This one is dedicated to VanEdge, because I know he's a big fan. Anyway, I should admit that I hated this band during the Joshua Tree days, but have come around to liking them. My vote goes to Achtung Baby. All great songs and the production is huge.

I'd have to say for me it's pretty close between War and Joshua Tree.

Can we default and go for their hits album http://www.vhlinks.com/vhlforum/smilies/biggrin.gif

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"That's How it Is When You Tell the Truth"

Joshua Tree! Definitely! I like rattle and Hum, as well as War, after Joshua. They sort of lost me after Zoo.

I'm probably the only one here who could possibly be a bigger U2 fan than Van Edge... It is impossible for me to narrow it down to one album....

I'm going with October. It's probably the most under-rated U2 album. Like Fair Warning, it comes from a time when there was a lot of tension within the band, though the specifics were very different.

Bono, Edge, and Larry were involved with a Bible study group that was pressuring them to choose between the band and their faith in Jesus Christ. To add to the stress, Bono's lyric notebook was stolen while on tour and they were contracturally obligated to release their second album by the end of 1981. Forced to literally write the album in the studio, Bono found himself singing in Latin, a language he barely understood, and hated being forced to take in high school. When he translated what he had been singing into English, he found it was an accurate assessment of his feelings at the time. Being so frustrated, barely able to sing, barely even able to stand up. He rewrote the lyrics in English, but left the chorus in Latin....

Gloria in te domine.
Gloria exultate.

I see this as no less than a modern day manifestation of what the Bible calls "speaking in tongues". October may very well be the most spiritually powerful album ever made by ANY rock band. I highly recommend it.

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F.O.R.D. Country (http://www.geocities.com/ford7896)

Eat Us And Smile!!

[This message has been edited by FORD (edited April 28, 2000 at 10:37 AM).]

I would say their greatest hits! That's the only album I own by them. http://www.vhlinks.com/vhlforum/smilies/biggrin.gif

U2 : my second fave band next to the Mighty Van Halen .
My vote is Achtung Baby , it is pretty heavy and out there , lots of bass . I love a heavy bass line . Joshua Tree , Rattle and Hum are great also . I heard their next album will be more like Joshua Tree stuff . That would be cool .

OH MY LORD!!! i'm sorry i did not see this sooner.
FORD - you have elevated yourself to even higher status now as far as i'm concerned. i totally appreciate your take on October. YOU MUST EMAIL ME....
by the way, i'd be happy to fight you for the U2 heavyweight belt any time! http://www.vhlinks.com/vhlforum/smilies/biggrin.gif

now, back to the topic:
most bands would make a deal with the devil to have at least ONE career-defining album.
U2 has TWO - The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby.

now, the material on these albums and the reasons that make them great are far too numerous to cover in this one post. we're talkin' TOPICS here, guys.

so let's see... my personal favorite U2 album is The Unforgettable Fire. I remember hearing "Pride" on the radio back in '85 and thought, "damn. this song is so good, it must be a classic." i could have sworn that it had been around for years.
then, of course, there's "Bad" - my all-time fave. it blew me away to hear such AMAZING music, passionately sung, and it HAD MEANING.

needless to say, i was as addicted to U2 as VH, and that fanaticism continues even stronger today.

BUT........
if you want me to pick the best all-around U2 album. Fuck, i don't know if i can. The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby are sooooo different, hence i think i may have to give them a tie for first place.

i hope you guys can see what i mean when i harp on the idea of VH going forward and not backward. look at the things U2 has accomplished. they have taken music to new levels, breaking boundaries and raising standards.

there is no reason why van halen shouldn't do the same....

ed6150,
YOU ARE SO RIGHT about Achtung Baby.

can you imagine how a van halen album would sound with that kind of production?????

this is what i've been hoping for YEARS.

U2's best album is WAR. that album show the band at their most passionate and the music is killer. i would have to go for achtung baby as the second best. i think the b-sides cd makes an good album all by itself. 3

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vh3fan aka the lone warrior
" a good soldier is always prepared during the times of peace"

3 -- i had War in my discman all week!
yeah, it is one of those magical albums.
they don't really ever put out anything that sucks. truly amazing.
hey, if anybody knows any singers in NYC that have bono's passion, tell them to send me an email. i want to start another project..

VanEdge- Have you ever seen Unforgetable Fire perform in New York? ( They are a great U2 Cover band!) I have seen them play three or four times down at the old Rock N Roll Cafe on Bleeker Street in the past. I do not know if they are still together. That guy was a great Bono!

yeah, georgie.
i saw them once when i had my U2 tribute band "rattle & hum" back in '94-'95.

we used to dress like them and everything.
i used to love having all my gear on stage -- it was my back that didn't care for it too much, though!

The Unforgetable Fire is by far and away my favorite U2 album. That album was to U2 what Rubber Soul was to The Beatles. Great transition album.

i love it -- it's sooo atmospheric.
it doesn't get any better than "bad." - my fave.

ACHTUNG BABY without a doubt . Maybe my most favorite album of all-time by any artist , yes , even though VH are my favorite band . That was a great album .

I would have to go with Achtung Baby.
Followed by The Joshua Tree.


2 great albums

Good Call Broken Combs

I consider The Joshua Tree to be one of the best albums ever by anybody, but I do like Achtung Baby a lot too. I love all their albums, yes, even Zooropa and Pop. U2 has never been a band that I like the album right out of the shrinkwrap - most of their albums didn't bowl me over after first hearing them (including The Joshua Tree) but after repeated playings and learning the words, they caught on.

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"Ain't much distance 'tween a pat on the back
And a kick in the pants..."

"M-TV Get off the air...now!" - Jello Biafra

Eat Us And Smile, y'all

For more great Van Halen discussion, visit www.DLRArmy.com (http://www.DLRArmy.com)

i think that the best is Joshua Tree and the worst is Pop...
hey Glenn I´m a U2 big fan too

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I reach across to the other side to make contact with you.You fill my dreams.I wanna tell you,tell me why you´re crossing over...

[This message has been edited by crossing_over (edited September 21, 2000 at 01:29 PM).]

I like em all except POP . That one kinda sucks IMO . I like Unforgetable Fire and that song BAD , very cool tune . Rattle & Hum is cool as well BUT ACHTUNG BABY has got to be there best or JOSHUA TREE . ZOOROPA was kinda odd but I still like it .

The Joshua Tree that's U2 at their best.

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"VanHalen rules the world 4ever and Ever" by Me

Even Boy is an underrated record, just as well as October.
My personal favorite is War, with The Joshua Tree a close second.
But Boy, October and The Unforgettable Fire are well ahead their next records.
I am one of those who always thought U2 sold out with Achtung Baby. A close analysis of that record, song by song, will reveal that no song stand up to Joshua Tree or War. And their next records confirm the downward spiral in which U2 ended. Let's wait one more time for their new record, hoping something good will happen. Beautiful Day is a good song, still not up to par to their previous production. U2 had the fire, now they lost it. Money took it away, and just to get an idea of what I'm thinkin', look at Live at the Red Rocks (Under a blood red sky) or the US Festival 83 where Bono climbs the stage to plant the Irish flag to see what I mean...

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Right Now How Many Say I Can't Get This Stuff No More - ddregs