Rattle and Hum- the album that gets overlooked- why????

[OzAurora]

I am just wondering what everyone thinks about this album, over the time that I have been posting on here I have kind of noticed that in general discussions about U2 albums and their greatness or lack of, rattle generally dosnt raise much attention, and I am just curious to know why this might be, it is as if sometimes it dosnt exist, like I dont think I have ever heard anyone say it is their fave album.

Now I dont think it is a masterpiece, it really does come across sometimes as being a very pretentious album and the only time that you can sense a bit of ego getting into U2s music, but it does have some great songs on it like,

Heartland
All I want is you
God part 2 and
Hawkmoon 269- (although the live version from Lovetown is far better than the album version)

So anyway what do you all think about Rattle, anyone agree or feel the same vibe that I do about this album????

 

[Dustybot]

I really like Rattle and Hum, but there are a few things I think that could have improved it a lot. For startes, get rid of the live tracks. I think they hurt the album a lot. Take them away and Rattle and Hum is a thoughtful, heartfelt, almost a little introverted (by U2's standards anyway) album. The live tracks add a lot of unneeded bombast and detract from the earnestness of the studio tracks.

The main reason Rattle and Hum is overlooked is quite obvious. It's stuck between two of the greatest albums in the history of rock and roll. Rattle and Hum is seen as a transiton point, manily because of JT's unapproachable mainstream success and Achtung Baby's radical new direction.

Rattle and Hum is a fine album, it just doesn't shine as brightly as some of it's contemporaries.

 

[scatteroflight]

I have seen a very, very few people say it was their favourite. But almost none. Maybe one.

AIWIY and Heartland are, I think, two of U2's greatest songs. And there's other great stuff. It's just not that good an "album." Too sprawling, some weak stuff, but maybe the sprawling aspect is part of its character.

I'm never sure where to rank it among my faves, but probably it would come behind Achtung (which is lower for me than most people, though it's climbing) and ahead of Boy, which is ahead of Pop and Zooropa, which are my least favourite.



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Love was never a single emotion

-ACROB@T

 

[Foxxern]

Something about the fact that half the album is live. Makes it seem like they didn't have enough tracks but they were trying to ride their JT popularity. Really has a feeling of being rushed out there. I think if they had left off the live tracks, they could have had something a little more. As it is, the album isn't very focused, since the live tracks seem to interrupt any sort of flow to the album.

Agreed that AIWIY and Heartland are amazing though.

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Change is the only constant

 

[Salome]

Originally posted by Foxxern:
since the live tracks seem to interrupt any sort of flow to the album.

although I love most of the 'new songs' on R&H I always felt more like they interrupted the flow of the live songs

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Salome
Shake it, shake it, shake it

 

[sulawesigirl4]

Part of the reason I rarely listen to it is because of the live tracks. I mean they're nice and all, but I HAVE them on other U2 albums ie. JT and UF. That and I'm not a huge fan of the "blues" so I'm not always in the mood to hear WLCTT or Angel of Harlem (don't shoot me!

)

I do love Heartland, AIWIY, Hawkmoon and God Part II tho.

[This message has been edited by sulawesigirl4 (edited 01-25-2002).]

 

[scatteroflight]

As far as the live tracks, I think the live Bullet is simply amazing, better than the original--as are pretty much all live versions of that song, certainly the one at the concert I went to

But the other ones I don't listen to much--and I have to say I HATE the gospel version of ISHFWILF. Maybe I'm just cheerless, but I can't stand it. In fact, I've never heard any live version of that song I prefer to the original. The live versions sound too joyful, if that makes any sense. The album version is not one of my favourite U2 songs, but I love the ambiguity of the sound. They're not sure if they're happy or not that they still haven't found what they're looking for.



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Love was never a single emotion

-ACROB@T

 

[Michael Griffiths]

This is a very good question. I once posed the question myself, and here's what I came up with:

If Rattle and Hum had never come out, and someone said to me, "hey, I would like a U2 album with the most succesful British single in U2 history ('Desire'); the best soul tune of their career ('Angel of Harlem'); one of the most emotionally evocative songs on America they've ever written ('Heartland'); a gospel version of 'I Still Haven't Found'; their most politically charged song ever ('Silver and Gold'); one of the most kick ass rock tunes they've ever written ('God Part II'); let's see what else... a gorgeous and heartwrenching poem put to music ('Love Rescue Me'); a duet with B.B KING (or is that asking for too much? Well, let's see...); an amazing live version of 'Bullet' (never put out before on an album). And to close this album, I'd like the most beautifully grand and epic love song U2 have ever written. Wait, I'm not done: to top it off, throw some live classics in, such as 'Pride'. Oh, one more thing, lyrically, I would like this album to have Bono at his most enchanting ('All I Want Is You'), at his most daring ('Love Rescue Me'; 'God II'), his most experimental ('Hawkmoon'), his most evocative ('Heartland'), his most direct, yet still written in a poetic style ('When Love Comes To Town') -- and make sure this album has the most imagery this side of Joshua Tree (I want differnet images, not just the usual wind, water, rain and sun)...Oh, still not done, make sure this album also has Bono's strongest, most soulful vocals EVER. Okay, now I'm done...

Well, at this point, I would look at the guy and accuse him of pipe-dreaming, but, alas, I wouldn't have to, because U2 did in fact put such an album out!! Wow, how amazing is that? Only U2 could have pulled it off I guess...

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The Tempest

 

[madonna's child]

i bought rattle and hum right after christmas. i LOVE heartland! i can't believe no body ever talks about it. it's such a beautiful melody and vocal arrangement.

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)|( Vande )|(

"A word I've always liked more than happiness is joy. Happiness is a mood that comes and goes, whereas joy is just there." -Bono

The CIRCLE only has one side.

Love,
Emily

Visit my webpage for U2 wallpapers:
www.geocities.com/springtime5348/index.html

In my dream I was drowning my sorrows, but my sorrows they learned to swim...

 

[pax]

Ahhhh, Michael...I never looked at it that way before, and yet now I know why I love R&H so much.

I still wouldn't place it as my favorite, but my favorite U2 song of all time is on R&H. So maybe I ought to reconsider that.

On a side note, hardly anyone says that October is among their favorites, but for me, it's at least ahead of Zooropa, Pop, and Boy.

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If you cannot live together in here, you cannot live together out there, let me tell ya. --Bono

You've got to cry without weeping, talk without speaking, scream without raising your voice... --Bono

 

[Roland of Gilead]

Well, in my case, I have a really tough time calling this album one of my favorite U2 albums simply because I cannot call it an album. Please forgive me for this. To me, it is more like a movie program. A companion or a guide. It has no flow because you taste both live and studio songs at the same time. It is like brushing your teeth and then drinking apple juice.

Perhaps, if all the new songs were grouped together and the live songs as well, I might sense some flow. This is not to suggest that Rattle and Hum is a waste of my time. On the contrary, it is a collection of songs that invokes images in my mind on what was so important to U2 in the 80's. To adore America and to be adored by America.
No matter what I say here, Rattle and Hum will always hold a special place in my heart. It contains my wedding song. All I Want is You. That alone gives Rattle and Hum its important value to me.

 

[david]

i sometimes wish they could of added 2 more studio cuts to it and then just left the live songs for an EP to follow rattle and hum or something.

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The more of these I drink the more Bono makes sense.. - Bean from the KROQ Breakfast with U2.

 

[Giant Lemon]

Originally posted by scatteroflight:
I have to say I HATE the gospel version of ISHFWILF. Maybe I'm just cheerless, but I can't stand it.

I agree- I really can't stand that version of ISHFWILF. I think it's just because I'm not into gospel music. Personally, R&H is my least favorite U2 album because I don't particularly care for the bluesy type sound they were going for, the covers just seem like filler, and I consider the live versions only okay. That's not to say that I hate the album or anything- Heartland, Desire, and AIWIY are definitely great songs.

As for why R&H doesn't get much attention, I think Dustybot is right in saying it's because it fell between 2 amazing albums. Also, I think people see it as "the mediocre album that made U2 see the error of their ways," which gives it a bad rap. And like Roland said, it doesn't seem like real album- there's such a mixture of stuff that it feels like a combination of various things put together as opposed to a coherent and complete album.

Just my $0.02.

[This message has been edited by Giant Lemon (edited 01-25-2002).]

 

[Foxxern]

Imagine this as a R&H tracklisting:

Desire
Van Diemen's Land
Hawkmoon 269
Angel Of Harlem
Love Rescue Me
Walk To The Water
Heartland
When Love Comes To Town
Luminous Times
God Part II
AIWIY

Try it out for size on a CD-R. I think it works well.

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Change is the only constant

 

[Michael Griffiths]

Originally posted by Foxxern:
Imagine this as a R&H tracklisting:

Desire
Van Diemen's Land
Hawkmoon 269
Angel Of Harlem
Love Rescue Me
Walk To The Water
Heartland
When Love Comes To Town
Luminous Times
God Part II
AIWIY

Try it out for size on a CD-R. I think it works well.

While I would agree with the additions of Joshua Tree B sides 'Luminous Times' and 'Walk To The Water' -- as another B side from Joshua Tree, 'Heartland' was added to R&H -- I would also consider 'Room At The Heartbreak Hotel', the studio version of 'Silver and Gold', as well as 'Hallelulah, Here She Comes', as these songs are actaully R&H B sides.

Here's my studio version of R&H:

1. Desire
2. God II
3. Van Dieman's Land
4. Hawkmoon 269
5. Angel of Harlem
6. Silver and Gold
7. Love Rescue Me
8. Walk To The Water
9. When Love Comes To Town
10. Heartland
11. Hallelulah, Here She Comes
12. All I Want Is You

Ah, now there's a great studio album...

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The Tempest

 

[Autumn454]

Heartland is currently my second favorite song behind only In God's Country. Rattle and Hum is much better than it is ever given credit for. I love it.

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~Burned by the fire of love~

 

[Foxxern]

Originally posted by Michael Griffiths:
I would also consider 'Room At The Heartbreak Hotel', the studio version of 'Silver and Gold', as well as 'Hallelulah, Here She Comes', as these songs are actaully R&H B sides.

Hmm, I considered using Silver And Gold, but ultimately decided against it because of the song's original use on the Sun City album. Doesn't seem quite right to commercialize it further. As for A Room At The Heartbreak Hotel and Hallelujah..., I always felt like those songs had the "b-side feel" to them. Not quite sure how to describe it. But with all the b-sides that came out during the JT era, there are about a million variations of how R&H could've been. Or maybe its just best the way it is.

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Change is the only constant

[This message has been edited by Foxxern (edited 01-26-2002).]

 

[IvanClaytonJnr]

It's not overlooked !!! At first , this whole record is just a soundtrack to the film , it goes in meaning , on second place after the 'movie' , so uhh it's not bad , but it's not greeat even , good songs , sometimes dull , actually this whole album seems like a twin sister to ATYCLB , it has its moments , but in some moment ( if we take out all live tracks , which are good but also cannot be compared to live versions tapes 12-31,30-1989 ) are look very much the same , one style , but if you take it by a single , hell yes they are absolutely mind-blowing , When Love Comes To Town , Desire4 , Angel Of Harlem , All i Want Is You ... As a sountrack this work is a solid good medium work ( as the film ).

Short RESUME :

Rattle & Hum + Rattle & Hum ( movie ) 1988 = All That You Can't Leave Behind + Elevation Live From Boston 2001

 

[U2live]

I love R&H. BB King was possibly their best opening of all time, and him singing When Love Comes to Town with Bono is a classic. Love all the songs on there. Not to mention got to be in lots of the R&H movie from the first row.

Have been playing this all the time since it was first out, and it never gets old.

[This message has been edited by U2live (edited 01-26-2002).]