Jan 30, 2006 04:32 PM
1886 Views
(Updated Jan 30, 2006 06:38 PM)
A lot has been written and said about this album in the last couple of decades that it has been around. Let me give you my version.
This album has the following tracks:
Where The Streets Have No Name
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking for
With or Without You
Bullet The Blue Sky
Running to Stand Still
Red Hill Mining Town
In God's Country
Trip Through Your Wires
One Tree Hill
Exit
Mothers of The Disappeared
When the album starts you are greeted by the lull of the synthesizer that slowly tickles into a guitar strumming and the drums then take over. Bono sings, “I want to run, I want to hide, I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside, I want to reach out and touch the flame... Where the streets have no name'' Edge breathes life in this song. And to think that this song was almost destroyed during the album recording because the band was unable to get a move on with the intro.
Stand out tracks are: #s 1,2,3,4,5,7 and 10. In an album of 11 songs, you have 7 great songs. That speaks for itself.
Song No.2 is the track that is purely gospel in nature. Bono sings that he has been through a lot and ''been there, done that'' but he still hasn't found what he is looking for. Very reflective for the listener, it is an amazing track, lyrically.
'With Or Without You’ is the second most misunderstood single in the 1980's (the first place is Every Breath You Take). While the song has strong romantic undertones, it is anything but that. Bono is telling us that he is being tormented by a woman and has endured all pains for her. ''My hands are tied, My body bruised, she's got me with nothing to win and nothing left to lose...'' What he is saying is that he cannot be tormented by her anymore and life has lost all meaning thanks to her. You can feel the pain in Bono's and that makes this exceptional. The song has a nice beat to it that kinda never lets go and you feel that the song will never end.
Two tracks that turned a jaundiced eye toward Central America and the United States' role there during the mid 1980's are 'Mothers of the Disappeared' and 'Bullet the Blue Sky'. An excerpt from the spoken part of the ''Bullet'' song which is normally the ending of the track in the band's live performances... ''I feel a long way from the hills of San Salvador, where the sky is ripped open, and the rain pours through a gaping wound...pelting the women and children...pelting the women and children... who run...who run...into the arms...of America''
'Running to Stand still' has its moments... especially when Bono tells us that ''You got to cry without weeping, Talk without speaking, Scream without raising your voice...''
'In God's Country' is perhaps the one track that should have become more popular than it deserved. The Edge was all over this track and when it ends it always makes me feel like there is more to the song.
I am not a big fan of the next couple of songs, however they are lyrically taut.
'Exit' is another solid track thats a stand out purely because of Bono's ferocity. Makes for a great live song... (Check the 'Rattle & Hum' video version)
This album is perhaps the best U2 album purely because lyrically and musically U2 were at their creative peak. For the next decade U2 went on to experiment with different kinds of music and their live performances (POP Mart and Zoo TV tours) were larger than life.
The problem with U2 reviews is that Larry Mullen Jr and Adam Clayton never get mentioned. Guys, you make the band work!
Well, if you are a rock music lover, chances are that you probably have this album. However, if you are just starting to get into the groove of rock music, let this album be one of the first five to listen to.
