HAMILTON
| "Pop" |
|
| 1997 |
London, New York, Paris, Munich everybody talkin' `bout POP Muzik! 1997's "POP" is the one for me. Very slinky Dub-like bass going on there, almost subsonic! VIVA ADAM! Live on the Popmart tour Adam was amazing! I am a bigger fan of their 1990's stuff than the earlier work. Their 90's material had more emphasis on groove and rhythm than the 80's material. From Discotheque to Do You Feel Loved and MOFO all through the entire CD there is this great slippy dub-like bass going on. How much is Adam's bass part of the U2 sound? I hve heard a recording of opeining night for POPMART tour in Las Vegas. At the beginning of Discotheque, the Edge's guitar was not working and yet Adam's bass was filling the space nicley with these textures grooves. It was almost like it was plnned to show Adam's prowess - although, it wasn't planned at all. Any other band - any other bass player adn it might have sounded hollow with just the drummer and some bass line plunking along - not here. Adam is the king of taste.
IAN
| "Under A Blood Red Sky" |
|
| 1983 |
Just listen to it! Amazing! This was a live EP that introduced a lot of people to the band in America. The MTV "U2 Live at Red Rocks special helped too. While being a live EP, 2 of the 8 tracks are non-album tracks, so that makes it a bit special. This contains THE definitive version of "Sunday Bloody Sunday", although I am sure Jeff will beg to differ with me on that. "11 O'Clock Tick Tock", one of the non-album tracks, is my favorite one here. Although they are all amazing. It was a great way to show those not already in the know, just what a great live band U2 are. How many bands can convey that in a mere 8 songs? Not many. While this is my favorite, the others all tie for 2nd!
JEFFREY
| "Achtung Baby" |
|
| 1991 |
Man, this is like asking which is your favorite child! When push comes to shove, I can wittle it down to "The Joshua Tree" and "Achtung Baby". I suppose at this very second, I'd pick "Achtung Baby". Why" Lyrical depth and the fact it was U2 saying - "Everything you now (about U2) is wrong!" They completely approached EVERYTHING from a different angle - and it worked! The is not a bad track on there. In fact U2 must have had that much confidence in the albu because they proceeded to then go on tour and play 8 Achtung Baby songs before EVER playing any of the older songs! Ballsy move and a good one. The ZOOTV tour was amazing. I could fill a book with my feelings about the band and the songs of this era (and every other era). Favorite Achtung tune? Again - depends on my mood. "Mysterious Ways" is an all-time favorite yet, "So Cruel" hits me deep everytime. Lately, I have had quite an affinity for "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses", particularly LIVE "ZOOTV" verisons.
LUIS
| "The Joshua Tree" |
|
| 1987 |
THE JOSHUA TREE. If the cover & Anton Corbijn black and white photos of the era do not conjure up images, the songs certainly do. Do I need to even justify this choice. #1 album. 3 top charting singles. U2 said that they were going for songs that were cineramtic in that they conjured up a place, time and story. Guess what? They succeeded. I remember hearing With Or Without You for the first time. It did not sound like any other song they had written yet it was U2 at the same time. It had the qualities and characteristics of the four - FOUR members of that band; that brilliant amazing band. From the "sheet of ice" and "scratch" guitar of Where The Streets Have No Name to the apocolypse of Bullet The Blue Sky then to the decaying pain of Running To Stand Still and all the way to the last note of the lonely somber Mother's Of The Disappeared - every track a picture - a motion picture. Inducing vision, emotion, feeling and texture. The album most band WISH they had in them. And U2 has had a few of these. Nicely done.
MIRIAM
| "The Best Of 1990-2000" (UK Ltd Ed. w/ b-sides) |
|
| 2002 |
I am indecisive to I figured I'd pick the patest "BEST OF" package so that I could have the BEST of all world. That said, there is actually a LOT of new material on this package. 2 new songs (Electrical Storm & The Hands That Built America) and 4 remixes of 3 songs from "Pop" (Discotheque, Gone and Staring At The b) and 1 from "Zooropa" (Numb). The remixed version are neither better nor worse than the originals just really great alternate views of these tunes. And ofcousre you've got the Achtung Baby material: One, Even Better Than The Real Thing, Mysterious Ways and as I have the UK version The Fly - all amazing songs. And do I have to even tell you of the greatness of "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)"? I get chills when I hear that song - (not to be arrogant) but even when we play it - powerful song. And the absolute beauty of songs like Your Blue Room (Yay Adam on vocals!) and Miss Sarajevo. Love it!
