Rattle and Hum is the weakest U2 album

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R&H is an example of where people have let the album's image obscure the music. This is an awesome album. It's definitely not the worst U2 album, and I don't feel that I need to downgrade another U2 album (e.g. October) at its expense.
 
I disagree. I would put Pop, Zooropa, and October all under it. Its biggest problem is, IMO, that there are just too many songs, and some of them don't work very well. They should have left some of them off and it would have held together better, IMO.
 
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I agree with the thing to leave the live versions and covers out, just a new album with new material. Less songs, the better the individual songs.

1. Van Diemens Land
2. Desire
3. Hawkmoon 269
4. Silver and gold
5. Angel of harlem
6. Love rescue me
7. When love comes to town
8. Heartland
9. God part 2
10. All I want is you
Maybe 2 more new songs to add.

I think this is far more better!
 
I agree with what is said about Love Rescue Me etc. I think there are some great tracks on the album though. I always loved "Heartland" , "Hawkmoon 269" and "All I want is you". To me the worst track is "Desire" and I never liked the acoustic version that has appeared in so many tours.
 
Inspired somewhat by an earlier, similar thread (I'm too lazy to go back and find it), I broke Rattle and Hum up into two separate albums -- live and studio -- and filled the live album with the tracks from the CD, the Excerpts from Rattle and Hum promo, and the film, and rejiggered both setlists. I came up with what I think is a pretty good studio album. Check it out:

1. Desire
2. Angel of Harlem
3. Van Diemen's Land
4. Love Rescue Me
5. Hawkmoon 269
6. Heartland
7. God Part II
8. Hallelujah Here She Comes
9. A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel
10. When Love Comes to Town
11. All I Want is You

It's so good I want to listen to it now!
 
Good analysis djerjap. As a HUGE U2 fan, it says something that I didn't even consider buying it when it first came out. To me, it might as well have been called "Stuff that didn't make The Joshua Tree and live shit". It could easily have been a four song EP. Having said that, POP is still their worst album.
 
1)AB
2)Pop
3)Zooropa
4)Joshua Tree
5)October
6)The Unforgettable Fire
7)War
8)Boy
9)HTDAAB
10)R&H
11)ATYCLB

If dividing R&H into two albums, then...

1)AB
2)R&H: Joshua Tree Live
3)Pop
4)Zooropa
5)Joshua Tree
6)October
7)The Unforgettable Fire
8)War
9)Boy
10)HTDAAB
11)Rattle And Hum Studio
12)ATYCLB
 
RobH said:
Good analysis djerjap. As a HUGE U2 fan, it says something that I didn't even consider buying it when it first came out. To me, it might as well have been called "Stuff that didn't make The Joshua Tree and live shit". It could easily have been a four song EP. Having said that, POP is still their worst album.

That's all true except POP beeing worst but that's another discussion. R&H is worst album. Has it's greats like all, has it's gems like all, has it's pieces of shit, but not like all, MORE THAN ALL!!
 
The problem with R+H was that it followed the mecca of all u2 albums and people were always going to compare the studio tracks with those on JT, I agree with the comments that one or two of the live tracks were rather pompous and ego influenced (I hate the live version of pride) and I have heard better versions of Helter Skelter by other bands. This said God part II, Desire and All I want is you are classic U2, so to say its the worst album is a little unfair. The two albums I never listen to are Zooropa and Pop, Which is a shame as some of AB hinted at great things to come.
 
You know, I wouldn't disagree with most of the specific points made by the original poster, except for the point about Love Rescue Me which I've always had a liking for, for some reason.

The live versions of their own songs aren't the best I've heard, the covers on the album don't work that well, they're alright but I've heard much better U2 covers of Beatles and other peoples songs. Looked at objectively, it probably doesn't gel together that well as an album

Still and all, I like the beast as it is, flaws and all - there's a lot of passion on the record and it's a great one to pop in the car CD player when driving.
 
I think I can agree with Rattle and Hum being U2's weakest effort. Or at least one of the weakest.

I can't even fathom how anyone would consider Zooropa or UF as the weakest, though. Those are, in my opinion, some of U2's strongest efforts.:huh:
 
Helter Skelter is a great, great great great great cover. It has All I Want Is You. It has God Part II.
It has Heartland. It has a supreme live version of Bullet The Blue Sky. It has great live versions of Silver and Gold and Pride. It has Desire. Hawkmoon 269... I mean, come on, this is supposed to be the worst ever U2 album?

No mean to bug ya' of course.
 
nbcrusader said:
Zooropa is the weakest album (for U2) by a long shot

I would rank R&H in the middle of the pack.

Haha, lol, no. :|

Zooropa may be the least appealing, but with an opening number such as that... nonononono.
 
Saracene said:
[BWith the film, if I had a chance to watch it before I became a fan, I'd probably decide that U2 was the dullest band in the world. It's got some great electrifying performances, but it's also got this oh-so earnest, pretentious aura that to me makes it all near-unwatchable in the long run. [/B]

I haven't watched the film in years, but from memory what you describe above reflects pretty closely my actual reaction to it when I first saw it, and probably explains why I didn't become a fan until the early 90s!

I rather listen to the CD than watch the film any day.
 
I feel the film puts out the perspective that U2 thinks that U2 is the greatest band ever to grace this earth, which isn't the case at all and I'd love to believe the guys don't think that or didn't intend to do that. But, this movie is funny and kind of interesting at parts...

Funny for Me
----------------
Edge randomly sliding down the hill at Graceland
Any conversation between BB King and Bono
Adam's view that politics and music don't mix:wink:
"It's a musically journey..."
Adam managing to smoke and drink at the same time
"Larry. Mullen. Jr" during the messed up take of 'Angel of Harlem'

very funny stuff IMO:wink:
 
This won't make any sense to younger fans...but the biggest problem with R&H had nothing to do with the music.
The biggest problem was the production quality of the cassette.
The print on the cassette wore off with repeated listenings leaving one with a fuzzy, and eventually with a blank cassette. Very annoying.

Oh yes, the music. A few great songs mixed in with tons of filler.
Freedom for My People?
Helter Skelter?
All Along the Watchtower?
Pride?
LRM, S&G and WLCTT are average U2 songs. Not terrible. Just average.
That's 6 1/2 average tracks on a U2 album. Not good.

Desire, AoH, GP2, AIWIY and Heartland are excellent but that's not enough to pull the album out of the crapper.

Having said all that--remember what I said about the fading print on the cassette? Well, I listened to the album so many times I wore my way through three of them.
Thank God for cd's.
 
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I wouldnt say it is theBUT I LOOOOVE GOD PART II!!!! bestttt u2 album of all time, but far not the worst!!! i mean there r gr8 songs in it, pride yeah.. it is a bit slow, but i looove god part ii!!!!! it is amaziing and not just only that, helter skelter is gr8 2, and yeah.. all along.. could b better but still.. i consider they should have included running 2 stand still 2 and exit!!! but well then th album would have been 2 long!!!!! :( anyway, i loove it!!! it is a gr8 album from jt era!!!!
 
oh sorry about that: a bit not understandable: waht i wanted to say is that i wouldn't say it is the best u2 album, but tat it is still gr8!!! at least the live and studio songs miz is something new.... they always innovate!!!:wink:
 
Rattle and Hum is allright. Definitely not my favorite, I HATE Helter Skelter, Watchtower, and When Love Comes to town, but there are plenty of good ones on there that make up for it.

If you look at their entire catalogue, I think it's pretty clear that Boy and October are their two worst albums. They sound very amateurish, and to me, with the exception of a very few good songs, they are rubbish.
 
VicksSs said:
it is amaziing and not just only that, helter skelter is gr8 2, and yeah.. all along.. could b better but still.. i consider they should have included running 2 stand still 2 and exit!!! but well then th album would have been 2 long!!!!! :( anyway, i loove it!!! it is a gr8 album from jt era!!!!

learn how to spell. This is not a 3rd grade debating shop.
 
I felt cheated when I bought Rattle and Hum. The sound quality wasn't that great, and besides Desire(one of my favorite U2 songs), Angel of Harlem, All I Want Is You and Pride I was very dissapointed.
 
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