"MLK" U2 (1984)

For October, the Mental Jukebox is dialing it way back to the eighties and going deep. Deep cuts have always been an important element of music listening to me because they’re often the songs that resonate with me most. Deep cuts are usually the ones that the true fans appreciate most. I like my singles and hits, but I love my deep cuts.

Like any other band, there are varying opinions as to which album is the band’s best. Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby are often cited as their best, and deservedly so. Those albums are fantastic. But I would also put War and The Unforgettable Fire up there – and the latter is my personal favorite. The songs are great – a perfect array of bangers (“Pride”, “Wire”, “A Sort of Homecoming”), mid-tempo gems (“The Unforgettable Fire”, “Bad”), and ballads (“4th of July”, “MLK”).

“MLK” is a true album track. By itself, it’s great. But it’s infinitely better when played with the rest of The Unforgettable Fire in its totality. The element I’m most drawn to when it comes to U2’s music has always been The Edge’s manic guitar riffs. But on “MLK”, it’s missing. In fact, the only instrumentation is a sole drone note on the synthesizer that accompanies Bono’s vocals. It’s perfect as is. No guitar, snare hit or bass line can improve it.

“SLEEP, Sleep tonight And may your dreams Be realized.”

"THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE" U2 (1984)

A great title track is par for the course when it comes to great albums. If the title track doesn’t cut it, what does that say about the album itself? This month, the Mental Jukebox will be playing some of my favorite title tracks – inspired by @NicolaB_73’s music Twitter challenge, #TopTitleTracks.

As a child of the eighties, my music collection consisted mainly of cassettes. I missed the golden years of vinyl – and spent many years buying or duplicating cassettes before CDs were ever a thing. And the Unforgettable Fire, with its maroon and gold cover, was one of my most played cassettes. While “Pride” and “Bad” were the highlights, the album didn’t have a single filler track. For the next several years, the title track, in particular, was a staple on my local alt rock station.

The Unforgettable Fire album ran at three different paces. The slow tempo side was represented by “Promenade”, “4th of July”, “Elvis Presley and America” and “MLK”. The fast tempo side was occupied by the likes of “Wire” and “Pride”. In between, the mid-tempo songs included “A Sort of Homecoming”, “Bad”, “Indian Summer Sky” and “The Unforgettable Fire”. The title track shimmers and shines with The Edge’s understated guitar work and flourishes on keys, while Bono sings one of his most memorable melodies in the chorus.

“Walk on by, walk on through, So sad to besiege your love, So, hang on.”

"ALL I WANT IS YOU" U2 (1988)

This month, the Mental Jukebox revisits the movie soundtracks of the nineties. The music I’m highlighting are some of my personal favorites. In many cases, the movies themselves were huge for me as well. But the focus will still be on the music – as always. Let’s bring on the throwback classics, the grunge, the gangsta rap, and the indie gems. #31DaysOf90sMovieSongs

Movie: Reality Bites

When you think of the Reality Bites soundtrack, the first song that probably comes to mind is “Stay (I Missed You”, the song that launched Lisa Loeb’s career. Ethan Hawke first heard Loeb playing her guitar in his apartment building – and evidently thought she was talented enough for more people to hear her music beyond their building. He played her music for director Ben Stiller – and the rest is history. The soundtrack is also supported by classics from The Knack, Squeeze and New Order, and lesser known treasures from Dinosaur Jr. and Arrested Development. And right smack in the middle of the track list is U2’s “All I Want Is You”, which is my favorite song from the soundtrack.

One of the gems from Rattle and Hum, I was always drawn to this track since the moment I heard it. I didn’t have to warm up to it. And, more notably, I never got sick of it. The song had never lost its edge for me (no pun intended). “All I Want You” isn’t one of the band’s greatest instrumental efforts by any means, but there’s room for an Edge guitar solo in there and an unexpected string arrangement. The best thing about the song is that it takes you somewhere and then brings you back home. It starts off quiet, builds up to a crescendo, and then dies down to a near whisper.

“But all the promises we make from the cradle to the grave, when all I want is you.”

"GOD PART II" U2 (1988)

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.”

"ACROBAT" U2 (1991)

Each day in November, I’m revisiting a song from the 90’s — a decade that was a sorta coming of age for me. In that span, I experienced high school, college and my time as a young single guy in New York City. It was a decade of ups and downs, and the music never stopped playing during that span. It was always there with me. #30DaysOf90sSongs

In my freshman year in college, I think I unconsciously surveyed everyone’s taste in music that I came across, focused mainly around my hall mates. The tastes were varied — from grunge feigns hooked on Nirvana to funk rock freaks who couldn’t get enough of the Chili Peppers to industrial rockers whose daily intake consisted of Skinny Puppy, Ministry and Front 242. But the one universal album that everyone seemed to play and revere was U2’s Achtung Baby. In college, it served as the great equalizer because there seemed to be something for everyone on that album, from the distortion-soaked banger “The Fly” to the quiet-loud dynamics of “Until the End of the World” to the pop-soaked and melodious “Mysterious Ways”. For me, the finest track was the second to last song on the album: “Acrobat”.

It may be one of the most overlooked tracks on the whole album, but I don’t know why. I saw somewhere that the band didn’t play it live until 2018. It certainly wasn’t a common U2 anthem, but what it had going for it were these great experimental elements. The time signature felt somewhat eccentric, but slightly reminiscent of the cadence that the band took for “Bullet the Blue Sky”. The eccentricity carries over on The Edge’s guitar work, from the sonic surges in the verses to those jaw-dropping cascading effects coming out of the chorus. I think what I appreciate most about “Acrobat” is that it’s a track that’s not reliant on a single, signature guitar riff. Instead, each hook seems to evolve and grow out of one other throughout the entire song.

“You know that your time is coming 'round, so don't let the bastards grind you down.”

"TWO HEARTS BEAT AS ONE" U2 (1983)

For the month of October, I’m selecting a song each day from the decade that has the most meaning to me: the 80s. It was the decade that I grew up in. The period of time where I discovered my love for music — and explored many different genres. For the next 31 days, I’ll highlight a handful of songs that I truly loved and that were representative of the decade. #31DaysOf80sSongs

From their inception through the 90s, much of U2’s catalog was dominated by Bono’s belting vocals and The Edge’s chiming timbres. For most bands, that would’ve been far more than enough. But U2 has always seemed to have to live up to impossibly higher expectations. Say what you will about them, but few bands have been as prolific as they’ve been. There have been a few misses, but the overall output is impressive. And on a couple of occasions it seemed like all four band members were firing on all cylinders. A true force to be reckoned with. It didn’t happen often, but when it did it was beautiful. Like on “Two Hearts Beat As One”.

One of the first instruments that I notice on any song is the bass. But for decades, many have said Adam Clayton was the weak link in the band. Musically, the bass often drives a song. But on many U2 tracks, he seems to take a back seat. Larry’s drums guide what he plays and The Edge’s chords tell him where to go. But on War, we saw some of his most ambitious playing, most notably on “New Year’s Day” and on “Two Hearts”, where he drives the songs with this muscular aggression and urgency. Next, factor in Larry’s relentless barrage on the snares, The Edge’s signature sixteenth-note grating and Bono being, well, Bono. And there we have one of the most powerful ensemble performances in the band’s history.

“I don't know my right from left. Or my right from wrong.”

"MLK" U2 (1984)

There are no entrancing guitar riffs from The Edge here. No percussion barrage from Larry Mullen Jr. Just a reflective ode to the one and only Martin Luther King, Jr. from Bono. It flies in the face of everything that we see happening in the world - not just musically, but thematically. The Unforgettable Fire had quite a few unforgettable songs, but “MLK”, as the final track on the album, quietly and thoughtfully grabbed our attention and conscience in the most understated way.

“Sleep tonight and may your dreams be realized.”

"NEW YEAR'S DAY" U2 (1983)

Whether you think it’s about Bono’s wife or an eastern Europe political movement, “New Year’s Day” is a song of renewal musically and a song of reflection lyrically. The Edge shined on both the piano and the guitar with his distinctive riffs. Bono belted furiously and emotionally. Larry Mullen Jr. held his own. And this is probably my favorite U2 song from a bass perspective. Adam Clayton was locked in rhythmically with attitude and bravado.

“And so we're told this is the golden age and gold is the reason for the wars we wage. Though I want to be with you, be with you night and day, nothing changes on New Year's Day.”

"YAHWEH" U2 (2004)

Musically, there are better tracks on this album. But lyrically, I think it’s the best. “Yahweh” feels less like song lyrics and more like an earnest prayer to Yahweh Himself. Not the polished, polite kind of prayer. The raw, honest kind. A faith that I can relate to. While this song didn’t get the acclaim that many other songs on this album got, I think it was an appropriate last track. I wonder if Bono was telling us this is how you dismantle an atomic bomb.

“Take these hands. Teach them what to carry. Take these hands. Don't make a fist. Take this mouth. So quick to criticize. Take this mouth. Give it a kiss.”