Reviews U

Slogging away, with the letter U, below the fold.

U2
Parenthetical note - I liked U2's first album, probably because it played on MTV, 'back in day' (which is such a vile cliche that it is henceforth banned in these parts, if I remember), but I never bought it. Soon though, U2 were a massively popular act, so I ignored them, until somewhere in 2004 I decided to give them another chance. Went and got several of their albums on the used market, and was pleasantly surprised. I'd never consider U2 one of my favorite bands, wouldn't consider any of their albums a 'desert island' disc, but all in all, not a bad band. Sometimes hating the bands that everybody loves isn't conducive to having conversations at parties. Or, something like that.

new DVD

Achtung Baby

Really, the one song that I've always loved by U2 is “Until the End of the World - from the Wim Wenders film of the same name. Is this U2's best album? I don't know, but it's one of their more interesting ones.

All that You Can't Leave Behind U2 enters the 21st century with this, their tenth studio album. Middle of the road pop/rock music.

Borrowing from Allmusic this sentence:

Like any work from craftsmen, All That You Can't Leave Behind winds up being a work of modest pleasures, where the way the verse eases into the chorus means more than the overall message, and this is truly the first U2 album where that sentiment applies -- but there is genuine pleasure in their craft, for the band and listener alike.

How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb Straight-shooting anthem rock. Nothing on this that hasn't been done before.

October
October Probably this is the album I heard back in the 80's that turned me off to U2. In retrospect, it isn't a bad album, just not worth the ululations it received at the time. In other words, meh.

Pop
Pop A sort of homage to techno music that was all the rage in the early 90s. Meh.

Unforgettable Fire Couple of decent songs, but rest is mediocre.

Under Blood Red Sky Live album. Meh.

War
War The other U2 album that I like. Even though it sounds so incredibly 80's.

Zooropa
Zooropa I don't know why everyone seems to hate this album, I think it's not bad.

Uncle Tupelo
For a long period, my favorite band. Interesting blend of acoustic, folky, punky, and depression tunes. Never did get to seem them perform live, unfortunately. Oh well, add them to the list....

89/93: An Anthology
If you have all the albums already, in their released versions, I don't think there is anything new on this album that hasn't been around on them internets (sic).

Anodyne
Anodyne One of the best UT albums. Desert Island disc. I'm feeling lazy, so I'll cop this review from Allmusic:

Uncle Tupelo never struck a finer balance between rock and country than on Anodyne, their major-label debut and parting shot. For all of the ill will undoubtedly simmering throughout these sessions, Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy have never before been more attuned to each other musically; where earlier records often found the band's twin forces moving in opposing directions, Anodyne bears the full fruits of their shared vision. Recorded live in the studio, the album encompasses and reinterprets not only country-rock (evidenced by the group's pairing with Doug Sahm on his ”Give Back the Key to My Heart“) but also traditional country (the tribute to the songwriting legacy of ”Acuff-Rose“), rock (the churning ”The Long Cut,“ ”Chickamauga“), and folk (”New Madrid,“ ”Steal the Crumbs“), the band's reach never once exceeding its grasp.

The re-issue adds 5 songs, only 2 which are worth having.

March 16-20, 1992 My other favorite UT album. Desert Island disc, acoustic nirvana (not the band, the state of satori, though a little of the spirit of the band, Nirvana, as well)