The Downfall of U2

I remember the days when I was a young kid growing up
Looking in the mirror, dreaming about blowin' up
The rock crowds. Make money. Chill with the honeys.
Sign autographs and whatever the people want from me.
shit Its funny how impossible dreams manifest
And the games that be comin' with it
Nevertheless, you got to go for the gusto
But you don't know about the blood, sweat, and tears and
Losin' some of your peers.

And losin' some of yourself to the years past, gone by
Hopefully it don't manifest for the wrong guy
Egomaniac and the brainiac don't know how to act
shit deep
Cypress Hill - "Rock Superstar"

U2 were one of the most important bands of the 80s and early 90s. The important word in that sentence is were. U2's recent albums, though somehow receiving both critical and commercial success, are, to put it bluntly, fucking shit. October, War, The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby, were some of the most influential, socially conscious albums ever released. But what have they done since Achtung Baby? Zooropa, Pop, and the two albums that revived the career of U2, 2000's All That You Cn't Leave Behind, and 2004's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.
So here's my problems with what U2 has become. Old U2 always had a certain melancholy, cynicism to them. Hell, they were depressing as balls. Take a listen to The Joshua Tree. It is NOT a happy record. And that's what made those old records great. In an era of hair metal and 80s synth-pop, people were looking for a band that made songs about how they really felt. U2's shit was honest, political, and downright sad as Hell. They had well written lyrics that meant something, with enough guitar and drums to keep even the most die-hard rocker happy. But over the years, something has happened to U2.
From a personal standpoint, let's look at Bono. He went from the little guy speaking-up for the little guy, into the big-guy speaking up for the little-guy. Bono is a diva now. And for a band with a punk heritage like U2's, this is not a good thing. This success has affected Bono's view on the world and his songwriting. Instead of the dark, morose songs that made U2 what they were, the last two U2 albums have been full of promise and hope. Promise and hope are good and all, but they don't make for particularly compelling music coming from U2. The other way U2's music has changed is with the actual music itself. Old U2 albums were driven by Bono's lyrics, and the rest of the band would build around his words. New U2, though, is built around The Edge's guitar riffs. Now, certain bands, such as Aerosmith and AC/DC are excellent riff-based bands, but this simply does not work wth U2. It just is not their style and they cannot pull it off. All of the songs off their last couple albums sounds the same. There is no ingenuity or creativity within the lyrics or the actual musical composition itself.
Despite all this, U2 is arguably bigger than they ever were. I don't fucking get it. I can't stand their new shit. It's not good. It's all happy and boring. U2 fed off the whole us - vs - the world mentality. It's what made them and it's what made their music. But with their fame and fortune, they lost that drive that fed them and inspired them and gave them that contempt for humanity and the world. U2 needs to go back to that depression and sadness that made them so great. Maybe people need to just stop telling Bono how great he is. Maybe the band needs to hit the bottle. However they do it, U2 used to be an amazing band, full of realism and despair. Now they are optimists. As far as the music of U2 goes, optimism sucks. U2 needs to start seeing the glass as they used to - half empty. Seriously, if I hear that awful elevation song one more time, I may shoot someone. Maybe that'll put some blackness back into Bono's heart...