Favorite U2 album?
The Burnside Writers Collective (an online magazine with ties to Blue Like Jazz author Donald Miller) recently ran a poll on what is the greatest U2 album ever. I'm not sure why they chose U2 for their poll. Maybe because the Collective deals with a lot of faith issues and U2 has always been Christendom's secular band of choice (I use secular here just to mean they're not on a Christian label)? Who knows.
I used to be a big U2 fan, but got kind of tired of the way they became the template for a lot of Christian music in the eighties. Achtung Baby was my favorite album. I used to listen to it every weekend my freshman year of college when I'd drive home to see my girlfriend. Most of U2's stuff lately leaves me kind of cold. Like everyone else in the world, though, I think Bono is the cat's pajamas for using his celebrity to bring attention to poverty and AIDS (even though that's a lot of lip service on my part since I don't do much to contribute to the cause other than think about how nice it is that Bono's doing something).
Here are the results of BWC's poll:
1. Achtung Baby
2. Joshua Tree
3. War
4. Pop
5. Zooropa
6. All That You CanÂt Leave Behind
7. Rattle and Hum
8. Unforgettable Fire
9. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
10. Boy
11. Under a Blood Red Sky
12. October
Agree? Disagree? Can't find the strength to care? Tell me your thoughts. Obviously, I approve of their choice for #1 since I already stated it was my favorite. I'm also a littledisappointedd at where Rattle and Hum fell.
While you're commenting, let's talk about how easily I shook off the realization that I'm doing very little to ease other people's suffering around the world and continued to talk about U2 albums like a spoiled jerk.
Category: Post
I used to be a big U2 fan, but got kind of tired of the way they became the template for a lot of Christian music in the eighties. Achtung Baby was my favorite album. I used to listen to it every weekend my freshman year of college when I'd drive home to see my girlfriend. Most of U2's stuff lately leaves me kind of cold. Like everyone else in the world, though, I think Bono is the cat's pajamas for using his celebrity to bring attention to poverty and AIDS (even though that's a lot of lip service on my part since I don't do much to contribute to the cause other than think about how nice it is that Bono's doing something).
Here are the results of BWC's poll:
1. Achtung Baby
2. Joshua Tree
3. War
4. Pop
5. Zooropa
6. All That You CanÂt Leave Behind
7. Rattle and Hum
8. Unforgettable Fire
9. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
10. Boy
11. Under a Blood Red Sky
12. October
Agree? Disagree? Can't find the strength to care? Tell me your thoughts. Obviously, I approve of their choice for #1 since I already stated it was my favorite. I'm also a littledisappointedd at where Rattle and Hum fell.
While you're commenting, let's talk about how easily I shook off the realization that I'm doing very little to ease other people's suffering around the world and continued to talk about U2 albums like a spoiled jerk.
Category: Post
posted by Patrick at 12:45 PM
6 Comments:
oh that list is totally backwards.
here's the real list- top 5
1. Boy
2. October
3. Unforgetable Fire
4. War
5. Rattle and Hum or Under a Blood Red Sky
6. Joshua Tree is geat and Achtung Baby is good as well, but there was a realy low time untill beautiful day came around and really the rest of that album isent my favorite
And yes the suffering of Africa is appalling but how much worse will it be if they are forced to listen to Achtung Baby before Boy.
Baby steps my friend.
Now here's a topic I can talk about all day! U2 is by far my favorite band (along with Metallica, Pearl Jam and Dave Matthews Band - wow that's a weird combination).
I love how Bono's lyrics are so sneakingly spiritual. Edge is the most under-rated guitarist of the past 25 years. Adam Clayton is a rock solid bass player, and Larry Mullen, Jr's kick drum live can rival the likes of Lars Ulrich and Vinnie Paul Abbott. But I digress...
For me, there is no favorite album. But if I had to pick, it would be a tie between The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby. However, I am probably the one person on this blog that LOVES Pop. There are some really great songs on that album... no, seriously. And by the way, there is another live EP that was left off the list. Wide Awake in America has the best version of Bad (my favorite U2 song) I have ever heard.
If you haven't had the opportunity to catch a live U2 show, make it a priority. Even if you have to sell a kidney and take out a second mortgage on your house to buy the ticket! It is worth every penny. A U2 show is a spritually moving experience!!
You know, I can't even think of what songs are on Pop. I always confuse it with Zooropa. I really liked the song with Johnny Cash on the Zooropa album.
I like Numb and Stay (Faraway, So Close) on Zooropa.
Pop had Staring At The Sun, Please, If You Wear That Velvet Dress, Miami, Discoteque, etc.
I agree with Mark, Pop is an excellent album. I mean, "Wake Up Dead Man" and "Please" are some of my favorite U2 songs of all time. However, if I have to make a list, it would be as follows:
1. The Joshua Tree
2. The Unforgettable Fire
3. War
4. Boy
5. Achtung Baby
I'm the kind of fan that usually hates a band's newest disc, until I let it spin for a few weeks- then it often becomes my favorite. So, I'll go with:
1. How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
2. All You Can't Leave Behind
3. Joshua Tree
4. Unforgettable Fire
5. Wide Awake In America (EP)
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