'Silver and Gold' - raw and criminally underrated

[The Sage]

Small point Re: "The Exodus sold" line...

I always thought it was "The exit is sold...if you want a way out..."

That's what i've always thought it is, too...

 

[Salome]

Some of Bono's best songwriting and Edge's best atmospherics.

don't know if it's the best lyrics and atmospherics, but at least they're perfectly in balance as in most good - great U2 songs

 

[Michael Griffiths]

don't know if it's the best lyrics and atmospherics, but at least they're perfectly in balance as in most good - great U2 songs

Key word being, "some".

 

[follower]

One of my faves, from 80?s era, with original version from Sun City being my fave.

And Michael, you got mail.

Cheers
MT

 

[EvolutionMonkey]

Hey MG are you in Agra yet ? The Taj Mahal is gonna blow you away.

 

[Michael Griffiths]

Follower! How are you? I'm still your biggest fan.

EvolutionMonkey: No, I'm actually in the South at the moment...in a place called Pondicherry. Have you ever read Life of Pie? I'm there! It's very hot, very beautiful, slightly French (as it was once a colony)....and the best part...it's right on the ocean! I'm heading to Agra next week, then back to Delhi, and then to the UK for 12 days...and finally back to our beloved city. I will meet you at the Cambie where we'll spill beer over all my pictures, no doubt.

 

[follower]

Ol? Michael, did you get the file I sent you? Hope so. If not, just lemme know, okay? I can try it again.

Cheers
MT

 

[Michael Griffiths]

Follower - No, I didn't get a file. It might have been sent to my bulk folder, all of which I just deleted Could you please send it to me again? (I'm dying of curiousity! Slightly U2 related, I assume?) Thanks!

 

[follower]

Ol? Michael, I sent another email, as a response to this request of yours:

Oh, I've never heard the Keith Richards/Ron Wood/Bono version of 'Silver and Gold'. Could someone please email it to me? Adress: mikey2india@yahoo.ca

Cheers
MT

 

[Michael Griffiths]

Ah, Follower! Thanks! I know what happened now. I'd forgotten I gave you my travel email address, the one I don't use as often....I'm sorry for making you send it twice! But I'm listening to it right now...and I like what I'm hearing. It's very jazzy, very stripped and intimate....and you can almost dance to it! Sounds different than any U2 song I've ever heard! Thankyou!!!!

 

[follower]

That?s cool Michael Someone who loves Silver and Gold like we both do must get the chance to listen to the original one. I agree that S&G is an underrated song. Some of the best examples of Bono?s political songwriting, one of my faves from their 80?s work. May be dated, yet I love it.

Cheers
MT

 

[U2Fan101]

I'm realizing that I now have the audacity, if you will, to reply to extremely old threads, but I knew there had to be something out there already posted on this song.

I was listening to Silver and Gold just moments ago and I was thinking just how incredibly underrated this song is indeed.

Just wanted to throw in my $0.02 to the hopefully growing appreciation of this left behind gem.

 

[Muldfeld]

I think it's a really good song. The only trouble is the political talk. It's hard to hear that over and over every time you listen to it because it's not really part of the song, even though the subject of apartheid inspired it.

In every other way, I think the live version is better than the studio recording.

 

[65980]

For me, "Silver and Gold" is interesting in that I really don't know which of the three official versions (the first not being 'U2' technically) I prefer. They're all really different, which I suppose reflects how loose the song is.

All of the songs in that period were good, and S&G is no exception. Including the "OK Edge, play the blues" comments on the official album was a bad mistake.

 

[Moser]

The live version from Rattle Hum rocks. "Ok Edge play the blues." Bame, microphone slams.

True, but it bothered me that he said blues....because it wasn't very bluesy. But it sounded great.

 

[The Sad Punk]

It encompasses the reasons why people hated U2 in the eighties.

 

[U2girl]

My favourite JT B-side.

 

[GibsonGirl]

I think it's a really good song. The only trouble is the political talk. It's hard to hear that over and over every time you listen to it because it's not really part of the song, even though the subject of apartheid inspired it.

Perhaps Bono could update the lyrics a little bit? There's a whole slough of stuff going on in South Africa for him to rant about!

 

[popacrobat]

Perhaps Bono could update the lyrics a little bit? There's a whole slough of stuff going on in South Africa for him to rant about!

maybe on the next tour?

 

[GibsonGirl]

maybe on the next tour?

Maybe!

Of course, I can't really see Bono criticising the ANC.

 

[david]

It encompasses the reasons why people hated U2 in the eighties.

When the song first came out NME magazine actually gave it a really good review.

 

[MrPryck2U]

Good song!

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

This is undoubtly one of their best songs ever in my humble opinion and it's hard for me to believe that they haven't tried it out again in the last twenty years. It indeed has one of Bono's most powerfull and theatrical lyrics, he really captures an impressive mood with it. Everyone else is perfect in this, the drum and bass part of it is particularly fantastic. If I was U2's producer I would beg for Bono to write more lyrics like this. I would give him this lyrics, remind him of it and ask him to write more in this way.

I believe that U2 should start to put a few classic songs to rest next tour, and this would be the perfect song to take over Sunday Bloody Sunday and kick off the whole political moment they like to have (and I like it too). It should defenitly comback. A powerhouse in my opinion.


Favorite lines:
A prize fighter in the corner is told / hit where it hurts for silver and gold

The temperature is rising / The fever white hot / Mister I ain't got nothing / But it's more than you've got

 

[U2387]

This is undoubtly one of their best songs ever in my humble opinion and it's hard for me to believe that they haven't tried it out again in the last twenty years. It indeed has one of Bono's most powerfull and theatrical lyrics, he really captures an impressive mood with it. Everyone else is perfect in this, the drum and bass part of it is particularly fantastic. If I was U2's producer I would beg for Bono to write more lyrics like this. I would give him this lyrics, remind him of it and ask him to write more in this way.

I believe that U2 should start to put a few classic songs to rest next tour, and this would be the perfect song to take over Sunday Bloody Sunday and kick off the whole political moment they like to have (and I like it too). It should defenitly comback. A powerhouse in my opinion.


Favorite lines:
A prize fighter in the corner is told / hit where it hurts for silver and gold

The temperature is rising / The fever white hot / Mister I ain't got nothing / But it's more than you've got

Agreed 100% there! Maybe it should rotate w/Sunday this tour?

I am suprised it has never reappeared, but I do not think it has been lost completely on them. Love and Peace strikes me as a somewhat similar song even though I think silver and gold is better- both take the perspective of someone angry w/ terrorists, militant, oppressive governments, etc and both have stand out guitar work and historical/religious references. Listen to how the studio version of silver and gold explodes at the end then listen to Love and Peace's explosion at the end and it is easy to draw a line from one to the next. Would not be suprised to see it again, and much like Electric co on the vertigo tour, it would really show all those casual U2 fans the kind of intensity and fierceness that they can and do play with live night in and night out.

 

[Screwtape2]

I believe that U2 should start to put a few classic songs to rest next tour, and this would be the perfect song to take over Sunday Bloody Sunday and kick off the whole political moment they like to have (and I like it too). It should defenitly comback. A powerhouse in my opinion.

Somehow I doubt Bono will in the same show try to convince the crowd to help Africa and then sing a song about slavery and apartheid.

 

[Bonochick]

We were studying apartheid in a class in high school, and my teacher let me play this song while we were taking our test. When Bono got to his speech and mentioned Bishop Tutu, my teacher yelled, "Bono's giving out answers!!" and shut it off.

 

[Addicted To Bad]

Silver and Gold is "gold medal" for me and in my life cause it´s the first U2 song I listened to and..... I felt in love with the band... the power of the song... and I think it´s one of the best Bono´s songwriting, no doubt!





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