"Early morning, April 4... a shot rings out, in a Memphis sky." The time and place of the assassination. 1st time I heard that, before they got to the quote, I was gone. Imagine what we might've become, had that day played out differently.
I don't think Gen X people, like me, could ever impress upon younger people just how huge and meaningful this song was/is. Instant classic, S tier all the way.
As a fellow Gen X I couldn’t possibly agree more with you. I will even take that a step further.. I don’t think we will ever be able to fully express how truly transcendent this band was during the entirety of the 80s and 90s both in their recording and live performing. There are very few bands in the history of rock that pumped out a quality of product like they did for as long as they did. And change their sound multiple times along the way. Its a shame because now all people seem to remember is the caricature they become of themselves. Had they died in a plane crash in 1993, they would be unquestionably on Mount Rushmore of rock bands. They kind of play their way off of that over the past 20 years.
U2 ended up as such clowns but they were magnificent in their day and this song is truly incomparable. Both musically and with what it says. Emotion, real rage and sorrow.
Agree! It's my favorite song of U2 and one of my faves of all time! The tributes to so many like Malcolm X, MLK, etc within the song just makes it even more special for me! ❤🎵💕
I have a musician friend who used to sing the chorus of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" as "I Still Haven't Learned How to Play Guitar". Yeah, he wasn't a fan. For your next U2 track, I hope you do "I Will Follow" next. It's from their debut album and it's one of their best.
The Joshua Tree album in it's entirety. OMGosh such a great band. The entire album is awesome to the nth degree. Red Hill Mining Town, Running to Stand Still, in God's Country are some of my favorites. The radio faves where streets have no name, still haven't found what I'm looking for and with or without you. Makes me want to listen to this album now. U2 S tier in my book. Thanks guys for sharing.
I would definitely agree, from start to the end, just fantastic. I also love Red Hill Mining Town . If I'm not mistaken here, I believe it won a Grammy for album of the year.
Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby are just spectacular pieces of work. In terms of raw emotion, Joshua Tree wins, but Achtung Baby has the most amazing lo-fi sonics and atmosphere.
I like Bad better off the same album. But all their albums, to me, up to Zooropa are nearly all perfect albums. Very high quality and consistency, while still being very very different every time out. Maybe something from their October album before the end of the month?
This is peak Bono wailing, which is what he was known for early on. INcredibly influential on both male and female singers who came after. How many singers can say that?
Like David Gilmour, The Edge knows how to make the silence between notes be every bit as impactful as the notes he is playing. That sense of space really opens up the songs IMO.
The Edge is from my perspective one of the greatest rhythm guitarists in the history of rock music. His rhythm work is so original and instantly recognizable. He approached the rhythm guitar space as an empty canvas waiting to be painted. His extensive use of guitar effects such as delay effects was/is innovative and yet tasteful. Jimmy Page has referred to him as a "sonic architect." Of course, if you are going to call yourself "The Edge," you better be both very good and innovative at what you do. He is.
I don't understand the massive underrating of The Edge in some circles. I mean, he isn't cranking out a bluesy solo at every turn (though he's got a few memorable ones), and the delay effect is his go-to approach (so what? everybody has one), but his work has always been intricate and distinctive.
'Bullet the Blue Sky' - This song stands apart from the rest on the Joshua Tree album. Instrumentation, Vocals, Harmonies, Lyricism. IMO, one of their most complete song's.
Bono was once performing in front of a large crowd. In between songs he slowly started to clap his hands. He said to the crowd, "Every time I clap my hands, a child in Africa dies." Then someone from the crowd shouted, "Please stop clapping!!!."
The thing about U2 is that they were 4 teenagers that met in school and decided to form a band. Problem was they didn’t know how to play their instruments. They just dove in and learned as they kept playing and the result became what you hear now. No other band sounds like U2. The rhythm section lays down a rock solid foundation. Edge is not a shredder like Eddie Van Halen, he embraces effects and makes them a part of a sonic landscape.Then Bono does his thing, love him or hate him, he always gives 110%
Many take issue with Bono's Human Rights activism (and being so outspoken) but must say, he actually does the hard work.. As opposed to just shooting his mouth off, has actual major accomplishments including . getting George W Bush to help make Aids a priority. U2 also pays major props to black blues and soul artists that influenced them. That's respect in my book. I'm not even much of a U2 fan but this deserves props given.
I've never understood that. Say what you will about the man, but at least he's fucking trying, you know? How many artists today can say the same? Bunch of PC cunts too afraid to speak up lest it gets them cancelled on Instagram...
@Gramps 63 - you are so correct! Bono should stick to music and shut up! If people would do some deep reading they would see that Bono isn't all he is praised for being. The RED campaign!! Do your homework!! Most of the money goes into the corporations pockets Setting that aside, read up on what others , those who are on rhw ground, think of Bono's work.
One of my favorite all-time albums. I really think people forget just how vibrant U2 was at the beginning of their career and how truly good the music was. And the production was phenomenal in those Lillywhite, Lanois, and Eno days.
Harder rock U2: Bullet the Blue Sky. Beautiful U2: One or Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. Maybe the best three songs to end an album ever (from Joshua Tree) One Tree Hill, Exit, Mothers of the Disappeared. Others from early to late: Surrender, Bad, Running to Stand Still, When Love Comes to Town, All I Want is You, Acrobat, Wake Up Dead Man. That's a sampling of what they did-- and how much they changed from 1983 to 1997. Rocking, bluesy, deep, playful, beautiful, tear-inducing, sweetly beautiful. It is hard to explain just how massive this band was from the late 80s throughout the 90s.
Agreed and well said. I was just thinking about the topic of U2’s legacy the other day. Follow me on this.. In a way, U2 has become a bit of a victim of their own success and longevity. It’s kind of like the opposite effect of artists, performers, politicians(Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, JFK, RFK, James Dean, etc.) whose legacies significantly outgrew their actual profile since they died/broke up at/around their peak and are therefore frozen in time at a level which would have been completely impossible to maintain had they lived just a few years longer. Likewise, if U2 broke up or had members die in the early 90s, they would be revered as one of the 5 greatest bands in the history of rock. But since we saw the decline of their popularity, creativity, ability (Bono’s vocals), it has damaged the way they are viewed by a significant chunk of the world of music. But I would put their work between War and Pop up against any band not named the Beatles.
I lived in Ireland, saw them live in Dublin during vertigo tour. They are not raw rockers. They are poetic, political, technical and intellectual. Not your regular rock n roll group. Edge uses a lot of delay. It’s well documented the delay timing. The sounds are circular and complex in sound but very simple from a picking/fingering perspective.
All true, and yet Achtung Baby has raw rock in Zoo Station, Even Better than the Real Thing, and Mysterious Ways. For me, their best album (as it's something of a comeback from the outstanding earlier albums).
His rasp wasn’t rasp, it was passion. U2 is often blamed for being crusaders or too down for causes, but never misunderstand… Bono meant what he sang. It was from the heart. You guys need to check out their debut album, Boy.
Absolutely true Bono was and is so passionate and emotional with his singing. Boy is a great album. They were essentially still kids when recording it. I love An Cat Dubh (bass!) and I Will Follow, Electric Co.
An Cat Dubh is so good. The bell tones of that Stratocaster. That opening riff makes you just stop. Out of all their songs. This is the one song that takes me back to a certain place in time. EARLY U2. Enough said.
I saw this tour. One of the images in my mind is The Edge sitting at his keyboard with his guitar in his lap playing both at the same time. He taught himself to play and he doesn’t play like anyone else.
I fell in love with U2 when the video for the song “Gloria” first appeared on MTv. That was it!! Never saw a band like this before so musically gifted and passionate.
@@christinegilbert1078 Totally agree with that. It was an amazing time when several bands were coming out with sounds we had never heard before. I got to see U2 at The Grand Circus Theatre in downtown Detroit in 1983 when they just coming on the scene in the US and they weren’t a huge phenomenon yet. And that was a great experience!
U2's 1st album is from 1980, and while they were good from the beginning, their 1983 album, War, is still what I'd consider their breakthrough album. It contains "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and also my favorite U2 song, "New Years Day". "Pride" is from 1984. The Joshua Tree from 1987 is generally considered their best album, so if you want to do a full album review for U2, it would probably be that one. If you want to react to a song from it first, probably "With or Without You" is the one. Their most popular post-1987 song is "One" from their 1991 album Achtung Baby. They've done some good stuff since 1991, but I consider 1983-1991 their peak years.
You are spot on with this post. And New’s Year’s Day is a particular fave of mine. I will Follow and Gloria from their first 2 albums are worth a listen.
"New Year's Day" is my favorite U2 song so I highly agree with everyone. If they react to it, they need to make sure they do the album version. Everybody I have seen who has reacted to it has done the video version and It just cuts too much out of the song.
So much early-mid U2 is ultra high quality. Everyone should have a love-love relationship with U2. In Bono's prime, he was top-5 level vocalist, up there with MJ, Plant, Mercury, Perry, etc
80's kid here. My sister and I used to record songs off the radio via the magic of the boombox. One day I come home from school and she says 'what do you think of this song?" and I was completely blown away, to the point that I was embarrassed by how much I liked it. There have been a lot of U2 imitators in the decades since that have watared down this sound, so it would be hard for me to impress upon you how powerful and original their music was in their creative prime.
U2 was the biggest band in the world at the end of the 80's. They brought a new sound to pop/rock. This song was very famous, but I loved them with The Joshua Tree and I bought the cassette inmediately. Regards from Chile!! 🙂
A&A, you'll love their "Two Hearts Beat as One", "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", "Mysterious Ways" and more!!! They played my schools indoor Ice rink in April 1983. I took the 8-12 DJ shift at the radio station that night, and was given their album 'Boy' from the duplicate cabinet. I've been kicking myself ever since for not attending :( .
If this song isn't A+ or S, I don't know if any U2 songs will get there for them. Love your content. Your ratings make sense from the perspective you provide. From my perspective as an 80's teenager this is S tier. You once said S tier is genre defining or era defining and this one definitely hits both categories. You can't have a more 80's sound and the content of the song is asking how much Dr. King could have given than everything? Tremendous song and the delivery of the vocals really highlight the meaning. Thanks for another great video.
A couple off the Joshua Tree album might get them there. One Tree Hill and Red Hill Mining Town are my personal favs, even though they were not the radio hits.
I think Sunday Bloody Sunday was their S tier song. That put Irish protest rock on an international map. This one was popular and an excellent song, but I don't really see it as era or genre defining. To me, Everyone Wants to Rule the World, Burning Down the House, Billie Jean, Don't You Forget About Me are songs that defined the 80s sound.
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is the story of so many people's lives. I didn't really catch the true meaning as a kid when I first heard it, but all these years later, oh yeah I get it now.
"Shot rings out in the Memphis sky" always sends chills down my spine. I am very surprised that you guys had no comments on what this song is about. Or are you even aware?
Always been my favorite U2 song. "Free at last, they took your life They could not take your pride." So many other great U2 songs. I recommend "One" and "Mysterious Ways" because they are also high on my list and because probably won't be recommended by many others.
Seeing them play live is an absolutely amazing experience. My best friend "worked" security when he was a college student at SUNY Stony Brook (New York) and U2 played there in 1983. After the concert, the band went out with the students to the local bars.
The Edge basically invented this gtr sound, well, he really got it from David Gilmour on Pink Floyd's Run Like Hell. But the Edge was the first to use it like this compositionally. So all of the music you hear in the 80s, 90s and now that use this, it goes back to the Edge. And the drummer too, quite unique.
I think Charlie Burchill from Simple Minds might take issue with that. He was doing this stuff in 80/81 while Edge was still just doing basic stuff with straight 8th note delays. Never really got the credit he deserved but he was a huge influence on The Edge.
@@ChristopherSchaub1 Nope. The biggest influence on the Unforgettable Fire and on U2's sound in general was Simple Minds. They specifically hired Eno/Lanois to try and capture some of the soundsape of New Gold Dream and Bono has even recently admitted that a lot of things widely considered U2-isms are really Simple Minds-isms. He has said without them there really would be no UF and no JT.
I'll never forget the week back in 1985 when I was a college student at FIT in Melbourne, FL and I got to see U2 live 4 times in 1 week. Saw them in Jacksonville, Tampa at the USF Sun Dome, and twice in Hollywood, FL. All shows were general admission. I met Bono after both shows in Hollywood. They were becoming well known but hadn't hit the big time yet. The 2nd Hollywood gig was the last show in America on the Unforgettable Fire tour. On July 13, 1985 they performed at Live Aid and put on a legendary performance, especially the live version of "Bad". Live Aid turned U2 into legendary superstars. Would love to see you two react to that Live Aid version of "Bad".
The Unforgettable Fire tour was my first concert where I bought the ticket. Still ranks as one of my fave concerts ever. Still have the t-shirt. The title track is probably my favorite U2 song. HIGHLY RECOMMEND listening to that track.
You should watch “Rattle and Hum.” Watching them perform, not just listening, will help you to fully appreciate how iconic they are. Their showmanship is just incredible.
One of the best concerts I ever attended was U2 in 1983. Yes, I was at the live concert at Red Rocks 'Under a Blood Red Sky'. I am in the concert footage... somewhere! LOL Have never been able to find us. We were lower stage right... LOL oh well. It was fantastic. Their first tour here in the US. You can see it - it was filmed, the whole thing. U2 Live At Red Rocks ♥
Where the Streets have no Name - the video is an all time classic Live version of “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m looking for” with the gospel choir - gives me chills Running to Stand Still - amazing lyrics One Tree Hill - little known song that might be their best One - a song that brings tears to my eyes every time I listen to it
Alex, I wonder if you would change your rating to A+ after reading the lyrics? Also, it's worth noting that Bono is one of the few lead singers in Rock who never double-tracks his vocals.
I was thinking the same thing and for a second was waiting for the read the lyrics break. It’s hard to “get” the whole song on one listen, especially when it’s political or socially conscious. The shudders I get from these lyrics are similar to the ones I get from Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality “. Both referencing MLK. It also makes a difference when the group has lived through circumstances that made them keen to want to write about serious matters. Amazing also, that they can make you rock to it, even without knowing the full lyrics.
This is the same guy who gave California Dreaming an S. Does it really matter what rating they give? Their rating doesn’t change the opinion of anyone old enough to have heard this song on the radio or bought the album/ cassette tape when it came out. Let their rating be saved here forever. As they mature, they will no doubt come back and scratch their heads at some of their ratings…
U2 is my second favorite band behind only Rush. So glad you got back to them. Lots of great suggestions already. So Cruel from Achtung Baby is one of my faves!
You gotta do "New Year's Day," from the third (not second) album "War." Phenomenal song. Loved the first album when it came out, but it was the third (mistakenly wrote second) album that made the most impact to me.
The mythology around October was that Bono lost the lyric sheets on the way to the studio. They had to recreate the lyrics while recording, so it doesn't reach the level of Boy and War. It was ignored by a lot of people, so not that surprising you don't know about it. It's still a good album.
@@Nightrelic On Pandora, there is this thing I found a few weeks ago called 'U2 modes'. There are 4 f them, one each for Boy, October, War, and AB. They are songs and bands that influenced the band interspersed with little clips of one of the guys giving out trivia. In one clip (on the October mode) Adam speaks about what you said. He says Bono's briefcase was stolen, and their producer wanted to get finished with the album, and all they had was bits and pieces of guitar, bass and drum parts, so they had to turn them into complete songs and Bono had to come up with lyrics, both cold and from memory.
Did you know that thie album, The Unforgettable Fire is a tribute to Martin Luther King? This song is about him too, I believe.I have always loved what U-2 stand for. If you haven't yet, you have to hit"Zombie" by "The Cranberries", another Irish band.
Am not a big U2 fan, but I like quite a few of their songs and this is my hands-down favorite. Just a classic. They have a distinct sound, which gives them a bit of a love/hate thing with fans/non-fans. Some people think the guitar sound is a bit of a gimmick. But you can't deny great songs like this.
This song is amazing live!!!! They fade out the song and the whole audience continues to sing the oh, oh, oh part at the end. Sends chills down my spine remembering how amazing that experience was.
Guys as you mature you start to appreciate music you skirted over because you were in your moment, in your time but you are both getting there guys, nice one. "Early morning, April four A shot rings out in the Memphis sky Free at last, they took your life They could not take your pride" Killer line! RIP The Best president you never had.
I saw this band a few days before their famous Red Rocks performance. I've never been the same. 4 guys playing music on a stage with a unity I've never seen since. Watch their Vertigo show in Chicago from 2005...they were never surpassed in live shows. The version of Pride in that show makes me cry every time. I cry even harder thinking they are probably done because their live shows enhanced their sound perfectly. Recordings never measured up, which is what true U2 fans lived for. Thanks for playing this song. Let U2 live performances enter your life.
This is at minimum A+, Alex needs to free himself of any previous bias against Edge, and properly rate this song :-). Alex, watching your reaction, it was clearly a minimum A+ reaction. You enjoyed the shit out of this song.
With these guys and Elvis I have to say you have great taste in music! Rattle and Hum, JT, AB and My Aim Is True or Next Year's Model. That should cover a little bit of time and not all that much to ask to make us happy, right? 🙃
Here are three suggestions for the next U2 songs to hit: With or Without You, Where the Streets Have No Name and All I Want Is You. All from the 80s, all masterpieces and fantastic.
This entire album is a masterpiece. I think this is their seminal album. Saw them live 5 times around the time if it’s release and they were just incredible live. They had an honesty and sincerity in their live performances that I’ve rarely seen.
Bono's voice will hit you in the feels every time. His full nickname is Bono Vox - and it's earned. Others have described the unique layering of Edge's guitar work, so I'll leave that to the guitar gurus. As a listener, I love Edge's guitar - it is definitely atmospheric and instantly recognizable. Solid solid bass & drums. The band overall is just so solid - they work together so beautifully. "Joshua Tree" is an album must. The whole album is exquisite. I think if you don't really know U2, that is the best immersion to get what they are about. It is impossible to overstate the impact U2 had on the 1980s and into the 1990s.
You guys should watch U2's performance at Live Aid. The whole thing is great but Bad is when they went from being just another MTV band to the biggest rock band in the world. Queen gets all the love now (deservedly so) but this is what we were all talking about the next day Guarantee this performance will turn Alex into a U2 fan.
U2 is one of the most important and enduring Rock’N Roll bands ever. I saw them in 1981 at a small music club in Albany, NY (JB Scott’s). Over 40 years later they are as adaptable and relevant as any band ever.
Edge gets shit for not being very technically skilled but he understands how to use pedals and delays or whatever other effects he needs to create layered soundscapes that fit the song and allow Bono to go crazy on the vocals (and this is during his vocal prime as well). Larry is super underrated on the drums too War is when they started coming into their own, Unforgettable Fire through probably Zooropa is their artistic peak
@@dereklasker5350 bet he plays a lot better than Scott can, too. Last time I checked those 'tricks' he uses are what everyone else considers creativity.
Love to see your evolution regarding The Edge's guitar sound and his use of effects. He is a genius. Bono's voice is also a miracle. His voice shouldn't have lasted as long as it has, given how he sings.
Agree he is completely original. For some, it's hard to get past the fact that he has very little skill in traditional guitar. Plays what he conjures up and nothing else.
In the late 80s and early 90s U2 were just killing it with consistency. 'Joshua Tree' is often considered the band's magnum opus, and definitely worth an album reaction.
U2 are such an important band, I'm surprised you haven't heard more of them. The Edge's guitar is majestic, he's so underrated. Other songs: One, Where the Streets Have No Name, Angel of Harlem, Every Breaking Wave, Ultraviolet (a favorite of mine), Vertigo, The Fly, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, I can go on and on. More U2 please.
I remember seeing a guitarist magazine as the '80s came to an end and the subject was most influential guitarist of the '80s. Remember that is most influential not best in general. Three top guitarist in that specific poll were Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen, Addie Summers of the police, and the edge.
Bought this album the day it went on sale. Put it on the turn table. Proceeded to cry throughout! Such a beautiful album and for that time, and the music.. so very unique.
You absolutely need to react to the whole Joshua Tree album. It changed the music landscape for so many people. Some of their much earlier & much later albums are "either love 'em or hate 'em", but this period of the band's music is when U2 pretty much ruled the airwaves with hit after hit after hit, and even the deep dives are amazing.
I was a U2 fanatic during my later HS year and into college. They were my favorite band. I still love them but my adoration has faded. The first four albums: Boy, October, War and The Unforgettable Fire are my favs, along with the two 80s live albums "Under a Blood Red Sky" and "Wide Awake in America." Not to say that Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, or the later albums didn't have some great songs because they did. But I'm partial to the early stuff. If I had to recommend songs that capture the essence of what U2 is/was about, I would actually direct them to two live performances: "40" from Under a Blood Red Sky and "Bad" from Wide Awake in America. Such dramatic, killer performances. The whole band is all in and they slay those songs.
Same here. Loved them while in college back in the 80's, saw them in concert during the Joshua Tree tour, which was fantastic. But my interest waned after that.
Although there are other things being sung here there are phrases that stick out profoundly to me. One man in the name of love...one man betrayed with a kiss. I shouldn't have to tell you who that is. There is also the the phrase that refers to MLK...Free at last, they took your life but they could not take your pride. This is actually a very powerful and meaningful song. I've always loved it.
'Where the Streets Have No Name is a classic, I do recommend you check out the video for it, they take over a drugstore rooftop in downtown LA for the shoot, then the cops move in. Great reaction. Love from Ireland.
It'd be really neat if say, on the Patreon, you both reacted to the full "Live at Red Rocks" video from 1983. It was the concert that really broke them to America, since it was the second live show broadcast on MTV. The full set wasn't shown, but it was released years later in both audio and video formats.
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The final verse about MLK gets me every single time- “They took your life but they could not take your pride” ❤❤❤
"Early morning, April 4... a shot rings out, in a Memphis sky."
The time and place of the assassination. 1st time I heard that, before they got to the quote, I was gone. Imagine what we might've become, had that day played out differently.
@@Ontir Except it was in the evening. But we'll forgive the poetic license.
@@Ontir Actually he was shot around 6 pm. But that's OK. Still a great song.
That line always gives me goosebumps
@@dustinsutton6166 Same here. Arguably their best song because a) it's an excellent song and b) it's so socially relevant
I don't think Gen X people, like me, could ever impress upon younger people just how huge and meaningful this song was/is. Instant classic, S tier all the way.
As a fellow Gen X I couldn’t possibly agree more with you. I will even take that a step further..
I don’t think we will ever be able to fully express how truly transcendent this band was during the entirety of the 80s and 90s both in their recording and live performing. There are very few bands in the history of rock that pumped out a quality of product like they did for as long as they did. And change their sound multiple times along the way. Its a shame because now all people seem to remember is the caricature they become of themselves. Had they died in a plane crash in 1993, they would be unquestionably on Mount Rushmore of rock bands. They kind of play their way off of that over the past 20 years.
100%! This was bigger than life at the time. Was so different than their first three studio albums. Such a great album.... so under rated.
U2 ended up as such clowns but they were magnificent in their day and this song is truly incomparable. Both musically and with what it says. Emotion, real rage and sorrow.
Agree! It's my favorite song of U2 and one of my faves of all time! The tributes to so many like Malcolm X, MLK, etc within the song just makes it even more special for me! ❤🎵💕
"Where The Streets Have No Name" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" are both amazing U2 songs to follow this up with.
I have a musician friend who used to sing the chorus of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" as "I Still Haven't Learned How to Play Guitar". Yeah, he wasn't a fan. For your next U2 track, I hope you do "I Will Follow" next. It's from their debut album and it's one of their best.
Agreed. 👍
Have you seen the live version "U2 - All I Want Is You / Where The Streets Have No Name"? It is truly amazing. It was live at Slane Castle in Ireland
Also, In God's Country, Mysterious Ways
Add: All I Want Is You
The Joshua Tree album in it's entirety. OMGosh such a great band. The entire album is awesome to the nth degree. Red Hill Mining Town, Running to Stand Still, in God's Country are some of my favorites. The radio faves where streets have no name, still haven't found what I'm looking for and with or without you. Makes me want to listen to this album now. U2 S tier in my book. Thanks guys for sharing.
In God's Country is my favorite.
I would definitely agree, from start to the end, just fantastic. I also love Red Hill Mining Town . If I'm not mistaken here, I believe it won a Grammy for album of the year.
The Joshua Tree is a masterpiece and it really should be listened to from beginning to end. Running to Stand Still might be my favorite U2 song.
Joshua Tree for sure. Their 80s concerts so powerful
I saw U2 5 times in 5 different places on the Joshua Tree tour in '87. Just listened to Red Hill Mining Town a few days ago and still get chills.
U2 during the 80s was spectacular. So good.
... and early 90s
Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby are just spectacular pieces of work. In terms of raw emotion, Joshua Tree wins, but Achtung Baby has the most amazing lo-fi sonics and atmosphere.
My favorite U2 song. It's passion and emotional impact are undeniable.
Agree. ❤
I deny it.
I like Bad better off the same album. But all their albums, to me, up to Zooropa are nearly all perfect albums. Very high quality and consistency, while still being very very different every time out. Maybe something from their October album before the end of the month?
This is peak Bono wailing, which is what he was known for early on. INcredibly influential on both male and female singers who came after. How many singers can say that?
An A?
The Edge is one of the most important and inventive guitar players ever. He always serves the song in a memorable way.
The Joshua Tree (1987.. what a year for music) is arguably one of the top ten albums of all time.
Definitely
As you said, arguably.
What a year for a lot of things! I believe Sting's album Nothing Like the Sun (his best, in my opinion) came out that year, too.
This song isn’t on the Joshua Tree album, it’s off the The Unforgettable Fire album of around 1984.
@@SuperEdge67 I don’t think he was implying the song is on Joshua Tree. He was suggesting the album for a reaction
The Edge won't blow you away with solo pyrotechnics, but he is masterful at using the guitar to create sonic landscapes.
He's a very textural guitar player.
Like David Gilmour, The Edge knows how to make the silence between notes be every bit as impactful as the notes he is playing. That sense of space really opens up the songs IMO.
He's the master of digital delay.
Perfect description.
I'm a painter so I do painting analogies. He's like a tonalist painter.
Now picture this in a live performance. They deliver it hard and loud every time; their tunes ae all geared for the stage.
Bono was just incredible doing these songs live. His charisma was out of this world.
Red Rocks concert in the rain!! Awesome film of that performance.
If y'all like U2, you must watch "Rattle and Hum". A rockumentary, if you will.
Search the song with Rattle and Hum in the search. Killer.
@@loosilu He's got a real magnetism about him too
U2 is the rare band that made multiple songs capable of delivering relentless goosebumps.
just got them now.
The Edge is from my perspective one of the greatest rhythm guitarists in the history of rock music. His rhythm work is so original and instantly recognizable. He approached the rhythm guitar space as an empty canvas waiting to be painted. His extensive use of guitar effects such as delay effects was/is innovative and yet tasteful. Jimmy Page has referred to him as a "sonic architect." Of course, if you are going to call yourself "The Edge," you better be both very good and innovative at what you do. He is.
Well put John!
And he's a geeky sound inventor, akin to Tom Scholz or Brian May.
I don't understand the massive underrating of The Edge in some circles. I mean, he isn't cranking out a bluesy solo at every turn (though he's got a few memorable ones), and the delay effect is his go-to approach (so what? everybody has one), but his work has always been intricate and distinctive.
For me, it's just that it went over my head until much later in life.
@@mikegarcia6979 Same reason people throw shade at Townshend because he "can't solo". There are many ways to be a great guitar player.
'Bullet the Blue Sky' - This song stands apart from the rest on the Joshua Tree album. Instrumentation, Vocals, Harmonies, Lyricism. IMO, one of their most complete song's.
Also has one of my favourite solos and basslines
Great tune!
And the live version on Rattle and Hum!!!
Only decent song they ever did.
A&A did it in a live stream! but they had no context.
Bono was once performing in front of a large crowd. In between songs he slowly started to clap his hands. He said to the crowd, "Every time I clap my hands, a child in Africa dies." Then someone from the crowd shouted, "Please stop clapping!!!."
The thing about U2 is that they were 4 teenagers that met in school and decided to form a band. Problem was they didn’t know how to play their instruments. They just dove in and learned as they kept playing and the result became what you hear now. No other band sounds like U2. The rhythm section lays down a rock solid foundation. Edge is not a shredder like Eddie Van Halen, he embraces effects and makes them a part of a sonic landscape.Then Bono does his thing, love him or hate him, he always gives 110%
Dude, you nailed it. Also, they wanted to be a punk band, they couldn’t cover anyone else’s songs - which is why they are so unique.
Many take issue with Bono's Human Rights activism (and being so outspoken) but must say, he actually does the hard work.. As opposed to just shooting his mouth off, has actual major accomplishments including .
getting George W Bush to help make Aids a priority.
U2 also pays major props to black blues and soul artists that influenced them.
That's respect in my book.
I'm not even much of a U2 fan but this deserves props given.
Ppl who don't do shit are the biggest critics of those who do.
That's awfully gracious of you to say so! Thank you for acknowledging that.🙂
Excuse me but Bono's "foundation" had only 1% of contributions paid out to charities.
I've never understood that. Say what you will about the man, but at least he's fucking trying, you know?
How many artists today can say the same? Bunch of PC cunts too afraid to speak up lest it gets them cancelled on Instagram...
@Gramps 63 - you are so correct! Bono should stick to music and shut up!
If people would do some deep reading they would see that Bono isn't all he is praised for being.
The RED campaign!! Do your homework!! Most of the money goes into the corporations pockets
Setting that aside, read up on what others , those who are on rhw ground, think of Bono's work.
One of my favorite all-time albums. I really think people forget just how vibrant U2 was at the beginning of their career and how truly good the music was. And the production was phenomenal in those Lillywhite, Lanois, and Eno days.
Harder rock U2: Bullet the Blue Sky. Beautiful U2: One or Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For. Maybe the best three songs to end an album ever (from Joshua Tree) One Tree Hill, Exit, Mothers of the Disappeared. Others from early to late: Surrender, Bad, Running to Stand Still, When Love Comes to Town, All I Want is You, Acrobat, Wake Up Dead Man. That's a sampling of what they did-- and how much they changed from 1983 to 1997. Rocking, bluesy, deep, playful, beautiful, tear-inducing, sweetly beautiful. It is hard to explain just how massive this band was from the late 80s throughout the 90s.
Agreed and well said. I was just thinking about the topic of U2’s legacy the other day. Follow me on this..
In a way, U2 has become a bit of a victim of their own success and longevity. It’s kind of like the opposite effect of artists, performers, politicians(Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, JFK, RFK, James Dean, etc.) whose legacies significantly outgrew their actual profile since they died/broke up at/around their peak and are therefore frozen in time at a level which would have been completely impossible to maintain had they lived just a few years longer. Likewise, if U2 broke up or had members die in the early 90s, they would be revered as one of the 5 greatest bands in the history of rock. But since we saw the decline of their popularity, creativity, ability (Bono’s vocals), it has damaged the way they are viewed by a significant chunk of the world of music. But I would put their work between War and Pop up against any band not named the Beatles.
I lived in Ireland, saw them live in Dublin during vertigo tour. They are not raw rockers. They are poetic, political, technical and intellectual. Not your regular rock n roll group. Edge uses a lot of delay. It’s well documented the delay timing. The sounds are circular and complex in sound but very simple from a picking/fingering perspective.
All true, and yet Achtung Baby has raw rock in Zoo Station, Even Better than the Real Thing, and Mysterious Ways. For me, their best album (as it's something of a comeback from the outstanding earlier albums).
His rasp wasn’t rasp, it was passion. U2 is often blamed for being crusaders or too down for causes, but never misunderstand… Bono meant what he sang. It was from the heart.
You guys need to check out their debut album, Boy.
Absolutely true Bono was and is so passionate and emotional with his singing. Boy is a great album. They were essentially still kids when recording it. I love An Cat Dubh (bass!) and I Will Follow, Electric Co.
An Cat Dubh is so good. The bell tones of that Stratocaster. That opening riff makes you just stop. Out of all their songs. This is the one song that takes me back to a certain place in time. EARLY U2. Enough said.
I saw this tour. One of the images in my mind is The Edge sitting at his keyboard with his guitar in his lap playing both at the same time. He taught himself to play and he doesn’t play like anyone else.
I fell in love with U2 when the video for the song “Gloria” first appeared on MTv. That was it!! Never saw a band like this before so musically gifted and passionate.
We were listening to their first album on a bootleg cassette. The sound was nothing like we’d ever heard. Something like when Van Halen came along.
@@christinegilbert1078 Totally agree with that. It was an amazing time when several bands were coming out with sounds we had never heard before. I got to see U2 at The Grand Circus Theatre in downtown Detroit in 1983 when they just coming on the scene in the US and they weren’t a huge phenomenon yet. And that was a great experience!
"One" by them is amazing. As is "New Year's Day". One of the few bands I always liked and never got the chance to see live.
U2's 1st album is from 1980, and while they were good from the beginning, their 1983 album, War, is still what I'd consider their breakthrough album. It contains "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and also my favorite U2 song, "New Years Day". "Pride" is from 1984. The Joshua Tree from 1987 is generally considered their best album, so if you want to do a full album review for U2, it would probably be that one. If you want to react to a song from it first, probably "With or Without You" is the one. Their most popular post-1987 song is "One" from their 1991 album Achtung Baby. They've done some good stuff since 1991, but I consider 1983-1991 their peak years.
You are spot on with this post. And New’s Year’s Day is a particular fave of mine. I will Follow and Gloria from their first 2 albums are worth a listen.
agree with New Year's Day, you can feel the emotion in that song.
"New Year's Day" is my favorite U2 song so I highly agree with everyone. If they react to it, they need to make sure they do the album version. Everybody I have seen who has reacted to it has done the video version and It just cuts too much out of the song.
Yep! A&A should review the entire War album.
@@donnakubiski5572 yep you're right to suggest the longer version.
So much early-mid U2 is ultra high quality. Everyone should have a love-love relationship with U2. In Bono's prime, he was top-5 level vocalist, up there with MJ, Plant, Mercury, Perry, etc
Achtung Baby is such a masterful album. The song "One" is near the top of a lot of lists of greatest songs ever.
My favorite album after Joshua Tree..
My favorite album, not a bad one on it.
My fav album by them.
zoo station
"One" and "All I Want Is You" are incredible.
80's kid here. My sister and I used to record songs off the radio via the magic of the boombox. One day I come home from school and she says 'what do you think of this song?" and I was completely blown away, to the point that I was embarrassed by how much I liked it. There have been a lot of U2 imitators in the decades since that have watared down this sound, so it would be hard for me to impress upon you how powerful and original their music was in their creative prime.
This entire album is just an atmospheric sonic masterpiece
My favorite U2 song EVER!!!!
U2 was the biggest band in the world at the end of the 80's. They brought a new sound to pop/rock. This song was very famous, but I loved them with The Joshua Tree and I bought the cassette inmediately.
Regards from Chile!! 🙂
A&A, you'll love their "Two Hearts Beat as One", "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", "Mysterious Ways" and more!!!
They played my schools indoor Ice rink in April 1983. I took the 8-12 DJ shift at the radio station that night, and was given their album 'Boy' from the duplicate cabinet. I've been kicking myself ever since for not attending :( .
Wow that would have been an incredible concert to attend!!
I saw them in June of 83 and yes, you missed out. They were still approachable yong lads at that point.
If this song isn't A+ or S, I don't know if any U2 songs will get there for them. Love your content. Your ratings make sense from the perspective you provide. From my perspective as an 80's teenager this is S tier. You once said S tier is genre defining or era defining and this one definitely hits both categories. You can't have a more 80's sound and the content of the song is asking how much Dr. King could have given than everything? Tremendous song and the delivery of the vocals really highlight the meaning. Thanks for another great video.
True
A couple off the Joshua Tree album might get them there. One Tree Hill and Red Hill Mining Town are my personal favs, even though they were not the radio hits.
I think Sunday Bloody Sunday was their S tier song. That put Irish protest rock on an international map. This one was popular and an excellent song, but I don't really see it as era or genre defining. To me, Everyone Wants to Rule the World, Burning Down the House, Billie Jean, Don't You Forget About Me are songs that defined the 80s sound.
Appreciate the reference and honor to Dr. King in this song and album.
several are referenced here along with King.
@@lauraallen55 yes,it's an important point, incl Jesus, possibly fallen soliders, it's a great song giving honor to the power of sacrificial Love.
@@mark-be9mq Beautifully said!
@@lauraallen55 TY, Appreciate it.
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" is the story of so many people's lives.
I didn't really catch the true meaning as a kid when I first heard it, but all these years later, oh yeah I get it now.
One of the best things about U2 are the lyrics
Undoubtedly a great tune one of the biggest of the entire '80s.
"Shot rings out in the Memphis sky" always sends chills down my spine. I am very surprised that you guys had no comments on what this song is about. Or are you even aware?
Me too unbelievable and I'm irish
In their music video 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" , they're hanging out in downtown Las Vegas (from the 80s)
My fave U2 song is “Angel of Harlem”. So fun and contagious! 🎉
Billie Holiday 😀
Always been my favorite U2 song. "Free at last, they took your life They could not take your pride."
So many other great U2 songs. I recommend "One" and "Mysterious Ways" because they are also high on my list and because probably won't be recommended by many others.
Same!
One is spectacular! Anything Achtung Baby is for me.
Bullet the Blue Sky is a really good one too
@@spellboundsapphire It really is! I'm behind any song on Achtung Baby, but then I'm a hardcore fan of theirs too.
Seeing them play live is an absolutely amazing experience. My best friend "worked" security when he was a college student at SUNY Stony Brook (New York) and U2 played there in 1983. After the concert, the band went out with the students to the local bars.
Absolutely perfect song.
The Edge basically invented this gtr sound, well, he really got it from David Gilmour on Pink Floyd's Run Like Hell. But the Edge was the first to use it like this compositionally. So all of the music you hear in the 80s, 90s and now that use this, it goes back to the Edge. And the drummer too, quite unique.
I think Charlie Burchill from Simple Minds might take issue with that. He was doing this stuff in 80/81 while Edge was still just doing basic stuff with straight 8th note delays. Never really got the credit he deserved but he was a huge influence on The Edge.
@@singing894 I think the edge credits David Gilmour as his source though. I'll check out the simple minds, it's been 30 years since I listened to it!
@@ChristopherSchaub1 Nope. The biggest influence on the Unforgettable Fire and on U2's sound in general was Simple Minds. They specifically hired Eno/Lanois to try and capture some of the soundsape of New Gold Dream and Bono has even recently admitted that a lot of things widely considered U2-isms are really Simple Minds-isms. He has said without them there really would be no UF and no JT.
@@singing894 True. Heard it from Adam and/or Edge in clips on Pandora.
I've been listening to U2 since '83. One of my S tier bands, for sure. I recommend "Mysterious Ways" for your next U2 hit... a great bass song. :-)
I'll never forget the week back in 1985 when I was a college student at FIT in Melbourne, FL and I got to see U2 live 4 times in 1 week. Saw them in Jacksonville, Tampa at the USF Sun Dome, and twice in Hollywood, FL. All shows were general admission. I met Bono after both shows in Hollywood. They were becoming well known but hadn't hit the big time yet. The 2nd Hollywood gig was the last show in America on the Unforgettable Fire tour. On July 13, 1985 they performed at Live Aid and put on a legendary performance, especially the live version of "Bad". Live Aid turned U2 into legendary superstars. Would love to see you two react to that Live Aid version of "Bad".
YES!
U2 and REM were incredibly influential groups back in the late 80's and early 90's. U2 has a ton of great songs. You really should check them out.
The Unforgettable Fire tour was my first concert where I bought the ticket. Still ranks as one of my fave concerts ever. Still have the t-shirt. The title track is probably my favorite U2 song. HIGHLY RECOMMEND listening to that track.
Their first album, Boy, is mind blowing. So many amazing songs and it’s a debut album. Worth a listen.
Love An Cat Dubh and I Will Follow (and the rest lol)
They need to start at Boy, then hit October, and then War. U2 is a journey, you can’t start in middle.
@@CdnTrader1 Absolutely!
@@lauraallen55 exactly!
I have seen almost every great band since the eighties live and they hands down are the greatest band to see live!!
Saw them live for Elevation. It was almost a religious experience lol!
You should watch “Rattle and Hum.” Watching them perform, not just listening, will help you to fully appreciate how iconic they are. Their showmanship is just incredible.
Totally!!! I even told Bono when I met him about how amazing there show's are.
@@Shadowrider1872 yes! They need to be seen, not just heard! How cool you had the chance to tell him in person!
One of the best concerts I ever attended was U2 in 1983. Yes, I was at the live concert at Red Rocks 'Under a Blood Red Sky'. I am in the concert footage... somewhere! LOL Have never been able to find us. We were lower stage right... LOL oh well. It was fantastic. Their first tour here in the US. You can see it - it was filmed, the whole thing. U2 Live At Red Rocks ♥
Where the Streets have no Name - the video is an all time classic
Live version of “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m looking for” with the gospel choir - gives me chills
Running to Stand Still - amazing lyrics
One Tree Hill - little known song that might be their best
One - a song that brings tears to my eyes every time I listen to it
One of several of their songs that is undeniably S tier. U2s best songs are epic
Alex, I wonder if you would change your rating to A+ after reading the lyrics? Also, it's worth noting that Bono is one of the few lead singers in Rock who never double-tracks his vocals.
I was thinking the same thing and for a second was waiting for the read the lyrics break. It’s hard to “get” the whole song on one listen, especially when it’s political or socially conscious. The shudders I get from these lyrics are similar to the ones I get from Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality “. Both referencing MLK. It also makes a difference when the group has lived through circumstances that made them keen to want to write about serious matters. Amazing also, that they can make you rock to it, even without knowing the full lyrics.
This is the same guy who gave California Dreaming an S. Does it really matter what rating they give?
Their rating doesn’t change the opinion of anyone old enough to have heard this song on the radio or bought the album/ cassette tape when it came out.
Let their rating be saved here forever. As they mature, they will no doubt come back and scratch their heads at some of their ratings…
@@troyhodges9810 California Dreaming deserves an S
@@davidheiser2225 I guess if you don’t value playing of instruments and using session musicians. I mean come on…
@@troyhodges9810 The song is the song, regardless of who's playing it. And it's an S-tier song any day.
U2 is my second favorite band behind only Rush. So glad you got back to them. Lots of great suggestions already. So Cruel from Achtung Baby is one of my faves!
You gotta do "New Year's Day," from the third (not second) album "War." Phenomenal song. Loved the first album when it came out, but it was the third (mistakenly wrote second) album that made the most impact to me.
It's their third album after Boy and October. I agree it's awesome.
Second album was October I believe.
The mythology around October was that Bono lost the lyric sheets on the way to the studio. They had to recreate the lyrics while recording, so it doesn't reach the level of Boy and War. It was ignored by a lot of people, so not that surprising you don't know about it. It's still a good album.
@@Nightrelic On Pandora, there is this thing I found a few weeks ago called 'U2 modes'. There are 4 f them, one each for Boy, October, War, and AB. They are songs and bands that influenced the band interspersed with little clips of one of the guys giving out trivia. In one clip (on the October mode) Adam speaks about what you said. He says Bono's briefcase was stolen, and their producer wanted to get finished with the album, and all they had was bits and pieces of guitar, bass and drum parts, so they had to turn them into complete songs and Bono had to come up with lyrics, both cold and from memory.
@@lauraallen55 yes, that all sounds familiar. I was working entirely from memory.
You should do Joshua Tree full album. It’s one of the best albums of all time. Incredible.
Seconded!
@@loosilu And maybe Rattle and Hum for a Patreon Movie...
Did you know that thie album, The Unforgettable Fire is a tribute to Martin Luther King? This song is about him too, I believe.I have always loved what U-2 stand for. If you haven't yet, you have to hit"Zombie" by "The Cranberries", another Irish band.
AND there's another song, 'MLK', too!
@@scottboswell6406 Absolutely!✌
Am not a big U2 fan, but I like quite a few of their songs and this is my hands-down favorite. Just a classic. They have a distinct sound, which gives them a bit of a love/hate thing with fans/non-fans. Some people think the guitar sound is a bit of a gimmick. But you can't deny great songs like this.
If you want more U2, Running to Stand Still is a banger 🔥🔥🔥
Used to listen to that so much when I had the Joshua Tree CD on my Discman (oh boy is that dated!). Loved that so.
It's one of my all-time favorites of theirs.
‘I will follow’ is my personal favorite.
This song is amazing live!!!! They fade out the song and the whole audience continues to sing the oh, oh, oh part at the end. Sends chills down my spine remembering how amazing that experience was.
Guys as you mature you start to appreciate music you skirted over because you were in your moment, in your time but you are both getting there guys, nice one.
"Early morning, April four
A shot rings out in the Memphis sky
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride"
Killer line! RIP The Best president you never had.
I saw this band a few days before their famous Red Rocks performance. I've never been the same. 4 guys playing music on a stage with a unity I've never seen since. Watch their Vertigo show in Chicago from 2005...they were never surpassed in live shows. The version of Pride in that show makes me cry every time. I cry even harder thinking they are probably done because their live shows enhanced their sound perfectly. Recordings never measured up, which is what true U2 fans lived for. Thanks for playing this song. Let U2 live performances enter your life.
They aren't quite done yet live...check out news about a residency in Las Vegas next summer. ;-)
The whole U2 discography are amaizing and The Unforgettable Fire just pure magic. Really love this band.
Love UF and personal album fav is Achtung Baby
This is at minimum A+, Alex needs to free himself of any previous bias against Edge, and properly rate this song :-). Alex, watching your reaction, it was clearly a minimum A+ reaction. You enjoyed the shit out of this song.
their song "bad" has one of my favorite percussion arrangements ever
Great reaction Gents! So stoked that Alex is getting over his The Edge bias. I'd highly recommend the full albums Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby!
With these guys and Elvis I have to say you have great taste in music! Rattle and Hum, JT, AB and My Aim Is True or Next Year's Model. That should cover a little bit of time and not all that much to ask to make us happy, right? 🙃
@@lauraallen55 We speak the same language friend
An absolute masterpiece. It figures it took an Irish band to make a song about such a great American.
“With or Without You” was always my favorite U2 song growing up. “Where the Streets Have No Name” and “One” are also great.
They are undeniably one of the best rock bands ever.
Here are three suggestions for the next U2 songs to hit: With or Without You, Where the Streets Have No Name and All I Want Is You. All from the 80s, all masterpieces and fantastic.
Maybe something from the 90s would be nice too like One or Mysterious Ways etc.
Love U2 their Cd Auchtung Baby has really great lyrics and my all time favorite by them is ONE hope you try it
This song, in fact this tour, sounded better in person than the record. U2 was a great live band.
My favorite U2 song is WITH OR WITHOUT YOU from my favorite U2 album, The Joshua Tree.
This entire album is a masterpiece. I think this is their seminal album. Saw them live 5 times around the time if it’s release and they were just incredible live. They had an honesty and sincerity in their live performances that I’ve rarely seen.
Bono's voice will hit you in the feels every time. His full nickname is Bono Vox - and it's earned. Others have described the unique layering of Edge's guitar work, so I'll leave that to the guitar gurus. As a listener, I love Edge's guitar - it is definitely atmospheric and instantly recognizable. Solid solid bass & drums. The band overall is just so solid - they work together so beautifully. "Joshua Tree" is an album must. The whole album is exquisite. I think if you don't really know U2, that is the best immersion to get what they are about. It is impossible to overstate the impact U2 had on the 1980s and into the 1990s.
You guys should watch U2's performance at Live Aid. The whole thing is great but Bad is when they went from being just another MTV band to the biggest rock band in the world. Queen gets all the love now (deservedly so) but this is what we were all talking about the next day Guarantee this performance will turn Alex into a U2 fan.
Yep. U2 won the best live aid performance poll in Rolling Stone the following week.
U2 is one of the most important and enduring Rock’N Roll bands ever. I saw them in 1981 at a small music club in Albany, NY (JB Scott’s). Over 40 years later they are as adaptable and relevant as any band ever.
Rattle and Hum live version is epic!!
There is a great live version of this in U2's concert film, "Rattle and Hum." Powerful and goose-pimple inducing.
Edge gets shit for not being very technically skilled but he understands how to use pedals and delays or whatever other effects he needs to create layered soundscapes that fit the song and allow Bono to go crazy on the vocals (and this is during his vocal prime as well). Larry is super underrated on the drums too
War is when they started coming into their own, Unforgettable Fire through probably Zooropa is their artistic peak
This is classic Bono shout- to-the-rafters wailing.
He also uses a 1.1 m 'dimpled' pick turned upside down to make the chimey sound.
When all you do is strum then all your songs are going to sound the same, no matter how many pedals and other tricks you use.
@@scottingram7634 he makes them sound different hence why he’s good at it
@@dereklasker5350 bet he plays a lot better than Scott can, too. Last time I checked those 'tricks' he uses are what everyone else considers creativity.
God, I loved these guys back in my college days. Woke up one morning and I didn't care anymore, but it was great while it lasted.
Love to see your evolution regarding The Edge's guitar sound and his use of effects. He is a genius.
Bono's voice is also a miracle. His voice shouldn't have lasted as long as it has, given how he sings.
Agree he is completely original. For some, it's hard to get past the fact that he has very little skill in traditional guitar. Plays what he conjures up and nothing else.
That guitar riff and sound is one of the best in all of music!
In the late 80s and early 90s U2 were just killing it with consistency. 'Joshua Tree' is often considered the band's magnum opus, and definitely worth an album reaction.
"New Year's Day" seems like the logical next step. Most of what the band did from their beginning through 1991's Achtung Baby is phenomenal, though.
U2 are such an important band, I'm surprised you haven't heard more of them. The Edge's guitar is majestic, he's so underrated. Other songs: One, Where the Streets Have No Name, Angel of Harlem, Every Breaking Wave, Ultraviolet (a favorite of mine), Vertigo, The Fly, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, I can go on and on. More U2 please.
Songs of Innocence was such an underrated album because of songs like Every Breaking Wave, Lights of Home and Cedarwood Road. Good call.
@@danhobson2879 Yeah, I love Songs of Innocence. I couldn't believe how many people hated on it because Apple gave it to them free. Go figure!
I remember seeing a guitarist magazine as the '80s came to an end and the subject was most influential guitarist of the '80s. Remember that is most influential not best in general. Three top guitarist in that specific poll were Eddie Van Halen of Van Halen, Addie Summers of the police, and the edge.
The unmistakable sound of Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno on the production are all over this album.
Bought this album the day it went on sale. Put it on the turn table. Proceeded to cry throughout! Such a beautiful album and for that time, and the music..
so very unique.
You absolutely need to react to the whole Joshua Tree album. It changed the music landscape for so many people.
Some of their much earlier & much later albums are "either love 'em or hate 'em", but this period of the band's music is when U2 pretty much ruled the airwaves with hit after hit after hit, and even the deep dives are amazing.
I was a U2 fanatic during my later HS year and into college. They were my favorite band. I still love them but my adoration has faded. The first four albums: Boy, October, War and The Unforgettable Fire are my favs, along with the two 80s live albums "Under a Blood Red Sky" and "Wide Awake in America." Not to say that Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, or the later albums didn't have some great songs because they did. But I'm partial to the early stuff. If I had to recommend songs that capture the essence of what U2 is/was about, I would actually direct them to two live performances: "40" from Under a Blood Red Sky and "Bad" from Wide Awake in America. Such dramatic, killer performances. The whole band is all in and they slay those songs.
Same here. Loved them while in college back in the 80's, saw them in concert during the Joshua Tree tour, which was fantastic. But my interest waned after that.
Unforgettable Fire is my very favorite U2 album. You need to do the whole album. Masterpiece
She Moves in Mysterious Ways always gives me chills
Although there are other things being sung here there are phrases that stick out profoundly to me. One man in the name of love...one man betrayed with a kiss. I shouldn't have to tell you who that is. There is also the the phrase that refers to MLK...Free at last, they took your life but they could not take your pride. This is actually a very powerful and meaningful song. I've always loved it.
'Where the Streets Have No Name is a classic, I do recommend you check out the video for it, they take over a drugstore rooftop in downtown LA for the shoot, then the cops move in.
Great reaction. Love from Ireland.
One of their better songs. I Will Follow is another great one that came even before this one.
My fav song by them. Kinda punky.
Total S-tier song on lyrics and message alone - a deep dive of Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby albums is worth it
It'd be really neat if say, on the Patreon, you both reacted to the full "Live at Red Rocks" video from 1983. It was the concert that really broke them to America, since it was the second live show broadcast on MTV. The full set wasn't shown, but it was released years later in both audio and video formats.
The music of my youth. I feel sorry for kids who had to grow up without music like this and bands like U2.