Also, 'tis the season for all these year end (and decade end) music lists. Because my favorite band just happens to be U2, and I'm sure they're at least ONE of yours, here's where U2 ranked in Rolling Stone's various lists:
#1 Album of 2009: No Line on the Horizon
A return in some ways to the more experimental side of U2 that came to define them in the 1990s, although in a much less noticeable way, at least at first glance. Key songs to listen to: the title track, Moment of Surrender, White as Snow, & Breathe. And if you're feeling very adventurous, check out the most "out there" song on the album, Fez-Being Born--some great moments there. Here's a 10-minute video showing the stage construction, the band's reactions seeing it for the first time (funny), and highlights of the new songs live from opening night (they take the stage 3 minutes in if you wanna skip to that part).
#1 Song of 2009: Moment of Surrender
They deemed it "The most devastating ballad U2 - or anyone - has delivered since 'One'." I'd say that's pretty high praise. This song, admittedly, took a while to grow on me, but after 3-4 listens, it becomes such a powerful, moving song. I hope you have the patience to sit down and listen to it a few times. Incredible. When (if?) I write my "No Line..." album review on year on in March, I'll explain just how great this song is. It began as kind of a dull, unconventional song for me upon first listen, but has since become my favorite song on the album.
#68 Album of the Decade: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
Actually one of my least favorite of U2's albums. In terms of the concept of an "album" the parts are greater than the sum, which is unfortunate. Still, tracks like Vertigo continue to grow and get stronger and more powerful in a live context. Here is a rough-cut live version from the YouTube broadcast from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The end is ballin'! (I had to embed it because there's no video online, so I had to take the video I downloaded a few months ago, split the track, export it, and put it on here. So ya best appreciate it!)
City of Blinding Lights is a standout song, in which Bono looks back on his childhood, lamenting the loss of innocence (Time won't leave me as I am, but time won't take the boy out of this man). Also, the icy notes of Miracle Drug, the incredibly personal aura of Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own makes this work the most U2-ey of their releases.
#36 Album of the Decade: No Line on the Horizon
#13 Album of the Decade: All That You Can't Leave Behind
This is sort of a refresher album after the experimental '90s period, returning to the "guitar, bass, and drums" that make up a rock and roll band. Songs like Beautiful Day have become live staples, hanging right in there with the big boys like Streets, Sunday Bloody Sunday, and One. Hailed by many as U2's third masterpiece behind The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby (and now perhaps tied with No Line...), the heart of the record perhaps lies in the more unknown songs, like In a Little While, Peace on Earth, and Kite, which is just an amazing piece of work. It begins quietly enough, but with all powerful U2 songs (exemplified with Bad), it builds into an incredible crescendo with Edge's slide guitar and Bono's voice in full force. It's a song about letting go in general, but took on special resonance when Bono's father was dying of cancer as he wrote it. Here's a performance in Dublin just a week or so after his dad died. You can see he almost loses it at the end.
#64 Song of the Decade: Vertigo
As I said before, this was made for a large audience. It's unabashedly stadium rock, pure and simple.
#36 Song of the Decade: Moment of Surrender
I absolutely loved that they picked this song so high. Consider: a) it's a song off of a release that is completely anti-today's album, meaning it's not catchy in many places or songs at all, and doesn't jump on you like the modern day album should to be successful, and b) it's not a single (...yet. It's rumored to be the next one.). Ballsy, but ultimately totally deserving spot on the list.
#9 Song of the Decade: Beautiful Day
Catchy, soaring chorus, immediately recognizable, and exactly what U2 needed to do at that moment in time. (As a side note, how could they put Rehab by Amy Whinehouse one spot ahead? That kinda baffles me...). Anyway, back to Dublin in 2001. 80,000+ people. Crowd goes nuts.
Clearly this list shows that U2 had an incredibly successful year and decade. It doesn't look like the next 10 years will be any different for them either. They're currently in NYC in between legs of their 360ยบ Tour working on some tracks for their next release (tentatively called Songs of Ascent).
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