HTDAAB vs Your Favorite U2 Album

[Miggy D]

After having listened to HTDAAB about 8 times, all I can still manage to think is:

I don't believe how strong all of these tracks are.

Sure, I could do without the jangling xylaphone thingies on COBL, and the semi-weird breakdown bridge on SYCMIOYO (still a fantastic song), but this album, as others have so aptly said, is a sheer monster.

ATYCLB had one of the weakest B-sides of any U2 album ever. I can hardly imagine listening to that album (save Beautiful Day) again now that I have this new masterpiece.

I thought, however, it would be fun to compare this new U2 album to your previous favorite. Track by track, overall, etc - however you would like to write your post, go for it!

A lot of people are saying it's their 3rd best album after AB and JT, and I think that they may be right, but let's see how the album stands up to 'vs' scrutiny. I know the album is still very fresh in our minds, but I think this is a healthy exercise.

So have fun with this, guys and gals!

-Miggster

 

[namkcuR]

Already two threads started on this about AB and ATYCLB.

 

[Miggy D]

Perhaps, but those are very album specific. This opens it up to their entire catalog. (UF, War, etc.)

 

[Yahweh]

With more listens this might become my favourite U2 album. It has the political songs that U2 has always been good at making. It has the personal songs, with the death of Bono's father, it has a lot of deep conceptual work and fits very well musically as an album. Id probably say in quality it is close to a tie with Achtung Baby.

For me its explained like this

How to dismantle an atomic bomb = although very political and personal it is really an album filled with joy and uplifing music with a real positive message.

Achtung Baby = A very dark album, as an album concept I dont think it gets any better then this. All the tracks are very strong front to back.

I am very glad to be alive for the growth of U2 though, they are certainly one of a kind.

 

[Axver]

I think I've made it pretty clear that The Unforgettable Fire is my favourite U2 album. Or at least was. Hut Dab is stunning; there isn't a single weak track, even when they are taken out of context. On UF, 4th Of July MUST be listened to as the connection between Promenade and Bad or it just doesn't work. On JT, I don't like TTYW in isolation but enjoy it in the studio and live context.

There are four past U2 releases that I do not consider to have any weak tracks, even when taken in isolation: Boy, October, UABRS, and WAIA, and the latter two are ruled out of calculations because they are not studio albums. However, overall, they do not match up to UF, and the individual songs may be good when taken by themselves, but some are just ordinary songs that aren't anything overly special (i.e. Another Time Another Place, I Fall Down). So while I consider a couple of UF tracks to be weak out of context, I still feel that the album is superior to the two that do not have any weak tracks in my opinion. And JT is simply a classic. UF is my favourite of the two, but ranking the songs individually sometimes results in JT receiving a superior result.

So Hut Dab has to match up to UF and JT. It does that and more. Each song is fantastic both in its place on the album AND out of context. There isn't a single weak song, and ... wow, it's astounding. Right now, I think they've just made their best work.

 

[bonojr62]

well its not Zooropa But its My favorite album next to Zooropa.

 

[saltwaterkiss26]

Axver, because of that post I'm going to think of this album as 'Hut Dab' for the rest of my life...

 

[artdirector]

Umm this song by far exceeds the last. The writing is great and the song structures are solid.

 

[2861U2]

My old favorite was POP. This is defintetly my new favorite album now.

1) Vertigo vs Discotheque- I love both, but Discotheque is my favorite song. Winner = POP

2) Miracle Drug vs Do You Feel Loved- Winner = HTDAAB

3) SYCMIOYO vs Mofo- Winner = HTDAAB

4) LAPOE vs IGWSHA- Winner = POP

5) City Of Blinding Lights vs Staring at the Sun- Winner = HTDAAB

6) ABOY vs Last Night on Earth- Winner = POP (barely)

7) AMAAW vs Gone- Winner = POP

8) Crumbs From Your Table vs Miami- Winner = HTDAAB (no contest)

9) One Step Closer vs The Playboy Mansion- Winner = POP

10) OOTS vs IYWTVD- Winner = HTDAAB

11) Yahweh vs Please- HTDAAB

12) Fast Cars vs Wake Up Dead Man- Winner = POP

Well folks, looks like we have a tie, 6-6. Tie goes to HTDAAB, just cuz I like it more.