Five for the U2 fan's library
LetÃcia Marote
Los Angeles Times
Aug. 20, 2004 06:50 PM
These albums, all released by Island, offer an absorbing chronicle of
U2's artistry and growth.
1. "Boy" 1980. This album feels very much like the start of a journey,
which it was for young men just out of their teens. The tunes capture
marvelously the optimism and uncertainties one feels at that age.
Highlight: "I Will Follow."
2. "The Unforgettable Fire" 1984. The "War" album in 1983 signaled the
maturation of U2 as artists, but this CD was the real creative
breakthrough. Highlight: "Bad."
3. "The Joshua Tree" 1987. The band's first masterpiece, a work of
profound elegance and mystery and faith. Highlights: "Where the Streets
Have No Name," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For."
4. "Rattle and Hum" 1988. This will likely be a controversial choice
because even some U2 fans thought the band's ego got in the way in this
companion piece to the band's concert movie. But the mix of U2's
imagination and the band's celebration of American roots music in this
two-disc package is gloriously personal and daring. Highlight: "Love
Rescue Me," co-written by Bob Dylan.
5. "Achtung Baby" 1991. The band changes gears in every way but one:
The music still feels heartfelt and compelling, yet also more
risk-taking and edgy. Highlight: "One."
LetÃcia Marote
Los Angeles Times
Aug. 20, 2004 06:50 PM
While the epic nature of U2's musical landscape is what first catches
the ear, it's also the compelling themes that make the songs stick with
the listener.
1. "Where the Streets Have No Name" / "I Still Haven't Found What I'm
Looking For" 1987. It's a bit of a cheat to list two songs, but the
tunes from "The Joshua Tree" have always seemed to be closely connected
expressions of spiritual search.
2. "One" 1991. Rock is often best when it is rowdy and irreverent, but
the heart of U2's music is its gracefulness. Even in moments as
melancholy as this, there is an overriding touch of eloquence. Key
lines: "You ask me to enter / But then you make me crawl / And I can't
be holding on / To what you got / When all you got is hurt."
3. "Bad" 1984. Its themes may be dark, but U2 refuses to surrender to
pessimism or despair. That's why this sober tale about heroin addiction
also serves as a warm rallying cry.
4. "Running to Stand Still" 1987. Not only do the words capture the way
drugs can disorient people so that they feel they are running while
remaining motionless, but the stark, funereal tone of the music is a
perfect match.
5. "Peace on Earth" 2000. This may be the darkest Christmas song ever
written. After a terrorist bombing in Northern Ireland, Bono expressed
the heartache and rage of a parent who can't be comforted by more
promises of hope. "Sick of sorrow / Sick of pain / Sick of hearing
again and again / That there's going to be / Peace on Earth."