"Best" Eno/U2 songs

[Michael Griffiths]

Brian Eno's recent comment that the new song, 'Moment of Surrender' is "the best thing" he's ever done with U2 got me thinking of which U2 songs are truly "the best" with Eno (not necessarily "favourite, but "best"), and I think they would make a great album! Here's my list... Feel free to make your own. The only rule is it has to be album size (11 or 12 of the best Eno/U2 songs). After compiling this list, I can't believe 'Moment of Surrender' might be better than ALL of them! Even if true, it simply cannot live up to the hype....

1. Bad
2. Pride (In the Name of Love)
3. The Unforgettable Fire
4. With or Without You
5. I Still Haven't Found Found What I'm Looking For
6. Running to Stand Still
7. Where the Streets Have No Name
8. One
9. Stay (Faraway, So Close)
10 Miss Sarajevo
11. Kite

It's pretty much a best of album. Guess Eno really does bring the best out of U2. One thing that strikes me is that most of Eno's really good songs with U2 have been slower, atmospheric, and emotional. This is where he really seems to shine with U2. Perhaps this new song really will be that great if it's slow with a big atmosphere....

 

[Chill Mike D]

Bad
Elvis Presley and America (this one is genius)
Promenade
A Sort of Homecoming
Lemon
Zooropa
Zoo Station
Mothers of the Disappeared


Those aren't necessarily my favorite songs of theirs that he's produced, but those are the ones that stand out as "Most Enoish".

 

[U2girl]

One
WOWY
I still haven't found
Pride
Bad
UTEOTW
So cruel
Stay
First time
Beautiful day

I'm excited to hear MOS if it's really that good. It is a lot of hype but since Eno did help create all those songs maybe he knows a classic when he hears it.

 

[thrillme]

Not to nitpick, but Lillywhite mixed both With or Without You and Where the Streets Have No Name. The only albums Lillywhite hasn't been a part of, as far as I can remember though it's been awhile since I looked at the credits, are UF, Rattle and Hum, Zooropa, and Pop.



Personally I think Lillywhite brings the more aggro, "rock" sound out of U2 more than Eno/Lanios. Achtung Baby, I credit that harder sound to Edge. IHMO.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

Also, I think Lanois had far more to do with "Still Haven't Found"...I could swear I heard Eno was absolutely bored by the recording of that song.

 

[Thanksandy]

The only doubt I have is that Eno also thought Stuck In A Moment was going to be the most popular or successful song and that was wide of the mark. If anything I think that is one of the worst U2 songs in years, together with The Hands That Built America.

I know not every U2 song can be up-tempo and exhilirating, but even the ballads in the past have had more to them, a bit more complicated and exciting, but these songs are distinctly average and don't stand out in any way, which U2 songs should do or at least used to.

I really hope there are no more songs like those on the new album, if they want to go for a few stripped down songs then do some acoustic, leave the boring, bland slow songs to bands like Coldplay!

 

[BVS]

Not to nitpick, but Lillywhite mixed both With or Without You and Where the Streets Have No Name.

But wasn't the original poster talking about producing, not mixing?

 

[jphelmet]

The only doubt I have is that Eno also thought Stuck In A Moment was going to be the most popular or successful song and that was wide of the mark. If anything I think that is one of the worst U2 songs in years, together with The Hands That Built America.

my thoughts exactly. stuck is the reason i am taking all this recent talk about moment of surrender with a grain of salt.

stuck, to me is one of the worst u2 songs in the last 15 or so years. never liked it, and stripping it down with an acoustic treatment did nothing for the absolutely cheesiness of the chorus.

 

[BVS]

The only doubt I have is that Eno also thought Stuck In A Moment was going to be the most popular or successful song and that was wide of the mark. If anything I think that is one of the worst U2 songs in years, together with The Hands That Built America.

I know not every U2 song can be up-tempo and exhilirating, but even the ballads in the past have had more to them, a bit more complicated and exciting, but these songs are distinctly average and don't stand out in any way, which U2 songs should do or at least used to.

I find it interesting how Stuck is such a song of division amongst U2 fans. It's been quoted that Eno and Ed O'Brien of Radiohead(Fitter Happier: Radiohead Return | Spin Magazine Online) saying it's one of their best, and we have some fans that call it one of their worse.

What I find even more interesting is you use the phrase "a bit more complicated", Stuck is probably one of U2's more complicated melodies they've ever done. It's quite the complicated pop song; a song about suicide that comes off as uplifting, with an amazing coda, great horns, and yet it's still a pop song at the end of the day... I wish more bands can be that boring.

 

[Zoo_Fly]

I'm on the fence about 'Stuck'... Somedays I like it, some days I hate it.. I do, however, remember in Canada that it was on the radio ALL the time in 2001. Maybe Eno was half right, because there was a time when it WAS in heavy rotation (to the point of rolling my eyes whenever it was played), though I guess it can be easily argued that it wasn't their MOST popular.

 

[U2girl]

Not their best ever or this decade but Stuck for me is one of their better pop song efforts.

 

[popacrobat]

I find it interesting how Stuck is such a song of division amongst U2 fans. It's been quoted that Eno and Ed O'Brien of Radiohead(Fitter Happier: Radiohead Return | Spin Magazine Online) saying it's one of their best, and we have some fans that call it one of their worse.

What I find even more interesting is you use the phrase "a bit more complicated", Stuck is probably one of U2's more complicated melodies they've ever done. It's quite the complicated pop song; a song about suicide that comes off as uplifting, with an amazing coda, great horns, and yet it's still a pop song at the end of the day... I wish more bands can be that boring.

 

[vaz02]

I would say Stuck is one of u2's best songs this decade. Its catchy and uplifiting without selling its soul.

 

[Aardvark747]

Stuck is nice.

 

[Salome]

Stuck ... is a masterpiece
so it is

 

[Zoots]

Stuck is not bad, especially the acoustic and live versions but I'm not a huge fan of the album version. And I don't like the way he sings the title of the song.

 

[scottyT]

I can't stand stuck. I will never put it on, but when it comes on, I always find myself singing along to it.... it's a mystery to me. Another mystery is that I actually like both videos for it. Why?! It makes my brain stuck in a moment that it can't get out of.

 

[digitize]

I'm only listing songs where I thought Eno was especially present for this.

Bad
The Unforgettable Fire
A Sort of Homecoming
Streets
Lemon
Stay
Dirty Day
Miss Sarajevo

Oh, and Violet Hill.