Top 15 U2 songs of the 70's

[liamcool]

Alright duders, let's see what you guys think are the most revolutionary tracks from U2's most successful musical period! Will we see the shredding licks of "The Fool" topping everyone's lists? I sure hope so!

 

[maxwell]

1970s I cant keep track of U music on 8 tracks

 

[DaveC]

1. Pete the Chop
2-15. Street Mission

 

[PhilsFan]

1970s I cant keep track of U music on 8 tracks

have you considered attempting going in a way, as in?

 

[Axver]

Going by the actual seventies versions and not - in the case of some of these songs - what they became on Boy, elsewhere, or later live:

1. Life on a Distant Planet
2. The Dream Is Over
3. Out of Control
4. The Fool
5. Silver Lining
6. Another Time, Another Place
7. False Prophet
8. Cartoon World
9. Stories for Boys
10. Street Mission
11. Another Day
12. A Day Without Me
13. Pete the Chop
14. Trevor
15. Alone in the Light

Damn straight this is a serious fucking response.

 

[bono_212]

Nothing is better than Street Mission.

 

[LemonMelon]

Boi gaahhll

Boi gaaahhhlll

Wen a buuhhyy meets a guh ah auhll

 

[liamcool]

Look, all of your lists are great and all (especially DaveC putting legitimately one of the best U2 songs at the top), but nobody has Concentration Cramp, so you all fail horribly.

 

[digitize]

Going by the actual seventies versions and not - in the case of some of these songs - what they became on Boy, elsewhere, or later live:

1. Life on a Distant Planet
2. The Dream Is Over
3. Out of Control
4. The Fool
5. Silver Lining
6. Another Time, Another Place
7. False Prophet
8. Cartoon World
9. Stories for Boys
10. Street Mission
11. Another Day
12. A Day Without Me
13. Pete the Chop
14. Trevor
15. Alone in the Light

Damn straight this is a serious fucking response.

I didn't even know that U2 made this many songs in the 70s. I've heard about a third of them, and most of those are in their Boy versions.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[Kieran McConville]

Concentration Cramp. Just for the name.

 

[bono_212]

I'm not sure I've ever heard Pete the Chop...but it's sequel song is dope as fuck.

 

[Axver]

I didn't even know that U2 made this many songs in the 70s. I've heard about a third of them, and most of those are in their Boy versions.

Well, for the curious, the following original U2 songs date from the seventies (they also did a shit-tonne of covers):

OFFICIALLY RELEASED

U2:3 - September 1979, the first two songs being later re-recorded for Boy
1. Out of Control
2. Stories for Boys
3. Boy/Girl

Another Day - February 1980, but recorded in 1979
4. Another Day (recorded December 1979)
5. Twilight (recorded February 1979, worth hearing for sheer awfulness; it's stunning how much better the Boy version is)

DEMO RECORDED

April 1978
6. Tonight
7. Trevor (early version of Touch; it did not evolve into Touch until March 1980)
8. Inside Out
9. Jack in a Box

November 1978
10. Street Mission
11. The Fool
12. Shadows and Tall Trees (early version)

February 1979
13. Life on a Distant Planet
14. Another Time, Another Place (early version)
15. Alone in the Light
16. False Prophet
(This is the session the b-side version of Twilight comes from.)

June 1979
17. A Day Without Me (early version; U2:3 was recorded at the same time)

December 1979
18. The Dream Is Over
(This was recorded at the same session as Another Day and intended to be the b-side but mystifyingly was replaced by that shonky Twilight demo.)

PLAYED LIVE - RECORDINGS EXIST

Earliest known performance is in brackets.

19. Cartoon World (February 1979; live version released on Boy remaster)
20. The King's New Clothes (September 1979)
21. Silver Lining (August 1979; early version of 11 O'clock Tick Tock, into which it did not evolve until March 1980)
22. The Speed of Life (June 1979; the live version has lyrics; an instrumental studio version was recorded, but I'm not sure when)

PLAYED LIVE - NO KNOWN RECORDINGS

23. Concentration Cramp (January 1979; some lyrics are known)
24. In Your Hand (May 1979)
25. The TV Song (March 1978; played at Harp Lager talent contest)
26. What's Going On (October 1977; not the Marvin Gaye song covered on Elevation)

I might actually have to take Pete the Chop off my list. The earliest known live version is from February 1980.

There are also some reports that an early version of An Cat Dubh was played in March 1978 at the Harp Lager talent contest, but no recordings of it exist pre-1980 and it doesn't appear in any other known seventies setlists.

I'm sure that if I've forgotten anything, Liam will add them.

 

[liamcool]

According to the excellent U2 setlist database u2gigs.com, there's also an original by The Hype called "What's Going On" that was played very early on, probably too early to be considered a U2 song.

Also, I think The King's New Clothes and The Dream Is Over may actually be the same song? Or versions of it, at least - they share the same riff and a very similar structure, so it's possible the former birthed the latter.

For those who wanna HEAR THE BOIS in the same timeframe as Led Zeppelin and Bon Scott, here's a collection of links for you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm6ETYl6sWA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X63Oz7PQ45s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y0GD-dwPE8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a79JFISL994

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ACyBSFJrvs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V85jsITgStI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu6vWgx0Ibw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSavvKYwEHY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke1d-m_WQm8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKXAzkcuOks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtxUQKHPb14

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo18NED2u88&index=7&list=PLcSVWyyda6LVtcWwIuCOXqKKF7-Gmjuti

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYRIvZIBtWU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3c0dqZ75lE

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

Wow!!!!!


Sent from my iPad using U2 Interference

 

[Nick66]

Top 15 songs by Bob Hewson & The Rathmines & Rathgar Musical Society

1. ‘The Duet from The Silver Fish‘ (w/Garvin Evans)
2. ‘Bess, You Is My Woman’
3. ‘Next Stop Pottersville’
4. ‘The Portrush Polka’
5. ‘Strike Up The Band’
6. ‘Hello, Dolly!’
7. ‘The Cedarwood Swing’
8. ‘Tap Your Troubles Away’
9. ‘I Won’t Send Roses’
10. ‘Bosom Buddies’
11. ‘Chattanooga Choo-Choo’
12. ‘Wilkommen’
13. ‘Mr. Cellophane’
14. ‘All That Jazz’
15. ‘One Hand, One Heart’

 

[The_acrobat]

Top 15 songs by Bob Hewson & The Rathmines & Rathgar Musical Society

1. ‘The Duet from The Silver Fish‘ (w/Garvin Evans)

I literally LOL'd at this!


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

Also, I think The King's New Clothes and The Dream Is Over may actually be the same song? Or versions of it, at least - they share the same riff and a very similar structure, so it's possible the former birthed the latter.

it is, although the lyrics for the former are different.

okay, i'm gonna have to give this some thought to come up with my top 15. gotta refresh my memory a bit first, i've forgotten what some of these sound like.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

1. TWILIGHT!!!

no, really...

1. life on a distant planet
2. shadows and tall trees
3. street mission
4. the dream is over
5. another day
6. stories for boys
7. out of control
8. the fool
9. speed of life (going off the version on boy, the live versions would probably get bumped down to like #16 or something)
10. alone in the light
11. jack in a box
12. twilight
13. silver lining
14. boy/girl
15. trevor
16. tonight
17. inside out
18. a day without me
19. false prophet
20. another time, another place
21. the king's new clothes
22. cartoon world

did i miss one?

it's also worth noting this is the first time i've listened to any u2 since...wheneve soi came out.