gvox
Ghost of Love
Pride fits on TUF just fine.
The band's entire history would be different if Pride wasn't on the album.
The band's entire history would be different if Pride wasn't on the album.
THat video is trip, not Wire!
Hell, without Pride on this album, I doubt U2 would have ever got to the level where we are discussing them and this song nearly 30 years later.
I for one (and from what I can tell, the OP too) aren't disputing it's a great thing Pride IS on the album in terms of what it meant for the band's rise at that time. Thank goodness they had a blockbusting big single to get them in the charts, on the radio, play at Live Aid etc. I just don't think it fits with the rest of the record in terms of feel.
I for one (and from what I can tell, the OP too) aren't disputing it's a great thing Pride IS on the album in terms of what it meant for the band's rise at that time. Thank goodness they had a blockbusting big single to get them in the charts, on the radio, play at Live Aid etc. I just don't think it fits with the rest of the record in terms of feel.
Every U2 album has its mixture of radio hits+angsty+political+ethereal+subdued+fist-pumping etc etc. Without this mix its not a U2 album. It's....well nevermind.
Maybe it might not seem like it fits because there's 1 maybe 2 b-sides (at best) on the album that drag it down and could have been scrapped in favour of gems like Love Comes Tumbling etc. Other songs on the album have typical potentially radio friendly song structures also, Pride is not alone in that regard. Pride also works well as a bridge from the politically charged previous album, War.
Pride? Fits just fine to me, in answer to David's original question.
Here's what should have or at least could have happened around that time IMO; TWO albums: TUF should have included Pride as well as Love Comes Tumbling and The Three Sunrises but not included 4th of July and Elvis Presley and America. The 2nd album could have been an experimental type album and included those latter two songs as well as the other more "ambient" B-sides from around that time and maybe been released in '85. Also, if Bad had been done on the album like it was later done live I think it could have been a hit single. I think this reworked TUF could have been huge. Pride is fantastic but I feel they held too much back on the rest of the album and didn't unleash their full potential. So I guess my idea is kind of the opposite of what the OP suggested!
I haven't thought about it before, but Pride really doesn't fit the ethereal feeling created by the other sings on TUF. I usually skip it because I've heard it so often that I would rather hear something else than take the time to listen to it again.
But if I were to remove a song from TUF, it would be "Elvis Presley and America." That pile of noise can barely be called a song and is the Worst U2 Song Ever(TM). I've expressed my hatred for that... thing before, so I'll stop there.