Favorite U2 Song

[booklover72]

As Technicially 2 of the members of u2 were BORN in England and the other two in Irelan(paul hewson and larry) They are irish. 50% of irish people hate u2. I seen them for the Joshua Tree tour ic c88. Here are my favourite songs:

Pride
Kite - this song is penned by bono for fear of assassination due to his outspoken view on irish politics.
Where the street
two hearts
out of control - from the album 'Boy'
mothers of the disappeared
Bad
a sort of homecoming
elevation
etc.

 

[Dana Jean]

The Streets Have No Name. I love this one because my friend Cola explained the conflict going on in Ireland and was very sweet and generous with teaching about it. I miss her.

 

[Flat Matt]

Have you heard the "new mixes" of songs from Zooropa and Pop from their 2002 best-of? IMO, they're terrible, but that's because those are a couple of my favorite albums by anyone....ever.

I realized I didn't post any songs from the latest album in my favorites list, and that's mostly because it's nearly impossible to PICK a favorite right now. But for now..


This one is about a car bombing in Ireland in the '70s. Bono's voice in the chorus is the youngest he's sounded since 1983.

To be honest, you couldn't pay me to listen to remixes from Zooropa or Pop. The originals were bad enough!

Unfortunately, the link you've provided doesn't have sound on it. I've heard a couple of the tracks from the new album, but not that one. The Ramones song is terrible and I was pretty underwhelmed with the others I heard.

I'm very much in the old school of U2 fans. I used to love them, but I fell out of love a long time ago. The change of direction and sound was just too much for me and a lot of others who appreciated them in the 80s.

Still, you're a fan from a different generation and appreciate different things. There's no wrong or right when it comes to personal taste. It's purely subjective.

 

[AchtungBaby]

I've been listening to this a lot lately. Many U2 fans don't like this version, and the only tour they did it this way on was PopMart in '97-'98, but IMO it has so much more emotion than the original.

 

[Officious Little Prick]

I'm a massive U2 fan (I own over 245 U2 CDs); they are truly the only band who has never released (in my far from humble opinion) an unlistenable song. To answer the question, it would be "Where the Streets Have No Name", which I consider to be not only the best U2 track in history but the greatest rock song ever recorded by any artist. And it comes off of what I think is the greatest album ever recorded by any artist, THE JOSHUA TREE (which someone called grossly overrated, may their useless ears melt off their head like Nazi faces beholding the Ark of the Covenant). Close on its heels would be the live version of "Bad". Lest anyone think I'm one of these surly adherents of the band's '80s material alone, I adore the band's '90s and new millennium material, too. The new album ROCKS!

 

[AchtungBaby]

I'm a massive U2 fan (I own over 245 U2 CDs); they are truly the only band who has never released (in my far from humble opinion) an unlistenable song. To answer the question, it would be "Where the Streets Have No Name", which I consider to be not only the best U2 track in history but the greatest rock song ever recorded by any artist. And it comes off of what I think is the greatest album ever recorded by any artist, THE JOSHUA TREE (which someone called grossly overrated, may their useless ears melt off their head like Nazi faces beholding the Ark of the Covenant). Close on its heels would be the live version of "Bad". Lest anyone think I'm one of these surly adherents of the band's '80s material alone, I adore the band's '90s and new millennium material, too. The new album ROCKS!

Howdy!

I love every U2 album/era too, and almost every song save for a few here and there.

Bad and Streets.... *drools*

 

[Flat Matt]

I'm a massive U2 fan (I own over 245 U2 CDs); they are truly the only band who has never released (in my far from humble opinion) an unlistenable song. To answer the question, it would be "Where the Streets Have No Name", which I consider to be not only the best U2 track in history but the greatest rock song ever recorded by any artist. And it comes off of what I think is the greatest album ever recorded by any artist, THE JOSHUA TREE (which someone called grossly overrated, may their useless ears melt off their head like Nazi faces beholding the Ark of the Covenant). Close on its heels would be the live version of "Bad". Lest anyone think I'm one of these surly adherents of the band's '80s material alone, I adore the band's '90s and new millennium material, too. The new album ROCKS!

Hello again. I wondered when you would show up!

We have a bit of previous, but I don't want to go over old ground. In this instance, I'm going to wholeheartedly agree with you. I share your opinion that The Joshua Tree is the best album ever made, and its impact back in the day was huge. To call it "grossly overrated" is a bit silly. It's a work of genius, plain and simple.

Although I don't like the direction the band took after Rattle and Hum, that doesn't detract from the amazing body of work that went before. They've produced some outstanding songs in their time and they will always be rated right up there with the best for their contribution to music.

 

[Flat Matt]

I've been listening to this a lot lately. Many U2 fans don't like this version, and the only tour they did it this way on was PopMart in '97-'98, but IMO it has so much more emotion than the original.

I've heard that version plenty of times. It's a nice take on it.

My favourite version will always be the Rattle and Hum film recording where Bono gets very passionate about an IRA attack that happened the same day as the performance. It's a very powerful song and it was perhaps at its most powerful that day.

Personally, I would love to see U2 record a big fat double album of cover versions. Back in the day, their cover versions were often better than the originals. It would be good to hear them record an album featuring the songs that inspired them in their early days. Unplug the effects pedals and give us a taste of the songs they used to perform after Paul, Dave and Adam answered Larry's ad and the band started perfecting their craft.

 

[swiftdog2.0]

Scratch -- all great songs, among my favorites. Beautiful Day brought them back into the public awareness in the biggest and best way possible.

swiftdog2.0 Heh. Yeah. I must admit I like a good deal of today's pop music, even if there is little to no substance to be found.

It's not the lack of substance with today's pop music that bugs me. There has always been plenty of music that has no substance. It's the distinct lack of talent that I find disturbing.

 

[swiftdog2.0]

You've hit the nail on the head and I couldn't agree more.

U2 were a great band in the 80s, but God only knows what happened to them after Achtung Baby. Zooropa is the worst album I've ever wasted my money on, and I completely gave up on them after Pop, which is almost as bad.

They do tend to polarise opinion these days, which is sad, because in their Joshua Tree days, there was little argument that they were the best band on the planet.

I'm with you on Zooropa. When I heard the first tracks on the radio back in the day I wanted to cry, and not in a good way.

I'm all for experimentation and growth in a band / artist but I was just not a fan of the direction they took. Bono's whole "The Fly" persona from that time just made me cringe

I'm always willing to give them the benefit of the doubt when they release new material. I just haven't been impressed with anything they've done in quite some time. What I've heard of the new album is disappointing and the whole free mandatory iTunes download turned me off on them again.

 

[AchtungBaby]

I've heard that version plenty of times. It's a nice take on it.

My favourite version will always be the Rattle and Hum film recording where Bono gets very passionate about an IRA attack that happened the same day as the performance. It's a very powerful song and it was perhaps at its most powerful that day.

Personally, I would love to see U2 record a big fat double album of cover versions. Back in the day, their cover versions were often better than the originals. It would be good to hear them record an album featuring the songs that inspired them in their early days. Unplug the effects pedals and give us a taste of the songs they used to perform after Paul, Dave and Adam answered Larry's ad and the band started perfecting their craft.

They also have some killer b-sides....

Bono's whole "The Fly" persona from that time just made me cringe

I don't mind people disagreeing with me on U2, but this.......this is just wrong.

 

[Officious Little Prick]

"Everything swiftdog2.0 knows is wrong"

-- quoted from a ZOO TV screen

 

[Flat Matt]

I'm with you on Zooropa. When I heard the first tracks on the radio back in the day I wanted to cry, and not in a good way.

I'm all for experimentation and growth in a band / artist but I was just not a fan of the direction they took. Bono's whole "The Fly" persona from that time just made me cringe

I'm always willing to give them the benefit of the doubt when they release new material. I just haven't been impressed with anything they've done in quite some time. What I've heard of the new album is disappointing and the whole free mandatory iTunes download turned me off on them again.

I can't begin to tell you how disappointed I was with Zooropa. I grew to like Achtung Baby even though it was a big departure in terms of sound and direction, but I couldn't bring myself to like Zooropa at all. The only song on there I don't mind is Lemon, but I'm not crazy about it.

I'll tell you something though: these discussions about U2 on here have been a good thing. It's got my thinking about the band again and I've dug out my old CDs and listened to the old stuff that I love. It's been a great reminder of how good they were in their heyday. It takes me back to my teenage years. Back then my bedroom walls were covered with U2 posters and I walked around wearing my U2 T-shirts. I had everything they'd ever done (on vinyl of course) and I loved them.

 

[swiftdog2.0]

I don't mind people disagreeing with me on U2, but this.......this is just wrong.

I wish someone had whacked Bono with a giant fly-swatter when that silliness started. Maybe it would have snapped him back to his senses!!

 

[AchtungBaby]

I wish someone had whacked Bono with a giant fly-swatter when that silliness started. Maybe it would have snapped him back to his senses!!

 

[swiftdog2.0]

I can't begin to tell you how disappointed I was with Zooropa. I grew to like Achtung Baby even though it was a big departure in terms of sound and direction, but I couldn't bring myself to like Zooropa at all. The only song on there I don't mind is Lemon, but I'm not crazy about it.

I'll tell you something though: these discussions about U2 on here have been a good thing. It's got my thinking about the band again and I've dug out my old CDs and listened to the old stuff that I love. It's been a great reminder of how good they were in their heyday. It takes me back to my teenage years. Back then my bedroom walls were covered with U2 posters and I walked around wearing my U2 T-shirts. I had everything they'd ever done (on vinyl of course) and I loved them.

I liked the Achtung Baby stuff much better when I heard it live. As a result, I consider it to be their last good album before they turned to the dark side.

I have a playlist on my iPod that is titled: U2- Before They Sucked

It has a few songs from Achtung Baby on it. That album is my line in the sand for songs that I want to hear more than once every few years.......

 

[Tim D.]

My two favorite U2 songs are With Or Without You and I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. I like U2 in the early days but after Rattle and Hum they delved deeply into overproduced, pretentious garbage and never fully recovered. If I hear a U2 song on the radio or something I'll listen, but I wouldn't really call myself an active fan of them these days.

 

[swiftdog2.0]

"Everything swiftdog2.0 knows is wrong"

-- quoted from a ZOO TV screen

Funny.

Everyone knows that swiftdogs are never wrong.....

 

[Flat Matt]

I liked the Achtung Baby stuff much better when I heard it live. As a result, I consider it to be their last good album before they turned to the dark side.

I have a playlist on my iPod that is titled: U2- Before They Sucked

It has a few songs from Achtung Baby on it. That album is my line in the sand for songs that I want to hear more than once every few years.......

That's more or less exactly how I feel.

I never listen to anything that came after Achtung Baby, and the only song from that album I listen with any regularity is One. For me, that is the last song they recorded that actually sounds like a U2 song. It wouldn't have been out of place on The Joshua Tree album in my humble opinion.

 

[Lily Sawyer]

New Year's Day (love the old school grittiness of it)
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, off Rattle and Hum, with the gospel choir providing amazing back-up
All I Want Is You