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)

#97 - Electrical Storm (2002)

Highest Rank - 43

Lowest Rank - 142

Where to Find it - Best of 1990-2000 compilation LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment -105/218 - This song came out of sessions earmarked to generate bonus content for the upcoming greatest-hits records. Larry Mullen called this track “an incomplete idea.” Unsurprisingly, Bono is more generous, calling it “a post-9/11 song, but it is not an overtly political song.” There’s a definite feeling of unease, conveyed through the tension in a relationship, and, if nothing else, it’s a lovely, atmospheric meandering that kind of grows on you. The video is fantastic.

Comment - This is one of their better 00 tracks and it was recorded especially for a greatest hits. This is the last track we see where three of us rank it in the 100s. I dragged it kicking and screaming into the top 100 with a 43 rank. Bono does great vocals here and I love the vibe the Edge brings to it. That said the other rankers and Vulture all have it in the, “I guess its alright” area of ranking

Next up, two songs with a word and a sentence in brackets after it. First of all one of the higher ranked B Sides

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

#98 - Lemon (1993)

Highest Rank - 25

Lowest Rank - 198

Where to Find it - Zooropa LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment -72/218 - Another song delivered in the “Fat Lady” voice that Bono developed during Achtung Baby, and that, combined with the light, lilting melody, hides the fact that this is about Bono’s mother, who died when he was very young.

Comment - This song can divide people. I enjoy it, until i have to listen to 30 plus minutes of remixes on the yellow vinyl 12”. Then i want to play frisbee. I am not the highest ranking here, but two ranking spots behind it. The rankings of 25, 27, 183 and 198 you would think are weird. There are some other unusual ones to come. One track has rankings of 9, 11, 100 and 161. BTW this is another track about Bono’s mother.   @Nemesis  do you have an actual count of how many songs there are on this subject? 

Next up, another exclusive single to a greatest hits compilation 

Click to expand...

When this song came out Mrs APK and I bought the album excitedly.  We listened to the whole thing…..and when we got to Lemon we were both shuked.  One of us (neither remembers which) said “well, I guess U2 is done.  At least we won’t ever have to spend $$ on another album.”

Since then the song has grown on me more.   I don’t dislike it actively anymore.  There are things we both appreciate about it now.

But……a ranking of 25 or 27 is basically indefensible to me unless someone just doesn’t enjoy pre-1992 U2.    Or if the logic is “this is the best song from Zooropa and something from that album has to be top-30.”  But even then……I’d rather listen to a bottom half song from most pre-1992 albums (except October) than this song.  
 

Long story short (too late) the overall ranking is fine.  I just don’t see how it cracks the top-30 for anyone.

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

#97 - Electrical Storm (2002)

Highest Rank - 43

Lowest Rank - 142

Where to Find it - Best of 1990-2000 compilation LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment -105/218 - This song came out of sessions earmarked to generate bonus content for the upcoming greatest-hits records. Larry Mullen called this track “an incomplete idea.” Unsurprisingly, Bono is more generous, calling it “a post-9/11 song, but it is not an overtly political song.” There’s a definite feeling of unease, conveyed through the tension in a relationship, and, if nothing else, it’s a lovely, atmospheric meandering that kind of grows on you. The video is fantastic.

Comment - This is one of their better 00 tracks and it was recorded especially for a greatest hits. This is the last track we see where three of us rank it in the 100s. I dragged it kicking and screaming into the top 100 with a 43 rank. Bono does great vocals here and I love the vibe the Edge brings to it. That said the other rankers and Vulture all have it in the, “I guess its alright” area of ranking

Next up, two songs with a word and a sentence in brackets after it. First of all one of the higher ranked B Sides

Click to expand...

Without the high ranking this would be #115.  That seems about right.   It’s a solid song, but fairly vanilla.  Nothing to love about it.  (revised:  Edge is the best part of the song) Nothing to hate.  Solid listen.

Bono gets excited a few times and lets loose — but then he pulls back and the song slips into mediocrity.

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

#98 - Lemon (1993)

Highest Rank - 25

Lowest Rank - 198

Where to Find it - Zooropa LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment -72/218 - Another song delivered in the “Fat Lady” voice that Bono developed during Achtung Baby, and that, combined with the light, lilting melody, hides the fact that this is about Bono’s mother, who died when he was very young.

Comment - This song can divide people. I enjoy it, until i have to listen to 30 plus minutes of remixes on the yellow vinyl 12”. Then i want to play frisbee. I am not the highest ranking here, but two ranking spots behind it. The rankings of 25, 27, 183 and 198 you would think are weird. There are some other unusual ones to come. One track has rankings of 9, 11, 100 and 161. BTW this is another track about Bono’s mother.   @Nemesis  do you have an actual count of how many songs there are on this subject? 

Next up, another exclusive single to a greatest hits compilation 

Click to expand...

I wasn't lowest on this one, but I was knocking on the door. I remember when this song came out, I saw the following review: "Finally, a song title that reviews itself." Bono falsetto for an entire song? Hard stop. Cheesy synth effects, loops, and a drum machine? The purest sounds this composition has to offer are a scale being played on a piano. Everything else is processed cheese. This is the anti-song to what I posted yesterday about the sound / tone of Stories for Boys. Just not my bag.

Alex P Keaton said:

Without the high ranking this would be #115.  That seems about right.   It’s a solid song, but fairly vanilla.  Nothing to love about it.  (revised:  Edge is the best part of the song) Nothing to hate.  Solid listen.

Bono gets excited a few times and lets loose — but then he pulls back and the song slips into mediocrity.

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I have a hard time mentally with a song like Electrical Storm. When it first got released, I heard it a few times and liked it. Once I bought it and heard it a few more times, I mostly became indifferent. I won't hear it for a long time and then when I hear it again I really enjoy it. Maybe it's like a B movie that you mostly like but you can't watch too often. Maybe the version I heard on the radio is different than the one they packaged for their greatest hits. Like you said, nothing wrong with it . . . enough to like about it . . . but not enough to fully embrace it.

Lemon was a song I didn't like for a long time, but not sure I ever gave it a real shot.  The main line was one my younger brother and I liked to throw at each other on occasion just to be silly.  "Lemon!!" (high falsetto!!).  But then when I finally got the Zoo TV Sydney live DVD around 2009-2010, the live version there won me over.  It is a little shorter, a bit more concise, feels more like an experimental dance rock song (rather than the dance track that the studio version comes off as), and works a lot better than the studio version, IMO. I am now a big fan of the song, and that live version is the one I will always listen to when I want to hear it. 

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

#98 - Lemon (1993)

Highest Rank - 25

Lowest Rank - 198

Where to Find it - Zooropa LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment -72/218 - Another song delivered in the “Fat Lady” voice that Bono developed during Achtung Baby, and that, combined with the light, lilting melody, hides the fact that this is about Bono’s mother, who died when he was very young.

Comment - This song can divide people. I enjoy it, until i have to listen to 30 plus minutes of remixes on the yellow vinyl 12”. Then i want to play frisbee. I am not the highest ranking here, but two ranking spots behind it. The rankings of 25, 27, 183 and 198 you would think are weird. There are some other unusual ones to come. One track has rankings of 9, 11, 100 and 161. BTW this is another track about Bono’s mother.   @Nemesis  do you have an actual count of how many songs there are on this subject? 

Next up, another exclusive single to a greatest hits compilation 

Click to expand...

This song is very good at what it does. Especially the "a man makes a picture, a moving picture" part. People weren't prepared for it because it wasn't what U2 did at the time. I have no interest in sitting through any of the remixes, though. 

As with probably almost everyone else on the thread, my ranking would be somewhere between 27 and 183. 

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

#97 - Electrical Storm (2002)

Highest Rank - 43

Lowest Rank - 142

Where to Find it - Best of 1990-2000 compilation LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment -105/218 - This song came out of sessions earmarked to generate bonus content for the upcoming greatest-hits records. Larry Mullen called this track “an incomplete idea.” Unsurprisingly, Bono is more generous, calling it “a post-9/11 song, but it is not an overtly political song.” There’s a definite feeling of unease, conveyed through the tension in a relationship, and, if nothing else, it’s a lovely, atmospheric meandering that kind of grows on you. The video is fantastic.

Comment - This is one of their better 00 tracks and it was recorded especially for a greatest hits. This is the last track we see where three of us rank it in the 100s. I dragged it kicking and screaming into the top 100 with a 43 rank. Bono does great vocals here and I love the vibe the Edge brings to it. That said the other rankers and Vulture all have it in the, “I guess its alright” area of ranking

Next up, two songs with a word and a sentence in brackets after it. First of all one of the higher ranked B Sides

Click to expand...

I guess it's all right. 

Alex P Keaton said:

When this song came out Mrs APK and I bought the album excitedly.  We listened to the whole thing…..and when we got to Lemon we were both shuked.  One of us (neither remembers which) said “well, I guess U2 is done.  At least we won’t ever have to spend $$ on another album.”

Since then the song has grown on me more.   I don’t dislike it actively anymore.  There are things we both appreciate about it now.

But……a ranking of 25 or 27 is basically indefensible to me unless someone just doesn’t enjoy pre-1992 U2.    Or if the logic is “this is the best song from Zooropa and something from that album has to be top-30.”  But even then……I’d rather listen to a bottom half song from most pre-1992 albums (except October) than this song.  
 

Long story short (too late) the overall ranking is fine.  I just don’t see how it cracks the top-30 for anyone.

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You and me. Behind the cafeteria.  3 o' clock today.  Don't try to run. 

Brony said:

You and me. Behind the cafeteria.  3 o' clock today.  Don't try to run. 

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Well, that escalated quickly.

Brony said:

You and me. Behind the cafeteria.  3 o' clock today.  Don't try to run. 

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btw- I think that's the first time I've actually listened to Lemon all the way through.

and the last.

I mentioned before, after around #20, I don't see much separation between 20 thru 50ish on my list.  They're all what I consider very good, but not great. I didn't wing it either in my top 50, I do stand by all of of those picks.  But I don't have a strong opinion that Lemon is way way better than, for example, If You Wear that Velvet Dress (my 51).  Lemon is better IMO, but they're in the same league. 

Anyways, like others from Zooropa and Pop, these are polarizing and it took me awhile to figure out how I felt about Lemon.  It's another grower and I dig it.  Any given day, it might not be in my top 30, but here we are. 

Brony said:

I mentioned before, after around #20, I don't see much separation between 20 thru 50ish on my list.  They're all what I consider very good, but not great. I didn't wing it either in my top 50, I do stand by all of of those picks.  But I don't have a strong opinion that Lemon is way way better than, for example, If You Wear that Velvet Dress (my 51).  Lemon is better IMO, but they're in the same league. 

Anyways, like others from Zooropa and Pop, these are polarizing and it took me awhile to figure out how I felt about Lemon.  It's another grower and I dig it.  Any given day, it might not be in my top 30, but here we are. 

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Since you brought this up . . . I have 0 songs from Zooropa in my Top 50 but 5 in the Bottom 50. And I have 1 song from Pop in my Top 50 but 4 in the Bottom 50. But this is not unexpected. I will have a lot of songs in the Top 50 from before either of these albums.

Alex P Keaton said:

When this song came out Mrs APK and I bought the album excitedly.  We listened to the whole thing…..and when we got to Lemon we were both shuked.  One of us (neither remembers which) said “well, I guess U2 is done.  At least we won’t ever have to spend $$ on another album.”

Since then the song has grown on me more.   I don’t dislike it actively anymore.  There are things we both appreciate about it now.

But……a ranking of 25 or 27 is basically indefensible to me unless someone just doesn’t enjoy pre-1992 U2.    Or if the logic is “this is the best song from Zooropa and something from that album has to be top-30.”  But even then……I’d rather listen to a bottom half song from most pre-1992 albums (except October) than this song.  
 

Long story short (too late) the overall ranking is fine.  I just don’t see how it cracks the top-30 for anyone.

Click to expand...

Anarchy99 said:

I wasn't lowest on this one, but I was knocking on the door. I remember when this song came out, I saw the following review: "Finally, a song title that reviews itself." Bono falsetto for an entire song? Hard stop. Cheesy synth effects, loops, and a drum machine? The purest sounds this composition has to offer are a scale being played on a piano. Everything else is processed cheese. This is the anti-song to what I posted yesterday about the sound / tone of Stories for Boys. Just not my bag.

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I think I’ve made my position fairly clear on the first 4 albums. Works with promise, some energy and a lack of direction. Joshua Tree is synthetic perfection. It is clinically amazing. Rattle and Hum is sort of an aimless idea with the band at the peak of their powers. Achtung Baby is the sheeeet. Here the band experiment, are at their creative peak and everything works perfectly. Zooropa, half has the AB vibe and half...its too much or not enough.

We have 4 Zooropa songs left (Gone, Dirty Day, Numb and Stay). I am the highest (close enough) on 2 of them and low or lowest on the other 2. Without giving much away, I love the tracks that take a risk and work. Like Lemon. I can see people hating it and an evil part of me makes me like it even more because of that. First time I heard it I was ready for anything and I wasn’t disappointed. Wow. I love it when bands don’t take their audience for granted and instead of doing Joshua Tree Parts 2, 3 etc, they want to push their audience in new directions. Sometimes they lose their audience, but they were always gonna lose a segment that expects the energy of a poor 20yo from rich men in their mid 30s, 40s, 50s etc.  

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

We have 4 Zooropa songs left (Gone, Dirty Day, Numb and Stay).

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Isn't Gone from Pop? 

Pip's Invitation said:

Isn't Gone from Pop? 

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Yeah sorry. Have to dig and see what the other one is dammit

Edit, its the title track. 

Anarchy99 said:

Since you brought this up . . . I have 0 songs from Zooropa in my Top 50 but 5 in the Bottom 50. And I have 1 song from Pop in my Top 50 but 4 in the Bottom 50. But this is not unexpected. I will have a lot of songs in the Top 50 from before either of these albums.

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Interesting. I have 0 from Pop in my top 50, the only album that doesnt make an appearance, Surprisingly Rattle and Hum only appears once. No surprise that Joshua Tree with 7 and Achtung Baby with 9 are at the top. What shocks me is that I had 5 from Songs of Innocence, Ive already said I regret the Raised by Wolves ranking, the other 4 I stand by, Sleep Like a Baby, Crystal Ballroom and This is Where you can reach me are long gone. They do what I love, take risks and sound electronic. The other one is more the classic song with a great lyric. We only have 3 from SOI left.

Anarchy99 said:

Since you brought this up . . . I have 0 songs from Zooropa in my Top 50 but 5 in the Bottom 50. And I have 1 song from Pop in my Top 50 but 4 in the Bottom 50. But this is not unexpected. I will have a lot of songs in the Top 50 from before either of these albums.

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For Zooropa - I have 4 in my top 50 and 4 in my bottom 50. Maybe it's just polarizing for me.  They were definitely taking more chances on this album and I do find it hit or miss.   Once all my rankings were done, average score for Zooropa lands it at #10 album on my list.   This is about right for where I thought it would land.  I'm certainly not walking around with a Lemon t-shirt or anything. 

While I tried to keep an open mind and my re-listens for this list, I couldn't help myself from long term biases.  In favor of Unforgettable Fire and anti-Rattle and Hum.   

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

#98 - Lemon (1993)   Highest-25    Lowest-198                 Where to Find it - Zooropa LP
Vulture-72/218 - “Fat Lady” voice that Bono developed during AB, & that, combined w the light, lilting melody, hides the fact that this is about Bono’s mother, who died when he was very young.

Comment - song can divide people. I enjoy it, until i have to listen to 30 plus mins of remixes on yellow vinyl 12”. Then i want to play frisbee. @Nemesis  do you have an actual count of how many songs are about Bono's mother? 

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Songfact:
Bono's mother died when he was 14 & has said, "I have very few memories of my mother because my father never talked about her after she died."   At some point, out of the blue, Bono received in the mail, from a very distant relative:   
"It contained a Super 8 home video footage of my mother, aged 24, younger than me, playing a game of rounders in slow motion. This beautiful, young Irish girl, w a narrow waist, curvaceous figure, dark gypsy hair. The film was early color & it looked extraordinary. It was a wedding, where she was the maid of honor in this beautiful lemon yellow dress."  The old video footage inspired the lyrics to the song & are an attempt to preserve memory through film.

Of the lyrics Bono says, "There were 2 things going on at once, memory & loss, a portrait of a girl in a shimmering lemon dress that kept it sexy & playful & the pathos of a man separated fr the things he loves... 'Lemon' is about leaving home, versus not leaving home."

“Lemon” was written & recorded during the Zooropa album sessions, which took place between March & May 1993 & was one of the last to be completed for Zooropa.   

Edge originated it from something he "worked up w a drum machine & bass, very rhythmic." He explained that he found it difficult to compose a guitar part to the song until he utilized an "unusual gated guitar effect which worked w the rhythm".  But later, Flood ultimately decided to use Mullen’s live drums instead.

It started out as a disco tune until Brian Eno got a hold of it,” said Zooropa engineer Flood about this propulsive dance track, that showcases Bono’s falsetto more than any previous U2 song.  Flood credited Eno for coming up w chilly Talking Heads–esque background vocals, “making it a very bizarre folk song.”  The song has been described as futuristic German disco.

Song release:   as the 2nd single from the album, following “Numb”.  The single for “Lemon” followed an unconventional commercial release pattern for U2, as it was released only in Australia & Japan in CD format (Australia also got a cassette version). Other markets worldwide did not see a commercial “Lemon” single, aside from a 12" yellow vinyl released in the USA.

Music Video:   It was filmed in black & white w a grid-like background as a tribute to Eadweard_Muybridge. In 1877, Muybridge was a photographer who was the 1st person to successfully capture fast motion on film, using a series of still cameras to create stop-action "motion-video" on his device, coincidentally named the Zoopraxiscope.   <--   
He is famous for a series of shots at a racetrack that proved horses do at times run w all 4 legs in the air.
Lemon makes reference to this in it's lyrics:
                 A man makes a picture - a moving picture/Through light projected he can see himself up close"

In concert:    “Lemon” did not have a long life, being played in-full at only 10 shows on The Zoo TV Tour (in Australia, New Zealand & Japan). The song was performed by Bono in his MacPhisto persona. The song has not been performed live since that time, although during The PopMart Tour, an instrumental version of Paul Oakenfold’s “Perfecto Mix” was played over the PA as the band descended from the 40-foot Spinal Tap-like giant mirror ball lemon prop onto the b-stage for the encore.

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

#98 - Lemon (1993)      this is about Bono’s mother, who died when he was very young.

@Nemesis  do you have an actual count of how many songs there are about Bono's mother?

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I don't have an exact count..........but here are some U2 songs with lyrics about Mothers and Fathers

Tommorrow          from October.   Bono was definitely channelling & challenging his spiritual side - Tomorrow sees him exploring his thoughts around his mother's death & the spectre of her possibly meeting Jesus.

Mothers of the Disappeared from JT
The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, is a unique organization of Argentine women who have become human rights activists in order to achieve a common goal. For over 3 long decades, the Mothers have fought for the right to re-unite w their abducted children. It was this work that inspired Bono's lyrics.

Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own
The lyric was written by Bono as a tribute to his father, Bob Hewson, who died in 2001. Bono sang this at his funeral.
In the video for the song it was prefaced with the following from Bono:
 "My father worked in the post office by day and sang opera by night. We lived on the north side of Dublin in a place called Cedarwood Road. He had a lot of attitude. He gave some to me - and a voice. I wish I'd known him better."

Kite                     from All That You Can't Leave Behind
 

Mofo                   from Pop............the lyrics in part refer to Bono's beloved mother, whom he lost at the age of 14.

The First Time   from Zooropa, The first verse of this hints sentiments of falling in love for the first time or perhaps truly, madly, deeply falling for someone.
The lyric "I have a lover, a lover like no other" suggests the latter perhaps is true.
The 2nd verse refers to the love of a brother who would do anything for his sibling - the word brother could easily stand in for friend here as well. 
The final verse talks of the love between a father and son that perhaps has gone sour.

Dirty Day           from Zooropa features a line from Bono of which is Dad used to say "I don't know you and you don't know the half of it", "No blood is thicker than ink", "Nothing's as simple as you think", and "It won't last kissing time."

Iris (Hold Me Close) from Songs of Innocence.

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

#97 - Electrical Storm (2002)  Highest-43     Lowest-142     Where to Find it - Best of 1990-2000 compilation LP
Vulture-105/218 - bonus content for GH. Larry Mullen called this track “an incomplete idea.” Bono: “a post-9/11 song, but it is not an overtly political song.”   The video is fantastic.

Comment - 1 of their better 00 tracks. Bono does great vocals here & I love the vibe the Edge brings to it.

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Songfact:
Bono: "It's about a couple in a room feeling a storm brewing in the sky outside & equating that to the pressure they feel in their relationship. I think it captures a sense of unease I feel around the world, especially in America, an air of nervous anticipation. It's not an overtly political song, but I don't think we could have written it before what happened in New York."



Bono wrote this about the relationship between his good friend Michael Hutchence & his then wife/girlfriend & about their stormy relationship. The main clue in the song is the line "baby dont cry" which is an Inxs song.

Actually, there were 2 new songs recorded for U2's 2nd compilation album, The Best of 1990–2000.
"Electrical Storm" was the only single released.
The other song was the Oscar nominated "The Hands That Built America".

2 official versions of the song were released: the "Band Version", and the "William Orbit Mix". The music video for the song prominently features drummer Larry Mullen Jr. and actress Samantha Morton.

Although the song did not chart well in the US, reaching only #77 on the US Billboard Hot 100, it performed well elsewhere; it reached #1 in Canada, Italy, & Spain, as well as the top 10 in Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, & Switzerland. It also peaked at #5 on the UK Singles Chart, and at #14 & 26 on the US Alternative Songs & Mainstream Rock charts, respectively.

Though released in 2002, Electrical Storm had never been played live by U2 until it debuted on 2 July 2009, on the 2nd concert of their U2 360° Tour in Barcelona, Spain.  It was subsequently played twice more in 2009: (Milan, Italy & Gothenburg, Sweden).

Nemesis said:

I don't have an exact count..........but here are some U2 songs with lyrics about Mothers and Fathers

Tommorrow          from October.   Bono was definitely channelling & challenging his spiritual side - Tomorrow sees him exploring his thoughts around his mother's death & the spectre of her possibly meeting Jesus.

Mothers of the Disappeared from JT
The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, is a unique organization of Argentine women who have become human rights activists in order to achieve a common goal. For over 3 long decades, the Mothers have fought for the right to re-unite w their abducted children. It was this work that inspired Bono's lyrics.

Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own
The lyric was written by Bono as a tribute to his father, Bob Hewson, who died in 2001. Bono sang this at his funeral.
In the video for the song it was prefaced with the following from Bono:
 "My father worked in the post office by day and sang opera by night. We lived on the north side of Dublin in a place called Cedarwood Road. He had a lot of attitude. He gave some to me - and a voice. I wish I'd known him better."

Kite                     from All That You Can't Leave Behind
 

Mofo                   from Pop............the lyrics in part refer to Bono's beloved mother, whom he lost at the age of 14.

The First Time   from Zooropa, The first verse of this hints sentiments of falling in love for the first time or perhaps truly, madly, deeply falling for someone.
The lyric "I have a lover, a lover like no other" suggests the latter perhaps is true.
The 2nd verse refers to the love of a brother who would do anything for his sibling - the word brother could easily stand in for friend here as well. 
The final verse talks of the love between a father and son that perhaps has gone sour.

Dirty Day           from Zooropa features a line from Bono of which is Dad used to say "I don't know you and you don't know the half of it", "No blood is thicker than ink", "Nothing's as simple as you think", and "It won't last kissing time."

Iris (Hold Me Close) from Songs of Innocence.

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Thanks for looking. I found this

Bono has often written about his mother's death in U2 songs, dealing with his feelings on tracks such as 'I Will Follow', 'Mofo' and 'Out of Control'.

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There is also Iris and Lemon. The back story on Lemon is incredibly interesting.  I am sure there are quite a few more about his mother. I dont study the lyrics, but Ive read it in several places that the lyrics are often deliberately ambiguous. 

#96 - Treasure (Whatever Happened to Pete the Chop) (1983)

Highest Rank - 56

Lowest Rank - 146

Where to Find it - B Side to New Years Day

Vulture.com ranking and comment -163/218 - Bouncy, joyous, full of vim and vigor. It’s not going to burn the world down, but the tune is memorable, and the melody line is bulletproof. Manager Paul McGuinness was so fond of it that he wanted to release it as a single; the Edge offers, “It was very melodic, but not really very good.” It is definitely an antidote to the A-side, “New Years Day.”

Comment - At least this B side has some energy. Musicality and Bono remaining focused and on key...not so much

Next up, a return to Songs of Innocence

#95 - California (There is no end to Love) (2014)

Highest Rank - 70

Lowest Rank - 144

Where to Find it - Songs of Innocence LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment -121/218 - The melody is irresistible and Bono’s voice slides over the vocals. But lyrically, “California” is all over the place. Bono said in the liner notes that this is meant to be about the first time U2 went to L.A., but there is none of that in the song, even emotionally. There’s what feels like a story line about what it’s like to grow old in Los Angeles: “Everyone’s a star in our town / It’s just your light gets dimmer / If you have to stay.” But the choruses are in a completely different mode, echoing the overarching theme of the record: “There is no end to love,” which is balanced by “There is no end to grief.” The instrumentation is almost too bland; you can barely hear the guitar and bass. One suspects U2 realized the limitations of the track, because it was pretty much AWOL during the Innocence and Experience tour.

Comment - Has its moments, but ultimately fairly innocuous.

Next up, we see an album we haven’t been to for awhile, War. 

The admin to Date with 134 songs listed and 94 to go

B-Sides = 41 (13 covers) - (12 tracks to go here and in Soundtracks etc)

Soundtracks/Special/Greatest Hits LPs - 15

Songs of Experience = 10 (3 to go)

Songs of Innocence - 9 (3 to go)

Pop - 9 (3 to go)

October = 8 (3 to go)

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - 7 (5 to go)

No Line On The Horizon = 7 (4 to go)

Zooropa - 6 (4 to go)

All that you can’t leave behind - 6 (6 to go)

Boy - 6 (5 to go)

Rattle and Hum - 4 (9 to go)

War - 3 (7 to go)

The Unforgettable Fire - 3 (7 to go)

Achtung Baby - 0 (12 to go)

The Joshua Tree - 0 (11 to go)

California... is a solid tune, but jeez of all of the newer U2 songs that finished, in my estimation, way too low, this one finishes this high?   I am almost expecting the song with the dripping water video (on The Edge) to finish at number 1 now.  

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

#96 - Treasure (Whatever Happened to Pete the Chop) (1983)

Highest Rank - 56

Lowest Rank - 146

Where to Find it - B Side to New Years Day

Vulture.com ranking and comment -163/218 - Bouncy, joyous, full of vim and vigor. It’s not going to burn the world down, but the tune is memorable, and the melody line is bulletproof. Manager Paul McGuinness was so fond of it that he wanted to release it as a single; the Edge offers, “It was very melodic, but not really very good.” It is definitely an antidote to the A-side, “New Years Day.”

Comment - At least this B side has some energy. Musicality and Bono remaining focused and on key...not so much

Next up, a return to Songs of Innocence

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Love the music.  Bono’s voice sounds extremely strained.  He has significant trouble staying on key.   I would have enjoyed this more if they re-recorded it when his voice was fresh.   Great potential though.  Big fan of this era of U2.

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

#95 - California (There is no end to Love) (2014)

Highest Rank - 70

Lowest Rank - 144

Where to Find it - Songs of Innocence LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment -121/218 - The melody is irresistible and Bono’s voice slides over the vocals. But lyrically, “California” is all over the place. Bono said in the liner notes that this is meant to be about the first time U2 went to L.A., but there is none of that in the song, even emotionally. There’s what feels like a story line about what it’s like to grow old in Los Angeles: “Everyone’s a star in our town / It’s just your light gets dimmer / If you have to stay.” But the choruses are in a completely different mode, echoing the overarching theme of the record: “There is no end to love,” which is balanced by “There is no end to grief.” The instrumentation is almost too bland; you can barely hear the guitar and bass. One suspects U2 realized the limitations of the track, because it was pretty much AWOL during the Innocence and Experience tour.

Comment - Has its moments, but ultimately fairly innocuous.

Next up, we see an album we haven’t been to for awhile, War. 

Click to expand...

Vulture nails it.  The music is fine.  Bono’s voice in this is crisp and on but vanilla - kind of the opposite of the previous song.  But the lyrics from this era are too often could just be a Coldplay song……like this one.

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

#96 - Treasure (Whatever Happened to Pete the Chop) (1983)

Highest Rank - 56

Lowest Rank - 146

Where to Find it - B Side to New Years Day

Vulture.com ranking and comment -163/218 - Bouncy, joyous, full of vim and vigor. It’s not going to burn the world down, but the tune is memorable, and the melody line is bulletproof. Manager Paul McGuinness was so fond of it that he wanted to release it as a single; the Edge offers, “It was very melodic, but not really very good.” It is definitely an antidote to the A-side, “New Years Day.”

Comment - At least this B side has some energy. Musicality and Bono remaining focused and on key...not so much

Next up, a return to Songs of Innocence

Click to expand...

I like this song, but was probably a little high on it (I'm the 56).  Part of this was an overcorrection on being so negative on all of the B-Sides. 

The other thing I liked about this song is that listening to it reminded me that in high school, I was so thirsty for new U2, that I recall staying up late because the local radio station (WXRT in Chicago) was doing a block of rare U2 one night.  I recorded that by holding up the tape recorder to the radio and hoping no one would come in the room and/or that the DJ wouldn't talk over the tunes.  Anyway, Treasure was one of the new-to-me songs from the shoddy recording and I thought it was the bee's knees. 

I feel old now. 

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

#96 - Treasure (Whatever Happened to Pete the Chop) (1983)  Where to Find it - B Side to New Years Day
Vulture- Bouncy, joyous, full of vim & vigor. It’s not going to burn the world down, but the tune is memorable, & the melody line is bulletproof. Manager Paul McGuinness was so fond of it that he wanted to release it as a single; the Edge offers, “It was very melodic, but not really very good.” It is definitely an antidote to the A-side, “New Years Day.”

Comment - At least this B side has some energy. Musicality & Bono remaining focused and on key...not so much

Click to expand...

Songfact:
The 4 members of U2 came from a place where it was very common for people to have weird nicknames. One of them was Pete Chop, a friend of their former mgmt associate Andrew Whiteway. When U2 met Pete the Chop he suggested they write a song about him, & they took him up on the challenge w a tune simply titled “Pete the Chop”. The result was a very catchy pop number that got played live a bunch of times during their 1979/1980 sets.  U2's manager Paul McGuinness and executives at the band's record label, Island, heard it as a potential big hit & wanted to include it on the Boy album. But, the band disagreed & refused to put it out claiming that it was too “poppy,”.   McGuinness didn't give up & he kept asking the band, "Whatever happened to 'Pete the Chop'?" They got so tired of the question that band chose to re-record & rearrange it completely into the current version that was released as a B-side to "New Year's Day" w the added title "Treasure". 

The parenthetical subtitle is a band joke, referring to the question they repeatedly heard from wistful Island executives who kept asking about the earlier song.

“Treasure” has never been performed live, although the earlier song “Pete the Chop” was part of U2’s early set lists.

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

#95 - California (There is no end to Love) (2014)  Highest-70    Lowest-144            Songs of Innocence LP
Vulture 121/218 - The melody is irresistible & Bono’s voice slides over the vocals. Bono said this is meant to be about the 1st time U2 went to L.A. There’s what feels like a story line about what it’s like to grow old in Los Angeles: “Everyone’s a star in our town / It’s just your light gets dimmer / If you have to stay.” 

Comment - Has its moments, but ultimately fairly innocuous.

Click to expand...

Songfact:
About U2's transformative 1st trip to California in the early 1980s.  Bono: "The SoI whole album is 1st journeys - 1st journeys geographically, spiritually, sexually. And that's hard. But we went there."

Other US-location-named U2 songs include the Pop track "Miami" & the ATYCLB cut "New York."

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

#96 - Treasure (Whatever Happened to Pete the Chop) (1983)

Highest Rank - 56

Lowest Rank - 146

Where to Find it - B Side to New Years Day

Vulture.com ranking and comment -163/218 - Bouncy, joyous, full of vim and vigor. It’s not going to burn the world down, but the tune is memorable, and the melody line is bulletproof. Manager Paul McGuinness was so fond of it that he wanted to release it as a single; the Edge offers, “It was very melodic, but not really very good.” It is definitely an antidote to the A-side, “New Years Day.”

Comment - At least this B side has some energy. Musicality and Bono remaining focused and on key...not so much

Next up, a return to Songs of Innocence

Click to expand...

I don't think I would be anywhere near 56 on this, but I do think it's one of their better B-sides. 

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

#95 - California (There is no end to Love) (2014)

One suspects U2 realized the limitations of the track, because it was pretty much AWOL during the Innocence and Experience tour.

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I really have nothing to say about the post-No Line material, so I'll just go into a pet peeve that the Vulture writer committed. AWOL is the wrong word here, just say "absent". The entity that would or would not have granted the song leave is the band itself, and they did indeed grant it leave. Lazy writing. 

Time to revisit some U2 Tidbits (which i still have pages remaining).  This time, let's go back to the mid & late 80's:

LIVE AID

• In 1985, U2 played Live Aid at Wembley Stadium in London, where their performance turned out to be one of the highlights of the day. (2nd to Queen's set).  U2's set included the song 'Bad', which ran-over to about 12 minutes.  During the song, Bono spotted a girl in the front row who was apparently having trouble breathing due to the crush, & motioned to security to pull her out. As they were attempting to free her, Bono jumped down from the stage to help & ended up slow dancing w her. The audience loved it & photos of Bono embracing the girl were all over the newspapers the following day. However, the rest of the band weren't so happy as they later said they had no idea where Bono had gone...or even if he was coming back! They played on regardless & were very relieved when the singer eventually returned to the stage.
   
  
• Bono actually considered leaving the band at that point, as he feared that he had ruined the set for the rest of the band - the overrun on Bad meant that Pride (which was their biggest hit to date) had to be dropped from the set due to lack of time. If you watch footage of the performance now, you can see that Bono has a face like thunder as he's walking off the stage. He went into seclusion for several wks after the concert, genuinely feeling that he had made a fool of himself in front of 2 billion people & ruined U2's reputation. Only when a close friend told him that Bad was one of the high points of the day did he come round. 
  

THE JOSHUA TREE & TOUR

• Joshua Tree was the 1st major release to come out on CD at the same time as cassette & vinyl. It was common practice to release the CD a few wks later.
   
  
• It was the 1st million-selling CD.
   
  
• The Joshua tree on the album cover is located in Death Valley, California. It's location was kept secret for years, but it was eventually toppled over in 2000.
   
  
• During rehearsals on 1 April 1987, the day before the opening show in Tempe, Arizona, Bono fell onto a spotlight he was carrying during a rendition of "Bullet the Blue Sky", cutting open his chin. He was taken to a hospital & the wound was stitched up. Bono later said, "I was lost in the music & at the start of any tour you're just getting to know the physicality of the stage... & you're overestimating your own physicality. You think you're made of metal & you're not. Cuts & bruises, that's what I remember from The JT."
   
  
• Bono sustained a 2nd injury on 20 Sept 1987 during a concert at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. on the 3rd leg of the tour. He fell off the rain-slicked stage & dislocated his arm. He completed the performance & had his arm popped back into place after its conclusion. His arm was in a sling for 12 shows between 22 Sept & 20 Oct, which is visible at some points during the 1988 film Rattle & Hum
   
  
• On April 29, 1987, U2 was on the cover of Time magazine, w/ the headline "Rock's Hottest Ticket" & became the 4th Rock band to have the honor, after the Beatles, The Band & The Who. Link
  

Nemesis said:

His arm was in a sling for 12 shows between 22 Sept & 20 Oct

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One of which was my first show, which I wrote about in this thread a while ago. 

Ghost Rider said:

California... is a solid tune, but jeez of all of the newer U2 songs that finished, in my estimation, way too low, this one finishes this high?   I am almost expecting the song with the dripping water video (on The Edge) to finish at number 1 now.  

Click to expand...

I betcha its not. One of us ranked it at 211

#94 - Like a Song (1983)

Highest Rank - 64

Lowest Rank - 138

Where to Find it - War LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment -125/218 - This feels like U2 trying to offer commentary on the state of the music business at the time — “And in leather, lace, and chains / We stake our claim / Revolution once again” — but it’s all kind of wince-inducing and unnecessarily dramatic, even for someone who was on their side. The bridge is kind of interesting, and after basically not being able to hear Larry Mullen Jr. on the previous track (“New Year’s Day”), it’s good to hear him shine here. Mostly forgettable, though.

Comment - Good album track. This seems to be the part of the run down where we either get solid album tracks that do their job or tracks that are polarizing. 

Next up, we continue eating into the album tracks on more well known albums

#93 - Promenade (1984)

Highest Rank - 32

Lowest Rank - 196

Where to Find it - Unforgettable Fire LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment -136/218 - At the time, Bono was living with his wife Ali in a Martello Tower — basically a tiny castle near the ocean, renovated to include a glass roof at the top of the tower where they slept. You can hear all of this: the spiral staircase and the dizziness of young love (the two had only been married for two years, though they were teenage sweethearts); the two of them sitting at the top of their tower, watching the sun set over the seaside town. The song has the marks of loose improvisation, of ’70s-era Van Morrison — the kind of experimentation that Eno embraced strongly, paired with the kind of rhythm that Lanois loved.

Comment - Just an album filler. 

Next up, back to back Unforgettable Fire album tracks

Like a Song... can be easy to overlook at times because of how many other winners are on War, and it is certainly my least favorite from Side 1, but it's still a damn fine tune.  

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

#94 - Like a Song (1983)

Highest Rank - 64

Lowest Rank - 138

Where to Find it - War LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment -125/218 - This feels like U2 trying to offer commentary on the state of the music business at the time — “And in leather, lace, and chains / We stake our claim / Revolution once again” — but it’s all kind of wince-inducing and unnecessarily dramatic, even for someone who was on their side. The bridge is kind of interesting, and after basically not being able to hear Larry Mullen Jr. on the previous track (“New Year’s Day”), it’s good to hear him shine here. Mostly forgettable, though.

Comment - Good album track. This seems to be the part of the run down where we either get solid album tracks that do their job or tracks that are polarizing. 

Next up, we continue eating into the album tracks on more well known albums

Click to expand...

Man.  I’ve enjoyed Vulture’s commentary, but couldn’t be further from them on this.  Forgettable?  Nah.  This is probably my favorite song (not the best — my favorite) on War.  It isn’t perfect — the ending is poorly done — but I love the first 2/3 of the song.  Love.  Not like.

I would have been the high ranking on this song by 46 slots.  I ranked it 18.

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

#94 - Like a Song (1983)

Highest Rank - 64

Lowest Rank - 138

Where to Find it - War LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment -125/218 - This feels like U2 trying to offer commentary on the state of the music business at the time — “And in leather, lace, and chains / We stake our claim / Revolution once again” — but it’s all kind of wince-inducing and unnecessarily dramatic, even for someone who was on their side. The bridge is kind of interesting, and after basically not being able to hear Larry Mullen Jr. on the previous track (“New Year’s Day”), it’s good to hear him shine here. Mostly forgettable, though.

Comment - Good album track. This seems to be the part of the run down where we either get solid album tracks that do their job or tracks that are polarizing. 

Next up, we continue eating into the album tracks on more well known albums

Click to expand...

Was curious where this would wind up, as it was the initial song to grab me when getting into War. @Alex P Keaton's commentary is spot on in my view. Would have been a greater song if the ending did not meander.

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

#94 - Like a Song (1983)

Highest Rank - 64

Lowest Rank - 138

Where to Find it - War LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment -125/218 - This feels like U2 trying to offer commentary on the state of the music business at the time — “And in leather, lace, and chains / We stake our claim / Revolution once again” — but it’s all kind of wince-inducing and unnecessarily dramatic, even for someone who was on their side. The bridge is kind of interesting, and after basically not being able to hear Larry Mullen Jr. on the previous track (“New Year’s Day”), it’s good to hear him shine here. Mostly forgettable, though.

Comment - Good album track. This seems to be the part of the run down where we either get solid album tracks that do their job or tracks that are polarizing. 

Next up, we continue eating into the album tracks on more well known albums

Click to expand...

I was top dog on this one and echo the sentiments of the others that have chimed in. Killer two thirds of a song and then a rather limp extended outro. One of the things I noticed is that their earlier songs put much more emphasis on Larry's drumming, and that both drove songs and made them work. The bass / drum backbone with Edge playing with more urgency (compared to more recent works) made for tighter songs with more energy (at least to me). I also appreciate more of their ambivalence to just create good rock tracks vs. an effort to reflect and touch upon their softer side. I know some folks have indicated that they couldn't just keep writing and recording heavy hitting songs with a focus on rebellion and Bono yelling and screaming whatever message that they deemed on brand. I agree that they couldn't keep making songs exclusively in that domain, but that was their wheelhouse. If they released a couple of songs per album that scratched the itch for me, I would have liked their recent work a little more.

Not to beat a dead horse, but I think there are ways for bands to go in different directions creatively and incorporate more depth, more nuance, more genres, more instruments, and still create good and interesting music. U2 proved they could do that from War to TUF to TJT to RAH to AB. Those are all albums that sound different and take on some different sounds and styles and the end product really worked. IMO, their last few albums sound pretty similar and blend together in my mind. Maybe I am being unfair and they do stand out in their own right, but to me most of the songs don't grab me. That doesn't mean they aren't well written or are bad songs, it just means that I prefer the rest of their catalog more.

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

#94 - Like a Song (1983)

Highest Rank - 64

Lowest Rank - 138

Where to Find it - War LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment -125/218 - This feels like U2 trying to offer commentary on the state of the music business at the time — “And in leather, lace, and chains / We stake our claim / Revolution once again” — but it’s all kind of wince-inducing and unnecessarily dramatic, even for someone who was on their side. The bridge is kind of interesting, and after basically not being able to hear Larry Mullen Jr. on the previous track (“New Year’s Day”), it’s good to hear him shine here. Mostly forgettable, though.

Comment - Good album track. This seems to be the part of the run down where we either get solid album tracks that do their job or tracks that are polarizing. 

Next up, we continue eating into the album tracks on more well known albums

Click to expand...

Another that's about right. Has a lot of what's good about the War material but isn't in its top tier. 

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

#93 - Promenade (1984)

Highest Rank - 32

Lowest Rank - 196

Where to Find it - Unforgettable Fire LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment -136/218 - At the time, Bono was living with his wife Ali in a Martello Tower — basically a tiny castle near the ocean, renovated to include a glass roof at the top of the tower where they slept. You can hear all of this: the spiral staircase and the dizziness of young love (the two had only been married for two years, though they were teenage sweethearts); the two of them sitting at the top of their tower, watching the sun set over the seaside town. The song has the marks of loose improvisation, of ’70s-era Van Morrison — the kind of experimentation that Eno embraced strongly, paired with the kind of rhythm that Lanois loved.

Comment - Just an album filler. 

Next up, back to back Unforgettable Fire album tracks

Click to expand...

I always thought it sounded like a Lou Reed song. It's fine. 

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

#94 - Like a Song (1983)   Highest-64    Lowest-138     Where to Find it - War LP
Vulture-feels like U2 trying to offer commentary on the state of the music business at the time — “And in leather, lace, & chains / We stake our claim / Revolution once again” — wince-inducing & unnecessarily dramatic. Bridge is interesting, & after basically not being able to hear Larry on the previous track (“NYD”), it’s good to hear him shine here.

Comment - Good album track. This seems to be the part of the run down where we either get solid album tracks that do their job or tracks that are polarizing. 

Click to expand...

Songfact:
"Like a Song…" was intended as a message to those who believed that the band was too worthy, sincere & not "punk" enough.  Bono speculated that the song's punk attitude would have made more sense in the 1950s & 1960s, as opposed to the "dressing up" of the genre in the early 1980s.

"Like a Song…" was only played live once on 26 Feb 1983 in Dundee, Scotland.


Ok
1 - this song rocks and I feel like like it's because of Larry Mullen's drumming similar to the beginning of SBS ( @Anarchy99 also pegged this)

2 - I couldn't find much about the song, but to me, it seems like it's about the punk scene --AND-- has commentary about war-torn Ireland in 1983, where Protestant and Catholics were divided along religious lines.

3 - Is this U2's "angriest" song?       Certainly on up there on the list with SBS and BTBS

In 1991, American Christian thrash metal band Believer released a cover of "Like a Song" on their Sanity Obscure album.  Link  (maybe it's me.......but i got a chuckle) 

Nemesis said:

Songfact:
"Like a Song…" was intended as a message to those who believed that the band was too worthy, sincere & not "punk" enough.  Bono speculated that the song's punk attitude would have made more sense in the 1950s & 1960s, as opposed to the "dressing up" of the genre in the early 1980s.

"Like a Song…" was only played live once on 26 Feb 1983 in Dundee, Scotland.

Lyrics:
Like a song I have to sing
I sing it for you
Like the words I have to bring
I bring them for you
And in leather, lace & chains
We stake our claim
Revolution once again

No I won't, I won't wear it on my sleeve
I can see through this expression
And you know I don't believe
I'm too wrong to be told 'exactly who are you'
Tonight, tomorrow's too late

And we love to wear a badge, a uniform
And we love to fly a flag
But I won't let others live in hell
As we divide against each other
And we fight amongst ourselves
Too set in our ways to try to rearrange
Too right to be wrong, in this rebel song

Let the bells ring out
Let the bells wring out
Is there nothing left
Is there, is there nothing left
Is honesty what you want

A generation without name
Ripped and torn
Nothing to lose, nothing to gain
Nothing at all
And if you can't help yourself
Well, take a look around you
When others need your time
You say it's time to go
It's your time

Angry words won't stop the fight
Two wrongs won't make it right
A new heart is what I need
Oh God, make it bleed
Is there nothing left​

Ok
1 - this song rocks and I feel like like it's because of Larry Mullen's drumming similar to the beginning of SBS ( @Anarchy99 also pegged this)

2 - I couldn't find much about the song, but to me, it seems like it's about the punk scene --AND-- has commentary about war-torn Ireland in 1983, where Protestant and Catholics were divided along religious lines.

3 - Is this U2's "angriest" song?       Certainly on up there on the list with SBS and BTBS

In 1991, American Christian thrash metal band Believer released a cover of "Like a Song" on their Sanity Obscure album.  Link  (maybe it's me.......but i got a chuckle) 

Click to expand...

It’s really hard to believe that the song isn’t about “The Troubles” in some way.  I’ve googled the song origins and can’t find anything reliable.

John Maddens Lunchbox said:

#93 - Promenade (1984)   Highest-32    Lowest-196     Where to Find it - Unforgettable Fire LP
Vulture-136/218 - At the time, Bono was living w his wife Ali in a Martello Tower — a tiny castle near the ocean, renovated to include a glass roof at the top of the tower where they slept. You can hear all of this: the spiral staircase  (had only been married for 2 yrs sweethearts); the 2 of them sitting, watching the sun set over the seaside town. The song has the marks of loose improvisation, of ’70s-era Van Morrison — experimentation that Eno embraced strongly, paired w the kind of rhythm that Lanois loved.

Comment - Just an album filler.

Click to expand...

Songfact:
Bono wrote the lyrics about his house in Bray, a small town South of Dublin, where he lived with his wife, Ali.  This was influenced by Van Morrison, another very popular Irish musician.

For "Promenade", 1 of the 1st songs for which vocals were recorded, Lanois encouraged Bono to sing quieter rather than scream by increasing the volume of his vocals in his headphones. By doing so, the producer was able to force Bono to "draw on the fine points of the voice".

Promenade has never been performed live.

Nemesis said:

Songfact:
For "Promenade", 1 of the 1st songs for which vocals were recorded, Lanois encouraged Bono to sing quieter rather than scream by increasing the volume of his vocals in his headphones. By doing so, the producer was able to force Bono to "draw on the fine points of the voice".

Promenade has never been performed live.

Click to expand...

Smart man. Lillywhite didn’t notice this? He only had 3 albums to try.  Bono sounds so much better restrained with the occasional flurry rather than the screaming as a matter of course. Much more powerful and effective. Raw Bono has its moments, but he wasnt the singer he became. Thanks Daniel.

#92 - Wire (1984)

Highest Rank - 37

Lowest Rank - 222

Where to Find it - Unforgettable Fire LP

Vulture.com ranking and comment -150/218 - One of several songs Bono would end up writing about heroin, and specifically, the heroin problem in Dublin, as well as his own guilt — or rather, what’s always seemed like a cautious acknowledgment that if he had not been the person he was, he might have gone down that path, out of curiosity or boredom or comradeship. The music doesn’t quite match the lyrics, which are abstract and vague with a type of casualness that might be unforgivable, except this is the record that “Bad” appears on, so “Wire” gets a pass. Extra credit to Larry Mullen Jr., who is practically playing in the pocket here, and the rest of the band for a churning, frenetic background which could have been great with different lyrics.

Comment - Bono's wailing is so over the top. It’s too distracting for the song. This is the last track I actively hate left. Guess my ranking. I have 3 more lower ranked songs in the next 10, including the next one. After that #125 is as low as I go. All the other rankers still have a song ranked in the 200s to come, and they are well known songs. We still have almost 50 singles to go and some big ones are coming up soon. 10 of the next 30 are singles. 

Next up, a track from How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb