WORST ALBUM COVERS EVER – Part 7 – ‘No Line On The Horizon’ By U2
Band: U2
Album: NO LINE ON THE HORIZON
Released: February 2009 / their 12th LP
Artwork: T-O-T-A-L-L-Y D-U-L-L
Music: Half dull
U2
‘With Or Without You’ By U2 Hit Top Spot Of US Singles Chart On 16 May 1987
Knockouts from the past…
16 May 2019
On 16 May 1987, this day 32 years ago melodramatic pop icons U2 hit the top spot of the US singles chart with ‘WITH OR WITHOUT YOU’. It was the lead single of their fifth studio LP THE JOSHUA THREE. The album that made them global superstars. Here comes Bono…
HISTORY – 21 March 1987…
21 March 2019
On 21 March 1987, thirty-two years ago today, U2 reached the top spot of the UK albums chart with their fifth album THE JOSHUA TREE. It was their 3rd numero uno LP in Great-Britain. Although Turn Up The Volume rates this one as their third best, behind ‘Achtung Baby‘ (1991) and ‘All That You Can’t Leave Behind‘ (2000) you can’t ignore that ‘The Joshua Tree‘ contains some of their best songs ever. Here are 3 of them…
– I STILL HAVEN’T FOUND WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR –
– WHERE THE STREETS HAVE NO NAME –
– WITH OR WITHOUT YOU –
Album in full…
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I saw the band play Brussels 2 years ago to celebrate the
30th birthday of ‘The Joshua Tree’. Review here
YESTERDAY’S CRACKERS – This Week: 25 Killer Tracks And 3 Top LP’s From 1987…
The best of the past…
Every week Turn Up The Volume! travels to the past to reactivate
25 Killer Crackers and 3 Top Albums per year/per week. Here’s: 1987
The 25 Killer Crackers
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The 3 Top Albums
– ‘Echo & The Bunnymen’ by ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN –
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– ‘The Joshua Tree‘ by U2 –
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– ‘Document‘ by R.E.M. –
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Irish Icons U2 Released Their Double Documentary Album ‘RATTLE AND HUM’ 30 Years Ago…
Going back in sonic history looking for memorable albums…
9 October 2018
Band: U2
Album: RATTLE AND HUM – the Irish megastars’ sixth longplayer
Released: 10 October 1988 – 30 years ago
ROLLING STONE review: “Rattle and Hum is an expression of U2’s urge to have it both ways.
A sprawling double album that incorporates live tracks, cover versions, collaborations, snippets of other people’s music and a passage from a taped interview, the record is an obvious effort to clear the conceptual decks and lower expectations following the multiplatinum success of The Joshua Tree… But for all its excitement, Rattle and Hum seems a tad calculated in its supposed spontaneity. The album is, after all, a soundtrack. Rather than a documentary, it’s merely a document of events that often were staged and arranged for the express purpose of being filmed and recorded. The album ably demonstrates U2’s force but devotes too little attention
to the band’s vision. – Full review here – Score: 3.5/5
TURN UP THE VOLUME! says: We know this isn’t a proper album. Rather a soundtrack
for the accompanying documentary about how U2 conquered the west. Reduced to one instead of two albums it would have been a masterwork.
FOUR FABULOUS MOMENTS: Pride (In The Name Of Love) / All I Want Is You / I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For / Angel Of Harlem
* PRIDE (IN THE NAME OF LOVE) – we played this on our wedding party, the place went nuts
* ALL I WANT IS YOU – epic…
* ANGEL OF HARLEM – steamy…
*I STILL HAVENT FOUND WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR – goosebumps rendition…
ALBUM in full…
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U2: Website – Facebook – All Albums
QUOTE OF THE DAY – By… THE EDGE
The Edge about U2‘s plans after this year’s tour…
(pic: Getty Images)
Irish Icons U2 Released Their Third Massive Album ‘WAR’ 35 Years Ago Today…
Going back in sonic history looking for memorable albums…
28 February 2018
BAND: U2
ALBUM: WAR – their third LP
RELEASED: 28 February 1983 – 35 years ago today
ROLLING STONE wrote at the time: “Generally, the album’s musical strengths are largely the product of well-honed arrangements and carefully balanced dynamics. Even as the Edge spins increasingly sophisticated guitar lines, he maintains the minimalist bluntness that sparked Boy. And while bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. have swung to more dance-oriented rhythms, their songs hurtle along with the sort of brusque purposefulness more frequently associated with punk. U2 may not be great intellectuals, and War may sound more profound than it really is. But the songs here stand up against anything on the Clash’s London Calling in terms of sheer impact, and the fact that U2 can sweep the listener up in the same sort of enthusiastic romanticism that fuels the band’s grand gestures is an impressive feat. For once, not having all the answers seems a bonus.”
TURN UP THE VOLUME! says: massive tunes, massive sentiments, massive album…
THREE HIGHLIGHTS: Sunday Bloody Sunday / 40 / New Year’s Day….
* SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY – a signature classic…
*40 – gripping pearl…
* NEW YEAR’S DAY – massive cracker…
WAR in full…
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U2: Website – Facebook – Twitter
Snowmen in 1983…
2017 ALL STAR LIVE TEAM – Here Are TURN UP THE VOLUME’S 11 Most Ecstatic Gig Experiences!
I witnessed 147 artists this year, from sweaty performances in cafes to some big ones
at festivals, from many club gigs to mid-range venue shows. I need live music to fuel
my engine, to get loaded, to make my adrenalin stream faster, to keep balance on this troubled planet – and live music certainly helps me to get away from daily, disturbing worries and have some thrilling time instead. Here are TURN UP THE VOLUME’s 11 most ecstatic gig experiences of 2017!…
1/ GRUPPO DI PAWLOWSKI
Where/when: Nosta, Opwijk – 13 December
Voodoo noise and the sound of breaking glass…
My review
Listen to GRUPPO’s newest album here / Social link: Facebook
2/ IT IT ANITA (Liege, Belgium)
Where/when: Charlatan, Ghent – 17 July
Deafening, crazed, mind-blowing and non-stop exorcism…
My review
Listen to IIAA here / Social media: Facebook – Twitter
3/ PRIMAL SCREAM (Scotland/England)
Where/when: Melkweg, Amsterdam / Roma, Antwerp – 15 June / 16 June
Getting my rocks off (again) with the fabulous and imperishable SCREAM turbo…
My review
Here’s latest album CHAOSMOSIS / Social media: Website – Facebook
4/ THE FLAMING LIPS (Oklahoma, US)
Where/when: Roma, Antwerp – 4 February
Dazzling fairytale spectacle – impressive ‘phantasy’ paradise …
My review
Listen here to The Lips / Social media: Website – Facebook
5/ THE MOONLANDINGZ (Sheffield, UK)
Where/when: Paradiso, Amsterdam – 27 April
Punk disco grooves for the outsiders injected with electro punches to go bananas to …
My review
Listen to their debut LP here / THE MOONLANDINGZ: Facebook – Twitter
6/ DUDS (Manchester, UK)
Where/when: Kinky Star, Ghent – 13 November
Deranged punk funk bravado with mental trumpets…
My review
Listen here to DUDS’ debut LP / Social media: Facebook – Label: Castle Face Records
7/ U2 (Ireland)
Where/when: Koning Boudewijn Stadion, Brussels – 1 Augustus
‘Joshua Tree’ in full + a jukebox filled with solid gold classics – loud and clear…
My review
Listen to THE JOSHUA TREE here / Social media: Website – Facebook – Twitter
8/ BOSS HOG (New York, NY, US)
Where/when: Vooruit, Ghent – 3 November
Electrifying trash blues steamroller with a nasty and witchery edge…
My review
Listen to BROOD X album here / Social media: Facebook – Twitter
9/ RICHARD ASHCROFT (Wigan, England)
Where/when: Crammerrock Festival, Stekene, Belgium – 1 September
Anthemic knockouts for heart and soul from start to finish…
My pics
Listen to RA here / RICHARD ASHCROFT: Website – Facebook
10/ LA JUNGLE (Mons, Belgium)
Where/when: Handelsbeurs, Ghent – 20 July
Perfect soundtrack to start a devilish insane moshpit in hell…
My review
Listen to the duo’s explosive watermelons here / LA JUNGLE: Facebook
11/ SHHT (Ghent, Belgium)
Where/when: Nest, Ghent – 29 November
Spectacular and chaotic cabinet of curiosities…
My review
Listen to new single MAO here / SHHT: Facebook – Instagram
5 Best of the rest: Temples / / The Kills / Inheaven / Millionaire / Peter Hook & The Light
(All concert pics by JL/Turn Up The Volume!)
U2 – The Irish Legends Found America Thirty Years Ago…
When timeless in sound and vision…
Band: U2
Track: I STILL HAVEN’T FOUND WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR
What happened: as second single from The Joshua Tree it hit
the top spot of US charts on 8 August 1987 – 30 years ago today…
Album: THE JOSHUA TREE – the album that turned the band into
superstars in the U.S. – one of their Holy Trinity Diamonds, next
to Achtung Baby (1991) and ‘All You Can’t Leave Behind‘ (2000)
Note 1: one of their most epic love crackers ever (in my book)…
Note 2: last week (August 1) I saw them playing Brussels – in a
65.000 capacity football stadion – playing The Joshua Tree in full
plus a dazzling greatest hits set. I’ve lost track of U2 the past years
but this giant concert was nothing less than a magical event…
Masterpiece LP in full…
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U2: Website – Facebook – Twitter
Phenomenal performance in Brussels last Tuesday (1 August)…
Full tree screen…
America…
Psychedelic…
Mega band…
U2 – ‘THE JOSHUA TREE’ Anniversary Concert In Brussels – Monumental Magic In The Name Of Love…
U2 – Koning Boudewijn Stadion – Brussels – 1 August 2017
Sonic intro to a memorable night…
After their – to my ears – last great album ‘All That You Can’t Leave Behind‘ (from 2000) I
lost track of U2. I thought they didn’t have a clue where to go after that third masterpiece longplayer (The Joshua Three & Achtung Baby being the two other milestones in my book). Bono was losing himself in too much preaching while their company made a money greedy move to a friendly tax country. To me, that was a terrible act of hypocrisy. On the one hand U2 was profiling themselves as a band with a big heart for the poor, the weak and the oppressed (which is absolutely great of course!) but on the other hand were doing anything that was needed to make as much money as possible (afterwards Bono stated that ‘it was the wrong thing do‘. Too late, mate!) Anyway, several members of my family convinced me months ago to buy a ticket (I agreed after learning that Noel Gallagaher would open the festivities) and join them to go to Brussels for the Irish mega stars’ show
for the THE JOSHUA TREE 30TH ANNIVERSARY yesterday (1 August). Guess what? It was MAGICAL! It was STUNNING! It was the GREATEST LIVE POP & ROCK EXTRAVAGANZA
I witnessed in years. To my surprise the sound in our gigantic national football stadium was nothing less than sensational. Bono‘s voice & energy was truly outstanding. The Edge played as a possessed psychedelic virtuoso and pounding rhythm section tandem Larry and Adam grooved it all up. The setlist was successfully smart. They started with four of their countless classics on a small podium in the middle of an euphoric crowd, turned afterward to the big stage for THE JOSHUA TREE in full and ended the spectacle with a string of triumphant grand slams. Stellar! In sound and in vision (with striking images
and film on the massive screen behind them, thanks mostly to the genial work of Dutch photographer and video/movie director Anton Corbijn). Wow! Double Wow! Triple Wow! Here are my visual impressions…
Starting amidst the massive crowd…
Tuesday, Bloody Tuesday…
A ‘only girls’ fan club…
‘The Joshua Tree’ in full…
Legends on the giant screen…
Impressive visuals…
Christmas in August…
Psychedelic ecstasy from start to finish…
“Thank you Belgium, as you all know our career exploded first in your country…”
50.000 looking for a way out. Tired but dreamily happy and still singing…
THE JOSHUA TREE in full…
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SETLIST
FOR STARTERS
Sunday Bloody Sunday
New Year’s Day
Bad (with “Heroes” and “Where Are We Now?” snippets)
Pride (In the Name of Love)
MAIN COURSE: The Joshua Tree
Where the Streets Have No Name
(with “California (There Is No… more )
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
With or Without You
Bullet the Blue Sky (with ‘America’ – from West Side Story – snippet)
Running to Stand Still
Red Hill Mining Town
In God’s Country
Trip Through Your Wires
One Tree Hill
Exit (with ‘Wise Blood’ excerpt)
Mothers of the Disappeared
DESSERTS
Miss Sarajevo (Passengers cover)
Beautiful Day (with ‘Starman’ snippet)
Elevation
Vertigo (with ‘It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll’ snippet)
Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
One (with ‘Ghost Dance’ snippet)
I Will Follow
U2: Website – Facebook – Twitter
(all concert photos by JL/Turn Up The Volume!)
Great souvenir – my ticket from the first time I saw the Irish legends playing, as a teenager, in 1982, in a 3000 cap venue in Belgium – but, honestly, 2017 will be the concert I’ll never forget…
