Entertainment For Lively Minds
How bad are U2…
Whenever U2 unleash their latest album / tour / film / boring interviews campaign I must admit that I get sick of the sight of them.A recent exapmle of this would be when I (foolishly) went to see the film of their last tour in 3D on the supersize IMAX screen. Now given that I am prone to suffering major side effects from over-exposure to U2, it will come as no surprise that the sight of a 50 foot Bono, with his greasy locks flying out of the screen was enough to send me into U2-avoidance mode for a good 12 months..
And yet, despite this, once they are out of the public eye, I often find myself searching back through their back catalogue and reminding myself just how many great tunes they have actually made. I think the cause of this love / hate relationship is rooted in the dichotomy that exists within the band between the bombastic, in-your-face nature of their frontman and the subtle, often ambient beauty of some of the musicianship…I’m still not sure that they would be a better band without Bono, as he does carry the tunes, but during periods of U2 overkill, he is the component that really starts to grate..
So for me, U2 are actually quite okay, but ask me in six months time and I’ll probably tell you something different…
I couldn’t finish this post without a list – Bad, Two Hearts Beat as One, Refugee, A Sort of Homecoming, Unforgettable Fire, October, In God’s Country, Desire, Angel of Harlem, All I Want is You, Hold Me Thrill Me, Stay, Stuck In a Moment and the wonderful Your Blue Room (from the Passengers LP)…none are overplayed and all magnificent (and yes, that is three tracks from Rattle and Hum)…
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Bono Annoyance Factor
aside, the man can sing, the boys can play. And BAD is one of the best rock tunes of the 80s.
Rattle and Hum
The overlooked gem in the catalogue. Came at a time when they were horribly overexposed and suffered a disproportionate backlash for it.
All I Want Is You, Angel of Harlem, When Love Comes To Town, God Part II, Desire, Hawkmoon - even Van Dieman's Land has it's charm...
Certainly the U2 album I go back to the most
...I hate to agree...
...but I agree, maybe because it was the first U2 album that I owned (similarly, I favour my first Smiths purchase, "Strangeways", over "Queen is Dead")
I can't abide Rattle and Hum
for me that's when they distilled the worthiness of the Joshua Tree era into something even more irritating. They got it all back with Achtung Baby though, and Boy is one of my favourite debuts.
I hate hate HATE them
yet when one of their tracks comes up on shuffle it often sounds really good.
Beautiful Day was also my karaoke solo spot in a Tokyo Karaoke palace back in 2002...
Early, no. Mid, oh aye. Late, meh.
I cannot abide their earlier stuff, meaning everything up to and including Rattle Yer Bum. But Achtung Baby is an absolute classic, and Zooropa is pretty damned close behind. Since then it's been the law of diminishing returns.
The Hedge is undoubtedly a talented guitarist
and they have written the odd catchy tune but...
(oh, and doesn't the subscriber edition cover look nice with no blurb on?)
Make of this what you will
According to a book by Catherine Blyth, Bono was invited to a party. After a while, a bagpipes player arrived who played loudly for 10 minutes. He then read out a note from Bono apologising for not being there.
I think their irrelevance seems to be growing
in direct proportion to the intensity of the media blitz for the latest release.
Still a phenomenal live band though.
How bad are U2?
Not bad at all.
Under A Blood Red Sky
almost makes me forgive all that followed.
This is my favourite U2 song though
A b-side that seems to be a mix of Berlin Bowie, T-Rex and Adam & The Ants, with a killer glam chorus.
So it seems..
..that we're split between the early 80s, the late 80s and the 90s with no love for the 00s U2. The 00s seems to mark the period where U2 have really taken it to the masses and their every move seems to have been pre-determined by a focus group session. Their so-called return to form, which started with Beautiful Day, has in fact been a watering down of their music to make it more palatable to a mass audience. This tactic has fallen flat on its face with their recent album, though the rot really set in with Atomic Bomb. Am I the only one who, encouraged by the dynamic single (Vertigo) and the 5 star reviews from certain monthlies, purchased this turd of an album, only to find that beyond the single it was the most lifeless ball of bland slush this side of Celine Dion. Its no wonder we weren't tricked into going back for more.
I really didn't mind 'Atomic Bomb' at all.
Think 'Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own' is a beautiful song. Bono says it is about losing his father, and the lyric really nails that sense of regret, things you should have said to someone... how you inherit all the traits you used to despise in your father or mother. It's a proper, grown up song & brilliantly sung.
I also quite like 'All That You Can't Leave Behind' - 'Stuck In A Moment...' is just fantastic. Perhaps I just like 'ballad' U2. It works for me. Also these songs have resonated with me at particular times. U2 have a knack of doing that for me.
'No Line...' on the other hand. I just can't get into it at all.
Has it really been that long
since the last bit of Bono bashing. ? Oh well, time flies
Bashing The Bono
That phrase works in soooooo many ways!
Can't beat a list
or a Spotify playlist for that matter...
badger_king's beginners guide to good U2
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Elevation
City Of Blinding Lights
Fast Cars
Magnificent
The Hands That Built America
Electrical Storm (William Orbit Mix)
New Year's Day
Where The Streets Have No Name
Staring At The Sun
"40"
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
Desire
Even Better Than The Real Thing
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Get On Your Boots (Justice Remix)
MLK
Cedars Of Lebanon
http://open.spotify.com/user/badger_king/playlist/4lZ9Nzjah8KU4yd0U1fwXK
As you see, I favour the ballads. There's no hope for some people... me included.
their best years are behind them
I've seen them live twice and its only when they do anything between October and Achtung Baby that the discerning rock fans in the audience get excited. Another few years and they'll turn into the Rolling Stones, turning out albums to keep the cash flowing in but their live shows will always need to include thei classic late 80s and early 90s tracks, otherwise their audience will walk. They will never do a better, more seminal album than the Joshua Tree. The last 3 or 4 albums have been fairly average and the last one was a right turkey.