U2

[101reykjavik]

U2's The Unforgettable Fire is My favourite album of theirs. The first album I bought as a kid aged 12 was under a blood red sky! (Great live gig too on vhs).The Boy album was a great debut too, love the Achtung/Zooropa/Pop albums and went to a Zoo TV gig in Earl's Court in '92 with a mate as well as the Zoropia and Popmart tours at Wembley stadium. But soon left em behind when blur's modern life came out and discovered Pulp and suede and other "britpop" bands. but kept an ear out throughout the 90s But lost interest come the 2000s and the later albums. Amazing that they can still sellout 6 nights at the O2!

A bit like my association with them too, although it was Joshua Tree onwards for me as the discovery point (aged 11) and the last of their albums I bought was How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (I was in classic going-through-the-motions stubborn fan mode by that point buying against my better judgment). I'd given them the benefit of the doubt on All That You Can't Leave Behind (it was fine but felt 'safe') but come Atomic Bomb I knew the game was up. Blur had long since surplanted them in my affections though. I missed Popscene but soon after that got into MLIR. U2's 90s output alongside the Blur albums was a good time though. My previous favourite band creating brave music alongside what became my lifelong musical constant - Blur.

[Consigliere_11]

I think I have never heard a song from U2 like ever . (Until now, because I'm listening to Zoo Station just to know who they are.) I definitely know them since their 2000s period where the basic notion that most of the people got was that U2 are boring as hell. And recent publicity stunts like "Songs of Innocence" on every Apple device didn't give any points. But now I find that some of the bands that I enjoy took some cues from U2's work and hell, how could the "boring as hell" band be so popular? It's time to find out

[Mark72]

I think I have never heard a song from U2 like ever . (Until now, because I'm listening to Zoo Station just to know who they are.) I definitely know them since their 2000s period where the basic notion that most of the people got was that U2 are boring as hell. And recent publicity stunts like "Songs of Innocence" on every Apple device didn't give any points. But now I find that some of the bands that I enjoy took some cues from U2's work and hell, how could the "boring as hell" band be so popular? It's time to find out

Try this, then maybe Achtung Baby/Zooropa/Pop

[Mallard No. 22]

On the strength of the 'New Years Day' single I bought both 'War' and 'Live Under A Blood Red Sky'. U2 stood out with their direct rock sound including prominent bass and riffs.

IIRC at around this time they toured as support for The Police. I recall a schoolmate going to one of the gigs at Gateshead Stadium. At this time The Police were obviously bigger than U2, who few were aware of other than ardent music fans.

When 'The Unforgettable Fire' came out, a lot more people at my school were talking about them, and I suppose their Live Aid appearance put them firmly in the mainstream eye.

Personally I was less keen on the later 80s albums, but I agree with the view that they have re-invented themselves (as per Bowie, Blur etc and it must be said Madonna and Kylie Minogue) to keep both in step and ahead of musical styles. I liked their 90s work probably more than the 80s.

As mentioned by Mr Spenalzo though, I too distinctly remember hearing The Fly for the first time on the radio and being thoroughly thrown by it in a wonderful way. It was like nothing I'd heard before at that point. This is U2?! It felt important. Even the DJ was thrown. I remember Jacqui Brambles (!) after playing it told us listeners she thought it sounded like a demo. In the context of bland early 90s Radio 1 DJs, U2 scaring the DJs of the day felt good.

Great points (& Jacqui Brambles wasn't all bad). Similarly, I remember Mark Radcliffe playing 'Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me' (the Bond film theme, 1995) and saying to the effect "great song - if that was the new single by The Verve, we would be saying how great it was. But because it's U2, we disregard it".

[DrSleepless]

Great points (& Jacqui Brambles wasn't all bad). Similarly, I remember Mark Radcliffe playing 'Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me' (the Bond film theme, 1995) and saying to the effect "great song - if that was the new single by The Verve, we would be saying how great it was. But because it's U2, we disregard it".

I don't know if we can trust your memories - Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me is a theme from Batman Forever

[101reykjavik]

Great points (& Jacqui Brambles wasn't all bad). Similarly, I remember Mark Radcliffe playing 'Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me' (the Bond film theme, 1995) and saying to the effect "great song - if that was the new single by The Verve, we would be saying how great it was. But because it's U2, we disregard it".

I don't know if we can trust your memories - Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me is a theme from Batman Forever

That'll be Goldeneye for the 1995 U2 Bond thingy. I think we knew what Mallard meant though...

[Mark72]

To be fair both released in '95, Goldeneye is a great bond theme.

[101reykjavik]

This thread inspired me to dig out my U2 CDs. Played a bit of the three 90 albums. I'm sure we're all familiar with that phenomenon of knowing some albums so well you simply never play them. And then you do and realise you've missed them. A couple of things occurred to me as I mused / eat dinner with them on:

There's no denying they did pull off the trick of reinventing themselves in the 90s, to brilliant creative effect. Take nothing away from them. But I don't know if I'd bracket them with the likes of Bowie, Madonna and okay, Kylie, for example. Those latter artists seem to have the need to change and move on stamped into their DNA. I get the feeling U2 reinvented (and how!) but then as Zoozilla said, when it got knocked a bit in the reviews on Pop they scuttled back to their comfort zone. Can't imagine Bowie ever reacting like that. Probably a little unfair - Bowie is the arch chameleon after all but hopefully you get my drift.

Is The Fly U2's greatest song? I think it might be, you know. It's always given me such a rush listening to it. It's funky, it rocks, the lyrics are clever. Love it. And Bono looked cool as fuck in the video.

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WATCH MORE TV, haha

U2 always shift when they get knocked, though. Rattle and Hum became Achtung Baby. Pop became ATYCLB. Although when there is a distinct lack of commercial success (Zooropa and No Line on the Horizon) they change in different ways. Zooropa became Passengers and Pop (!), the latter not being as curvebally as its made out to be, whilst No Line lead to Songs of Innocence, which paints a traditional U2 image but its still pretty experimental, for U2 anyway. The Edge's guitar sound(s) are the obvious example.

[Mallard No. 22]

Great points (& Jacqui Brambles wasn't all bad). Similarly, I remember Mark Radcliffe playing 'Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me' (the Bond film theme, 1995) and saying to the effect "great song - if that was the new single by The Verve, we would be saying how great it was. But because it's U2, we disregard it".

I don't know if we can trust your memories - Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me is a theme from Batman Forever

That'll be Goldeneye for the 1995 U2 Bond thingy. I think we knew what Mallard meant though...

.... you're spot on guys. Proves the old adage "if you can remember it, you weren't there...."

So for those in doubt (like me), 'Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me' was the Batman Forever theme performed by U2. 'GoldenEye' was the theme song for the Bond film of that name, sung by Tina Turner and written by Bono & The Edge. As Mark72 says, both released in '95.

P.S: ....thinking about it now, was it Mark Radcliffe who praised the Batman theme, or was it The Boy Lard....? And was it 'Jacqui' Brambles, or 'Jakki' Brambles....

[Mallard No. 22]

There's no denying they did pull off the trick of reinventing themselves in the 90s, to brilliant creative effect. Take nothing away from them. But I don't know if I'd bracket them with the likes of Bowie, Madonna and okay, Kylie, for example. Those latter artists seem to have the need to change and move on stamped into their DNA.

Yes, you are right. U2 keep their work fresh in the way that e.g. Damon does, not going too far from their established style, but putting ideas from elsewhere into that style.

Whereas Bowie, Madonna, Kylie have undertaken more radical changes of music and visual style.

[101reykjavik]

Jakki in all her early 90s glory:



Note: I was wrong, it was Jakki then. She's Jackie these days according to Google.

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There's no denying they did pull off the trick of reinventing themselves in the 90s, to brilliant creative effect. Take nothing away from them. But I don't know if I'd bracket them with the likes of Bowie, Madonna and okay, Kylie, for example. Those latter artists seem to have the need to change and move on stamped into their DNA.

Interesting point about Kylie. I don't really see that in her except sorta 1994-2000. She progressively tried for some sort of maturity/credibility in the 90s before returning back to her trademark pop sound in 2000 (albeit far better this time round).

The turn of the millennium seems to be the cut off point for a lot of people, according to consensus anyway. U2, R.E.M., Bowie, James

[Mark72]

One of the first exposures of them on the TV as a kid..

Band Aid 1985
http://youtu.be/2zIW8qDPhos" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Fantastic live performance. Whenever I hear someone talk about Live Aid, they say that's the bit they remember the most.