All That You Can't Leave Behind Appreciation Thread

[LemonMelon]

Zooropa hasn't had its weekly appreciation thread!

Oh yeah, this album's OK... If it would have had the MDH songs, then I'd have more to say.

Beautiful Day
Kite
In A Little While
Peace On Earth
Never Let Me Go
Stateless
When I Look At The World
Wild Honey
Falling At Your Feet
Ground Beneath Her Feet
New York
Walk On

10x better record than ATYCLB.

 

[U2girl]

'New York' doesn't sound much like the rest of the album either yet it still sneaks in there somehow due to the cohesive ambience that coats most of the back half of the album. 'Stateless' is quite deceptive however. It's a moody piece in the same vein as 'The Ground Beneath Her Feet' -- which is precisely what ATYCLB needed to give it some balance and relief from all the bold pop music -- yet 'Stateless' is actually uplifting in a subtle way, and the lyrics are quite positive: "You can cover the world with your thoughts....still so big, so bright, so beauitiful." I love that line and the music that accompanies it. And then when Edge's background vocal chants come in, the song takes off in a way that very few U2 songs have since they explored their more evocative side many years ago. This provides the imagination and brief side step that is needed to make the album a classic, as all U2's classic albums have had these moments.

In conclusion, I think if you include 'Ground Beneath', then 'Statelss' has no problem fitting in. It gives 'New York' (and 'Ground Beneath' in Europe) some much needed company.

The trouble I see for 'Levitate' is it uses the same lyrics as 'Mircacle Drug' and 'Wild Honey' in parts, which would obviously be redundant with those songs on the album.

New York guitar verses remind me of UF-era U2. The chorus explosion of 90's U2. Along with Walk on and Kite, this is the start of U2's getting back to their own sound.

Ground... and Stateless not only sound different to everything else, they also don't fit lyrically.

Well, it wouldn't be the first time Bono re-used his lyrics (dream out loud) - I think you meant Always though, not Wild honey?
I just think Levitate would be, along with Elevation soundwise, the perfect link between ATYCLB and Pop. And it would help them, with Summer rain, really go all the way with the "pop album" idea. Soaring vocal take, and a great chorus opportunity in "spirit come falling down, no I'm not coming down".

 

[Michael Griffiths]

U2girl:

New York sounds a lot less poppy than the rest of the album, and the electronic beats add a much different flavour than any of the other songs. To me, the song sounds a bit out of place, however much I like the song on an individual level. It just sort of seems tagged onto the last part of ATYCLB and doesn't slide into 'Grace' very, um, "gracefully". I feel 'Stateless' and 'Ground' fit nicer than 'New York', as they are more melodic. And lyrically, 'Stateless' is a better fit than 'Ground', as it's the complete antithesis to 'Beautiful Day' - a place of stillness and calm (a place that is "stateless")....a place that is ready to accept grace, which would lead nicely into the album's closer. In fact, the opening stanza of 'Stateless' can be read as the realization of the lost hope found at the beginning of 'Beautiful Day'. Consider:


From 'Beautiful Day'

You're out of luck
And the reason that you had to care
The traffic is stuck
And you're not moving anywhere

You thought you'd found a friend
To take you out of this place
Someone you could lend a hand
In return for grace

From 'Stateless':

I got no home in this world
Just gravity, luck, and time
I've got no home in this world
Just you, and you are not mine

'Stateless' admits to having luck, yet acknowledged the "friend" from 'Beautiful Day is, indeed, not his. He comes to realize in 'Stateless' that grace is not something you can "lend a hand" to get in return ("return for grace").

Further consider:

See the world in green and blue
See China right in front of you
See the canyons broken by cloud
See the tuna fleets clearing the sea out
See the Bedouin fires at night
See the oil fields at first light
And see the bird with a leaf in her mouth
After the flood all the colors came out

Compare this with:

There are no colours in your eyes
There's no sunshine in your sky
There's no race, only the prize
There is no tomorrow, only tonight

There's definitely a dialogue going on with the themes of these two songs; so much so that they are interwtined. The last verse here in 'Stateless' is once again the antithesis of 'Beautiful Day', the realization that once the "fleets clear the sea out," and the oil runs out of those fields, there is "no race, only the prize." There is in fact no "tomorrow, only tonight."

The reconciliaion happens of course when the narrator realizes he has to surrender to the world outside, which is so much bigger than he is: "You can cover the world with your thumb /
Still so big, so bright, so beautiful."

And thus he realizes, through this surrender, the state of grace that encompasses him. And it is, indeed, a "beautiful day".

Yeah, I'd say these two songs are connected lyrically.

As for 'Levitate', there are indeed some lyrics from 'Always' and 'Miracle Drug'.

 

[cobl04]

I'm listening to Zooropa right now...(it's all of listened to for weeks) but here's what I think of All That You Can't Leave Behind.

Beautiful Day - Just the feel good song. I know I've heard this a million and one times but I never get sick of it because it is just such an uplifting song. Some say its simple, but thats its beauty. So moving, melodic...everything rolled into one.

Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out of - In the past I have pretty much hated this song and Elevation, and I used to skip this and Elevation. But there came a time last year just before Bathurst [RIP Brocky ] when I was in a big rut. I was just in a depressed mood for about a week and couldn't get out of it. I saw my counsellor, spoke to parents, teachers and friends, and while they helped I was still a bit down. I got home, and thought I'd try U2. A guessed, ATYCLB is a pretty uplifting album, so I chucked it on. I got past BD, but then for the first time in my life, Stuck really hit home with me. I finally understood it, the lyrics, the meaning, everything. It alone brought me out of me rut and since then I have appreciated it in all its simplistic pop glory. I recommend anyone reading this to go back to Stuck and ATYCLB when you are in a rut. Awesome falsetto at the end, too.

Elevation - Everyone constantly tries to dissamble this song, saying it is crap because it has crappy lyrics and is basic. But thats just what it is - a rock song. A fun rock song. The lyrics have no underlying meaning, its just a song that is fun to rock out too. Enjoy it and I guarantee you'll find a great little number.

Walk On - I don't know what it is about this song but it is just so good. The melody, the lyrics, the guitar, everything just sounds good. I liken the beginning to Ultra Violet - it starts low-key, a little dark, then explodes into this beautiful song about fighting for your rights. I love everything about this song, and the 'all that you...' lines are just magnificent.

Kite - Another song that I have an emotional connection to. This was the first song I played after my Grandfather passed away last year. The power behind this song is just amazing, the emotion which comes through in a studio version just leaves me breathless. I read out the lyrics at my Pa's funeral and I just adore this song. The 'I'm a maaaaaaaaaaaaaan' line never passes by without leaving a shiver down my spine, much in the way the 'I'm wide awaaaaake' part does in Bad or the 'Staaaaaay...and the night would be enough' line in Stay. Just an amazing song. One of three 10s on this album.

In a Little While - This song took me forever to warm to. I hated it at the start, it just sounded like a c-side. A whiny vocal over weak music. But since then I have come to love it. As most people say, the 'A man dreams one day to fly' verse is terrific, another part on the album where you can hear the raw emotion. It's a short song, not U2's best, but so refreshing to hear.

Wild Honey - I still don't understand why people complain about this song. I reckon its a great song. It's like Elevation in that it is a FUN song. Don't say you hate it because of the lyrics. Ignore the lyrics and get carried away in the light, fun melody. The vocals sound good, it just sounds like the band are having fun.

Peace on Earth - Another song that gets more criticised than it deserves. I've always thought the chorus vocal sounds a lot like the Robbie Williams vocal in the song in the Johnny English movie. Anyway, the lyrics are good hear, and just because its quieter doesn't mean it is bad. I really enjoy this song, I was hooked on it a while ago.

When I Look at the World - Absolutely FANTASTIC song. The second 10/10 on this album. The band is on fire in this song. I think it sounds like an acceptance song. The way Bono delivers the chorus is great, and also the end of the song ends so well. There is no gravity-defying solo, there isn't a belter of a chours, or anything special. Just a small, quiet falsetto chorus that ends peacefully, akin to the 'baby, baby, please....' part in The Police's Every Step You Take.

New York - Another one that took me a while to warm to. Again its a very basic song, and I don't like the lyrics a great deal either because they are so obvious, but it is a grower. The simplicity of it you forget after a while and just enjoy the ripper guitar part.

Grace - I'm still not much of a fan of this song, its too long and never really hits a peak. At least its better than Elvis Ate America. Nice melody though.

The Ground Beneath Her Feet - So dark and moody, I love this song to death. ?The thrid 10 on the album everything about it just rocks. When it explodes at 2:30 i think it is is probably one of the best bits of music I have ever heard. So mysterious, and sounds different to everything else.


Well there's what I think. I would love someone to tell me how U2 are copying themselves with this album. They aren't. Give me an example of one song on it that sounds like an 80s song.

 

[U2Man]

That was a nice review COBL_04

 

[jonnytakeawalk]

I love all the songs people dislike on it,

I LOVE In a little while, Peace on Earth and Grace

and I dislike all the songs people seem to love on it

Dislike Kite, Walk On and Beautiful Day

 

[Zoots]

I LOVE Peace on Earth

 

[U2Man]

How sweet is Grace?

 

[Mogi]

to the album. Loved it when it came out. Then started to hate it with a passion. When I stopped comparing it to other U2 albums, I fell in love with it again. Maybe it is the fact that I am getting close to my late 30´s and can relate to the subject matter and feelings that Bono conveyed.
Sure, I love the creative U2 much more and I do wish they start doing songs again with "shadows and mystery" like they did in the past.
Actually, I think they will experiment more, so no worries.
I do think it could have been better with some of the MDS songs on it, but oh well.

 

[cobl04]

That was a nice review COBL_04

Thank you very much. I can never really quite get my true feelings across cos I don't know all the technical terms...MrBrau1's review of songs is how I wish I could write but I tried.

Anyone here in Oz know where I can get MDH soundtrack without using the net?