Numb is an experimental disaster

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Jarvio

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Don't wanna sound negative or anything, but I really feel the need to start a thread bashing the worst ever U2 song recorded (AKA 'Numb')

It amazes me that anybody actually likes Numb.
I'm not even joking, I think Numb is the worst song they've ever done. Worse than ANYTHING they've ever put out there. Worse than ANYTHING they've ever recorded. I cannot think of another U2 song that I think is worse than Numb. Grace kinda comes close. Miami kinda comes close. Some really rare and rough b-sides come close. But Numb for me is the worst U2 song ever to grace the planet, and I don't understand how anybody could listen to it, nevermind enjoy it! Hell, Numb is one of the worst songs I have heard by anybody, let alone U2! And I am a huge U2 fan!

I think it's tragic that it actually made a best of too. If I had never heard U2 before, went out and brought the best of 90-00, chose a track at random which was 'Numb' and listened to it, then I would be immediately put off! I'd listen to more tracks afterwards, only to find out they're much much better, and then I'd wonder why the pile of crap that is Numb is even included on the CD. IMO it shouldn't have even been on an album, nevermind a best of! Hell, it should never have been recorded! Urgh, the fact that gorgeous songs such as WGRYWH didn't make the best of and 'Numb' did...

I know U2 were trying to be experimental. But sometimes it just doesn't work. Numb is an experimental disaster.

Sorry for the negativity. Just wanted to get that out my system! :wink:
 
Jarvio,

I respect your opinion, but music is so widely subjective I don't know how you make statements like saying you can't understand how anyone likes it.

While it's far from my favorite U2 song, I think it has several redeeming qualities. Larry's beat for one is rock solid. And the "fat lady?" Who can't respect the fat lady? The falsetto piece is outstanding I think.

It may not even be in my top 50 of U2, but for my money, without even thinking about it, I can come up with several others I like far less:

- Trip Through Your Wires
- Some Days are Better than Others
- Miami

And to be fair, I left out their early albums since they were kids : )
Obviously just my opinion, but I don't think Numb is nearly the disaster you make it out to be.
 
Galeongirl said:
Worst song U2 ever recorded??? Have you ever heard Red Light?
Click to expand...

Waaaaaaatttt!!!!:shocked: I LOVE Red Light! You have to be kidding me?:|

I like Numb to an extent. To me TT&TPG is THE worst they've recorded. Sorry that recording just gets on my nerves. I can't drive to it. It makes me run off the road.

Everyone has an opinion though, but I still don't think Numb is THE worst. It's sometimes a skipper for me I'll admit. But you can't go wrong with Edge singing lead! They should let him do that more. Numb has some funny lyrics though. "Don't piss in the drain" being my fav. My friend could have used this a couple weeks ago when he cut his thumb off. :yikes: All joking aside, I like it.:D (My friend did cut his thumb off though)
 
I'm torn on Numb.

On one hand, it's a piece of absolute genius... Edge at his very best. The song sets out to make a point, using irony and sarcasm, about the numbing effect of mass-media technology. And you know what? It succeeds beautifully at that. The song does exactly what they wanted it to do. On the other hand, purely as a song, it's not something that anyone would really want to listen to, because it's intentionally dull, unexciting, and... uhh... numbing, in spite of the flashiness in the background... because that's the whole point!

On a purely intellectual level, I love the song, even though it's far from grabbing my emotionally. But that's really what's necessary for the song; it's a cold, intellectual song about lack of emotion induced by mass flashiness becoming so repetitive that we just stick it in the back of our minds and ignore it. Lemon is themed along similar lines, but the narrator (MacPhisto?) comes out and feels the rush of emotions that he can't cope with, while the cold intellectualism from Numb continues with the Eno/Edge harmonies in the background... the whole concept of Lemon makes it by far my favorite song for lyrics, by anyone. Perhaps Numb has to be listened to fully within the context of Zooropa, especially in front of Lemon, to be fully appreciated. :shrug:

Also, Red Light is abhorrent.
 
Zooropa's probably my least favourite U2 record but I still think that after Stay, Numb is the best thing on there. I like its propulsive beat and the lyrics are probably the funniest of any U2 song. As experimental pieces go, I think it's one of the bands more successful.

I'd definitely rate it above the likes of Fire, Babyface or Grace.
 
Numb ranks in my top 50. it's not my favorite song, but i do like it. maybe the original poster just doesn't get it. :wink:
 
Jarvio said:
Don't wanna sound negative or anything, but I really feel the need to start a thread bashing the worst ever U2 song recorded (AKA 'Numb')

It amazes me that anybody actually likes Numb.
I'm not even joking, I think Numb is the worst song they've ever done. Worse than ANYTHING they've ever put out there. Worse than ANYTHING they've ever recorded. I cannot think of another U2 song that I think is worse than Numb. Grace kinda comes close. Miami kinda comes close. Some really rare and rough b-sides come close. But Numb for me is the worst U2 song ever to grace the planet, and I don't understand how anybody could listen to it, nevermind enjoy it! Hell, Numb is one of the worst songs I have heard by anybody, let alone U2! And I am a huge U2 fan!

I think it's tragic that it actually made a best of too. If I had never heard U2 before, went out and brought the best of 90-00, chose a track at random which was 'Numb' and listened to it, then I would be immediately put off! I'd listen to more tracks afterwards, only to find out they're much much better, and then I'd wonder why the pile of crap that is Numb is even included on the CD. IMO it shouldn't have even been on an album, nevermind a best of! Hell, it should never have been recorded! Urgh, the fact that gorgeous songs such as WGRYWH didn't make the best of and 'Numb' did...

I know U2 were trying to be experimental. But sometimes it just doesn't work. Numb is an experimental disaster.

Sorry for the negativity. Just wanted to get that out my system! :wink:
Click to expand...

Numb is a lot better than WGRYWH. One of my favourites from Zooropa which is one of my favourite albums.
 
that's kind of funny. I listened to Zooropa last night coming home from school and I said, "wow, Numb is really a lot better than I thought it was." I never disliked it, but I never particularly was in love with it. But now I definitely like it a lot more than I did earlier in the year. Good song.
 
Guys, I don't want to be negative but I'm going to start a thread about a 16 year old song and call it a disaster in the title. :lol:

That being said, it's just a playful song that can be appreciated from an intellectual standpoint just like digitize said. You have to consider the context of the musical landscape at the time too... No, it's not going to be a song that's going to show up on the radio 10 years from now as some U2 classic, but at the time it fit.

Now that being said, it should have never been "played" live.
 
theedgeu2 said:
I've never heard the Best Of version. What's different?
Click to expand...

There's a new guitar part and Larry's backing vocals are audible.

Numb is one of my least favorites from Zooropa. I just don't find it that interesting, but it's definitely more in the average section than in the plain awful Grace/Peace on Earth/The Refugee/Red Light/Love Rescue Me category.
 
Redlight's not that bad. Get rid of the trumpet and the background singers and it'd be much better.

Still, Edge's guitar rocks on this song.

Numb's just a transitional experiment on experimental transitional album. There are worse songs, though I agree it's definately at the bottom of the bin.
 
Zooropa is my least favourite U2 album, Numb is an ok song, not awful, just ok. It's kind of a fun song with a great video. Some of the lyrics are good. It's far from being a disaster, it's just U2 fooling around a bit.
 
I like Numb well enough. I always appreciate a good hook, and Numb is a bit bland melodically, but it's a great concept and there are a number of ear-catching production flourishes.

It's one of my least favorite songs on my third favorite album of all time. :shrug:
 
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