GEN
Active topics
  1. Originally posted by vanquish:I also don't feel the need to enshrine everything U2 has ever recorded, they may be the best band in the world but it doesn't mean that everything they touched turned to gold.

    Entirely agree on that, for sure - I love U2, they're without a shadow of a doubt my favourite band, but they're not infallible. I don't love every song they've written, I don't love every album, but I connect with the music in a way I don't with most other music save for a few bands, and I think that's more key than anything else.

    Boy, for me, is a cracking album. Lyrically, maybe not as complex as later albums and not as intellectually refined, but musically there's something raw and exciting in the music and a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. For me, October was where they started to progress sonically and moved on a step further. I'm no fan of War, indeed there are only a few tracks on there that I can say I like more than casually (Like A Song, Seconds, Drowning Man - other than that, I'm fairly reserved in my appraisal of it), but TUF was where it started to really take off for me.

    Anyway, this is getting off topic, but I just wanted to contribute to that point of discussion.

    Worst song? I'm still thinking Grace or Elvis Presley & America.
  2. Originally posted by WojBhoy:[..]
    Entirely agree on that, for sure - I love U2, they're without a shadow of a doubt my favourite band, but they're not infallible. I don't love every song they've written, I don't love every album, but I connect with the music in a way I don't with most other music save for a few bands, and I think that's more key than anything else.

    Boy, for me, is a cracking album. Lyrically, maybe not as complex as later albums and not as intellectually refined, but musically there's something raw and exciting in the music and a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. For me, October was where they started to progress sonically and moved on a step further. I'm no fan of War, indeed there are only a few tracks on there that I can say I like more than casually (Like A Song, Seconds, Drowning Man - other than that, I'm fairly reserved in my appraisal of it), but TUF was where it started to really take off for me.

    Anyway, this is getting off topic, but I just wanted to contribute to that point of discussion.

    Worst song? I'm still thinking Grace or Elvis Presley & America.


    TUF was also where I started to get really interested, I will agree with you on Elvis Presley & America on worst song (but I haven't listened thoroughly to October/War may be worse songs on there). But I don't know why everyone hates Grace just for being a slow song, I dislike a song mainly if it is unmelodic, uninspired and especially if it lacks cohesion or is painful to listen to, Grace is not painful to listen to, I wouldn't play it while I was running or at a pool party though.


  3. I may well be the only U2 fan who actually likes Elvis Presley & America.
  5. Originally posted by vanquish:TUF was also where I started to get really interested, I will agree with you on Elvis Presley & America on worst song (but I haven't listened thoroughly to October/War may be worse songs on there). But I don't know why everyone hates Grace just for being a slow song, I dislike a song mainly if it is unmelodic, uninspired and especially if it lacks cohesion or is painful to listen to, Grace is not painful to listen to, I wouldn't play it while I was running or at a pool party though.

    Maybe I'm being a bit harsh, I've never really thought about what I think to be their worst song per se, but for the moment I'm just drawing on examples other people have posted. My main gripe with Grace is that it bores me, musically speaking. Bono's voice isn't great shakes, he hits a dud note more than a couple of times and it just doesn't go anywhere. I love the idea of it being a tribute to the idea of grace and compassion, but I'm sorry, but I personally find it painful to listen to.

    EDIT - actually I take back what I said about EP&A, I just remembered Surrender and Red Light...

  6. Originally posted by WojBhoy:[..]
    Maybe I'm being a bit harsh, I've never really thought about what I think to be their worst song per se, but for the moment I'm just drawing on examples other people have posted. My main gripe with Grace is that it bores me, musically speaking. Bono's voice isn't great shakes, he hits a dud note more than a couple of times and it just doesn't go anywhere. I love the idea of it being a tribute to the idea of grace and compassion, but I'm sorry, but I personally find it painful to listen to.

    EDIT - actually I take back what I said about EP&A, I just remembered Surrender and Red Light...




    Yeah I understand that Grace isn't very interesting musically, and his voice is rather strained on it (however the singing is still better than much of Boy, where he sounds almost half deaf at times)

    But while boring etc. it isn't downright horrible and unlistenable unlike other usually more experimental or obscure songs.

    I personally believe I can find worse songs on other albums and b-sides, and what about Original Soundtracks? Does that count as a U2 project, or are we only looking at U2 albums proper
  7. Originally posted by vanquish:[..]

    Yeah I understand that Grace isn't very interesting musically, and his voice is rather strained on it (however the singing is still better than much of Boy, where he sounds almost half deaf at times)

    But while boring etc. it isn't downright horrible and unlistenable unlike other usually more experimental or obscure songs.

    I personally believe I can find worse songs on other albums and b-sides, and what about Original Soundtracks? Does that count as a U2 project, or are we only looking at U2 albums proper


    B-sides, sure. J Swallo comes to mind immediately as probably one of the only songs that almost all U2 fans can agree is pretty bad (apologies to anyone who likes the song). The early version of Twilight is pretty horrific as well, imo.

    Personally, I don't consider Passengers alongside all other U2 albums, but there's certainly no definite way to categorize it. I think it's a great album. I certainly don't listen to it driving in the car, but for some situations, the music fits perfectly.


    I just remembered Surrender


    You don't care for Sadie?
  9. I think we should exclude B-sides (as many of them are basically filler), and keep it to album versions of songs only (no Passengers stuff).

    Incidentally I thought Twighlight was the best song on Boy, while the singing/lyrics could be better, the chorus is probably the best on the album (or IWF) and musically it's fantastic, with great drums and bass, and a rollicking solo by the Edge, (quite a unique sounding one as well.) The early version of Twighlight was rougher and not as good though.
  10. No he doesn't which is a shame.


    A shame indeed. One of the best songs on War! Definitely deserves another listen.

    Originally posted by vanquish:I think we should exclude B-sides (as many of them are basically filler), and keep it to album versions of songs only (no Passengers stuff).

    Incidentally I thought Twighlight was the best song on Boy, while the singing/lyrics could be better, the chorus is probably the best on the album (or IWF) and musically it's fantastic, with great drums and bass, and a rollicking solo by the Edge, (quite a unique sounding one as well.) The early version of Twighlight was rougher and not as good though.


    Lol, "not as good" is putting it lightly. Bono going through puberty in the 20+ yelps of "twilight! twilight!"--no thanks. Cool to listen to nonetheless to track their progress with the finished version.

  11. Originally posted by AllBecauseOfU2:[..]

    A shame indeed. One of the best songs on War! Definitely deserves another listen.

    [..]

    Lol, "not as good" is putting it lightly. Bono going through puberty in the 20+ yelps of "twilight! twilight!"--no thanks. Cool to listen to nonetheless to track their progress with the finished version.




    The "Bono going through puberty" remark is exactly how I think he sounds on much of the album, he reminds me almost of a deaf person trying to sing at parts, at least that's what his voice sounds like.

    And Surrender isn't that bad, though it's not fantastic either.
  12. Originally posted by vanquish:[..]

    The "Bono going through puberty" remark is exactly how I think he sounds on much of the album, he reminds me almost of a deaf person trying to sing at parts, at least that's what his voice sounds like.



    Yeah, but...eh, I don't know. He wasn't properly trained, sure, and he was only 19/20 when they recorded it, but like Harry said, it's the raw energy that really gives the entire album its uniqueness and makes its listenable. Not many bands today have that. Actually, not many bands did then either.

    The one song I've always, always skipped over on the album, and on bootlegs/DVDs, is An Cat Dubh. Worse than listening to that early version of Twilight for me.