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Beth's Own Special Album Reviews   
Thanks Tiff, for the suggestion.
One of the greatest contradictions of rock 'n' roll is that it's very personal, private music made on a huge public address system. - Bono
Why are my albums reviews special? Because I go song by song, briefly analyzing them and giving you, in my opinion, the best lyric of each one. I'm not an expert cd reviewer, and I certainly don't get paid for it, but if you enjoy them and checked out the cds, then that makes me feel like I accomplished something. So sit back, relax, and let your cursor and eyes do the work.
Now Showing:
"Achtung Baby"-Contridiction is balance
"The Joshua Tree": One of the essential 80's albums.
My LONG essay on why U2 is my favourite
last updated: April 12th, U2001 at 10:33 PM
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"Achtung Baby"-U2, 1991, Island Records
How can you not praise this cd enough? It was U2's defining turning point 10 years ago (yes folks, its been THAT long), because they had been out of the public eye for a couple years. The press and fans though they had broken up because Bono's infamous speech at the end of 1989. Even though I'm obsessed with this cd, I feel strongly that this is U2's best 90's record. There's a song on it for everyone. If you listen to this cd, you realize U2 couldn't put music out today that sounded like this. This is what the early 90's sounded like: experimenting with new technology and self confessing at the same time. If you ask me, I will tell you without hesistation that "The Fly" is my favorite song off here. Download some songs off of Napster if you feel like it, you won't regret it. Now, onto the review.
1. "Zoo Station". If you ever listen to "The Joshua Tree" straight through and then listen to this cd, this song will make you wonder: Is this the same band? The opening grabs your attention, as well as Bono's distorted singing. The feel is futuristic and industrial, and the beginning of a great comeback. Best lyric: "Time is a train/Makes the future the past/Leaves you standing in the station/Your face pressed up against the glass"
2. "Even Better Than the Real Thing". The Edge's guitar skills really show on the very beginning of this song, but its not his most memorable.(That's coming up later) Bono sings very slinky like he's trying to get you to have sex with him, but sings a good vocal. Best lyric: "Give me one more chance/And you'll be satisfied/Give me two more chances/And you won't be denied."
3. "One". THE centerpiece of this cd. This song was so powerful, it made Axl Rose of Guns & Roses cry. And it will make anyone cry. Its hard to believe this song wasn't a huge hit. (It peaked at #9 on the U.S. charts) Bono's voice is at peak form, and has sort of a heartbreak in it. The drumming, the bass, the guitar, and the vocal parts are excellent. Best lyric: "One life/but we're not the same/We get to carry each other."
4. "Until the End of the World". This song is actually written about Judas' betrayal of Jesus.(Religion is a major theme in U2 songs.) And this song also has one of the best Edge guitar solos as many U2 fans claim. The beginning of this song will mystify you, it sounds like a fucked up guitar, but you really don't know what it is. But its still pretty cool sounding. Best lyric: "In waves of regret/Waves of joy/I reached out for the one I tried to destroy."
5. "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses?". A beautiful ballad about breaking up with a lover. Bono's vocal is very good, and may even make you cry again. Larry Mullen Jr's drumming is also noteworthy. Best lyric: "You left my heart empty as a vacant lot/For any spirit to haunt."
6. "So Cruel". A piano is subtly dominant and the drumming is really great. Another ballad, but different from "Wild Horses". The chorus goes "You say in love there are no rules/Sweetheart, you're so cruel". Says it all. Best lyric: "She wears my love/Like a see through dress/Her lips say one thing/Her movements something else."
7. "The Fly". One of the coolest songs U2 has ever written, and this song is where Bono got his Fly character obviously. In my opinion, this song has the best Edge guitar solo and you'll know it when you hear it. Bono sings really low on the main part but when he starts singing "Love, we shine like a burning star..", he called it his "Fat lady" singing. Great, great song, but that's because I'm biased towards this song. Best lyric: "A man will beg/A man will crawl/On the sheer face of love/Like a fly on a wall/Its no secret at all."
8. "Mysterious Ways". Now, *this* is the Edge's most memorable guitar riff. Its the funkiest U2 song and it has sort of a Mid Eastern feel. You'll want to listen to this song again, because its so funky. You may even want to belly dance to it =O Best lyric: "Johnny take a dive with your sister in the rain/Let her talk about the things you can't explain/To touch is to heal/To hurt is to steal/If you want to kiss the sky/Better learn how to kneel."
9. "Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World". A very melancholy song that has the same rhythm and beat throughout. A carefree yet earnest song. I hate to say its "just a song", but the beat will get stuck in your head. Best lyric: "A woman needs a man/Like a fish needs a bicycle."
10. "Ultraviolet(Light My Way)". An upbeat song with a bouncy, light feel. But, towards the end of this song, Bono might get on your nerves continuously singing "baby baby baby". Other than that, highly recommended to listen again and again. Best lyric: "You know I need you to be strong/As the day is as dark as the night is long/Feel like trash/You make me feel clean/I'm in the black/Can't see or be seen."
11. "Acrobat". A serious, epic of a song. But its somewhat positive, with its "You can dream, so dream out loud" lyric. Larry's drumming is frantic and Adam Clayton's bass subtle, but a sweeping song. Best lyric: "And I must be an acrobat/To talk like this and act like that."
12. "Love Is Blindness." A very beautiful, very haunting song. I don't care what anyone says, this song has Bono's best vocal ever since U2 first began recording. He rises to the high notes and breaks your heart with his singing. A song to make you think and agree with. Edge's guitar is very outstanding. This is the kind of song that would make you want to sing along. Just beautiful. Only complaint: It seems to go by too fast. Best lyric: "In a parked car/In a crowded street/You see your love made complete/Thread is ripping/The knot is slipping/Love is blindness."
Well that's all of my review on this cd. I hope you enjoyed it and I really hope you'll go out and check out this cd. It really is worth it. If this liked this review, please email me. Thank you.
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My favorite cd of all time |
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"The Joshua Tree"-U2, 1987, Island Records
What to say about this cd that hasn't already been said? The definitive U2 cd and still to this day their biggest selling: 15 million sold worldwide. 10 million of that in the U.S, earning them a Diamond Award. At the 1988 Grammy Awards, this won Album of the Year, beating out Michael Jackson AND Whitney Houston. It also gave them their only # 1 songs in America: "With Or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". This cd stayed at #1 for 9 weeks. In the U.K. it went platinum (sold a million) in 28 hours, making it the fastest selling album in British history. Their concerts sold out immediately. They were on the cover of Time magazine (see my photo page). What had a hand in all this was Live Aid 2 years earlier. U2, particularly Bono, stole the show, playing a 13 minute version of their song "Bad" and Bono going out into the audience dancing with a girl. Almost 2 billion people saw this happening. At the time they were the World's Biggest Underground Band and at that one appearance, they broke through to superstardom. What's remarkable, just 10 years earlier, they didn't even know how to play their own instruments. A lot of U2 fans believe the band will never relive the success they had with this album, but that's okay. U2 has sold an estimated 75 million albums around the world. They've been around over 20 years and no one's ever left or ever joined. They're still the biggest rock band ever to come out of Dublin, perhaps even the biggest in Ireland. As many people will tell you, this cd is HIGHLY recommended for listening. The reviews of each song are going to come later in the week. Stay tuned.....
P.S. This album was either going to be called "The Two Americas" or "Desert Songs", and it was originally going to be a 2 album set. Thought you'd might like to know that.
1. "Where the Streets Have No Name". This is one of my personal favorites. The beginning of this song builds up to a tease and then bursts with the drums. A great song to open this album. This song went to # 13 (I think) on the U.S. charts. The video for this was shot on top of a liquor store and it was inspired by the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night". In return, THIS video inspired Limp Bizkit's "Nookie". This song also won a Grammy, and was nominated for a lot of Mtv VMA's but didn't win a single thing. The best part of this song is the very beginning and the very end. Best lyric: "I wanna feel sunlight on my face/I see the dust cloud disappear without a trace/I wanna take shelter from the poison rain/Where the streets have no name."
2. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". I don't care what anyone says, this is U2's most famous and ubiquitous song. Chances are, you have heard this song before, and when you do, its hard not to sing along with the chorus title. When you hear it, you can understand why it went to #1. The video was shot in viva Las Vegas and its basically the band wandering around the street, singing in front of (what else?) a casino and at the end, Bono jumps on someone's car hood and starts talking to them. Its a great song, just don't listen to it over and over. Best lyric: "I believe in the Kingdom Come/Then all the colors will bleed into one/But yes I'm still running/You broke the bonds/And you loosed the chains/Carried the cross of my shame/You know I believe it."
3. "With Or Without You". U2's 2nd most famous song. Their 1st # 1 song in America. From the very beginning, you can tell what song this is. Its a beautiful "love" song and the video is even more memorable. Its a good slow dance song, and the time it was released, it was played at a lot of proms. Bono's singing is astounding, especially when he lets out that tortured "OHHH oh oh!". The prominent instrument on here is Adam Clayton's bass. Watch the video, Bono is unbelievably sexy in it. (Seriously. He was techinically 26 at the time the video was made.) Best lyric: "Through the storm we reach the shore/You give it all but I want more/And I'm waiting for you/With or without you."
4. "Bullet the Blue Sky". U2's "hard rock" song. What's weird is when you listen to Bono singing "WOWY" and then listen to this song and he sounds really pissed. Larry Mullen Jr.'s drums catch your attention right away, then comes the rest of the band. The Edge delivers an unbelievable guitar solo in this song. You'll know it when you hear it. This song was written about the U.S. foreign policy in El Salvador. From a helicopter, Bono saw the effects of our policy and told the Edge to put El Salvador through his amp. (I know, I took that straight out of VH1 Legends.) And yes, before you email me, P.O.D. did a cover of this song and I have to admit, they did a real good job, they made it more hard rock. Bono's tone when he sings of America makes the story I aformentioned make sense. A little trivia, in one of the lyrics, he sings 'rattle and hum'. That's where they got the title for their next album and movie "Rattle and Hum". Did I mention Bono sounds really pissed off in this song? Best lyric: "In the locust wind comes a rattle and hum/Jacob wrestled the angel and the angel was overcome/You plant a demon seed, you raise a flower of fire/See them burning crosses, see the flames higher and higher."
5. "Running to Stand Still". It starts off like a country song but don't let that put you off. Keep listening to it and its mainly Bono, a guitar, and a piano, but the rest of the band comes in later. Its a very somber song that WILL make you cry. I guarantee it. If it won't make you cry, it'll make you depressed, but maybe that's a good thing. Best lyric: "Sweet the sin/But bitter the taste in my mouth/I see seven towers/But I only see one way out/You gotta cry without weeping/Talk without speaking/Scream without raising your voice/You know I took the poison from the poison stream/Then I floated out of here."
6. "Red Hill Mining Town". Another song that starts off like a country song, but keep listening. Its a country-rock song, basically, but a good one. It tells of a town whose workers has been laid off. The best part of this song is when Bono starts to sing "Yeah you keep me holding on in red hill town.." and then sings later "Love slowly stripped away.." You will agree with me saying Bono is a great singer, you have your proof right there. Well worth listening to. Best lyric: "The glass is cut/The bottle run dry/Our love runs cold/In the caverns of the night/We're wounded by fear/Injured in doubt/I can lose myself/You I can't live without."
7. "In God's Country". A song that would've been a good single, in fact it WAS a single but didn't get much airplay. Its goes at a somewhat frantic pace, but a good beat, great melody. A classic U2 style song. Its not a very long song, only 2:57 minutes long, but it does lead into the next song. Best lyric: "Desert sky/Dreamed beneath a desert sky/The rivers run but soon run dry/We need new dreams tonight."
8. "Trip Through Your Wires". A rock/country/blues song. Its one of those songs you bob your head too...really. Bono shows off his harmonica skillz in this song and its basically a great song to sing along to. Its sort of a successor to "Desire" which would come a year after this one on 1988's "Rattle and Hum". A solid song. Best lyric: "I was broken, bent out of shape/I was naked in the clothes you made/Lips were dry, throat like rust/You gave me shelter from the heat and the dust."
9. "One Tree Hill". A song written for a crew member that Bono was very close to who died while running an errand on Bono's motorcycle. It even says so in the sleeve under the lyrics. It was released as a single in New Zealand where the man, Greg Carroll, was from. I really don't know how to describe this song, other than at the end Bono sings his guts out. Best lyric: "We turn away to face the cold enduring chill/As the day begs the night for mercy/Your sun so bright it leaves no shadows, only scars/Carved into stone on the face of earth."
10. "Exit". The best way to experience this song is to turn the volume way up.(When your parents aren't home of course) This song gets to me in a way where I genuinely can not describe it. But I do know this: You WILL get goosebumps listening to this song with the volume turned up loud. I don't care who you are. Even though Bono sings an intense yet brief vocal, the music is what is the centerpiece. Towards the end, you'll swear Larry Mullen Jr. will break his drum sticks pounding on the cymbals that hard. A very dark song, but very worth listening to. To put it another way: If music was violence, this song would kill everyone who listened to it. Its THAT powerful. I recommend listening to this one over and over for a few times. Best lyric: "He went deeper into black/Deeper into white/He could see the stars shine like nails in the night/He felt the healing, healing, healing, healing hands of love like the stars shiny shiny from above/Hand in the pocket/Finger on the steel/The pistol weighed heavy/His heart he could feel/Was beating, beating, beating, beating/Oh my love, oh my love, oh my love, oh my love."
11. "Mothers of the Disappeared." Coming soon.
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You should really buy this cd |
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My long essay on why I like U2 so much, blah, blah...
I don't remember the first time I ever heard a U2 song. But ever since then, they've been my favourite band. I just remember getting so excited when I saw the "Discotheque" video. It was January 1997 and when I saw it, I was so fascinated. Who cared they sounded "techno", this was a cool video! Then a month later, I read that they were going to give a press conference for their tour at a Manhattan K-Mart. When I came home, I immediately turned to MTV and saw them talking to those reporters. Then, when it came time for them to release "POP", I was ecstatic. I got the CD on the day it came out and I remember going into my room, putting the CD in the player, laying on my bed, and reading along to the lyrics. I listened, mesmerised. Then I read critics' reviews of it and I still think POP is sorely underrated. How can you deny a CD that has a song like "Please" on it? Critics called it a dance record. Like Bono said "Its a not a dance record; its a dense record." That is true. There's only 2 bona fide "dance" songs on there, the aforementioned "Discotheque" and "Mofo". "Miami" struck me as one of the quirkiest songs I ever heard. "Staring at the Sun" was a modern rock hit; I recall hearing that on Q93 and KZMZ at the beginning of the summer of '97. POP was one of those CDs that you could listen all the way through.
Contrary to popular belief, I only have 6 U2 CDs: "The Joshua Tree", "Achtung Baby", "Zooropa", "POP", "The Best of 1980-1990" and "All That You Can't Leave Behind." My favourite one of all of them is Achtung Baby (You probably know this already). I try to explain to people why I like it so much. Its an untangible thing. Maybe its the dark songs or maybe it was such a departure for U2's style of music. That record will be 10 years old come this November. I can't say that if that record was released now, that it would be a big hit. Hey, I was pissed when All That You... didn't sell a million copies in its first week.
But do I dare say it? That I like Achtung Baby more than The Joshua Tree? Well its true. The Joshua Tree is an amazing album. "Exit" totally knocked me off my feet. But its just something about Achtung that I just really like. I still think "Love Is Blindness" is Bono's best singing. (His worst singing? "Trash, Trampoline and the Party Girl") "Ultraviolet" is good, but Bono sings way too many "Baby baby babys". My personal favourite is "The Fly", that kickass alterego Bono made up for the Zoo TV Tour. Achtung Baby equals greatness, compared to today's music.
Recently, I've been listening to the B-Sides CD that came with my Best of... Previously I ignored that CD. When I listened to it, I kicked myself. This was good music! "Love Comes Tumbling" is my favourite. "Walk To the Water" is really great. I love the two instrumentals, "Endless Deep" and "Bass Trap", especially Endless Deep. I love how the piano, bass and drums are intertwined together to create an unforgettable (fire, hee hee) melody. The Edge's guitar is pushed to the background, and you can hear Bono faintly singing 'Where do we go from here?' about 2 times. The result is music that will get stuck in your head. Maybe its just me, but I really don't like the original "Sweetest Thing". I don't know, I could grow to like it. I think it might have to do with it doesn't have the 'Doot doot doots' at the end. I'll give a list of the songs I personally like on each of my CD's.
THE JOSHUA TREE- "Where the Streets Have No Name", "Bullet the Blue Sky", "Red Hill Mining Town", "Exit"
ACHTUNG BABY- "Zoo Station", "The Fly", "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)"
ZOOROPA- "Zooropa", "Lemon", "Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car" (what is UP with that song??)
POP- "Do You Feel Loved", "Gone", "Miami", "Playboy Mansion"
THE BEST OF 1980 to 1990-"The Unforgettable Fire", "Bad"
THE B-SIDES (COMPANION TO BEST OF...)-"Love Comes Tumbling", "Walk To the Water", "Hallelujah Here She Comes", "Endless Deep"
ALL THAT YOU CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND-"Stuck In a Moment..", "Elevation", "In a Little While", "New York"
That's it, folks!
Did you know...Bono is only 5'8'' tall. That means he's 4 inches taller than me.
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