U2 80s Discography Review

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Boy [Island; 1980]

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U2 hit the ground running with their debut, waiting absolutely no time to release their first grand album, packed to the brim with an 8 minute rock epic and unforgettable soaring melodies. You don
 
So, my sister has all the U2 albums so far and I thought, "why not?" They are the most shamed band on this forum, and possibly of all popular culture. If not, they certainly have made their once respectable name infamous. Maybe what we all need is to "dream it all up again" and give them a second chance.

I've divided this discography into two parts because their 80s material is so vastly different than their 90s and turn of the century material that it's unbelievable.

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U2 in the 80s were, according to allmusic.com, "rock and roll crusaders," and when you think back to that most interesting decade and what was dominant musically, you do think of synthesized pop and hair metal. Not U2. In the 80s they were right up there with Bruce Springsteen: grandiose but accessible, the voices of millions. Ironically, their ideas where better realized when they were younger than when they grew old. The late 90s and within our present decade, U2 (especially Bono) have attempted to regain their youth by all the wrong means. But before they lost their purpose (or rather before Bono's own doucheness completely ruined the band), they were real, they were punk, they were raw, they were alive and we weren't ashamed to close our eyes and feel the music for a moment.
 
Sure, but it disrupts the flow of the album. It just comes suddenly after the soaring beauty of With or Without You.

On it's own it's a good song, but when judging the album in its entirety it's the weakest link.
 
Great idea :)

I haven't heard a post-90s U2 album and in the 90s, they were so and so, but still I think they are underestimated on MB in general .. I quite like a lot of their 80s stuff despite it being regarded as perhaps a bit "safe" today. Other than that, well written start and I'm looking forward to reading your reviews.

However, you might wanna keep your asbestos suit close by.
 
pop underrated? i mean, if you try and forget that they've made any other albums then maybe pop wouldn't feel like that long and that redundant of an album.

but why do you think it's overrated?
 
I also think of Pop as slightly underrated, even in the light of their other albums. It seems they tried to do something fun and then frequently get shot down for it. It's understandable that people may not appreciate the weird disco's glam style and so on, but I don't think the songs are horrible.



Gone is the real pop gem on the album for me, but I also think songs like "Do you feel loved", "if you wear that velvet dress", "wake up dead man" and "Miami" are basically good.

In general, Pop is way too pop for my tastes, but that goes most of U2's output.
 
I loved the review of Boy. Unfortunately their early work gets forgotten amiRABt the constant Bono bashing (which is deserved) but it is a shame that their early stuff doesn't get talked about more. They were an angry young band with something to say.
 
I've said a few times before that One Tree Hill is almost as good as music gets - blissful song, especially the last 40 or so seconRAB of it. In fact the last four tracks makes for one of the best closing sequences of songs on any album. This is the only U2 album I still listen to to this day, so you're about right with your rating of it.

All in all, top review sir :thumb:
 
Yup, I agree with Bulldog - very insightful and very good review :)

One Tree Hill is good and sure gets a lot of praise. I noticed you mentioned Red Hill Mining Town as well which is perhaps my favourite from Joshua Tree!

Looking forward to Rattle and Hum, hehe ;)
 
I so detest the first three tracks from this album but 'Bullet The Blue Sky' and 'Exit' are great tracks. I haven't heard this album for a few years now. In fact any U2 at all. A timely reminder.
 
Definitely not horrible, as you pointed above they do have some fun songs in that mediocre set

just a massive disappointment due to poor execution of ideas.
 
Great review Roygbiv! I totally disagree with you about "Bullet the Blue Sky" but I thought the review as a whole was really, really well written and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. :)
 
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