I love this CD.* Every song is pop rock perfection. Seriously, try and top the monster that is this album. Few could do it. Even if you think the general music listening audience is a twat that gets what it deserves (ahem! Scott! Dammit I love that line), you at least have to admit that this was a huge record that was everywhere and was filled with earworm hooks that were undeniably catchy.
The first three songs are all K.O. punches: Where The Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, and With Or Without You. Seriously? Jeez, guys!
Follow that up with the politically angry Bullet the Blue Sky, then my favourite on the record, Running To Stand Still. It’s an acoustic velvet glove wrapped around an iron fist of drug addiction. We’re back to politics on Red Hill Mining Town, then U2’s fixation with America on In God’s Country. Trip Through Your Wires is brilliant, One Tree Hill is a sad tune as eulogy for a friend, Exit is about a serial killer, and back to politics again with Mothers Of The Disappeared.
Throughout, the music is perfect to match the lyrics. It may be U2’s finest achievement. It did, in fact, ship crates of units to everywhere that had electricity, just millions and millions of copies. It’s hugely influential, it’s a beautiful record.
I do often take issue with how political Bono has been, at times, but on this record a good balance is struck. I also find him strident and over the top, but here it’s still got enough of a heartfelt feel to it that it works perfectly.
Indelible.
* I also own it on cassette and LP, natch.
keepsmealive 
Queensryche covered Bullet the Blue Sky. It’s one of their better covers but they don’t really do covers well.
I would say THIS and Rattle and Hum are the ones to have. I think highly of both.
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Should have called it Stabbing The Blue Sky.
Agreed, get both of these. Yes. Yes. YES!
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BWAHAHA…Stabbing the Blue Sky. That never gets old!
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I freaking LOVE this record! If I could marry it I would! lol
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*gasp* I’m telling Kevin!
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You go on and tell him. He knows. 😉
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OK as long as he knows, that’s all I’m sayin’! LOL
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And have little babies named Joshua?
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Yup *whispers* this is a good ‘un. I actually have this one on vinyl. Little beat up, but it plays. Picked it up for £1, so couldn’t really turn that down. Mostly cause it was an album I grew up with – my ol’ man was a fan and so I heard it quite a bit. Still a lot to like, even if I don’t like U2.
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Yeah it sounds great on vinyl. I think I got mine in a batch of records somebody was ditching. Imagine the crazy that would lead someone to do that!
I grew up on this one too. Didn’t we all? 😉
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I’ve used the term 1-2-3 punch describing the opening to this record – I prefer your specification that the punches were knockouts!
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So huge, it’s a wonder all three fit on the same disc together!
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For the time it was a classic no doubt . I really dig Achtung Baby though…but Yep this is a good one as well
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I really wanted to like Achtung Baby, there are huge songs there. I just… I dunno, the sound of it was their first step into that wrong direction (to me). Why doesn’t anyone ask ME before they release albums? I’d tell them!
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