Rattle and Hum by Original Soundtrack/U2

Pros: New studio material is highly enjoyable in its diversity, plus a quality live track or two.
Cons: Awful, AWFUL pacing; embarassing comments from Bono during live performances.

When I first set out to review all of U2's albums, I honestly didn't realize how difficult it would be. I know I've said that in almost every U2 review thus far, but as I moved away from their techno-influenced 90's output into their 80's heyday ...

Pros: Powerful live performences, some good new songs
Cons: The band's attempts to connect itself with Dylan, Hendrix, Beatles, etc.

"All I've got is a red guitar, three chords, and the truth," Bono sings. On another occasion, the U2 frontman said, "There's so much power in that E chord going through an amplifier. The sound is just...red." That spirit guides "Rattle and Hum" more ...

Pros: Some classic U2 songs performed live combined with new material
Cons: uninspired cover songs; Bono puts on a sanctimonious air in concert

It's the mid-1980's, you've been a critical darling your entire career, and you've just hit commercial paydirt. What is your next move? If you are Bruce Springsteen you follow it up with a career spanning 5 record live album. If you are U2 you do ...

Pros: Great vocals, great covers, great live music...
Cons: Too short, sometimes annoying live tracks...

Yeah, okay. I'm a bit partial to this album. But, think of it this way. Why would I do a review unless I had a strong opinion about an album? Well, "Rattle and Hum" released in 1988 is my absolute favorite U2 album hands down. I realize that there...

Pros: A pivotal U2 item, their Beatles for Sale
Cons: Not for good reasons, for most of the time

U2 had continuously tried to embrace the roots of deep America when the Grunge tide brought a noticeable Americana influence from an alternative standpoint to Pop culture. U2 played "ambient" Rock with 1984 Unforgettable Fire and brought post-Punk to the ...

Pros: The second chronicle of U2's love/hate relationship with America has a raw spirit to it.
Cons: The flip-flop between live & studio songs might annoy; some live songs just not great.

Whatever critics say about Pop, Rattle and Hum was U2's most panned album, regarded as egotistical, assuming, and just plain bad in most circles. It was U2's response to those who said they were too serious, and it didn't go over...

Pros: Slows a lot of diversity. A lot of well known songs. Beautiful lyrics.
Cons: A few songs that I do not like.

Until I borrowed this CD from a room-mate, I had never been a U2 fan. I had never given their music a chance as I always thought of them as being too commercial. Once I started listening to this CD, it became one of my favourites, and probably one of...

Pros: Great live performances of classic U2 Songs, great "new" songs
Cons: Bono's Egomania? It works for him and for me...

This 72-minute album was actually the first U2 album I owned, simply because it was at the used CD store. For some reason (and I blame my parents, as all good children should) I didn't know U2 until about 1996-97. Then I started hanging out with a...

Pros: U2 explores the American roots of music more than ever before
Cons: some experiements do not work, and the live songs are often poor

This was never a particularly sucessful album, at least by U2 standards. This was due to several factors: that many just saw this album as an attempt to capitalize on the massive popularity of "The Joshua Tree," that there seemed no point to release a...

Pros: Honest, good album..
Cons: ..if you like it raw.

The Story

An almost desert road, round midnight. Me and a colleague, returning home with the van after what we call a remote job, 70 mile ride. The drone of the engine, Jimi's "Red House" and a tasty-tricky-cigarette :) for...

Pros: great live songs; diverse tracks
Cons: not all the songs from the film are here

“Charles Manson stole this song from the Beatles…we’re stealing it back.” – Bono

So begins U2’s 1988 release, Rattle and Hum, as Ireland’s biggest export performs an adrenaline-driven rendition of ‘Helter Skelter’. The CD continues with the...

Pros: A few nuggets for the devoted
Cons: Bono's ego bigger than the US, and it shows

All right, everyone loves to dump on "Rattle and Hum," but how can you blame them? Where do we start? B.B. King showing Bono how much the U2 singer still has to learn about being a performer on "When Loves Comes to Town?" The...

Pros: Good live tracks and original songs
Cons: Weak covers, non-original tracks, and some missing tracks from the film.

After the huge success of "The Joshua Tree", the band got a lot of praise for the album and it won a Grammy for Album of the Year. The bad thing that happened to the success of that album was that it boosted the band's ego and they tried to...

Pros: some good new songs, a couple good live tracks
Cons: very uneven, the band not at it's best form, weak cover songs

Rattle and Hum by U2 shows a period of the band where they really were just too full of themselves, and a period where they were obviously confused about whether to be a band at all anymore. The success of the incredible album, "The Joshua...

Pros: many good live versions of good songs
Cons: no live With or Without You

For the life of me I don't know why I took my time in reviewing this album, it being one of the cornerstones in my collection. If I had to pick ten cd's to take with me on any trip I'm thinking this would definitely be one. I first discovered this album...