U2's Musical Range

[MrBrau1]

One of the things I've always loved about U2 is their ability to explore musically, on top of their own signature sound. They do it so well it amazes me. The same band that wrote "Out Of Conrol" and "All I Want Is You" does things with country, blues, rockibilly, regge, R&B, Jazz, Irish Trad. and on and on and on. Look at the breadth of sound:

2 Shots Of Happy

Slow Dancing

In A Little While

Silver And Gold

Love Rescue Me

Don't Take Your Guns To Town

Fast Cars

Wild Irish Rose

Stuck In A Moment

Van Diemen's Land

Angel Of Harlem

The Wanderer

When Love Comes To Town

A Man And A Woman

Wild Honey

That's Life

Dreaming With Tears in My Eyes

These songs all have roots in something other than "Rock" music. Even "Desire" and "All Because Of You" are "Rock & Roll", not rock. I know, some are covers and only partial band projects, but that only speaks more about the talents of these fuckers.

I mean, come on, Irish guys playing Johnny Cash as Regge? And sounding really good doing it? For fucks sake!

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

i agree. people who don't like U2 really can't use the "but all their songs sound the same!!" argument. you play them (for example) pride/two shots/fast cars/tomorrow/when love comes to town and then tell them they're all the same band and ask them to try to argue those songs sound the same.

 

[Meghan]

When my friend discovered my iPod was dominated by U2, she used the "don't you think all their songs sound the same?" line. I then made her listen to Mofo. That shut her up.

 

[MrBrau1]

When my friend discovered my iPod was dominated by U2, she used the "don't you think all their songs sound the same?" line. I then made her listen to Mofo. That shut her up.

I know.

Mofo

Another Day

Crumbs From Your Table

Playboy Mansion

All the same band.

 

[Chizip]

wow, i was actually going to start this exact same thread last night

i was watching a lovetown special where it showed U2 playing Love Comes to Town with BB King. It was so awesome, blues and rock and roll combined to make a magical moment, and all I could think of was I can't believe this is the same band that also has songs like Mofo.

Anybody who says all U2 songs sound has absolutely no knowledge of U2 and/or music in general.

The diversity of U2's music is amazing, and is the reason that I never get sick of them, they have so many different types of music I can choose to listen to when I'm in the mood.

And with the diversity of U2's catalogue is there any wonder why U2 fans bicker so much? They have a ton of fans, and all of them will prefer one of their styles to another, but thats not a bad thing.

 

[starsgoblue]

Most people who aren't privy to the depth that is U2 only know either Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby...not both, just one or the other....

 

[timothius]

Most people who aren't privy to the depth that is U2 only know either Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby...not both, just one or the other....

I totally agree. Most people of my vintage the 16-21 year olds generally know 6 songs:

With Or Without You
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Where The Streets Have No Name
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Vertigo
Beautiful Day

After that they kind of stretch themselves. It's always fun to play Mysterious Ways and watch the.... ohhhhhhh thats U2 .

 

[MrBrau1]

Considering how many negative U2 threads there are on this board, usually about their unoriginality or repitition of past glories for radio play/cd sales, I'm expecting this will be the biggest U2 thread EVER on this board. Since there really is no arguement about their range. Tis fact. And every U2 fan can see this. Right?

 

[indra]

With all those different sounds they don't sound like U2!










Sorry. I just couldn't resist.

 

[No spoken words]

I could not agree more. Once you get to October, no 2 albums sound the same. Very hard to believe that the band that does "I Will Follow" also does "Heartland", etc.

That's one of the things that I love about them, their diversity and historical willingness to try new sounds and such. Sometimes it does not work, but more often than not, it does and it's thrilling, at least to me.

Anyone that says they sound the same way all the time, truly, has no clue. Want to say you do not like them? Cannot argue with that. Want to say New Year's Day sounds like Zooropa, All Because of You sounds like A Sort of Homecoming.....and on and on....? Wrong.

 

[Chizip]

I'm expecting this will be the biggest U2 thread EVER on this board. Since there really is no arguement about their range. Tis fact. And every U2 fan can see this. Right?

well since there is no argument about it as its an undisputed fact thats why it iwll probably be a short thread

 

[Zoomerang96]

diverse, indeed. there's no question about it at all.

 

[AtomicBono]

Most people at my school know U2 for two songs:

1. Elevation
2. Vertigo

If I'm really lucky, they might know All Because of You or Beautiful Day... that's it. They don't even know the classics. There are some exceptions (my friends, mostly through my intervention) but the majority...well, let's just put it this way: I was talking about how everyone overanalyzes the "uno dos tres catorce" thing, how some people think it's a reference to a Bible verse, and this guy goes "U2 aren't smart enough to write about BIBLE verses!"

...

Yeah.

I don't think most of those people could possibly comprehend me playing Mofo, Tomorrow, Two Shots of Happy..., The Playboy Mansion, Numb, and Red Hill Mining Town back to back and then saying "those are all U2 songs, by the way."

I love U2.

 

[U2girl]

They have a ton of fans, and all of them will prefer one of their styles to another, but thats not a bad thing.

 

[ZeroDude]

Yea, we have all come to conclude one thing

U2 RoX@INTraFence!1!!1!!>CoM

EdGE PWnZoOrS!!!!!1jbc67OOO7RS

 

[Pero]

Look the range on albums:
I will follow-"i thought that were some punkers"
October
New year's day
Wire
With or without you
Desire
The Fly
Lemon
Mofo-"i thought that were Prodigy"
Wild Honey
Love and peace or else

 

[Irishteen]

Thats why i love u2, there style changes so much.

 

[Cute Irish Bono]

Cool thread! My parents are going to take me to see U2 and they aren't big U2 fans and I said some of their stuff might sound different. And I believed my parents when they said that they were use to all kinds of music. But I thought, "If U2 plays Mofo, will they like it?" But I think they might end up liking an U2 song by seeing it live!

 

[Miricale_Drug]

Im 15 and the way to introduce my mates to u2 and get it to work is a 8 song list

Out of Control
Zoo Station
Mofo
All i want is you
Streets
Neon Lights
Smile / Acrobat
Are you Gonn wait forever?

So much variety
and they dont belive its all u2 then they're like 'wow'

 

[Regina]

My friend had only heard HTDAAB and some of Joshua Tree and thought they were "too generic". So I lent him War, UF, Rattle and Hum, Achtung Baby, and Pop. (He thinks I have a similarly limited exposure to Radiohead, so I have all his Radiohead cds in return.)

I think those should change his mind. Already he likes War.

 

[youtooellen]

haha. U2's musical range is completely insane. they can play anything ranging to everywhere..

my friend said that. she asked me why do I like U2 so much? don't you get sick of their music? and i tell her, no because their music isn't all identical. and she said what are you talking about? and then i made her listen to hmtmkmkm, stories for boys, and lastly..... miami...

my mammmmyyy
she was shocked. <--- her facial expression

 

[Shaliz]

Their musical range is definitely one of the things I admire most about this band. I get the same "Don't you get tired of listening to the same thing over and over" remarks. That's when I hit 'em with Running To Stand Still followed by Mofo followed by Love and Peace followed by Electric Co., etc., etc., etc.

 

[Shaliz]

I also think it's amazing that they can sound so completely different from album to album (and even from song to song within an album) and yet they always sound like U2. They always have their own unique take on whatever style/genre they're using.

 

[VertigoGal]

i agree. its fine if people dont like them, i suppose they dont do enough solos etc for some people's taste. that's fine. but ive never understand the argument that all their songs sound the same.

I Will Follow, Bad, Bullet the Blue Sky, So Cruel, Lemon, The Wanderer, Do You Feel Loved, and In a Little While do NOT sound the same at all.

i think im gonna go listen to a playlist of those songs now

 

[LJT]

My friend had only heard HTDAAB and some of Joshua Tree and thought they were "too generic". So I lent him War, UF, Rattle and Hum, Achtung Baby, and Pop. (He thinks I have a similarly limited exposure to Radiohead, so I have all his Radiohead cds in return.)

I think those should change his mind. Already he likes War.

Just wondering how he could think Joshua Tree was generic, other than its the sound that u2 created and has been copied ever since by some bands...

honestly some people...but good work on converting him

 

[Ifeelnumb84]

This thread has turned into a "lets name 10 U2 songs that sound nothing like each other" thread....and I like it!

This guy I work with recently said "Bono wrote a song twenty-five years ago and he's been singing it ever since."
And my own brother said of Sunday Bloody Sunday: They've been playing that damn song for 23 years."
Well I got news for them...Tomorrow isn't Mofo, and Electric Co. isn't Grace.
These guys are like five bands in one, and I love it.

 

[thrillme]

10 U2 songs that don't sound alike, ooh easy.

1. The Ocean
2. Tomorrow (uillean pipes anyone?)
3. Like a Song
4. Promenade
5. Boomerang II
6. Trip through your wires
7. Love is Blindness
8.Numb
9. Please
10. A Man & a woman.

 

[Sue DeNym]

well, let's just put it this way: I was talking about how everyone overanalyzes the "uno dos tres catorce" thing, how some people think it's a reference to a Bible verse, and this guy goes "U2 aren't smart enough to write about BIBLE verses!"

This is where you cue up "40".

Yeah, some people really are ignorant; fortunately, that kind of ignorance can be cured relatively quickly.

"Stay"
"Mofo"
"A Day Without Me"
"Tomorrow"
"Angel of Harlem"
"Elevation"
"Two Hearts Beat As One"
"Acrobat"
"North and South of the River"

Yeah, let's see someone claim "U2 songs all sound alike," after hearing that playlist!

 

[irishdove]

I'm glad this thread was posted. This is exactly the reason it took me so long to get into this band. The radio stations where I live only play songs from JT and AB, generally. While I always liked u2, I also thought all their songs sounded similar, and stupid me, never bothered to listen to anything else. When I got into them Pop completely blew me away!

 

[RademR]

this is probably what makes u2 my favorite band. I love Zeppelin and Floyd, but u2 are the only band I can listen to every day of my life and never get tired of.

This is the reason.