Where The Streets Have No Name / The U2 Thread

[stip]

I don't think so?

[surfndestroy]

basically, Im turned off by the grandiose-ness of it all sometimes...

Me too. I can only take a few songs at a time. After a while, I start to feel like I need a palate cleanser.

Have they ever done anything really stripped down ? I know Bono has a really incredible and power voice. Are they talented enough to pull off something as a stripped down effort? The Edge was totally out of place on the "Play it loud" documentary. One trick pony.

Every tour they do a couple stripped down songs. Desire, Staring at the Sun, Yahweh, Running to Stand Still, Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horse?, Stay (Faraway, So Close), Wake Up Dead Man, Kite, Walk On have all been done stripped down over the years. Bono is such a good vocalist and at knowing the about of emotion to emote that these are usually emotional highlights of the show. For all his douche-baggery, live there is next to no pretension about the guy while singing. He's just in the moment. Edge is a big part of the stripped down sound singing wise. I'd venture t say he's the best backing vocalist in any current band.

I'm too lazy to post the links but use go to youtube and search 'U2 acoustic'. I think you'll be surprised.

[LetMeSleep]

After a couple of hours with this band I'm pretty certain that they have no deep cuts. It's singles or GTFO.

Thanks for the memories, U2.

Zeb, check this one out. This is my fav and one of their darkest.

[Lament]

Have they ever done anything really stripped down ? I know Bono has a really incredible and power voice. Are they talented enough to pull off something as a stripped down effort? The Edge was totally out of place on the "Play it loud" documentary. One trick pony.

[lowlight79]

I would say the albums you need to listen to are the following

War
The unforgettable Fire
Joshua Tree
Actung Baby
Zooropa
ATYCLB

Albums you could give a try:
October
Pop
HTADAB

[MattA75]

Just don't even bother with October...what a turd of an album compared to what bookends it

[Rob]

Joshua Tree through Zooropa is a really good stretch. If someone can't get in to those, the rest aren't gonna do much for them. Of their post-Pop albums, the only one I thought was any good is How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb - but similar to Lightning Bolt in the sense that it's good for that stage in their career.

[Lament]

Just don't even bother with October...what a turd of an album compared to what bookends it

I love October. I Fall Down is one of their best songs. Gloria is a classic. October is a beautiful song. I Threw a Brick Through a Window, Fire, Tomorrow, With a Shot, Stranger in a Strange Land, and Scarlet, all show hints of the willingness to step out of their comfort zone that more or less disappeared on War before reappearing on The Unforgettable Fire. I never get bored of this album. Is That All is the only song I really dislike on it (and was my least favorite U2 album track before Grace appeared on ATYCLB).

[Bob Loblaw]

I'm glad to see so much love for Zooropa, but Pop has got to be one of the most criminally underrated albums ever.

[Lament]

I'm glad to see so much love for Zooropa, but Pop has got to be one of the most criminally underrated albums ever.

Pop would be my #2 after Zooropa. Love that album to death. Gone is in my top five U2 tracks, and gets all the way to #1 if I'm in the right mood. Absolutely stunning song.

[Lament]

Actually, if I remember correctly, in that weird Pearl Jam vs. U2 thread someone started in PJ Chat that turned into a U2 ranking conversation a few pages in, I believe Zooropa and Pop both fared extremely well in people's rankings.

[stip]

Pop is a middle of the pack album for me but Gone, Discoteque, Last Night on Earth, and Playboy Mansion are all really great.

[Lament]

Why isn't there a U2 song tournament?

[stip]

because u2 sucks

[Lament]

I liked them till Bono made fun of that girl's boobs.

[Blaine Ryan]

I was always a bit turned off by the self-serious grandeur of U2's '80's output. Not that I don't love some of what came out of that era, but I agree with Strat that that facet of their songwriting can get tiresome in large doses. And frankly I just don't think any of those albums stand up to front-to-back scrutiny--they each have a handful of essentials interspersed with totally forgettable, filler-ish moments. I vastly prefer the '90's stuff--specifically Achtung Baby, which in addition to having great songs pretty much top-to-bottom stands as a welcome reinvention of the band's aesthetic into something considerably more mysterious, inventive, funny, and self-aware. The last three songs might be my favorites in the whole catalog.

[Kevin Davis]

Pop is a middle of the pack album for me but Gone, Discoteque, Last Night on Earth, and Playboy Mansion are all really great.

"Playboy Mansion" is top shelf stuff for me. Love the lyrics. Very '90's.

[LetMeSleep]

Yes. Ultra violet, acrobat and LiB is a great run

[Kalevi]

I think rattle and hum and no line on the horizon are 2 of their best.

[Sgt. Crackpot]

I think rattle and hum and no line on the horizon are 2 of their best.

Rattle and Hum is great, but I really didn't like NLOTH. It was so badly compressed that it was totally devoid of any dynamics, listening to the album feels like someone is shoving a grinding rod in my ear.

I think their best works were Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, closely followed by ATYCLB and HTDAAB. Most of what was in-between was a mixed bag.