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U2 - Community rankings - FIN - #4 Sunday Bloody Sunday, #3 - One, #2 - Bad, #1 - Where the Streets Have No Name -Spotify links, thanks to Krista4 (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter John Maddens Lunchbox
- Start date
I not only got my first Bingo(!) on this song, but I also got a Bingo with simey! 
Grace Under Pressure
Footballguy
I'm at 61 on 11 O'Clock Tick Tock, and 75 on Wire.
11 O'Clock Tick Tock is all about the Under a Blood Red Sky version IMO.
Wire probably gets a bump from me due to the album it's on.
Both solid songs from the catalog.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
(66) - > 44- Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me
Vulture.com ranking and comment -74/218 - “I figured it’d be good for us to be involved in something that’s basically throwaway and light-hearted,” the Edge said about this Zooropa leftover that was transformed into something that sounds exactly like the soundtrack for a comic-book hero. It soars and zooms and creates a mood.
Original Comment - A throwaway (I wrote that before i saw the vulture comment) song in an era they had trouble writing great songs, this is effortless. They overthink things sometimes. 2 top 40 rankings and 2 over a 100. Is this the last divisive 90s single? We had Numb, Lemon, Miss Sarajevo and this one. Its probably a throwaway, but its such a fun track. Bono is in great form here. U2 not taking themselves seriously. Why so serious?
Total Points - 778.50
Rankers - 20
Average Points per rank - 38.92 (Approximately a 48th rank).
Ranks - 36th on average points per ranker
Highest Rank - 2
Lowest Rank - 94
Previous Rank - 66 > 44
Special Version Requested - None
Ranking Comments - I am really glad this song jumped into the top 50. Mainly thanks to a 2 ranking. Out of all the U2 songs, someone deems this the second best/favorite. There are 5 other top 25 rankings. 9 others in the top 50.
Vulture.com ranking and comment -74/218 - “I figured it’d be good for us to be involved in something that’s basically throwaway and light-hearted,” the Edge said about this Zooropa leftover that was transformed into something that sounds exactly like the soundtrack for a comic-book hero. It soars and zooms and creates a mood.
Original Comment - A throwaway (I wrote that before i saw the vulture comment) song in an era they had trouble writing great songs, this is effortless. They overthink things sometimes. 2 top 40 rankings and 2 over a 100. Is this the last divisive 90s single? We had Numb, Lemon, Miss Sarajevo and this one. Its probably a throwaway, but its such a fun track. Bono is in great form here. U2 not taking themselves seriously. Why so serious?
Total Points - 778.50
Rankers - 20
Average Points per rank - 38.92 (Approximately a 48th rank).
Ranks - 36th on average points per ranker
Highest Rank - 2
Lowest Rank - 94
Previous Rank - 66 > 44
Special Version Requested - None
Ranking Comments - I am really glad this song jumped into the top 50. Mainly thanks to a 2 ranking. Out of all the U2 songs, someone deems this the second best/favorite. There are 5 other top 25 rankings. 9 others in the top 50.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
(21) - > 43- Walk On
Vulture.com ranking and comment -24/218 - “Walk On” is one of U2’s grand statements. It was inspired by Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi, who had then been under house arrest for over a decade — but it is such a deeply moving song that, selfishly, you just want it to yourself. There is a moment in “Walk On” that you might not even hear, you probably just feel it: After the last chorus, Edge’s guitar roars into the mix, and there are three small keyboard chords that will either uplift you or shatter your heart to bits. Or both.
Original Comment - Nice album track that has ambitions to be much more. Others love it, i just feel it lacks something to push it to the next level, making it a frustrating track. Give me Kite any day over this one. It sort of plops this high because no one hates it. This is another song that if we had more rankers probably ends at least 20 spots lower. A definite overachiever
Total Points - 789.70
Rankers - 20
Average Points per rank - 39.48 (Approximately a 43rd rank).
Ranks - 36th on average points per ranker
Highest Rank - 6
Lowest Rank - 161
Previous Rank - 21 > 43
Special Version Requested - None
Ranking Comments - Glad my original comments stayed true. We have 2 people ranking it at 6, 6 others have it in the top 26 and there are 6 other top 50 rankings. A lot of 6 6 6 going on here. Probably better slotted here than originally
Vulture.com ranking and comment -24/218 - “Walk On” is one of U2’s grand statements. It was inspired by Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi, who had then been under house arrest for over a decade — but it is such a deeply moving song that, selfishly, you just want it to yourself. There is a moment in “Walk On” that you might not even hear, you probably just feel it: After the last chorus, Edge’s guitar roars into the mix, and there are three small keyboard chords that will either uplift you or shatter your heart to bits. Or both.
Original Comment - Nice album track that has ambitions to be much more. Others love it, i just feel it lacks something to push it to the next level, making it a frustrating track. Give me Kite any day over this one. It sort of plops this high because no one hates it. This is another song that if we had more rankers probably ends at least 20 spots lower. A definite overachiever
Total Points - 789.70
Rankers - 20
Average Points per rank - 39.48 (Approximately a 43rd rank).
Ranks - 36th on average points per ranker
Highest Rank - 6
Lowest Rank - 161
Previous Rank - 21 > 43
Special Version Requested - None
Ranking Comments - Glad my original comments stayed true. We have 2 people ranking it at 6, 6 others have it in the top 26 and there are 6 other top 50 rankings. A lot of 6 6 6 going on here. Probably better slotted here than originally
John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
I am just stick with these 2 for now, will do another 2 maybe within 12, if not 24 hours time.
The next 2 will have our next track from TJT or AB. Will it be Exit, Zoo Station, Mothers of the Disappeared, Love is Blindness, Bullet the Blue Sky, In God’s Country, Acrobat, Whos Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses or Red Hill Mining Town. It will be one of those 10 tracks,
The other one is between those 2 great albums. How many do we have left there? Well it will be one less soon.
The next 2 will have our next track from TJT or AB. Will it be Exit, Zoo Station, Mothers of the Disappeared, Love is Blindness, Bullet the Blue Sky, In God’s Country, Acrobat, Whos Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses or Red Hill Mining Town. It will be one of those 10 tracks,
The other one is between those 2 great albums. How many do we have left there? Well it will be one less soon.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
Hold Me = 37
Walk On = 60. Everything after 54 on my list is gone except #79.
Hold Me feels much more fun and less ponderous than most material from the Zooropa/Pop era. It’s another example of how sometimes the band is best when it doesn’t overthink things.
Walk On is all about the chorus and the soaring of Edge’s guitar. It may be the closest thing they did sonically to One after 1991.
Walk On = 60. Everything after 54 on my list is gone except #79.
Hold Me feels much more fun and less ponderous than most material from the Zooropa/Pop era. It’s another example of how sometimes the band is best when it doesn’t overthink things.
Walk On is all about the chorus and the soaring of Edge’s guitar. It may be the closest thing they did sonically to One after 1991.
simey
Footballguy
Some days this is my #1. My 1, 2, and 3 rotate, and the day I turned in my rankings this song was #2.
I love everything about this tune. I love the intro with the guitar riff and drums banging in, and the outro with the strings bringing the song to an end, and all the in-between thrills. The lyrics are fun with a touch of sleaziness about them, and the song is just a rockin' good time. They went BIG, baby, and dropped a loud fun bomb song, and you can even clap along to it in parts.
Bono does sound effects in it too like Alex likes. 
they want you to be Jesus
they'll go down on one knee
but they'll want their money back
if you're alive at thirty-three
and you're turning tricks
with your crucifix
you're a star
ooooh child
krista4
Footballguy
I had Hold Me at #60 and Walk On at #40. In this area of my rankings - say, #36-63 - I don't make a lot of distinction as I very much like without totally loving all of them. So I'll defer to Pip's and simey's comments and those of others still to come. Solid tracks that deserved their spots in my top half(-ish).
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
I had Hold Me at……unranked. And Walk On at 56. Hold Me is another oversight by me, but it wouldn’t have broken my top-50. (Of course even a top-100 U2 song is still amazing in my book!!) Still, a lot to like about it….but simey said it best!
Walk On is good. The subject of the song….hasn’t aged well, but that’s a political comment so I’ll just park it and bow out.
Walk On is good. The subject of the song….hasn’t aged well, but that’s a political comment so I’ll just park it and bow out.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
(50) - > 42- Mothers of the Disappeared
50 - >42 - Mothers of the Disappeared Live Santiago 1998 Popmart Tour
Vulture.com ranking and comment -43/218 - Bono wrote this song inspired by the movement of Argentinian mothers demanding justice for their missing children. It is not a rock song; it is almost proto-electronic in feel, anchored by a drum loop Eno put through a processor, with a Spanish guitar line along the top. The drum loop, despite the processing, feels organic when it ties into the lyrics: “We hear their heartbeat,” and it feels like one, albeit in the distance. Bono doesn’t sing so much as chant, and then he veers into keening, as though he is giving voice to the mothers’ grief. It is a very nonlinear song, but in the progression of side two of the album, the steps from “One Tree Hill” to “Exit” to “Mothers of the Disappeared” are not that far removed. It is a difficult song to get right in a live setting, which is why it did not appear on set lists with any great regularity until 2017, where it became both respite after the emotional crescendo of the record and a highlight of the tour.
Original Comment - Some may have expected this to be the first or second Joshua Tree song listed, but two of us love it profoundly. The rankings really divided the group. We have 9, 11, 100 and 161. I am the number 11. This song has gotten better with age. So much so that it pushes the top 10 for me. The more you learn about the atrocities committed by the US backed dictatorships in South and Central America the more powerful this song becomes. The live versions are simply magnificent as the group figures out how to use it effectively in a concert setting. Bullet the Blue Sky beats you over the head with a message, this one is much more subtle. Its a great perspective to instead of looking at the atrocities focusing on the mothers who lost their children and have no idea what haapened and where they are. Builds beautifully and a great close to a magnificant album. Hear their heartbeats.
Total Points - 818.60
Rankers - 18
Average Points per rank - 45.48 (Approximately a 31st rank).
Ranks - 30th on average points per ranker
Highest Rank - 5
Lowest Rank - 193
Previous Rank - 50 > 42
Special Version Requested - 50 - >42 - Mothers of the Disappeared Live Santiago 1998 Popmart Tour
Ranking Comments - There is a big divide with this song. Those that love it and those that dont. This one has a massive 6 top 10 entries. To put that into perspective no song has had more than 2 so far. The next one only has one. Five of the top 50 so far havent had any top 10 entries. This one has 6. It will be quite awhile before we see another song with 6 top 10 entries. This only has 6 other rankings between 17 and 50. This song may be the most top heavy of any song ranked. It not surprisingly has the highest average points per ranker so far, but that will get eclipsed soon by the #40 song. The special version requested is mine. I know there is a better one live.....if i can find it, will link later, but the edge is on fire in this version. Having the mothers up on stage just adds another level.
50 - >42 - Mothers of the Disappeared Live Santiago 1998 Popmart Tour
Vulture.com ranking and comment -43/218 - Bono wrote this song inspired by the movement of Argentinian mothers demanding justice for their missing children. It is not a rock song; it is almost proto-electronic in feel, anchored by a drum loop Eno put through a processor, with a Spanish guitar line along the top. The drum loop, despite the processing, feels organic when it ties into the lyrics: “We hear their heartbeat,” and it feels like one, albeit in the distance. Bono doesn’t sing so much as chant, and then he veers into keening, as though he is giving voice to the mothers’ grief. It is a very nonlinear song, but in the progression of side two of the album, the steps from “One Tree Hill” to “Exit” to “Mothers of the Disappeared” are not that far removed. It is a difficult song to get right in a live setting, which is why it did not appear on set lists with any great regularity until 2017, where it became both respite after the emotional crescendo of the record and a highlight of the tour.
Original Comment - Some may have expected this to be the first or second Joshua Tree song listed, but two of us love it profoundly. The rankings really divided the group. We have 9, 11, 100 and 161. I am the number 11. This song has gotten better with age. So much so that it pushes the top 10 for me. The more you learn about the atrocities committed by the US backed dictatorships in South and Central America the more powerful this song becomes. The live versions are simply magnificent as the group figures out how to use it effectively in a concert setting. Bullet the Blue Sky beats you over the head with a message, this one is much more subtle. Its a great perspective to instead of looking at the atrocities focusing on the mothers who lost their children and have no idea what haapened and where they are. Builds beautifully and a great close to a magnificant album. Hear their heartbeats.
Total Points - 818.60
Rankers - 18
Average Points per rank - 45.48 (Approximately a 31st rank).
Ranks - 30th on average points per ranker
Highest Rank - 5
Lowest Rank - 193
Previous Rank - 50 > 42
Special Version Requested - 50 - >42 - Mothers of the Disappeared Live Santiago 1998 Popmart Tour
Ranking Comments - There is a big divide with this song. Those that love it and those that dont. This one has a massive 6 top 10 entries. To put that into perspective no song has had more than 2 so far. The next one only has one. Five of the top 50 so far havent had any top 10 entries. This one has 6. It will be quite awhile before we see another song with 6 top 10 entries. This only has 6 other rankings between 17 and 50. This song may be the most top heavy of any song ranked. It not surprisingly has the highest average points per ranker so far, but that will get eclipsed soon by the #40 song. The special version requested is mine. I know there is a better one live.....if i can find it, will link later, but the edge is on fire in this version. Having the mothers up on stage just adds another level.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
(74) - > 41- Angel of Harlem
Vulture.com ranking and comment -17/218 - This song accurately captures the excitement and enthusiasm of coming to New York after dreaming about it. It’s an early version of “City of Blinding Lights,” in a way. It’s both a New York City song — Bono name-checks WBLS and John Coltrane, Birdland, Miles Davis, and Billie Holiday. It is also, impossibly, a Memphis song. It was recorded at Sun Studios, with Cowboy Jack Clement behind the desk and the Memphis Horns sounding like they should always be there. “Angel of Harlem” is just brimming with love and enthusiasm and a sense of, Oh my God, we are here where all of this happened. Bono says that it’s one of U2’s few jukebox songs: “We don’t have many jukebox songs — but that’s one people play in bars.” There are few endorsements stronger than that.
Original Comment - Such a beautifully constructed song. This album is an outlier from the rest of their material. Such a wide range of rankings here too.
Total Points - 822.25
Rankers - 21
Average Points per rank - 39.15 (Approximately a 49th rank).
Ranks - 36th on average points per ranker
Highest Rank - 10
Lowest Rank - 84
Previous Rank - 74 > 41
Special Version Requested - None
Ranking Comments - Its ranking surprised me last time. Thought it would be higher. Well, corrected now. Top ranking is a 10, with 6 rankings in total in the top 25. 8 others in the top 50.
Vulture.com ranking and comment -17/218 - This song accurately captures the excitement and enthusiasm of coming to New York after dreaming about it. It’s an early version of “City of Blinding Lights,” in a way. It’s both a New York City song — Bono name-checks WBLS and John Coltrane, Birdland, Miles Davis, and Billie Holiday. It is also, impossibly, a Memphis song. It was recorded at Sun Studios, with Cowboy Jack Clement behind the desk and the Memphis Horns sounding like they should always be there. “Angel of Harlem” is just brimming with love and enthusiasm and a sense of, Oh my God, we are here where all of this happened. Bono says that it’s one of U2’s few jukebox songs: “We don’t have many jukebox songs — but that’s one people play in bars.” There are few endorsements stronger than that.
Original Comment - Such a beautifully constructed song. This album is an outlier from the rest of their material. Such a wide range of rankings here too.
Total Points - 822.25
Rankers - 21
Average Points per rank - 39.15 (Approximately a 49th rank).
Ranks - 36th on average points per ranker
Highest Rank - 10
Lowest Rank - 84
Previous Rank - 74 > 41
Special Version Requested - None
Ranking Comments - Its ranking surprised me last time. Thought it would be higher. Well, corrected now. Top ranking is a 10, with 6 rankings in total in the top 25. 8 others in the top 50.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
Now we are up to the top 40. Time to get serious.
*We only have one song left with less than 20 rankers, our #40.
*By the time we get to 30 we will be approaching 30 rankers.
*We only have five songs left with less than 1000 ranking points.
*We only have 4 songs that were outside the top 50 last time that are still to be revealed, our next 3 will reduce that to one. Will Bullet the Blue Sky make an appearance as its one of the 4?
*We will see one from Joshua Tree, one from Achtung Baby and another one that surprises me with a big jump.
*We only have one song left with less than 20 rankers, our #40.
*By the time we get to 30 we will be approaching 30 rankers.
*We only have five songs left with less than 1000 ranking points.
*We only have 4 songs that were outside the top 50 last time that are still to be revealed, our next 3 will reduce that to one. Will Bullet the Blue Sky make an appearance as its one of the 4?
*We will see one from Joshua Tree, one from Achtung Baby and another one that surprises me with a big jump.
simey
Footballguy
I hit another bullseye with this tune. I ranked it #41. I ranked Desire a few places higher, and if I were doing my rankings today, I would switch them. I like this song a bit better. I love the horns in it, and the spirit and feel of the song.
Grace Under Pressure
Footballguy
Big fan of Angel of Harlem. Great beginning, strong the whole way through. Bono wails a little, but in a good way this time methinks. Enjoy the horns, really everything about the song is terrific, although I wouldn't classify it as prototypical U2 per se. It's very enjoyable though. As an Irish kid growing up in New York City, I very much appreciate all of the references.
With the 3rd highest ranking on the Rattle and Hum collection, this tune earned a very solid 84. Simey is spot on with how I feel in retrospect, because I ranked Desire higher (at 63) and that was a mistake.
Grace Under Pressure
Footballguy
I have Walk On at 26. I'm realizing as the reveal continues that I incorporated a dimension into my rankings sort of subconsciously, and that dimension is the importance of the song to the history of the band. Walk On is a pretty important song. It closed out many shows, and after 9/11 it was used as basically a tribute to the NYPD and NYFD (police and fire) to honor them for their sacrifice and heroism during that tragic event. It's hard to tell the story of the band without Walk On, so for me it likely jumped up many spots higher than it might have if I was just going off of the pure music.
Grace Under Pressure
Footballguy
I have it at 94. I do enjoy the song for the most part. It never quite "gets there" for me. But it fits in well with the overall album vibe, which is tremendous obviously.
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
Unranked. But JML’s comments are perfect. This is an overtly political song — one of the things I love about U2 — but for whatever reason this song has never captured me. In retrospect it should probably be in the 70s or 80s. After these rankings are all release, I’ll probably go back and do my own re-ranking. This song will definitely be on the list somewhere.
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
Vulture nails this for me. #12 on my list. I have irrational love for it. NY is a 2x per month work destination for me — and I can’t keep track of how many times this song has popped into my brain while taking a cab into the city (sadly from LGA, not JFK).
When Mrs APK and I moved from SF to NY, we flew into JFK. In her recollection, I was singing this song as we walked through the airport to a taxi stand. And there was snow melting on the ground at the time.
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
Mothers = unranked
Angel = 52
I’ve grown to appreciate Mothers more over time, but I still don’t think it really fits in with the album. I loved how it was done on the TJT30 tour.
Angel is another “very good for what it is, but not what I listen to U2 for” song. But I think it’s more successful at what it does than my previous examples.
Angel = 52
I’ve grown to appreciate Mothers more over time, but I still don’t think it really fits in with the album. I loved how it was done on the TJT30 tour.
Angel is another “very good for what it is, but not what I listen to U2 for” song. But I think it’s more successful at what it does than my previous examples.
krista4
Footballguy
Both of today's songs didn't make my first cut but then ended up on my final list.
Angel of Harlem is a song that I knew, of course, but had always been a bit irritated by it, though it's a little hard to explain why. The best I do is say that in law school I lived three blocks from where Harlem "officially" started, and the song seemed too trifling and silly. Then I read some of the initial comments to the songs ranking in the first go-round, and I think it was APK that wrote about it in a way that made me give it another try, with open mind. Guess what? I ####### loved it. Of course, there's the Memphis horns, which automatically raises any song by 30 slots. But I really could connect with the lyrics as well as the full structure and beauty of the song; it's like I can hear their sense of wonder shining through.
Angel of Harlem therefore ended up as my #39, thanks to comments from you guys that made me give it another shot.
Mothers of the Disappeared found its way to #51 in my final rankings via a different route. After I'd gone through rankings several times, I gave two last listens to anything that had been in the initial top 50 but hadn't made my cut. For some songs, it didn't matter ("The Fly" to the white courtesy phone), but for this one, those "last chance" listens worked, and I finally got it. I actually don't care about the message or political points of it, but just find it haunting and beautiful. Bono is superb on this song; very much appreciated the live version that was linked, though WTF was he wearing? This is a song that kept climbing up and up for me, and if we re-ranked it might continue to do so. Really fascinating how this is such a love/hate one - six top 10 rankings?!?! I don't blame anyone for those and can totally see it.
Angel of Harlem is a song that I knew, of course, but had always been a bit irritated by it, though it's a little hard to explain why. The best I do is say that in law school I lived three blocks from where Harlem "officially" started, and the song seemed too trifling and silly. Then I read some of the initial comments to the songs ranking in the first go-round, and I think it was APK that wrote about it in a way that made me give it another try, with open mind. Guess what? I ####### loved it. Of course, there's the Memphis horns, which automatically raises any song by 30 slots. But I really could connect with the lyrics as well as the full structure and beauty of the song; it's like I can hear their sense of wonder shining through.
Angel of Harlem therefore ended up as my #39, thanks to comments from you guys that made me give it another shot.
Mothers of the Disappeared found its way to #51 in my final rankings via a different route. After I'd gone through rankings several times, I gave two last listens to anything that had been in the initial top 50 but hadn't made my cut. For some songs, it didn't matter ("The Fly" to the white courtesy phone), but for this one, those "last chance" listens worked, and I finally got it. I actually don't care about the message or political points of it, but just find it haunting and beautiful. Bono is superb on this song; very much appreciated the live version that was linked, though WTF was he wearing? This is a song that kept climbing up and up for me, and if we re-ranked it might continue to do so. Really fascinating how this is such a love/hate one - six top 10 rankings?!?! I don't blame anyone for those and can totally see it.
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Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
Nemesis
Footballguy
SONGS 41-47 (click on the link for more info)
47 Kite started from Bono's kite flying attempt w 2 daughters, but adapted to fit with his father who was dying of cancer (& eventually did)......"I know that this is not goodbye".
Kite was NEVER RELEASED as a single.........but became a fan-favorite anyways.
Kite live - Telstra Stadium Sydney Nov 2006 <--try this different live version, especially Edge's different solo which is excellent
46 Wire explosive drum & bass-track. It's not any 1 element that truly stands out, but the combination of the 4 doing what they do best. What sets Wire apart is that sense of speed, the feeling that the whole thing is rushing forward & the listener almost feels trapped on a runaway tractor trailer truck, careening down the highway at top speed.
Been played live 81 times.............surprisingly, all of them in 1984/1985....but not since then.
45 11 O'clock Tick Tock title doesn't appear in the lyrics but it came from a note Bono's friend Gavin Friday (from The Virgin Prunes) left on his door when he came to visit & Bono was not home. Lots of interesting stuff trying to record the song in my link (including many about Martin Hannett's producing style)
44 Hold me, Kiss me dates back to the Zooropa sessions as it was considered to be too 'gothic' & left off that album. Joel Schumacher (the film's director) was a fan of the band & actually inquired w Bono about appearing in Batman Forever in a party scene, dressed in his full MacPhisto getup. Bono was intrigued by the idea, but he ultimately declined
43 Walk On started out as being about Aung San Suu Kyi & the protests against the Burmese government.....then adapted & used following 911. Was the 1st Grammy winner for Record of the Year NOT TO CHART on the US Billboard Hot 100.
A ton of other great info at the link.....way too much to post here.
42 Mothers of Disappeared Bono learns of the Chilean situation while on the Amnesty Int'l tour.....and during a break from recording TJT, he and Ali travels to Nicaragua & El Salvador. What they witness there inspires him to write BTBS & Mothers.
41 Angel of Harlem homage to the jazz singing legend Billie Holiday. During the recording session, Bono learned the important lesson that alcohol & horn players do not mix as he sent out for a case of Absolut Vodka. Producer Jack Clement scolded him saying, 'Listen, stupid, you try playing a horn when your lips won't work.'"
47 Kite started from Bono's kite flying attempt w 2 daughters, but adapted to fit with his father who was dying of cancer (& eventually did)......"I know that this is not goodbye".
Kite was NEVER RELEASED as a single.........but became a fan-favorite anyways.
Kite live - Telstra Stadium Sydney Nov 2006 <--try this different live version, especially Edge's different solo which is excellent
46 Wire explosive drum & bass-track. It's not any 1 element that truly stands out, but the combination of the 4 doing what they do best. What sets Wire apart is that sense of speed, the feeling that the whole thing is rushing forward & the listener almost feels trapped on a runaway tractor trailer truck, careening down the highway at top speed.
Been played live 81 times.............surprisingly, all of them in 1984/1985....but not since then.
45 11 O'clock Tick Tock title doesn't appear in the lyrics but it came from a note Bono's friend Gavin Friday (from The Virgin Prunes) left on his door when he came to visit & Bono was not home. Lots of interesting stuff trying to record the song in my link (including many about Martin Hannett's producing style)
44 Hold me, Kiss me dates back to the Zooropa sessions as it was considered to be too 'gothic' & left off that album. Joel Schumacher (the film's director) was a fan of the band & actually inquired w Bono about appearing in Batman Forever in a party scene, dressed in his full MacPhisto getup. Bono was intrigued by the idea, but he ultimately declined
43 Walk On started out as being about Aung San Suu Kyi & the protests against the Burmese government.....then adapted & used following 911. Was the 1st Grammy winner for Record of the Year NOT TO CHART on the US Billboard Hot 100.
A ton of other great info at the link.....way too much to post here.
42 Mothers of Disappeared Bono learns of the Chilean situation while on the Amnesty Int'l tour.....and during a break from recording TJT, he and Ali travels to Nicaragua & El Salvador. What they witness there inspires him to write BTBS & Mothers.
41 Angel of Harlem homage to the jazz singing legend Billie Holiday. During the recording session, Bono learned the important lesson that alcohol & horn players do not mix as he sent out for a case of Absolut Vodka. Producer Jack Clement scolded him saying, 'Listen, stupid, you try playing a horn when your lips won't work.'"
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Nemesis
Footballguy
Actually, the link provided is from the Red Rocks concert (and IMO it's a little messy....especially when Bono picks a girl out from the crowd and dances with her. Pay particular attention to Edge as it looks like he doesn't know when to come back in or continue his part)John Maddens Lunchbox said:
..........but it's not the audio version of the song on the UABRS album. On the UABRS album, the audio track was taken from a performance at The Orpheum in Boston on May 6, 1983.
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John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
Not 40 lol
(65) - > 40- Hawkmoon 269
Vulture.com ranking and comment -18/218 - The previous track on the album might have been called “Desire,” but this is rapture. “Hawkmoon 269” is six minutes of a fiery inferno. Bono howls and Edge lights his guitar strings afire like a fuse leading to dynamite. Adam Clayton’s bass is so low you can feel it in the pit of your stomach; lower, probably. And this is likely one of Larry Mullen Jr.’s finest performances. He manages to guide the tension and the intensity with insane precision. The jazz drummer Larry Bunker is on the tympani, there’s a gospel trio at the end, and oh, THERE IS BOB DYLAN ON THE HAMMOND ORGAN — that crazy carnival melody at the start and then bubbling underneath and meandering through the song. U2 have rarely played “Hawkmoon 269” live. It is probably better that way — to leave it in its pure state, hidden in a record that sold millions of copies worldwide but was mercilessly ripped apart by the rock-critic Establishment for putting on airs, when it was just four kids from Dublin falling in love with American music history.
Original Comment - The second last song without a top 50 rank. Interestingly the last one is well inside the top 50. Just not my style at all. Like a lot of this album, but ai recognise the importance anD what the band is trying to do. The album is sort of like the home made costume at a fancy dress ball. Lots of blood, sweat and tears went into it, but it just doesn’t fit in with any other album. I think vulture lost their damn freakin mind putting this track at 18.
Total Points - 851.65
Rankers - 18
Average Points per rank - 47.31 (Approximately a 29th rank).
Ranks - 28th on average points per ranker
Highest Rank - 2
Lowest Rank - 178
Previous Rank - 65 > 40
Special Version Requested - None
Ranking Comments - We have a new leader in the highest average points per ranker and it will stay that way until #32. The love for this song surprises me. In the first go round no one ranked this top 50. This time we only have 13 top 50 rankings, but 10 of them are top 20. To contrast Mothers of the Disappeared only had 8. The difference was that 6 of the 8 Mothers rankings were top 10. With Hawkmoon, only 2 are and one of them is #10
(65) - > 40- Hawkmoon 269
Vulture.com ranking and comment -18/218 - The previous track on the album might have been called “Desire,” but this is rapture. “Hawkmoon 269” is six minutes of a fiery inferno. Bono howls and Edge lights his guitar strings afire like a fuse leading to dynamite. Adam Clayton’s bass is so low you can feel it in the pit of your stomach; lower, probably. And this is likely one of Larry Mullen Jr.’s finest performances. He manages to guide the tension and the intensity with insane precision. The jazz drummer Larry Bunker is on the tympani, there’s a gospel trio at the end, and oh, THERE IS BOB DYLAN ON THE HAMMOND ORGAN — that crazy carnival melody at the start and then bubbling underneath and meandering through the song. U2 have rarely played “Hawkmoon 269” live. It is probably better that way — to leave it in its pure state, hidden in a record that sold millions of copies worldwide but was mercilessly ripped apart by the rock-critic Establishment for putting on airs, when it was just four kids from Dublin falling in love with American music history.
Original Comment - The second last song without a top 50 rank. Interestingly the last one is well inside the top 50. Just not my style at all. Like a lot of this album, but ai recognise the importance anD what the band is trying to do. The album is sort of like the home made costume at a fancy dress ball. Lots of blood, sweat and tears went into it, but it just doesn’t fit in with any other album. I think vulture lost their damn freakin mind putting this track at 18.
Total Points - 851.65
Rankers - 18
Average Points per rank - 47.31 (Approximately a 29th rank).
Ranks - 28th on average points per ranker
Highest Rank - 2
Lowest Rank - 178
Previous Rank - 65 > 40
Special Version Requested - None
Ranking Comments - We have a new leader in the highest average points per ranker and it will stay that way until #32. The love for this song surprises me. In the first go round no one ranked this top 50. This time we only have 13 top 50 rankings, but 10 of them are top 20. To contrast Mothers of the Disappeared only had 8. The difference was that 6 of the 8 Mothers rankings were top 10. With Hawkmoon, only 2 are and one of them is #10
John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
(71) - > 39- Exit
(71) - > 39- Exit/Gloria from Rattle and Hum
(71) - > 39- Exit Live from Paris 1987
Vulture.com ranking and comment -52/218 - Sometimes the muses lead you in a direction you don’t expect, or anticipate: the darkness and evil in works by authors such as Flannery O’Connor, Truman Capote, and of course, Norman Mailer, whose The Executioner’s Song was the nominal influence for “Exit.” The song isn’t a retelling of any one story, but rather an examination of the forces that drove the people or characters those authors wrote about. “Exit” is a roller coaster of emotions, pinned down by Adam Clayton’s heartbeat bass in formation with Mullen’s drumming picking up the pulse — there is so much masterful precision going on — and then Edge’s guitar slipping by like wisps of fog until it explodes in violent intensity, Bono’s vocals walking a line between observer and participant.
But when you invoke the muses, there is sometimes a cost. “Exit” would let the band exorcise their demons, but then Bono slipped and fell early on during a performance of the song, badly damaging his shoulder and causing him to perform the rest of the tour in a sling (you can see it in the video of “Trip Through Your Wires”). Later, the man who murdered actress Rebecca Schaeffer in 1989 would claim that he was inspired by the song. All of the above likely contributed to the disappearance of the track in the band’s live set once the Joshua Tree tour was over, until the announcement in 2017 of the 40th-anniversary tour. This time out, Bono took off his glasses, donned some eyeliner and a costume change, and created a character he referred to as “Shadow Man” for the performances of the song, which was both masterful and breathtaking. But the real hero of the track in 2017 was the Edge, whose fury on guitar went above and beyond.
Original Comment - Doesnt really fit on this album despite being a compelling song. It’s our first entry into the big 2 albums.
Total Points - 885.05
Rankers - 20
Average Points per rank - 44.25 (Approximately a 36th rank).
Ranks - 31st on average points per ranker
Highest Rank - 8
Lowest Rank - 120
Previous Rank - 71 > 39
Special Version Requested - (71) - > 39- Exit/Gloria from Rattle and Hum
(71) - > 39- Exit Live from Paris 1987
Ranking Comments - Interesting that we have 2 special versions requested. The Rattle and Hum version is sped up from the studio version and morphs into Them’s Gloria, not their own song Gloria. I am pretty sure Gloria is a common morphing. @Nemesisor @Anarchy99Any idea how many songs Gloria has been used with? The Paris version is much more like the studio version with perhaps more frantic guitar work. We have 7 rankings between 8 and 19 and 9 more from 21 to 46.
(71) - > 39- Exit/Gloria from Rattle and Hum
(71) - > 39- Exit Live from Paris 1987
Vulture.com ranking and comment -52/218 - Sometimes the muses lead you in a direction you don’t expect, or anticipate: the darkness and evil in works by authors such as Flannery O’Connor, Truman Capote, and of course, Norman Mailer, whose The Executioner’s Song was the nominal influence for “Exit.” The song isn’t a retelling of any one story, but rather an examination of the forces that drove the people or characters those authors wrote about. “Exit” is a roller coaster of emotions, pinned down by Adam Clayton’s heartbeat bass in formation with Mullen’s drumming picking up the pulse — there is so much masterful precision going on — and then Edge’s guitar slipping by like wisps of fog until it explodes in violent intensity, Bono’s vocals walking a line between observer and participant.
But when you invoke the muses, there is sometimes a cost. “Exit” would let the band exorcise their demons, but then Bono slipped and fell early on during a performance of the song, badly damaging his shoulder and causing him to perform the rest of the tour in a sling (you can see it in the video of “Trip Through Your Wires”). Later, the man who murdered actress Rebecca Schaeffer in 1989 would claim that he was inspired by the song. All of the above likely contributed to the disappearance of the track in the band’s live set once the Joshua Tree tour was over, until the announcement in 2017 of the 40th-anniversary tour. This time out, Bono took off his glasses, donned some eyeliner and a costume change, and created a character he referred to as “Shadow Man” for the performances of the song, which was both masterful and breathtaking. But the real hero of the track in 2017 was the Edge, whose fury on guitar went above and beyond.
Original Comment - Doesnt really fit on this album despite being a compelling song. It’s our first entry into the big 2 albums.
Total Points - 885.05
Rankers - 20
Average Points per rank - 44.25 (Approximately a 36th rank).
Ranks - 31st on average points per ranker
Highest Rank - 8
Lowest Rank - 120
Previous Rank - 71 > 39
Special Version Requested - (71) - > 39- Exit/Gloria from Rattle and Hum
(71) - > 39- Exit Live from Paris 1987
Ranking Comments - Interesting that we have 2 special versions requested. The Rattle and Hum version is sped up from the studio version and morphs into Them’s Gloria, not their own song Gloria. I am pretty sure Gloria is a common morphing. @Nemesisor @Anarchy99Any idea how many songs Gloria has been used with? The Paris version is much more like the studio version with perhaps more frantic guitar work. We have 7 rankings between 8 and 19 and 9 more from 21 to 46.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
(62) - > 38 - Zoo Station
(62) - > 38 - Zoo Station (Remastered 2018)
Vulture.com ranking and comment -56/218 - The sound of four men chopping down The Joshua Tree, the sound of the Berlin Wall coming down, the sound of a train coming out of a tunnel into the sunlight of another country — “Zoo Station” is all of those things. It is U2 inviting you to get on that train with them and run away. Inside the train is the Berlin of Bowie and Iggy, the Berlin of Isherwood, the Berlin split in two and reunited again. “When people put on the record, we wanted their first reaction to be either ‘This record is broken,’ or, ‘This can’t be the new U2 record, there’s been a mistake,’” Adam Clayton said. “Zoo Station” is astonishing, jaw-dropping, and ecstatic.
Original Comment - “We hope you like our new direction” The introduction to the great album. As soon as you heard the opening you knew you were in for something different. As a stand alone song, its ranking is about right.
Total Points - 895.50
Rankers - 23
Average Points per rank - 38.93 (Approximately a 47th rank).
Ranks - 36th on average points per ranker
Highest Rank - 6
Lowest Rank - 70
Previous Rank - 62 > 38
Special Version Requested - (62) - > 38 - Zoo Station (Remastered 2018)
Ranking Comments - This one has much beloved album syndrome, but its a big riser from last time. The lowest rank is 70, despite 23 rankings. Its the first song we see with more than 21 rankers indicating we are close to the 25 and above rankers. There are three rankers between 6 and 12, then 9 more between 19 and 38. Then 11 rankings between 42 and 70
(62) - > 38 - Zoo Station (Remastered 2018)
Vulture.com ranking and comment -56/218 - The sound of four men chopping down The Joshua Tree, the sound of the Berlin Wall coming down, the sound of a train coming out of a tunnel into the sunlight of another country — “Zoo Station” is all of those things. It is U2 inviting you to get on that train with them and run away. Inside the train is the Berlin of Bowie and Iggy, the Berlin of Isherwood, the Berlin split in two and reunited again. “When people put on the record, we wanted their first reaction to be either ‘This record is broken,’ or, ‘This can’t be the new U2 record, there’s been a mistake,’” Adam Clayton said. “Zoo Station” is astonishing, jaw-dropping, and ecstatic.
Original Comment - “We hope you like our new direction” The introduction to the great album. As soon as you heard the opening you knew you were in for something different. As a stand alone song, its ranking is about right.
Total Points - 895.50
Rankers - 23
Average Points per rank - 38.93 (Approximately a 47th rank).
Ranks - 36th on average points per ranker
Highest Rank - 6
Lowest Rank - 70
Previous Rank - 62 > 38
Special Version Requested - (62) - > 38 - Zoo Station (Remastered 2018)
Ranking Comments - This one has much beloved album syndrome, but its a big riser from last time. The lowest rank is 70, despite 23 rankings. Its the first song we see with more than 21 rankers indicating we are close to the 25 and above rankers. There are three rankers between 6 and 12, then 9 more between 19 and 38. Then 11 rankings between 42 and 70
John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
Our next 3 start diving into the big 2 albums a bit more frequently. Bullet the Blue Sky is the only survivor from songs ranked over 50 last time. Will we see it in the next 3? We will also see our first songs with 25 rankers. We will also see the 1000 ranking point mark broken.
To summarize the next 3, one is from AB or TJT, one is from the 00s and the other one is also from the 80s/90s
To summarize the next 3, one is from AB or TJT, one is from the 00s and the other one is also from the 80s/90s
Anarchy99
Footballguy
Gloria has been performed as a snippet 169 times. I don't recall it being played in its entirety on its own. It's been tacked on to Bad, Desire, Elevation, Exit, Gloria, Maggie's Farm, Surrender, and The Electric Co.
LINK
Here is a version with Bono and Van Morrison from a Van Morrison Show in Dublin in 1993.
LINK
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Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
Hawkmoon = unranked
Exit = 8
Zoo Station = 70
I’ve always found Hawkmoon kind of dull and am baffled by Vulture’s gushing over it.
I am the high ranker on Exit, which I suspected I would be when it got a lukewarm reception on the first countdown. I explained back then why I like it so much. Something about its dynamics and vibe really do it for me. The Vulture writeup explains it well. This is also why I am higher than most on Dirty Day and New York, which I think have similar vibes.
I was wrong that I had only one song left after my top 54. I guess I thought ZS had come up already when it hadn’t. I like how Zoo Station gives you all this murk and then a soaring melody and memorable guitar riffs burst through it. It would likely be a top 4 song on most (all?) of their post-AB albums. But AB is so strong that this is a middle-of-the-road track there.
Exit = 8
Zoo Station = 70
I’ve always found Hawkmoon kind of dull and am baffled by Vulture’s gushing over it.
I am the high ranker on Exit, which I suspected I would be when it got a lukewarm reception on the first countdown. I explained back then why I like it so much. Something about its dynamics and vibe really do it for me. The Vulture writeup explains it well. This is also why I am higher than most on Dirty Day and New York, which I think have similar vibes.
I was wrong that I had only one song left after my top 54. I guess I thought ZS had come up already when it hadn’t. I like how Zoo Station gives you all this murk and then a soaring melody and memorable guitar riffs burst through it. It would likely be a top 4 song on most (all?) of their post-AB albums. But AB is so strong that this is a middle-of-the-road track there.
Alex P Keaton
Footballguy
Exit - unranked. I pretend songs 10 & 11 on TJT don’t exist. Solid songs, but not my thing.
Hawkmoon - unranked. Not sure why. It’s a good enough song and would probably be in the 90-110 range if I made a longer list. “As the roooooom spins around, I need your love…..”. Ok, I just listened to it again and it will make my new and improved expanded list. Which will ultimately be replaced by another list later on. “Like sweet soul music, like sunlight, I need your love…..”
Zoo Station - 46. Way too high in retrospect. I have nostalgia for this one. When AB came out, I was captivated by the idea of visiting East Berlin before it was ruined by gentrification. I like visiting unique places with a distinct subculture……and that was still Berlin in the 90s after the wall came down. Anyway, Mrs APK and I went to Berlin and loved it. When we took the train (S-Bahn? U-bahn?) I remember stopping at the Zoo Station stop. Way too excited just because of this song. Anyway, my enjoyment of the song doesn’t match the nostalgia. Probably belongs in the 70s or 80s for me.
Hawkmoon - unranked. Not sure why. It’s a good enough song and would probably be in the 90-110 range if I made a longer list. “As the roooooom spins around, I need your love…..”. Ok, I just listened to it again and it will make my new and improved expanded list. Which will ultimately be replaced by another list later on. “Like sweet soul music, like sunlight, I need your love…..”
Zoo Station - 46. Way too high in retrospect. I have nostalgia for this one. When AB came out, I was captivated by the idea of visiting East Berlin before it was ruined by gentrification. I like visiting unique places with a distinct subculture……and that was still Berlin in the 90s after the wall came down. Anyway, Mrs APK and I went to Berlin and loved it. When we took the train (S-Bahn? U-bahn?) I remember stopping at the Zoo Station stop. Way too excited just because of this song. Anyway, my enjoyment of the song doesn’t match the nostalgia. Probably belongs in the 70s or 80s for me.
Nemesis
Footballguy
STOP THE COUNTDOWN !!!!!!.............BIG NEWS (2 RUMORS HAVE HIT THE NEWS CIRCUIT)
1-Billboard says U2 will open the $1.8 billion MSG Sphere in Las Vegas in late 2023 (~NOV)
Performances will be the 1st dates of a multi-show residency by the band at the high-tech arena, which is being built by Madison Square Garden Entertainment chairman James Dolan near the Venetian off the Las Vegas Strip. The band will do a residency of sorts, w multiple nights at the venue, stretching over several mths, but not necessarily back to back shows.
This video illustrates what Sphere will look lke
17,500 seats & highest resolution LED screen in the world
2 - U2songs.com says that the next major tour opens in European stadiums during June or July 2023
Rumours have reached us that the crew have been asked to keep the back half of 2023 open & that U2 plan to perform, w a possible tour start in Europe in June or July. These rumours have said that there will be a series of outdoor shows (stadiums/festivals) in Europe, before heading to North America in the Fall.
As of early July, U2 had made plans for these performances, but had not yet signed off committing to do the tour.
We are told that Willie Williams met with the band in July 2022 in France to discuss the upcoming plans for these possible shows.
1-Billboard says U2 will open the $1.8 billion MSG Sphere in Las Vegas in late 2023 (~NOV)
Performances will be the 1st dates of a multi-show residency by the band at the high-tech arena, which is being built by Madison Square Garden Entertainment chairman James Dolan near the Venetian off the Las Vegas Strip. The band will do a residency of sorts, w multiple nights at the venue, stretching over several mths, but not necessarily back to back shows.
This video illustrates what Sphere will look lke
17,500 seats & highest resolution LED screen in the world2 - U2songs.com says that the next major tour opens in European stadiums during June or July 2023
Rumours have reached us that the crew have been asked to keep the back half of 2023 open & that U2 plan to perform, w a possible tour start in Europe in June or July. These rumours have said that there will be a series of outdoor shows (stadiums/festivals) in Europe, before heading to North America in the Fall.
As of early July, U2 had made plans for these performances, but had not yet signed off committing to do the tour.
We are told that Willie Williams met with the band in July 2022 in France to discuss the upcoming plans for these possible shows.
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Nemesis
Footballguy
SONGS 38-40 (click on the link for more info)
40 Hawkmoon 269 (no link)- Apparently Hawkmoon has the "269" attached to it as an exaggeration of the number of takes U2 needed before they were happy w the song. (Edge said they spent 3 weeks on this track alone). Edge also said that Hawkmoon is a town in North Dakota U2 passed through in 1986 on the Conspiracy Of Hope tour for Amnesty Int'l, leading Bono to use it as a title, but there is no such town in either of the Dakotas. Bono said the song was titled in part as a tribute to writer Sam Shepard, who had released a book entitled Hawk Moon in 1973.
U2 were recording at Sunset Sound studios in Hollywood when Bono came up with the lyrics for this song. Running 6:22, it's a story of desire & desperation. Bono was enjoying the nightlife in the area & was influenced by the seedy scenes in LA. He was also influenced by his hangover, which is why he came up w lines like:
When the night has no end
And the day yet to begin
As the room spins around
I need your love
Has only been played live 9 times..............Buehler? Buehler? Anyone?
39 Exit Bono: "This is a song about a religious man who became a very dangerous man when he couldn't work out the mystery, on the hands of love." "This was my attempt at writing a story in the mind of a killer,"
During the 2017 TJT Tour, Bono became a character he called "Shadow Man" & the song included a 45 second black & white intro video
38 Zoo Station title comes from Zoo Bahnhof, a train station in Berlin on the U2 line. Officially called Zoologischer Garten, the station is the stop for the Berlin Zoo. Lyrics were inspired by a story Bono heard in which animals escaped the city's zoo during WW2 after it was damaged in overnight bombing.
Everything came together on the song when the production team introduced distortion to the drums & Bono's vocals.
40 Hawkmoon 269 (no link)- Apparently Hawkmoon has the "269" attached to it as an exaggeration of the number of takes U2 needed before they were happy w the song. (Edge said they spent 3 weeks on this track alone). Edge also said that Hawkmoon is a town in North Dakota U2 passed through in 1986 on the Conspiracy Of Hope tour for Amnesty Int'l, leading Bono to use it as a title, but there is no such town in either of the Dakotas. Bono said the song was titled in part as a tribute to writer Sam Shepard, who had released a book entitled Hawk Moon in 1973.
U2 were recording at Sunset Sound studios in Hollywood when Bono came up with the lyrics for this song. Running 6:22, it's a story of desire & desperation. Bono was enjoying the nightlife in the area & was influenced by the seedy scenes in LA. He was also influenced by his hangover, which is why he came up w lines like:
When the night has no end
And the day yet to begin
As the room spins around
I need your love
Has only been played live 9 times..............Buehler? Buehler? Anyone?
39 Exit Bono: "This is a song about a religious man who became a very dangerous man when he couldn't work out the mystery, on the hands of love." "This was my attempt at writing a story in the mind of a killer,"
During the 2017 TJT Tour, Bono became a character he called "Shadow Man" & the song included a 45 second black & white intro video
38 Zoo Station title comes from Zoo Bahnhof, a train station in Berlin on the U2 line. Officially called Zoologischer Garten, the station is the stop for the Berlin Zoo. Lyrics were inspired by a story Bono heard in which animals escaped the city's zoo during WW2 after it was damaged in overnight bombing.
Everything came together on the song when the production team introduced distortion to the drums & Bono's vocals.
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Nemesis
Footballguy
In light of the 2023 RUMORED TOUR that I posted above….if anyone is thinking about trying to get tickets, I just stumbled upon this info:
In advance of U2’s 2017 TJT tour, U2 announced the tour on their U2.com fanclub website on Dec 25, 2016. There were 2 groups of U2.com subscribers that took part in the presales:
'Red Hill Group': longtime subscribers (those who were current, PAID-up subscribers ON/BEFORE the Dec 25, 2016 announcement. They had access on the 1st day of the presale. (presale access code prefix of U2JTA...)
'Wires Group': joined as new subscribers AFTER the release of the announcement on Dec 25, 2016. They had 2nd day access. (presale access code prefix of U2JTB...)
I probably didn’t realize it at the time, but I joined U2.com after the announcement…..and that explains why I wasn’t able to get the better seats than I did. (@Tampa-Raymond James Stadium)
Might be time to re-new again......base level 1 yr membership: $50 USD
In advance of U2’s 2017 TJT tour, U2 announced the tour on their U2.com fanclub website on Dec 25, 2016. There were 2 groups of U2.com subscribers that took part in the presales:
'Red Hill Group': longtime subscribers (those who were current, PAID-up subscribers ON/BEFORE the Dec 25, 2016 announcement. They had access on the 1st day of the presale. (presale access code prefix of U2JTA...)
'Wires Group': joined as new subscribers AFTER the release of the announcement on Dec 25, 2016. They had 2nd day access. (presale access code prefix of U2JTB...)
I probably didn’t realize it at the time, but I joined U2.com after the announcement…..and that explains why I wasn’t able to get the better seats than I did. (@Tampa-Raymond James Stadium)
Might be time to re-new again......base level 1 yr membership: $50 USD
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krista4
Footballguy
Hawkmoon and Exit didn't make my first cut. Zoo Station didn't either, but I gave it some bonus listens and ended up having it at #65. Not my style of music, but well done in my opinion. I'm glad I hadn't watched the video until now, as it would have creeped me out so much I wouldn't have had it on my list!
That was the lowest-ranked song I had left, with two remaining now in the 50s and two in the 40s. I also now only have one coming up on the countdown (The Fly) that didn't make my 115-song list.
That was the lowest-ranked song I had left, with two remaining now in the 50s and two in the 40s. I also now only have one coming up on the countdown (The Fly) that didn't make my 115-song list.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
Live Exit to me goes through the same metamorphosis as Bad. Studio versions of those songs are rather tepid but come to life and get a jolt of energy when performed live.
Achtung Baby, for me, was a representative snapshot in time and the music scene of that era. That was peak Anarchy into music as college DJ (as a student or as a graduate). I hardly ever slept. I was big into the alternative artists of the day that had a somewhat similar pop / synth / dance sound. The Soup Dragons, Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, Love & Rockets, The Cure, Pop Will Eat Itself, The Charlatans, Jesus Jones, Depeche Mode, World Party, Julian Cope, The Church, Inspiral Carpets, Peter Murphy, The Farm, EMF, Wonder Stuff, Big Audio Dynamite, Fine Young Cannibals . . . I could go on and on.
To rehash what I posted several months ago, as a college radio station, we got an advanced copy of The Fly before the mainstream stations did. I was the first to play it (and played it several times). Most listeners were not impressed. I, too, initially didn't love The Fly (but it grew on me).
Based on the lukewarm response to The Fly, I was a little concerned the rest of AB might be disappointing. As fate would have it, I was on the air when the full CD of AB showed up (again, the night before FM stations got it). We were able to get our station mail the night before it was delivered, as we went to the post office to get it. (Labels threatened to cut us off if we kept playing stuff before their official release date.)
That night was awesome. I put the station on the school PA system, so it was on everywhere . . . the dorms, the cafeteria, the gym, the campus pool hall, the campus bar, etc. Zoo Station had me at hello. I loved, loved, loved the beat, the swagger, the breathe of fresh air. It was so NOT U2 that it was U2. While the song didn't fit with the U2 back catalog, it did fit with the sound that was popular at the time. Unlike The Fly debut a month earlier when people called and said the song was terrible, the phone kept ringing that people really liked the album. That was a unique experience . . . listening to the new U2 album with hundreds of listeners, all of us hearing it for the very first time.
Achtung Baby, for me, was a representative snapshot in time and the music scene of that era. That was peak Anarchy into music as college DJ (as a student or as a graduate). I hardly ever slept. I was big into the alternative artists of the day that had a somewhat similar pop / synth / dance sound. The Soup Dragons, Happy Mondays, Stone Roses, Love & Rockets, The Cure, Pop Will Eat Itself, The Charlatans, Jesus Jones, Depeche Mode, World Party, Julian Cope, The Church, Inspiral Carpets, Peter Murphy, The Farm, EMF, Wonder Stuff, Big Audio Dynamite, Fine Young Cannibals . . . I could go on and on.
To rehash what I posted several months ago, as a college radio station, we got an advanced copy of The Fly before the mainstream stations did. I was the first to play it (and played it several times). Most listeners were not impressed. I, too, initially didn't love The Fly (but it grew on me).
Based on the lukewarm response to The Fly, I was a little concerned the rest of AB might be disappointing. As fate would have it, I was on the air when the full CD of AB showed up (again, the night before FM stations got it). We were able to get our station mail the night before it was delivered, as we went to the post office to get it. (Labels threatened to cut us off if we kept playing stuff before their official release date.)
That night was awesome. I put the station on the school PA system, so it was on everywhere . . . the dorms, the cafeteria, the gym, the campus pool hall, the campus bar, etc. Zoo Station had me at hello. I loved, loved, loved the beat, the swagger, the breathe of fresh air. It was so NOT U2 that it was U2. While the song didn't fit with the U2 back catalog, it did fit with the sound that was popular at the time. Unlike The Fly debut a month earlier when people called and said the song was terrible, the phone kept ringing that people really liked the album. That was a unique experience . . . listening to the new U2 album with hundreds of listeners, all of us hearing it for the very first time.
simey
Footballguy
krista4
Footballguy
Nothing in particular. I tried it several times given how highly rated it was here, but I never could connect to it at all. Nothing bad about it, but just not feeling it.
Mr. Landry
Footballguy
I've been out of town for awhile, but I didn't see this posted.
Looks like JML is vindicated!
Not so sure about Vertigo, though...
Looks like JML is vindicated!
Not so sure about Vertigo, though...
Brony
Footballguy
Been just slammed with work recently. Having PTSD flashbacks of December when the first countdown happened and I was equally wiped with crap for work.
Sweetest Thing -104
Staring At The Sun- 108
Silver and Gold- 163
Kite- 2
Wire- 89
11 O’Clock Tick Tock - 61
Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me -170
Walk On- 35
Mothers of the Disappeared -9
Angel of Harlem -202
Hawkmoon 269- 100
Exit -174
Zoo Station - 145
Kite - no emotional attachment or lyrical connection here; I just think it's a banger of a song and one of the best things they've written. Great combo of guitar and vocals on the chorus. Love the pacing of it.
Mothers of the Disappeared - Ah yes, I remember the i-fight last time this came around. I still love this song. No worries if others don't. I just think it's beautiful.
No need for me to #### on songs above that I rated with high numbers. I'm just genuinely not a fan of Rattle and Hum. I've tried a few times with an open mind and it doesn't work for me. I don't hate it; I just prefer the other albums more.
Sweetest Thing -104
Staring At The Sun- 108
Silver and Gold- 163
Kite- 2
Wire- 89
11 O’Clock Tick Tock - 61
Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me -170
Walk On- 35
Mothers of the Disappeared -9
Angel of Harlem -202
Hawkmoon 269- 100
Exit -174
Zoo Station - 145
Kite - no emotional attachment or lyrical connection here; I just think it's a banger of a song and one of the best things they've written. Great combo of guitar and vocals on the chorus. Love the pacing of it.
Mothers of the Disappeared - Ah yes, I remember the i-fight last time this came around. I still love this song. No worries if others don't. I just think it's beautiful.
No need for me to #### on songs above that I rated with high numbers. I'm just genuinely not a fan of Rattle and Hum. I've tried a few times with an open mind and it doesn't work for me. I don't hate it; I just prefer the other albums more.
Anarchy99
Footballguy
Just making some mental notes for the upcoming holiday season . . .
Anarchy's Updated Christmas Card List:
- John Madden's Lunch Box
- Pip's Invitation
- Nemesis
- krista4
- simey
- Alex P Keeton
- Grace Under Pressure
Carry on . . .
simey
Footballguy
I like Vertigo, and a few other songs listed. It seems the Spin Staff take lyrics a bit too seriously. Rhiannon is definitely not Fleetwood Mac's worst song. I do agree that the U2 Boots song that Johnny Lunchbox hates is a stinker of a song.
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Grace Under Pressure
Footballguy
I'm at 20 on Zoo Station. The re-invention of the band and all that. The Vulture comments represent where I'm coming from pretty well.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
There are some good songs on that list, including Vertigo. Getting hung up on the uno, dos, tres, catorce is infantile.
Looks like it was written by the too cool for school crew.
But at least the song that shall not be named rates high.
bigbottom
Footballguy
Have been out of town on vacation so just now catching up. I’m a big fan of Kite, Wire, and 11 O’Clock Tick Tock, which were the only major hits to my list from the last dozen reveals.
50 - Sweetest Thing (67 on my list)
49 - Staring at the Sun (70 on my list)
48 - Silver and Gold (32 on my list)
47 - Kite (18 on my list)
46 - Wire (19 on my list)
45 - 11 O’Clock Tick Tock (24 on my list)
44 - Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me (did not make my list of 72)
43 - Walk On (52 on my list)
42 - Mothers of the Disappeared (did not make my list of 72)
41 - Angel of Harlem (50 on my list)
40 - Hawkmoon 269 (did not make my list of 72)
39 - Exit (39 on my list) - BINGO!
38 - Zoo Station (65 on my list)
Also, @krista4 posted a status report before we went into the Top 50. When we were at 51 on this list, 32 of my Top 50 ranked songs remained alive, with 18 tunes being off the board. Those in my top 50 that didn’t make the consensus top 50 were (my ranking followed by consensus ranking): October (14 - 61), Surrender (20 - 71), A Celebration (21 - 89), A Day Without Me (22 - 72), Like A Song (23 - 65), Twilight (25 - 92), Iris (Hold Me Close) (27 - 76), Stories for Boys (33 - 104), Seconds (35 - 60), Every Breaking Wave (37 -77), Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own (38 - 56), Indian Summer Sky (40 - 122), With A Shout (Jerusalem) (41 - 159), The Three Sunrises (44 - 69), Trip Through Your Wires (46 - 58), Love Comes Tumbling (47 - 81), MLK (48 - 62), An Cat Dubh (49 - 98).
My top 13 songs still remain intact.
50 - Sweetest Thing (67 on my list)
49 - Staring at the Sun (70 on my list)
48 - Silver and Gold (32 on my list)
47 - Kite (18 on my list)
46 - Wire (19 on my list)
45 - 11 O’Clock Tick Tock (24 on my list)
44 - Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me (did not make my list of 72)
43 - Walk On (52 on my list)
42 - Mothers of the Disappeared (did not make my list of 72)
41 - Angel of Harlem (50 on my list)
40 - Hawkmoon 269 (did not make my list of 72)
39 - Exit (39 on my list) - BINGO!
38 - Zoo Station (65 on my list)
Also, @krista4 posted a status report before we went into the Top 50. When we were at 51 on this list, 32 of my Top 50 ranked songs remained alive, with 18 tunes being off the board. Those in my top 50 that didn’t make the consensus top 50 were (my ranking followed by consensus ranking): October (14 - 61), Surrender (20 - 71), A Celebration (21 - 89), A Day Without Me (22 - 72), Like A Song (23 - 65), Twilight (25 - 92), Iris (Hold Me Close) (27 - 76), Stories for Boys (33 - 104), Seconds (35 - 60), Every Breaking Wave (37 -77), Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own (38 - 56), Indian Summer Sky (40 - 122), With A Shout (Jerusalem) (41 - 159), The Three Sunrises (44 - 69), Trip Through Your Wires (46 - 58), Love Comes Tumbling (47 - 81), MLK (48 - 62), An Cat Dubh (49 - 98).
My top 13 songs still remain intact.
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Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
Saw it last night.I just watched that movie Everything Everywhere All at Once, which is about the multiverse and infinite worlds where every possible outcome exists in one of the universes. Because of this, I can fathom a world where a whole bunch of people like Lemon.
Super fun and brings in a completely unique storyline that others will surely capitalize on.
Wasn't buying how it hit hyperspace going, swirling black bagel, Kung-Foo, hot dog fingers, which really threw me and made suspension of reality hard to juggle. The plot went completely off the rails jumping schools of sharks.
The multi-verse is a cool concept that can be delved into with a more serious script and still be fun without layering on soo much cheese and it would be nice if someone could chop down the ADD camera gimmicks.
Everything Everywhere All at Once is definitely worth a watch.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
(35) - > 37- Love is Blindness
Vulture.com ranking and comment -27/218 - The guitar line borders on insanity, while the vocals teeter on the edge of the pit of despair. The lyrics are more linear than Bono usually favors, and you wish he had chosen to be more abstract. It’s like a knife sticking out of the center of your chest. Bono thought about sending it to Nina Simone, and he should have. That would have been unbelievable.
Original Comment - I am shocked at where this lands. Let’s look at the rankings. 21, 22, 24 AND 164. Even Vulture had it at #27. If the fourth ranking was 26, this lands at #12 overall. A 50 ranking gets it to #19. Even a #100 ranking places it at #23. Anyway the track itself, A perfect album closer to an almost flawless album. This one is shocking, but the #34 ranked song annoys me more. Our anomalous out of kilter rankings are really down to about 10 and each one of us is a song killer. No one more than 4 times. We dont have a ranker killing a song by 30 or more ranking spots anymore though. Maybe 15 spots is the worst left.
Total Points - 951.25
Rankers - 22
Average Points per rank - 43.24 (Approximately a 37th rank).
Ranks - 31st on average points per ranker
Highest Rank - 6
Lowest Rank - 79
Previous Rank - 35 > 37
Special Version Requested - None
Ranking Comments - I was shocked this didnt rank higher last time, due to a one off low ranking. This time, it stays roughly in the same slot. No more shock. We have 10 rankings in the top 25. 7 more in the top 50.
Vulture.com ranking and comment -27/218 - The guitar line borders on insanity, while the vocals teeter on the edge of the pit of despair. The lyrics are more linear than Bono usually favors, and you wish he had chosen to be more abstract. It’s like a knife sticking out of the center of your chest. Bono thought about sending it to Nina Simone, and he should have. That would have been unbelievable.
Original Comment - I am shocked at where this lands. Let’s look at the rankings. 21, 22, 24 AND 164. Even Vulture had it at #27. If the fourth ranking was 26, this lands at #12 overall. A 50 ranking gets it to #19. Even a #100 ranking places it at #23. Anyway the track itself, A perfect album closer to an almost flawless album. This one is shocking, but the #34 ranked song annoys me more. Our anomalous out of kilter rankings are really down to about 10 and each one of us is a song killer. No one more than 4 times. We dont have a ranker killing a song by 30 or more ranking spots anymore though. Maybe 15 spots is the worst left.
Total Points - 951.25
Rankers - 22
Average Points per rank - 43.24 (Approximately a 37th rank).
Ranks - 31st on average points per ranker
Highest Rank - 6
Lowest Rank - 79
Previous Rank - 35 > 37
Special Version Requested - None
Ranking Comments - I was shocked this didnt rank higher last time, due to a one off low ranking. This time, it stays roughly in the same slot. No more shock. We have 10 rankings in the top 25. 7 more in the top 50.
John Maddens Lunchbox
Footballguy
(36) - > 36- Vertigo
Vulture.com ranking and comment -78/218 - If this song hadn’t been in an Apple ad, everyone would have loved it. It’s not serious, but it is interesting. Bono describes it as being trapped in a nightclub (and there is definitely some crappy nightclub named “Vertigo” out there) that you do not want to be at. Through that lens, even the botched count-off at the beginning makes sense; there’s always some slob who thinks they speak the local language when they do not. There are good lines, there are great images — it’s really just a rock-and-roll song. There was, however, no need to play it twice during a show, which U2 were entirely too fond of doing.
Comment - The 182 ranking really sinks this. We have rankings of 15, 16 and 26 along side of it. If the lowest ranking is a 50 instead, this lands at #11. To me if this made top 10 it would have been one of the surprises of the whole exercise. It was a track that was derided on release, including by me. It wasnt until I saw it live that i loved it. Not the first time, but the second time in the one concert. I dont know what research went into doing this song twice in the same concert, but it worked a treat on me. Totally disagree with the Vulture comment on it. Unashamedly commericall, like the Killers with ""Are we Human or are we Dancer"", the opening lyrics of “Uno, dos, tres, catorce” rubbed some close minded the wrong way. Theres a reason for it which i will let Nemesis explain.
Total Points - 984.25
Rankers - 24
Average Points per rank - 41.01 (Approximately a 38th rank).
Ranks - 34th on average points per ranker
Highest Rank - 8
Lowest Rank - 96
Previous Rank - 36 > 36
Special Version Requested - None
Ranking Comments - Another one that was torpedoed by a low ranking last time. This time it stays in the exact same spot. We only have 6 top 25 rankings, but there are 14 rankings between 26 and 45.
Vulture.com ranking and comment -78/218 - If this song hadn’t been in an Apple ad, everyone would have loved it. It’s not serious, but it is interesting. Bono describes it as being trapped in a nightclub (and there is definitely some crappy nightclub named “Vertigo” out there) that you do not want to be at. Through that lens, even the botched count-off at the beginning makes sense; there’s always some slob who thinks they speak the local language when they do not. There are good lines, there are great images — it’s really just a rock-and-roll song. There was, however, no need to play it twice during a show, which U2 were entirely too fond of doing.
Comment - The 182 ranking really sinks this. We have rankings of 15, 16 and 26 along side of it. If the lowest ranking is a 50 instead, this lands at #11. To me if this made top 10 it would have been one of the surprises of the whole exercise. It was a track that was derided on release, including by me. It wasnt until I saw it live that i loved it. Not the first time, but the second time in the one concert. I dont know what research went into doing this song twice in the same concert, but it worked a treat on me. Totally disagree with the Vulture comment on it. Unashamedly commericall, like the Killers with ""Are we Human or are we Dancer"", the opening lyrics of “Uno, dos, tres, catorce” rubbed some close minded the wrong way. Theres a reason for it which i will let Nemesis explain.
Total Points - 984.25
Rankers - 24
Average Points per rank - 41.01 (Approximately a 38th rank).
Ranks - 34th on average points per ranker
Highest Rank - 8
Lowest Rank - 96
Previous Rank - 36 > 36
Special Version Requested - None
Ranking Comments - Another one that was torpedoed by a low ranking last time. This time it stays in the exact same spot. We only have 6 top 25 rankings, but there are 14 rankings between 26 and 45.
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