What songs would you sample to demonstrate U2's versatility?

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jick

jick

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Dave Matthews, Bon Jovi, The Beatles, Radiohead, John Mayer - you've heard one you've heard them all. Absolutely zero versatility.

U2 on the other hand have a lot of versatility. If you were to pick a handful of songs to play to a non-U2 fan to let him arrive at the conclusion that these songs aren't from the same band, what songs would you pick? I'd pick:

Miami (Bono in spoken word song)
Numb (Edge talking)
Lemon (100% falsetto with some disco beats)
Van Diemen's Land (only Edge and a guitar)
I Still Haven't Found (Bono singing/scream the high notes the entire song)
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me (no Edge signature guitars whatsoever)
Your Blue Room (Bono's horny low voice)
Pride/Streets/Bad (whatever it is, you need to have a song that shows U2's signature style)


Cheers,

J
 
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Two songs would suffice: "Streets" and "The Fly". I could throw in more, but these are about as far apart as any two songs in the catalog.

And you might want to think twice about calling the Beatles unversatile -- compare "I Want To Hold Your Hand" with "Tomorrow Never Knows" with "Come Together", for a start.
 
Aardvark747 said:
A Man And A Woman
Lemon
Mofo
If You Wear That Velvet Dress
Your Blue Room
In A Little While
Two Shots Of Happy, One Shot Of Sad
Numb
Click to expand...

MOFO has to be there!

What about Love is Blindness?
 
jick said:
Dave Matthews, Bon Jovi, The Beatles, John Mayer - you've heard on you've heard them all. Absolutely zero versatility.

U2 on the other hand have a lot of versatility. If you were to pick a handful of songs to play to a non-U2 fan to let him arrive at the conclusion that these songs aren't from the same band.


Cheers,

J
Click to expand...



I'd have to protest that The Beatles had zero versatility, obviously you're not very familiar with their catalogue or just trying to get a reaction. I grew up living with my mother and sister who were complete Beatle fanatics so I've heard all there songs thousands of time. So far The Beatles is only other band I've discovered with as nearly much versatility as U2.

I would agree that most of their pre 1965 lacks versatility, but after then they start really diversifying. For example, take a pre 1965 song like I Wanna Hold Your Hand and play it back to back with Let It Be or Tomorrow Never Dies or Obla Di Obla Da or Eleanor Rigby - I could go on but I can't be bothered.

Of course its all subjective and that's just my opinion blah blah blah... But post 1965 they had 3 different song writers and all the members sung at least one song on each album. So that tends to create a degree of versatility.

Now keeping on topic. If it was U2 I'd play back to back

Mofo
Van Diemiens Land
One Shot of Happy, Two Shots of Sad
A Celebration
Wild Honey
Daddy' Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car
Dreaming With A Tear In My Eye

I could go on, but I can't be bothered...
 
jick said:
The Beatles, Radiohead - you've heard one you've heard them all. Absolutely zero versatility.


J
Click to expand...

You sir, either know nothing about music, haven't listened to these bands at all, or once again, are just trying to get a rise out of people. If you think the Beatles and Radiohead have no versatility, then you are an ignoramus. :censored:
 
Out of control
October
Unforgettable fire
Bullet the blue sky or God part II
Van Dieman's Land
All I want is you
The fly
Lemon
MOFO
In a little while
A Man and A Woman
Fact cars

I figured I'd make it the size of an average album, Plus bonus track fast cars, lol

:wink:
 
Mofo and I Will Follow, simply because they're about 17 years apart, about the same subject (Bono's mother) and sound so different.

Or perhaps Mofo and Streets, two songs that I consider to be both sides of the same coin.
 
Not the worst topic, got me thinking. I can´t really choose songs, but for the sake of it then i would probarly just take The Joshua tree and Pop, and play a few songs from both.

BUT, know your music history. Dont put The Beatles in the same lameass catagory as Bon Jovi. Every beatles song is exciting, though the late period was SUPERB.
John, Paul, George and Ringo.....RULES... Now and forever.
 
Radiohead not versatile? OK- Go listen to Street Spirit, Idioteque, My Iron Lung, and just for fun, Anyone Can Play Guitar

And the Beatles

She Loves You
Helter Skelter
Tomorrow Never Knows
Let it Be

Now, as for showing the diversity of U2


Out of Control
Van Diemen's Land
God Part II
Bad
Bullet the Blue Sky
Mysterious Ways
Until the End of the World
Lemon
MoFo
Hold Me Thrill me Kiss Me Kill Me
In a Little While
 
(not in order)

Stateless
Night and Day
Don't Take Your Guns to Town
Alex Descends Into Hell...
Where the Streets Have No Name
In a Little While
Mysterious Ways
Lemon
Bullet the Blue Sky
I Will Follow
All I Want is You
Miami
Wake Up Dead Man
One Shot of Happy

I guess you could throw in a "generic", mid tempo tune they've done a lot, but I tried to pick something that covered every kind of genre and style.


laz
 
Ground beneath her feet ("classic" U2)
I will follow (early U2)
Pride (anthemic U2)
Desire (rock U2)
Running to stand still (piano, quiet U2)
Bullet the blue sky (political U2)
The fly (industrial-like, riffy U2)
One (ballad U2)
Mysterious ways (groovy U2)
Lemon (experimental)
Mofo (techno U2)
A man and a woman (lounge U2)
In a little while (soul)
Original of the species (pop)
 
yeah, Radiohead and The Beatles (!! THE Fucking Beatles no less!!) have no versatility.....

I am sick of you jick.
 
The Fool
October (or MLK)
The Unforgettable Fire
Where The Streets Have No Name
Bullet The Blue Sky
The Fly
Zooropa
Babyface
HMTMKMKM
Mofo
Fast Cars
 
and anyway, to demonstrate u2's versatility, I'd pick some early songs, some country stuff from rattle and hum, and techno from pop.:madspit:
 
I'm not going to argue The Beatles because people already have, but to say The Beatles don't have versatality is insane. Keep in mind their career was less than ten years, while U2's is over twenty-five, and...well, She Loves You to Revolution 9. SLIGHT difference there.

as for U2, how bout this for a mix CD:

1. Street Missions (When I say early U2, I MEAN early U2... this is only judging from the 30 sec clip mind you, but it's very different from even Boy. A lot more CBGB-ish, nice unpolished punk)
2. Where the Streets Have No Name (two very different street songs :wink: and you gotta have some classic U2 in there somewhere)
3. The Fly (the sound of four men chopping down the Joshua Tree...)
4. October (a beautiful instrumental.)
5. Mofo (rock 'n roll draped in fuzzy techno)
6. I Will Follow (same subject as Mofo, but much more direct rock)
7. Lemon (also kind of about Bono's mother, but now we've got some falsetto and a very different song)
8. The Refugee (how bout that for a change...I acutally like this song.)
9. The Unforgettable Fire (it's sad. and not like The Refugee.)
10. Love and Peace or Else (industrial rockabilly brilliance)
11. Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad (Frank, eat your heart out.)
12. Numb (monotone Edge vocals yay!)
13. When Love Comes to Town (roots-rock with B.B. King? slightly different than Numb)
14. Stuck in a Moment That You Can't Get Out Of (nice pop ballad)
15. Bullet the Blue Sky (preferably ZooTV live...Zoo-style Bullet is to die for. and a nice "fuck you" to SIAM)
16. Van Dieman's Land (just Edge and a guitar, man)
17. Miami (very un-U2 in both lyrics and music, no big ideas, just a fun little catchy rock song...that's prolly why most U2 fans hate it, but I think it's great)
18. One (classic U2 ballad, heavy stuff)
19. Fast Cars (Bono rap and flamenco guitars? hell yes.)
20. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (gospel version from Rattle and Hum... just the fact that it's a gospel song makes it different.)
21. Miracle Drug (the perfect song to sum up U2 as they are now.)

Not a bad CD eh? I could totally make it if I had Street Missions... and my email is woolymammals@gmail.com. But I don't mean anything by that :wink: seriously though, U2 is one of the most diverse groups ever, in terms of their music and the audience they reach. One of the many reasons why I love 'em so.
 
Please disregard the Beatles comments. That is only an introductory part of the post. If you disagree or agree, that is not the main issue and it isn't really U2 related. What my post focuses on is U2's versatility. So try to respond to that part of the post please. Thanks.

Cheers,

J
 
JOFO said:
and anyway, to demonstrate u2's versatility, I'd pick some early songs, some country stuff from rattle and hum, and techno from pop.:madspit:
Click to expand...
 
40
Bad
Bullet the Blue Sky
Lemon
Beautiful Day
Streets
A Man and A Woman
Discotheque (this is almost the same category as Lemon, but not quite)
Angel of Harlem
 
'Jick', isn't that Tagolog for ignoramous? Or is it Cebuano? (couldn't resist) I just don't agree with slighting The Beatles and Radiohead (the other two bands in my rock god pantheon).

Man, I think overall Achtung is a really versatile record. I'll have to give this some more thought and get back.

Once again you get peoples' feathers ruffled but you get them thinking.
 
AtomicBono said:
I'm not going to argue The Beatles because people already have, but to say The Beatles don't have versatality is insane. Keep in mind their career was less than ten years, while U2's is over twenty-five, and...well, She Loves You to Revolution 9. SLIGHT difference there.

as for U2, how bout this for a mix CD:

1. Street Missions (When I say early U2, I MEAN early U2... this is only judging from the 30 sec clip mind you, but it's very different from even Boy. A lot more CBGB-ish, nice unpolished punk)
2. Where the Streets Have No Name (two very different street songs :wink: and you gotta have some classic U2 in there somewhere)
3. The Fly (the sound of four men chopping down the Joshua Tree...)
4. October (a beautiful instrumental.)
5. Mofo (rock 'n roll draped in fuzzy techno)
6. I Will Follow (same subject as Mofo, but much more direct rock)
7. Lemon (also kind of about Bono's mother, but now we've got some falsetto and a very different song)
8. The Refugee (how bout that for a change...I acutally like this song.)
9. The Unforgettable Fire (it's sad. and not like The Refugee.)
10. Love and Peace or Else (industrial rockabilly brilliance)
11. Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad (Frank, eat your heart out.)
12. Numb (monotone Edge vocals yay!)
13. When Love Comes to Town (roots-rock with B.B. King? slightly different than Numb)
14. Stuck in a Moment That You Can't Get Out Of (nice pop ballad)
15. Bullet the Blue Sky (preferably ZooTV live...Zoo-style Bullet is to die for. and a nice "fuck you" to SIAM)
16. Van Dieman's Land (just Edge and a guitar, man)
17. Miami (very un-U2 in both lyrics and music, no big ideas, just a fun little catchy rock song...that's prolly why most U2 fans hate it, but I think it's great)
18. One (classic U2 ballad, heavy stuff)
19. Fast Cars (Bono rap and flamenco guitars? hell yes.)
20. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (gospel version from Rattle and Hum... just the fact that it's a gospel song makes it different.)
21. Miracle Drug (the perfect song to sum up U2 as they are now.)

Not a bad CD eh? I could totally make it if I had Street Missions... and my email is woolymammals@gmail.com. But I don't mean anything by that :wink: seriously though, U2 is one of the most diverse groups ever, in terms of their music and the audience they reach. One of the many reasons why I love 'em so.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with this list! :wink:
 
U2utah2U said:
'Jick', isn't that Tagolog for ignoramous? Or is it Cebuano? (couldn't resist) I just don't agree with slighting The Beatles and Radiohead (the other two bands in my rock god pantheon).

Man, I think overall Achtung is a really versatile record. I'll have to give this some more thought and get back.

Once again you get peoples' feathers ruffled but you get them thinking.
Click to expand...

Great, I'll wait for you to get back to this post. I don't really think I'll ruffle people's feathers. This is a U2 message board, not a Bon Jovi or Radiohead message board. How'd you know I was Cebuano?

Cheers,

J
 
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