U2 - Community rankings - FIN - #4 Sunday Bloody Sunday, #3 - One, #2 - Bad, #1 - Where the Streets Have No Name -Spotify links, thanks to Krista4 (2 Viewers)

[Ghost Rider]

#147 - Where Did it all go wrong? (1991)

Highest Rank - 66

Lowest Rank - 189

Where to Find it - Even Better than the real thing B Side

Vulture.com ranking and comment - 157/218 - Rescued from the cutting floor at Hansa Studios, this unnecessarily elevated demo somehow made it to the B-side of the “Even Better Than the Real Thing” single instead of any of the many far-superior tracks that didn’t make the final cut for Achtung Baby. There’s a nice, crunchy guitar break at the end and a vague Beatles-esque flavor, but it’s ultimately forgettable.

Comment - Achtung Baby reject. Thankfully. Doesnt deserve to even sniff it. Basic rock n roller

Next up, another track from Songs of Innocence that I simply love. Others, not so much. 

Yeesh, I had never heard this before, but that was not good.  Not even close to any of the songs that made Achtung Baby, all of which are great.  

 

[Brony]

I was really bullish on Little Things. (26). Has an excellent chorus and the whole song fits together nicely. I may have overrated it a little bit since it is one of few standout songs from Songs of Experience, but I like this song. 

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

I've always liked This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now quite a bit.  Love the harmonies. Thought it was gross that dreck like The Miracle was given the number 1 slot on the album and a prime spot on the tour, while this, a far better song, got relegated to the track 10 slot and never getting played live, but then again U2's decisions in the last 12 years when it comes to singles and whatnot have been pretty atrocious. 

I like The Little Things That Give You Away quite a bit as well.  Not as much as the diehards, many of whom are nutty about it, but it's a good tune.  I believe this was played live first on the Innocence + Experience tour in 2015 before later appearing on the Songs of Experience album, and then was either never played (or barely played) on the Experience + Innocence tour in 2018 (I know it wasn't at the show I saw). 

12 years? I hated Vertigo, Discoteque, Numb, The Fly and Desire. All first singles. I have grown to love a couple, but the rest we will see what i think later. U2 could probably turn out stuff like Miracle in their sleep. Making “This is where you can reach me now” and “Sleep Like a Baby Tonight” show they are still interested in taking their music in different directions. My #37 is another one of these tracks that thankfully has others with at least with one foot on board. It does have a #222 ranking though lol. 

Little Things is in my top 20.  Song just guts me every time. 

I might have to re-evaluate this one too. 

You say tomato, I say . . .  a great track of the many that didn't make the album. In fact, I have all the Achtung Baby era songs in their own folder (album tracks, B sides, unreleased songs, alternate versions, demos, songs that were part of the initial studio recordings that were stolen). There's like 4-5 albums worth of material from what arguably is their creative peak. The Deluxe Edition is one of the best fleshed out versions of an album ever released. I highly recommend it.

I think I will have to reevalute this deluxe edition. Achtung Baby i believe is their creative peak. I tried to get into the deluxe Joshua Tree and it just annoyed me. 

I was really bullish on Little Things. (26). Has an excellent chorus and the whole song fits together nicely. I may have overrated it a little bit since it is one of few standout songs from Songs of Experience, but I like this song. 

Yeah, i had it at #206, but yours and others comments mean i will flog it for 5 listens in a row to see how it fares. Worked on “The Troubles”. Not so much with Landlady. If it makes an impact then there are plenty of average to meh ones it would leap ahead of. Too late for this though. 

 

[Ghost Rider]

12 years? I hated Vertigo, Discoteque, Numb, The Fly and Desire. All first singles. I have grown to love a couple, but the rest we will see what i think later. U2 could probably turn out stuff like Miracle in their sleep. Making “This is where you can reach me now” and “Sleep Like a Baby Tonight” show they are still interested in taking their music in different directions. My #37 is another one of these tracks that thankfully has others with at least with one foot on board. It does have a #222 ranking though lol. 

Well, Beautiful Day and Vertigo, while not favorites of mine, were both wildly successful, so it's hard for me to call them bad choices as singles.  Get On Your Boots and The Miracle being released as lead singles from their respective albums...well, go look up the two word review of Spinal Tap's Shark Sandwich and there's your description of those songs.    

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#144 - The Playboy Mansion (1997)

Highest Rank - 20

Lowest Rank - 213

Where to Find it - Pop LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment - 188/218 - “The original lyric was much more emotional. I am not sure the best version ended up on the album,” Bono said. You can see glimpses of what he’s talking about in the lyrics, but otherwise, it’s convoluted and ham-fisted, and the vocal delivery lacks emotion.

Comment - Following on from Miami this may be the worst 2 song stretch of any u2 album. Id rather listen to an uninspiring cover than this. We also get to the highest ranking to date, a #20. Really love to hear from that ranker.

Next up, An album track from War gets a mention.. 

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#143 - Drowning Man (1983)

Highest Rank - 90

Lowest Rank - 176

Where to Find it - War LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment - 70/218 - It’s not the best song on the record — to be fair, there is a fair amount of competition — but it is both ambitious and fully realized. Every single member of the band turns in a stunning performance, the instrumentation providing both delicate shade and solid counterpoint, the vocals raw and impassioned, and the lyrics grounded in adoration of both spiritual and physical. Extra credit to Steve Wickham’s violin and Edge’s almost Spanish-guitar flourishes toward the end of the song. Ethereal.

Comment - Vocals, music and production arent talking to each other here

Next up, All the way back to Boy

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#142 - Shadows and Tall Trees (1980)

Highest Rank - 64

Lowest Rank - 215

Where to Find it - Boy LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment - 151/218 - The last track on Boy, this was a parting gesture — a multi-textured, harmonic send-off meant to depict the band’s suburban Dublin stomping grounds: The “shadows and tall trees” are meant to be the electric poles strung throughout the streets, the lyrics a reference to Lord of the Flies.

Comment - This is the very definition of we need another track. Lets half #### around. 

Next up, A b side cover. More of us are starting to enjoy these

 

[Ghost Rider]

I am shocked that Drowning Man is this low.  With the voters seemingly in the "old U2 great, newer U2 bad" camp, I figured most of the best songs from those early years would rate very high, yet Drowning Man sits here at 143.  

 

[Anarchy99]

#144 - The Playboy Mansion (1997)

Highest Rank - 20

Lowest Rank - 213

Where to Find it - Pop LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment - 188/218 - “The original lyric was much more emotional. I am not sure the best version ended up on the album,” Bono said. You can see glimpses of what he’s talking about in the lyrics, but otherwise, it’s convoluted and ham-fisted, and the vocal delivery lacks emotion.

Comment - Following on from Miami this may be the worst 2 song stretch of any u2 album. Id rather listen to an uninspiring cover than this. We also get to the highest ranking to date, a #20. Really love to hear from that ranker.

Next up, An album track from War gets a mention.. 

I was low man on this one at 213. When I saw that someone ranked it 20, I had to go listen to it again. Upon a fresh listen, my only regret is I didn't rank it lower. The music sounds like a basic loop, way too much falsetto, and doesn't go anywhere for me. They can't all be winners. The fact that someone has this as a Top 20 song is . . . surprising.

 

[Alex P Keaton]

I am shocked that Drowning Man is this low.  With the voters seemingly in the "old U2 great, newer U2 bad" camp, I figured most of the best songs from those early years would rate very high, yet Drowning Man sits here at 143.  

Nah.  At this point we know a few things:

- one voter really gravitates toward songs with unique and creative music (composition, guitars, drums) and really doesn’t care about the singing or lyrics 

- another voter loves the older songs and is drawn more to classic U2

- one voter cares how the whole thing comes together and if the song “teaches the world to sing in perfect harmony” like a Coke commercial.  
 

It is actually fun to see the different preferences play out.   And as I’ve written before, it has really helped showcase songs from those different perspectives.  I’ve gained appreciation for songs I really didn’t care for.

Example:  The Playboy Mansion is a type of U2 song that makes me incredibly sad…….that they no longer make music I love.   But…..the actual music (guitar, drums, “vibe”) is good — it’s just that Bono doesn’t fit the song.  His whole half-speaking half-singing shtick, IMO, sucks.   But I enjoyed the song listening to the music this time!!

Drowning Man is good.  Better than most of what they’ve done the past 30 years IMO.   Mrs APK was defensive on the song’s behalf when she heard the ranking.  Not so for Shadows and Tall Trees though (“amen, one of my least favorite songs from Boy”).

 

[Anarchy99]

I am shocked that Drowning Man is this low.  With the voters seemingly in the "old U2 great, newer U2 bad" camp, I figured most of the best songs from those early years would rate very high, yet Drowning Man sits here at 143.  

I was the highest at 90. In hindsight, I would probably bump it up another 10-15. But that's my mood today. As mentioned previously, there would be a lot of variability in ranking these songs from day to day depending upon that moment in time.

 

[Alex P Keaton]

I was the highest at 90. In hindsight, I would probably bump it up another 10-15. But that's my mood today. As mentioned previously, there would be a lot of variability in ranking these songs from day to day depending upon that moment in time.

Yeah, which is a really great reminder.  I’ve been listening to a ton of U2 lately (because of this thread).  When Beautiful Day came on my playlist while driving last night, I thought of this thread when my reaction was “omg, screw this song again.”   Normally I’m a fan.

 

[Anarchy99]

Nah.  At this point we know a few things:

- one voter really gravitates toward songs with unique and creative music (composition, guitars, drums) and really doesn’t care about the singing or lyrics 

- another voter loves the older songs and is drawn more to classic U2

- one voter cares how the whole thing comes together and if the song “teaches the world to sing in perfect harmony” like a Coke commercial.  
 

It is actually fun to see the different preferences play out.   And as I’ve written before, it has really helped showcase songs from those different perspectives.  I’ve gained appreciation for songs I really didn’t care for.

Example:  The Playboy Mansion is a type of U2 song that makes me incredibly sad…….that they no longer make music I love.   But…..the actual music (guitar, drums, “vibe”) is good — it’s just that Bono doesn’t fit the song.  His whole half-speaking half-singing shtick, IMO, sucks.   But I enjoyed the song listening to the music this time!!

Drowning Man is good.  Better than most of what they’ve done the past 30 years IMO.   Mrs APK was defensive on the song’s behalf when she heard the ranking.  Not so for Shadows and Tall Trees though (“amen, one of my least favorite songs from Boy”).

Hmmm . . . I'm potentially in all three of those voting categories, so not sure which one you was me of those options. 

 

[Anarchy99]

It's always funny how people can have a shared experience and come to two totally opposite conclusions. My wife and I went to eat the other night at someplace we hadn't been to, and we both ordered the same thing. I thought the food was great, the service was good, had a good time, and suggested we go there again. My wife didn't like the food, hated the service (claims the server rolled her eyes at her when she asked her a question), and found fault with the decor / warmth / coziness of the restaurant (none of which really enter my find when considering a restaurant because I care most about the food (95%). I'd rate it an 8 of of 10 and would enjoy going back. She'd give it a 2 out of 10 and "never again" on the list of restaurant choices.

ETA: And not sure how those other factors made the food less tasty, but apparently it did.

 

[Alex P Keaton]

Hmmm . . . I'm potentially in all three of those voting categories, so not sure which one you was me of those options. 

Let’s be honest, I’m making this stuff up at 7am after binge watching Squid Game til 1am.   So it might not be fully coherent.   3 descriptions of 4 voters.  I mean, who does that?  (Honestly still haven’t been able to discern the process of the 4th voter)

 

[Grace Under Pressure]

That's the best run of 3 songs in a row so far, IMO.

Big Playboy Mansion fan. Drowning Man and Shadows and Tall Trees are classics.

Maybe we've hit the pivot point here. 

 

[Anarchy99]

That's the best run of 3 songs in a row so far, IMO.

Big Playboy Mansion fan. Drowning Man and Shadows and Tall Trees are classics.

Maybe we've hit the pivot point here. 

I had these three at 213, 90, and 87. As Meatloaf would say, two out of three ain't bad.

 

[Anarchy99]

I thought of something over the weekend that I've been meaning to bring up. There has been talk here of U2 recording their last several albums with a more mature, muted, self-reflective, adult tone and approach. Basically, they are no longer in their 20's and shouldn't be a band focused on loud, rebellious rocks songs and shouting. Fair enough, and that is reflected in their past few albums.

But that doesn't hold true in their live shows, as the crowd pleasers, show stoppers, and a big portion of their concerts are the classic rockers where they still play them all the time and are just as raucous as ever. Maybe they play fewer pedal to the medal songs compared to their early years, but they still play the songs that rock the house. I wouldn't mind the newer stuff if they added in a couple of songs that are more up tempo or just plain rockers for the sake of being rock songs (without having to have adult themes and messages). To me, that would be a refreshing change to the Songs of Melancholy from their last two albums.

Here is the set list from their last show in India at the end of 2019 . . .

Sunday Bloody Sunday
I Will Follow
New Year's Day
Bad (with Give Peace a Chance snippet)
Pride (In the Name of Love)
Where the Streets Have No Name (with California (There Is No End to Love) snippet)
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
With or Without You (with Shine Like Stars coda)
Bullet the Blue Sky (with America (West Side Story) snippet)
Running to Stand Still
Red Hill Mining Town
In God's Country
Trip Through Your Wires
One Tree Hill
Exit (with Wise Blood and Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe snippets
Mothers of the Disappeared
Desire (with Noel Gallagher)
Elevation
Vertigo (with Live Forever and I Love Rock 'n' Roll snippets)
Even Better Than the Real Thing (Fish Out of Water Mix)
Every Breaking Wave (acoustic)
Beautiful Day
Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
Ahimsa (with A. R. Rahman)
One (with Noel Gallagher and A. R. Rahman)

IMO, that's an awesome setlist. They could play that show 100 more times and I'd be happy.

 

[Brony]

I was low man on this one at 213. When I saw that someone ranked it 20, I had to go listen to it again. Upon a fresh listen, my only regret is I didn't rank it lower. The music sounds like a basic loop, way too much falsetto, and doesn't go anywhere for me. They can't all be winners. The fact that someone has this as a Top 20 song is . . . surprising.

I put Playboy Mansion at 20 and it is one of my more controversial takes.   But I stand by it.  I thought this was a dud when it first came out.  Definitely I was off put by the weird sounding intro and overall the start of the song doesn't excite me.  Then the lyrics also jump out - Coke, OJ and Lotto Ticket aren't typical words you look for in a song and I'm still not crazy about the lyrics.

But, after listening 50 plus times, it really starts to click for me. It's a grower.   I really enjoy the progression of the song and is a melodic standout for me.    Maybe it would be better as a cover song without the weird intro sounds and different vocalist, but I do think this is a beautiful song.  Also, keep in mind that I don't really pay attention to content of the lyrics. 

 

[Nemesis]

On 10/22/2021 at 8:10 AM, Ghost Rider said:

I like Fez/Being Born a lot.  To me, it is one of the three major keepers from No Line on the Horizon (along with tracks 2 and 4). Love the atmosphere, and the melodies and pacing of the song are just tremendous.  It's too bad that they never played this one live (or maybe they did a handful of times and I am forgetting). 

This seriously was the first single of the album?

Maybe @Anarchy99or @NemesisCan advise how often it was played live. 

Regarding the question about the song Fez - Being Born.........I did some research & this is what i found out:

1. U2 has NEVER, EVER played this song live in concert..........NEVER.
   
2. However, on 02/18/2011.........U2 played at  Cape Town Stadium - Cape Town, South Africa as part of the 360 tour.
   In that setlist, City Of Blinding Lights was played and had a new, extended intro featuring pre-recorded samples of Fez-Being Born (never played live)  Setlist & Notes
   

 

[Nemesis]

On this day October 25th, 2009: 
YouTube broadcast U2's concert at the Rose Bowl Stadium. With a sellout crowd of 97,014, it is the highest attendance on record for one U.S. show by a single headliner based on box office totals reported to Billboard. The previous record had been set by U2 in 1987.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

#144 - The Playboy Mansion (1997)

Comment - Following on from Miami this may be the worst 2 song stretch of any u2 album. Id rather listen to an uninspiring cover than this. We also get to the highest ranking to date, a #20. Really love to hear from that ranker.

This isn't as bad as Miami, but it's not good. Ranking it #20 seems unfathomable to me. 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

#143 - Drowning Man (1983)

Comment - Vocals, music and production arent talking to each other here

I'm with you on this one. I hated this when I first heard it as a teen. I like it better now, but it could have been a WHOLE lot better. Bono's vocal is completely over the top (not in a good way) and the violin is irritating. 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

#142 - Shadows and Tall Trees (1980)

Comment - This is the very definition of we need another track. Lets half #### around. 

This is a perfectly fine post-punk track. It's nothing compared to what they achieved on Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby, but it needs to be considered for what it is, not what it isn't. And what it is is plenty worthy. 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I am shocked that Drowning Man is this low.  With the voters seemingly in the "old U2 great, newer U2 bad" camp, I figured most of the best songs from those early years would rate very high, yet Drowning Man sits here at 143.  

Because parts of it actually kind of suck? 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I had these three at 213, 90, and 87. As Meatloaf would say, two out of three ain't bad.

I want you (I want you)
I need you (I need you)
But there ain't no way I'm ever gonna love The Playboy Mansion

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

I am shocked that Drowning Man is this low.  With the voters seemingly in the "old U2 great, newer U2 bad" camp, I figured most of the best songs from those early years would rate very high, yet Drowning Man sits here at 143.  

It’s a Lillywhite mess. For some reason I don’t romanticize U2. Most other bands I do. Weird. 

I was low man on this one at 213. When I saw that someone ranked it 20, I had to go listen to it again. Upon a fresh listen, my only regret is I didn't rank it lower. The music sounds like a basic loop, way too much falsetto, and doesn't go anywhere for me. They can't all be winners. The fact that someone has this as a Top 20 song is . . . surprising.

I wasn’t far ahead of you. The other ranker had it around the 100 mark. I love the brave take of #20. I just cant hear it.

Nah.  At this point we know a few things:

- one voter really gravitates toward songs with unique and creative music (composition, guitars, drums) and really doesn’t care about the singing or lyrics 

- another voter loves the older songs and is drawn more to classic U2

- one voter cares how the whole thing comes together and if the song “teaches the world to sing in perfect harmony” like a Coke commercial.  
 

It is actually fun to see the different preferences play out.   And as I’ve written before, it has really helped showcase songs from those different perspectives.  I’ve gained appreciation for songs I really didn’t care for.

I am definitely not the first or second guy. Am I the third one? Or the unmentioned one? 

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Yeah, which is a really great reminder.  I’ve been listening to a ton of U2 lately (because of this thread).  When Beautiful Day came on my playlist while driving last night, I thought of this thread when my reaction was “omg, screw this song again.”   Normally I’m a fan.

Funny you mention that song. Because of this draft I have been listening to Always a lot. Some song, just different arrangement. 

Let’s be honest, I’m making this stuff up at 7am after binge watching Squid Game til 1am.   So it might not be fully coherent.   3 descriptions of 4 voters.  I mean, who does that?  (Honestly still haven’t been able to discern the process of the 4th voter)

I dont have a process really. Do i like the song or not? Is about as complex as I get. I prefer Achtung to Joshua Tree, but both to anything else. I don’t mind the new albums, less so No Line on the Horizon. I think the band do a good critique of their own flaws. They pretty much say the same thing that NLOTH and Pop were just too much time overthinking things. 

That's the best run of 3 songs in a row so far, IMO.

Big Playboy Mansion fan. Drowning Man and Shadows and Tall Trees are classics.

Maybe we've hit the pivot point here. 

My pivot point was about 20 songs ago, but I still have quite a few of my bottom 40 still to come. My commentary will get more positive. 

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

I thought of something over the weekend that I've been meaning to bring up. There has been talk here of U2 recording their last several albums with a more mature, muted, self-reflective, adult tone and approach. Basically, they are no longer in their 20's and shouldn't be a band focused on loud, rebellious rocks songs and shouting. Fair enough, and that is reflected in their past few albums.

But that doesn't hold true in their live shows, as the crowd pleasers, show stoppers, and a big portion of their concerts are the classic rockers where they still play them all the time and are just as raucous as ever. Maybe they play fewer pedal to the medal songs compared to their early years, but they still play the songs that rock the house. I wouldn't mind the newer stuff if they added in a couple of songs that are more up tempo or just plain rockers for the sake of being rock songs (without having to have adult themes and messages). To me, that would be a refreshing change to the Songs of Melancholy from their last two albums.

Here is the set list from their last show in India at the end of 2019 . . .

Sunday Bloody Sunday
I Will Follow
New Year's Day
Bad (with Give Peace a Chance snippet)
Pride (In the Name of Love)
Where the Streets Have No Name (with California (There Is No End to Love) snippet)
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
With or Without You (with Shine Like Stars coda)
Bullet the Blue Sky (with America (West Side Story) snippet)
Running to Stand Still
Red Hill Mining Town
In God's Country
Trip Through Your Wires
One Tree Hill
Exit (with Wise Blood and Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe snippets
Mothers of the Disappeared
Desire (with Noel Gallagher)
Elevation
Vertigo (with Live Forever and I Love Rock 'n' Roll snippets)
Even Better Than the Real Thing (Fish Out of Water Mix)
Every Breaking Wave (acoustic)
Beautiful Day
Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
Ahimsa (with A. R. Rahman)
One (with Noel Gallagher and A. R. Rahman)

IMO, that's an awesome setlist. They could play that show 100 more times and I'd be happy.

I dont mind their more mature approach. Looking at that set list, Did they stop recording after Joshua Tree? I’d be kinda pissed they didn’t play a few of their newer songs. Only 3 songs from Achtung? There had to be some Joshua Tree theme with that tour. 

I put Playboy Mansion at 20 and it is one of my more controversial takes.   But I stand by it.  I thought this was a dud when it first came out.  Definitely I was off put by the weird sounding intro and overall the start of the song doesn't excite me.  Then the lyrics also jump out - Coke, OJ and Lotto Ticket aren't typical words you look for in a song and I'm still not crazy about the lyrics.

But, after listening 50 plus times, it really starts to click for me. It's a grower.   I really enjoy the progression of the song and is a melodic standout for me.    Maybe it would be better as a cover song without the weird intro sounds and different vocalist, but I do think this is a beautiful song.  Also, keep in mind that I don't really pay attention to content of the lyrics. 

Thanks for the take. I’m not sure I have it in me to listen to this 50 more times. At least I can understand why you rank it like you do.

Regarding the question about the song Fez - Being Born.........I did some research & this is what i found out:

1. U2 has NEVER, EVER played this song live in concert..........NEVER.
   
2. However, on 02/18/2011.........U2 played at  Cape Town Stadium - Cape Town, South Africa as part of the 360 tour.
   In that setlist, City Of Blinding Lights was played and had a new, extended intro featuring pre-recorded samples of Fez-Being Born (never played live)  Setlist & Notes
   

Thanks for the info. Its just weird. Seems like the kind of song that would sound better live. Maybe they underestimate the patience of their audience as they try to get the right version sorted. 

 

[Anarchy99]

I dont mind their more mature approach. Looking at that set list, Did they stop recording after Joshua Tree? I’d be kinda pissed they didn’t play a few of their newer songs. Only 3 songs from Achtung? There had to be some Joshua Tree theme with that tour. 

It was the 30th Anniversary of the Joshua Tree Tour that lasted 2 years. So yeah, that accounted for almost half the set. There has been talk about a similar tour for the 30th Anniversary of Achtung Baby, but that likely won't happen with the global pandemic. The band said they will do something to celebrate (but did not elaborate) . . . I would guess they will probably live stream a show from somewhere where they play the entire album and some other hits (similar to above). By then there might be a new album of material, so probably some new songs too. I guess that depends on if they are really going to put out another album (they've had 2 years doing close to nothing . . . so who knows?).

The prior tour in 2015 had a more diverse group of songs. Here's the set list from their last gig in Paris . . .

The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)
Vertigo
I Will Follow (with Mother snippet)
Iris (Hold Me Close)
Cedarwood Road
Song for Someone
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Raised by Wolves (with Psalm 23 snippet)
Until the End of the World (with Love And Peace Or Else, Words, and The Divine Image snippets)
The Fly (not performed . . . just shown on a screen)
Invisible
Even Better Than the Real Thing (with Break on Through (To the Other Side) snippet)
Mysterious Ways (with Fashion snippet and Burning Down the House snippets)
Elevation
Every Breaking Wave (Acoustic)
October
Bullet the Blue Sky (With Zooropa, Ode To Joy, and 19 snippets)
Zooropa
Where the Streets Have No Name (with California (There Is No End to Love) snippet)
Pride (In the Name of Love)
With or Without You
Stephen Hawking Speech
City of Blinding Lights (with Ne Me Quitte Pas snippet)
Beautiful Day (with I Remember You snippet)
Bad (with Mother and Child Reunion and Into the Mystic snippets)
One
People Have the Power (with Eagles of Death Metal)

I'm sure I would have enjoyed that show, but I would have preferred The Joshua Tree show.

 

[Nemesis]

More Songfacts:

Cedarwood Road:   the title of this song refers to 10 Cedarwood Road in Dublin, where a young Paul 'Bono' Hewson grew up alongside his friends Guggi Rowan & Gavin Friday. It is located in the Ballymun district on the northern outskirts of the Irish city. (The track is dedicated to Rowan).

• The song started with guitar riff that Edge wrote at home. He put the track together using Garage Band software w drum loops that Larry Mullen Jr. made for him.
   
  
• Bono wrote the lyrics to match the tone of the track Edge put together. "Sometimes I write lyrics and we try to find the music to express those lyrics" . "But most of the time, it's about finding a feeling at first, & then trying to express that feeling. Edge had this big blues riff - powerful & full of rage. It was a natural fit for me to talk about my own rage."
   
  
• U2 licensed several tracks from Songs of Innocence for use in the 2015 music video game Rock Band 4; including "Cedarwood Road".
  

 

[Nemesis]

Little Things that Give You Away (and some info about Songs of Experience):  In a 2014 interview, Bono recited lyrics to an in-progress song called "The Morning After Innocence" in which the song's protagonist asks his younger self for help. Later, the title was changed to "The Little Things That Give You Away."

• The song was produced by Andy Barlow (of electronic music duo Lamb) & Jolyon Thomas. It was 1 of 5 SoE tracks that Barlow contributed towards. He recalled:
  

"Day-to-day manager Brian Celler took me out for dinner & said, 'There's this track called 'The Little Things That Give You Away,'" & he basically just read a list of the world's top producers - Brian Eno, Steve Lillywhite, Paul Epworth, Danger Mouse - who have had a go at it. He said, 'The band knows there is a great song in there & if you can get this off the ideas table, then you've done something that none of these other producers could.' So that became my personal mission. "

Barlow flew to Monaco to join U2 for what he described as a "2 wk tryout". Barlow was surprised by how receptive the band members were to his ideas & how quickly they trusted him, particularly Bono.  After the session in Monaco, Barlow was asked to join the group in Vancouver for 6 wks from April–May 2015 for another trial period as they rehearsed for the Innocence + Experience Tour at the Pacific Coliseum. Producer Jolyon Thomas also joined them as the band used a mobile recording studio. 

After Vancouver, Barlow was officially given the job of producer.  Barlow mostly collaborated w the band members individually for minutes at a time due to their schedules & because the size of the dressing rooms on tour did not afford the band enough space to work together. The producer described the process as "piecing individual pieces of a jigsaw puzzle". Ultimately, Barlow spent 2 yrs working w U2 in approximately 10 countries, sometimes for mths at a time. By his estimation, only 10% of his work took place in actual recording studios—most of it was done in dressing rooms, hotel rooms, & mansions.

• On May 23, 2017 U2 appeared on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!  They sat for an unprecedented hr-long interview & performed that included the TV premiere of this song.
  

My take on the song:  I'm a little surprised that it didn't rank higher in our FBG list as I liked it when it was released and still do.

 

[Nemesis]

Playboy Mansion:  The original working title was "Hymn To Mr. Universe."    (call it whatever you want, IMO it's still a crappy song either way)

Drowning Man:     The title is not mentioned in the lyrics.......It was taken from a play Bono was writing.

• Some have speculated that the "Drowning Man" is probably U2 bass player Adam Clayton. While Bono, The Edge, & Larry Mullen were devout Christians, Clayton did not share their faith.
   
  
• Steve Wickham played the violin. He would later join The Waterboys.
   
  
• U2 played portions of this song on their 1983 War tour & again on the 2017 JT tour, but they never played it live in its entirely.
   
  
• Bono used a biblical reference in this song:         Like eagles you'll run, you'll run       
                                                                                       You'll run and not grow weary
  ........while Isaiah 40:31 reads:                                They will soar on wings like eagles
                                                                                       They will run and not grow weary
   
  
• Drowning man was the last song on the 1st side of the album & served as a nice bridge fade to 2nd half of the album where The Refugee opened the 2nd side.
  

Shadow & Tall Trees:  The Vulture comment says this song was inspired by William Golding's book Lord Of The Flies. However, "Shadows And Tall Trees" is the name of the 7th chapter in that book.

• One of the 1st U2 songs, this evolved out of early live sets & was included on their debut album, Boy. It was the only song from U2's 1st demo to make it on an album.
  

 

[Nugget]

#144 - The Playboy Mansion (1997)

Highest Rank - 20

Lowest Rank - 213

Where to Find it - Pop LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment - 188/218 - “The original lyric was much more emotional. I am not sure the best version ended up on the album,” Bono said. You can see glimpses of what he’s talking about in the lyrics, but otherwise, it’s convoluted and ham-fisted, and the vocal delivery lacks emotion.

Comment - Following on from Miami this may be the worst 2 song stretch of any u2 album. Id rather listen to an uninspiring cover than this. We also get to the highest ranking to date, a #20. Really love to hear from that ranker.

Next up, An album track from War gets a mention.. 

I enjoyed the song.  I ranked it #106, which I still feel pretty good about.  Fun song poking fun at consumerism and pop culture.

 

[Nugget]

Here was the setlist from the last U2 concert I saw  - Experience and Innocence Tour May 2018

Love Is All We Have Left

The Blackout

Lights of Home (St. Peter's String Version)

I Will Follow

Gloria (with Van Morrison's "Gloria"… more )

Beautiful Day

The Ocean

Iris (Hold Me Close)

Cedarwood Road

Sunday Bloody Sunday (with "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" snippet)

Until the End of the World

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me (Gavin Friday Remix)

Elevation

Vertigo

Desire

Acrobat(with "Sympathy for the Devil" snippet)

You're the Best Thing About Me

Staring at the Sun

Pride (In the Name of Love)

Get Out of Your Own Way

American Soul

City of Blinding Lights

Women of the World (Jim O’Rourke song)

One

Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way

13 (There Is a Light)

Pretty big mix - they shied away from Joshua Tree pretty hard after the anniversary tour.  

 

[Ghost Rider]

Yeah, that was odd to go to a show and not get anything from The Joshua Tree.  Not at least getting Streets kinda felt wrong, but it was still a really enjoyable show.  Acrobat finally get played was one of the reasons I bought a last minute ticket and went.  

 

[Nugget]

Yeah, that was odd to go to a show and not get anything from The Joshua Tree.  Not at least getting Streets kinda felt wrong, but it was still a really enjoyable show.  Acrobat finally get played was one of the reasons I bought a last minute ticket and went.  

That was the absolute highlight of the show for me.  I flew to Seattle to catch Joshua Tree tour in May 2017 - then they added the KC show.  3 shows in 12 months was pretty cool.  

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I have seen U2 4 times. The first and last were 30 years apart.

John F. Kennedy Stadium, Philadelphia, PA 9/25/87

Where the Streets Have No Name

I Will Follow

Trip Through Your Wires

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (with "Exodus" snippet)

MLK

The Unforgettable Fire

Bullet the Blue Sky

Running to Stand Still

People Get Ready (The Impressions cover)

In God's Country

Exit (with "Riders on the Storm" and Van Morrison's "Gloria" snippets)

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Help! (The Beatles cover)

Bad

October

New Year's Day

Pride (In the Name of Love)

Encore:

With or Without You

Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl

Stand by Me (Ben E. King cover) (with Bruce Springsteen)

40

Notes: I was 16 and had to leave before the encore because my mother was picking me up at a certain time and I had to be there at that time no matter what. I'm not a Springsteen fan, so missing his appearance didn't bother me and still doesn't. This was one of the last events at the mammoth JFK Stadium (site of Live Aid) before it was condemned; I saw Pink Floyd there a couple of weeks before. I was on the massive field. The venue was decrepit and so was the crowd; a drunken fratboy pissed on my leg while we were waiting for the band to come on. Bono performed with his arm in a sling because he had hurt his shoulder when he fell onstage a few shows prior. This was the original Joshua Tree tour and it was just as incredible as you might imagine.

Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, PA 9/2/92

Zoo Station

The Fly

Even Better Than The Real Thing

Mysterious Ways / Love To Love You Baby (snippet)

One / Hear Us Coming (snippet) / She's A Mystery To Me (snippet)

Until the End of the World

New Year's Day

Wild Rover (traditional song)

Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World

Hello, Goodbye (snippet) / Angel of Harlem / My Girl (snippet)

When Love Comes To Town

Satellite Of Love

All I Want Is You

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Bullet the Blue Sky / The Battle Hymn Of The Republic (snippet)

Running To Stand Still

Where the Streets Have No Name

Pride (In the Name of Love)

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

Stand By Me

Encore:

Desire

With or Without You / Shine Like Stars (snippet)

Love Is Blindness

Encore 2: 

Can't Help Falling In Love

Notes: This was the Zoo TV tour, which was interactive in a way no stadium tour had been up to that point. Opening with six straight songs from your new album is a bold choice when you have reached stadium-level success, but the Achtung material was so good that no one batted an eye. The traditional Irish drinking song Wild Rover was sung by Larry Mullen. Bono made his way out to a mini-stage in the center of the venue during Tryin' to Throw..., hugging people along the way, and the rest of the band joined him there for the Angel of Harlem medley through All I Want Is You. Satellite of Love was performed as a duet with Lou Reed, with Reed appearing on one of the Zoo TVs for his (prerecorded) part. Bono left the stage before the end of Stand By Me, leaving Edge to finish singing it. Bono was dressed as The Fly for the regular set but changed into some sort of televangelist guise for the encore. After the band left the stage following Can't Help Falling in Love, a recording of the Elvis version played. 

Franklin Field, Philadelphia, PA 6/8/97

Mofo

I Will Follow

Even Better Than The Real Thing

Gone

Pride (In the Name of Love)

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For / Stand By Me (snippet)

Last Night On Earth / Streets of Philadelphia (snippet)

Until the End of the World / Break On Through (snippet)

If God Will Send His Angels

Staring at the Sun

Daydream Believer / "Edge karaoke"

Miami / My Mammy (snippet) / Cuba (snippet)

Bullet the Blue Sky / America (West Side Story) (snippet) / Amazing Grace (snippet)

Please / Sunday Bloody Sunday (snippet)

Where the Streets Have No Name / The Playboy Mansion (snippet)

Encore:

Lemon (Perfecto Mix)

Discothèque / I Feel Love (snippet) / Discothèque Howie B Hairy B Mix (snippet)

If You Wear That Velvet Dress

With or Without You

Encore 2: 

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me

Mysterious Ways

One / Hear Us Coming (snippet)

Hallelujah

Notes: This was one of my least enjoyable concert experiences, starting with the venue, Penn's football stadium (and home of the Eagles until 1971). U2 wanted something like 95% of the revenues on this tour, so none of the regular Philly promoters and venues would work with them. Franklin Field is not a regular concert venue for good reason. It is on the edge of the Penn campus in West Philadelphia, where there are no traditional stadium parking lots and no infrastructure to accommodate a large crowd that is not primarily students. It even still has metal bleachers. So I missed the first few songs because traffic was hellacious and finding parking took forever. If God... through Daydream were performed acoustically. Everything else was loud and brash, in keeping with what they were going for with the Pop album. Including Miami was a poor choice, and placing it in a crucial spot near the end of the set was a stupefyingly dumb decision. The bleacher seats were cramped and uncomfortable. I did not enjoy this show nearly as much as the first two, and I did not see U2 again until bitten by the nostalgia bug. 

Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA 6/18/17

Sunday Bloody Sunday

New Year's Day

Bad / America (snippet)

Pride (In the Name of Love)

Where the Streets Have No Name

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

With or Without You

Bullet the Blue Sky / Black Dog (snippet) / America (West Side Story) (snippet)

Running To Stand Still

Red Hill Mining Town

In God's Country

Trip Through Your Wires

One Tree Hill

Exit / Wise Blood (snippet) / Eeny Meeny Miny Moe (snippet)

Mothers Of The Disappeared

Encore:

Miss Sarajevo / The New Colossus (snippet)

Mysterious Ways / Elevation (snippet)

One / Hear Us Coming (snippet)

Beautiful Day / Philadelphia Freedom (snippet)

Elevation

Vertigo

Notes: This was 30 years after my first U2 show and 20 years after my previous one. I had paid progressively less attention in the years since, pretty much tapping out after No Line. This setlist was definitely catered to people like me -- aside from Miss Sarajevo, these are pretty much the songs that most strongly identify U2. I found it amusing to finally hear Red Hill Mining Town, One Tree Hill and Mothers of the Disappeared live, as they had not been played at my show on the actual Joshua Tree tour. (Red Hill Mining Town was supposed to be JT's third single, but the label changed plans after the band said it would not perform it live because Bono didn't think he could hit the high notes every night; I guess he had a lot of vocal coaching over the next 30 years.) Oh, and nobody pissed on me this time. It wasn't the glorious sprawl of the original JT tour nor the technological marvel of the Zoo TV tour, but it was the perfect U2 experience for those of us geezers on whom the Joshua Tree left a huge mark. 

I was with different people for all four shows. 1987, my sister and her friend; 1992, a high school buddy and his friend; 1997, a different high school buddy and my first wife; 2017, my current wife.  

 

[Nemesis]

On this day October 26th:

• 1979 - U2 are featured on the cover of Hot Press. It is their first cover on the magazine.
   
  
• 1996 - Two 30 second clips from U2’s new album Pop hit the internet, mths in advance of the album release.
   
  
• 2004 - At a Apple conference in California, Apple chairman Steve Jobs is joined by Bono & The Edge.   They play 2 songs & announce the release of The Complete U2 & a U2 themed iPod(the original one). 
  
  The Complete U2 was a digital box set that contained the complete set of U2 albums, singles, live, rare & previously unreleased material from 1978 to 2004, w a total of 446 songs.  It was accompanied by a PDF containing album art, track listings, & band commentary.
  
  U2 iPod:  It was a 4th generation iPod w a monochrome screen, 20 GB drive, & a chrome-plated back & the list price was US$349.
  June 2005, 2nd U2 iPod...color display, 20GB drive, chrome-plated back. Price lowered to US$329
  June 2006, 3rd U2 iPod...5th generation iPod, larger color screen, 30GB drive, & black metal back. Price remained at US$329.
  Sept 2006, 4th & final U2 iPod was released.....enhanced brighter color screen, 30GB drive, & black metal back. Price lowered to US$279.
  
  These special edition models have since become highly sought-after collector's items that fetch many thousands of $'s.
  
   
  

 

[Brony]

I have seen U2 4 times. The first and last were 30 years apart.

John F. Kennedy Stadium, Philadelphia, PA 9/25/87

Where the Streets Have No Name

I Will Follow

Trip Through Your Wires

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (with "Exodus" snippet)

MLK

The Unforgettable Fire

Bullet the Blue Sky

Running to Stand Still

People Get Ready (The Impressions cover)

In God's Country

Exit (with "Riders on the Storm" and Van Morrison's "Gloria" snippets)

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Help! (The Beatles cover)

Bad

October

New Year's Day

Pride (In the Name of Love)

Encore:

With or Without You

Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl

Stand by Me (Ben E. King cover) (with Bruce Springsteen)

40

Notes: I was 16 and had to leave before the encore because my mother was picking me up at a certain time and I had to be there at that time no matter what. I'm not a Springsteen fan, so missing his appearance didn't bother me and still doesn't. This was one of the last events at the mammoth JFK Stadium (site of Live Aid) before it was condemned; I saw Pink Floyd there a couple of weeks before. I was on the massive field. The venue was decrepit and so was the crowd; a drunken fratboy pissed on my leg while we were waiting for the band to come on. Bono performed with his arm in a sling because he had hurt his shoulder when he fell onstage a few shows prior. This was the original Joshua Tree tour and it was just as incredible as you might imagine.

Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia, PA 9/2/92

Zoo Station

The Fly

Even Better Than The Real Thing

Mysterious Ways / Love To Love You Baby (snippet)

One / Hear Us Coming (snippet) / She's A Mystery To Me (snippet)

Until the End of the World

New Year's Day

Wild Rover (traditional song)

Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World

Hello, Goodbye (snippet) / Angel of Harlem / My Girl (snippet)

When Love Comes To Town

Satellite Of Love

All I Want Is You

Sunday Bloody Sunday

Bullet the Blue Sky / The Battle Hymn Of The Republic (snippet)

Running To Stand Still

Where the Streets Have No Name

Pride (In the Name of Love)

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

Stand By Me

Encore:

Desire

With or Without You / Shine Like Stars (snippet)

Love Is Blindness

Encore 2: 

Can't Help Falling In Love

Notes: This was the Zoo TV tour, which was interactive in a way no stadium tour had been up to that point. Opening with six straight songs from your new album is a bold choice when you have reached stadium-level success, but the Achtung material was so good that no one batted an eye. The traditional Irish drinking song Wild Rover was sung by Larry Mullen. Bono made his way out to a mini-stage in the center of the venue during Tryin' to Throw..., hugging people along the way, and the rest of the band joined him there for the Angel of Harlem medley through All I Want Is You. Satellite of Love was performed as a duet with Lou Reed, with Reed appearing on one of the Zoo TVs for his (prerecorded) part. Bono left the stage before the end of Stand By Me, leaving Edge to finish singing it. Bono was dressed as The Fly for the regular set but changed into some sort of televangelist guise for the encore. After the band left the stage following Can't Help Falling in Love, a recording of the Elvis version played. 

Franklin Field, Philadelphia, PA 6/8/97

Mofo

I Will Follow

Even Better Than The Real Thing

Gone

Pride (In the Name of Love)

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For / Stand By Me (snippet)

Last Night On Earth / Streets of Philadelphia (snippet)

Until the End of the World / Break On Through (snippet)

If God Will Send His Angels

Staring at the Sun

Daydream Believer / "Edge karaoke"

Miami / My Mammy (snippet) / Cuba (snippet)

Bullet the Blue Sky / America (West Side Story) (snippet) / Amazing Grace (snippet)

Please / Sunday Bloody Sunday (snippet)

Where the Streets Have No Name / The Playboy Mansion (snippet)

Encore:

Lemon (Perfecto Mix)

Discothèque / I Feel Love (snippet) / Discothèque Howie B Hairy B Mix (snippet)

If You Wear That Velvet Dress

With or Without You

Encore 2: 

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me

Mysterious Ways

One / Hear Us Coming (snippet)

Hallelujah

Notes: This was one of my least enjoyable concert experiences, starting with the venue, Penn's football stadium (and home of the Eagles until 1971). U2 wanted something like 95% of the revenues on this tour, so none of the regular Philly promoters and venues would work with them. Franklin Field is not a regular concert venue for good reason. It is on the edge of the Penn campus in West Philadelphia, where there are no traditional stadium parking lots and no infrastructure to accommodate a large crowd that is not primarily students. It even still has metal bleachers. So I missed the first few songs because traffic was hellacious and finding parking took forever. If God... through Daydream were performed acoustically. Everything else was loud and brash, in keeping with what they were going for with the Pop album. Including Miami was a poor choice, and placing it in a crucial spot near the end of the set was a stupefyingly dumb decision. The bleacher seats were cramped and uncomfortable. I did not enjoy this show nearly as much as the first two, and I did not see U2 again until bitten by the nostalgia bug. 

Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA 6/18/17

Sunday Bloody Sunday

New Year's Day

Bad / America (snippet)

Pride (In the Name of Love)

Where the Streets Have No Name

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

With or Without You

Bullet the Blue Sky / Black Dog (snippet) / America (West Side Story) (snippet)

Running To Stand Still

Red Hill Mining Town

In God's Country

Trip Through Your Wires

One Tree Hill

Exit / Wise Blood (snippet) / Eeny Meeny Miny Moe (snippet)

Mothers Of The Disappeared

Encore:

Miss Sarajevo / The New Colossus (snippet)

Mysterious Ways / Elevation (snippet)

One / Hear Us Coming (snippet)

Beautiful Day / Philadelphia Freedom (snippet)

Elevation

Vertigo

Notes: This was 30 years after my first U2 show and 20 years after my previous one. I had paid progressively less attention in the years since, pretty much tapping out after No Line. This setlist was definitely catered to people like me -- aside from Miss Sarajevo, these are pretty much the songs that most strongly identify U2. I found it amusing to finally hear Red Hill Mining Town, One Tree Hill and Mothers of the Disappeared live, as they had not been played at my show on the actual Joshua Tree tour. (Red Hill Mining Town was supposed to be JT's third single, but the label changed plans after the band said it would not perform it live because Bono didn't think he could hit the high notes every night; I guess he had a lot of vocal coaching over the next 30 years.) Oh, and nobody pissed on me this time. It wasn't the glorious sprawl of the original JT tour nor the technological marvel of the Zoo TV tour, but it was the perfect U2 experience for those of us geezers on whom the Joshua Tree left a huge mark. 

I was with different people for all four shows. 1987, my sister and her friend; 1992, a high school buddy and his friend; 1997, a different high school buddy and my first wife; 2017, my current wife.  

I was at that Sept 1992 show in Philly (not sure which of the two nights I was there).  Our seats were on the floor directly next to that mini stage (Damone would say 'sat so close you scared the band').  That was pretty awesome. 

 

[zoonation]

12 years? I hated Vertigo, Discoteque, Numb, The Fly and Desire. All first singles. I have grown to love a couple, but the rest we will see what i think later. U2 could probably turn out stuff like Miracle in their sleep. Making “This is where you can reach me now” and “Sleep Like a Baby Tonight” show they are still interested in taking their music in different directions. My #37 is another one of these tracks that thankfully has others with at least with one foot on board. It does have a #222 ranking though lol. 

I might have to re-evaluate this one too. 

I think I will have to reevalute this deluxe edition. Achtung Baby i believe is their creative peak. I tried to get into the deluxe Joshua Tree and it just annoyed me. 

Yeah, i had it at #206, but yours and others comments mean i will flog it for 5 listens in a row to see how it fares. Worked on “The Troubles”. Not so much with Landlady. If it makes an impact then there are plenty of average to meh ones it would leap ahead of. Too late for this though. 

the lyrics and guitar progression from the piano in Little Things are just magic.  Evidence of why, in my opinion, Bono is the greatest lyricist since Dylan.

I also love Landlady.  But it is for personal reasons relating to something I was going through at the time.  Much better song that Playboy Mansion (which I also like and was a key track on Pop to bring it all together).

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Got some catching up to do. Good stuff everybody. Will do a 6 track run in time for everybody to see tomorrow morning

2 tracks from How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

2 B Sides

1 from Pop

1 from Zooropa

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#141 - Paint it Black (1991)

Highest Rank - 52

Lowest Rank - 221

Where to Find it - Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses B Side

Vulture.com ranking and comment - Not Listed

Comment - A more faithful cover than some of the massacre jobs, but is it adding anything or doing an interesting take? No. The disparity in rankings is interesting. The 221 in particular. I’m somewhere in the middle as it really doesn’t do anything wrong, but it’s not why we tune in to U2. 

Next up, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb gets another track

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#140 - Miracle Drug (2004)

Highest Rank - 72

Lowest Rank - 168

Where to Find it - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment - 118/218 - The one thing that stops this song from being great is the chorus: “Freedom has a scent / Like the top of a newborn baby’s head,” which is of course Bono’s favorite line in the song. Also: Sometimes there can be too much backstory to a song, no matter how inspirational it might be.

Comment - Just doesnt move the needle. This sounded a lot better when it came out. Now it sounds more like their newer stuff. Not a good thing. Edges solo lifts it from a lower rating. Interesting that the highest ranking here is the outlier from the rest of us who all have it in the lower middle of rankings. 

Next up, let’s stick with the same album for a back to back Bomb track

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#139 - A Man and a Woman (2004)

Highest Rank - 97

Lowest Rank - 199

Where to Find it - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment - 160/218 - “That’s really the wild card on the album,” the Edge said in 2006. He’s not wrong, and it’s not a bad song — it is actually a fascinating, unexpected melody, but it’s kind of an abrupt pause on this particular record.

Comment - Harmless enough. Not in the worst 3 somgs on album. Good album filler

Next up, A very early B Side sits down for a chat

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#138 - Touch (1980)

Highest Rank - 110

Lowest Rank - 169

Where to Find it - B Side to 11 O’clock Tick Tock,

Vulture.com ranking and comment - 148/218 - A perfectly acceptable B-side to “11 O’clock Tick Tock,” brisk and peppy, very much in tune with where U2 had decided they were going. But it’s simply not very memorable lyrically or instrumentally, Bono scatting about “touching you,” and the Edge trying to see how few notes he could play and, you know, still call it a song.

Comment - Opening is straight up punk. Bono doesn’t know what he is doing just yet. An Interesting time capsule. At least it tries. Good early effort. An interesting statistical note. You can tell we are getting to the better songs as this is the second last track that doesn’t have a top 100 ranking from at least one of us. The last one is at #132 and its a reasonably well known track. 

Next up, we return to Zooropa

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#137 - The First Time (1993)

Highest Rank - 94

Lowest Rank - 221

Where to Find it - Zooropa LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment - 44/218 - Just when you think the record is going to be enjoyable, but not classic, “The First Time” shows up. Bono said he had been listening to a lot of Al Green, and wanted to write a song about faith, or rather, the loss of faith, or the struggle not to lose it. The prodigal son returns home, but it’s not a happy ending. Bono invokes John 14:2 — ”In my father’s house, there are many mansions” — but then says, “But I left by the back door / And I threw away the key.” It’s a quiet but intense song.

Comment - Like a lot of this album, just rushed and sounds like achtung baby leftovers. A funny criticism considering the extensive time put into trying to get Pop and No Line on the Horizon to sound right. The #221 ranking is interesting. We still have 4 tracks that attract a bottom 10 ranking from one of us, with many still in the 200s to come

Next up, one of the more interesting, to some, tracks from Pop.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

#136 - Wake Up Dead Man (1997)

Highest Rank - 58

Lowest Rank - 170

Where to Find it - Pop LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment - 42/218 - Instead of ending this record with a hymn, U2 ends it with a prayer. Contextually, if you follow the arc of the album, this is literally the only place they could have arrived at, praying for guidance in the blackness and desperation. The key to the song are the two ringing guitar chords in the chorus, which are a reveille calling out to God and to the disciple who’s lost faith.

Comment - At least this song has direction and a story to tell unlike a lot on the pop album. I am the highest ranker, by far, with the other 3 almost 100 behind. I maybe put it a little high, but i would still be comfortable having this in my top 75. 

Next up, another B Side. This i am the outlier in the opposite direction. 

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

The admin to Date with 93 songs listed

B-Sides = 36 (12 covers)

Soundtracks/Special/Greatest Hits LPs - 9

Songs of Experience = 8

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - 5

Songs of Innocence - 5

No Line On The Horizon = 5

October = 5

Zooropa - 5

Pop - 5

Boy - 3

War - 3

All that you can’t leave behind - 2

The Unforgettable Fire - 1

Rattle and Hum - 1

 

[Anarchy99]

#141 - Paint it Black (1991)

Highest Rank - 52

Lowest Rank - 221

Where to Find it - Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses B Side

Vulture.com ranking and comment - Not Listed

Comment - A more faithful cover than some of the massacre jobs, but is it adding anything or doing an interesting take? No. The disparity in rankings is interesting. The 221 in particular. I’m somewhere in the middle as it really doesn’t do anything wrong, but it’s not why we tune in to U2. 

Next up, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb gets another track

In hindsight, I probably ranked it too high . . . but I like it better than the Stones version. More energy, more frenetic, more rocking. That being said, it does seem like a song U2 didn't really need to record . . . and in that time period they wre busy writing a plethora of their own songs.