auto

I've noticed Album by Album threads at other forums so I'd like to try it out here at MusicTalk. The way it works is I will post the featured artists albums in chronological order and we will discuss each one over a short period of time. As the discussion begins to die down I will post the next album and discussion will gear up again. Make sense? Try to keep your comments focused on the album at hand.

With so many fans on this board I thought it would be fun to start with U2. That should keep us going for a bit. If all goes well I will start a new thread with a new featured artist after we make our way through U2's discography.

Let's get started...

auto

Released: 1980

Tracklisting:

1. I Will Follow
2. Twilight
3. An Cat Dubh
4. Into The Heart
5. Out Of Control
6. Stories For Boys
7. The Ocean
8. A Day Without Me
9. Another Time, Another Place
10. The Electric Co.
11. Shadows And Tall Trees


Credits:
Bono: Guitar, Harmonica, Composer, Vocals
Adam Clayton: Bass, Guitar
The Edge: Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Larry Mullen, Jr:. Drums
Steve Avril: Art Direction, Design, Typography
Iain Finlay: Photography
Steve Lillywhite: Producer
Paul Thomas: Engineer

The Bus

A cool idea, I guess we stick to discussing this artist in this thread and whatever the latest album is you've posted.

I have this but haven't actually listened to it too many times. The only song I recognize is "I Will Follow" and that's probably one of my lesser favorites of their hits.

What are some standout tracks?

cdollaz

Great album. I don't think there is a bad cut on it. I have a few bootlegs from this period and they are awesome.

Chrisedge

Rarely does a debut album contain such innocence, yet also contain such fire. The theme is terrific as a first album as well, exploring childhood and as I mentioned, the innocence of boyhood. As cdollaz said, there isn't a bad cut, but my highlights include, I Will Follow, A Day Without Me, The Electric Co.

However great this debut is, their live shows of the time, showcase the band like no studio could. The only "official" live release around this time period is the "Live from Boston 1981" from the "Complete U2" iTunes boxset (No longer available) This is a live album recorded at Boston's Paradise Theatre on March 6th 1981. Some of the live album is available on the Sweetest Thing single, as well as the Fire single.

Looking at "unofficial" recordings of the time period, October 14, 1980 Hilversum, Holland show, January 23, 1981 Belfast, Northern Ireland show and the (DVD of) February 12, 1981 The Hague, Holland show are all recommended...

And let me fix your cover

Ky-Fi

Just had this in my car the last couple of weeks. My favorite tracks would be I Will Follow, Stories for Boys, Twilight and Another Time, Another place. Twilight and Another Time, Another Place are two of my all time favorite guitars solos from any artist----Edge kept them melodic, simple and tasteful and used the whole neck, moving from the bass notes right up to a dramatic crescendo at the upper register on both those tunes. I think it's quite unique for a guitar player to have SUCH a fully-formed, unique sound and style right from the beginning. You can hear some of his contemporaries in his sound, like Keith Levine, but I don't think anyone else had the comprehensive vision of how that heavy reverb/delay/harmonics sound fit into the overall sound of the whole band, and would factor into the songwriting like Edge did.

I know I'm in the minority, but I thought Bono's lyrics went downhill after Unforgettable Fire. On Boy, there's just so much non-cliched, non-cringe-worthy lyrics dealing with growing up and the teen age years. The lyrics are kind of dark and abstract, but also overflowing with positive, youthful energy---and not very much cartoonish teenaged angst or depression.

I'd also have to mention Steve Lillywhite. He almost created a rock subgenre, of those sort of epic, humanist, widescreen 80's guitar new wave bands---I believe he produced the first three U2 albums, the first two Big Country albums, and a of Simple Minds', including Sparkle in the Rain. I really love that big, epic, atmospheric vibe that he put on those albums.

Here's Another Time, Another Place from the era:

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Hiro11

...might actually be my favorite U2 album. I particularly love the warm, echoey by weirdly bone dry production, it just sounds great. Also, "Out of Control" is an unsung U2 classic... the last verse after the atmospheric bridge is as savage as U2 ever got.

Hiro11

I was just listening to that album today. I know it's eighties, but damn it it still sounds good. Chock full of great songs.

Supermallet

A debut with plenty of promise, which thankfully the band fulfilled starting with War. Listening to it now, though, it seems awfully embryonic. I always lump this together with October as the pre-history of U2.

Hollowgen

never been a huge fan... i'm glad they branched out further than this one. this one sounds a lot like comsat angels, joy division, etc. they took from "i will follow" what they needed and created that familiar u2 sound.

auto

I had a feeling you would be posting in this thread rather quickly.

I almost used the original cover but figured most people would have the new one from above.

DVD Josh

So Auto, what are YOUR thoughts on Boy?

wendersfan

This is my second favorite U2 album. I think it's fantastic. It was a breath of fresh air at the time.

cdollaz

I can't wait to see what is on the bonus disc of the reissue that comes out in a couple of months. Hopefully it is better than the marginal stuff that was on the Joshua Tree reissue.

auto

I'm glad you asked. I love this album. I'm not a big fan of U2 (but we'll get into that later), however, this album really is an impressive debut. They would do better work but this ranks up there for me and is one of the few U2 albums I continue to spin regularly. I really enjoy A Day Without Me, Out of Control and The Electric Co.

Chrisedge

Totally Agree! Steve was instrumental in their early sound and making the band what they are today...

I liked the stuff on the JT b-sides, but most of it was already released...

Stolen from some U2 site...

Here are some possiblities...

Boy:

U2 Three (Out Of Control, Stories For Boys, Boy/Girl),
Stories For Boys version contained on Irish only compilation Just For Kicks,
Another Day - Twilight single,
11 O'Clock Tick Tock - Touch single,
Things To Make And Do (b-side of A Day Without Me),
Boy/Girl live in London on Sept 22, 1980 (b-side of I Will Follow),
the entire March 6,1981 Boston concert which was released as part of the Complete U2 on itunes and of which around 7-8 songs were released on record as bsides for I Will Follow US single, Fire, Gloria and Sweetest Thing singles,
the BBC recording of I Will Follow that was released on a BBC compilation cd in 1992,
the itunes 3 song demo from 1978

October:

J. Swallow (bside of Fire)
A Celebration - Trash, Trampoline And The Party Girl single,
October remix and edit version from They Call It An Accident soundtrack,
I Will Follow live in Hattem, Holland in 1982 from Dutch and German only single,
Fire, I Through A Brick and A Day Without Me live in Werchter, Belgium in 1982 from New Years Day single

War:

Treasure (Whatever Happened To Pete The Chop) b-side of New Year's Day,
New Year's Day single edit and remix,
2 remixes of Two Hearts Beat As One,
Endless Deep b-side of Two Hearts single,
extended versions of Seconds and Like A Song... from gold disc version of War cd
Twilight, An Cat Dubh and Into The Heart live from Red Rocks from Sweetest Thing single

Chrisedge

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Electric Co from Belfast 1981

Achtung

I think the best tracks in addition to IWF are Twilight, Stories For Boys, Another Time, Another Place, and The Electric Co.

Love the early sound of the band, it almost has an echo chamber feel to it. Really fresh and young-sounding, I never get tired of it.

Supermallet

He also produced Peter Gabriel's seminal third album, which is dense, dark, and about as cynical and pessimistic as you can get. Released in the same year as U2's debut, actually.

auto

Released: 1981

Tracklisting:

1. Gloria
2. I Fall Down
3. I Threw A Brick Through A Window
4. Rejoice
5. Fire
6. Tomorrow
7. October
8. With A Shout
9. Stranger In A Strange Land
10. Scarlet
11. Is That All?


Credits:
Bono: Guitar, Harmonica, Composer, Vocals
Adam Clayton: Bass, Guitar
The Edge: Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Larry Mullen, Jr:. Drums
Barry Diament: Mastering
Steve Lillywhite: Producer

atlantamoi

A letdown after the fantastic Boy album. Still ranks as possibly my least favorite U2 album. Gloria and Rejoice are the only songs I put on my Mp3 player.

The Bus

Wow, Bono looks so young in that picture.

I don't have much to add, the U2 I'm most familiar with is Joshua Tree through All That You Can't Leave Behind.

Chrisedge

Well, Bono losing his briefcase in Portland hurt this album. He had all his notes and lyrics in that case and had to write this albums lyrics in a hurry. Still the first half of this album is great, and while it's still my least favorite as well, it's got some stronger songs...Gloria, I Threw A Brick, Fire, all great songs. This is the album where the band also fought internally regarding their Christianity...

Best unofficial recording (since there isn't any official one of this period) by far:
Riverboat President February 11, 1982. New Orleans, LA. U2 perform on in the ballroom of a riverboat as it sails along the Mississippi River. Before this concert, U2 meet Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn and do a photo shoot on the boat's deck. This is the start of the band's lengthy relationship with Corbijn. Great show, great recording...

wendersfan

Now we're talking. October is hands down my favorite U2 album.

cdollaz

I agree that it isn't as good as Boy, but it is still a decent album. I appreciate it more now than I did when it came out. I guess that is the curse of putting out a great debut album. The second rarely lives up to expectations, especially in the short-term.

Best Tracks: I Fall Down, Fire, October, With A Shout