Now I know it’s not “cool”, to like U2 anymore. Bono is literally made of shit (thanks South Park), and then there was the whole iTunes fiasco in 2014. No matter. U2 are still a legendary, all time great band with some of the greatest melodies and sound produced in the last 40 years. In fact, I believe they’re still going strong today despite the ocassional failed experiment and dodgy single. They have maintained one of the most admirable qualities any artist can have, and that’s trying something new every album, and attempting to evolve with the times. Here’s my rankings of U2’s etraordinary list of albums. It was tough.
14. POP (1997) (2 Stars)
U2 fans I know LOVE to defend this album and get mad at anyone who doesn’t see through it’s overwhelming electronics and grating experimental sounds to see it’s hidden greatness, similar to their defenses of the putrid Elvis Presley Vs America track on TUF. I’m sorry but this album does absolutely nothing for me. U2 produced some gold with their experimental grunge-y phase in the 90’s, but by the time they got to Pop pretty much all that was left was the sound, and with a lot of pretentious as hell lyrics that you can barely even hear half the time. As with any U2 record, there’s some good stuff here (Staring At The Sun is a certified banger) but the rest of the album is just sad. It’s failure was a sign U2 needed a reboot come the new Millenium.
13. RATTLE AND HUM (1988) (3 Stars)
The album for their 1988 Rock-umentary which was critically panned for its muddled production, vain feel and lack of new content. Whatever new content there was WAS very good (Heartland, Desire, Angel Of Harlem) but obscursed by a lot of live performances and lame attempts at blues music. A mixed bag, but again as with the failure of Pop, this failure inspired a whole new U2 with their next album.
12. OCTOBER (1981) (3 STARS)
The band’s second album after Boy was a massive disappointment compared to that mind blower, but October hasn’t really aged all that bad. It’s still one of their most forgettable albums, filled with cliche lyrics and not really a single standout song, but there are some nice ones hear and there, like the title track, Gloria and I Fall Down
11. SONGS OF EXPERIENCE (2017) (3 STARS)
I defended U2 to the death when everyone was shitting on NLOTH and SOI, and I still stand by those albums being great overall. I can only defend their most recent work so much though. While I like some songs on here a great deal (Lights Of Home especially) this album was pretty forgettable as a whole. As ususal, props to them for trying to experiment with different sounds, but the lyrics too often devolve into cliche and I don’t find myself revisiting the whole thing much. Hopefully they’ll repeat the pattern of an underwhelming album at the end of the decade followed by a reinvention at the begininng of the new one, as with R&H and Pop. Can only hope.
10. SONGS OF INNOCENCE (2014) (4 STARS)
Now this is where it starts to get really difficult. I can fully admit that this is not exactly on the level of their 80’s work and such, but look past the catastrohic iTunes campaign and you really have a pure hard rocking album here that I think will get viewed much better through the passage of time. We kick things off with the thrilling Miracle Of Joey Ramone and then straight into the band’s most recent masterwork, Every Breaking Wave which is a devastating and vulnerable song whether you listen to the hard rocking album version or their sombre piano-driven performances live. The rest of the album never quite reaches the level of those opening two tracks, it maintains a satisfying, vulnerable and expressive sound all the way through, and Bono’s voice is as beautiful and passionate as it’s ever been
9. HOW TO DISMANTLE AN ATOMIC BOMB (2004) (4 STARS)
This is about the time U2 ran out of the ability to do anything especially original, but in the same vein as other timeless artists like Dylan and Springsteen does that mean they’re bad? Not by a long shot! Life is too short to pretend you people don’t love catchy and ethereal tracks like Vertigo, City Of Blinding Lights and A Man And A Woman. Just saying.
8. ZOOROPA (1993) (4 STARS)
So, sure, it’s no Achtung Baby. But this album is still similarly experimental and gives off a magical yet dark feel. U2 have never tried another track like Numb again, and it’s one of Edge’s best pieces of work and remains really haunting. Tracks like the title track, Lemon and Stay are similarly inspired enough to lift this album above ocassional misses like Babyface (UGH) and Dirty Day. Johnny Cash even appears on this
7. NO LINE ON THE HORIZON (2009) (4 STARS)
No Line On The Horizon gets a lot of stick. For some unbelievably short sighted reason, and an almost endearing mistake that would most commonly become associated with Taylor Swift, U2 chose to release by far the two worst and shlockiest songs from the album (Get On Your Boots and I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight) as singles! Yet I still stand by that if you cut out those two monstrosities, along with the equally dreadful Stand Up Comedy, you have a pretty much perfect and beautifully poignant album. Moment Of Surrender is one of the band’s best works and the best of their many powerful ballads on drug addiction, with Bono’s voice raging the passion of a thousand suns. Near equally powerful are Magnificent, Unknown Caller, Cedars Of Lebanon and the opening title track. There’s far more to this one than meets the eye if you were put off by the utter stench of the Sexy Boots song. Promise.
6. THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE (1984) (4 STARS)
This is a cult favourite album among many U2 fans and I’ve even seen it top many lists. Now, I definitely admire the album’s ambition, with its new ambient sound, poetic lyrics and it being recorded inside Slane Castle. It doesn’t *always* hit the mark for me though compared to the top 5. For every beautiful piece of work like the MLK tribute Pride (In The Name Of Love), A Sort Of Homecoming, Bad and the title track, there’s stuff that doesn’t do much for me at all like Indian Summer Sky and the utterly unlistenable and bloated Elvis Presely And America. Definitely a great and ambitious package on the whole though.
5. BOY (1980) (4.5 STARS)
The band’s debut album, and one of the very best debut albums of all time. With this kickass album, U2 instantly blew into the mainsteam rock and roll scene, making a bold mission statement with beautifully composed and hard rocking hits like I Will Follow, Out Of Control and Twilight, and stunningly ethereal pieces like An Cat Dubh. While not as ambitious as the ones that followed it, this album is very nearly perfect from beginning to end.
4. ALL THAT YOU CAN’T LEAVE BEHIND (2000) (4.5 STARS)
A glorious return to form after Pop, and a nice mix between their 80’s and 90’s styles to create a truly powerful album full of beautiful ballads, lyrically and musically. Beautiful Day is a piece of art, and Kite and Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of act as the mosr emotional pieces on the album. ATYCLB is The Joshua Tree for the 21st Century.
3. WAR (1983) (4.5 STARS)
The early 1980’s were a rough time. It was the time of higher than ever fears of nuclear armageddon, global economic depressions and increased poverty and unemployment. U2 channeled their anger into War, an unashamedly political album that plead to both sides of the Ireland troubles in the raging Sunday Bloody Sunday, the Polish Solidarity movement in the beautiful New Year’s Day and personal troubles like drug addiction in the devastating Drowning Man. If it weren’t for a couple of minor forgettable tracks War would rank right up with the top two as a perfect masterpiece.
2. ACHTUNG BABY (1991) (5 STARS)
Feeling in need of a new sound amid accusations that they were stale and overexposed at the height of their fame, U2 took a big risk with this alternative type album but my God did they pull it off. Achtung Baby is visceral experience, every song hard hitting and vulnerable, exploring the pain of toxic relationships. One in particular is U2’s ultimate masterpiece, and one of the most devastatingly painful ballads ever produced. Until The End Of The World is a genius Biblical allegory. Ultraviolet a tribute to all the work that goes into Love. If not the number 1 best, it’s certainly U2’s boldest and most mture work, their feircest exploration of the human condition.
1. THE JOSHUA TREE (1987) (5 STARS)
Even with the dark miracle of Achtung, U2 or indeed most artists will never top The Joshua Tree. It’s an absolute treasure trove full of beautiful songs, and remains to this day one of the greatest albums of all time. We kick things off with the best three songs to open an album ever. The operatic and heavenly Where The Streets Have No Name, an absolute riot on live shows. Then the achingly existential I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For. Then the almost as beautiful With Or Without You. The album continues on into history with the achingly devastating and nostalgic ballads Red Hill Mining Town (touching on Thatcher’s neglect of British mining towns) and One Tree Hill (a tribute to Bono’s deceased friend), the slow paced anti-drug song Runnng To Stand Still and the Blues number Trip Through Your Wires. This album has something for everyone, and is just pure magic.
Thanks for reading. Look out for another album ranking very soon, where I will be covering Taylor Swift
Rob's Thoughts 