Rattle & Hum...20something years later..

[gvox]

Have absolutely no idea where to post this, just wanted to share a little story from my summer travels...it's always hard to come back to the city but a little something happened yesterday that ended the summer on a great, if not wistful, note.

I spent most of my teen years in a small town in Muskoka. Typical one traffic light one high school type deal. We had an opera house for live culture and, right across the narrow main street, a one screen movie cinema that looked like something out of the 1940s.

When Rattle & Hum came out, I went and saw it at least 4 times that week, probably 5 but I can only recall 4 of them . I think for the last 2 showings I was one of maybe 3 people in the theatre.

Flash forward to today..the theatre was closed some years ago, sat dormant and then was converted into retail space and while I've been back since I hadn't really paid attention to what it became. Yesterday on the way home from camping my daughter and I decided to stop in to this town for pizza. While we were waiting we decided to take a stroll on down past that corner again.

The original marquee is still up, and now advertises a musician's store. With a heck of alot of antique guitars and boutique amps, etc. A children's dance studio fills out the back space where the actual cinema used to be.

So my daughter and I wander in, and the first thing she notices is a rack of vinyl. With a U2 section. With every album from Boy up to Achtung Baby. So I'm flipping through them, feeling all nostalgic and such. Then I come to their copy of Rattle & Hum. The vinyl is in mint shape and has a $20 price tag on it. The other albums were a reasonable $5 and $10, depending on their condition. I felt like buying up the entire lot, but as it was the end of the trip and my pennies need to go towards back to school supplies etc, I eventually walked out without buying anything.

When we were back on the sidewalk I told my daughter what seeing the copy of R&H meant to me and how I had gone to see the movie multiple times right at that very spot - in fact, the vinyl rack now occupying the exact physical space that the person who sold me my movie tickets would have, back then.

She raised her eyebrows, looked at me and said "and you're NOT buying that record?!?"

Needless to say, I went back in and grabbed it along with a copy of UABRS that I'm hoping will have the unedited Electric Co included. The guy in the store and I chatted about what the place used to be etc and I guess both of us got a bit distracted...because when I got back in the car and looked down at my receipt I saw he had charged me a grand total of $20 for both albums.

I've purposely left the name of the store out because I intend to get back up there and grab up the other U2 albums

 

[doctorwho]

I'm happy for your memories.

I'm terrible at seeing U2 at the theater. I missed both R&H and U2:3D at the theaters.

But I am an older fan and early on, vinyl was the way to get U2. When CD's hit the world big in the later 80's, not only did I buy CD's, but I would receive U2 CD's as gifts. One of my favorite gifts ever from a friend came in 1988, when he bought me both R&H and TUF on CD! I was so happy.

Funny though, in 1992, I bought another friend the AB CD and she said thanks, but she didn't have a CD player! I was shocked by this - I thought everyone had one by then. So tapes and vinyl still had their place even at that time.

I still remember seeing the "October" vinyl for the first time. I got into U2 with "War", but instead of going back, I looked forward. I loved TUF (still do) and, in order to preserve the album, I made a tape of it. I wore out the poor tape listening to it so much in my car. Eventually, I did go backwards in time and was stunned to see U2 on the "October" album cover - they just looked so different.

Today, vinyl is more for collecting. I have all the albums in the vinyl format. I try to get the 45 rpm of their singles if available as well. Vinyl does wear out, and even though I have a good turntable, often I'm hesitant to play U2 on it. But I love having the albums. There's a part of me that wishes we could still have albums as the main way to play music. Sadly, this is one loss of the digital era (where even CD's may fade completely in a few years).

 

[BVS]

Rattle and Hum was my first ever CD purchase, I was in 8th grade and mowed yards all summer saved up for a CD player and had enough money to buy one CD. It was also my first U2 album so it holds a certain soft spot in my heart.

I've since then had to replace that CD twice.

 

[corianderstem]

Rattle and Hum was what made me from a plain old fan to a diehard fan.

I was sick and stayed home school one day that week when it came out, and I asked my mom if she would pick up a copy of the tape for me with my allowance money when she was out buying groceries.

I saw it a handful of time in the local theater. Once with my aunt (who would also go with me in '92 to my first U2 concert), once with a friend who worked at the theater and got us in for free, and once with two cousins who were in town - that time, there was only one other person in the theater with us, and was not amused by our singing along and "whoo!"-ing at the screen.

 

[Salome]

yeah, R&H is where it all started for me too
listened to the album a couple of times a week or so ago
and still reckon it's an excellent album
they were so on top of their game back then

 

[doctorwho]

yeah, R&H is where it all started for me too
listened to the album a couple of times a week or so ago
and still reckon it's an excellent album
they were so on top of their game back then

With all due respect to R&H, I have to disagree with that last statement. I see lots of brilliance on the album, but also some setbacks. And R&H suffers a bit from the JT problem in that too many songs blend together. But I do NOT want this wonderful thread about reminiscing to deviate into yet another topic about U2 "at their best", so I won't say another word on this.

I do recall stories from some fans feeling R&H was too dark. And I tend to agree here. One of my favorite R&H tracks is "Hawkmoon", but that is a dark song. Even the more joyous sounding "Angel of Harlem" has some dark lyrics regarding Billy Holiday's life.

The most amusing R&H comment I heard was after "Desire" was released. My roommate at the time stated how "different" U2 sounds now (after JT, I guess). I wonder what that person thought about U2 when AB was released! It's funny how people demand change, but when change occurs, they complain about how different it is.

 

[corianderstem]

R&H is far from the top of my list of favorite U2 albums now, and I rarely listen to the whole thing. However, there are a few songs on it I absolutely love. I almost always skip all the live tracks on it (although I've always liked their All Along the Watchtower).

I much prefer the movie's version of I Still Haven't Found, rathr than the soundtrack concert version.

I just watched the DVD last week. The performance stuff is amazing. The rest makes me cringe and laugh a little bit.

 

[Canadiens1131]

I guess I could describe the Rattle and Hum era as, uh, the "Ill-advised Overenthusiastic Period of Authentic American Discovery".

Glad they went away to dream it all up again and managed to pull themselves out of the decade that spawned them, unlike most of their counterparts.

 

[gvox]

Loved reading the above replies..although my post isn't so much about R&H as a piece of music, or even about being where it all began for me. To be honest it's not my favorite U2 album by a long shot either...TUF and JT were the tapes I wore out, literally.

But at that time it was the closest I could get to seeing U2 live on anything bigger than a TV, and even the opportunities to see the stuff I saw on TV up to that point were very few and far between. I had a mental image of who U2 "were" or "what they stood for" but it was entirely an image conjured up over 5-6 years (ie from 11 Oclock to JT) of very little of anything else to go on but the lyrics, music and the album artwork.

I'm not sure whether R&H helped shore up that image and it was a bit too ridiculous in parts, but I remember at that age just being so awed by the thing and if anything it helped increase my belief that this was going to be the biggest band of my generation.

 

[UberBeaver]

I used to listen to Rattle and Hum while playing one of the Super Mario games on Nintendo, 2 or 3, I think. So that's what I think of when I think of Rattle and Hum. I tried to watch the movie once, but I didn't get too far.

 

[gvox]

^ Yeah but you're not even really a U2 fan, for crissakes!

 

[bonocomet]

That's a nice story gvox.

 

[UberBeaver]

^ Yeah but you're not even really a U2 fan, for crissakes!

Doesn't mean I don't have feelings.

 

[gvox]

Doesn't mean I don't have feelings.

Well in that case..

 

[thelaj]

I love the Rattle and Hum film, love the live performances... that version of SBS was what got me into the band back in 2000 when I downloaded it from Napster (under the name "sunday bloody sunday - acoustic"

Can't stand the album though... think it is the worst of their albums. I'll take Desire, AIWIY and God Part 2 and give/take the rest.

Fantastic cover art though - I have it as a poster.

 

[doctorwho]

Fantastic cover art though - I have it as a poster.

This reminds me of another comment I heard in the late ZOO TV era.

A U2 fan I "knew" (internet friend only - we were both in college, so we had ready access to the 'net in '93-'95 before it took over the world) stated once that the U2 of JT and R&H were "cool". They looked cool and looked like guys one would want to hang with.

In contrast, the ZOO TV era U2 were now inaccessible. Sure, they had the leather and cool clothes, but they no longer looked like people one could just have a beer with.

Of course, part of the ZOO TV image was to be the "cool rock star". But did that image go TOO far?

I always felt the R&H images were "cool" too, but there are some fun AB images as well. So not really sure which is better. Interested in hearing comments on this one.

And by the way, U2 of this past decade does seem more accessible. In fact, with Bono's political rants in their recent show in Russia, one wonders if this U2 is the closest we've come to the late 80's U2.

 

[65980]

I also discovered the band in the Rattle & Hum era. The movie's live footage was and is stunning.

I think the studio cuts on R&H are almost as good as The Joshua Tree, and are much better than albums like Zooropa or Pop.

 

[cobl04]

the first time i saw the movie was also the first time i think that i had the house to myself until very late into the night (about 1am). i must have been about 15. i was a bit spooked to be honest, but watching the movie was an amazing experience.

seeing how passionate Bono was during Sunday Bloody Sunday, how the power of With or Without You almost bought me to tears, how Bad, with its Rolling Stones snippets made me forgot about time, how awesome Exit was now that i could hear it clearly, and how the hell does a simple red screen conjure up feelings?

then it was over, and i watched half of Basic Instinct and was quite excited by that, and then Mum and Dad came home and i went to bed.

 

[U2387]

This reminds me of another comment I heard in the late ZOO TV era.

A U2 fan I "knew" (internet friend only - we were both in college, so we had ready access to the 'net in '93-'95 before it took over the world) stated once that the U2 of JT and R&H were "cool". They looked cool and looked like guys one would want to hang with.

In contrast, the ZOO TV era U2 were now inaccessible. Sure, they had the leather and cool clothes, but they no longer looked like people one could just have a beer with.

Of course, part of the ZOO TV image was to be the "cool rock star". But did that image go TOO far?

I always felt the R&H images were "cool" too, but there are some fun AB images as well. So not really sure which is better. Interested in hearing comments on this one.

And by the way, U2 of this past decade does seem more accessible. In fact, with Bono's political rants in their recent show in Russia, one wonders if this U2 is the closest we've come to the late 80's U2.

I can't answer the question, but you pose a very interesting one in a good post as always!

I am not really too sure. I don't buy the whole idea that the world was fed up with U2 in the R&H era and were responding to some specific kind of gripe they had about them being too arrogant or too earnest or whatever. I think it was just overexposure to a world with a shortening attention span....

To me, they always had the "rock star" in them, but in their own original way. Bono is a rock and roll front man that many, many look to for inspiration. The War white flag, rigging climbs, Live Aid and the JT era rants about the IRA and Reagan are almost iconic pieces of rock history.

In addition, the Lovetown tour saw U2 playing around a bit more with the rock star image- covering standards like Watchtower and doing the whole Edge posing and solo-ing in "Desire" and rock and roll star.

I tend to see Zoo TV as more of a natural evolution for U2- though being as innovative as they were in their day(and still are to an extent we here at blue crack will never all agree on!!)- certainly innovated on a sharper and faster curve than most. Hence the jarring transition from the simple, mostly black and white R&H to the colorful outfits and leather jackets/vest in an environment of sensory overload of Zoo TV.

I remember we had a bunch of people at my college suite a few years back and the ZOO TV Sydney show was on one of the movie channels. One kid started going on and on about how he hated U2. Me and about 3 others responded and got him to admit he just made a pretty stupid statement and there is no way a band who has done so much for so long sucks. Then he concedes "I'm sure they used to be sick, but come on, look at Bono up there. I don't like him when he does that shit these days."

After I pointed out to him that this was 1993, not 2006(the yr of the conversation), I asked him to please hear me out. Then I told him it is more than understandable for a person who does not know much about the band and their history to be put off by watching Bono during Zoo Station and The Fly. I explained the criticism they got during JT/R&H- "arrogant" "self important" "they're rock stars," why are they trying to save the world and think they are God's gift to it?" I had him interested. Then I said to me and most of the world(judging by their massive success in the late 1980s), they did not come off like that, they came off as original, genuinely passionate people with a fire under their ass and something to convey through their music. But the people who saw it differently had a field day with this criticism, it got out there, and all of a sudden, it wasn't "cool" to like U2. I then brought in the kicker: The Zoo era image was in large part a conscious middle finger to the critics- "you want your egotistical rock star, you've got him, here he is exaggerated as all hell and in your face supporting a mind blowing new album." He even has 2 friends that are introduced and developed in the encores!!

Now, this kid thought they were brilliant- the irony of it all, etc. He was the 1st to respond about 3 minutes after I posted an extra 360 ticket on Facebook last year!

I have always said this and it bears repeating. In the 80s, the image was more earnest than fun but that does not mean there wasn't still fun- "Party Girl" ridiculous Bono antics with the crowd on the War Tour, etc. In the 90s, the image was more irony and fun, but that does not mean there wasn't still earnestness- Bono was pretty damn serious talking about Sarajevo or the Gulf War or the Sellafield Nuclear Reactor, etc.

I view Elevation as a conscious attempt to resurrect the 80s intimacy and earnestness. I think Vertigo continued some more in that vein- with a very similar Sunday Bloody Sunday mid song rant routine, the combination of Bullet and Running.... and the closing of the show with 40. But Vertigo also added in the Zoo TV encores and the train conductor outfit and Bono and Adam especially acted more like "rock stars."

I think 360 definitely shoots for both images, kind of like Vertigo. Last year in Milan(when he called out Berlusconi, sp?) and this year in Moscow was the first time in a while I remember him being controversially political. Elevation and Vertigo were all about working together, both sides, to build support for a cause. Everyone was praised, sure, some were prodded kind of strongly(Paul Martin) but nothing like the 7/7/09 show were Silvio B is called out by Bono for breaking a promise. The opposite poles are "Reagan is the problem" of 1987 and "GW Bush is a partner in the struggle against extreme poverty, but he really bit off too big a piece with Iraq" cerca 2005-08. He seems to be cautiously moving more toward the pole of the late 80s. Caution is the operative word there, you probably wont hear nightly f-bomb laced rants or see anything controversial become the norm. The political staples- opposition to Ahmadinijead, support for Sui Kyi and support for the struggle against extreme poverty probably poll around 95% in most places. Bono is not controversial about how he presents his case w/Africa, far, far from it.

So that, plus the fact that a strong political statement is made in a good part of the set accounts for the earnestness. However, the plodding, long haired somewhat awkward Bono of Vertigo has been replaced by a leaner, shorter haired, seemingly more strutting Bono on 360 who has brought the physical image and stage presence closer to the 90s with his styled hair and all leather outfits of the 2010 leg. He is even racing around doing the shadow boxing he did during Popmart sometimes!

360 reminds me of a lot of eras now. His voice has some 80s richness coming back, the shows are getting a bit more political, the production/image has a lot of 90s in it and the set list heavily represents 2000s work.

A lot of rambling, hope I made some sense.

The key point:

I can see how the general public could view Zoo TV as the time when U2 went from down to earth cool guys to inaccessible rock stars, but once a little research is done, that view quickly breaks down.

 

[No spoken words]

Paging Polonius......

 

[65980]

I see U2's entire career as being earnest, including the early 90s. There was a period in 1991 to 1998 when they (read: Bono and Edge) became very self-conscious about appearing 'earnest', and so the band tried to sell an un-earnest image to the masses. Of course, everyone could see through it, so it worked best when it was played for humour and not for cool. Unfortunately, Bono in the 2000s has often tried to do both "earnest" and "cool" at the same time, and he falls flat in doing so. U2 should never try to be cool -- they're not.

Maybe Adam can just fart more during interviews.

 

[AndrewCowley]

The best live footage of any band. Ever. Period.

They way the Denver show was filmed in B&W is incredible. It looks gorgeous. Seen nothing else like it.

Even if I hated their music I still think I'd look at R&H and think 'wow' at how it was filmed.

 

[gvox]

Paging Polonius......

lol

 

[gvox]

The best live footage of any band. Ever. Period.

They way the Denver show was filmed in B&W is incredible. It looks gorgeous. Seen nothing else like it.

Even if I hated their music I still think I'd look at R&H and think 'wow' at how it was filmed.

I tend to agree. It's virtually impossible not to be awed by that footage. Probably why the so-called 'cringeworthy' parts stick less in my mind than those parts.

 

[david]

I remember buying it in 1992 after getting into their pre-Achtung Baby material, and was disappointed when I first put it on that the songs from the movie that I thought were awesome (Exit, Bad, etc) were not on the album.

This was before the internet for me and before my U2 fanaticism so I wasn't able to just decipher from the credits of the movie the name of all the songs.

 

[hiphop]

rattle & hum is my favourite u2 album and always was. i was introduced to u2 by an italian girl who travelled to greece with me, we sat in that hotel room on a bed with white sheets and i remember clearly. it was hot. at that time, people used to run around with a walkman. not with mobile phones, discmen or god forbid, mp3 players. so i had one of those walkmen. it was a cassette tape. and god part II was on it. she was in her bikini and i listened to that song.. i believe in love.. looking at her, i said thats a helluva great song. sweet seduction of music.


it took me some more years to get back to the song "god" by john lennon

and a couple more years to forget both songs

i guess everything changes

 

[monsieur fly]

I'm not a fan of R and H- it sums everything I dislike about late 1980s U2. That said AIWIY remains a classic and God Part II is great... but because it sounds nothing like the rest of the album. That says it all for me. But I love what followed of course

 

[nathan1977]

When I was a kid, I wasn't allowed to listen to much music. Radio wasn't really a fixture in our house; as a result, it wasn't until the summer of '88 when I started realizing that I could listen to and tape songs off the radio. This was kind of the in-between time for U2 -- between Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum. I remember seeing ads for R&H on TV, but I naively grouped them in with Megadeth, Bon Jovi, and other bands I wasn't allowed to listen to then. (What can I say? I think it was Edge's stonewashed jeans and long hair.)

In 1991 however, the house rules were looser and I could start listening to what I wanted to. As a result, I made a conscious decision to get into certain bands -- The Cure, Sting, Peter Gabriel. U2 was on that list. The first CD of theirs that I purchased was "Achtung Baby," at In Your Ear on Thayer Street in Providence. It was pretty inexpensive -- so much so that I also bought an "Achtung Baby" poster (the same image as the album cover). I ran home that night and listened to it after hours -- got through "Ultraviolet" before I had to turn it off and go to sleep. The next morning I picked up where I left off, listened to "Acrobat" and "Love is Blindness," and was hooked. I promptly ordered Joshua Tree from the BMG Music Club and then proceeded to wait the two months it seemed to take them to ship. In the meantime, Christmas came, and my cousin got me Rattle and Hum.

I still love that album. "Bullet," "I Still Haven't," "Pride" all are insane live versions, and most of the album tracks still hold up -- "Desire," "Angel of Harlem," "Hawkmoon," and "All I Want is You" are about as good as they've ever been, IMHO. Bono has said that Jimmy Iovine's production process really was this: they would bring him songs. He would say, "Great verse melodies." They'd say, "So it's done?" He'd say, "No, make your verses your choruses and then go back and write your verses." As a result, the songs feel complete.

 

[joerags]

I love Rattle and Hum. To me, Bono's lyric writing was the best on Rattle and Hum.

Hawkmoon 269, All I want is You, Angel of Harlem, God Part II.

 

[hiphop]

fuck, where did that link to the phonespot come from? mods do me a favor and delete this "m ph" word. i am NOT amused having by literary orgasms being used for fucking advertising.