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VOTW - U2-special

I'll start 2016 with a U2-special, only because my favorite new years-song off course is New Years Day, but also because once U2 was one of my absolute favorite bands. I can't remember exactly when it started, or when I at first noticed U2, but in 1983 I saw a concert in the middle of the afternoon at a friends (this time NOT the same friend) house, and among a few bands, where U2. I didn't really like the music, since it wasn't heavy Rock, but it planted something in me. I don't know if it was before or after also in 1983, but when I heard New Years Day, I really liked it, and besides my Accept-albums aso, this was a lot better than the other stuff, they were playing on the radio. Also in 1983, around the end of the year, I saw an article in my favorite magazine, Kerrang!, where the headline was "Is this the new Led Zeppelin?". By then my interest in U2 was wide awake, but it wasn't until the end of 1984, when The Unforgettable Fire was released, that I bought my first album. Let's look at some video's:

STORIES FOR BOYS

I bought U2's debut-album in the summer of 1985. I already had the other albums, but I thought, the band looked like kids on their debut-album, so I waited a bit, buying that one. I didn't really like it, when I heard it, and for years, I never really paid much attention. It actually is a very good album, and much much better than anything, they've released since "Acthung Baby".

GLORIA

 I bought "October" and WAR in January 1985, and I remember this excactly because I became a big fan around that time. Once again I saw a concert on TV, and this time it was just U2 and no other bands. "October" is probably my favoite U2-album (maybe Joshua Tree?), and I'm maybe one of the only ones, that think, it's one of their absolute best albums. All the stuff I've read about this album, suggest that it's their weakest album. It's definitely not. I almost think of Prog, when I listen to it. It's one of the heaviest albums, they've released.

NEW YARS DAY

When I hear this song, I think of the video, where the band is riding horses, but I found this video, that I haven't seen before. At first, WAR was my favorite album, but imo, it's not as good as October and Joshua Tree. But it was this album, that made them stars, I think. At the time, I was very impressed by the way The Edge was playing piano and guitar almost at the same time. I was also very impressed by Bono's voice. I remember reading an artivle about Bon Jovi in Kerrang! in 1985, where Jon Bon Jovi said "It's rediculess how good a singer Bono is", and I though, "Yes, absolutely, and you stink".

THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE

At the time, this album was released, I knew who U2 were. As I remember it, I saw an add for the album in a bus, and it was in the fall of 1984. I decided to wait for Chistmas, to get it as a present. I got a few other albums that christmas: Red, Hot & Heavy by Pretty Maids, Two Steps From The Move by Hanoi Rocks and a few others, I can't remember, but The Unforgettable Fire, was THE one, even though the album wasn't as good, as I expected, but it made me buy the other U2-albums, that were released. Bono had a "mullet" arounf this time, and I was trying to get one as well, you know long hair in the back, and quit a bit shorter in front. Bono was at that time one of alltimes best front-men. He was just as important to U2 as Roth was to Van Halen, and Jagger was to Stones. Yes, Bono was then in that divison: The best frontmen of alltime.

RUNNING TO STAND STILL

Not a very good video, and probably "fan-made", but I really loved this song from The Joshua Tree, and it's not one of those songs, that were played over and over again on MTV or the radio. Back then, it was a veeeery long time to wait for a new album for nearly 2 and a half years, but U2 didn't release "their new album" until (as I remember it) March 1987. At first, I was a little bit dissapointed, but the album grew fast on you, and it turned out to be one of the best albums released in the 80's (I still think that). I wish, I'd seen U2 live on this tour, but I had to wait until 1993, just in the nick of time, before U2 became a lousy band. As I've said before: U2 must be THE band, that went from THAT good to THAT bad at the shortest time. Arrh, maybe not in a short time periode, because Rattle & Hum was an okay live/studio double-album, I liked the film, and Achtung Baby was a step in the right direction, and not a bad album. But imo it hasn't dated as well, as their 80's outout. "Zooropa" was crap and "Pop" had one or two good tunes, but then that was it. Everything they've released since is total crap, and I can't understand why they seem to keep on a very big (and very young???) audience? But once, they were a great band. One of the best, in fact.

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Appropriate choice for a New Years post....  I will get to this soon, I promise!

Stories For Boys - I do not own this album.  I've never heard this song before.  It's not terrible.  I don't really like the chorus at all, but the verses are pretty decent. But it's nice and short, which is a plus.  And they do look very young, probably because they were.

Gloria - I also don't own this album.  I'm pretty sure I've heard the song before though.  This is approaching the sound that I really dig from U2.  It sounds to me like it could easily be on War.  And look at Bono's hair, very nice.  At least Scott won't trash the video because it was shot in an abandoned warehouse...This might be an album for me to look into at some point.

New Year's Day - My favorite U2 song, and yes, I do own this album.  It's a very good album.  And the Edge's playing, on this song in particular, is amazing.  I think he's a terrific guitar player.  Your right, this is an interesting video, just of the band playing, but I like the video with the horses and the snow.  You are also right about Bono, he is a great singer, but you're wrong about Jon Bon Jovi, he can sing better than you are giving him credit (or discredit in this case) for.

The Unforgettable Fire - Another song and album I'm not really familiar with.  But I really like this song.  It's pretty representative of the time it was released.  I don't care for the couple of times that Bono tries to get his voice too high.  It just doesn't sound good, but the song overall has a really nice vibe.  Maybe I should check this one out too.  Oh yeah, I was rocking a mullet about this time, a far cry from my hair cut today.

Running To Stand Still - Absolutely one of the best U2 songs, as is almost all of the songs on The Joshua Tree.  Bono never sounded better and hasn't sounded better since.  I think you are right as far as the album's status as one of the all-time great 80's albums.  This is also a tremendous lyrical treat, as is the whole album.  The harmonica at the end is brilliant.  

Achtung Baby was a very good album as well, but nothing since has been even remotely good, with the possible exception of How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, though at it's best, it's nowhere near The Joshua Tree.  Nice post, starting the year off right!

STORIES FOR BOYS...  Weird stuff right there!  Not sure how anyone could confuse U2 with Led Zeppelin even today.  But I will say this, at the time they came out they were unique and they were different.  I wouldn't say they were great but people did listen.  The political stuff really turned me off to them, all their social statements and activism took away from the music IMO.  This song never made across the pond (do you still say that?) so this is new to me, but its not that interesting.

GLORIA ...  This is familiar but I dont recall this being much of a hit, and outside of Mtv pushing the band hard, no one in the circles I ran in was interested.  Hey is that an abandoned warehouse in the background?

NEW YEARS DAY ... Cool song and easily their best, but doesn't it just want to make you look at Bono and say "lighten up dude!!!", oh and fix your hair, it looks ridiculous!  Its a letter and a number, well, thats profound!  From now on U2 will be known as "Just a letter and a number", so it shall be...

THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE ... This is the only "Just a letter and a number" album I own and Ive never bothered to buy it on CD.  Its not bad I like it, but I think if I were to go pull it out of its case its still practically brand new vinyl and Ive owned since near its original release date.  Truly hearing this now does make me want to try it again, but this time I think I will head over to iTunes and check out the samples.  This is my favorite so far for the sentimental reason only.

RUNNING TO STAND STILL ...  I like this too.  This post is going against my position of not liking the "Just a letter and a number" band.

Fine post sir!

Thank you both. It's a pleassure doing VOTW when I get such a great respond.

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