Let's discuss late 80s U2

[namkcuR]

This thread is inspired by 65980's thread from this past June - http://www.u2interference.com/forums/f189/lets-discuss-early-80s-u2-206297.html - discussing early 80s U2 - in fact, I'm going to take six of his seven questions verbatim. Just giving him credit.

[size=+2]Regarding everything from 1984 to 1989:[/size]

1) What is the best A-side single in this period?

2) What is the best B-side?

3) What is best album-track from this period?

4) What is the best overall album (from two studio LPs and one half-studio/half-live LP) and why?

5) For those in the know, what is the best bootleg available from this period?

6) What are your overall thoughts and impressions of this period of U2? How does it compare to other periods? How well/badly has this material aged?

 

[namkcuR]

1) What is the best A-side single in this period?
1. Where The Streets Have No Name
2. With Or Without You
3. All I Want Is You
4. The Unforgettable Fire

2) What is the best B-side?
1. Love Comes Tumbling
2. Luminous Times(Hold On To Love)
3. Sweetest Thing

3) What is best album-track from this period?
1. As much as some of us like to think of WAIA as Bad's single release, Bad was not technically released as a single, so, I'm saying Bad.
2. Bullet The Blue Sky
3. Running To Stand Still
4. One Tree Hill(I know, it was released as a single down under, but for most of us, it's an album track)
5. Heartland/Hawkmoon 269

4) What is the best overall album (from three studio LPs and one live) and why?

This is tough. The Joshua Tree is incredible, but I just listened to The Unforgettable Fire all the way through today and I really, really enjoyed it. Having a hard time deciding.

5) For those in the know, what is the best bootleg available from this period?

I'm not a huge bootleg guy, but I've heard a few. I would say either the "Rock's Hottest Ticket" Chicago Joshua Tree Tour show from 1987 or one of the Point Depot Lovetown shows from 1989.

6) What are your overall thoughts and impressions of this period of U2? How does it compare to other periods? How well/badly has this material aged?

This is the period in which U2 entered their prime, arrived at their peak(where they would say, imo, well into the 90s), and they really sound like a band in a special place, like a band that's hit the creative vein of a lifetime.

The best of these songs - Streets, Bad, With Or Without You, All I Want Is You, The Unforgettable Fire, Pride(In The Name Of Love), I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Angel Of Harlem, don't sound all that dated at all. Some of them have been kind of played out live(With Or Without You, Pride), but more of them than not still bring the house down. Full stadiums still sing I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For without much help from Bono, and Streets and Bad still elevate full stadiums to that "other place".

Goes back and forth with the 90s as my pick for U2's greatest era.

 

[Earl-Of-IMDb]

1) What is the best A-side single in this period? to me I still Haven't found what i'm looking for

2) What is the best B-side? The Sweetest Thing

3) What is best album-track from this period? I still Haven't found what i'm looking for

4) What is the best overall album (from two studio LPs and one half-studio/half-live LP) and why? The Joshua Tree.

5) For those in the know, what is the best bootleg available from this period? the last show the band did Dec 31, 1989. at the end when the band was going to
'Dream It All Up Again'

6) What are your overall thoughts and impressions of this period of U2? How does it compare to other periods? How well/badly has this material aged? ill get back to this one later..so much to say.

 

[theedgeu2]

What is the best A-Side single in this period?

1. Where The Streets Have No Name
2. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
3. With Or Without You
4. Desire

What is the best B-Side?

1. Love Comes Tumbling
2. Spanish Eyes
3. The Three Sunrises

What is the best album track from this period?

1. A Sort Of Homecoming
2. Red Hill Mining Town
3. Bullet The Blue Sky
4. Bad
5. Wire

What is the best overall album and why?

The Joshua Tree. It's a very unique album and considering that Hair Metal and Glam rock were the big thing at the time this album really stood out from the rest. Every track is perfect. It's a perfect album, as well as The Unforgettable Fire. What sets The Joshua Tree apart from TUF is that it has more "anthemic" songs on it, more people can recognize a JT era song than a TUF era song. I've always had TJT as my 2nd favorite album of all time. It really is a masterpiece.

For those in the know, what is the best bootleg from this period?

Haven't heard but one bootleg so that's what I'm going with here. The show from Lovetown at the Point Depot in Dublin on Dec 31st, 1989. Amazing performances and one of the best sounding bootlegs I've heard. Good setlist too.

What are your overall thoughts and impressions of this period of U2? How does it compare to other periods? How well/badly has this material aged?

I think this period is probably showing their best efforts, even though I have a much stronger love for their 90's stuff. They had this magic thing going on with TUF and TJT. R&H seems like a bit of a letdown to me. Compared to the 90's period I think the 90's are far superior. I have this natural thing for that period of U2. The material has aged rather well to me. The albums still feel as if they might fit in today.

 

[cobl04]

well calling 1984 late 80s is a bit of a stretch but nonetheless!

1) What is the best A-side single in this period?
Where the Streets Have No Name. my favourite song of all time.

2) What is the best B-side?
Walk to the Water. they don't make em like this anymore.

3) What is best album-track from this period?
Bad, followed by Running to Stand Still. two of the most captivating songs i've ever heard. Running to Stand Still inspired me to write a short story. which i got a good mark for. A Sort of Homecoming an incredibly close bronze.

4) What is the best overall album (from two studio LPs and one half-studio/half-live LP) and why?
The Joshua Tree, because it's just so evocative. listening to it as we drove from the Grand Canyon towards San Diego proved that to me, even if we weren't exactly in Death Valley. TUF has a couple of weak tracks that detract from it while R&H is R&H.

5) For those in the know, what is the best bootleg available from this period?
i don't listen to bootlegs, but the "dream it all up again" one is great. not sure if that's the same Point Depot concert where Bono adlibbed on One Tree Hill.

6) What are your overall thoughts and impressions of this period of U2? How does it compare to other periods? How well/badly has this material aged?
i love nearly everything the band has done. it's hard for me to answer this question as i was born in 1990. i think it's all aged pretty well.
[/QUOTE]

 

[JoRu]

1) What is the best A-side single in this period?
1. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
2. Where The Streets Have No Name
3. The Unforgettable Fire

2) What is the best B-side?
1. Sweetest Thing
2. Silver and Gold
3. Love Comes Tumbling

3) What is best album-track from this period?
1. One Tree Hill
2. Running To Stand Still
3. Bad

4) What is the best overall album (from two studio LPs and one half-studio/half-live LP) and why?
The Joshua Tree. Although TUF has a number of great songs TJT feels more complete and there is no real weak point. Some parts obviously doesn't hit quite as hard as others do, but as an album it's consistent but still has some great high points. It also feels quite optimistic without losing its incredible weight. It mixes heavy, dark songs like Exit, MOTD, BTBS and WOWY with happier songs like ISHFWILF, IGC and TTYW.

5) For those in the know, what is the best bootleg available from this period?
December 31, 1989 from the Point Depot. Obviously.

6) What are your overall thoughts and impressions of this period of U2? How does it compare to other periods? How well/badly has this material aged?
U2 has always been before its time, and exactly the same can be said about this period. This era is not sonically as interesting as the early '90s U2, but it has aged very well, yes.

 

[nothing_left]

1)
1. The unforgettable fire
2. I still haven't found what I'm looking for

2)
1. Love comes tumbling
2. The sweetest thing

3)
1. A sort of homecoming
2. The unforgettable fire
3. Wire
4. I still...
5. Red hill mining town
6. In God's country
7. All along the watchtower
8. Love rescue me

4)
The Joshua tree. It's just perfect thing. I can see that many people was working on it to sound like that, there's no place for fortuity and I like it.

5)
I don't know any bootleg.

6)
It was the best period for our boys and their music. Bono's voice sounded so rough, was full of surprises and emotions. The most mature. And made my heart breaking so many times.

 

[nielsgov]

1) The Unforgettable Fire which is my favourite U2 song followed closely by Streets.
2) I really haven't heard all the b-sides but I'll go with Silver And Gold
3) I can't choose between A Sort Of Homecoming, Running To Stand Still and Exit. Three of U2's best songs.
4) The Joshua Tree. After Achtung it's my favourite U2 album now. It's moved up in my ranking. Except for Trip Through Your Wires, which is still ok, every song is amazing. It truly is a beautiful album with a few more aggressive songs (Bullet and Exit) to keep it interesting all the way through.
The Unforgettable Fire comes pretty close but it doesn't have as much magic as The Joshua Tree.
5) Dont know
6) It's hard for me to comment on this because I wasn't alive but it is U2 at their best. I do think their image was a bit too serious then but they made up for that in the 90's.

 

[doctorwho]

I thought U2 looked the coolest from 1987 to 1990. Admittedly, Larry worked out some and looked fantastic come the Elevation tour. And no one rocks a goatee and a beanie as Edge did starting with the ZOO TV tour. However, Bono is one of the few guys that looked good in long hair and the group was this "underdog" that suddenly hit it big. It was a fun time to be a U2 fan.

1) What is the best A-side single in this period?

"Pride". This is one of the best singles I've heard from any band. It's catchy, ridiculously passionate, and meaningful. How many songs about martyrs and Jesus and MLK make it to the Top 40? My second favorite is "Angel of Harlem". "Streets" is up there too, but it's so much better in concert that I almost don't consider this a single (even though it was a pretty big hit).

2) What is the best B-side?

One of my favorite covers is "Everlasting Love", followed by Patti Smith's "Dancing Barefoot". I still hear U2's "Everlasting Love" played on the radio - and it's been used in movies.

For original b-sides, I'd go with "Three Sunrises" and "The Sweetest Thing", followed closely by "Hallelujah, Here She Comes".

3) What is best album-track from this period?

"Bad" wins. I consider WAIA as an EP and not a "single", hence "Bad" was not a single. A close second and a song I enjoy quite a bit is "Hawkmoon".

4) What is the best overall album (from two studio LPs and one half-studio/half-live LP) and why?

For me, TUF. I know all U2 fans adore JT, but even back in 1987, I would only listen to a few JT tracks. The album has the misfortune of songs sounding a bit too similar to each other. The few stand-outs are far better live than on the record. In contrast, I can listen to TUF over and over. TUF and NLOTH also play very well against each other. I played a random mix of NLOTH and TUF together and it was as if the two albums were made at the same time - they both sounded fresh, creative and innovative, despite their being a 25 year gap between them.

5) For those in the know, what is the best bootleg available from this period?

"Rock's Hottest Ticket", from Chicago, is one of the most famous and well done. But some of the Love Town tours - especially those in Dublin - were fantastic.

6) What are your overall thoughts and impressions of this period of U2? How does it compare to other periods? How well/badly has this material aged?

As I wrote above, TUF hasn't even aged, IMO. It works well with current U2 and I'm glad U2 also recognized this by adding more TUF songs into the setlist on the tour (I hope more are added). JT will always be a classic, but WOWY and ISHFWILF are getting a bit tired. That said, on this tour, Bono truly belts out WOWY, which is a refreshing change. I wish more R&H era songs were played - but of the three albums, this one sounds a bit more defined to its era than the other two.

Overall, this was a very creative time for U2. However, they became far more creative in the 90's and even 00's. NLOTH would not be as brilliant as it is if it weren't for this era. And U2's career might not have been invigorated in 2000 with ATYCLB if this era didn't exist. But this era also allowed U2 to expand and delve into other areas, which they did in the 90's (some with great success, some not so much). So it is a key area in U2's career. But with a career that has SO many key areas, it's a challenge to say U2 are defined by it. It's just part of the one big "key area" that has defined U2 period.

 

[namkcuR]

*bump*

 

[secretly alone]

1) What is the best A-side single in this period?

Well, I'd have to go with In God's Country. It's my favorite U2 song of all time. I guess most people would say Streets though...

2) What is the best B-side?

In my opinion, this was the best time for B-sides, so it's hard to choose. Spanish Eyes or Unchained Melody. Although I do have a certain fondness for Boomerang II...

3) What is best album-track from this period?

Excluding anything that was a single? A Sort of Homecoming, definitely. I think it's among the greatest songs they've ever written, lyrically and musically. Closely followed by Hawkmoon 269, which is epic with a capital E.

4) What is the best overall album (from two studio LPs and one half-studio/half-live LP) and why?

I really think JT is. Really because of the second side (or tracks 5-10), but honestly, every song is spectacular in it's own way. I know it's the critic favorite and get's a lot of attention, but I really think it's deserved.

5) For those in the know, what is the best bootleg available from this period?

Huh. I have far more early bootlegs, but there are a lot of great video bootlegs I've seen from this period, ones from Syracuse and LA being my favorites.

6) What are your overall thoughts and impressions of this period of U2? How does it compare to other periods? How well/badly has this material aged?

I usually set the TUF period apart from the JT/LT period, but the late 80s is my favorite U2 period, musically and aesthetically. And I think a great deal of those songs are actually timeless.

 

[TheEdge25]

1) What is the best A-side single in this period?
-Where The Streets Have No Name

2) What is the best B-side?
-Luminous Times (Hold On To Love) or Silver and Gold

3) What is best album-track from this period?
-One Tree Hill
-Hawkmoon 269

4) What is the best overall album (from two studio LPs and one half-studio/half-live LP) and why?
-The Joshua Tree. JT just emanates what U2 is all about. It's, in my opinion, their defining album. When people look back at U2 and discuss why they were the greatest rock band in the world, they're going to use Joshua Tree as an example. Where The Streets Have No Name is going to be U2's defining and most well-known song, I think. Seriously, when those first few notes of that guitar riff handed down from God come playing out of the speakers at a U2 concert, the crowd goes crazy. If that's not a perfect song, I don't know what is.

5) For those in the know, what is the best bootleg available from this period?
-Don't know.

6) What are your overall thoughts and impressions of this period of U2? How does it compare to other periods? How well/badly has this material aged?
-My favorite U2 era was the 90's, with Achtung and Zooropa and Pop, but I think that late 80's U2 is definitely iconic. Their works during this period have definitely stood the test of time. The Unforgettable Fire and Joshua Tree are hands down two of the greatest albums of all time, and I'm pretty positive they're going to be two of the greatest albums of all time for the remainder of time on the Earth. Seriously. If the material produced during this period hadn't 'aged well' then U2 would not be playing Streets, WOWY, and Still Haven't Found nightly. Not to mention bringing back Pride, Unforgettable Fire, and Bad back every now and then.

The songs on those albums are truly Unforgettable.

 

[digitize]

1) With or Without You
2) Love Comes Tumbling
3) Bad
4) The Unforgettable Fire - because I enjoy it more than the others.
5) Nights one, three, and four at the Point Depot
6) Really good era, perhaps a bit overrated, but I don't want to compare too much. It's aged gorgeously.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

1) What is the best A-side single in this period?

Where the streets have no name

2) What is the best B-side?

Luminous Times
Walk to the water

3) What is best album-track from this period?

Where the streets have no name
Bad

4) What is the best overall album (from two studio LPs and one half-studio/half-live LP) and why?

The Joshua Tree, because it is simply brilliant with 3 killer singles and at least 5 or 6 other great songs, Bullet, One tree hill, In God's country, Mothers, EXIT, etc.... just a f... unreal album!

5) For those in the know, what is the best bootleg available from this period?

Unfortunately I don't own a lot of them, but to me anything out of Lovetown is superb, so is anything from TUF tour.

6) What are your overall thoughts and impressions of this period of U2? How does it compare to other periods? How well/badly has this material aged?

To me, it's the best period vocally, without any doubts. They started to evolve, to try different music, sounds, experiment a bit.
I think that the pure raw live performance between 84-89 could never be topped, it was the best era for it. They did not need any giant lemon, nor screen to make it a good show. Bono was just a stage monster and the band was very music oriented. That being said, this is not my favourite era in terms of music taste, I prefer Zoo TV and the Achtung Baby album. However, once again, I think the 84-89 is the best era for Bono and U2 itself without technology.

 

[indigo tree]

I feel like my answers are going to be so standard, but here goes..


1) What is the best A-side single in this period?
Where the Streets Have No Name

2) What is the best B-side?
Luminous Times

3) What is best album-track from this period?
Streets

4) What is the best overall album (from two studio LPs and one half-studio/half-live LP) and why?

The Joshua Tree. I know a lot of people will say this too, but I do not believe this album is overrate. It deserves all the accolades it has gotten. Out of all the albums it has the strongest overall collection of songs.

5) For those in the know, what is the best bootleg available from this period?
I have never bought a bootleg from this period. I dunno what kind of U2 fan I am.

6) What are your overall thoughts and impressions of this period of U2? How does it compare to other periods? How well/badly has this material aged?

This stuff has aged really well. Comparing it to other 80s stuff you can see how unique U2 where for the time period. Song such as I still Have Found, With Or Without You, and Bad do not sound dated.

 

[gvox]

Considering that WTSHNN is probably the single greatest piece of music every created by man....

 

[namkcuR]

3) What is best album-track from this period? I still Haven't found what i'm looking for

3)
2. The unforgettable fire
4. I still...

3) What is best album-track from this period?

Where the streets have no name
Bad

3) What is best album-track from this period?
Streets

Just a reminder - I thought it was understood already - "album track" means non-single. So the question is "What is the best non-single track from this period?"

 

[Inner El Guapo]

1) What is the best A-side single in this period?

2) What is the best B-side?

3) What is best album-track from this period?

4) What is the best overall album (from three studio LPs and one live) and why?

5) For those in the know, what is the best bootleg available from this period?

6) What are your overall thoughts and impressions of this period of U2? How does it compare to other periods? How well/badly has this material aged?

1. The best single, period, is WOWY.
Completely unique at the time, completely HUGE.
And completely fan-fuggin-tastic.

The best studio song is Pride (happened to be a single).
The best song they've ever made, period, was from this era. Streets.

2. Surprisingly several good selections to choose from.
Luminous Times...pretty damn awesome.
...followed by Spanish Eyes as runner-up.

3. God, that's tough.
Because 'Bad' in the studio form pales to it's live form.
Among all possible choices, many of them GREAT (Hawkmoon, One Tree Hill, etc.) I think Red Hill is tough to beat. The answer would be Bullet if it weren't beaten into a pulp and totally massacred on the Vertigo tour.

4. Pfft...as if there is any other answer. TJT.

5. I wouldn't know. I do have some crappy bootlegs. I wouldn't endorse any of them over the others. Should have included a 'best music video' question rather than this. JMO.

6. The whole era beginning with War (1983) and ending at the end of ZOO Tv (1993) is/are unquestionably U2's glory years. Critically and commercially. And this was the backbone of those years. They were never really better...I mean, I'd take the Zoo era ('91-'93) personally but I wouldn't scoff at the argument that this was U2's best period.

 

[gman]

I cant be bothered to answer all the questions...so i will summise....as a u2 fan of near 30 yrs....i would say that the 1987-1989 period was THE BEST and most exciting time to be a u2 fan.....thus far....and i cant really see it being beaten by the comparitivley dull stuff they do now. Thats not to say i dont still like what they do, its just not as magical for me!

 

[theedgeu2]

What is the best A-Side single in this period?

1. Where The Streets Have No Name
2. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
3. With Or Without You
4. Desire

What is the best B-Side?

1. Walk To The Water
2. Love Comes Tumbling
3. Spanish Eyes

What is the best album track from this period?

1. A Sort Of Homecoming
2. Red Hill Mining Town
3. Bullet The Blue Sky
4. Bad
5. Wire

What is the best overall album and why?

The Joshua Tree. It's a very unique album and considering that Hair Metal and Glam rock were the big thing at the time this album really stood out from the rest. Every track is perfect. It's a perfect album, as well as The Unforgettable Fire. What sets The Joshua Tree apart from TUF is that it has more "anthemic" songs on it, more people can recognize a JT era song than a TUF era song. I've always had TJT as my 2nd favorite album of all time. It really is a masterpiece.

For those in the know, what is the best bootleg from this period?

Haven't heard but one bootleg so that's what I'm going with here. The show from Lovetown at the Point Depot in Dublin on Dec 31st, 1989. Amazing performances and one of the best sounding bootlegs I've heard. Good setlist too.

What are your overall thoughts and impressions of this period of U2? How does it compare to other periods? How well/badly has this material aged?

I think this period is probably showing their best efforts, even though I have a much stronger love for their 90's stuff. They had this magic thing going on with TUF and TJT. R&H seems like a bit of a letdown to me. Compared to the 90's period I think the 90's are far superior. I have this natural thing for that period of U2. The material has aged rather well to me. The albums still feel as if they might fit in today.

Since I totally forgot about WTTW I wanted to go back and edit the B Side part of the list. That song is very magical for me, especially so with the memories I have tagged along with it.

 

[adam4bono]

This thread is inspired by 65980's thread from this past June - http://www.u2interference.com/forums/f189/lets-discuss-early-80s-u2-206297.html - discussing early 80s U2 - in fact, I'm going to take six of his seven questions verbatim. Just giving him credit.

[SIZE=+2]Regarding everything from 1984 to 1989:[/SIZE]

1) What is the best A-side single in this period?

2) What is the best B-side?

3) What is best album-track from this period?

4) What is the best overall album (from two studio LPs and one half-studio/half-live LP) and why?

5) For those in the know, what is the best bootleg available from this period?

6) What are your overall thoughts and impressions of this period of U2? How does it compare to other periods? How well/badly has this material aged?

1. With Or With Out You
2. Walk To Water
3. Exit
4. Joshua Tree - probably the greatest album of all time. The Best written songs and best theme.
5. April 29, 1987 Chicago Rosemount Horizon
6. A fantastic period of exploration and execution in song writing and playing live. One could argue that it is U2's best period, their peak. The material has not aged at all and is as fresh today as it was back then.