What was your impression of Rattle and Hum when it was first released?

[believer75]

Since I did not become a fan of U2 until '92, and did not buy Rattle and Hum until a couple of years after that, I was just curious to see what your initial impression of Rattle and Hum was when it was released in 1988. You may discuss both the album and the movie if you'd like.
As for me, I love the album and I do credit Rattle and Hum as one of their albums that helped shape my opinion of U2. I already owned Achtung Baby and War so was starting to understand what they were about. But, hearing Rattle and Hum for the first time was key. It made me love Achtung and enjoy Zoo TV even more if that makes sense. I remember riding around in my friend's car and listening to the live versions of Silver and Gold, Bullet the Blue Sky and then hearing Hawkmoon 269 and God Pt. II for the first time. The sound of the entire band, and the intensity of Bono's vocal delivery really captivated me. I wish I had been a fan just a few years earlier so I could have experienced all this when it was new.
I also know this album is sometimes slighted, and I was just curious to see what those just coming off the heights of Joshua Tree felt about this one hearing it or seeing it for the first time.

 

[BVS]

Well I loved it, it was the very first CD I ever bought and it introduced me to U2.

Looking back I don't like the live/studio mix of songs, I think they should have put Room, Silver and Gold(studio) and Halleluiah and just made it an album.

I still love the studio songs except VDL and WLCTT...

 

[Acrobat51829]

I loved it, quite simply, nothing much else to say. It was the second U2 album I bought alongside JT. Silver and Gold was my first favorite U2 song, though I now tend to listen to Heartland more.

 

[financeguy]

I remember having a pretty positive reaction. Indeed it was only until the Joshua Tree and R&H period that I started paying any attention to U2, as up to then I mainly listened to pop music - whatever was in the charts. I liked all the singles from that album. Desire was getting rotation play on one of the new UK satellite channels, I thought it was a superb song. The video for All I Want was really something else, still one of the most adventurous videos they have made.

I would see Rattle and Hum as from the same school of music as Mike Scott (honorary Irishman), the Hot House Flowers and the fusion of rock and more traditional forms that was happening at that time.

It was a great, great period for Irish music in general and U2 obviously were part- indeed among the leaders - of the whole vibe.

 

[digitize]

I wasn't alive.

 

[MrPryck2U]

I loved it!

 

[corianderstem]

It's what helped turn me from a mild fan to a mega fan. I was 15 at the time. Loved the bejeezus out of it.

 

[indra]

The album I loved. It was sprawling and not at all cohesive, but that didn't really matter to me because there was a lot of it -- both new studio work and older live songs, and that was just very, very exciting. While it's not nearly as strong an album as most of the ones before it (for me), there are still songs I adore on R&H.

The movie -- the live footage was pretty good. The rest was horrifyingly cringe-worthy. Ugh. I've blocked much of it from my memory.

 

[JCOSTER]

It was the last LP that I ever bought...I loved it and remember I just wanted more!

 

[Gonna Run 2 U]

My mom actually took me to see it in the movies when I was three years old. She said i just sat there in awe with my bottle of juice.

 

[david]

Like you, I didn't see it until 92 and when I did it made me a huge fan.

I remember thinking that they played the songs live during the JT tour in the order in which they appeared in the movie. That was a silly notion until I got the U2 Tour Documentary book.

 

[65980]

I was vaguely familiar with the album in '88 (at the time, I was 12), but I think I didn't see the movie until about 1990 or 1991.

In fact, when Rattle & Hum (album) was released, it got great reviews and sold like hotcakes. I think it's their 2nd best-selling album ever, isn't it? It was only after 1991 that Rattle & Hum got ret-conned into being a "disappointment" or a "mistake" or whatever the party-line is now. Part of this was created by U2 themselves who distanced themselves from it as much as they could in the ZooTV era (which they now have also done with Pop, to a lesser extent). The thing is, the studio tracks on the record are absolutely brilliant and seem to achieve the band's goal of making a looser, rougher kind of studio recording, and the songs themselves are extremely well-written and composed. However, it's clear from their comments on it that they had originally envisioned more of a "live album with a few studio cuts" concept, before it ended up being really a new studio album with a bunch of messy live songs. So, yeah, in retrospect they should have just put out a 10-track album accompanied by a live album or whatever... but I think their intent at the time was to produce a messy, warts-'n-all bootleg-type album that would relieve them of the pressures of following Joshua Tree with another carefully crafted studio record. In this, perhaps they succeeded, but time has not been kind to the messy concept of Rattle & Hum. But I maintain that the studio cuts are as good as the best tracks on Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby.


As far as the movie goes, I have mixed feelings. The quality of the live footage is absolutely stunning, by far the best I've ever seen. But, there isn't really much to it except live footage. It's really a concert movie with a few snippets of U2 acting like tourists between performances. Which is kind of strange, because people wondered what the point was. If the purpose was to show them live, why not just be a live show? And if the purpose was to show them in person, why didn't they actually speak more on camera? In the end, I think Phil Joanou and his crew did amazing work in the photography and in capturing great performances, but -- just like the album -- the concept was flawed. Maybe there was no concept?

And of course, the movie/album is by far the most messianic/ego-run-amuck point of U2's career, and is probably responsible for 80% of the jokes/parodies of U2 amongst the general public (esp. in North America). Even my French teacher in high school told us that he had liked U2 up until Rattle & Hum, at which point he thought, "This band has clearly let success go to its head." A lot of people felt the same way.

The movie was also a turkey at the box office, but what did they expect? I have no idea what McGuinness was thinking in releasing a theatrical film of concert clips.

 

[Bono's shades]

I loved the album, which I bought on cassette when it came out in 1988 and promptly wore out from playing so much. I had only gotten into U2 the year before when I fell in love with JT, so to have a new album out so soon - and a double album at that - was exciting. I loved the songs and still do. Desire, God Part II, Heartland, Hawkmoon, When Love Comes To Town, All I Want Is You, the live version of Bullet - so much great stuff.

I didn't see the movie until almost 10 years later when it was being shown on some cable TV channel. I'm not even sure it came to the town where I was living when it first came out. I thought it was kind of pointless and even a little cringe-worthy, except for the actual performances, which were amazing.

 

[Muldfeld]

I wasn't into U2 at the time. However, whenever I asked my older brother about U2, he would tell me in 1989 that he didn't like U2 anymore because of that album. He so loved Joshua Tree and this one really put him off. Since his friend had copied the album on tape for him, when our middle brother bought him the vinyl, he never even opened it. It's still partially sealed and has never been opened since it was bought in September 1988.

When I listened to the tape in 1992, I thought it was pretty neat, though. I've never understood all the dislike for the album. I don't like the new versions of old songs or the overly bluesy stuff with Dylan and BB King or the choir-like stuff. Everything else (half the album) is still pretty good, though.

Great songs: Desire, Angel of Harlem, Heartland, All I Want Is You (except the pretentious 3 minute outro), God Part II, Van Diemen's Land, Silver and Gold (better than the studio version, though the monologue can get tedious on repeated listens), Hawkmoon (except the chorus at the end).

 

[65980]

Nice...! You have the vinyl, still unopened.

For me, I like every one of the studio cuts -- in fact, I think song-for-song, it's almost their strongest album, song-wise. I think the first four tracks all work perfectly: the wild live Beatles' cover to clear the decks and announce, "This album will not be the usual rock hymns of U2, and anything can happen; the Edge-vocal and acoustic 2nd track to do more of the same; the single third; and the ultra-passionate "Hawkmoon" fourth. I do think, though, that the concept starts to fall apart after that. The live tracks at the end of the first half of the album are kind of weak and Bono's patter in 'Silver & Gold' is embarrassing. (I've also wondered at the live selection of tracks -- I guess they were duty-bound to use ones that were filmed in the movie, but his voice on, for example, 'Silver & Gold' and 'Pride' is not particularly great). I think some of the San Francisco Free concert tracks (not 'All Along the Watchtower', which they hadn't really learned yet) would have helped their conceit for this record because Bono's voice was A+ at that show, and it was a really humorous, light-hearted performance. Some funny stage patter rather than the South Africa speech and the woeful, "OK Edge, play the blues" line would have pulled their heads back from the critical guillotine.

As for the bluesier stuff, I think they pulled it off rather well for a bunch of Irish guys. I'm a huge fan of "Love Rescue Me" (though I seem to be the only one!). The one studio cut on Rattle & Hum I would exorcise is "When Love Comes to Town" -- not because it isn't a great song (it is), but because its too brash and loud and heavy-handed, standing out like a sore thumb. It would have been sufficient to put it out as a single, although I think the credibility-stab of "We're putting out a single with B.B. King" was still a bit much.

Fascinating and unique album in U2's history.

 

[dan_smee]

I probably rolled over and shat my pants, given that I was less than 2 years old

 

[An Cat Gav]

I remember having a pretty positive reaction. Indeed it was only until the Joshua Tree and R&H period that I started paying any attention to U2, as up to then I mainly listened to pop music - whatever was in the charts. I liked all the singles from that album. Desire was getting rotation play on one of the new UK satellite channels, I thought it was a superb song. The video for All I Want was really something else, still one of the most adventurous videos they have made.

I would see Rattle and Hum as from the same school of music as Mike Scott (honorary Irishman), the Hot House Flowers and the fusion of rock and more traditional forms that was happening at that time.

It was a great, great period for Irish music in general and U2 obviously were part- indeed among the leaders - of the whole vibe.

I agree with your points here, especially about All I Want Is You.
I was really disappointed by the album at first. I got into U2 with the UF and then I was obviously in paradise with the release of TJT. I loved the film at first but slowly began to go off it, the reverse was true of the album.

 

[believer75]

Well I loved it, it was the very first CD I ever bought and it introduced me to U2.

Looking back I don't like the live/studio mix of songs, I think they should have put Room, Silver and Gold(studio) and Halleluiah and just made it an album.

I still love the studio songs except VDL and WLCTT...

When I hear Room at the Heartbreak and Hallelujah, I think it slides right in with what they were trying to do with the album. In fact, on that note, I'm going to crank them up right now! I actually prefer the live Silver and Gold to the studio, though. I LOVE Edge's solo in this one. One of my favorite U2 moments.

 

[jphelmet]

i was 13, and absolutely loved. remembered waiting for it to come out, for what seemed like forever. i recorded desire off the radio, and listened to about 1k times before the album was released. used to watch the video of desire, and the trailer for the movie recorded on vhs and would watch them both over and over.

i had to wait for my older sister to come home from work to take me to get the album. i remember the cassette tape being $18- which was a lot of money for a 13 yr old. i looked at the fold out liner notes from the tape so many times, that it fell apart. it was just a bunch of cards. desire, silver and gold, and bullet were my favorites for a long time.
i remember being a little unsure about love rescue me, but everything else was perfect. i thought helter skelter was really cool. it was a very dark rock song (at least to my 13 yr old mind at the time). my neighbor got made for me playing it loud, because he thought it was a motley crue song and u2 was ripping them off.

i bought the movie the next year when it came out, and recorded all the songs to a tape. i listened to that as much or more than the actual album. exit live was the coolest thing i had ever heard, up to that point.

 

[MissMoo]

I didn't like it much. It's still one of my least played albums. The movie was a disappointment mainly because they had released a short documentary during JT that was hilarious and really gave you a feel for the band, and my friend and I had hoped the movie would be more like that, unfortunately it didn't have the humour that the short had. I remember people being upset about Rattle and Hum the album because they thought it meant the band thought they were as good as the Beatles and that was seen as arrogant.

 

[KristenCaNaDiAn]

I just got the cd in the 2000's cuz that's when I became a fan of U2. I was a baby when the cd was orginally released. Im a fan of anything U2 puts out and I really liked Rattle and Hum as well. I thought there were some cool songs, particularly Heartland. I really like the movie too. I saw it on tv a few months ago and I picked it up from HMV after watching it. I liked how they had concert footage mixed with footage from the studios

 

[believer75]

I just got the cd in the 2000's cuz that's when I became a fan of U2. I was a baby when the cd was orginally released. Im a fan of anything U2 puts out and I really liked Rattle and Hum as well. I thought there were some cool songs, particularly Heartland. I really like the movie too. I saw it on tv a few months ago and I picked it up from HMV after watching it. I liked how they had concert footage mixed with footage from the studios

Yes, the footage from the studios is classic. I love the bit where they are rehearsing/recording Angel of Harlem along with the Memphis Horns in Sun Studios. I went to Sun Studios in Memphis not just because I am a huge Elvis fan but because I wanted to be in the place where U2 recorded these songs from this album. It is a place where worlds collide. There was a picture of Bono (and maybe Larry? can't remember) in the studio gift shop and the tour guide even played When Love Comes to Town for the crowd at the end of the tour. And of course, got to pretend to sing into THE microphone. Oh and yes, Elvis was still in the building

 

[Marien]

I didn't like it, after TUF and TJT it was like... going down, I also felt quite upset at the track list sellection, only All I want is You was remarkable in my opinion, I went to see the film, but I didn't like it that much either, as Ms Moo has said before I had liked TJT short much better. I like the album some more now, I got into some of the songs during the ZooTv tour while waiting for the band to come to my country to perform, but I still feel they're a bunch of songs thrown together for no reason.

 

[Purplereign]

Maybe I'm just easily pleased but I remember loving it . . . actually still do . . .sure there are a few songs here and there that get a little 'skip' every now and then . . . but I just love listening to them explore and re-interpret their explorations. Hawkmoon, All I Want Is You are just gorgeous, Desire is one of my top 10 faves - I just love its energy and I really love the interspersing of live v studio tracks . . . it is a big sprawling mess but I adore it anyway

This one was pretty hyped in Oz . . . we'd missed the JT tour but got Lovetown as recompense so the movie and the album was everywhere - it was fantastic! Seeing the movie was an incredible experience as well . . . and after a few viewings it was even more fun . . .singing along with all the other nutty fans . . . for JT tour starved aussies it was a little teaser of what was to come on the Lovetown tour

 

[Earl-Of-IMDb]

At first when i bought the DVD i was mainly looking for the Chicago Vertigo show and instead i found R&H in my local music store. I grew an interest for it over time, and i loved it as time past by.

 

[believer75]

I would like to correct my first post in this thread. I also had The Joshua Tree before I saw or knew much about Rattle Hum. I believe I discovered Rattle and Hum in '94ish and it really made the songs from The Joshua Tree come alive for me. I had not seen U2perform live much, other than say the MTV music awards version of EBTTRT and even then, Garth was playing drums . I freaked out over the live versions of In God's Country, Exit and SBS in the film. MLK and WOWY are hard to beat. The shine like stars at the end of With or Without You was otherworldly to me at the time. I began to understand U2 and really got the message in ISHFWILF by the way they performed it in the movie. I don't listen to that version much now, but it really impacted me at the time and has had lasting effect. Watching Rattle and Hum and ZooTV at about the same time in my life really helped me "get" U2 and the songs were no longer just songs anymore...they were something more.

Also Rattle and Hum by the way they were trying to meld past with present (U2 with big, classic music) helped me to discover and become bigger fans of other artists as well. The scenes with the band at Graceland always sticks out in my mind. One of the best, most sincere moments I have ever seen from the band is when Larry is talking about Elvis, and the fact that he is buried in the backyard at Graceland. You can sense that Larry was very sentimental and overwhelmed with being at Graceland and talking about someone he had admired as a child. I can understand that feeling. And when Bono sweet talks the tour guide at Graceland into letting Larry sit on the Harley, that is classic, rock star Bono. The whole film was smart, and an important piece of the history of the band. I am thankful they made it, exactly as it is. Wouldn't want them to change a thing.

 

[paultjr]

I became a huge U2 fan when The Joshua Tree came out, so naturally I was excited upon the release of Rattle & Hum in '88. Can't say I was overly disappointed with it, I just didn't quite "get it" at the time (I was 14). Needless to say, I loved all the live tracks, All I Want is You, Heartland and God Part II. Everything else I didn't care for, probably because at this point I was discovering U2's past catalog and the post-punk energy of the earlier stuff was stuck in my head. To this day, I still don't like the mix of live and studio.

Only in the last few years have I rediscovered R&H and greatly appreciate the American influence found on Love Rescue Me and Hawkmoon 269 in particular. Listening to Dylan over the years probably helped.

 

[believer75]

I became a huge U2 fan when The Joshua Tree came out, so naturally I was excited upon the release of Rattle & Hum in '88. Can't say I was overly disappointed with it, I just didn't quite "get it" at the time (I was 14). Needless to say, I loved all the live tracks, All I Want is You, Heartland and God Part II. Everything else I didn't care for, probably because at this point I was discovering U2's past catalog and the post-punk energy of the earlier stuff was stuck in my head. To this day, I still don't like the mix of live and studio.

Only in the last few years have I rediscovered R&H and greatly appreciate the American influence found on Love Rescue Me and Hawkmoon 269 in particular. Listening to Dylan over the years probably helped.

Yes, just listened to Love Rescue Me again today and it is completely different than anything else they have done. It has that olde-time feel, and feels like a modern hymn to me. Shoulda been a classic and should be in the new hymnals when they reprint the old ones Was thinking I would like to hear Dylan remake that one. Or maybe Willie Nelson. That might be cool.

 

[BonoFox1]

I LOVED it and had bought the "cassette" when it was first came out. I played the crap out of that little cassette as well as Joshua Tree ( I had to replace the Joshua Tree when my awesome 1989 Ford Escort ate it )
But I loved all the songs on R&H and to date I think it never got the credit it desevred

 

[Bonogirl777]

I wasn't actually alive when it was released but Rattle and Hum (the movie) was the thing that got me into U2. My dad and I watched it together and I was just hooked. I found the three U2 CDs that we had in our CD cabinet (AB, War, and Rattle and Hum) and couldn't stop listening to them. So, I would say that Rattle and Hum (movie) is the reason I'm a U2 fan. (AB is the album that really hooked me. )

I, actually, LOVE VDL. I think it's a beautiful tune. I just wish that the most epic live version of SBS was on it. Ah well. We still have Desire, Pride, God Part II, and All I Want Is You.