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Week 19:
U2
Artist Introduction
I’ve always liked U2. While I mostly like their earlier music, they’ve been a constant on my playlist for over 30 years. U2 is the first concert Dad and I saw when we first started dating. Three times in one summer. Joshua Tree is one of my favorite albums. This was difficult to pick the choices because there’s so many great songs. I hope you all enjoy!
Mom Cascella
Most Popular
With Or Without You
A great rock ballad, coming off U2’s(and one of Rock’s) greatest albums, The Joshua Tree, released in 1987. This was the band at its height, with a big production and with some of Bono’s best singing. Simple lyrics sung beautifully over Edge’s guitar, this may be U2’s most recognizable single. It’s a haunting song about Bono’s conflicts between love and desires bashing up against love and family. If you watch or listen to different live versions, U2 extends the song with beautiful extra lyrics.
Where The Streets Have No Name
Another hit coming off The Joshua Tree, with another big production. Starts off mystical, leading into The Edge doing his thing, then Mullen and Clayton jump in and start ripping a good rock song. Then here comes Bono singing defiantly and emotionally. Just another great song, possibly about an imagined place where all is better than where we are now (maybe Heaven?). We start to see some of Bono’s incredible lyrics (more on that later). “I want to take shelter from the poison rain, where the streets have no name”.
At this point I want to mention the main team behind the production of U2 music, Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, who are both considered top producers in music, including albums by David Bowie, The Talking Heads, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Willie Nelson, and many others. Not a bad resume for two guys.
Sunday Bloody Sunday
I, and I’m sure many others, consider this probably U2’s greatest political song. Coming off 1983’s War album, it starts with simple drums, leading into simple guitar work by The Edge. But this song is certainly not simple. It’s an incredible statement about the troubles of Northern Ireland. And while many people believe this to be a pro-war anthem, it’s the exact opposite, with Bono stating unequivocally that the fight between Ireland’s Protestants and Catholics was tearing apart Ireland and needed to stop. “But i won’t heed the battle call, it puts my back up, my back up against the wall”. Incredibly powerful song. As a side note, if anyone wants to watch a fascinating mini-series about the Troubles of Northern Ireland, featuring the stories of the Price Sisters and the I.R.A., watch Say Nothing, an eye-opening docu-series.
At this point I want to mention the drumming of Larry Mullen Jr. Self-admitted to not being an excellent drummer, Mullen plays most songs resembling an almost marching band style, which makes sense as he was a marching band cadet in his youth. I hear it as mostly staccato-type playing, almost military. But his drumming sets the pace for U2 music in an excellent manner, so kudo’s to him.
Personal Favorites
One
By far the best song to come off the 1991 Album Achtung Baby, One is a beautiful soft rock ballad. Soft guitar chords by The Edge with Bono singing clearly and again emotionally. It’s a song about the internal strife within the band coming to grips with their huge success. Word was the band was close to breaking up at this point in their career, but thank goodness they settled their problems and went on to produce more great music. The song itself has many great lyrics throughout, too many to list here. And the production of the song, especially in the last minute and a half, is extraordinary.
At this point I’d like to talk a little about Bono’s (Paul Hewson) singing. The song ONE is a great indication of how good Bono is. He sings clearly in this song, and most others, where you can understand what he’s singing and saying. Bono sings with lots of passion. His voice oftentimes rises above the music. Is he vocally rocks best singer? Certainly not, but he is excellent at what he does vocally and musically for U2, and he certainly does make for a great front man in rock and roll.
Bad
I consider BAD, an early U2 song from the album The Unforgettable Fire (1984), absolutely their greatest song. Starting with The Edge playing a simple, almost 1 chord, 4 note riff, which lasts pretty much throughout the song, and leading into Bono softly singing the beginning, it’s a powerful and emotional song about the evils and harshness of drug use. The song builds and builds masterfully, with drum rolls and an easy bass line filling in the buildup. The lyrics are genuine and true and sad, based on a friend of the band addicted to heroin. Now as much as I like this song, a simple fact I believe is that the studio version is slightly thin as compared to live versions. Want to see the true power of this song? Watch BAD performed at Live Aid, 1985, with Bono making the song extend to other lyrics (you’ll see what I mean, it’s pretty cool). Also, a fun fact, is that the band was supposed to do another song after BAD at Live Aid, but because Bono did what he did, the set ended with BAD due to time constraints (which pissed off the other members of the band). BAD is a monster song, and goes in my Top 10 All-Time Rock Songs.
Running To Stand Still
Off The Joshua Tree album, a Slow, twangy acoustic song, with some bluesy elements. It’s a slow haunting melody, with very deep lyrics. It hints at Ireland’s, and specifically Dublin’s ongoing drug problems in the 1980’s. The lyric “I see 7 towers, but I only see one way out” is a reference to an apartment complex next to Bono’s childhood home and his escape from this environment. I really like the song, especially Bono’s emotional singing, and it’s live versions almost always extend the song, with additional great lyrics. And the harmonica work by Bono is pretty cool. “You gotta cry without weeping, talk without speaking, scream without raising your voice. You know I took the poison from the poison stream, then I floated out of here”.
At this point let’s talk about The Edge (David Evans). How to describe his guitar playing? Well, to me, his sound is like no others in Rock and Roll. Can he play lead guitar? Well, the only leads he does, which are pretty rare, are always short and non-descrip. But where he shines is with the incredible chord work he does. I’m not a musician, but to me, the sound he gets from his electric guitars, is so full and so intricate, and unlike anything in the music I know. What he seems to do is play minimal chords and notes, but creates such impactful chords and notes which absolutely elevates U2’s music. A very cool musician. And another side note about The Edge. While not represented in the choices in this list, The Edge is truly an excellent singer, backing Bono’s singing and harmonizing a beautiful sound created in U2’s music.
Unique Songs
Lemon
U2, with Bono singing in a high falsetto voice? With a disco-ish beat? Coming off the 1993 album Zooropa, this song clearly represents why U2 started losing me in the early to mid 1990’s. Pop, with a funk rhythm, is not what I want from these guys. Ugh!!! But credit to Mom, as it’s certainly different and unique.
Bullet The Blue Sky
Drums leading into Edge’s power chords with echo and then Claytons driving bass line. Coming off Joshua Tree, this song is about as hard rock as U2 gets. And Bono’s spoken voice halfway thru makes a strong statement. Then The Edge puts out a guitar lead, so rare in U2 music. A loud political statement by the band about U.S. military use in Central America. Live versions of this song allow the band to tear it up, rock style, with extended performances. “You plant the demon seed, you raise a flower of fire. We see them burning crosses, see the flames higher and higher”. Cool song.
If I may, last but not least, Bassist Adam Clayton. Another self-admitted average musician, it’s kind of funny to listen to very early U2, albums Boy, War, and The Unforgettable Fire and then listening to later albums. You can actually hear Claytons bass work evolve from rudimentary and basic, to pretty darn good. He doesn’t do anything that stands out, but what he does do, with his simple rhythms and easily played melodic bass lines, is essential to U2’s overall sound. And besides, he’s a pretty cool looking dude.
Numb
Also coming off the Zooropa album, another entirely different sound. Edge playing easy chords and singing in a droning voice. And then halfway thru, here comes Bono’s falsetto voice accompanying the drone. And I’m not crazy about the synthesized sound. Lyrically, with all the “Dont’s”, I’m guessing this is U2 laughing at the Woke movement, before woke was a society norm. I don’t know, and frankly, I don’t care. But definitely Top 3 in the Cascella Music Club for different and unique.
Conclusions
So, that’s it. Sorry for my rants and lengthy review, but I did warn you early. I believe U2’s best music was from 1980 to mid 2000’s, and then has trailed off a bit. That’s not to say that they’re done, as they have put out some good music from mid 2000’s to present. But as represented in mom’s selections, their early music is undoubtedly my favorites. It’s too bad that we only select 9 songs, because so much great music had to be left off, songs you all know. New Year’s Day, Pride (In The Name Of Love), and many others. Along with songs from the Albums Boy, War, and The Unforgettable Fire, including songs ElectricCo, The Unforgettable Fire, I Will Follow, and 11 O’clock Tick Tock, and so many others. But these are the rules. I didn’t write too much regarding each songs lyrics. But I truly believe that the lyrics of U2 are among the best in Rock and Roll. Powerful, Emotional, Strong. U2 writes about what they know, specifically many of their songs reflecting Ireland’s Political, Social, Economical, and Religious scene. Speaking of Religion, U2 denies it’s a religious band, but do admit to addressing some of their beliefs in their music. I’m not gonna get into their political views, some of which I agree with, and some not, but I actually don’t mind that they use their loud and powerful voices to causes that they believe in. Ok, that’s done. Now on to the rating. Yes, I’m extremely biased. U2 is an all-time great for me. I’ve seen them 3 times, with Mom, and they truly give powerful performances. But I have to rate on these selections, of which their were two clunkers. Ahh!!! What the fuck, it’s U2. I give them my highest rating so far, 9.2
Cascella Family Reviews
Vin Cascella
Going into this deep dive I really don’t have much of an opinion of U2. I know about half of the songs on this list but never put much thought into them beyond the surface level. Not going to hold modern meme culture hating on Bono and forcing their music onto Iphone’s against them. Looks like all of the music is from ‘83-’93 so that makes it even easier. So, let's get into it!
With Or Without You: Quintessential U2. The unique guitar of the Edge and the drums are cool as well. I really like the build in the middle of the song. Although the song is 5 minutes long I don’t think it drags and I like the instrumental outro for the last minute and a half. I think mom and dad mentioned this when I was younger but Linkin Park’s “Shadow Of The Day” sounds just like this song.
Where The Streets Have No Name: Another song with a long build, and again not a bad thing. The drums, guitar, and bass are all pretty cool in the intro. I know and recognize the Edge’s sound for sure but it seems like the drummer Larry Mullen Jr. also has a very distinct sound. My only real issue I have right now is that this song and With Or Without You are almost the same song. Like I can swap the lyrics in my head and it could work with either song.
Sunday Bloody Sunday: Definitely my favorite U2 song going into this review. I always thought this was a rebellion song but it's actually one of Pacifism. Still a song of protest but more so in the protest of violence without taking any side of the conflict. Interesting. Great drums and the electric violin sounds great too. Fun fact: Cascella Music Club Alumni, Paramore, covers this song! A different interpretation where, shock and awe, Hailey is the highlight of the cover.
One: I do really like this song but looking into it was painful to research. Here is some random BBC reporters opinion of the song:
“One is so powerful because of, not despite, its insoluble ambiguity. The rolling beauty of the music means that it is both angry and wounding and warm and healing. It is a painful conversation but between who, and about what, is unclear. It has been variously described as a song about a band in crisis, a marriage collapsing, a father and son at odds, a country reuniting, another country divided, and a quarrel with God, and perhaps it is all of those things. One raises the fundamental question of whether a song's meaning is fixed when it is written and recorded, or whether, provided it is flexible enough, it can continue to acquire new resonances indefinitely. Who gets to say what a song really means?”
Holy shit my guy, take it easy. There's a part of me that has to respect their ability to link literally every philosophical question into a song while also talking about absolutely nothing.
Bad: So this is where you’re going to start losing me. Another six minute soft rock ballad. I don’t dislike it but in the context of a single listen it's starting to get the Yes treatment, too much of the same over and over, especially when it’s not my style. I will say this. I could see U2 being a million times better live. The music is long format and very atmospheric. This song reminds me of when a band plays their deep cut ballad fan favorite at a live show and the crowd eats it up. Except in their case, almost every one of their songs has that deep cut ballad feel. Only because I mentioned them earlier but it’s like Linkin Park playing “The Little Things Give You Away” or “Waiting for the End” at their live shows. The crowd fucking loves it but if they only played those songs during the live set, I think the building would riot. The last two minutes I could do without, it just sounds so pretentious. The four syllable buzz words leading into “I’m wide awake”... yawn.
Running To Stand Still: I liked the guitar intro but then the song kind of just turns into the same thing once again. This is a “it’s not you, its me” type of problem. Like it’s perfectly fine music but I can’t do six straight soft rock ballads. The lyrical content is just so far up their own asses that they can smell what they ate for dinner last night. It’s like when I go to a modern art museum. I don’t get it, and I can’t tell if some people actually do get it or everyone is just pretending. I like the harmonica in the end.
Lemon: Someone call the dealership cause we got ourselves a Lemon! Send it back! Maybe I can take six straight soft rock ballads in a row because this song is STINKYYYYY. Points for being different but this might be my least favorite song in the entire Cascella Music Club catalogue. Oh my God, it’s seven minutes long. Oh one nice comment. The guitar work (2:00-3:00) reminds me of “I Think I’m Paranoid” by Garbage and I like that song. This song came out in ‘93, Disco and dance were already dead, and this song did the genre no favors. Well points for being different.
Bullet The Blue Sky: Much better. The guitar kind of sounds like Stone Temple Pilot’s work. For some reason I thought more of U2 sounded like this song but I guess this is an outlier. I prefer it. A decent rock song. The bass sound is cool too. Never realized how many lyrics hit on religion, politics, really just everything. They are wildly metaphorical and symbolic. Once again got a little too big headed for my taste. I DON’T WANT TO THINK, I JUST WANT TO BE ENTERTAINED!
Numb: After how much of a dud “Lemon” was I got very nervous about this song… But I kind of like it. Sonically I like it, it reminds me of Vogue. Lyrically it's another shit show, but I wouldn’t have it any other way at this point.
I saw this phrase a couple times in my research and I think it perfectly explains what I’m trying to say. A lot of criticism the band receives is that they release a lot of “Word Soup”. Like even if their music’s meaning and values hold true over the decades it can come off as pretentious and out of touch. After concluding my research I kind of fall into both camps. It’s clear that they have stuck to their guns over the course of their entire careers. They are committed to humanitarianism, and pacifism often rooted in Christian spirituality while also never explicitly siding with any one political or religious belief. That all being said, their musicianship and lyrical content is so pretentious at times it makes it hard to even understand what they are trying to say (if anything at all). I’d say that U2 is a rare exception to the rule where one can't just focus on the music and not dive too deep into the social, political, and religious aspects of the band. All of those constructs are integral to what makes U2, U2 and without their lyrical content and activism I don’t think we’d still be talking about this band today. Now with all that being said, how do I rate the music? It’s good but it’s not for me. 5 of the 9 songs are interchangeable in my brain. I like them but wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to them. Lemon is a nightmare, Numb is cool. I thought more of their music was going to sound like Sunday Bloody Sunday and Bullet The Blue Sky. I think my score would be higher if I included live performances in my score but as this stands I’m going to have to give them an even 7.0.
Joe Cascella
I’m coming into U2 with a similar taste in my mouth that I had with Alannis. Last time, I was absolutely stunned, and Alannis shocked me beyond belief in the best way possible. Will U2 be able to do the same? For reference, my generation hates U2 because they downloaded their newer, crappier music to every single smart phone in America. You would get into your car and unheard of U2 would just start playing. It was a big-time flop for them, and damaged their reputation to us “young” folk. From what I do know about their older stuff, they have some solid music, specifically off of Joshua Tree. Where the Streets Have No Names is a banger and Vertigo is a disgrace of a song. I am looking forward to giving them a real chance and seeing what we got here.
With or Without You – Yup, a classic rock n roll song. Musically pretty, soft but powerful lyrics. This is the distinct U2 sound that I recognize. It’s a bit atmospheric and feels longer than it actually is. I imagine 30 Seconds to Mars is heavily influenced by them.
Where the Streets Have No Names – Very large production song, with an increasing build throughout. The intro alone is nearly 2 minutes of instrumentation build up. This is bread and butter for them (or if you’re at Pelletieri Joe’s, bread oil and vinegar). Bono has an iconic voice, there’s no doubt about it. The song continues to build even after the vocals begin. I feel like this music is only appropriate for stadium concerts, and nothing smaller. Overall, cool meaning behind the words and a good song.
Sunday Bloody Sunday – I love the rawness of the drums right off the rip, as I get into another very familiar track. To me, this is a radio smash hit song. Makes sense that it hits the most popular, cause it’s a sound we can all casually listen to. We have back-to-back songs about unity here, which I kinda knew that they were about, but never really cared enough to pay attention to. I want my political songs to be angry, not peace driven hahahaha. The “alright let’s go” is corny as hell for a recorded song. Say that shit live Bono, I don’t need it in your studio record. Another good song, but very repetitive structure here. I am getting a tad bit bored, and I know and like all of these songs. Musically, although uniquely them, nothing has been overly special to this point. PS – Mom, your songs are supposed to have a 200 second limit! What is this!
One – Mmmmmm. There’s something about this song that really just has it. Nothing special or crazy going on, but the sound is pure, and you can feel this song. Another song I would love to see him play live, although this time it doesn’t need the stadium. This is kind of another song about unity, but it really differentiates us as individuals and speaks to personal conflicts, which is a bit different at least. Nice track.
Bad – God, they are so distinct. One note and you’d know it’s them. In general, we’re back to the long, building, spacey, atmospheric large production sound that is them (or 30 seconds to Mars). We get some Eddie Vedder specifically in Jeremy sounding vocals half way through here. How does anyone listen to this band inside during the winter? I’m fully back on this band only playing hot summer nights to 60k plus people, or total bust. As we look at sub-genres, what the hell are they? The only thing edgy about this band is the name of the guitarist, and the music, although relatively enjoyable, is long format soft rock? I don’t know. Lemme see what chat says really quick. LOL, they described them as heartland/arena rock with Post-Punk roots. Nice!
Running to Stand Still – Oh my, is this a Dave Mathews song!? Just when I thought the builds could not gel slower, they do! Is it a really pretty song, sure. I do think he actually sounds like Vedder again, which I never would have pegged before this deep dive, but only in the woooooos. Pretty song but that’s about it.
Lemon – Woah, this is a totally unique intro. And then we have some harmonies, what the hell is goin on here!? I actually have no idea how to describe this song. I’ll say one thing. I was locked in purely on intrigue knowing it’s U2. Is it a good song? I don’t know but I think No. Who is the intended audience for this song, I’m so lost. Major props for being unique as hell but that’s about it. This song also being 7 minutes makes sense, but is just wild. I’ve never been so thrown off my game listening to this song. I feel like I was sitting 2-0 heater down the middle and instead he threw me a loopy 12-6, and I jumped outta my cleats cause I missed the ball by 2 feet swinging for the fences.
Bullet The Blue Sky – Alright, let me get my bearings back here. Lock in Joe, 2 more songs! Okay, this song has a much more classic rock structure for the first half, and is actually a pretty good tune. It’s still spacey and exotic, but way more edgy. Then we get story time from Bono, and an angry, way more harsh sounding vocals backed by the continuation of a post grunge rock sound. Moms nailing it on the unique songs, that’s for sure. Cool track.
Numb – We have a new winner for top 3 most unique songs from a band. Childish was super unique, but every song was totally different throughout the whole 9. With U2, we had 6 songs that sounded relatively similar, and then 3 songs from bands that I would never be able to guess if it was not for this. Did they need to do all this, were people grasping for a newer, different sounding U2 as they got older? Just play your classic stadium hits to the massively large crowds that you’ll still attract and do that for 50 years. Who cares bro, you’re Bono, fuck everyone who talks shit (me)!? I sound like an old man but I’m just so confused by these songs this band is playing. And then the lyrics are ironically kind of saying what I’m thinking! “Don’t change your brand, don’t listen to the band…Don’t change your shape…” Was Bono the one feeling numb from playing the stadium classics and this is his big fuck you to everyone? I have no idea really, but holy shit what a wild trip of an ending.
Overall review – I knew the first 5 songs, and they were exactly what I was expecting. Although not my favorite style, they are the kings of the massively large sound rock n roll music. I feel being at their show would feel like a time travel experience, with each note hitting people at different times as you get further from the stage, and the crowd just goes on forever with sound towers and flags and people sitting on each other’s shoulders for better vantage points. This is what they should be doing. The unique section showed many different sides of the band, none sounding all that great, but at least proving that they can play music of different styles. It’s tough cause I want them to play what they’re good at, even though I don’t overly love it. I never thought I’d have that take on a band. How the hell do I score this band? I gotta respect what they’ve done and what they have been able to accomplish. They’re uniquely them until 2000, when nobody has any idea what’s happening. I’ll go 7.2
Dad Cascella
WITH OR WITHOUT YOU- One of U2’s most popular songs, with good reason. Cool lyrics. Bono’s vocals and The Edge’s guitar is what drew me in. Just a very good all-around song.
WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME- I like the sound in the beginning and then it builds into a fun rock song. I really like the rhythm of this one. And again, good lyrics.
SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY- This is a great one, especially seeing it live in concert. This is the U2 I really know and like. A story about anti-war with solid lyrics.
ONE- This is my all-time favorite U2 song. Bono’s soft vocals work for me. Again, great lyrics. And a beautiful sound throughout.
BAD- Like the mystical beginning and the sound of Edge’s guitar. Again a nice soft vocal, but then builds thru the song. Turns into a real good rock song. Fun watch when the song was performed at Live Aid.
RUNNING TO STAND STILL- as you can tell, I like the softer Bono with the softer music. Bono writes interesting lyrics, in this one, and most others. The lyrics are not your usual garbage. I even like the harmonica ending.
LEMON- don’t hate me, I found this one by fluke. It truly is one of the worst songs I ever heard. What were they thinking? Not a redeeming quality. YOU WANT DIFFERENT? I give you different.
BULLET THE BLUE SKY- I really like this song. Yes, it’s different, more of a rockish feel, not the softer U2. In concert, Bono makes it longer, and shines a huge spotlight on the crowd, and everybody goes nuts. Lots of fun. And I don’t mind the spoken word, “Peeling off those dollar bils, slappin ‘em down”. I’ll leave it at that.
NUMB- I can take this song or leave it. It’s fine. I guess U2 was experimenting with this one. But again, I found it to be very different. Listening further, NAH, I don’t like it.
U2 used to be one of my favorite bands, but over time, they kind of lost it for me. I much prefer to early U2, 1980’s and 90’s. Not much can be said for their newer stuff. So, my score is 7.6
Uncle Vin Cascella
Your Rating:
6.7
Average Rating:
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