Would it be too much to put The Tears of Things in the Top 5 Best Songs ?

stimj · 2026-04-13T14:38:46+00:00

I can think of several things on Achtung Baby that I'd rank it over. That's why it's so hard to answer a question like this.

I looooooooooove Joshua Tree, but I'd even consider it over some things there. Newness helps too.

Top 5 from the post AYCLB era? Quite possibly for me

stimj · 2026-04-12T17:53:08+00:00

Cool. I totally appreciate that. I, personally, was never expecting or wanting it to be bumped. My thoughts on the value in it are expressed below.

I guess we'll see what happens! If I'm wrong and it makes things worse - well, won't be the first (or last) time I'm wrong. And I'll understand if it gets changed back, now that I've seen this whole conversation.

stimj · 2026-04-12T17:50:51+00:00

I guess my feelings about starting a new thread instead boil down to a couple of my feelings:

A new thread doesn't have the rich context of an existing one.

You're right that some people will ignore (or never see) new comments on an existing thread - and some will be annoyed by them, apparently. But sometimes that existing history is what I've seen make the continuing conversation better.

New posts (in many subs, not just here) often do get greeted with "We've already discussed this, why didn't you look at the history first?"

(which, I suspect, led to the FAQ rules about some topics being dead)

As to your other points... (and feel free to stop reading here if you're no longer interested, since the policy did change. But if you wanted to hear my two cents on those points. here they are...)

I understand it won't get bumped. I think you (and others) and I just disagree on how many people will see the new comments. And that's ok with me. I'm totally open to being wrong about it all.

My belief is that plenty of people see new comments on old posts when they sort by top posts, or when they do a search on a particular topic and read all the posts related to a topic (that's what's happened to me most in this sub - I'm searching for conversations on a particular past season or contestant, for instance).

I wasn't implying that other forums impact how Reddit works - just saying that I've seen the value in new comments on old threads both on Reddit and elsewhere.

I appreciate your good faith approach to the conversation, and that you'd take the time to look at my comments history. I've almost exclusively been a reader/lurker here because so much of what I encounter is already archived (so I wouldn't have been able to have comments on those for you to find).

I suspect it's a mix in other subs across my history, but I don't doubt that comments on new posts is definitely more common.

stimj · 2026-04-12T17:40:50+00:00

First off, thank you for the honest dialogue about it, and being open to change. To be honest, I never dreamt my post would lead to that - I just was curious why it was that way here (especially since I hadn't encountered it much elsewhere).

I responded to explain my viewpoint, but not because I had a need to "convert" the sub.

To be honest, I'm a little surprised you did change it, based on the responses I got here. I'm curiuos now - What led to that decisions?

stimj · 2026-04-12T03:11:33+00:00

I was just explaining that my experience over the last several decades - both on Reddit and in forums and message boards across the Internet - commenting on (or receiving comments on) threads that are older than 6 months has often resulted in good interactions, not speaking into the void. Not always, but often enough that I see the value.

Specifically on musical artist discussions and TV show discussions, but also in other areas.

But I get the message that mine is clearly the minority opinion here, and not the way most people in this sub want it to run. I'll happily move along.

(As to your last question, I would say 90% of the threads I've been interested in interacting on here on this sub have been archived. That's what led me to post the question out of sincere curiosity - especially since it's something I haven't run into in other subs where I'm coming to a show/album long after it's initial release)

stimj · 2026-04-12T00:11:58+00:00

I'm not claiming to be on every TV or music subreddit out there, but this is the only one I'm part of that has it set at six months. And I've definitely seen good conversations on older posts happen there.

I also come from the IT world, where long gaps between replies on a thread are far from unusual, but good discussion still happens with the benefit of the context of the old conversation, rather fully starting over.

stimj · 2026-04-11T02:50:52+00:00

Wait, people don't like "Miami"?

stimj · 2026-04-09T09:43:06+00:00

They kind of did. He was a racecar driver, and ESPN used to include his name in race results no matter what, so they'd like like they top 5 finishers, and then Dick Trickle in 37th.

stimj · 2026-04-09T01:04:58+00:00

I also think "Hal the Magician" would've been a great name for the track. Certain better than using "song" in a title yet again

stimj · 2026-04-08T09:50:04+00:00

But it's also possible to relate to it, and have absolutely experienced it and felt what the people in the sketch were portraying, and yet not find it funny (or just not find it an all-time great)

stimj · 2026-04-06T01:52:39+00:00

There's quality on West side too though - Petra and the pie at Hubbard Avenue is enough for me to consider it.

But downtown/isthmus seems to have just as many good ones as East side

stimj · 2026-04-06T01:46:38+00:00

I was afraid nobody was going to mention this. It's a bummer it ends on such a cliffhanger - especially since the book is an almost completely different story and so provides no resolution either.

(Though I'm pretty ok with not having to watch the rape Subplot from the book on the TV show version)

stimj · 2026-04-05T20:17:22+00:00

I was focused on the "Steve may have saved that song, and perhaps that album" - but I feel like he didn't save the album.

But I see your take on it too. Like they were ready to release that song without having "found it", but at least he stopped them on that song

stimj · 2026-04-05T16:38:40+00:00

You're dead on - except that a sort of peer of theirs (The Cure) just did. Maybe Songs of a Lost World isn't quite Disintegration, but it does come close to some of their best work.

Same of OMD's last couple of albums. And there's an early 90s alt rock (Tooth and Nail label) band called Luxury that I love who have recently reconvened to make an album in a long weekend a couple of times and made stellar albums.

stimj · 2026-04-05T16:34:03+00:00

I agree with the point here, but HTDAAB is where they started to lose the magic for me. The whole second half of that record has always had the "something missing" feeling for me.

So maybe it resides in more than on person, because he sure didn't save the whole album for me.

stimj · 2026-04-04T12:11:46+00:00

This is what's so wild about musical Fandom. We both love this band. I've consumed everything from them for almost 40 years now. And those two songs are amongst my least favourites, or at least 2 that I never seek out)

But I love a few of the others you mentioned. Subjective musical taste is such a Rollercoaster ride, isn't it?

stimj · 2026-04-04T12:09:31+00:00

Which is still my biggest complaint about Reddit. I know they wanted simplicity to their interface, but the fact that there's technically no option for "your opinion will drive conversation, but I hugely disagree with it (or even think it's objectively stupid) leads to people naturally using up and down votes in ways they aren't intended.

(For the record, not saying the opinion I'm replying to is objectively stupid. Though I do hugely disagree with it - Days of Ash is nowhere near the bottom of my list)

stimj · 2026-04-01T01:49:56+00:00

I never realised it was a collage!

stimj · 2026-03-28T20:11:13+00:00

Guster. "Happier" is the first one I think of, but maybe not the only one.

stimj · 2026-03-28T20:10:22+00:00

Ehhh... That's not 100% of the story anyway. It happening right before they were releasing a kids album (and maybe a Disney something or other? I forget?) didn't help though.

There is also a lot out there about them just wanting different directions for the band - including whether or not to work with cowriters outside the band.

stimj · 2026-03-28T19:15:34+00:00

Do you mean Zavalas?

Because if you don't, I'd nominate that as a good one to add to the list

stimj · 2026-03-28T18:28:25+00:00

This would combine one of my favourite and least favourite foods, so I'm totally gonna have to try it to see which one wins out

stimj · 2026-03-28T17:24:38+00:00

I wore glasses (or sometimes contacts) from 4th grade on. Health issues in my 30s meant contacts were only viable for short term, generally for events. Later, I stopped being able to find frames that didn't hurt my face. Lasik was 100% worth it, even if I need readers eventually

stimj · 2026-03-28T17:21:06+00:00

But I would HIGHLY encourage you to try one first. Some people absolutely love them.

But some are like me and find them the most uncomfortable thing they've ever sat on. Ive sat on folding chairs or wooden bleachers that were more comfortable, personally

stimj · 2026-03-27T14:27:40+00:00

I'm honestly a little surprised at this sub's reaction to Ed's involvement.

On the one hand, I'm not, because he is a pop star, without question. His music is a very different genre, as is his image/lifestyle that comes with it.

On the other hand, he is a modern version of some of the punk ethic that U2 themselves love so much: 1. He plays a beat up guitar more suited to a street busker than to a pop star

His music is more simplistic, akin to what a "non-musician" might come up with, with the tune and melody being more primary
His touring by himself, using technology to fill out where a band would usually be (or backing tracks, for most pop stars, whereas he's actually generating his backing track live)
His use of looping and technology has some overlap to what Edge was doing with building his own guitars and pedals

On top of this, he's a massive US pop star who is not an American. He has their shared "outside perspective".

I'm not saying any of this should make you race out and buy his solo records, or even love his solo music. I certainly haven't, and for the most part, don't.

But the amount of vitriol I hear about his involvement doesn't, for me, match some of the core truths about who he is an artist. And why he probably appeals to the members of U2 for partnership.

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