Sunday 30 August 2015

U2 album by album




I've never quite got U2. Never got the huge appeal. Never really enjoyed the music. I find the band dull and pompous. The music largely repetitive and monotonous. Earnest. Overblown. Following a narrow track. Unadventurous.  Lumpen. Obvious. Limited. Commercial. Lacking insight, delicacy, excitement, authenticity. Yet I have been drawn by the acclaim. Sometimes the huge acclaim. And I have been curious as to what it is that others are seeing that I am not. I have tried over the years to get into the band. I have bought some of their albums and listened carefully and patiently. But the magic has escaped me. I suspect there was something about their image and/or sound early on that created a barrier for me because the band are not just popular, they are critically acclaimed. Four of their albums are critically admired: Achtung Baby (1991),  The Joshua Tree (1987),  The Unforgettable Fire (1984) , and War (1983) - in roughly that order. The top three of those albums had the creative involvement of Brian Eno - for me, one of the leading figures in 20th century music; so that has also caught my interest, especially as the band kept returning to Eno, even when they were at the height of their critical and commercial success. 


Wikipedia: 

U2 formed in 1976 with Bono (vocals and guitar), the Edge (guitar, keyboards, and vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums and percussion). U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music. Throughout the group's musical pursuits, they have maintained a sound built on melodic instrumentals. Their lyrics, often embellished with spiritual imagery, focus on personal themes and sociopolitical concerns.
The band formed at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency. Within four years, they signed with Island Records and released their debut album Boy. By the mid-1980s, U2 had become a top international act. They were more successful as a touring act than they were at selling records until their 1987 album The Joshua Tree which, according to Rolling Stone, elevated the band's stature "from heroes to superstars". Reacting to musical stagnation and criticism of their earnest image and musical direction in the late-1980s, U2 reinvented themselves with their 1991 album, Achtung Baby, and the accompanying Zoo TV Tour; they integrated dance, industrial, and alternative rock influences into their sound, and embraced a more ironic and self-deprecating image. They embraced similar experimentation for the remainder of the 1990s with varying levels of success. U2 regained critical and commercial favour in the 2000s with the records All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000) and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004), which established a more conventional, mainstream sound for the group. Their U2 360° Tour from 2009–2011 was the highest-attended and highest-grossing concert tour in history.
U2 have released 13 studio albums and are one of the world's best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 170 million records worldwide. They have won 22 Grammy Awards, more than any other band; and, in 2005, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility. Rolling Stone ranked U2 at number 22 in its list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time", and labelled them the "Biggest Band in the World". Throughout their career, as a band and as individuals, they have campaigned for human rights and philanthropic causes, including Amnesty International, the ONE/DATA campaigns, Product Red, and the Edge's Music Rising.
AllMusic: 

U2 have spent the vast majority of their career as the biggest rock & roll band in the world, a title that captures not only their popularity but their importance. Alone among all the groups to emerge from the post-punk era, U2 channeled their yen for moody, experimental aural textures into clearly defined rock anthems and ballads -- the kind of songs that fill arenas yet still seem personal. Much of that sense of intimacy can be attributed to Bono, a lead singer who gravitates toward grand gestures yet remains grounded by his belief in humanity and the revolutionary power of rock & roll. This sense of righteousness has never abandoned U2, not even after the group sold millions of albums all over the globe, but it burned brightest on their earliest records such as 1983's galvanizing War, when the cavernous guitar of the Edge still seemed flinty and the rhythm section of Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton conveyed the grit of the group's punk beginnings. This phase of U2 crested around the time they stole the show at Live Aid in 1985, an event that laid the groundwork for The Joshua Tree, the 1987 album that sent the Irish band into the stratosphere. Powered by the twin Billboard chart-toppers "With or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," The Joshua Tree contained the group's most direct music to date but still boasted an adventurous production, setting a precedent U2 would follow for the rest of their career; whenever they got too close to the middle of the road, they darted in another direction. Their first -- and most radical -- reinvention arrived in 1991, with the dense, electronic-drenched Achtung Baby, a left turn that set the pace for a decade of risk-taking that culminated with 1997's Pop, a rare commercial misfire from the band. U2 righted themselves with 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind, a streamlined back-to-basics album that brought them to a cruising altitude they maintained into the 2020s, as they released new records and toured on a regular schedule.


Bono  - vocals and lyrics (music?)
The Edge - guitar, music and occasional lyrics
Adam Clayton - bass and music 
Larry Mullen Jr. - drums and music 


Recordings

 
"Three" (1979)


The band's first release was this single/EP, containing three tracks - "Out of Control", "Stories for Boys", and "Boy/Girl". "Out of Control" and "Stories for Boys" were rerecorded for the debut album. There is something of  the Boomtown Rats about this, with elements of the Cure. The Edge's guitar is more conventional with licks and riffs aplenty, though now and again there is the arpeggio jangle. Quite driving in a soft Boomtown  Rats stylie. Bono's voice is effective and workable, though doesn't carry the compelling romantic majesty it will later. Clayton and Mullen provide a decent rhythm section. An acceptable if unremarkable debut. 

Wikipedia 



Boy (1980)

Elements of the Cure, the Banshees, and Joy Division in this otherwise fairly rocky album. There are the sounds that will later become a feature of the band - such as The Edge's jangling melodic guitar, and the band's big spacious sound (which was popular with a number of post-punk bands around that time, such as Big Country, The Alarm, Simple Minds, Tears For Fears, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Waterboys, and The Durutti Column), though as yet undeveloped. All in all a fairly average album for the time. Not a lot here that for me stands out, but an OK debut.

Released20 October 1980
RecordedJuly–September 1980
StudioWindmill Lane (Dublin)
GenrePost-punk
Length42:52
LabelIsland
ProducerSteve Lillywhite

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."I Will Follow"3:40
2."Twilight"4:22
3."An Cat Dubh"4:46
4."Into the Heart"3:27
5."Out of Control"4:12
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Stories for Boys"3:04
2."The Ocean"1:34
3."A Day Without Me"3:12
4."Another Time, Another Place"4:31
5."The Electric Co."4:47
6."Shadows and Tall Trees" 5:13


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 8
Score: 4

October (1981)

An earnest album in the same early 80's rock style as the debut, but with less confidence and with awkward stilted music and lyrics. A poor show really.  

Released12 October 1981
RecordedApril 1981, July – August 1981
Studio
GenreRock, post-punk
Length41:05
LabelIsland
ProducerSteve Lillywhite

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Gloria"4:14
2."I Fall Down"3:39
3."I Threw a Brick Through a Window"4:54
4."Rejoice"3:37
5."Fire"3:51
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Tomorrow"4:39
2."October"2:21
3."With a Shout (Jerusalem)"4:02
4."Stranger in a Strange Land"3:56
5."Scarlet"2:53
6."Is That All?"2:59


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 6
UDiscoverMusic
Score: 3

War (Feb 1983)

Contains "Sunday Bloody Sunday" an early success for the band. And "News Years Day" is also a decent song. The album is a marked improvement on the first two, but still has the stilted sound of early 80s New Romantics. A little earnest (these boys do seem to take themselves seriously by gawd) yet at the same time a bit too much pop for authentic rock. There's not enough distance here from Adam and The Ants ("Desperate"), Duran Duran ("Something") and Spandau Ballet ("Chant") for comfort. This, however, is generally seen as one of the band's best albums, usually third behind Achtung Baby  and The Joshua Tree.  It's an OK album, just not my thing.

Released28 February 1983
RecordedSeptember–November 1982
StudioWindmill Lane, Dublin
GenreRock, post-punk
Length42:03
LabelIsland
ProducerSteve Lillywhite

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Sunday Bloody Sunday"4:38
2."Seconds"3:09
3."New Year's Day"5:38
4."Like a Song…"4:48
5."Drowning Man"4:12
Side two
No.TitleLength
6."The Refugee" (produced by Bill Whelan)3:40
7."Two Hearts Beat as One"4:00
8."Red Light"3:46
9."Surrender"5:34
10."40"2:36

  • Bono – lead vocals, guitar
  • The Edge – guitar, piano, lap steel guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Seconds" (bass guitar on "40")
  • Adam Clayton – bass guitar (except "40")
  • Larry Mullen Jr. – drums and percussion

Wikipedia
AllMusic: 10
Score: 4 1/2

Under a Blood Red Sky (Nov 1983)

Live album.  Competent but unremarkable. I like it - it's an attractive listenable album which seems to sum up U2 at this point in their career, and - indeed, sort of underscore British rock at this point in the Eighties. While there is still the feel of Indie music (Bunnymen, etc), the main thrust appears to be professional pop-rock. It's all quite harmonious, slick, and widely appealing. A bit like marshmallows - sweet and tasty, but lacking in nutrition and interest. 

Released21 November 1983
Recorded6 May 1983 – 20 August 1983
Venue
GenreRock, post-punk
Length35:29
LabelIsland
ProducerJimmy Iovine

Side one
No.TitleRecording location/dateLength
1."Gloria"Red Rocks Amphitheatre - June 19834:32
2."11 O'Clock Tick Tock"Boston, Massachusetts on 6 May 19834:34
3."I Will Follow"Sankt Goarshausen, Germany - Aug 19833:36
4."Party Girl"Red Rocks Amphitheatre on 5 June 19832:52
Side two
No.TitleRecording location/dateLength
1."Sunday Bloody Sunday"Sankt Goarshausen, - August 19834:55
2."The Electric Co."Sankt Goarshausen -  August 19835:18
3."New Year's Day"Sankt Goarshausen -  August 19834:29
4."40"Sankt Goarshausen -  August 19833:36


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 6
Score: 4

The Unforgettable Fire (1984)

I like this. This is an expansive album, and though it sits comfortably among contemporary albums, it is distinctive due to Bono's clear voice and Romantically passionate delivery. The Edge's melodic jangly guitar is also a feature, though is rather more limited than fans and critics are generally prepared to admit. It is Bono who really makes the band, and this album. The band are professional, and the sound is good. Not quite sure what Eno brought to the table as there is little here that indicates Eno's involvement (other than some Talking Heads sounds on the B side - essentially on the lesser songs), but the band seemed to acquire confidence that they were doing something authentic due to his presence, and went along with his oblique strategies with the professional earnestness that has driven their success, and which - for me - creates a distance, as the driving ambition appears to be to be taken seriously and to be successful, rather than to create genuine art.  While I have doubts about the impact of Eno on the album, there is a certainty that the skills and experience of Daniel Lanois as engineer, producer and collaborator were invaluable, and contribute to the richness of the sound. Best tracks are the proper U2 big Romantic songs "Pride" - the "unfinished" lyrics about Martin Luther King work best as they are, with suggestions and ideas rather than narrow specific details, so the lyrics are among the band's most expansive and visionary, and of course "Bad", which is the song that broke U2 onto a global audience when the band vamped anxiously while Bono went into the audience to dance with some girls at Live Aid. The lyrics are nonsense (unfinished notes to - apparently - a song about heroin, though you'd be hard pushed to know that without Bono telling you! - psst, Bono, here's some proper songs about heroin: "I'm Waiting For The Man", "Heroin", "Needle of Death", "Needle and The Damage Done", and "Under The Bridge" ), the song is really the sound that is made - a passionate, beautiful song that moves deliberately at its own pace, with some Eno doodling to add to the texture.   Yeah, flawed and weak, but the strengths carry it a long way. On the whole a decent album I enjoy playing. 

Released1 October 1984
Recorded7 May – 5 August 1984
Studio
Genre
Length42:38
LabelIsland
Producer


Side one
No.TitleLength
1."A Sort of Homecoming"5:28
2."Pride (In the Name of Love)"3:48
3."Wire"4:19
4."The Unforgettable Fire"4:55
5."Promenade"2:35
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."4th of July"2:12
2."Bad"6:09
3."Indian Summer Sky"4:17
4."Elvis Presley and America"6:23
5."MLK"2:31

Additional musicians


This is the big one. It is luxuriously Romantic with a Technicolor widescreen sound that reaches out for ever. It's a solid pop-rock big stadium sound, very commercial and appealing, with a convincing level of passionate commitment that gives authenticity to a pop act that is quite rare. The songs are well crafted and listenable. And the band deliver it all with a session player professionalism. The two main figures are Bono whose clear voice is attractive, strong, Romantic, and conveys the songs with believable  passion, while The Edge has a chiming guitar style that is instantly recognisable. This is possibly their best album (however, I'm starting to favour The Unforgettable Fire), though over time public and critics have started to favour Achtung Baby.  It has taken me a while to get into this album, but now that I have, the more I listen to it, the more I appreciate it. Well, Side One at least. Side Two is probably best left unplayed.  "Bullet The Blue Sky" is a strong piece - one of the more interesting and rocky that U2 have done, approaching some of the genuine musical inventiveness  and weight of Led Zeppelin; though the success of the track rests hugely on the production - live versions of the song don't carry as much weight. 

Released9 March 1987
RecordedJanuary 1986 – January 1987
Studio
GenreRock
Length50:11
LabelIsland
ProducerDaniel Lanois, Brian Eno

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Where the Streets Have No Name"5:38
2."I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"4:38
3."With or Without You"4:56
4."Bullet the Blue Sky"4:32
5."Running to Stand Still"4:18
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."Red Hill Mining Town"4:54
2."In God's Country"2:57
3."Trip Through Your Wires"3:33
4."One Tree Hill"5:23
5."Exit"4:13
6."Mothers of the Disappeared"5:12

Additional performers[51]

  • Brian Eno – keyboards, DX7 programming, backing vocals
  • Daniel Lanois – tambourine, Omnichord, additional rhythm guitar ("I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", Running to Stand Still"), backing vocals
  • The Armin Family – strings ("One Tree Hill")
  • The Arklow Silver Band – brass ("Red Hill Mining Town")
  • Paul Barrett – brass arrangement and conducting

Wikipedia
AllMusic: 10
Score: 7

Rattle and Hum (1988)

Live and studio album consisting of covers (live) and original tracks (studio) which are mixed together in a seemingly random way. Some of the live tracks are of previously released U2 songs. The resulting album is a bit of a hodgepodge, lacking focus, and was rightly criticised.

Released10 October 1988
Recorded1987–1988
Studio
GenreRock, roots rock[1]
Length72:27
LabelIsland
ProducerJimmy Iovine

No.TitleWriter(s)PerformerLength
1."Helter Skelter" (live at Denver, Colorado)Lennon–McCartney (lyrics and music)U23:07
2."Van Diemen's Land"The Edge (lyrics)U23:06
3."Desire" U22:58
4."Hawkmoon 269" U26:22
5."All Along the Watchtower" (live from "Save the Yuppie Free Concert", San Francisco)Bob Dylan (lyrics and music)U24:24
6."I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" (live at Madison Square Garden, New York) U2 with The New Voices of Freedom5:53
7."Freedom for My People"Sterling Magee (lyrics and music); Adam Gussow (music)Sterling Magee and Adam Gussow0:38
8."Silver and Gold" (live from Denver, Colorado) U25:50
9."Pride (In the Name of Love)" (live from Denver, Colorado) U24:27
10."Angel of Harlem" U23:49
11."Love Rescue Me"Bono and Bob Dylan (lyrics)U2 with Bob Dylan6:24
12."When Love Comes to Town" U2 with B.B. King4:14
13."Heartland" U25:02
14."God Part II" U23:15
15."The Star Spangled Banner" (live)John Stafford Smith (music)Jimi Hendrix0:43
16."Bullet the Blue Sky" (live at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona) U25:37
17."All I Want Is You" U26:30

Guest performers

  • Bob Dylan – Hammond organ on "Hawkmoon 269", backing vocals on "Love Rescue Me"
  • The New Voices of Freedom – gospel choir on "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
  • Joey Miskulin – organ on "Angel of Harlem"
  • The Memphis Horns – horns on "Angel of Harlem" and "Love Rescue Me"
  • B.B. King – guest vocals and lead guitar on "When Love Comes to Town"
  • Billie Barnum, Carolyn Willis, and Edna Wright – backing vocals on "Hawkmoon 269"
  • Rebecca Evans Russell, Phyllis Duncan, Helen Duncan – backing vocals on "When Love Comes to Town"
  • Brian Eno – keyboards on "Heartland"
  • Benmont Tench – Hammond organ on "All I Want Is You"
  • Van Dyke Parks – string arrangement on "All I Want Is You"

Wikipedia
AllMusic:
Score: 3

Achtung Baby (1991)

Into the 90s with a more modern sound - harsher, more electric, less romantic. This is one of the band's most acclaimed albums - regarded either as their best, or second to (mostly) The Joshua Tree or The Unforgettable Fire.  "The Fly" was the first release, and caught my attention for being so in tune with the musical norms at the start of the 90s - it sounded so modern and crisp and funky compared with the old 80s U2. Not that I thought it was a great song - it was closer in style to "The Seeds of Love" (1989) or "Right Here Right Now" (1991) or "Personal Jesus" (1989) than more cutting edge early 90s music such as "Step On" (1990) or "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (1991) or "Fools Gold" (1989), but it was certainly in the right area, and I was impressed that what had always seemed to me to be an old fuddy duddy pop-rock band were suddenly so "hip" and sharp. "Mysterious Ways" was the next single, and while also being funky, felt more like the old U2, so simply passed me by, as such I also missed out on "One" because it felt again too much like the 80s U2 doing a boring ballad. Actually it's a decent song which carries echoes of Marley's "One Love" and before that The Impressions' "Get Ready". While not quite at the same level of those two songs, it does belong in that tradition.  "Even Better Than The Real Thing" was the next release and is in the tradition of Sixties pop though with elements of folk-rock, funk, and a blend of 80s and 90s attitudes and production. That blend of differing musical periods was something of a feature of the 90s and U2 were clearly part of that. All in all a satisfying pop-rock album which cemented the band's popularity, and I can see it being one of the band's best albums. However, I'm someway from seeing this as one of the best albums ever made. It isn't even, for me, one of the best albums of 1991 - a year which saw  The La’s,  Pills ‘n’ Thrills and Bellyaches , Blue Lines, Nevermind, Heaven or Las Vegas, Loveless, Ragged Glory,  Ritual de lo Habitual, Goo, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, If There Was A Way, and  Pod  for example. 

Reviews: Pitchfork: 9 1/2; Rolling Stone: 9; ClassicRock


Released18 November 1991
RecordedOctober 1990 – September 1991
Studio
GenreAlternative rock
Length55:27
LabelIsland
Producer

No.TitleProducerLength
1."Zoo Station"Daniel Lanois4:36
2."Even Better Than the Real Thing"Steve Lillywhite, with Brian Eno and Lanois3:41
3."One"Lanois with Eno4:36
4."Until the End of the World"Lanois with Eno4:39
5."Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses"Lillywhite, Lanois, and Eno5:16
6."So Cruel"Lanois5:49
7."The Fly"Lanois4:29
8."Mysterious Ways"Lanois with Eno4:04
9."Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World"Lanois with Eno3:53
10."Ultraviolet (Light My Way)"Lanois with Eno5:31
11."Acrobat"Lanois4:30
12."Love Is Blindness"Lanois4:23

Additional performers

  • Brian Eno – additional keyboards (tracks 3, 9, 12)
  • Daniel Lanois – additional guitar (1, 3, 9), additional percussion (4, 8)
  • Duchess Nell Catchpole – violin and viola (6)

Wikipedia
AllMusic: 10
Score: 5 

Zooropa (1993)

U2 fans regard this as a poor effort, though critics like it. It took a while to grow on me, but I'm starting to like it....

Released5 July 1993
RecordedFebruary–May 1993 in Dublin, Ireland
Studio
GenreAlternative rock
Length51:15
LabelIsland
Producer

No.TitleLyricsMixed byLength
1."Zooropa"BonoFlood6:31
2."Babyface"BonoFlood4:01
3."Numb"The EdgeRobbie Adams4:20
4."Lemon"BonoFlood6:58
5."Stay (Faraway, So Close!)"BonoFlood4:58
6."Daddy's Gonna Pay for Your Crashed Car"BonoFlood5:20
7."Some Days Are Better Than Others"BonoRobbie Adams4:17
8."The First Time"BonoFlood3:45
9."Dirty Day"Bono and The EdgeRobbie Adams5:24
10."The Wanderer" (starring Johnny Cash)BonoFlood, Robbie Adams5:41

Additional musicians


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 8
Score: 4

Passengers - Original Soundtracks 1 (1995)

A collaboration with Eno in which they create some interesting ambient music. To be honest this is more Eno than U2, and some members of the band still don't quite get it, feeling it to be "self-indulgent". This is amongst the best work that U2 have been involved in.

Released6 November 1995
RecordedNovember 1994 – July 1995
Studio
  • Westside Studios (London)
  • Hanover (Dublin)
GenreExperimental, ambient, electronica
Length58:10
LabelIsland


All music is composed by Passengers (Brian Eno, Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge, and Larry Mullen Jr.)

Track 8 co-written by Holi. Track 11 co-written by Howie B.

No.TitleFrom filmLength
1."United Colours"United Colours of Plutonium (Japan)5:31
2."Slug"Slug (Germany)4:41
3."Your Blue Room"Par-delà les nuages / Beyond the Clouds (Italy)5:28
4."Always Forever Now"Always Forever Now (Hong Kong)6:24
5."A Different Kind of Blue"An Ordinary Day (USA)2:02
6."Beach Sequence"Par-delà les nuages / Beyond the Clouds (Italy)3:31
7."Miss Sarajevo" (featuring Luciano Pavarotti)Miss Sarajevo (USA)5:40
8."Ito Okashi" (featuring Holi)Ito Okashi / Something Beautiful (Japan)3:25
9."One Minute Warning"Ghost in the Shell (Japan)4:40
10."Corpse (These Chains Are Way Too Long)"Gibigiane / Reflections (Italy)3:35
11."Elvis Ate America" (featuring Howie B)Elvis Ate America (USA)3:00
12."Plot 180"Hypnotize (Love Me 'til Dawn) (UK)3:41
13."Theme from The Swan"The Swan (Hungary)3:24
14."Theme from Let's Go Native"Let's Go Native (South Africa)3:08

  • Bono – vocals, additional guitar, piano on "Beach Sequence"
  • Adam Clayton – bass guitar, additional guitar on "Your Blue Room", percussion, narration on "Your Blue Room"
  • The Edge – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Corpse," church organ on "Your Blue Room"
  • Brian Eno – strategies, sequencers, keyboards, backing vocals, guitar, treatments, mixing, chorus voices, vocals on "A Different Kind of Blue", production
  • Larry Mullen Jr. – drums, percussion, rhythm sequence on "One Minute Warning," rhythm synthesizer on "United Colours"
Additional personnel
  • Luciano Pavarotti – tenor voice on "Miss Sarajevo"
  • Holi – vocals on "Ito Okashi," voices on "One Minute Warning"
  • Howie B – mixing, treatments, scratching, and rhythm track on "Elvis Ate America"
  • Craig Armstrong – string arrangement on "Miss Sarajevo"

Wikipedia
AllMusic: 6
Score: 6

Pop (1997)

This kinda sums up U2 for me - a band that likes to follow the current trend and put its own earnest spin on it. Most people see it clearly here and see the weaknesses - but the album is really no better or worse than other U2 albums. It's empty meaningless techno - there is a sense that U2 doesn't really understand music, just looks for what it thinks might be contemporary, artistic, "serious", and commercial.  It's as decent and professional as most of their stuff, but lacks the appeal of their better albums.

Released3 March 1997
Recorded1995–1996
Studio
  • Hanover Quay (Dublin)
  • Windmill Lane (Dublin)
  • The Works (Dublin)
  • South Beach (Miami)
Genre
Length60:09
LabelIsland
Producer

All lyrics are written by Bono and the Edge; all music is composed by U2.

No.TitleProducerLength
1."Discothèque"Flood5:19
2."Do You Feel Loved"
5:07
3."Mofo"Flood5:49
4."If God Will Send His Angels"
5:22
5."Staring at the Sun"
  • Flood
  • Steve Osborne[a]
4:36
6."Last Night on Earth"Flood4:45
7."Gone"Flood4:26
8."Miami"
  • Howie B
  • Flood
4:52
9."The Playboy Mansion"
  • Flood
  • Howie B
4:40
10."If You Wear That Velvet Dress"Flood5:15
11."Please"
  • Flood
  • Howie B
5:02
12."Wake Up Dead Man"Flood4:52


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 6
Score: 3
This is partly a return to the sound of U2's acclaimed albums such as Unforgettable Fire, Joshua Tree, and Achtung Baby, with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois coming back for production duties and creative guidance. The result is patchy, but the big sound and the romance is back in places, and there are classic-period U2 songs like "Beautiful Day" and "Stuck In A Moment", along with the electronic type Achtung Baby type songs like "Elevation", but on the whole the album is marred by its lack of focus, lack of commitment and authenticity,  and a feeling that the band are stepping backwards to try and recapture something they lost - which was a particular feature of a number of  long term artists on reaching the new millennium. Many of the songs and performances are average at best, such as "Wild Honey" - a rather dull country rock piece, and "New York" - a derivative Lou Reed piece.    All in all a listenable album, but not a terrific one. 

Reviews: Rolling Stone: 8; NME: 7; Pitchfork: 5

Released30 October 2000
Recorded1998–2000
Studio
Genre
Length49:25
Label
Producer

No.TitleLyricsProducer(s)Length
1."Beautiful Day" 
4:06
2."Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of"
  • Bono, 
  • The Edge
  • Lanois
  • Eno
4:32
3."Elevation" 
  • Lanois
  • Eno
3:45
4."Walk On" 
  • Lanois
  • Eno
  • Lillywhite (add.)
4:55
5."Kite"
  • Bono, 
  • The Edge
  • Lanois
  • Eno
4:23
6."In a Little While" 
3:39
7."Wild Honey" 
  • Eno
  • Lanois
3:47
8."Peace on Earth" 
4:46
9."When I Look at the World"
  • Bono, 
  • The Edge
  • Eno
  • Lanois
4:15
10."New York" 
  • Eno
  • Lanois
5:28
11."Grace" 
  • Lanois
  • Eno
5:31

Additional musicians


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 8
Score: 4 1/2   
There's a good 90s feel to the opening tack "Vertigo" which is reminiscent of some punchy Blur. But, of course, this is 2004, and music has already moved on so that indicates that U2 are falling a little bit behind the times. They catch up a little with the second track, "Miracle Drug", which has a Coldplay sound. And that's U2, really, they are a band who tend to sail along in the coat tails of other, usually better, bands, putting their own earnest commercial spin and Bono's strong voice on it. They have done well out of it. This is an indifferent album that mostly only fans appear to  appreciate.

Released22 November 2004
RecordedFebruary 2003 – July 2004
Studio
Genre
Length49:03
Label
ProducerSteve Lillywhite and Chris Thomas
Additional production: Jacknife Lee, Nellee Hooper, Flood, Daniel Lanois, Brian Eno and Carl Glanville

No.TitleLyricsProducerLength
1."Vertigo"Bono and the EdgeSteve Lillywhite3:14
2."Miracle Drug"Bono and the EdgeLillywhite; Carl Glanville,[a] Jacknife Lee[a]3:59
3."Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" Chris Thomas; Lillywhite,[a] Nellee Hooper[a]5:08
4."Love and Peace or Else"Bono and the EdgeBrian Eno, Daniel Lanois; Thomas,[a] Lee,[a] Flood[a]4:50
5."City of Blinding Lights" Flood; Thomas,[a] Lee[a]5:47
6."All Because of You" Lillywhite3:39
7."A Man and a Woman" Lee; Lillywhite,[a] Glanville[a]4:30
8."Crumbs from Your Table" Lillywhite; Lee[a]5:03
9."One Step Closer" Thomas, Lanois; Lee[a]3:51
10."Original of the Species" Lillywhite; Lee[a]4:41
11."Yahweh"Bono and the EdgeThomas4:21

  • Bono – lead vocals, additional guitar (tracks 2, 9, 11), backing vocal (2), piano (5)
  • The Edge – guitar, backing vocals/additional vocal (1–4, 6–9, 11), piano (2, 4–5, 10–11), keyboards (3), additional percussion (7), synthesiser (10–11)
  • Adam Clayton – bass guitar
  • Larry Mullen Jr. – drums, percussion, backing vocal (2)

Additional performers[48]

  • Jacknife Lee – synthesisers/additional synthesisers (1–2, 4–5, 7–10), programming (2, 4), keyboards (6), additional guitar atmospherics (8)
  • Daniel Lanois – additional guitar and pedal steel (9), mandolin (11), shaker (4)
  • Carl Glanville – additional percussion and synthesisers (2)
  • Brian Eno – synthesisers (4)
  • Fabien Waltmann – programming (3, 5)

Wikipedia
AllMusic: 7
Score: 4

 
U218 Singles (2006)

The first useful compilation of  popular U2 songs - unlike previous compilations, this spans the majority of their career (even deeper on the non-American version, which includes "I Will Follow" from their 1980 debut album), and presents it all on one disc. There is a little too much focus on the less iconic later material, and there are oddly two new previously unreleased songs (an annoying marketing ploy to get both non-fans and fans to buy the album), but it serves as an overview and handy introduction to the band for those who don't wish to wade through all the albums. 

Released20 November 2006
Recorded1980–2006, new material recorded in September 2006 with Rick Rubin in France and at Abbey Road Studios
GenrePop-rock, post-punk
Length74:35
LabelMercury, Interscope
ProducerVarious

No.TitleFrom the album:Length
1."Beautiful Day"All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000)4:05
2."I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"The Joshua Tree (1987)4:38
3."Pride (In the Name of Love)"The Unforgettable Fire (1984)3:48
4."With or Without You"The Joshua Tree4:56
5."Vertigo"How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004)3:10
6."New Year's Day" (Japanese single version)War (1983)4:17
7."Mysterious Ways"Achtung Baby (1991)4:02
8."Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of"All That You Can't Leave Behind4:31
9."Where the Streets Have No Name" (Single version)The Joshua Tree4:46
10."Sweetest Thing" (Single mix)The Best of 1980–1990 (1998)3:00
11."Sunday Bloody Sunday"War4:40
12."One"Achtung Baby4:35
13."Desire"Rattle and Hum (1988)2:59
14."Walk On" (Edited version)All That You Can't Leave Behind4:26
15."Elevation"All That You Can't Leave Behind3:47
16."Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own"How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb5:05
17."The Saints Are Coming" (with Green Day)New song; originally by Skids from Scared to Dance3:21
18."Window in the Skies"New song4:08


Score: 4 1/2  

If you like U2 you'll like this, but it's below par. For me its more likeable than the previous studio album, particularly "Get On Your Boots", but not really my sort of thing.

Released27 February 2009
RecordedMay 2007 – December 2008
Studio
  • Riad El Yacout (Fez)
  • Hanover Quay (Dublin)
  • Platinum Sound (New York City)
  • Olympic (London)
GenreRock
Length53:44
Label
Producer

No.TitleLyricsMusicProducerLength
1."No Line on the Horizon" U2, Brian Eno, Daniel LanoisEno, Lanois; Steve Lillywhite (add.)4:12
2."Magnificent"Bono, The EdgeU2, Eno, LanoisEno, Lanois; Lillywhite (add.)5:24
3."Moment of Surrender" U2, Eno, LanoisEno, Lanois7:24
4."Unknown Caller"U2, Eno, LanoisU2, Eno, LanoisEno, Lanois; Lillywhite (add.)6:03
5."I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" U2Lillywhite; will.i.am (add.)4:14
6."Get On Your Boots" U2Eno, Lanois; Declan Gaffney (add.)3:25
7."Stand Up Comedy" U2Eno, Lanois; Lillywhite (add.)3:50
8."Fez – Being Born" U2, Eno, LanoisEno, Lanois5:17
9."White as Snow"U2, with Eno, LanoisTraditional, arr. U2, with Eno, LanoisEno, Lanois4:41
10."Breathe" U2Lillywhite; Lanois (add.), Eno (add.)5:00
11."Cedars of Lebanon" U2, Eno, LanoisLanois4:13

Additional performers


Wikipedia 
AllMusic: 6
Score: 4 1/2
There's some songs here, but nothing special. Listenable, but not memorable, interesting, exciting, or beautiful. Just songs. Flat. 

Released9 September 2014
Recorded2009–2014
Studio
  • Electric Lady (New York City)
  • Pull (New York City)
  • The Church (London)
  • Assault and Battery (London)
  • Shangri-La (Los Angeles)
  • The Woodshed (Los Angeles)
  • Strathmore House (Killiney)
GenreRock
Length48:11
LabelIsland, Interscope
ProducerAdditional production: Ryan Tedder, Declan Gaffney, and Flood

All lyrics are written by Bono and The Edge; all music is composed by U2.

No.TitleProducer(s)Length
1."The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)"
4:16
2."Every Breaking Wave"
  • Danger Mouse
  • Tedder
  • Declan Gaffney[a]
4:13
3."California (There Is No End to Love)"
  • Gaffney
  • Epworth
  • Danger Mouse
4:00
4."Song for Someone"
3:47
5."Iris (Hold Me Close)"
  • Epworth
  • Tedder
  • Danger Mouse[a]
5:20
6."Volcano"
  • Gaffney
  • Epworth[a]
3:15
7."Raised by Wolves"
  • Gaffney
  • Danger Mouse
4:06
8."Cedarwood Road"
  • Danger Mouse
  • Epworth
4:26
9."Sleep Like a Baby Tonight"Danger Mouse5:02
10."This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now"Danger Mouse5:06
11."The Troubles"
  • Danger Mouse
  • Gaffney[a]
4:46


Wikipedia
AllMusic: 6 
Score: 3 


   
Songs of Experience (2017)
Initially quite a dull and boring listen. Somewhat removed from the anthemic, wide-screen Romanticism of the Eighties, though the same simplistic music, just removed of the compelling melodrama that mesmerised people Yet, somehow pleasant wallpaper music, and perhaps just a tad better than Innocence.  It's fairly light, and quite likeable in a bubblegum pop stylie.
  

Released1 December 2017
Recorded2014–2017
Studio
GenrePop rock[1]
Length51:07
Label
Producer



No.TitleMusicProducerLength
1."Love Is All We Have Left" Andy Barlow2:41
2."Lights of Home"
4:16
3."You're the Best Thing About Me" 
3:45
4."Get Out of Your Own Way" 
  • Tedder
  • Lillywhite
  • Kutzle
  • Thomas
  • Lee[a]
3:58
5."American Soul" 
4:21
6."Summer of Love" 
  • Tedder
  • Kutzle
  • Lee[a]
3:24
7."Red Flag Day" 
  • Tedder
  • Lillywhite
  • Kutzle
  • Barlow
3:19
8."The Showman (Little More Better)" 
  • Tedder
  • Lillywhite
  • Lee[a]
3:23
9."The Little Things That Give You Away" 
  • Thomas
  • Barlow[a]
4:55
10."Landlady" 
4:01
11."The Blackout" 
4:45
12."Love Is Bigger Than Anything in Its Way" Lee4:00
13."13 (There Is a Light)" 
4:19

Additional performers



Score: 3 



Discography


Best albums

* NME
     Achtung Baby 
     The Joshua Tree 
     War 
* Newsweek
     Achtung Baby 
     The Joshua Tree 
     War 
* UCR 
     The Joshua Tree 
     Achtung Baby 
     War
* Irish Times
     The Unforgettable Fire
     Achtung Baby 
     The Joshua Tree 
* Rolling Stone
     Achtung Baby 
     The Joshua Tree 
     The Unforgettable Fire
* BEA 
     The Joshua Tree 
     Achtung Baby 
     War
Best songs






Summary


Voice

Image

Lyrics

Music

Impact/Influence

Importance

Popularity

Star quality

Emotional appeal

Legacy


Total:


Links

*U2.com
*@U2 (fansite)
*Wikipedia


***
Kitchen Table Music Blogs

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