Songs that are a hint for other U2 albums

[BANZAI]

A lot of u2 albums have got 1 or a few songs that are a hint of the musical style of their next album (or song). I don't know if it's really possible, but I'm gonna give it a try.


1. Boy - Stories for Boys
2. October - Rejoice
3. War - Surrender
4. The Unforgettable Fire - Pride
5. The Joshua Tree - IGC/TTYW
6. Rattle and Hum - God Part II (and Night and Day)
7. Achtung Baby - Zoo Station
8. Zooropa - Dirty Day (and Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill)
9. Pop - Wake Up Dead Man (and Sweetest Thing/ TGBHF)
10. ATYCLB - Kite (and Electrical Storm)
11. HTDAAB - Fast Cars?
12. Fez

So what do you think about it? It was harder than I thought it would be. I'd like to hear your suggestions.

 

[DevilsShoes]

Well Bill Graham the Hot Press journalist who knew the band very well had a theory that the final track/tracks on each album gave a good clue about the direction the band would take on the next record. Its not a bad theory and there is some truth in it.

Stranger In A Strange Land/Rejoice herald the more milataristic approach of Sunday Bloody Sunday and Seconds of War.

The more soothing and calming 40 is followed up by the more atmospheric and surreal feel of Unforgettable Fire.

The lusher arragments of UF and MLK plus Elvis Presley In America kind of prefigures u2's most American records with both JT and Rattle And Hum.

Exit and God Part 2 reflect the harsher, more aggressive tone of Achtung Baby with Zoo Station UTEOTW and The Fly.

The sensory overload and confusion of Zoo Tv informs the uncertainty and isolation of Zooropa.

The Wanderer gets us ready for the synthy melodies of Pop and Wake Up Dead Man indicates the more stripped back and straight to the heart emotionalism of ATYCLB.

Whether or not Yaweh clues us into the tone and feel of the next album remains to be seen.

 

[europop2005]

MLK is a direct intro into WTSHNN

 

[BANZAI]

MLK is a direct intro into WTSHNN

Yeah I noticed that, but MLK hasn't got the same musical style as The Joshua Tree. Instead, Pride is their first BIG song like Streets and has also a little bit the same guitar sound.


And IMO Surrender is the first song that has an atmospheric sound you can also hear in a way on The Unforgettable Fire

 

[pepokiss]

Papa sing my sing my sing my song!!!

 

[AndrewCowley]

Well Bill Graham the Hot Press journalist who knew the band very well had a theory that the final track/tracks on each album gave a good clue about the direction the band would take on the next record. Its not a bad theory and there is some truth in it.

Stranger In A Strange Land/Rejoice herald the more milataristic approach of Sunday Bloody Sunday and Seconds of War.

The more soothing and calming 40 is followed up by the more atmospheric and surreal feel of Unforgettable Fire.

The lusher arragments of UF and MLK plus Elvis Presley In America kind of prefigures u2's most American records with both JT and Rattle And Hum.

Exit and God Part 2 reflect the harsher, more aggressive tone of Achtung Baby with Zoo Station UTEOTW and The Fly.

The sensory overload and confusion of Zoo Tv informs the uncertainty and isolation of Zooropa.

The Wanderer gets us ready for the synthy melodies of Pop and Wake Up Dead Man indicates the more stripped back and straight to the heart emotionalism of ATYCLB.

Whether or not Yaweh clues us into the tone and feel of the next album remains to be seen.

You didn't find a place for Grace in your analysis. Perhaps it signalled 'more of the same'.

 

[BVS]

A lot of u2 albums have got 1 or a few songs that are a hint of the musical style of their next album (or song). I don't know if it's really possible, but I'm gonna give it a try.


1. Boy - Stories for Boys
2. October - Rejoice
3. War - Surrender
4. The Unforgettable Fire - Pride
5. The Joshua Tree - IGC/TTYW
6. Rattle and Hum - God Part II (and Night and Day)
7. Achtung Baby - Zoo Station
8. Zooropa - Dirty Day (and Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill)
9. Pop - Wake Up Dead Man (and Sweetest Thing/ TGBHF)
10. ATYCLB - Kite (and Electrical Storm)
11. HTDAAB - Fast Cars?
12. Fez

So what do you think about it? It was harder than I thought it would be. I'd like to hear your suggestions.

Not bad, I can see that...

 

[ahittle]

Yeah, I've thought about this from time to time. The MLK into Streets always seemed obvious, and Bono even said that God Part II was the first song they wrote for AB (or something like that). Leads me to believe that Fast Cars could be the next logical step. Sorry to say, but most everything else on Bomb seems to be a dead end in some ways - except maybe OOTS, but I'm not a huge fan of that tune. I always thought Elevation bridged into Bomb a bit, especially in its attempts at the rock.

It's also an interesting theory because it points out that even though album releases are discreet, separated events, they are really just a snapshot of a band's writing in some random point in time. Some of the songs could have been on different albums had they been completely finished or whatnot.

Good thread.

 

[U2girl]

Boy and October are very similar. I like to think one song usually sticks out on U2 albums, and often hints at the next direction:

Rejoice - > War (the militaristic drums)
Drowning Man - > UF (the spacy, eerie sounds)
Pride - > JT (the delay echoing the soundcapes coming)
Trip - > Rattle and Hum (bluesy American sound)
God part II - > AB (harsher, aggressive guitar)
Tryin' to throw your arms around the world - > Zooropa (sinthy sounds of Zooropa)
Some days are better than others - > Pop (disco-ish future on Pop)
Staring at the sun - > ATYCLB (straightfoward, melodic writing)
Walk on - > Bomb (return to classic U2 sound)

...Fast cars/LAPOE - > "Fez" album and Rubin sessions ?