetest Thing or Stuck In A Moment, that's quite nice and respectable. It would be much easier for them to play only classics, but they don't.
Lyrically mediocre ? Thought so at first as well, though when going through some less known work, I must say I was very pleasantly surprised sometimes by their lyrics. Of course the most simple songs make the charts and radio, but they do have their share of in-depth lyrics for sure.
But don't take from this that I'm suddenly a U2 fan. Sympathisant, not fan.
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Originally Posted by Conor74
)...I don't get all that excited about it but yeah it's a nice wee song. Never liked with or with you though ...arrangement, melody, lyrics the lot -all seem to rub me up the wrong way a bit.
Therein is the rub of what gets to those -particularly us Irish -who beg to differ when it comes to U2. We're begrudgers and we're unpatriotic because we don't love everyone elses pet feckin band. 
!!!
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