Rattle and Hum is the weakest U2 album

[djerdap]

I've been considering this for awhile and came to a conclusion that Rattle and Hum always was and is, by far, the weakest U2 album. Well, my least favorite for sure. I'll explain the reasons:

1. Incredible pretentiousness by the band, which resulted in trying to do "larger than life" songs, cooperating with some big American legends(Bob Dylan, BB King). One of the results - Love Rescue Me, for me, the worst U2 song ever. I've listened to this song from beginning to end maybe three or four times in my life (I've been a U2 fan for 13 years). The time when "sha-la-la-la"s come, I'm skippin'. And you thought the whoo-hoo's were terrible...
2. The so-called American music influence. Results in being solid (Angel of Harlem) to extremely mediocre(When Love Comes To Town) to awful(Love Rescue Me). It doesn't work for a rock band like U2, with such a unique sound. Edge's guitarplaying is anything but innovative here. Which can sometimes be a good thing(Desire, Angel of Harlem), but mostly... yawn.
3. The live songs choices. Totally and completely wrong. Bullet without Running is useless. Beautiful versions of Where the Streets Have No Name and With or Without You from the R&H movie weren't included here. Pride was always inferior to its magnificent studio version, and R&H version, although decent, is no exception. Still Haven't Found with the choir is lovely, but seems to drag too much. Fantastic live version of Exit could have redeemed the badly produced studio version, but it stayed only in the movie.
4. The covers. When was U2 about covers? We get Helter-Skelter as the opening song(with that intro sentence - that's Bono in his SUPEREGO mode), a very mediocre version of All Along the Watchtower(corrected in its fantastic Lovetown version - but most U2 listeners don't know of this) and Freedom For My People and Star Spangled Banner as useless fillers.
5. The flow and the running order. The combination of live songs and new ones never quite worked for me. When Love Comes To Town-Heartland makes no sense whatsoever. All I Want Is You feels like it came from another(and much better) album.

Not to be entirely negative, Rattle and Hum is a U2 album. And a solid one. At times it can even be great. Heartland is one of the most atmospheric and beautiful U2 songs ever. God Pt.II is an excellent rocker, that kinda foreseen things to come. Live version of Silver and Gold is literally true gold. All I Want Is You is a fantastic closer. Lovetown tour showed the strength of these songs, resulting in amazing live version of God Pt.II, Hawkmoon 269, Desire-Watchtower combo...

I'm betting that, if it came out in 2005, it would get incredible bashing here. I'm sure of it.

Discuss.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

i have to agree with you for most parts.

 

[Zoots]

I agree with some of what you're saying like the flow is not good. Live songs mixed in with studio tracks does seem weird. But I love this album, not as a complete experience (like an album album) but as a collection of some excellent songs (Van Dieman's Land, Hawkmoon 269, Heartland, All I Want Is You, God Pt.2...) and some okay ones. Don't think I hate anything here. Pride (live) was one of the first videos I saw. Yes, EBTTRT made me a fan but I've always had a special place in my heart for that Pride live version. That chanting from the crowd where Bono holds the mike out caught my attention very early on. Also, I like Freedom For My People. Nice little bluesy interlude there like Floyd's Seamus. I like how the star spangled banner merges into the thundering drums of BTBS. So in short, I agree that it is kinda sprawled out and disjointed. But it's a great collection of songs. Definitely not the weakest album for me.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

Pride (live) was one of the first videos I saw. Yes, EBTTRT made me a fan but I've always had a special place in my heart for that Pride live version.

yeah but it's kinda stinky...it's too slow. i've yet to hear a version of it live where they play it at the correct tempo.

 

[WinnieThePoo]

it's a good album

 

[grbounds]

October is worse

 

[Zoots]

October is worse

Yet another album comes to mind.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

October is worse

BLASPHEMY!!!!!!!

 

[neutral]

Strongly but respectfully disagree. I know I am alone in this but I actually really like R&H. I listen to it pretty often still and I like the movie too.

I can think of 2 albums I like less.

 

[Needle_Chill]

I love Rattle&Hum. It's so diverse. It's got a bunch of U2 classics (the 4 singles...), hidden gems (Hawkmoon 269, Heartland, God Pt 2, Van Diemen's Land), and also has some really cool live stuff (Silver and Gold, BTBS, Helter Skelter, All Along The Watchtower, ISHFWILF). What more could you ask for? Oh wait, it's got it's own movie!

 

[Harry Vest]

Who said "October was worse"?????
Rubbish!!!!!!

 

[u2granny]

Strongly but respectfully disagree. I know I am alone in this but I actually really like R&H. I listen to it pretty often still and I like the movie too.

You are not alone. And Lovetown is the only tour I truly regret missing.

 

[indra]

It would have been better if they just made it a single album of new material. The covers and live stuff could have been saved for the movie. And I really hate the choir. It's just too pretentious for me.

 

[joerags]

There is no such thing as a weak U2 album.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

There is no such thing as a weak U2 album.

I'll agree with that statement.

Anywho, Rattle & Hum has my favorite U2 song on it, so that alone makes it good in my book. It's tied with The Unforgettable Fire in my top 5 U2 albums.

Angela

 

[typhoon]

The individual songs and performances are pretty good, but the presentation was a total mess, so I haven't listened to it in ages.

Too bad they didn't make it a real double album, with one disc of studio material and another of live tracks. You'd still have a lot of subpar material (you'd have to stick "A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel" on the studio portion if only to take up space), but at least it'd flow better.

 

[tmciano]

There is something in the R&H film that drives me nuts whenever I watch it. Just as they are really getting into a live take of "Angel of Harlem" ...BAM! it's cut off and we don't get to see the complete song, and it bothers me every time I see it! I don't understand what could have possibly been the reason for this, to just cut it off like that.

Anyway, I like the film, I got it for Christmas years ago and spent most of Christmas watching it again and again, but I have never bought the album because I just didn't think the soundtrack would hold up on it's own without the film.

The film would be a pretty good introduction to u2 to someone not knowing much about the band, but the album most certainly would not. Some good songs, sure, but not their best.

Still...I'm glad they made it...

 

[jacobus]

R&H is their weakest album...
no way... the weakest album of U2 is ATYCLB

 

[bathiu]

R&H???????????

NO!

It's ATYCLB...!

(but it is right after ATYCLB on my list)

 

[Saracene]

R&H has some ace songs and performances on it, but as an album it's all over the shop and there are some real duds like "Love Rescue Me" and "Heartland" (sorry).

With 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. And as people, the bandmates come off as distant and aloof; I'm not sure whether it's because of the filming choices or the band itself being ungiving. Yes, it has a few light/funny moments, but IMO that's not saying much because so does Schindler's List.

 

[Aardvark747]

...Heartland

 

[blueeyedgirl]

R & H is the one album I listen to the least. And when I do, I skip all over the place leaving out all the bluesy stuff (which is quite a bit I realise, but I've never really been into blues.)

And this from someone who went to see the movie at the cinema about 8 times!

There is no such thing as a weak U2 album.

Well, there HAS to be, every artist has an "off" moment and U2 are not immune!

They're only human after all!

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

There is something in the R&H film that drives me nuts whenever I watch it. Just as they are really getting into a live take of "Angel of Harlem" ...BAM! it's cut off and we don't get to see the complete song, and it bothers me every time I see it!

that bothers me as well. there are few songs in the movie they play start to finish and they're all live songs. i'm trying to think if there are any of the studio songs played in their entirety. then again i've not seen the movie in like four years so my memory is a bit fuzzy.

 

[popmart86]

AOH RULES!!!!!!

 

[Sken]

Wow! I can't believe such a crap album gave us songs like:

Hawkmoon
All I Want Is You
Heartland
Angel of Harlem
God Part II
Desire
When Love Comes To Town

Hmm, now let me think. Would I rather see a concert with these songs performed live, or the Bomb songs. Not knocking the Bomb, I like it a lot, but please don't underate R&H.

 

[MumblingBono]

The album gets bashed because the movie blew and Bono was a pompous ass. But I think the studio songs have held up well. Timeless, instantly recognizable u2 classics:

Desire
All I Want Is You
Angel of Harlem
God Pt II

Heartland and Hawkmoon 269 are gems.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

IMO All Along the Watchtower was pretty mediocre and I wish they hadn't put it in. The live versions of Bullet, ISHFWILF, Pride could have been just b-sides IMO. IMO Hallelujah, Here She Comes would have been a nice addition and Everlasting Love cover would have fit better on Rattle & Hum if they were going to do covers and such.

Never a fan of Love Comes to Town. The Robbie Robertson duet was much cooler IMO but that was on a Robbie Robertson record so what can you do....

What really killed Rattle & Hum for me was the whole "Stealing it back line..." and "Edge play the blues..." line. Bono can wax politics all he wants on Silver & Gold but when he tells Edge to play the blues and Edge goes into the the most un-blues like solo.... you can see why people at Bono sometimes. And I like the Silver & Gold solo to boot.

 

[bedouin fire]

There is no such thing as a weak U2 album.

this should be part of the universal knowledge. amen to that.

 

[FullonEdge2]

Rattle and Hum is by far the weakest U2 album. Even though Heartland and God Part II are great songs, the album as a whole doesn't seem to have a plan or a direction. After listening to it, I can definitely see why the band felt they needed to "dream it all up again."

 

[TheRooster]

I think the strong moments on R&H outweigh all the weak moments, songs like God Pt. 2, Desire, Hawkmoon 269, Silver and Gold and When Love Comes to Town make me forget about ISHFWILF, Love Rescue Me, Freadom for my people and Angel of Harlem. I enjoy the live performances as well such as Helter Skelter, Bullet, and All Along the Watchtower. I enjoy Bono's stupid comments because he is so obviously out of his element. The albums is actually my 6th favorite. I think it is a bit too long, taking off three or four of the filler tracks would do it a lot of good. The album I feel is their worse is TUF. There are very few songs I don't listen to at all in U2's catalogue and TUF has 5 of them. I shall prepare myself for the verbal onslaught of rebuttals on TUF.