Well, as we now find ourselves just two months away from the end of 2009, it is probably inevitable that the media begin to get into reflective mode and start to review the past decade and all of the events that have happened in that time. When you think of what you were doing in your life, it is often easy to place a particular point in your life through a musical timeline, the soundtrack to your life at a certain stage in life.
With this in mind, Absolute Radio, which in a former life was called Virgin Radio, is currently in the process of getting its listeners to choose the Song of the Decade, the song which in the humble opinion of its listeners was the song of all songs to be released between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2009. Absolute will be playing out its listeners top 100 choices just before the end of the year. People can vote in the poll at songofthedecade.com .
For those not familiar with Absolute, it is a radio station that tends to largely play popular rock, indie and alternative music from recent years, as well as a reasonable portion of "classic" songs from popular recording artists from the past four decades. Therefore, given the nature of the music policy of the station, you would expect the higher echelons of the poll to be dominated by bands such as Coldplay, The Killers, Kings Of Leon, Snow Patrol and Oasis, while more manufactured acts such as Girls Aloud, McFly and even Take That are not likely to feature too much.
Bearing in mind the criteria I have laid down about the type of music that Absolute plays and which is therefore likely to be eligible, I have compared my own list of my ten favourite songs of the past decade. These are not necessarily the most popular songs of the last decade, nor do I expect all of them to even make the cut in Absolute's final poll. In some cases, the songs in question didn't even chart that well, although that is rarely an indicator any more of how good a song is. No, these are simply the 10 songs that I'd say on reflection have just about given me the most pleasure over these past 10 years, taking into account the type of music that would be played on a station like Absolute. So, in reverse order...
10. White Lies - Farewell To The Fairground
This was a close call between the standout single from this London combo's 2009 debut album and The Chemical Brothers's 2004 hit Galvanize for the last place in my top 10. In the end, I opted for White Lies on account of the fact that this song is currently fresher in my mind and also due to The Chemical Brothers probably not technically meeting the criteria of the kind of music that Absolute Radio would play.
White Lies have the distinction of providing me with the album I have played most in 2009 and this song for me remains the highlight. It is an edgy jaunt about leaving behind the place you have called home but which you have now outgrown. The lyrics to this track rather typify the dark and thought provoking nature of White Lies's excellent debut album, yet although dark, this track is also very uplifting in its outlook. It may have only reached number 33 in the UK singles chart earlier this year, but it does 23 places better in the chart that really matters!
9. The Coral - Dreaming Of You
Back in the early part of the decade, this Liverpudlian band looked and indeed sounded like a band that could evolve into one of the most original and innovative of the decade. That this evolution has not happened is one of the disappointments of the past few years, as with each passing album The Coral have instead become sadly more derivative and uninspiring. In truth though, it may just be that whatever followed their output from their first two albums could never really compare. Although their second album Magic and Medicine is arguably their finest work to date, this track from their self-eponymous first album remains their most commercially successful track and their signature piece.
What struck me when I first heard this track was how original the musical arrangement on the track was, with brass music in the middle of what was an otherwise jaunty indie song. This gives the song the feel of being crossover of both standard indie music and also Ska influenced music, such as The Specials. What particularly marks this song out as a classic is that it is only 2 minutes and 21 seconds long and so much is crammed into that time.
Although The Coral do not seem likely to ever match the quality of their offerings, perhaps this tells us more about how great their early output was, rather than how mediocre their subsequent efforts have been.
8. U2 - Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of
U2 remain rock and roll's equivalent of Marmite some 30 years after they first arrived on the scene, but they have remained both active and relevant over the past decade, even if they have not quite consistently managed to churn out the quality that they managed back in their late 1980s heyday. Nonetheless, like the girl with the curl, when the Dublin fourpiece are good, they are very very good and this was probably best demonstrated during this decade on their 2001 album All That You Can't Leave Behind, which was regarded by many as a fine return to form after a few years in the doldrums.
Beautiful Day tends to be the most acclaimed track from the aforementioned album and it is a song that has its merits. However, Stuck In A Moment, to my mind has all the hallmarks of a classic U2 song. Brilliantly written lyrics, heartfelt emotive vocals by Bono and a song which expresses a good sentiment. The sentiment of the song, as has been discussed on this blog previously, was a recollection by Bono of a conversation he had had with Michael Hutchence, former lead singer of INXS and close friend of the permanent wearer of sunglasses. Hutchence had taken his own life while U2 were recording the album.
In the years since this song came out, for some reason it does not appear to have maintained the popularity of some U2 tracks and yet in many ways, it is arguably one of their most hauntingly beautiful compositions.
7. Kings Of Leon - Use Somebody
I have a confession to make as far as Kings Of Leon are concerned. This confession being that I am not a great fan of theirs as a band and I may be one of very few people on the planet that does not like the song that shot them to super stardom, Sex On Fire, a song which I have no doubt in believing will finish in the top 5 when Absolute plays out its poll. In some ways, Kings Of Leon remind me somewhat of REM in that they have achieved massive global success and yet for the most part, I am largely indifferent to their music and fail to see what marks them out as special. However, just as REM have had occasional flashes of genius with songs like Orange Crush and Drive, so Kings Of Leon pulled out a glorious exception with Use Somebody, the follow up single to Sex On Fire.
Because Sex On Fire was an astonishing worldwide hit, it is easy to overlook the fact this track sold by the bucketload as well. As with several of Kings Of Leon's other tracks, the theme of the song appears to be a hedonistic one, but in truth, what makes this song stand out is the sheer rockiness. The heavy guitar sound at the beginning of the track sets the tone for what follows and even I as a somewhat reluctant member of the Kings Of Leon posse has to admit that this track provides some of the finest riffs to emerge from this decade.
6. White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
No finer musical judge than Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker provided validation for this song recently when he nominated this as his song of the decade describing it as "the Smoke On The Water of the new millennium". I can see exactly what he means with this description. The opening riffs of Deep Purple's 1974 hard rock hit are iconic and were amongst the most popular to that particular generation of sideburns sporting, flares wearing rockers. Fast forward some 30 years and the guitar riffs featured throughout this track are among the most familiar to the new generation of budding Guitar Hero players. In fact, I hear that it is one of the most popular riffs of choice in the aforementioned console game.
What appeals to me about this track is how the tempo often changes subtly from a relatively gentle riff and solid drum beat into the cacophony of noise that surrounds the chorus. As with some of the other nominations, I do not feel that Jack and Meg White have managed to quite match the epic sound they produced in this song in anything they have put together since, but that may simply confirm the future "classic" status of this song.
5. Dirty Vegas - Walk Into The Sun
This is what an American audience would refer to as a curveball, a surprise choice out of leftfield. It is possibly a surprise on a few levels. Firstly, Dirty Vegas are barely known in the United Kingdom, despite the fact that they originate in London. Despite their birthplace, they have been based in and enjoyed more critical acclaim across the pond for several years. This lack of exposure in the UK was reflected in the chart placing of this track when it was released back in 2004 when it reached the dizzy heights of number 54 in the UK singles chart. Despite this low placing, it remains Dirty Vegas's highest ever chart entry. What is odd is that although on the surface, you would think this is an obscure track, it has been used as background music on several television programmes, it's just that they tend to be the run of the mill daytime TV offerings like Cash In The Attic or Flog It where no-one is really paying attention. Much like most of Dirty Vegas's work, the sound is kind of a fusion of dance, house and electronica mixed in with a more conventional indie sound. They are a band that seem to borrow much from bands like New Order and the Happy Mondays, bands that were at the forefront of the Acid House scene of the beginning of the 1990s. Although Dirty Vegas have not been commercially successful in the UK, this is not a reflection of their talents and this gentle, uplifting track with well written lyrics and a bouncy sound is in some ways a typically understated Dirty Vegas work, despite being a masterpiece.
4. Snow Patrol - Run
If Dirty Vegas are largely undiscovered and commercially unknown, the same accusation can no longer be levelled at Snow Patrol and the reason for their commercial viability can be traced back to this song which burst into the charts at the beginning of 2004. Such was Snow Patrol's obscurity before this track was released that it is largely forgotten that they had released two albums before their commercial breakthrough Final Straw hit the shelves, from which this was the first singles cut.
Sometimes when you hear a song, it requires several listens before you fully appreciate its quality. With Run, that was not the case, upon hearing it the first time, I realised I was listening to a modern classic. There are those that proclaim Chasing Cars as Snow Patrol's jewel in the crown, but while there may be a beautiful sentiment in that song, musically Run is far superior. Again, as with White Stripes, there is an edginess to the song that results from the subtle changes of tempo during the 5 minutes and 55 seconds of this composition that makes this such a masterpiece and Gary Lightbody's brooding vocals do justice to the song. As with many of Snow Patrol's back catalogue, it would appear that the song is a love song of some kind, albeit the lyrics would suggest it is a plea to a lost love rather than a straightforward love song.
Whatever it is, I am a believer in the saying that imitation is the greatest form of flattery and this can be seen in Leona Lewis's decision to cover this song earlier this year. The only injustice was that her butchering of the original version rocketed to number 1, four places higher than Snow Patrol had managed. It has been noticeable how commercial popularity has taken some of the edge off of Snow Patrol's music and due to that, it is debatable whether they will ever hit the heights again that they showed in initially establishing themselves to the mainstream audience with the excellent Final Straw album. If they do not, it will not diminish the enduring brilliance of this track, which will remain a classic in twenty years from now.
3. Elbow - One Day Like This
Like Snow Patrol, Elbow's commercial success was something of a slow burner. The Mancunian band fronted by Guy Garvey were formed back in 1990 and had released three studio albums prior to the release of their Mercury Music Prize winning Seldom Seen Kid in 2008. Victory in this coveted prize ensured that a more commercial audience started to sit up and take notice and further success in the BRIT Awards means that this band's time in oblivion is now surely a thing of the past. Of any number of excellent mellow compositions from Seldom Seen Kid, such as The Bones Of You and Mirrorball, One Day Like This is both the most commercially popular track and also the rightful standout track from an almost faultless album. The album version of the track is six and a half minutes long, but the single version was cut to just over three and a half minutes for the benefit of radio airplay.
It is a sign of the quality of the song, both musically and lyrically, that both versions are worth listening to in their own right. For me, this song has particular resonance because the sentiments expressed in the song were ones that I was feeling at the time the song was being played on the radio. Although this song brings to mind certain bittersweet and poignant memories, there is no escaping the simplicity in the beauty of the song. The lyrics really capture the feeling in Guy Garvey's soul and Garvey's vocals do the lyrics full justice. It is possible that the amount of airplay this song has had in the past year have given this a sense of overkill, but I think time will be kind to this song.
Possibly in 10 years time, people will have difficulty recollecting other Elbow songs, but they should still remember this one. It's a beautiful song and it is the kind of song that will have a special meaning to many people because of the association they will have with being in a bright and happy place when they heard the song, even if they have not remained there since.
2. Coldplay - Violet Hill
The top two places in my list are occupied by, to my mind, the best two bands of the past decade. Firstly, we find Coldplay, who burst onto the scene with their debut album Parachutes at the beginning of the decade and who were still going strong at the fag end of the decade, by which time they had released a further three studio albums and had pretty much conquered the world. In the space of the past nine years, Coldplay have gone from being a band fresh out of university to being one of the biggest stadium rock bands in the world, with a Hollywood wife to boot. The difficulty in putting this list together was deciding which Coldplay song should make the list, given that they have had several epic singles worthy of consideration.
It was tempting to go for Yellow or Trouble, the two singles cuts from Parachutes that set Coldplay on their way some nine years ago, while the poignant Fix You from X&Y and the haunting Clocks and The Scientist from Rush Of Blood To The Head were also worthy contenders. But it is to Coldplay's most recent album, Viva La Vida, where my choice is to be found. While the title track attracted many of the plaudits, to my mind the album's first singles cut Violet Hill was its highlight and to this listener at least, is Coldplay's greatest work to date. The song would appear to have an anti-war theme, as I originally discussed on this blog at the end of last year.
What I like about the song is the sentiment being expressed and the images that the track throws up. Chris Martin is very good at really painting a picture for you with his vocal imagery and this is possibly never better demonstrated than on this track with such as descriptions as there being snow on the rooftops and people being outside freezing while others looked out of the window. What this description does is it really brings home the loneliness of being a soldier fighting for his country thousands of miles from home and I think that is the whole message of the song. Apart from this, I just think the song is so well constructed that it makes it a track you can listen to again and again. This is the cream of a very strong crop where Coldplay are concerned.
1. Killers - Smile Like You Mean It
It was going to take a special band and a special song to keep Violet Hill and Coldplay off top spot, but I think I have found both a band and a song worthy of doing the honours. The Killers have always been a band I have held a special fondness for because I like to think I discovered them before the masses did. The first time they registered on my consciousness was when I heard feminist and that well known music critic Germaine Greer slate their debut album on Newsnight Review back in the summer of 2004. At the time, the Las Vegas outfit were barely known anywhere, not even in the Nevada desert, but on the strength of Greer's criticism, I went out and bought Hot Fuss the following week. What immediately struck me was how The Killers seemed to have a sound that paid homage to new wave music from the 1980s. Now, this is something that just about everyone from Florence and the Machine to White Lies to MGMT have tapped into, but back in 2004, The Killers were the first band to be using that era as the influence on their sound.
Apart from the noticeably 1980s sound, the other thing that struck me about The Killers was how their music and lyrics were dark and edgy. There were songs with rather seedy, sordid lyrics, such as Somebody Told Me and the immensely popular Mr Brightside. There were other songs that seemed to deal with very dark subject matter, such as Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine and All These Things That I've Done. In the end, there were possibly 3 Killers songs that could have occupied this position, All These Things That I've Done being one while Read My Mind was the standout track from The Killers's second album, Sam's Town. In truth though, there was only song that I was ever going to pick.
Commercially, Smile Like You Mean It was far from being The Killers's most successful or most popular song. When it was released in 2005, it only reached number 11 in the UK singles charts, although this may have something to do with it being the fourth singles cut from the Hot Fuss album. What marks this out as my favourite Killers song and my favourite song of the past decade is just that it typifies the Killers' sound and music better than anything else they have done. The sound is very much new wave influenced, and in fact the song title is shared with a previous composition by Talking Heads, who certainly influence much of The Killers' work. There is a wirey edginess to the sound which when coupled with the dark, difficult to interpret lyrics really draws you in to the song.
Even now, over 4 years after the song first came out, I am still not entirely sure what the meaning to the lyrics are. I have a vague interpretation of what I think they mean, but I think this is quite deliberate on Brandon Flowers's part, there is possibly no definitive meaning behind them and they can be open to interpretation. For what it is worth though, I interpret the song to be a message from an older of oneself giving a message retrospectively to a younger version telling them not to get drawn into life's superficialities and falsehoods and to not worry about playing up to an image all the time in order to please life's hangers-on. As with One Day Like This, this song has a special meaning on a personal level because of a shared experience I had around the time the song came out and the sentiments expressed in the song as I have interpreted have rung quite true at times both then and since. Because of the place this song has captured within me, this makes it stand out among The Killers's back catalogue and even as Brandon Flowers and his band mates look set fair to dominate the world over the coming years, I think it will take a very special song to ever better the craft that went into the lyrics and sound of this track. So while Mr Brightside looks likely to be a strong candidate to win Absolute Radio's accolade, to my mind Smile Like You Mean It is THE song of songs over these past 10 years.
Showing posts with label top10. Show all posts
Showing posts with label top10. Show all posts
Friday, 30 October 2009
Monday, 23 February 2009
Top 10 U2 tracks
Next week U2 release their latest studio album, No Line On The Horizon, some four years after the last album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb was released.
I am a huge fan of the Irish veteran rockers. I take my hat off to the band for staying at the top of their game after 30 years of recording and touring together and given the tensions that must arise in a band, it is quite incredible that their original line-up still remains intact after 30 years together.
I am looking forward to hearing their latest album, although I must confess I am a little disappointed by the first singles cut from the album, Get On Your Boots, which the band performed at the Brits last week. As with their last album, I think the band, or maybe their record company, have decided to go with the most commercial sounding, radio friendly track. This is probably especially so given U2's promotional arrangement with iTunes, but just as I felt Vertigo was one of the weaker tracks on their last album, I am doubtful that this track is one of the stronger offerings on this album. At least I hope it isn't.
By way of whetting the appetite for the imminent release of their new album which hits the shops a week today, I thought I would compile my personal list of top 10 U2 songs to date, stretching back over their 30 years of recording. It is quite disturbing to think that when their first top 75 hit I Will Follow was released in 1980, I wasn't even 2 years old! As ever with these kinds of lists I appreciate they are subjective and purely a matter of personal opinion and as such there are some notable omissions which would not only be in many people's lists, but would head them. But these are my calls.
10. Two Hearts Beat As One
This song was originally released in 1983 and featured on the political album War which also featured New Year's Day and Sunday Bloody Sunday. Unlike those two tracks though which are both very much political in tone, this track would seem to be more of a romantic song, even if it retains the edgy sound of U2's other signature tracks from that time. Bono's vocals particularly hit the spot on this track and it is just a general all-round rockout track. Because of U2's vast back catalogue, you don't tend to hear this song played on the radio often and it seldom features on music TV. But it is a very good track, and, at least in my view, ranks as one of U2's most underrated songs.
9. Even Better Than The Real Thing
Just as I have with other bands like Oasis, Coldplay and even Queen, I have tended to go through different phases of my life where I had a particular favourite song by those bands and back when I was in my early 20s, this song ranked as my favourite U2 song. It was very much a song of its time, part of U2's Achtung Baby album which was released in 1992 which then spawned a world tour that saw U2 concerts with big TV screens above the stage showing images of giant lemons and the like. Achtung Baby is largely seen as one of U2's most commercial albums and this is certainly a track that sets out to be commercial and in some ways, overblown. For a little while, I went off this track and thought it had not aged that well, but hearing it again in recent times, I have realised that while the track is not one of U2's most thought provoking, it is not intended to be and instead it is one of those tracks with plenty of get-up-and-go about it, a hedonistic pleasure.
8. With Or Without You
This is another U2 song which at one point in my life I regarded as my favourite and it is testament to the strength of the songs they have released that this only polls at number 8. The Joshua Tree is regarded by many as the best album of all time and although I would not go that far, it certainly ranks as U2's strongest. This track features on the album and even now, 22 years after its release, it sounds as haunting as it ever did. Bono's vocals really suit the mood of this song, which is one of the band's more mellow offerings. The Joshua Tree is generally an album of political overtones but this track seems to be more about affairs of the heart, although it is not a love song in the simple sense. For me, it is a beautiful song and is definitely one of those tracks that makes the hairs on the back of the neck stand on end when it comes on the radio or I chilling out to it on a CD.
7. Where The Streets Have No Name
Again, another offering from The Joshua Tree and once again, a song that was my favourite of theirs when I was a bit younger. Musically, this song is a masterpiece and it was the perfect choice to open The Joshua Tree album. I recall the video of the song which was shot on the roof of a building in New York and that was very much in keeping with this album being the one that cracked America for U2. Even so, the Americans who loved this song might not quite appreciate the meaning behind the song, which I have always interpreted as being about poverty and Western civilisation's part in allowing it to continue. Whether my interpretation is right or not, this is just a fantastic composition and the intro and ending to the song with guitar steadily fading in and fading out just sounds brilliant. To fully appreciate this though, you need to listen to The Joshua Tree version, rather than the version on U2's Greatest Hits which cuts both the intro and the ending short.
6. Running To Stand Still
This is the third consecutive song which is taken from The Joshua Tree, although unlike the previous two, it was never released as a single and so consequently, it is not as widely known. That could change, however, owing to the song currently featuring on the latest War Child album, where Brit Award winners Elbow have recorded an excellent cover version of this song. This is not a typical U2 song, it is not a hard rock, punchy guitar based song and it is certainly not a commercial pop track. Instead, it is just a gentle ballad which largely centres around Bono's vocals although there is a gentle background to the song. The lyrics are beautiful and I think this song lent Snow Patrol some inspiration when they recorded How To Be Dead on their album Final Straw, which incidentally, I opine is one of their finest songs. Because this song is not really a radio friendly song unless some leftfield DJ plays in the chill-out zone late at night, people who are not that familiar with U2's album tracks have quite possibly never heard it. It's a pity, because it really is a hidden gem tucked away on U2's most well known album.
5. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
It was a close call, but this track ranks the highest out of the tracks from The Joshua Tree. It had to be really, as it simply is a classic U2 song with what on the surface seems a relatively straightforward concept and meaning, but which in fact may be a very deep song. Bono really lays bare his tortured soul on this track which seems to examine his belief in his religious faith and his inability to experience what he is looking for, despite his greatest efforts. This torture is conveyed tremendously in Bono's vocal levels on this song, while the opening section to the song and the middle section with the gentle guitar chords really add to what makes this track a masterpiece. Some people might interpret it as a complex love song, and although I don't, I think what stands out about U2's best work is that the meanings of the songs can be interpreted in a number of ways. This is definitely a classic example and I think this will be regarded as one of U2's signature songs long after they have taken to the stage for the final time.
4. One
I never used to like this song that much, although I did like the video for the single which involved two Trabant cars crashing in to one another. As I've got older though, I've grown to appreciate just what a beautiful song this track really is. The story goes that this is the song that saved U2 from splitting up, such was the impact it had on the band at a time when tensions between the band members had reached boiling point. But the opening strains of acoustic guitar by The Edge and Bono's beautiful delivery of such poetic lyrics convinced the band they were on to a sure fire hit and although this song did not reach number 1, it was a song that was critically acclaimed. I've heard this song compared to Imagine by John Lennon and I can understand the comparison given that both songs are beautiful in their simplicity. I think there are similarities in the concepts of the songs too, although I think the beauty of One is that while musically it seems quite a straightforward composition, the lyrics point to several possible meanings. Some of the songs on Achtung Baby have not aged that well, but this track is assured of having stood the test of time.
3. Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of
U2's 2001 album All That You Can't Leave Behind signalled a spectacular return to form for U2 after the band lost its way for a few years in the commercial bubble it had entered in the aftermath of Achtung Baby. Tracks like Beautiful Day and Wild Honey could very easily have made the higher echelons of this list, but it is this song which is the solitary entry from that album on this shortlist. It is a special song and it is supposedly a song that Bono wrote about the former INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence who had taken his own life just a few months before U2 first started to record this album. Bono and Hutchence were friends and Bono had seen Hutchence not long before Hutchence had died. If, however, you are expecting this song to be a eulogy from Bono to his old friend, think again. It is very much a song of tough love, advising the subject of the song to face up to their problems rather than allowing them to fester and creating a rut they cannot get out of, which sadly it appears happened to Hutchence. The sentiment behind the song is well captured by Bono's vocals and it ranks as one of the band's more mellow offerings. Again, because it is not regularly played on the radio, it is perhaps not as widely known as some of U2's other songs, although it did reach number 2 when released as a single in the spring of 2001.
2. Angel Of Harlem
This song featured on U2's 1988 album Rattle and Hum which paid homage to blues and jazz music from a bygone age and also included U2's first UK number 1 hit Desire and their recording with BB King, When Love Comes To Town. The song is a tribute to Billie Holiday, whose music seems to have provided some inspiration to some of the female throwback singers of recent times, such as Duffy and Amy Winehouse. Because of the imagery of Christmas trees that are referenced in the song, you tend to hear this song more in the winter months than during the summer and it was released as a single in December 1988, although it is not a Christmas song and does in fact sound good at any time of the year. In keeping with U2's other songs of that period, it shows influences from blues and jazz music and the saxophone solo that features in the mid-point of the song is a particular highlight. All in all, it is just such a pleasant piece of music and has always been a track which I have held in high esteem and the great thing about it is that it is perfect listening just as much on a warm summer's day just as much as it was initially intended to be on a cold, wet December afternoon.
1. The Unforgettable Fire
Compiling this list was very tough, but choosing the number 1 was in fact a comparatively easy decision. That is not to detract from the other fine songs in the top 10 and indeed several other fantastic tracks that did not even make the cut, but it serves to demonstrate just how great a track this is. There are certain songs that when they come on the radio just draw you in and make you realise you are about to hear something great. Whole Of The Moon by The Waterboys always does that for me, as does True Faith by New Order and Hotel California by The Eagles. Well, this is U2's moment of musical perfection as far as I am concerned.
I have mentioned before how I feel U2 have been quite an influential band to Coldplay and that is evident if you listen to some of Coldplay's recent singles releases. Well, I would say that this song was a source of influence to one of my favourite Coldplay songs, White Shadows, which is off of the X&Y album. Both tracks feature the singer performing in a falsetto voice and both are roughly five minutes in length. The similarities extend beyond those points of detail though, because what makes both songs the great tracks that they are is the all-round package. U2 have done songs with better lyrics and they have produced songs with heavier, rockier riffs. But it is the music as a composition which makes this track so memorable and makes it stand out from the crowd.
That is not to say that Bono's vocals on this track are irrelevant or just a sideshow. That would be incorrect, because his vocals in fact are delivered perfectly for the song, but it is just that the instrumental components to the song are what make it particularly sound like the masterpiece it is. In some ways, Bono's falsetto strains just provide the backdrop to the song but his contribution is essential in making the song a timeless classic.
This is more than just a bog standard song. It does feel like a modern piece of classical music in some respects that could be performed in a concert hall, given how strings sections feature strongly throughout the track. The instrumental section in the middle of the track is masterful, as are the closing sections of the track which fades out to the sound of a violin.
There are some songs and pieces of music that sound at their best if you do not hear them often and you do not press the repeat button. I would put The Unforgettable Fire in that category but that should not deter you from downloading it. After all these years, I still have not quite worked out what this song is about. The 1985 album that it was taken from of the same name supposedly got its name after the band had visited an exhibition to do with the Hiroshima bombings, but that does not mean necessarily that this song is about nuclear war. In fact I think it is one of those U2 songs with several possible meanings. The imagery that the lyrics throw up suggest it is about a one night stand or a short lived affair and the realisation that the liaison is coming to an end, but I am sure there are other possible interpretations. Whatever the song is about, I would argue that this is U2's finest all-round musical composition to date in 30 years of trying.
So that's the top 10 list completed. It was a wrench narrowing the list down to 10 and had the list been extended to 20 then Electrical Storm, New Year's Day, When Love Comes To Town, Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, Bad, Walk On and Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own would have been certain to make the cut. But even then, I still wouldn't have found a place for U2's number 1 hit singles Desire, The Fly or Beautiful Day, while two of their signature songs Pride (In The Name Of Love) and Sunday Bloody Sunday would still have been excluded. That only serves to show what an extensive back catalogue the band have and how subjective opinion is in terms of deciding what songs are their finest moments. Hopefully their upcoming album will throw up some other future candidates for revised shortlists in a year or two's time.
I am a huge fan of the Irish veteran rockers. I take my hat off to the band for staying at the top of their game after 30 years of recording and touring together and given the tensions that must arise in a band, it is quite incredible that their original line-up still remains intact after 30 years together.
I am looking forward to hearing their latest album, although I must confess I am a little disappointed by the first singles cut from the album, Get On Your Boots, which the band performed at the Brits last week. As with their last album, I think the band, or maybe their record company, have decided to go with the most commercial sounding, radio friendly track. This is probably especially so given U2's promotional arrangement with iTunes, but just as I felt Vertigo was one of the weaker tracks on their last album, I am doubtful that this track is one of the stronger offerings on this album. At least I hope it isn't.
By way of whetting the appetite for the imminent release of their new album which hits the shops a week today, I thought I would compile my personal list of top 10 U2 songs to date, stretching back over their 30 years of recording. It is quite disturbing to think that when their first top 75 hit I Will Follow was released in 1980, I wasn't even 2 years old! As ever with these kinds of lists I appreciate they are subjective and purely a matter of personal opinion and as such there are some notable omissions which would not only be in many people's lists, but would head them. But these are my calls.
10. Two Hearts Beat As One
This song was originally released in 1983 and featured on the political album War which also featured New Year's Day and Sunday Bloody Sunday. Unlike those two tracks though which are both very much political in tone, this track would seem to be more of a romantic song, even if it retains the edgy sound of U2's other signature tracks from that time. Bono's vocals particularly hit the spot on this track and it is just a general all-round rockout track. Because of U2's vast back catalogue, you don't tend to hear this song played on the radio often and it seldom features on music TV. But it is a very good track, and, at least in my view, ranks as one of U2's most underrated songs.
9. Even Better Than The Real Thing
Just as I have with other bands like Oasis, Coldplay and even Queen, I have tended to go through different phases of my life where I had a particular favourite song by those bands and back when I was in my early 20s, this song ranked as my favourite U2 song. It was very much a song of its time, part of U2's Achtung Baby album which was released in 1992 which then spawned a world tour that saw U2 concerts with big TV screens above the stage showing images of giant lemons and the like. Achtung Baby is largely seen as one of U2's most commercial albums and this is certainly a track that sets out to be commercial and in some ways, overblown. For a little while, I went off this track and thought it had not aged that well, but hearing it again in recent times, I have realised that while the track is not one of U2's most thought provoking, it is not intended to be and instead it is one of those tracks with plenty of get-up-and-go about it, a hedonistic pleasure.
8. With Or Without You
This is another U2 song which at one point in my life I regarded as my favourite and it is testament to the strength of the songs they have released that this only polls at number 8. The Joshua Tree is regarded by many as the best album of all time and although I would not go that far, it certainly ranks as U2's strongest. This track features on the album and even now, 22 years after its release, it sounds as haunting as it ever did. Bono's vocals really suit the mood of this song, which is one of the band's more mellow offerings. The Joshua Tree is generally an album of political overtones but this track seems to be more about affairs of the heart, although it is not a love song in the simple sense. For me, it is a beautiful song and is definitely one of those tracks that makes the hairs on the back of the neck stand on end when it comes on the radio or I chilling out to it on a CD.
7. Where The Streets Have No Name
Again, another offering from The Joshua Tree and once again, a song that was my favourite of theirs when I was a bit younger. Musically, this song is a masterpiece and it was the perfect choice to open The Joshua Tree album. I recall the video of the song which was shot on the roof of a building in New York and that was very much in keeping with this album being the one that cracked America for U2. Even so, the Americans who loved this song might not quite appreciate the meaning behind the song, which I have always interpreted as being about poverty and Western civilisation's part in allowing it to continue. Whether my interpretation is right or not, this is just a fantastic composition and the intro and ending to the song with guitar steadily fading in and fading out just sounds brilliant. To fully appreciate this though, you need to listen to The Joshua Tree version, rather than the version on U2's Greatest Hits which cuts both the intro and the ending short.
6. Running To Stand Still
This is the third consecutive song which is taken from The Joshua Tree, although unlike the previous two, it was never released as a single and so consequently, it is not as widely known. That could change, however, owing to the song currently featuring on the latest War Child album, where Brit Award winners Elbow have recorded an excellent cover version of this song. This is not a typical U2 song, it is not a hard rock, punchy guitar based song and it is certainly not a commercial pop track. Instead, it is just a gentle ballad which largely centres around Bono's vocals although there is a gentle background to the song. The lyrics are beautiful and I think this song lent Snow Patrol some inspiration when they recorded How To Be Dead on their album Final Straw, which incidentally, I opine is one of their finest songs. Because this song is not really a radio friendly song unless some leftfield DJ plays in the chill-out zone late at night, people who are not that familiar with U2's album tracks have quite possibly never heard it. It's a pity, because it really is a hidden gem tucked away on U2's most well known album.
5. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
It was a close call, but this track ranks the highest out of the tracks from The Joshua Tree. It had to be really, as it simply is a classic U2 song with what on the surface seems a relatively straightforward concept and meaning, but which in fact may be a very deep song. Bono really lays bare his tortured soul on this track which seems to examine his belief in his religious faith and his inability to experience what he is looking for, despite his greatest efforts. This torture is conveyed tremendously in Bono's vocal levels on this song, while the opening section to the song and the middle section with the gentle guitar chords really add to what makes this track a masterpiece. Some people might interpret it as a complex love song, and although I don't, I think what stands out about U2's best work is that the meanings of the songs can be interpreted in a number of ways. This is definitely a classic example and I think this will be regarded as one of U2's signature songs long after they have taken to the stage for the final time.
4. One
I never used to like this song that much, although I did like the video for the single which involved two Trabant cars crashing in to one another. As I've got older though, I've grown to appreciate just what a beautiful song this track really is. The story goes that this is the song that saved U2 from splitting up, such was the impact it had on the band at a time when tensions between the band members had reached boiling point. But the opening strains of acoustic guitar by The Edge and Bono's beautiful delivery of such poetic lyrics convinced the band they were on to a sure fire hit and although this song did not reach number 1, it was a song that was critically acclaimed. I've heard this song compared to Imagine by John Lennon and I can understand the comparison given that both songs are beautiful in their simplicity. I think there are similarities in the concepts of the songs too, although I think the beauty of One is that while musically it seems quite a straightforward composition, the lyrics point to several possible meanings. Some of the songs on Achtung Baby have not aged that well, but this track is assured of having stood the test of time.
3. Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of
U2's 2001 album All That You Can't Leave Behind signalled a spectacular return to form for U2 after the band lost its way for a few years in the commercial bubble it had entered in the aftermath of Achtung Baby. Tracks like Beautiful Day and Wild Honey could very easily have made the higher echelons of this list, but it is this song which is the solitary entry from that album on this shortlist. It is a special song and it is supposedly a song that Bono wrote about the former INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence who had taken his own life just a few months before U2 first started to record this album. Bono and Hutchence were friends and Bono had seen Hutchence not long before Hutchence had died. If, however, you are expecting this song to be a eulogy from Bono to his old friend, think again. It is very much a song of tough love, advising the subject of the song to face up to their problems rather than allowing them to fester and creating a rut they cannot get out of, which sadly it appears happened to Hutchence. The sentiment behind the song is well captured by Bono's vocals and it ranks as one of the band's more mellow offerings. Again, because it is not regularly played on the radio, it is perhaps not as widely known as some of U2's other songs, although it did reach number 2 when released as a single in the spring of 2001.
2. Angel Of Harlem
This song featured on U2's 1988 album Rattle and Hum which paid homage to blues and jazz music from a bygone age and also included U2's first UK number 1 hit Desire and their recording with BB King, When Love Comes To Town. The song is a tribute to Billie Holiday, whose music seems to have provided some inspiration to some of the female throwback singers of recent times, such as Duffy and Amy Winehouse. Because of the imagery of Christmas trees that are referenced in the song, you tend to hear this song more in the winter months than during the summer and it was released as a single in December 1988, although it is not a Christmas song and does in fact sound good at any time of the year. In keeping with U2's other songs of that period, it shows influences from blues and jazz music and the saxophone solo that features in the mid-point of the song is a particular highlight. All in all, it is just such a pleasant piece of music and has always been a track which I have held in high esteem and the great thing about it is that it is perfect listening just as much on a warm summer's day just as much as it was initially intended to be on a cold, wet December afternoon.
1. The Unforgettable Fire
Compiling this list was very tough, but choosing the number 1 was in fact a comparatively easy decision. That is not to detract from the other fine songs in the top 10 and indeed several other fantastic tracks that did not even make the cut, but it serves to demonstrate just how great a track this is. There are certain songs that when they come on the radio just draw you in and make you realise you are about to hear something great. Whole Of The Moon by The Waterboys always does that for me, as does True Faith by New Order and Hotel California by The Eagles. Well, this is U2's moment of musical perfection as far as I am concerned.
I have mentioned before how I feel U2 have been quite an influential band to Coldplay and that is evident if you listen to some of Coldplay's recent singles releases. Well, I would say that this song was a source of influence to one of my favourite Coldplay songs, White Shadows, which is off of the X&Y album. Both tracks feature the singer performing in a falsetto voice and both are roughly five minutes in length. The similarities extend beyond those points of detail though, because what makes both songs the great tracks that they are is the all-round package. U2 have done songs with better lyrics and they have produced songs with heavier, rockier riffs. But it is the music as a composition which makes this track so memorable and makes it stand out from the crowd.
That is not to say that Bono's vocals on this track are irrelevant or just a sideshow. That would be incorrect, because his vocals in fact are delivered perfectly for the song, but it is just that the instrumental components to the song are what make it particularly sound like the masterpiece it is. In some ways, Bono's falsetto strains just provide the backdrop to the song but his contribution is essential in making the song a timeless classic.
This is more than just a bog standard song. It does feel like a modern piece of classical music in some respects that could be performed in a concert hall, given how strings sections feature strongly throughout the track. The instrumental section in the middle of the track is masterful, as are the closing sections of the track which fades out to the sound of a violin.
There are some songs and pieces of music that sound at their best if you do not hear them often and you do not press the repeat button. I would put The Unforgettable Fire in that category but that should not deter you from downloading it. After all these years, I still have not quite worked out what this song is about. The 1985 album that it was taken from of the same name supposedly got its name after the band had visited an exhibition to do with the Hiroshima bombings, but that does not mean necessarily that this song is about nuclear war. In fact I think it is one of those U2 songs with several possible meanings. The imagery that the lyrics throw up suggest it is about a one night stand or a short lived affair and the realisation that the liaison is coming to an end, but I am sure there are other possible interpretations. Whatever the song is about, I would argue that this is U2's finest all-round musical composition to date in 30 years of trying.
So that's the top 10 list completed. It was a wrench narrowing the list down to 10 and had the list been extended to 20 then Electrical Storm, New Year's Day, When Love Comes To Town, Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, Bad, Walk On and Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own would have been certain to make the cut. But even then, I still wouldn't have found a place for U2's number 1 hit singles Desire, The Fly or Beautiful Day, while two of their signature songs Pride (In The Name Of Love) and Sunday Bloody Sunday would still have been excluded. That only serves to show what an extensive back catalogue the band have and how subjective opinion is in terms of deciding what songs are their finest moments. Hopefully their upcoming album will throw up some other future candidates for revised shortlists in a year or two's time.
Saturday, 29 November 2008
Top 10 Coldplay
From time to time, as I mentioned the other day, I will use this blog page to let you know of my top 10 songs by a particular artist/band, explaining my choice behind shortlisting the tracks that I have. To kick this off, it seemed appropriate to consider my favourite 10 Coldplay tracks to date, given that I have just reviewed their latest EP. I realise that music is very subjective, one man's meat is another man's Marmite, to coin a phrase, so no doubt those of you reading this blog will disagree with my choices and will be outraged at some of the tracks which are absent from the shortlist. That is fine, it was in fact quite a difficult process narrowing this list down to 10 tracks given that Coldplay have released a back catalogue of tracks from their four albums and one EP to date and so it is only natural that some songs which others will view as a classic have been left off the final cut. Anyway, here is the magic dectet (if such a word exists), in reverse order:
10. Lovers In Japan
I already mentioned this track in my review of Prospekts March and I think already this has grown on me to the point of me believing this belongs amongst Coldplay's classic pantheon of songs. It seems like a U2 influenced song and the best compliment I can pay is that it would not be out of place on one of their albums.
9. Shiver
This track comes from Coldplay's first album Parachutes from back in 2000. Yellow and Trouble tend to be the tracks that have largely retained the classic status from that album, but this track, which I think I am right in saying was Coldplay's first ever singles release is a mighty fine song in its own right. Chris Martin's vocals capture the vulnerability that the lyrics of the song are trying to convey while the change of moods is equally well captured by there being quieter moments followed by a burst of guitar. A very good song.
8. Trouble
We stay on the Parachutes album and for this track to only poll eighth in my list is some testament to the tracks above it. The haunting piano solo segments are matched only by Chris Martin's haunting vocals on the record. This was iconic at the time it was released and I think it has aged quite well, it still sounds good to hear some eight years after its release.
7. Talk
Again, it is no slight on this track to only poll seventh. Of the singles that Coldplay released from their X&Y album, this was quite clearly their best. Chris Martin's falsetto vocals are at their best on this track and a burst of guitar in the middle of the track are particular highlights. Some see this as quite a sad song, but I actually regard it as more of a hopeful song, an olive branch.
6. Viva La Vida
I must admit this was a song that I did not immediately take to, but over the past few months with more listens, I have realised it is a masterpiece. Thoughtful, clever lyrics which seem be based around how one is judged when their time is up, the great thing about this track is the fusion of instruments that are used in putting the track together. In particular, the strings and the gospel style backing singing go together well and it almost gives this song a religious feel, perhaps in keeping with what the song is about. It is an ambitious composition but it works brilliantly and I imagine it is a marvel to behold when performed live.
5. Life In Technicolor II
It might seem controversial to include this song so high in the list when it is a new track, but I instantly took to this track. It just sounds like a Coldplay signature tune. It starts out with quite an Eastern feel to the track, with instruments that sound from that part of the world. As the track progresses though it feels more and more like a punchy Coldplay track and both the background and Martin's vocals capture extremely well the building of tension that the song seems to be pointing to. If this gets released as a single, I think it could well be remembered as one of Coldplay's finest moments.
4. Green Eyes
This is perhaps something of a curveball, but this was always a particular favourite when Rush Of Blood To The Head. It is just a simple love song, but Martin's vocals are delivered in such a way that he really gets the message across. A lot of the tracks were much edgier and had riffs that people remember and so this song has fallen off the radar. But this is the type of love song that Snow Patrol have been yearning to write for the past three albums and not pulled off. The beauty of this song is in the simplicity of its message and its delivery.
3. White Shadows
Another song from X&Y and I never understood why this was not released as a single in this country. I think it was released as a single in Australia and other parts of the world, but strangely not in Britain. I can only think this was because perhaps at over five minutes long, commercial radio might have been put off. Whatever the reason, it is a great shame. The way the song starts out and the way in which Martin delivers his falsetto vocals, this reminds me a little of The Unforgettable Fire by U2 which is certainly one of that band's finest moments. Martin's vocals on this record are fantastic, but this is a track that is recommended for far more than the vocal or the lyrics, as a musical composition it just sounds so great to listen to.
2. The Scientist
If you don't like Coldplay, you are likely to loathe this song because you will likely see it as depressing. I think that is misleading. I think the message in the song is actually far less morose and more about the concept of going back and correcting past mistakes, at least that is my personal interpretation of the song. Whatever the song actually does mean or is about, Martin's vocals are at their most haunting and the use of the piano on this song is an artform.
1. Violet Hill
The opening to this track sounds a little akin to Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits. Fortunately that is the only element of the track that is in any way reminiscent to the 80s dad rockers. The song is essentially an anti-war song but which sees things from the perspective of a soldier returning home. The piano and guitar are both used to great effect in the song and for a track that lasts less than 4 minutes, so much seems to happen in that time. It has been out for less than a year and already it seems like an epic. This is certain to be on the shortlist at the Brit Awards and quite rightly so, for this listener at least, it is Coldplay's finest work to date.
So there you are. That is my list and there are some very notable absentees from the shortlist, including Speed Of Sound, Fix You, Yellow and Clocks. 42 and Daylight were my eleventh and twelfth choices incidentally and these would have been followed by Square One, Rush Of Blood To The Head and Speed Of Sound had I extended the list further. It was a tough call narrowing this down to 10 tracks though and I know that there are some obvious favourites that would have been top of other people's lists. But, hey, it's my blog!
10. Lovers In Japan
I already mentioned this track in my review of Prospekts March and I think already this has grown on me to the point of me believing this belongs amongst Coldplay's classic pantheon of songs. It seems like a U2 influenced song and the best compliment I can pay is that it would not be out of place on one of their albums.
9. Shiver
This track comes from Coldplay's first album Parachutes from back in 2000. Yellow and Trouble tend to be the tracks that have largely retained the classic status from that album, but this track, which I think I am right in saying was Coldplay's first ever singles release is a mighty fine song in its own right. Chris Martin's vocals capture the vulnerability that the lyrics of the song are trying to convey while the change of moods is equally well captured by there being quieter moments followed by a burst of guitar. A very good song.
8. Trouble
We stay on the Parachutes album and for this track to only poll eighth in my list is some testament to the tracks above it. The haunting piano solo segments are matched only by Chris Martin's haunting vocals on the record. This was iconic at the time it was released and I think it has aged quite well, it still sounds good to hear some eight years after its release.
7. Talk
Again, it is no slight on this track to only poll seventh. Of the singles that Coldplay released from their X&Y album, this was quite clearly their best. Chris Martin's falsetto vocals are at their best on this track and a burst of guitar in the middle of the track are particular highlights. Some see this as quite a sad song, but I actually regard it as more of a hopeful song, an olive branch.
6. Viva La Vida
I must admit this was a song that I did not immediately take to, but over the past few months with more listens, I have realised it is a masterpiece. Thoughtful, clever lyrics which seem be based around how one is judged when their time is up, the great thing about this track is the fusion of instruments that are used in putting the track together. In particular, the strings and the gospel style backing singing go together well and it almost gives this song a religious feel, perhaps in keeping with what the song is about. It is an ambitious composition but it works brilliantly and I imagine it is a marvel to behold when performed live.
5. Life In Technicolor II
It might seem controversial to include this song so high in the list when it is a new track, but I instantly took to this track. It just sounds like a Coldplay signature tune. It starts out with quite an Eastern feel to the track, with instruments that sound from that part of the world. As the track progresses though it feels more and more like a punchy Coldplay track and both the background and Martin's vocals capture extremely well the building of tension that the song seems to be pointing to. If this gets released as a single, I think it could well be remembered as one of Coldplay's finest moments.
4. Green Eyes
This is perhaps something of a curveball, but this was always a particular favourite when Rush Of Blood To The Head. It is just a simple love song, but Martin's vocals are delivered in such a way that he really gets the message across. A lot of the tracks were much edgier and had riffs that people remember and so this song has fallen off the radar. But this is the type of love song that Snow Patrol have been yearning to write for the past three albums and not pulled off. The beauty of this song is in the simplicity of its message and its delivery.
3. White Shadows
Another song from X&Y and I never understood why this was not released as a single in this country. I think it was released as a single in Australia and other parts of the world, but strangely not in Britain. I can only think this was because perhaps at over five minutes long, commercial radio might have been put off. Whatever the reason, it is a great shame. The way the song starts out and the way in which Martin delivers his falsetto vocals, this reminds me a little of The Unforgettable Fire by U2 which is certainly one of that band's finest moments. Martin's vocals on this record are fantastic, but this is a track that is recommended for far more than the vocal or the lyrics, as a musical composition it just sounds so great to listen to.
2. The Scientist
If you don't like Coldplay, you are likely to loathe this song because you will likely see it as depressing. I think that is misleading. I think the message in the song is actually far less morose and more about the concept of going back and correcting past mistakes, at least that is my personal interpretation of the song. Whatever the song actually does mean or is about, Martin's vocals are at their most haunting and the use of the piano on this song is an artform.
1. Violet Hill
The opening to this track sounds a little akin to Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits. Fortunately that is the only element of the track that is in any way reminiscent to the 80s dad rockers. The song is essentially an anti-war song but which sees things from the perspective of a soldier returning home. The piano and guitar are both used to great effect in the song and for a track that lasts less than 4 minutes, so much seems to happen in that time. It has been out for less than a year and already it seems like an epic. This is certain to be on the shortlist at the Brit Awards and quite rightly so, for this listener at least, it is Coldplay's finest work to date.
So there you are. That is my list and there are some very notable absentees from the shortlist, including Speed Of Sound, Fix You, Yellow and Clocks. 42 and Daylight were my eleventh and twelfth choices incidentally and these would have been followed by Square One, Rush Of Blood To The Head and Speed Of Sound had I extended the list further. It was a tough call narrowing this down to 10 tracks though and I know that there are some obvious favourites that would have been top of other people's lists. But, hey, it's my blog!
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