Musical turning points in U2’s career
Was thinking about certain bands and songs that signaled turning points in their career (like The Beatles and ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ or Bob Dylan and ‘Like A Rolling Stone’) So I have kind of handpicked certain U2 tracks that I think were their musical turning points – maybe not career wise, but just creatively. This is not to say that these are the only ones, but just ones that stand out to me as a music fan, a musician, and a U2 fanatic.
Just my two cents and observations…
I Will Follow – An obvious starting point, but not because it’s the first song on the first album. But it was “The Song’ that Bono has told younger bands to write. It was the song that opened the doors and ears of millions. A new sound was developing here. U2, still in the fetal stage, are working on figuring out where they’re going and how they’ll get there and more importantly – What do they want to say?
New Year’s Day – With this track, U2 managed to find a voice, a radio audience, and at the same time, display a political message to the masses. A tremendous bass line and powerhouse of a chorus showed that U2’s songwriting abilities were just coming in to focus.
The Unforgettable Fire – Taking, not a step back, but a step to the side, U2’s songwriting goes slightly out of focus through an Eno lens. The landscapes begin to appear and we can hear the combination of the old and the new, melting together to what will eventually become the ‘U2 Sound’.
Pride (In The Name Of Love) – U2 distills the DNA of New Year’s Day into this song – radio friendly AND politically awakening. This is a set of DNA they will be going to for years to come.
With or Without You – Taking a straightforward idea –a love song, and turning it on its head. A love song in the shadows where the big finish doesn’t happen the way you thought it would (kind of like life sometimes) It is direct, concise, and evokes a mood that is beautiful, yet haunting at the same time.
Bullet The Blue Sky – Rage through six strings and an amplifier. The first of what will eventually be many expressive solos – not just diddling around on the frets, but conveying emotion and feeling through sound (see Love Is Blindness). This song also seems to take a book from the old (The Doors are definitely in the house on this one) and the new (an almost hip hop beat mixed with rock and roll bass and guitars) This vibe will be pushed farther on…
God Part II – This is the foyer to what will be ‘Achtung, Baby’. This track was an early indicator, even if it wasn’t meant to be, of what was to come. You have the drum machines and the real drums coming together. You have the explosion of tom toms and bass lines, the howls of Bono’s voice and Edge’s militaristic precision of playing all merge together. It is a powerhouse of a song.
Angel Of Harlem – A simple song wit ha simple lyric that relies on the simple song writing structure of the Beatles and Dylan. This style will come back in later years and will be a template that U2 will use for many songs to come.
The Fly – U2 have arrived in the New World. The guitar belches it’s energy, the bass line is dirty, the drums phase in and out and Bono’s phones his vocals in on the phone line from hell. We also have another Edge solo that conveys emotion, and more importantly, take you to another place. It brings you up above the song, looking down at the chaos all around and shines like a burning star, falling from the sky. A song that signaled a new era.
One – A distant, possibly more introspective cousin of ‘With Or Without You’. A song with so many layers and complexities that it can be interpreted in many ways; it’s a father and gay son argument / it’s two lovers having a spat / it’s a message to humanity / it’s U2 in the studio in Berlin realizing what their faults have been in the genesis of Achtung, Baby.
Lemon – In a nightclub in Zooropa, the dance beats blare on the floor and the vid screens overhead show images of her in Lemon. And U2, with the assistance of our illustrious captain, Brian Eno, take us there. It is the first of the one-two punch of the Zooropa album that take you to that setting and make sure you’re happy with it.
Stay (Faraway, So Close) – If U2’s music has shifted between widescreen cinematic and low budget indie film making, this is the combination of the both. You can almost see the wet, neon reflecting city streets in glorious wide screen in all of it’s fine, dirty detail. A love song presented in sonic high definition as we follow an angel in love with a prostitute – but what is his/her purpose? To save this woman? We never find out, but the journey through this landscape is one that we’ll never forget as the vocal soar at the end and we crash to the ground.
Discotheque – Still in the Zooropa nightclub, the music in our head enters our hearts as we prepare for the hangover to come. The final stages of the rock/dance fusing that have been with us since God Part II. This track shows that even some of U2’s most throwaway lines…aren’t. Dig in the trash and you’re bound to find a diamond.
Staring At The Sun – Answering the call put out by Noel Gallagher, U2 take the song writing structure they toyed around with in Angel Of Harlem and put in the context of the POP mood. There’s a lot going on in this part of the world, and we want you to know it with a melody that’ll stick in your head for the day. They succeed.
Beautiful Day – Distilling all that they have learned in the past ten years and filtering everything except all that they can’t leave behind – U2’s sound hasn’t been this pure and crystalline in a long time. They create a powerful chorus and magical guitar lines that could ring around forever. Some call it a return of the old U2. I say the old U2 never left – they were off visiting places we’ll never see, except through their music.
Love And Peace Or Else – A combination of Rattle and Hum ideals (reaching back into the past for a sound) and Achtung, Baby ideals (take what you’ve learned and dirty it up a bit) and War ideals (say what you want to say…loudly) This song hits you over the head with it’s sound, but not with it’s message. It contains touches of so many U2 eras and somehow manages to stay fresh and exciting, ensuring a highpoint of any live performance for years to come.
One Step Closer – A step away from the loud and brash. This song reminds you that music is like a prayer. You can ask God, Allah, your Higher Power (whoever he/she may be) for a little understanding. And hopefully, if we listen long enough, we’ll all be one step closer to knowing…
There are so many more songs I wanted to talk about; I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Out Of Control, Gloria, Desire, Elevation, Stuck In A Moment, Please, If God Will Send His Angels, Mofo, Love Is Blindness, Until The End Of The World, Dirty Day, All I Want Is You, Wire, One Tree Hill, etc.
But looking back, these show me that the band is finding new ways and new sounds to tell their story.
We just have to listen.
Was thinking about certain bands and songs that signaled turning points in their career (like The Beatles and ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ or Bob Dylan and ‘Like A Rolling Stone’) So I have kind of handpicked certain U2 tracks that I think were their musical turning points – maybe not career wise, but just creatively. This is not to say that these are the only ones, but just ones that stand out to me as a music fan, a musician, and a U2 fanatic.
Just my two cents and observations…
I Will Follow – An obvious starting point, but not because it’s the first song on the first album. But it was “The Song’ that Bono has told younger bands to write. It was the song that opened the doors and ears of millions. A new sound was developing here. U2, still in the fetal stage, are working on figuring out where they’re going and how they’ll get there and more importantly – What do they want to say?
New Year’s Day – With this track, U2 managed to find a voice, a radio audience, and at the same time, display a political message to the masses. A tremendous bass line and powerhouse of a chorus showed that U2’s songwriting abilities were just coming in to focus.
The Unforgettable Fire – Taking, not a step back, but a step to the side, U2’s songwriting goes slightly out of focus through an Eno lens. The landscapes begin to appear and we can hear the combination of the old and the new, melting together to what will eventually become the ‘U2 Sound’.
Pride (In The Name Of Love) – U2 distills the DNA of New Year’s Day into this song – radio friendly AND politically awakening. This is a set of DNA they will be going to for years to come.
With or Without You – Taking a straightforward idea –a love song, and turning it on its head. A love song in the shadows where the big finish doesn’t happen the way you thought it would (kind of like life sometimes) It is direct, concise, and evokes a mood that is beautiful, yet haunting at the same time.
Bullet The Blue Sky – Rage through six strings and an amplifier. The first of what will eventually be many expressive solos – not just diddling around on the frets, but conveying emotion and feeling through sound (see Love Is Blindness). This song also seems to take a book from the old (The Doors are definitely in the house on this one) and the new (an almost hip hop beat mixed with rock and roll bass and guitars) This vibe will be pushed farther on…
God Part II – This is the foyer to what will be ‘Achtung, Baby’. This track was an early indicator, even if it wasn’t meant to be, of what was to come. You have the drum machines and the real drums coming together. You have the explosion of tom toms and bass lines, the howls of Bono’s voice and Edge’s militaristic precision of playing all merge together. It is a powerhouse of a song.
Angel Of Harlem – A simple song wit ha simple lyric that relies on the simple song writing structure of the Beatles and Dylan. This style will come back in later years and will be a template that U2 will use for many songs to come.
The Fly – U2 have arrived in the New World. The guitar belches it’s energy, the bass line is dirty, the drums phase in and out and Bono’s phones his vocals in on the phone line from hell. We also have another Edge solo that conveys emotion, and more importantly, take you to another place. It brings you up above the song, looking down at the chaos all around and shines like a burning star, falling from the sky. A song that signaled a new era.
One – A distant, possibly more introspective cousin of ‘With Or Without You’. A song with so many layers and complexities that it can be interpreted in many ways; it’s a father and gay son argument / it’s two lovers having a spat / it’s a message to humanity / it’s U2 in the studio in Berlin realizing what their faults have been in the genesis of Achtung, Baby.
Lemon – In a nightclub in Zooropa, the dance beats blare on the floor and the vid screens overhead show images of her in Lemon. And U2, with the assistance of our illustrious captain, Brian Eno, take us there. It is the first of the one-two punch of the Zooropa album that take you to that setting and make sure you’re happy with it.
Stay (Faraway, So Close) – If U2’s music has shifted between widescreen cinematic and low budget indie film making, this is the combination of the both. You can almost see the wet, neon reflecting city streets in glorious wide screen in all of it’s fine, dirty detail. A love song presented in sonic high definition as we follow an angel in love with a prostitute – but what is his/her purpose? To save this woman? We never find out, but the journey through this landscape is one that we’ll never forget as the vocal soar at the end and we crash to the ground.
Discotheque – Still in the Zooropa nightclub, the music in our head enters our hearts as we prepare for the hangover to come. The final stages of the rock/dance fusing that have been with us since God Part II. This track shows that even some of U2’s most throwaway lines…aren’t. Dig in the trash and you’re bound to find a diamond.
Staring At The Sun – Answering the call put out by Noel Gallagher, U2 take the song writing structure they toyed around with in Angel Of Harlem and put in the context of the POP mood. There’s a lot going on in this part of the world, and we want you to know it with a melody that’ll stick in your head for the day. They succeed.
Beautiful Day – Distilling all that they have learned in the past ten years and filtering everything except all that they can’t leave behind – U2’s sound hasn’t been this pure and crystalline in a long time. They create a powerful chorus and magical guitar lines that could ring around forever. Some call it a return of the old U2. I say the old U2 never left – they were off visiting places we’ll never see, except through their music.
Love And Peace Or Else – A combination of Rattle and Hum ideals (reaching back into the past for a sound) and Achtung, Baby ideals (take what you’ve learned and dirty it up a bit) and War ideals (say what you want to say…loudly) This song hits you over the head with it’s sound, but not with it’s message. It contains touches of so many U2 eras and somehow manages to stay fresh and exciting, ensuring a highpoint of any live performance for years to come.
One Step Closer – A step away from the loud and brash. This song reminds you that music is like a prayer. You can ask God, Allah, your Higher Power (whoever he/she may be) for a little understanding. And hopefully, if we listen long enough, we’ll all be one step closer to knowing…
There are so many more songs I wanted to talk about; I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Out Of Control, Gloria, Desire, Elevation, Stuck In A Moment, Please, If God Will Send His Angels, Mofo, Love Is Blindness, Until The End Of The World, Dirty Day, All I Want Is You, Wire, One Tree Hill, etc.
But looking back, these show me that the band is finding new ways and new sounds to tell their story.
We just have to listen.
