37 thoughts on “U2 – MY THOUGHTS ON A BAND I LOVED ALMOST AS MUCH AS THE BEATLES”
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From "War" in 1983 thru "Achtung Baby" in 1992, they had one of the greatest runs in rock and roll history. I can't say that I like much since then. Maybe 5-10 songs off the top of my head.
I have to admit that I never really got into U2 Larry though I have heard certain songs by them and they were good but I thought they were kind of repetitive in their sound and they just didn't really excite me at all although I knew people that loved them,they had a kind of drone sound to me if that makes any sense. Bob.
Love the debut, War, The Unforgettable Fire, and The Joshua Tree. Rattle and Hum and Achtung Baby signaled a change in direction I wasn't too keen on, but still good albums. After that, I only like a few songs here and there… I still love the '80s albums I mentioned earlier.
I agree with a lot of your comments. You even mentioned the exact same U2 albums that I don't care for as much. The iTunes incident didn't bother me that much. I even purchased the "Songs Of Innocence" 2 CD edition, to get the album in better sound quality, plus some outtakes and alternate mixes. I was pleased with that album. But, they lost me on the follow up, "Songs Of Experience". As with most very popular music artists, they have a few so-so or clunker albums. It happens from time to time. There's very few artists who avoided the bomb or so-so album syndrome. U2 are still one of my favorite rock bands. Plus, they are an excellent live act. I have many U2 concerts on home video, from all their different eras, and I love them all.
Mr. Muffin, My Journey with U2 is a little different than yours, but like you I'm done with them for now. I liked Joshua Tree, but after that I looked at them more skeptically. In November 1987, something happened in San Francisco that I'll never forget. U2 was giving a free concert in downtown SF. Then Bono pulled out a can of spray paint and tagged a public fountain with "Stop the Traffic, Rock and Roll". He was given a ticket and promised to pay the cost of removing it. In response to what happened he said "I am an artist, everything I do is art". I was already thinking on Joshua Tree that the band was starting to take themselves too seriously. A few of the songs were long and preachy, as if the listener were in a Bono tent meeting. The graffiti incident cemented this in my mind. It seemed they were surrounded by worshipping fanboys and completely believed their own hype. I kept buying their music for a while although to me it was going downhill. I never bought "Pop". I was done. After that, it seemed like they went through some self-reflection before bringing out "All That You Can't Leave Behind". To me, everything about it signaled a return to form. The Edge went back to playing a Gibson Explorer which is the guitar he was known for during U2's early hits. The title itself and the attitude in the songs got across the message (to me) that the band realized they needed to reclaim what they had in their days of "three chords and the truth". Then came the iphone mess and I was done again 😀
Salome was a great B- side from Achtung Baby. I had read that it was Robert Plant's favorite U2 song. I could definitely hear Robert singing that one himself.By the way,Still a big U2 fan here.
I would like to see them if they tour again, as I’ve never seen them. But I’ve only been a casual fan. I kind of classify them with Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen and R.E.M….all of whom I respect but only R.E.M. I became a rabid fan of. And I have very similar feelings about R.E.M. At some point I was done, and have these mixed emotions related to them. However because that never personally happened to me with U2, I’d love to see them in person. They have a bunch of amazing and incredible songs. I rarely have the patience to replay a whole album of theirs, but some individual tracks I do. And if I combed through the better albums I’m sure I’d find new favorites.
More of song band for me. Than an album band. I only own the debut which I think is quite good. The rest of their catalog have good moments. A few songs here and there but as albums the rest doesn't really reach me. So I would say that I enjoy plenty songs by U2 but also find much of the albumtracks and later day tracks bland. Not horrible or bad. Just bland… I rather just listen to something else.
Yeah, well, that iTunes thing was just the most stupid thing ever. Giving away the album for free (well, payed by Apple) is a smart idea, and actually good for the listeners but not forcing people to have it.
I kinda feel similar about U2, they are certainly great musicians. But I don't need to listen to them any longer. For me Rattle And Hum was the end and I am fine with that. Similar feelings about Queen, loved them when Freddie was still alive. Still think they are great musicians, still like the songs but don't feel the need to listen to them.
I didn't even know you were still doing polls. How do I get to them? I looked at the community section and don't see any. YouTube has really made a mess of things nowadays.
Personally, I’ve always really liked U2. I have collected most of their discography, and there are just a few albums I’ve never been into so I’ll probably never get those. Honestly, the band did mean a lot to me growing up as a younger guy who listened to classic rock when everybody else was listening to pop so they’ll probably always have a special place in my heart no matter how “cringe” they get😂
HI Larry. I would rank U2 as a very good band with moments of excellence in live shows and some albums.
I discoverd U2 with the movie RATTLE AND HUM. I liked their songs, their idealism and vison about the world. They were a fresh air in the late 1980s in a rock scene dominated by heavy metal bands. I know many fans compared them with the Beatles because their Time cover and the accolades of JOSHUA TREE album. They were hailed as leaders of the pop rock alternative movement of 80s and 90s and I followed them until 2004 with that good rock albums (ALL CANT YOU LEAVE and HOW TO DISMANTLE). They visited my city with an excellent show and I lost interest of U2 with the next albums until today. My favorite U2 albums are WAR, JOSHUA TREE, ALL CANT YOU LEAVE BEHIND. I never liked the industrial and poppy songs of the 1990s.
I think they are very good band. They are good songwriters but they are not the musical adventurous band that some music press said about them. I respect Bono's charity activities but I dont buy his speeches about politics.
I like their older stuff like "I Will Follow," or "Sunday Bloody Sunday." Some of my favorite U2 songs were actually collaborations with other artists, like with Robbie Robertson on "Sweet Fire of Love" from his 1987 solo album, or "When Love Comes to Town" with B.B. King from Rattle & Hum. U2 kinda lost me when they started doing more dance-pop stuff. No denying their accomplishments though.
I definitely don't think they suck. I listened to October late last year and wow there are some outstanding songs on it: Fire, I Threw A Brick Through A WI dow, Gloria, I Fall Down, the title track
For me it's hard to argue that they aren't an excellent band whether you like their music or not: an unchanged lineup for 45 years and for most of that they have been and continue to be one of the biggest bands worldwide. I got into them at the time of War. I started to lose interest when Joshua Tree came out. I liked Rattle and Hum a bit more but Achtung Baby lost me and I had no interest in them, bar the odd single, until a couple of years ago when I gave their later albums a listen and somewhat enjoyed them. I still much prefer their early albums including Under a Blood Red Sky. I never understood the hate they received for putting that album on i-tunes. To me, it just highlighted the fickleness of society – we complain about greed in music but complain when we get something for free. I wasn't into U2 at the time and just deleted it…. easy.
I love U2. One of the best concerts I have been to was on their Songs Of Innocence tour. New Year’s Day is a favourite. Many happy memories listening to their music.
I had almost the identical experience with U2 that you did. They became same-ish after awhile. I still have a few of their tracks on my “Favorites” compilations, like Zoo Station, though.
Larry just put on your headphones and listen to the album the unforgettable fire, it’s fantastic I think they got too much airplay after Joshua tree though At least they tried to change their style and their concerts were awesome
I lost them after 1987/1988, the single Desire was the last good one for me. When Achtung Baby came they were like a different band to me that I didn’t get. The single One is nauseating and got too much airplay. Favorite song will always be Bad from The Unforgettable Fire.
I‘m thankful for U2 to bring Johnny Cash back in the limelight in 1993 with that gorgeous, majestic song The Wanderer as the last song on Zooropa. It’s hypnotic and brings deep emotions to me when I listen to it. My favorite albums from U2 are Rattle And Hum, Achtung, Baby!, Zooropa, Pop and Original Soundtracks Vol.1.
I kind of agree with you, Larry – although I still do continue to buy their releases. For me, I first heard their music around The Joshua Tree and worked backwards from there. I kind of loved how the first three albums had a distinct sound and then they went in a completely different direction when they bought Eno on board and the beautiful 'vagueness' of both 'The Unforgettable Fire' and 'The Joshua Tree'. I think they lost their way a bit with 'Rattle & Hum', and I think they would admit that too as this was the period of their NYE announcement of 'going away and dreaming it all up again', which resulted in 'Achtung Baby' – which I think is a spectacular album and another brilliant reinvention from the group. This sense of reinvention for me is very Beatlesque – a sense of moving forward with their sound in different directions and sometimes they pays off while other times it doesn't. For me personally, I LOVE Zooropa – more than when it came out – and was actually listening to it in the car this morning. Like many fans, Pop kind of lost me a little and I welcomed All That You Can't Leave Behind. What frustrates me about the band nowadays is that this sense of musical evolution and exploration has all but gone and they seem to just produce album after album of similar sounding material. The songs are generally good and they've got those years of experience to back that up, but it all feels very much the same, and I think that is where I miss the fire that U2 had previously that made their albums so compelling.
I first discovered U2 in the spring of 1983 with their album “War” and the song “New Year’s Day.” About three weeks after my discovery, I saw them in concert at Shea’s in Buffalo, NY. I was drawn to them by Edge’s magnificent guitar sound and the numerous Biblical allusions contained in their songs. Their albums have not always been consistently good but, for me, they have been a blessing musically speaking. I often say they are what church ought to be like. Examples: Gloria, Drowning Man, 40, Yahweh, Magnificent…..etc.
I feel like Achtung Baby is the breaking point … Up to that album everything (outside of October and a couple of songs from Rattle and Hum) is awesome … but after Achtung Baby is a downfall … I have enough fingers on one hand to count the songs I would put on a playlist. Unforgetable Fire, Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby are awesome cover to cover
Top songs: 15- The Electric Co 14- Sunday Bloody Sunday 13- Zoo Station 12- Two Hearts Beat as One 11- With or Without You 10- Bullet the Blue Sky 9- Angel of Harlem 8- I Will Follow 7- The Unforgetable Fire 6- New Years Day 5- Love is Blindness 4- Where the Streets Have No Name 3- Bad 2- Red Hill Mining Town 1- Acrobat
Total respect for U2, awesome sound, original. Bono actually underrated singer. They lost the plot since 2000 with the stadium filler mentality though.
Through the first five albums I was completely sold. I liked what I heard from Rattle and Hum on the radio, but for whatever reason never bought the record, maybe because I'm not a big fan of the live/studio concept in general. Achtung Baby, I gotta say, for me is one of the most overrated albums I've ever heard. I like it okay, but I've never understood the adulation. All That You Can't Leave Behind, also among the most overrated albums. This one I don't even like, I just find it boring. I actually like No Line On the Horizon quite a bit, it recaptures the vastness and desolation of their masterpiece The Joshua Tree to some extent if not quite its brilliance. I wonder if Joshua Tree was just too good, too majestic, that afterwards everything they did suffered in comparison, and maybe that's why I lost interest. No regrets, no looking back, to paraphrase Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, We'll always have The Joshua Tree. Anyway, good video, Larry. U2 have the same effect on a lot of people, sort of like REM, people loved them initially and then eventually lost interest. Maybe it could be named the U2 Effect.
I think October and Songs of Innocence/Experience were the only records I never really connected with. While there were some duds on that back half of Pop I didn’t mind it and live they gave the songs some justice.
I like U2 a lot. Grew up listening to them. I was not alive during the Joshua Tree or Achtung days, but I remember being very little when All That You Can't Leave Behind came out and I was obsessed with Beautiful Day. I enjoy the early U2 albums and Achtung has become my favorite. They did start losing me at No Line. Their new music just doesn't sound like them.
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Michael Ord Arnie Porter Shannon Strong Jamie Dunn Bob Penn Ayden Donley NapalmMacbeth Revelation73 Paul Ayers Dani Rankin Joseph Robertson Josh Davis Tastes Like Music Michael Farmer Tears In Rain Pow Barabajagal Tanner McGuire Christophe Paris MrLaLaLaElmo Ripper138 Anthony Dawsen
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From "War" in 1983 thru "Achtung Baby" in 1992, they had one of the greatest runs in rock and roll history. I can't say that I like much since then. Maybe 5-10 songs off the top of my head.
I have to admit that I never really got into U2 Larry though I have heard certain songs by them and they were good but I thought they were kind of repetitive in their sound and they just didn't really excite me at all although I knew people that loved them,they had a kind of drone sound to me if that makes any sense. Bob.
Unforgettable Fire and Achtung Baby are both FANTASTIC albums. I can see why the song and video for “unforgettable Fire” would get your interest
Love the debut, War, The Unforgettable Fire, and The Joshua Tree. Rattle and Hum and Achtung Baby signaled a change in direction I wasn't too keen on, but still good albums. After that, I only like a few songs here and there… I still love the '80s albums I mentioned earlier.
War, Boy, October, Under a Blood Red Sky, The Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree…… after that, meh…
I agree with a lot of your comments. You even mentioned the exact same U2 albums that I don't care for as much. The iTunes incident didn't bother me that much. I even purchased the "Songs Of Innocence" 2 CD edition, to get the album in better sound quality, plus some outtakes and alternate mixes. I was pleased with that album. But, they lost me on the follow up, "Songs Of Experience". As with most very popular music artists, they have a few so-so or clunker albums. It happens from time to time. There's very few artists who avoided the bomb or so-so album syndrome. U2 are still one of my favorite rock bands. Plus, they are an excellent live act. I have many U2 concerts on home video, from all their different eras, and I love them all.
Mr. Muffin,
My Journey with U2 is a little different than yours, but like you I'm done with them for now. I liked Joshua Tree, but after that I looked at them more skeptically. In November 1987, something happened in San Francisco that I'll never forget. U2 was giving a free concert in downtown SF. Then Bono pulled out a can of spray paint and tagged a public fountain with "Stop the Traffic, Rock and Roll". He was given a ticket and promised to pay the cost of removing it. In response to what happened he said "I am an artist, everything I do is art".
I was already thinking on Joshua Tree that the band was starting to take themselves too seriously. A few of the songs were long and preachy, as if the listener were in a Bono tent meeting. The graffiti incident cemented this in my mind. It seemed they were surrounded by worshipping fanboys and completely believed their own hype.
I kept buying their music for a while although to me it was going downhill. I never bought "Pop". I was done. After that, it seemed like they went through some self-reflection before bringing out "All That You Can't Leave Behind". To me, everything about it signaled a return to form. The Edge went back to playing a Gibson Explorer which is the guitar he was known for during U2's early hits. The title itself and the attitude in the songs got across the message (to me) that the band realized they needed to reclaim what they had in their days of "three chords and the truth". Then came the iphone mess and I was done again 😀
Thanks for showing my comment Larry.
Salome was a great B- side from Achtung Baby. I had read that it was Robert Plant's favorite U2 song. I could definitely hear Robert singing that one himself.By the way,Still a big U2 fan here.
I would like to see them if they tour again, as I’ve never seen them. But I’ve only been a casual fan. I kind of classify them with Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen and R.E.M….all of whom I respect but only R.E.M. I became a rabid fan of. And I have very similar feelings about R.E.M. At some point I was done, and have these mixed emotions related to them.
However because that never personally happened to me with U2, I’d love to see them in person. They have a bunch of amazing and incredible songs. I rarely have the patience to replay a whole album of theirs, but some individual tracks I do. And if I combed through the better albums I’m sure I’d find new favorites.
More of song band for me. Than an album band. I only own the debut which I think is quite good. The rest of their catalog have good moments. A few songs here and there but as albums the rest doesn't really reach me. So I would say that I enjoy plenty songs by U2 but also find much of the albumtracks and later day tracks bland. Not horrible or bad. Just bland… I rather just listen to something else.
Never been a big fan. I like some of there stuff but it gets a little tiresome. I do really like War.
Yeah, well, that iTunes thing was just the most stupid thing ever. Giving away the album for free (well, payed by Apple) is a smart idea, and actually good for the listeners but not forcing people to have it.
I kinda feel similar about U2, they are certainly great musicians. But I don't need to listen to them any longer. For me Rattle And Hum was the end and I am fine with that. Similar feelings about Queen, loved them when Freddie was still alive. Still think they are great musicians, still like the songs but don't feel the need to listen to them.
Maybe some day… who knows?
I didn't even know you were still doing polls. How do I get to them? I looked at the community section and don't see any. YouTube has really made a mess of things nowadays.
Personally, I’ve always really liked U2. I have collected most of their discography, and there are just a few albums I’ve never been into so I’ll probably never get those. Honestly, the band did mean a lot to me growing up as a younger guy who listened to classic rock when everybody else was listening to pop so they’ll probably always have a special place in my heart no matter how “cringe” they get😂
HI Larry.
I would rank U2 as a very good band with moments of excellence in live shows and some albums.
I discoverd U2 with the movie RATTLE AND HUM. I liked their songs, their idealism and vison about the world. They were a fresh air in the late 1980s in a rock scene dominated by heavy metal bands. I know many fans compared them with the Beatles because their Time cover and the accolades of JOSHUA TREE album. They were hailed as leaders of the pop rock alternative movement of 80s and 90s and I followed them until 2004 with that good rock albums (ALL CANT YOU LEAVE and HOW TO DISMANTLE). They visited my city with an excellent show and I lost interest of U2 with the next albums until today. My favorite U2 albums are WAR, JOSHUA TREE, ALL CANT YOU LEAVE BEHIND. I never liked the industrial and poppy songs of the 1990s.
I think they are very good band. They are good songwriters but they are not the musical adventurous band that some music press said about them. I respect Bono's charity activities but I dont buy his speeches about politics.
Greetings from Monterrey, Mexico.
I like their older stuff like "I Will Follow," or "Sunday Bloody Sunday." Some of my favorite U2 songs were actually collaborations with other artists, like with Robbie Robertson on "Sweet Fire of Love" from his 1987 solo album, or "When Love Comes to Town" with B.B. King from Rattle & Hum. U2 kinda lost me when they started doing more dance-pop stuff. No denying their accomplishments though.
I definitely don't think they suck. I listened to October late last year and wow there are some outstanding songs on it: Fire, I Threw A Brick Through A WI dow, Gloria, I Fall Down, the title track
For me it's hard to argue that they aren't an excellent band whether you like their music or not: an unchanged lineup for 45 years and for most of that they have been and continue to be one of the biggest bands worldwide. I got into them at the time of War. I started to lose interest when Joshua Tree came out. I liked Rattle and Hum a bit more but Achtung Baby lost me and I had no interest in them, bar the odd single, until a couple of years ago when I gave their later albums a listen and somewhat enjoyed them. I still much prefer their early albums including Under a Blood Red Sky. I never understood the hate they received for putting that album on i-tunes. To me, it just highlighted the fickleness of society – we complain about greed in music but complain when we get something for free. I wasn't into U2 at the time and just deleted it…. easy.
I love U2. One of the best concerts I have been to was on their Songs Of Innocence tour. New Year’s Day is a favourite. Many happy memories listening to their music.
I used to love performing Bullet the Blue Sky. Easy song to play and repetitive but awesome to listen to.
I had almost the identical experience with U2 that you did. They became same-ish after awhile. I still have a few of their tracks on my “Favorites” compilations, like Zoo Station, though.
Larry just put on your headphones and listen to the album the unforgettable fire, it’s fantastic
I think they got too much airplay after Joshua tree though
At least they tried to change their style and their concerts were awesome
I lost them after 1987/1988, the single Desire was the last good one for me. When Achtung Baby came they were like a different band to me that I didn’t get. The single One is nauseating and got too much airplay. Favorite song will always be Bad from The Unforgettable Fire.
I‘m thankful for U2 to bring Johnny Cash back in the limelight in 1993 with that gorgeous, majestic song The Wanderer as the last song on Zooropa. It’s hypnotic and brings deep emotions to me when I listen to it. My favorite albums from U2 are Rattle And Hum, Achtung, Baby!, Zooropa, Pop and Original Soundtracks Vol.1.
I kind of agree with you, Larry – although I still do continue to buy their releases. For me, I first heard their music around The Joshua Tree and worked backwards from there. I kind of loved how the first three albums had a distinct sound and then they went in a completely different direction when they bought Eno on board and the beautiful 'vagueness' of both 'The Unforgettable Fire' and 'The Joshua Tree'. I think they lost their way a bit with 'Rattle & Hum', and I think they would admit that too as this was the period of their NYE announcement of 'going away and dreaming it all up again', which resulted in 'Achtung Baby' – which I think is a spectacular album and another brilliant reinvention from the group. This sense of reinvention for me is very Beatlesque – a sense of moving forward with their sound in different directions and sometimes they pays off while other times it doesn't. For me personally, I LOVE Zooropa – more than when it came out – and was actually listening to it in the car this morning. Like many fans, Pop kind of lost me a little and I welcomed All That You Can't Leave Behind. What frustrates me about the band nowadays is that this sense of musical evolution and exploration has all but gone and they seem to just produce album after album of similar sounding material. The songs are generally good and they've got those years of experience to back that up, but it all feels very much the same, and I think that is where I miss the fire that U2 had previously that made their albums so compelling.
I first discovered U2 in the spring of 1983 with their album “War” and the song “New Year’s Day.” About three weeks after my discovery, I saw them in concert at Shea’s in Buffalo, NY. I was drawn to them by Edge’s magnificent guitar sound and the numerous Biblical allusions contained in their songs. Their albums have not always been consistently good but, for me, they have been a blessing musically speaking. I often say they are what church ought to be like. Examples: Gloria, Drowning Man, 40, Yahweh, Magnificent…..etc.
I feel like Achtung Baby is the breaking point … Up to that album everything (outside of October and a couple of songs from Rattle and Hum) is awesome … but after Achtung Baby is a downfall … I have enough fingers on one hand to count the songs I would put on a playlist. Unforgetable Fire, Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby are awesome cover to cover
Top songs: 15- The Electric Co 14- Sunday Bloody Sunday 13- Zoo Station 12- Two Hearts Beat as One 11- With or Without You 10- Bullet the Blue Sky 9- Angel of Harlem 8- I Will Follow 7- The Unforgetable Fire 6- New Years Day 5- Love is Blindness 4- Where the Streets Have No Name 3- Bad 2- Red Hill Mining Town 1- Acrobat
Total respect for U2, awesome sound, original. Bono actually underrated singer. They lost the plot since 2000 with the stadium filler mentality though.
Through the first five albums I was completely sold. I liked what I heard from Rattle and Hum on the radio, but for whatever reason never bought the record, maybe because I'm not a big fan of the live/studio concept in general. Achtung Baby, I gotta say, for me is one of the most overrated albums I've ever heard. I like it okay, but I've never understood the adulation. All That You Can't Leave Behind, also among the most overrated albums. This one I don't even like, I just find it boring. I actually like No Line On the Horizon quite a bit, it recaptures the vastness and desolation of their masterpiece The Joshua Tree to some extent if not quite its brilliance. I wonder if Joshua Tree was just too good, too majestic, that afterwards everything they did suffered in comparison, and maybe that's why I lost interest. No regrets, no looking back, to paraphrase Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, We'll always have The Joshua Tree. Anyway, good video, Larry. U2 have the same effect on a lot of people, sort of like REM, people loved them initially and then eventually lost interest. Maybe it could be named the U2 Effect.
I think October and Songs of Innocence/Experience were
the only records I never really connected with. While there were some duds on that back half of Pop I didn’t mind it and live they gave the songs some justice.
Corporate C
I like U2 a lot. Grew up listening to them. I was not alive during the Joshua Tree or Achtung days, but I remember being very little when All That You Can't Leave Behind came out and I was obsessed with Beautiful Day. I enjoy the early U2 albums and Achtung has become my favorite. They did start losing me at No Line. Their new music just doesn't sound like them.
I better not say my joke i got about U2 its so bad its funny
If I had to rank their albums
1. Boy 8.5/10
2. October 6/10
3. War 9/10
4. Unforgettable Fire 8.5/10
5. Joshua Tree 9.5/10
6. Rattle & Hum 7/10
7. Achtung Baby 9.5/10
8. Zooropa 8/10
9. Pop 5/10
10. ATYCLB 9.5/10
11. HTDAAB 9/10
12. NLOTH 9.5/10
13. Songs of Innocence 9/10
14. Songs of Experience 9/10