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I love Gone, from Pop. Excellent Edge-ism, one of the first basslines I learned to play, randomly self-aware lyrics... I know nobody likes Pop but I loved it at the time and I think it still stands up better than most.
Also, it gained extra poignancy after Bono had that horrible mountain bike crash after he took some steps that made him feel dizzy. Though he did not get to like the way it felt.
They had their moments up until Achtung Baby, One, bad,a new song,Hawkmoon...loads more actually.
Again.... not a fan as I think they lost their way very early on, but I do like probably the only track where Bono is joined in vocals by The Edge. 'Numb'
I'd probably put Silver and Gold in 3rd place after Bad and New Years Day.
I love Ultraviolet, but it must be played loudly.
I was once the world’s biggest fan, but lost interest after Zooropa (1993). In the meantime, I agree with anyone who says:
a) The band should have packed it in years ago
b) The band was never the most technically accomplished in the world
c) Bono’s public persona could stand with some adjustment
I'm with this 100%, they were the backdrop to some interesting teenage times
Sunday Bloody Sunday for its infectious rabble rousing sound - their first one I really got introduced to them through
Was a huge fan in the 80`s and still listen to Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum now..
Could list many tracks from both of those albums All I Want Is You, Red Hill, Silver and Gold, etc
But no-one yet has said Mothers of the Disappeared. Its such a haunting sad yet beautiful song. Was always one of my favs.
Edit, and Running To Stand Still, how could i forget that....
And so she woke up
Woke up from where she was
Lying still
Said I gotta do something
About where we're going
Step on a steam train
Step out of the driving rain, maybe
Run from the darkness in the night
Singing ha, ah la la la de day
Ah da da da de day
Ah la la de day
Sweet the sin
Bitter than taste in my mouth
I see seven towers
But I only see one way out
You got to cry without weeping
Talk without speaking
Scream without raising your voice
You know I took the poison
From the poison stream
Then I floated out of here
Singing ha la la la de day
Ha la la la de day
Ha la la de day
She runs through the streets…
What's the difference between God and bono?
God doesn't walk around thinking he's bono.
Bit late to the party, but ... early stuff was great, Under a Blood Red Sky was the one that got me into them and lost interest around about Achtung Baby - a friend and I were really into them and then we got Achtung Baby and just looked at each other and thought 'something's missing'. Still listen to everything else before that. If you like early raw stuff listen to the 'U2 Hammersmith Palais 1982' concert that was recorded for Radio 1, can find it on youtube, it's like Under a Blood Red Sky on caffiene, I've got it on MP3 and I swear when I listen to that on a mtb ride I go a lot faster and feel 20 years old again!
‘U2 Hammersmith Palais 1982’ concert that was recorded for Radio 1
I had completely forgotten about that concert! It was broadcast on the CBC (whether simultaneously or not I don't remember), and I recorded it on my tape player. I can not begin to think of the number of times I listened to it.
Thanks for the reminder!
I'll go with either New Years Day or I Will Follow.
Until the End of the World.
I had completely forgotten about that concert! It was broadcast on the CBC (whether simultaneously or not I don’t remember), and I recorded it on my tape player. I can not begin to think of the number of times I listened to it.
Thanks for the reminder!
I have that on vinyl with a BBC label on the plain white cardboard sleeve.
Angel of Harlem.
So many, but I reckon One, brilliant when I watched them live. 40 and With or Without You. Kite too.
Sunday Bloody Sunday
New Year’s Day
Where The Streets Have No Name
Really great, rousing rock anthems.
Not a fan but saw them at Slaine Castle the night engerland stuck 5 past the Hun. The announced the German goal to much cheering but none of the England goals. But I digress, out of the set Bullet in the Blue Sky was head and shoulders above everything else.
Another one that I’ve always loved is Drowning Man from War.
I know it’s really easy to criticise Bono, and God knows he’s an easy target, but really, what’s he guilty of? Basically, he’s incredibly passionate about a number of things, and never misses an opportunity to go on about them, not unlike another Irish rock singer, Bob Geldof.
But seriously, to lay into him the way some people do when you’ve got the likes of Morrissey or the bloke from Lost Prophets is more than a little over the top; ‘cos let’s face it, who has he actually harmed?
Another vote for Stay (Faraway, So Close).
Unforgettable fire
Never went off them the way some people have, although I don't listen to them nearly as much as I used to.
One of the most evocative tracks for me is In God's Country - I remember driving up to glenshee to go skiing in the 80s, with that track as the playing rising sun caught the cliffs of Lochnagar, and it felt like a song couldn't be more perfect. So many other good memories that have U2 as their soundtrack.
I was a huge U2 fan from early 80s thru to probably late 2000s. Then it got a bit stale
Looking back at what they recorded, the concerts, the support acts they helped get bigger e.g. Elbow 2009 tour. They are simply a great band. Great lead guitarist, great lead singer, good drummer & great bassist. Bono rightly gets pilloried as he's a pretend Geldoff but Crikey he can sing when he's not indulging himself.
I'm going to play a lot of the back catalogue over the weekend... Very loud.
But no-one yet has said Mothers of the Disappeared. Its such a haunting sad yet beautiful song. Was always one of my favs.
I love that too - One Tree Hill is also amazing.
As for after Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby it went downhill - I disagree somewhat... They did have a dip on quality - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb is a record I just don’t play, the last two albums have been great. Songs of Innocence is a great semi-autobiographical record. The tours supporting the last two albums have been great, the last one especially so. The sonics of Zoo TV was back but with more anger.
To be honest, I love most of what they have done and I think that whilst Bono might be a bit annoying - he doesn’t deserve the amount of stick he gets... well apart from moving the bands corporate headquarters to the Netherlands thing.
My older sister was a big music influence on me from about 1985 onwards, ie from when i was about 10 and started an interest in music.
She introduced me to the joshua tree first.
Id sit for hours with a walkman and tape and later a cd player listening to where the streets have no name, that incredible riff and intro blew my mind... then i got rattle and hum and loved the film, the sun valley stadium version of streets is still my favourite.
Streets, Still havent found what im looking for, Bad and All i want is you, are my favourites from my favourite time of the band, almost entirely because of the guitar
I play guitar because of the edge, and this is one of my most fundamental loves in life (wish i was better!) so they as a band were incredibly important and influential on me as a kid and adult.
Then theres bonos lyrics, which can be incredible...
"She wears my love like a see through dress"
When everyone else was wearing happy mondays baggies i was in a biker jacket waist coat and pointy boots trying to be bono from the rattle and hum film....
Id agree that they started to turn after zooropa (love stay!),
Pop i still like very much. That velvet dress has a great Bridge section to it and the playboy mansion i like also for its simplicity.
But unlike radiohead (whom as i age i like more and can find new stuff in the their entire back catalogue, even the bleepy stuff) started to slide after Zooropa, and definitely should have stopped after Pop.
Anything newer is repetitious, derivative and lacking in soul or creativity imho.
I have that on vinyl with a BBC label on the plain white cardboard sleeve
jamj1974 - How did you manage to get that? I thought there wasn't anything released? I got bootleg mp3 of it years ago.
Maybe I'll try some of their latest stuff. I found after Achtung Baby I'd like maybe a few tracks on the albums, anything before that I could happily listen to the whole album. Of course these days I can just make my own playlists with favourites back then you had to press buttons to skip tracks on your CD player.
For me, currently their best one for me is their next one as I haven't heard it yet. That will one day be superseded by the next one they haven't made.
One Tree Hill