The U2 Project: A Postscript

For anyone who has read any of the U2 ranking project on these pages - thank you. For anyone who may have read every single entry - may God have mercy on your soul.

To answer the immediately obvious question, I will publish - at some point - an addendum in which I indicate into which gaps the 11 new songs on Songs of Innocence fall. At this stage it's simply too early to tell - there are songs on that album that are now favorites that barely registered on the first few listens. That process needs some time to settle.

I will also take this opportunity to thank reader Randy Perry (@randois on Twitter) for pointing out my very lax editorial rigor, and how that inattention to detail led to "Get on Your Boots" popping up at #101 and #68 (with, as you might imagine, very similar write-ups). He also notes how "Discotheque" is missing from the list entirely, which of course needs to be rectified immediately:

#81.5 - "Discotheque"
This lead single off of Pop made the daring experimental nature of "The Fly," the lead single off of Achtung Baby seem staid and traditional by comparison. And if "The Fly" gave U2 fans pause--and, indeed, turned some longtime fans off for good--"Discotheque"upped the ante. And yet just as with "The Fly," this is at its core a U2 song, with all that entails. The industrial sound of the beginning and the squalling guitars may seem odd, and when the drums and bass kick in at about :45 in the beat may be more of a dance beat than we usually get from this band. But that bass line is classic U2, solid and foundational, and when the Edge kicks in with a riff--finally, at 1:25 in--it has that classic Edge sense of minimalism and striving energy. Live, eh song sounded even more like a U2 song, with the soaring chorus and the live energy helping to demystify the sound. This song may have hurt the band in ways they are still scarred by, but that doesn't make it a bad song.

So here is here we will for now leave this U2 analysis. As you may have noticed, I've been writing the odd post here and there, and hope to continue, so if you came for the U2 but want to stay for more pop culture thoughts, welcome! And to anyone who indulged, a sincere thanks for reading.

Until Whenever