jick
Refugee
After a careful study of the song title statistics of U2's album, a trend can be gathered to show where HTDAAB will stand at the end of it all.
It seems that U2's career defining albums - namely Boy that started it all, and The Joshua Tree that earned their place in music history - they both have only one song that have a one-word title - Twilight for Boy and Exit for JT.
On the flip side, U2's "unfinished" albums have similar song title statistics. October wasn't quite finished as intended thanks to Bono losing his lyrics (or having it stolen) while POP was admittedly unfinished according to Bono. Both albums lead the category for most one-word song titles - October has 6 while POP has 5 one-word song titles. Perhaps whenever Bono is pressed for time, he conjures up one-word song titles instead of insightful mult-word song titles that require a lot of thought.
U2's more "exploratory" albums that get into new unchartered soundscapes for the band during the era they were recorded have four one-word song titles. These albums I refer to are The Unforgettable Fire and Zooropa - among two of U2's more creative and ambitious projects.
Two great U2 albums that reached over 10 million in worldwide sales are Rattle & Hum and Achtung Baby. Both have two one-word song titles apiece (Desire, Heartland for R&H; One, Acrobat for AB). Both albums represent U2 at their musical peak. Both albums average 3.6 words per song title.
HTDAAB clocks in at 3.7 words per song title, and has a grand total of two one-word song titles in its arsenal. Similar to AB, the two one-word song titles are evenly spread out in side one and side two of the album. It seems this album is not unfinished and great thought has been put up in creating the song titles, unlike other albums which are riddled with thoughtless one-word song titles.
So my fearless forecast based on statistical trending for HTDAAB when the smoke finally clears is that it will be on the same level as Achtung Baby. HTDAAB definitely isn't "unifinished" like October and POP, and neither is it "exploratory" like UF and Zooropa. I also doubt HTDAAB will be career defining or history making like Boy and JT. I predict that HTDAAB will merely be a vital album, an album that will be remembered in the same vein and R&H and AB - an album that showcases U2 at the top of their game giving us the sound they are capable of giving us. And it will be an album that will be commercially successful.
Please do share your thoughts here.
Cheers,
J
It seems that U2's career defining albums - namely Boy that started it all, and The Joshua Tree that earned their place in music history - they both have only one song that have a one-word title - Twilight for Boy and Exit for JT.
On the flip side, U2's "unfinished" albums have similar song title statistics. October wasn't quite finished as intended thanks to Bono losing his lyrics (or having it stolen) while POP was admittedly unfinished according to Bono. Both albums lead the category for most one-word song titles - October has 6 while POP has 5 one-word song titles. Perhaps whenever Bono is pressed for time, he conjures up one-word song titles instead of insightful mult-word song titles that require a lot of thought.
U2's more "exploratory" albums that get into new unchartered soundscapes for the band during the era they were recorded have four one-word song titles. These albums I refer to are The Unforgettable Fire and Zooropa - among two of U2's more creative and ambitious projects.
Two great U2 albums that reached over 10 million in worldwide sales are Rattle & Hum and Achtung Baby. Both have two one-word song titles apiece (Desire, Heartland for R&H; One, Acrobat for AB). Both albums represent U2 at their musical peak. Both albums average 3.6 words per song title.
HTDAAB clocks in at 3.7 words per song title, and has a grand total of two one-word song titles in its arsenal. Similar to AB, the two one-word song titles are evenly spread out in side one and side two of the album. It seems this album is not unfinished and great thought has been put up in creating the song titles, unlike other albums which are riddled with thoughtless one-word song titles.
So my fearless forecast based on statistical trending for HTDAAB when the smoke finally clears is that it will be on the same level as Achtung Baby. HTDAAB definitely isn't "unifinished" like October and POP, and neither is it "exploratory" like UF and Zooropa. I also doubt HTDAAB will be career defining or history making like Boy and JT. I predict that HTDAAB will merely be a vital album, an album that will be remembered in the same vein and R&H and AB - an album that showcases U2 at the top of their game giving us the sound they are capable of giving us. And it will be an album that will be commercially successful.
Please do share your thoughts here.
Cheers,
J