U2 albums ranked (1/3). A fan vs a U2 critic

[@spencergadoury]

I’m a die hard u2 fan, their my favourite artist of all time by far. Seeing them live is very special! I love hearing people talk about them! My top 3 albums are definitely The Joshua Tree, Unforgettable Fire, and Achtung Baby!

[@ArmchairAnalysisMusicFilm]

I don't want to give away our top 3 but all I'll say is that we're in broad agreement but there might be a little surprise lurking near the top 😅

[@spencergadoury]

@@ArmchairAnalysisMusicFilm looking forward to seeing it! Gonna listen at work tmrw haha

[@imjustaskingquestions6481]

@@spencergadoury Yeah, we have been harsh on some of these bottom albums but as the non-U2 fan of the two of us, I cannot deny the quality of these albums you have named.

[@spencergadoury]

@@imjustaskingquestions6481 glad to hear it haha! I think the Joshua Tres especially is fantastic in every way. The production and the instrumentation is top notch. I feel like even on some of their weaker records there’s always something to enjoy

[@grock9263]

Been a fan since 1983 and it good to see Songs Of Innocence ain't bottom , I rate it just a boring dull cover , best since All That You Can't Leave Behind

[@ArmchairAnalysisMusicFilm]

Personally I would rate "...atomic bomb" higher but it's not at the bottom, I agree. I feel like U2 can still put together some great songs, ballads particularly, but struggle to get a full album of top quality. A few great songs on "songs of innocence"

[@curly_wyn]

One thing I’ve picked up on and really learned from watching this three part series is: I think Bono is a very interesting character study. I find him, despite his overt religiosity and galaxy-brain messianic complex, I think his personality and psyche and really just his while being as a person and a figure is so fascinating, and even the negatives of him all feed into that. It all really comes back to his mother dying when he was 14, I think. That’s why he always does whatever he can with his personal life and with U2 and maybe even why he’s such a devout christian in the first place: to feel important to feel like he’s doing something important and why he always needs to feel that he is loved, in the same way that his mother loved him. When noticed the album Boy and it’s themes of childhood, all the times that Bono says “child” in Achtung Baby instead of baby or sweetheart or whatever, the terrible lyrics with child fixations of songs like Miracle Drug and The Showman, it all becomes clear. 🙂

[@edharrisisbald]

Ye've touched on a lot of my feelings of U2, especially their later output. Although I'm not really a fan, I've always kind of rooted for them. Might be an Irish thing. Will try familiarise myself with rest of albums for next ep.

[@randmnumber]

was never much of a U2 fan but do like a couple of their songs. found your discussion of their lyrics hilarious!

[@christianreynolds9252]

Songs of innocence is a solid good album . I can listen to it from start to finish without skipping a track. Without any track blowing my mind though . It’s just a shame the Apple release method overshadowed the quality of the album.

[@ArmchairAnalysisMusicFilm]

Every breaking wave is up there as one of my favourite U2 songs of all. Funny how the Apple release became such a cultural moment. I read somewhere (maybe it was Rick Beato) that that happened just as they changed management from Paul McGuinness and the current decision to play in Vegas without Larry is also happening as they change management again. Bad decisions seem to correlate with new managers!

[@imjustaskingquestions6481]

Yeah, I was very critical of songs of experience but actually ranked songs of innocence as my number 8 album. As you say, it's a solid album, especially the first half of it!

[@shariznjeri2357]

Good job

[@bminturn]

The biggest change that I have seen since All That You Can't Leave Behind is that Bono has "left behind" the best gift that he gave the band up to that point - which was giving the song room to breathe. I have always hated songs that are sung in almost full sentences, with almost no space between the lines. Give any random song from their last album a listen and then compare with "In God's Country" from The Joshua Tree, or "Rejoice" from October. Or "Heartland" from Rattle and Hum. Hell, just about any of the earlier albums. They were a lot better before they decided that it was time to write "good songs". And they're blind to it.

[@bminturn]

Also, a lot of U2 songs are about both things. "The Troubles" is about "the troubles" and a relationship. "Love Is Blindness" is about a provisional IRA bombing and a relationship. There are artifacts in the language of these songs that hint at the double meaning like "In a parked car / In a crowded street / You see your love made complete" and "A little death without mourning / No call and no warning" in "Love Is Blindness". That was a callout of an actual provisional IRA car bombing when the IRA didn't call in a warning beforehand.

[@ArmchairAnalysisMusicFilm]

Didn't know that! Love is blindness is a great tune, even better with the double meaning

[@bugosestfire]

Glad zooropa is not here on part 1

[@ArmchairAnalysisMusicFilm]

You're in for a treat 😉

[@bugosestfire]

@@ArmchairAnalysisMusicFilm ♥️

[@LuisFernandezCasas]

I find "No line on the horizon" is generally considered one of their weakest albums, though there is people who, like me, appreciate it much more than you do.

[@ArmchairAnalysisMusicFilm]

Thanks for the comment! Yes, it's one of the more divisive albums!