Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
Reading it - remembering that I was 17 during that tour - makes me feel old……
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U2 - Community rankings - FIN - #4 Sunday Bloody Sunday, #3 - One, #2 - Bad, #1 - Where the Streets Have No Name -Spotify links, thanks to Krista4 (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter John Maddens Lunchbox
- Start date
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
Anarchy99
Footballguy
I am the big dog on this one. There are a lot of recordings of this song. HERE is the studio version (which lacks the power and impact as the live version). THIS is the version from the Sun City album (also lacking the emotion and message as the live RAH version).
I had a friend in college that had a live semi-acoustic / stripped down version of the song that seemingly was recorded at a club show that I thought was outstanding. I have no idea where it came from. I asked him and he thought it was a special promo release given to radio stations. It was more of a blend of the Sun City version and the live version. I fashion myself as being able to track down pretty much anything . . . but I have never heard that version again and have never been able to find it. It's like my Dulcinea . . . my White Whale so to speak. Who knows, maybe it was brought down from aliens and then quickly retrieved.
As far as the popular RAH version, it's got teeth, it's got some bite, and it features Bono in top form as a megalomaniac, bigger than life, full of himself persona. Now, if that type of bigger than the band personality isn't your bag, then I get why you wouldn't care for this song. I do agree that from this era forward Bono did start to get a bit mouthy in some of their performances talking about causes or proving his opinion in the middle of songs. That, too, can be a little off setting. But this one to me is a cranker and gets the blood flowing.
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
Anarchy99
Footballguy
. . . And I am high ranker on this one as well. This one is a harder sell to casual fans (or even long-term fans) as it goes in a way different direction than "normal." At the time, I was big into the alt music scene and loved bands like the Soup Dragons, Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, Love & Rockets, The Farm, The Charlatans, Jesus Jones, Wonder Stuff, Primal Scream, Pop Will Eat Itself, etc. This song so perfectly fits with that whole scene / vibe / sound it's uncanny. It's like they were one of those bands for a day. Another case of "you had to be there" to really grasp that this type of music had it's own following and this was their olive branch to embrace the Brit music scene and is a great snapshot in time. An homage to an era that IMO came and went far too quickly. I still listen to the bands and albums from that timeframe pretty regularly. Lots of good memories from that period for me.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
One of my great U2 memories was going to the Zoo TV show outside of Boston. I was 25. One of the oddities about me is I look like a dead ringer or doppelganger for Adam Clayton. Same hair style, same graying hair, same type of glasses, same physical features, etc. To go to the show that day, I wore a white Joshua Tree tee shirt, a black leather vest, stone washed black / gray / faded jeans, and a pair of trendy European boots. I didn't even realize it, but I looked just like Adam when we headed off to the gig.
If you've ever been to a concert in Foxborough, then you know you have to allow for HOURS AND HOURS of traffic. There is only one road into the stadium and it gets mobbed. I've gone to shows there and got stuck in traffic and missed half of shows before even leaving several hours ahead of time. So we left really early and got there before everyone else. Not having much to do until the show started, my friend and I just walked around outside and then inside the stadium. People thought I was Clayton and kept shouting at me WE LOVE YOU ADAM! and a bunch of people came and took their picture with me. My friend thought this was hysterical when I really was some schlep from East Podunk. I figured why not let people have some phone and savor their moment and brush with greatness?
The show was notable because it was the first time they played So Cruel. They've only played it 3 times in concert. The show was awesome and the performance was incredible . . . BUT I much preferred the U2 shows where it was just them on the stage playing music without all the high tech pageantry. I found all the glitz, stage, videos, flashing screens, pomp, hype, and circumstance to be distracting. I get it, that was the stage show they wanted to bring to life and it really was a great show. But I have some vision and processing issues and all the added stuff gave me stimulation overload and a massive headache.
But yes, that seems like it just happened yesterday and now I am 55 (today actually). So many real world things have changed both for me (and society) that it almost seems like a lifetime ago.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
Thanks. Lately I feel like 70 physically (cranky back) . . . but mentally I feel like I am still 25. If you ask my wife, she's say I act like I'm 12. So I think the math all averages out.
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
#74 - Angel of Harlem (1988)
Highest Rank - 29
Lowest Rank - 202
Where to Find it - Rattle and Hum LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -17/218 - This song accurately captures the excitement and enthusiasm of coming to New York after dreaming about it. It’s an early version of “City of Blinding Lights,” in a way. It’s both a New York City song — Bono name-checks WBLS and John Coltrane, Birdland, Miles Davis, and Billie Holiday. It is also, impossibly, a Memphis song. It was recorded at Sun Studios, with Cowboy Jack Clement behind the desk and the Memphis Horns sounding like they should always be there. “Angel of Harlem” is just brimming with love and enthusiasm and a sense of, Oh my God, we are here where all of this happened. Bono says that it’s one of U2’s few jukebox songs: “We don’t have many jukebox songs — but that’s one people play in bars.” There are few endorsements stronger than that.
Comment - Such a beautifully constructed song. This album is an outlier from the rest of their material. Such a wide range of rankings here too.
Next up, back to back with Rattle and Hum we go
Highest Rank - 29
Lowest Rank - 202
Where to Find it - Rattle and Hum LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -17/218 - This song accurately captures the excitement and enthusiasm of coming to New York after dreaming about it. It’s an early version of “City of Blinding Lights,” in a way. It’s both a New York City song — Bono name-checks WBLS and John Coltrane, Birdland, Miles Davis, and Billie Holiday. It is also, impossibly, a Memphis song. It was recorded at Sun Studios, with Cowboy Jack Clement behind the desk and the Memphis Horns sounding like they should always be there. “Angel of Harlem” is just brimming with love and enthusiasm and a sense of, Oh my God, we are here where all of this happened. Bono says that it’s one of U2’s few jukebox songs: “We don’t have many jukebox songs — but that’s one people play in bars.” There are few endorsements stronger than that.
Comment - Such a beautifully constructed song. This album is an outlier from the rest of their material. Such a wide range of rankings here too.
Next up, back to back with Rattle and Hum we go
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
#73 - When Love Comes to Town (feat B.B. King) (1988)
Highest Rank - 9
Lowest Rank - 188
Where to Find it - Rattle and Hum LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -55/218 - B. B. King: “I’m no good with chords, so what we do is get somebody else to play that.”
Bono: “Well, Edge will do that; there’s not that many chords in the song, there’s only two.”
The presence of this song — that U2 would dare to want to collaborate with B. B. King! — upset so much of the Establishment. But it sure seems like everyone involved in the song was having a good ol’ time here.
Comment - This is not my style of U2 track, but I recognise it is well made and classy. I am still second highest ranker. The band are trying too hard to impress blues players. Keith Richards had some interesting thoughts about what U2 were trying to do, not the info in Silver and Gold by Vulture, but the original comments by Richards that the band attempted to win him over after. The 9 ranking surprises me, so lets here why.
Next up, back to War with one of the standout album track songs and our first appearance from either Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby. Which will it be?
Highest Rank - 9
Lowest Rank - 188
Where to Find it - Rattle and Hum LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -55/218 - B. B. King: “I’m no good with chords, so what we do is get somebody else to play that.”
Bono: “Well, Edge will do that; there’s not that many chords in the song, there’s only two.”
The presence of this song — that U2 would dare to want to collaborate with B. B. King! — upset so much of the Establishment. But it sure seems like everyone involved in the song was having a good ol’ time here.
Comment - This is not my style of U2 track, but I recognise it is well made and classy. I am still second highest ranker. The band are trying too hard to impress blues players. Keith Richards had some interesting thoughts about what U2 were trying to do, not the info in Silver and Gold by Vulture, but the original comments by Richards that the band attempted to win him over after. The 9 ranking surprises me, so lets here why.
Next up, back to War with one of the standout album track songs and our first appearance from either Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby. Which will it be?
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
Love this song. When I first moved to NY in the early 2000s, I would walk to/from the city humming this song in my head.
(Edit to add: Vulture’s comments capture my thoughts. This song is how arriving in NY feels to me. We landed from San Fran…..at JFK…..with snow melting on the ground. Anyway. Nostalgia.)
This was solidly in my top-20. It moved around my top-50 rankings (which changed way too many times) and was anywhere from 4 to 18 overall the entire time.
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Nemesis
Footballguy
Interesting hearing the different dynamics of couple's involvement/interest with U2.
For me, I'm lucky that my wife is a big U2 fan (they are in her top 5). I've seen them a total of 4 times....her 3 times. She attended her 1st U2 concert in Atlanta on the TJT tour & then we've seen them twice together (360 tour in Tampa and TJT 2017 tour in Tampa).
And speaking of support acts, this is where I can say that Muse opened up for U2 on that 2009 Tampa 360 tour stop. At the time, I wasn't very familiar w Muse other than maybe 1 song or so. But hearing them that night made me go look them up & listen to a bunch of their stuff. Became a big fan of theirs.
Ghost Rider
Footballguy
Love both of these, yet neither is a top 5 song for me from Rattle and Hum.
Angel of Harlem will always remind me of Christmas, partially because of the Christmas tree lyric and partially because MTV played the daylights out of the video over the holidays in 1988/early 1989. Such a good song, and I cannot think of another by the band that sounds like it.
I know some bagged on When Loves Comes to Town because it was U2 supposedly sounding inauthentic, but I saw it as a good song. Nothing more, nothing less. No, the band's background wasn't blues, but they took a shot at one with a legend playing with them, and it worked.
Angel of Harlem will always remind me of Christmas, partially because of the Christmas tree lyric and partially because MTV played the daylights out of the video over the holidays in 1988/early 1989. Such a good song, and I cannot think of another by the band that sounds like it.
I know some bagged on When Loves Comes to Town because it was U2 supposedly sounding inauthentic, but I saw it as a good song. Nothing more, nothing less. No, the band's background wasn't blues, but they took a shot at one with a legend playing with them, and it worked.
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Nemesis
Footballguy
Songfact:
In 1985, after going on a relief mission in Ethiopia, Bono travelled to South Africa to meet up w Steven Van Zandt (Little Steven) & his collaboration of Artists United Against Apartheid, which brought attention to South Africa & Nelson Mandela. The intention was to record & release just 1 song called "Sun City"........But some of the artists offered other songs, so they were able to release a full album.
The story goes:
Bono hadn't been to sleep for about 2 days when he wrote "Silver & Gold". He wrote it because he was hanging out 1 night w Keith Richards & Mick Jagger & Peter Wolf (from J.Geils band). They were sitting around a piano, singing these old '50s and '60s blues/bluegrass songs. Since he wasn't really familiar w them, he was embarrassed & couldn't contribute or perform any of my own songs w/out the rest of U2. That incident inspired him to go back to his hotel room that night & write a solo composition which became "Silver & Gold". The song was quickly recorded in a mostly acoustic style, w help from Keith Richards & Ron Wood of The Rolling Stones, & Peter Wolf of The J. Geils Band. (Ron Wood's guitar work is notable in that he used Keith's switchblade as a slide & Steve Lillywhite's wife helped w some of the backing vocals).
Because it was a last-minute inclusion, the song wasn't initially listed as a track on the original 1985 album & cassette pressings. Bono later explained that he submitted the tape of the song after the album's artwork had been printed by EMI Manhattan Records. (It was quickly updated soon thereafter)
In writing the song, Bono wanted to remind the world there were still human rights violations going on around them particularly Apartheid in South Africa. And even though it's an anti-apartheid song, the lyrics also make a broad political statement about how money seems to be more important than personal freedoms in the eyes of many world leaders.
=========
In May 1987, U2 re-recorded it in the Dublin studio as a full band between legs of The Joshua Tree Tour & it ended up as a B-side on the "Where the Streets" single release. ("Sweetest Thing" was also a B-side)
The song made its live debut in Birmingham, England on Aug 3, 1987, w the remaining performances occurring during the NA leg of the tour. The Nov 8, 1987 performance of “Silver & Gold” at McNichols Arena in Denver was filmed & included in the movie Rattle and Hum. (In the filmed concert version for R&H, at one point Bono says, "Ok Edge.....play the blues." I think this is a little inside joke poking fun at that night in South Africa.)
All in all, it was played 20 times during the 1987 TJT tour.....and only played once since that time (2001 in Vienna, Austria).
Bono got the lyric "I have seen the comings & goings, the captains & the kings," from Irish poet Brendan Behan. The line, "I am someone" came from a quote by US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
This shouldn't have worked but it does. It genuinely swings, which you wouldn't expect from bands that start in the post-punk world.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
One of the things that makes U2 distinctive is that the Edge doesn't generally resort to blues-based riffing, as most rock guitarists do. So it's a little weird to hear them attempt straight-up blues. But if King was cool with it, no gatekeeping should be necessary. I like it well enough but it's not something I desire to return to regularly.
Nemesis
Footballguy
Songfact:
The lyrics possibly refer to gambling....the spinning lady could be the roulette wheel found in a casino or is possibly 'lady luck' as suggested in the first line.
Here she comes, lady luck again
Figure of eight, six and nine again
My lady with the spinning head
Whatever the deal she won't let me down
Wherever I go she's always hanging round
My lady with the spinning head
Lady with the spinning head
Lady with the spinning head
Oh yeah
She's been gone but I knew she'd be back
She's got the rent, she put me in the black
The lady with the spinning head
If I ever let go, she'd cure my blues
She's the one in the Chinese shoes
Lady with the spinning head
I'm on top when she's around
Shes my ticket out of town
Lady with the spinning head
Figure of eight, six and nine again
My lady with the spinning head
Whatever the deal she won't let me down
Wherever I go she's always hanging round
My lady with the spinning head
Lady with the spinning head
Lady with the spinning head
Oh yeah
She's been gone but I knew she'd be back
She's got the rent, she put me in the black
The lady with the spinning head
If I ever let go, she'd cure my blues
She's the one in the Chinese shoes
Lady with the spinning head
I'm on top when she's around
Shes my ticket out of town
Lady with the spinning head
A remix of the song would also appear as a B-side on the “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses” single.
The song has never been played live.
GFS A Cappella - Lady With the Spinning Head (I'll be impressed if @Anarchy99 has this version
) Some cool teacher probably got his students to perform this
Nemesis
Footballguy
Songfact:
Angel of Harlem is U2's homage to the jazz singing legend Billie Holiday, who moved to Harlem as a teenager in 1928. She played a variety of nightclubs & became famous for her spectacular voice & ability to move her audience to tears. She dealt w racism, drug problems, & bad relationships for most of her life, & her sadness was often revealed in her songs.
Birdland on Fifty-Three
The street sounds like a symphony
We got John Coltrane and a love supreme
Miles and she's got to be an angel.
Lady Day got diamond eyes
She sees the truth behind the lies
(Angel).
The street sounds like a symphony
We got John Coltrane and a love supreme
Miles and she's got to be an angel.
Lady Day got diamond eyes
She sees the truth behind the lies
(Angel).
Billie Holiday's nickname was "Lady Day."
"A Love Supreme" was a 1964 John Coltrane album
"Miles" is certainly Miles Davis, another legendary jazz musician.
The band was inspired by their 1st trip to NYC. "We landed in JFK & we were picked up in a limousine. We had never been in a limousine before, & w the din of punk rock not yet faded from our ears, there was a sort of guilty pleasure as we stepped into the limousine. We crossed Triborough Bridge & saw the Manhattan skyline. The limo driver was black & he had the radio tuned to WBLS, a Rhythm & Blues/Soul music station. (that helps to explain the verse: "Snow was melting on the ground.............On the BLS I heard the sound") Billie Holiday was singing. And there it was, city of blinding lights, neon hearts. They were advertising in the skies for people like us, as London had the year before."
U2 recorded this at Sun Studios in Memphis while the band was touring the US in 1987. It features the Memphis Horns, who recorded on many of the blues & soul classics recorded there.
Produced by "Cowboy" Jack Clement, who worked w Sam Phillips at Sun Studios in the '50s before moving to Nashville & working w a variety of Country singers. When U2 asked him to work on this album, he had never even heard of them, but fortunately some of his friends were familiar w U2 & made it clear to Clement that working w them would be a good career move. By using Clement, U2 was able to recreate the famous Sun Studios' sound they were looking for.
During the recording session, Bono learned the important lesson that alcohol & horn players do not mix. "I thought I would lighten the session up, so I sent out for a case of Absolut Vodka. I was giving it to the horn players & we were all having a little laugh & Cowboy came up to me. Cowboy was a guy who knew how to get into trouble but he also knew when not to get into trouble. He said, 'Bono, how long you been doing this?' I said, '10 yrs, nearly.' He said, '10 yrs & you don't know not to give the horn section Absolut Vodka? You can give it to anybody else but you can't give a horn section Absolut.' I asked, 'Why, particularly, the horn section?' Cowboy said, 'Listen, stupid, you try playing a horn when your lips won't work.'"
Was released as R&H's 2nd single in December 1988. It topped the charts in Canada & New Zealand, peaked at #9 on the UK Singles Chart, #8 on the Dutch Top 40, & #14 on the Billboard Hot 100.
This song has been played 292 times. (<--this surprised me
)In the Berlin concert of the 360° Tour 3 young fans from Prague, Czech Republic, held signs up asking to play "Angel of Harlem" together w U2. Bono invited them to the stage, the band lent them the instruments & they played the song together.
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Nemesis
Footballguy
Songfact:
In 1987, King played a show in Dublin & found out U2 would be in the audience. This made him nervous, as U2 had just released TJT & were wildly popular, especially in their native Ireland. After the show, King was honored to meet the band & humbled to find out they were big fans. He asked Bono to think of him sometime when he was writing a song, & this was the result.
King performed the song w the band for the 1st time during their JT tour at a concert in Fort Worth, Texas on Nov 24, 1987. Parts of this show as well as the soundcheck were included in R&H, which contains a scene where Bono is rehearsing this w King. The audio version used on R&H was recorded w B.B. King at Sun Studios in Memphis, where King is royalty.
B.B. King opened for U2 on their 1989 "Lovetown" tour, which went through New Zealand, Japan, Ireland, Germany, & Holland. King would re-join U2 onstage when they played this, which usually occurred near the end of their set.
This was a huge career boost for B.B. King. Although he was revered in the blues community, he wasn't well known in the world of rock or pop. His association w U2 brought him a huge number of new fans & changed the dynamic of his audience, which became split between blues purists and rock fans who learned about him through U2. Many of King's older fans did not appreciate the newcomers.
Admiration between King & Bono on this song was mutual; King was amazed that Bono could write such mature lyrics at such a young age, & Bono was blown away by King's vocal. "I gave it my absolute everything I had in that howl at the start of the song," Bono said. "Then B.B. opened his mouth, & I felt like a girl."
This won the MTV Video Music Award for best video from a film in 1989.
Near the beginning of their 1989 tour w B.B. King, U2 threw him a surprise birthday party. They invited King on a boat for what he thought was a fishing trip, but as soon as they left shore, they released balloons & sang Happy Birthday. That night, they had a fireworks display in his honor.
Was the 3rd single off R&H. This was B.B. King's biggest hit in the UK.
Been played live 140 times.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
#72 - Seconds (1983)
Highest Rank - 25
Lowest Rank - 131
Where to Find it - War LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -139/218 - Lead vocals and excellent guitar work from the Edge are the highlights here. There’s a lot to like about this one; tight, compact, evocative, it almost unintentionally contextualizes the record by coming in after “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” in that it’s another current commentary. If anything, it almost foreshadows what the band would do later on the Zoo TV tour, with the sample from a documentary about female soldiers in the middle.
Comment - Great album track
Next up, the first song we see from one of the big 2. The Joshua Tree makes its first appearance
Highest Rank - 25
Lowest Rank - 131
Where to Find it - War LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -139/218 - Lead vocals and excellent guitar work from the Edge are the highlights here. There’s a lot to like about this one; tight, compact, evocative, it almost unintentionally contextualizes the record by coming in after “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” in that it’s another current commentary. If anything, it almost foreshadows what the band would do later on the Zoo TV tour, with the sample from a documentary about female soldiers in the middle.
Comment - Great album track
Next up, the first song we see from one of the big 2. The Joshua Tree makes its first appearance
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
#71 - Exit (1987)
Highest Rank - 47
Lowest Rank - 174
Where to Find it - The Joshua Tree LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -52/218 - Sometimes the muses lead you in a direction you don’t expect, or anticipate: the darkness and evil in works by authors such as Flannery O’Connor, Truman Capote, and of course, Norman Mailer, whose The Executioner’s Song was the nominal influence for “Exit.” The song isn’t a retelling of any one story, but rather an examination of the forces that drove the people or characters those authors wrote about. “Exit” is a roller coaster of emotions, pinned down by Adam Clayton’s heartbeat bass in formation with Mullen’s drumming picking up the pulse — there is so much masterful precision going on — and then Edge’s guitar slipping by like wisps of fog until it explodes in violent intensity, Bono’s vocals walking a line between observer and participant.
But when you invoke the muses, there is sometimes a cost. “Exit” would let the band exorcise their demons, but then Bono slipped and fell early on during a performance of the song, badly damaging his shoulder and causing him to perform the rest of the tour in a sling (you can see it in the video of “Trip Through Your Wires”). Later, the man who murdered actress Rebecca Schaeffer in 1989 would claim that he was inspired by the song. All of the above likely contributed to the disappearance of the track in the band’s live set once the Joshua Tree tour was over, until the announcement in 2017 of the 40th-anniversary tour. This time out, Bono took off his glasses, donned some eyeliner and a costume change, and created a character he referred to as “Shadow Man” for the performances of the song, which was both masterful and breathtaking. But the real hero of the track in 2017 was the Edge, whose fury on guitar went above and beyond.
Comment - Doesnt really fit on this album despite being a compelling song. It’s our first entry into the big 2 albums.
Next up, Back to Rattle and Hum....again.
Highest Rank - 47
Lowest Rank - 174
Where to Find it - The Joshua Tree LP
Vulture.com ranking and comment -52/218 - Sometimes the muses lead you in a direction you don’t expect, or anticipate: the darkness and evil in works by authors such as Flannery O’Connor, Truman Capote, and of course, Norman Mailer, whose The Executioner’s Song was the nominal influence for “Exit.” The song isn’t a retelling of any one story, but rather an examination of the forces that drove the people or characters those authors wrote about. “Exit” is a roller coaster of emotions, pinned down by Adam Clayton’s heartbeat bass in formation with Mullen’s drumming picking up the pulse — there is so much masterful precision going on — and then Edge’s guitar slipping by like wisps of fog until it explodes in violent intensity, Bono’s vocals walking a line between observer and participant.
But when you invoke the muses, there is sometimes a cost. “Exit” would let the band exorcise their demons, but then Bono slipped and fell early on during a performance of the song, badly damaging his shoulder and causing him to perform the rest of the tour in a sling (you can see it in the video of “Trip Through Your Wires”). Later, the man who murdered actress Rebecca Schaeffer in 1989 would claim that he was inspired by the song. All of the above likely contributed to the disappearance of the track in the band’s live set once the Joshua Tree tour was over, until the announcement in 2017 of the 40th-anniversary tour. This time out, Bono took off his glasses, donned some eyeliner and a costume change, and created a character he referred to as “Shadow Man” for the performances of the song, which was both masterful and breathtaking. But the real hero of the track in 2017 was the Edge, whose fury on guitar went above and beyond.
Comment - Doesnt really fit on this album despite being a compelling song. It’s our first entry into the big 2 albums.
Next up, Back to Rattle and Hum....again.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
The admin to Date with 158 songs listed and 70 to go)
B-Sides = 46 (14 covers) - (5 tracks to go here and in Soundtracks etc)
Soundtracks/Special/Greatest Hits LPs - 17
Songs of Innocence - 11 (1 to go)
October = 9 (2 to go)
Songs of Experience = 10 (3 to go)
Pop - 9 (3 to go)
No Line On The Horizon = 8 (3 to go)
Zooropa - 7 (3 to go)
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - 8 (4 to go)
Boy - 7 (4 to go)
The Unforgettable Fire - 6 (4 to go)
War - 6 (4 to go)
All that you can’t leave behind - 6 (6 to go)
Rattle and Hum - 7 (6 to go)
The Joshua Tree - 1 (10 to go)
Achtung Baby - 0 (12 to go)
B-Sides = 46 (14 covers) - (5 tracks to go here and in Soundtracks etc)
Soundtracks/Special/Greatest Hits LPs - 17
Songs of Innocence - 11 (1 to go)
October = 9 (2 to go)
Songs of Experience = 10 (3 to go)
Pop - 9 (3 to go)
No Line On The Horizon = 8 (3 to go)
Zooropa - 7 (3 to go)
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - 8 (4 to go)
Boy - 7 (4 to go)
The Unforgettable Fire - 6 (4 to go)
War - 6 (4 to go)
All that you can’t leave behind - 6 (6 to go)
Rattle and Hum - 7 (6 to go)
The Joshua Tree - 1 (10 to go)
Achtung Baby - 0 (12 to go)
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
For the next 10 (70-61) we will see six different albums represented, including Achtung Baby for the first time. Guess which track? Two albums will get two mentions. The last really divisive single from the 90s gets a mention and the last real B Side. The two remaining B sides after it were appropriated elsewhere, but still register as B Sides.
bigbottom
Footballguy
I have always loved this song. Particularly the way the guitar joins the drums to be part of the rhythm section while the bass line becomes the lead. And this tune is the exception to my rule about vocalizing the choruses. I think what they do here works perfectly.
bigbottom
Footballguy
Agree that it doesn’t really fit, but the song is still a pretty amazing piece of work. The slow build is very effective and The Edge’s use of drone guitar while the bass line moves is a technique I’ve always loved because it adds to the energy and frenetic nature of the tune as it hits its crescendo.
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
This would have been in the 175-200 range for me. I’ve listened to it with Mrs APK (who likes it well enough) but I just don’t feel any desire to listen to it.
Nugget
Footballguy
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
This was #25 on my list. Based on a few comments in this thread, it seems like some folks don’t really like when U2 gets too political or preachy. I’m the opposite — I like their early, overtly political or I’ll call them “humanitarian” songs. This song is freaking fantastic. It gives me chills still sometimes.
scorchy
Footballguy
I've been lurking in here and I guess we're getting to the point that I start to have thoughts. I didn't sign up to participate because my knowledge of U2 pretty much ends with Achtung Baby (which I loved). Zooropa totally lost me, and I never came back. OTOH, Rattle and Hum was the first CD I bought (along with "Rank" by The Smiths) when I got a CD player for my 16th birthday in 1988. I took a date to see the film the night that it opened - she was unimpressed. A few months later, I started seeing a girl who wrote an English class essay on how hot Bono looked in his leather pants in the UABRS VHS, a much better match for sure. And I still occasionally check U2 forums hoping for a special edition release that actually contains all the songs from the movie in order.
I never really liked Angel of Harlem at the time and am still not crazy about it. But there's a version on Live from the Point Depot (which I bought from a bootleg shop in 1990 and still have in my possession) that briefly medleys with Suspicious Minds that I can listen to over and over again.
Looking forward to seeing where things fall from here on out.
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Anarchy99
Footballguy
Real shocker that I am the highest ranker.
As I mentioned pages and pages ago, I love RAH and probably listen to all the songs from the album / DVD as much as I do AB (and therefore more than all the other albums . . . maybe even combined). I could probably write a novella about this timeframe from the band. RAH came out while I was in college and has a lot more embedded memories that I don't expect any off the other rankers will have.
IMO, TJT, while clearly a masterpiece and phenomenal album, was almost too precise, too preplanned, and too artificial. It's hard to put my finger on it. The songs, music, and performances are fantastic, but it just feels like a studio album lacking something or not enough passion and emotion. However, the same songs played live from that album on TJT tour were taken to another level. The other day I mentioned I really loved the U2 stage live performances when it was just them on a stage and playing great music. TJT tour was their time to shine, and they killed it on that tour. Just them playing without crazy stage set ups, video boards, etc.
I have all the shows that made up the live songs from RAH (predominantly Denver, Tempe, NYC, and Dublin). Again, IMO, the live numbers on the DVD are stellar. More on that in future posts. But IMO, the live version of TJT numbers on that tour were greater than the album itself. Oddly enough, I can't say that about the same songs on later tours . . . it was more hit or miss on future tours.
One of the main reasons I love RAH (and the shows from TJT tour) is the tone from Edge's guitar in that era is fantastic. In later years, for some reason, they got away from that full bodied, deep, resonating sound. A lot more in-studio effects and not quite as in your face as in previous iterations.
If we skip ahead to AB, another masterful album, the band again had a lot of stuff that they mastered and crafted with help of electronic effects and overdubs. Doesn't make it any less good, but it was almost genetically engineered in a lab than just a band playing old time rock and roll. (This is not a knock on the album, just an observation about the approach, the music sound, and the end product).
If we look at RAH, to me it's the band playing songs, having fun, and hammering out some straight ahead rock and roll without all the extra stuff. In fact, I would go so far to say that that album was the last time they really kept things simple and played their instruments holistically and let the music shine without a bunch of help with multi-track add-ons, fancy mixing, and slick production.
The other observation I have is that to me it was one of the last times where Larry had a prominent role in the songs. The drums and bass form a great back drop, and it sounds like everyone is carrying their weight evenly and it features all 4 band members pretty evenly across the entire album. I don't know if that is how things really were (and if my perception of more recent works is skewed), but at least to me it seemed like they were a well oiled machine at that point in time.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
Spring boarding on my comments on Angel of Harlem, WLCTT features a booming drum sound from jump street, blistering guitar flourishes, and a swagger that holds up throughout the entire song. It's both rocking, bluesy, and toe tapping all in the same song.
What I don't get are the seemingly incongruous comments from some people who wanted the band to try to do different things and explore different musical avenues, and they clearly did try to go in a different direction on RAH. Yet someone had Angel at 202 and someone had When Love Comes at 188. I'd be equally interesting in what those rankers have to say and why they were rated so low.
I don't think they were trying too hard, nor do I think they were trying to impress people. If I had to guess, U2 was in a difficult spot, TJT was immensely popular, the tour lasted a long time and took them to places all over the world, and they needed to put out another album to capture the global audience they had just built up. Given that they were on the road constantly, it was hard for them to settle into a studio to work up a new album. A hybrid studio / live album was the compromise to get out some new songs, tap into some great live performances, wrap up the 80's, and close out the sound and musical direction they were at before moving onto something else.
In case people were not aware, because they have been such road warriors, many times they develop new material on the road and work up new songs during sound checks. Then they would pop into a studio when they had time to cut demos and / or record songs for future release. That's why a lot of the Songfacts will start with songs being written all across the globe and developed over time in wherever they were in at the time.
In the I-ain't-proud-about-it-but-it-is-what-it-is category, I admit that I will sing along with the RAH songs (other albums not so much). Call me crazy, but I know the RAH album inside an out. Maybe it's an unhealthy obsession, but I will take WLCTT over any of their songs from the 2000's, and WAY above any song from the 2010's.
Again, for those that like other material more than this, that's fine. I'm glad you found something you like. In my case, I figured out stuff that I like, and I keep going back to it.
Ghost Rider
Footballguy
Always liked Seconds a lot. Quirky little song. I dug it.
I didn’t like Exit a whole lot until I saw it in the R&H film. It sprang to life there and I’ve been a fan since.
I didn’t like Exit a whole lot until I saw it in the R&H film. It sprang to life there and I’ve been a fan since.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
Seconds also fits with the narrative I have zeroed in on recently . . . drums as an integral, featured element that really adds to and makes a song. It's one of the few early songs where there isn't booming guitar and Edge serves almost entirely in a supporting role.
I don't mind if U2 writes political, preachy, rebellious humanitarian songs. But there are times in live shows where Bono getting on a soapbox multiple times in the same show to pump up awareness and reiterate that cause multiple times sometimes bogs down the momentum of shows and can be a bit irritating. Similarly, I don't care if they write songs with a purpose . . . but sometimes they seem to have a lot of them.
It's a tough call. They have enough eyes and ears on them to try to influence change, and I vacillate on whether people in the public eye should be trying to force there opinions and viewpoints on people. Many times that is great for bringing awareness to issues and situations that otherwise may not have been known by many people. Building awareness is a good thing. Forcing every iPhone owner to download a U2 album whether they asked for it or not, not a good think.
The concept, theology, and messaging on Seconds works for me. Luckily most of us live where a nuclear / mass casualty event would be pretty unlikely. But you never know. I was at the World Trade Center a couple days before 9/11.
ETA: It's a shame they only played this on the 83 and 85 tours. I'd be all in favor of resurrecting this one for their next tour (hopefully there is one).
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Anarchy99
Footballguy
This. Echoes what I mentioned a few posts ago. Exit the studio version is very much meh. Exit the RAH version rocks the house. I had it at 47. After listening to the live version again, that's probably not high enough. LINK
As lesser known songs go, they all come together to make this song way more epic than the original. Gripping, compelling, powerful, charismatic from the opening drum / bass line with a build up to a flurry and explosion of Edge at his best. A great blend of all 4 performers to make for an equal contribution from everyone.
Another great example of turn on the lights and the amps and get out of the way. Just let the boys play and enjoy the collaboration, the cohesion, the intensity, and majesty of a band firing on all cylinders. Bono is restrained enough that he is just a contributor and not the focus.
I kinda get that the studio version is tepid, so I can let a ranking of 174 slide (and it's not like the song was a radio staple). But if people listen to the live version and walk away still not liking the song, I really have to wonder how much of a U2 fan (or music fan) that person is to begin with.
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
Why aren’t you proud to admit you sing along? The Mrs and I sing along with every pre-Zooropa album, start to finish. After that, we’re more selective. Not even remotely apologetic about it.
Btw - the only reason you are highest on Angel is because I was too lazy to rank this many songs AND listening to all the newer albums in full might have destroyed me.
Nemesis
Footballguy
Songfact
We all know U2 has made multiple references to Atomic bombs/Nuclear issues....Seconds was an early one to make direct references to atomic bombs
“And they're doing the atomic bomb
Do they know where the dance comes from
Yes, they're doing the atomic bomb
They want you to sing along
Do they know where the dance comes from
Yes, they're doing the atomic bomb
They want you to sing along
Bono: "There is a line in 'Seconds' about a fanatic assembling a nuclear device in an apartment in Times Square, NY, but it could be anywhere. We are now entering the age of nuclear terrorism where a group of fanatics could have the capabilities of bringing a bomb into a city & holding millions of people to ransom."
During his writer's block period in 1982, Bono felt it was lonely writing lyrics, so he asked the Edge to assist in writing, but the guitarist wasn't interested in such a goal. The Edge finally wrote the line "It takes a second to say goodbye". Bono wrote the remainder of the lyrics.
The Lyrics about dancing to the atomic bomb is a reference to "Drop The Bomb," a song by Go-Go group Troublefunk, who were U2's labelmates on Island Records.
At the 2:00 minute mark, the song incorporates a sample from the 1982 documentary Soldier Girls, which is about women training for war. Bono said that he was watching this documentary while he was waiting in the green room in Windmill Lane Studios & he recorded it. The band felt it would fit well into the song as unsettling evidence of soldiers training for an atomic bomb explosion. (Everyone has heard the "I wanna be an airborne ranger" part...........but I never knew the rest of the Drill Instructor & Girls chant of "GUN!" and KILL!". AND, if you listen REALLY CLOSELY: you can hear the add'l words from a Veteran, that are probably taken from the documentary film. I believe there are also samples from this as I can hear something at the 1:18 mark too.
[Drill Instructor] / [Girls =RED Italics] [Veteran=GREEN (very faint)]
Hold it
I wanna be an airborne ranger I just can’t do it
I wanna be an airborne ranger This is all I’ve got
I wanna live a life of danger I can’t give nothing
I wanna live a life of danger To anybody else anymore
Gun, Gun! It’s been stripped, it’s been taken
Gun, Gun!
Gun, Gun!
Gun, Gun!
Kill, Kill!
Kill, Kill!
DID YOU KNOW: Edge is the one who sings the 1st verse, Edge+Bono share the 2nd verse..........& then Bono takes the 3rd verse by himself. (I would bet that >90% of U2 fans thought this was all Bono on the vocals. they do sound a lot alike here.)
It was the 1st time Edge sang lead.
Check out this Live 1983 concert version from Germany where you can see who sings what vocals........& w a different up-tempo feel to it. Link
U2 once famously protested against the Sellafield nuclear plant (on the coast of Cumbria, England) by colluding w Greenpeace to stage an event on a beach near the site that was contaminated w radiation as the result of the power plant’s activities. Pic of U2
Been played live 179 times.......on the 1983 War and 1984/1985 TUF tours (but never since then).
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Nemesis
Footballguy
Songfact:
Exit's lyrics explore the dark impulses of a desperate man. At an LA U2 concert on Nov 18, 1987, Bono said of his verse "This is a song about a religious man who became a very dangerous man when he couldn't work out the mystery, on the hands of love."
Bono says this was inspired by Norman Mailer's The Executioner's Song & Truman Capote's In Cold Blood, both famous books about murderers. "This was my attempt at writing a story in the mind of a killer," he explained. "It is all very well to address America & the violence that is an aggressive foreign policy but to really understand that you have to get under the skin of your own darkness, the violence we all contain within us. Violence is something I know quite a bit about. I have a side of me which, in a corner, can be very violent. It's the least attractive thing in anyone & I wanted to own up to that."
In 1987, Bono commented on the album's bleaker tone. "You could say this is forbidden ground for U2 because we're the optimistic group. But to be an optimist, you mustn't be blind or deaf to the world around you," he explained. "I don't even know what the act is in 'Exit.' Some see it as murder, others a suicide, & I don't mind. The rhythm of the words is nearly as important in conveying the state of mind. The album's real strength is that though you travel through these deep tunnels & bleak landscapes, there's a joy at the heart of it, & I can't explain it."
In 1989, Robert John Bardo, a stalker who murdered the 21-year-old American actress Rebecca Schaeffer, claimed this song compelled him to kill her. At the trial, his defense attorney said that the lyric in the song, "The pistol weighed heavy," gave Bardo "his idea for the mission." When the song was played at the trial, Bardo became animated, singing along to it. The killing brought privacy concerns to light, especially in regard to celebrities - Bardo obtained Schaeffer's address from a private investigator who simply queried DMV records.
Ozzy Osbourne & AC/DC were taken to task when their songs came up in murder trials, but U2 faced little scrutiny, as they weren't a metal band. Bardo was convicted of 1st-degree murder & given a life sentence.
Exit (recorded for Rattle & Hum) Denver, Colorado, USA, 8.11.1987
During the 2017 TJT Tour, the song included a 45 second black & white intro video against "Trump" Link
Been played live 177 times.........On just about every 1987 TJT tour stop.....and then again on the 2017 TJT & 2019 TJT Anniversary Tours.
Brony
Footballguy
I'm the high (or is it low?) ranker on both Seconds (131) and Exit (174).
Seconds - nothing wrong with it and I probably didn't even realize there was any social/political bent to it with as little as I pay attention to the lyrics. There's not much in the song that grabs me. I like the drums forward sound, but the beat is not even that interesting.
Exit - I'm certainly not against mood heavy, limited-lyrics tracks from U2 as my rankings indicate. I probably ding'd it a few spots because it's a fall off from the rest of Joshua Tree.
And these Rattle and Hum tracks... just not my cup of tea. As a U2 fan, you have to get over Bono's pretentious demeanor and I'm usually fine glossing over it, but this period was particularly grandiose and I could never embrace their attempt to honor their influences or whatever. It just didn't click. Beyond any biases, I just don't like the sound of most of these tracks. I like rock, I like electronica, I don't like country. This album was a closer to country than electronic on the continuum and my ears don't dig that as much.
Seconds - nothing wrong with it and I probably didn't even realize there was any social/political bent to it with as little as I pay attention to the lyrics. There's not much in the song that grabs me. I like the drums forward sound, but the beat is not even that interesting.
Exit - I'm certainly not against mood heavy, limited-lyrics tracks from U2 as my rankings indicate. I probably ding'd it a few spots because it's a fall off from the rest of Joshua Tree.
And these Rattle and Hum tracks... just not my cup of tea. As a U2 fan, you have to get over Bono's pretentious demeanor and I'm usually fine glossing over it, but this period was particularly grandiose and I could never embrace their attempt to honor their influences or whatever. It just didn't click. Beyond any biases, I just don't like the sound of most of these tracks. I like rock, I like electronica, I don't like country. This album was a closer to country than electronic on the continuum and my ears don't dig that as much.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
Seems the obvious choice, but we dont do obvious in here...or do we?
I love theirs and Bono in particular for the positive that has come from their activism. Bands talking about how ####ed up they got or how cool drugs are pisses me off,. but journos love doing it. Bono gets called preachy etc. How many lives has he literally saved with his activism? Maybe he went too far, but with the platform afforded him why not talk about important causes. Or maybe he’d be more cool if he talked about how much ketamine means to him.
Good stuff. Look forward to your thoughts. If you want to give newer , or post Zooropa U2 a fresh slate start with All that you Can’t leave behind. Then How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. Move onto Songs of Innocence, then Songs of Experience. If you are still interested after that Pop or No Line on the Horizon have their moments, but if you didnt like Zooropa it could be a struggle.
I do agree with your take on their opinions. Its a hard balance. You have a captive, adoring audience and you could just do everything to please them or you can try and educate. It shouldnt be Bonos job to educate, but thats where we are in society i guess. Some people, obviously, get really pissed off. Those that are impacted in a positive way to help the causes are much more important to me than some cheesed off cool kid wannabe.
Now, now. After No Line on the Horizon...I was so pissed off. I didnt listen to either of the Songs albums...until this thread. Literally. It forced me to open my ears. I was dreading it, but both were a pleasant surprise, especially Innocence. I’ve sad it before, but My disappointment at NLOTH was heartbreaking. I talked with a former work colleague about it, who actually liked it, but i was gone. Done. Don’t even get me started on the ABC album Beauty Stab. After Lexicon of Love I expected another masterpiece. Holy ####.Why aren’t you proud to admit you sing along? The Mrs and I sing along with every pre-Zooropa album, start to finish. After that, we’re more selective. Not even remotely apologetic about it.
Btw - the only reason you are highest on Angel is because I was too lazy to rank this many songs AND listening to all the newer albums in full might have destroyed me.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Socialism for Dummies
I agree with almost everything said here. The Joshua Tree sounds clinically perfect. It is the Brain of the whole U2 catalog. Maybe you see Rattle and Hum as the Heart. I see Achtung Baby as the #### (penis). They’ve fooled around, done the foreplay and now its time for Johnny Pornstar.
Your opinion on Rattle and Hum is fair and reasonable,. but so is Bronys. Both of you make a compelling case. I sort of see it as them not really knowing what they are supposed to, having some heat from their fans and record company to do something “Big”. That’s a lot of pressure. I can see the argument of it coming across as inauthentic. The album is a mess with 3 old songs live, 2 covers, 2 bits from elsewhere and a mixed bag of originals. Track listing is all wrong. I might try and listen to only the originals ( and 2 covers). See if i can make it more cohesive.
I am the second highest ranker on a lot of Rattle and Hum, and the highest on #70 for some reason. I like it individually more than collectively. As time passes rather than being an out of place, lost album, it is an important link between the two great albums. Without Rattle and Hum they never do Achtung Baby.
I understand this sentiment. Ego, ambition, pressure and the need to one up Joshua Tree are huge burdens. Rattle and Hum suffers from it, but they needed to do it.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
I would guess the other consideration besides a disorganized and not well thought out album like RAH would have been to release a cheesy greatest hits album with a couple of new tracks or non-album tracks to bridge the gap until they could assemble and put together a legit new album. Hello Best of 1980-1990 collection . . . except they waited to do that until after Pop.
The thing is, I don't really care who likes RAH, nor am I trying to recruit people and get them to like it more. I realize I will be in the minority here and may have a dissenting opinion on a lot of the songs. I gave reasons why I like it and what was going on with me at the time as to why I may have had a greater attachment than other folks. If people don't like it or are put off by it, that's cool too. If people are looking for some big introspective, reflective, or great meaning from it, I haven't found any of that.
As for AB, there is no doubt that album was the bee's knees, the schiznett, the cat's meow, their too cool for school moment, the ear porn of their collection. They had it goin' on. The problem I have with AB is . . . it's SOOOOO good and goes down like a fine 30 year old Scotch, that it's almost impossible to rate those songs to some of their other songs. It's like the original Dream Team basketball team getting compared to a local rec team.
The thing is, I don't really care who likes RAH, nor am I trying to recruit people and get them to like it more. I realize I will be in the minority here and may have a dissenting opinion on a lot of the songs. I gave reasons why I like it and what was going on with me at the time as to why I may have had a greater attachment than other folks. If people don't like it or are put off by it, that's cool too. If people are looking for some big introspective, reflective, or great meaning from it, I haven't found any of that.
As for AB, there is no doubt that album was the bee's knees, the schiznett, the cat's meow, their too cool for school moment, the ear porn of their collection. They had it goin' on. The problem I have with AB is . . . it's SOOOOO good and goes down like a fine 30 year old Scotch, that it's almost impossible to rate those songs to some of their other songs. It's like the original Dream Team basketball team getting compared to a local rec team.
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
Man. Thanks for sharing that link!! The live version of Exit is really freaking good. Not sure where I would rank it, but it is definitely a song I would seek out to hear more often!
zoonation
Footballguy
Nugget
Footballguy
Thanks for the link. I remember seeing it before, but it still gave me goosebumps. I love driving, rising U2 songs that I can blast in the car. My arm rest doesn’t appreciate it so much.
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