How connected are Bomb and Early U2 Material?

[U2387]

U2 always emphasized that HTDAAB was a record that looked back on their early days. Adam especially, called it a guitar record, w/upbeat songs like in their early days. The band clearly thinks there is a connection... uno, dos, tres, catorce, 1, 2, 3 14 albums of U2, this could be a subtle way of acknowledging how they are related as well.

Some themes are the same: Innocence and loss (COBL, SYCMIOYO, Into the Heart, I will follow, etc)

Emphasis on rockers: Vertigo, LAPOE, ABOY, COBL, Out of control, twilight, an cat dubh, i will follow

Politics: LAPOE, Crumbs, Surrender, Seconds, SBS, NYD, Two Hearts Beat as one

Spirtuality/religion:Yahweh, October, rejoice, tomorrow, one step closer.

Those are the obvious ones, I am just curious if anyone has any other ideas on how these two eras relate. Bono seemed to talk alot about this after Bomb came out and throughout the Vertigo tour. It just seems like there is something I am missing. Anything would be greatly appreciated!

 

[U2girl]

I think sound-wise there's a lot of nods to their early albums: I think Vertigo could sound like current U2 making an album like Boy - and it worked nice against the Boy songs on tour (and I always thought "your love is teaching me how to kneel" guitars sounded Gloria-like). MD and COBL are pure UF, the drums and lyrics of LAPOE are clues to War.

Obviously the many references to kneeling make Bomb the most faith filled album after October (and maybe Pop).

Less early albums, I think Sometimes is a distant father-and-son song link to One. I think ABOY is the sound of Desire and EBTTRT having a baby. AMAAW and OOTS are the pop songs the band made on ATYCLB. Crumbs and Yahweh is the band revisiting JT sound, and OSC could be a sister song to First time.

 

[t8thgr8]

so when bono says 14 he's including U2-3 and passengers?

 

[Aygo]

I think sound-wise there's a lot of nods to their early albums: I think Vertigo could sound like current U2 making an album like Boy - and it worked nice against the Boy songs on tour (and I always thought "your love is teaching me how to kneel" guitars sounded Gloria-like). MD and COBL are pure UF, the drums and lyrics of LAPOE are clues to War.

Obviously the many references to kneeling make Bomb the most faith filled album after October (and maybe Pop).

Less early albums, I think Sometimes is a distant father-and-son song link to One. I think ABOY is the sound of Desire and EBTTRT having a baby. AMAAW and OOTS are the pop songs the band made on ATYCLB. Crumbs and Yahweh is the band revisiting JT sound, and OSC could be a sister song to First time.

I think that Yahweh could perfectly be a reworked song from October, instead of belonging to JT.

 

[digitize]

so when bono says 14 he's including U2-3 and passengers?

By my count, it would have to not be including Three but including the two greatest hits albums released prior to HTDAAB.