It’s time to get back to my favorite decade. For the month of March, I’ll be looking back at some of my favorite jams from the 80s. These songs often came to me via MTV or the radio. NYC-area stations WDRE, WPLJ, WNEW, K-ROCK and Z100 introduced me to everything from irresistible pop confections to under-the-radar post-punk anthems. I would not be who I am today if it weren’t for the 80s. It was the decade when I discovered music can be a truly powerful thing. #31DaysOf80sSongs
One of the phenomenons in music that i haven’t written about much on Mental Jukebox is recorded music as dialogue. There are plenty of examples of bands referencing other bands throughout history, from The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Californication” which mentions Kurt Cobain and David Bowie to Wilco’s “Heavy Metal Drummer” which references KISS. Rarely though are songs composed as responses to other songs and as a way to spark dialogue. This is the beauty of Track 14 off a somewhat mediocre album, Rattle and Hum. It’s a U2 song that doesn’t come with much fanfare: “God Part II”.
The song is written as a response to John Lennon’s “God”. And it’s not just a response, it’s a rebuttal. Bono accomplishes this without even mentioning God. He simply substitutes the word with “love”. I love Bono’s gift of expressing his beliefs without preaching. The verses spend more time explaining what he doesn’t believe in, but the weight of that line “I, I believe in love” is significant. “God Part II” is also a track where all four members shine. There’s nothing flashy about Clayton’s bass line, but in its simplicity it’s the most memorable aspect of the instrumentation – even as The Edge thrashes through more than one noteworthy riff. Larry Mullen Jr. shines on the track with a steady, visceral attack on the drum set. And by jumping octaves in the third verse, Bono pushes the song over the edge. Along with “All I Want Is You”, it’s one of the few standouts on an otherwise humdrum album.
“Don't believe in excess. Success is to give. Don't believe in riches. But you should see where I live. I, I believe in love.”