The Greatness of U2

Not many rock bands can boast multiple all-time classic albums.  Really, how many can even lay claim to one all-time classic album?  Maybe a few dozen... not many at all.  Then there is U2.  Innovators, pioneers, masters of reinvention. They can make a pretty convincing argument for 4 all-time classis albums.  War was their 3rd release in 1983 and gave us the classic singles New Years Day, Two Hearts Beat as One, and Sunday Bloody Sunday, and really cemented their political activist lyrics & sound.  Then, four years later, they released their crowning achievement (and my favorite album of all time), The Joshua Tree.  Every song was different and yet tied together.  the album flowed beautifully, and it begs to be played in sequence and in its entirety.  Another four year gap produced Achtung Baby, another masterpiece without a weak link, spawning such gems as Even Better Than The Real Thing, So Cruel, and Love Is Blindness.  Finally, the year 2000 gave us All That You Can't Leave Behind.  And with the possible exception of Pop in 1997, there was not a weak album over the breadth of their career to date.  So as an exercise in fun, I decided to compile a list of my 15 favorite U2 songs over their illustrious and influential career.  Mind you, these are not their 15 most popular songs (though rest assured, there are plenty of crowd pleasers here).  These are the songs I would recommend to a U2 novice who wanted a great representation of the band's work.  Choosing them wasn't easy.  In narrowing the field, I had to leave off such gems as Bad, Gloria, I Will Follow, The Wanderer, Red Hill Mining Town, Zooropa, Elevation, Vertigo, In God's Country, Mysterious Ways, One Tree Hill, etc, etc, etc.  You'll note that several albums are represented more than once and some not at all.  This owes itself to the overwhelming quality of their best work.  So without further ado:

 The 15 greatest U2 songs of all time

15.  With or Without You (The Joshua Tree)  -Powerful,  and elegant.  Simple, haunting beauty best experienced with the volume up and your eyes closed.
14.  The Fly (Achtung Baby) -Full of electronic sound and guitar distortion.  Probably one of the songs that paved the way for the Zooropa and Pop albums.  But I'll forgive them for Pop because this song is so cool.
13.  Desire (Rattle and Hum) -Believe it or not, the song that introduced me to U2.  So yes, I discovered them late.  Great song, great video.
12.  Where the Streets Have No Name (The Joshua Tree) -Possibly the coolest opening bass guitar part from any album ever.
11.  Lemon (Zooropa) - One of the singles and the coolest song to come off their quirkiest album.  Bono hitting some really high notes.
10.  One (Achtung Baby) - I've seen this song at or near the top of many lists of the tops songs of the '90's.  There's a reason for that.  It's a beautiful ballad full of sarcasm and lament.
9.  Pride (The Unforgettable Fire) -Seems to be Hollywood's favorite U2 song, as it feels like seldom does a year go by without it being featured in a TV show, movie soundtrack, or commercial for one thing or another.  Their ode to Martin Luther King, it is both inspirational and uplifting.
8.  Love is Blindness (Achtung Baby) -Another ballad, this one spawned an almost equally cool cover version by Jack White that has been heavily featured in the Gatsby movie trailer.  Of course, U2 did it first and did it better.
7.  Running To Stand Still (The Joshua Tree) -Yet another sad ballad about an junkie's struggle with addiction.  The end of the song provides all the proof you'll ever need that a harmonica is a very cool, soulful instrument.  This was my favorite U2 song for pretty much all of my 20's and holds a special place in my heart still today.
6.  Sunday Bloody Sunday (War) -The first U2 song I ever truly loved and quite possibly their most  political song.  It tells the sad story of the 1972 Bloody Sunday incident in Northern Ireland.  A song of anger and sorrow.
5.  Walk On (All That You Can't Leave Behind) -While the album was released prior to the September 11 attacks, both the song and the album took on new resonance.  A song of hope and optimism that helped me cope with the horror of the terrorist attacks.
4.  Angel of Harlem (Rattle and Hum) -What made The Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum such great albums was U2's full-on embrace of American music and the roots of rock and roll.  Angel of Harlem was a tribute to American jazz and such artists as Billie Holliday, John Coltrane, and Miles Davis. 
3.  Two Hearts Beat as One (War) -  Some of the best bass playing of Adam Clayton's career.  My favorite song off one of their masterpiece albums.
2.  The Electric Co (Boy) - The very best of their early work.  Hard driving drums from Larry Mullen and attacking guitar from the most distinctive guitarist in rock and roll, The Edge.  If someone asked me to point out the song that best exemplifies the U2 sound, this is the song I would identify.
1.  I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (The Joshua Tree) - Inspired by gospel music (and even performed live with a church choir in the Rattle and Hum movie), it is all about a continuing search for spirituality and meaning.  Another song of hope, because though he has hasn't found what he's looking for, he's still looking, and "you know I believe it".  


Up next, lists for Aerosmith, Rush, Bon Jovi, Pearl Jam, Metallica, and Billy Joel (not necessarily in that order).

Thanksgiving 2012

As happens this time every year, I sit here in front of the keyboard and find myself nearly overcome with emotion as I reflect on life, family, career, relationships, the past year.  In trying times filled with adversity and sadness, there is still so much to be thankful for, and after all, that's what today is all about.

First and foremost I am thankful for my children.  Two wonderful, happy little kids who bring so much joy and meaning into our lives.  And one of the greatest joys of parenting is watching their relationship with each other develop and evolve.  Erin is such a complex mix of too grown up too fast and so sweet and innocent... she's a complicated one like her Mom.  Her layers have layers, so to speak.  Scarcely a day goes by where she doesn't impress me or make me proud.   Then there's Johnny.  Not even two and already a determined, obstinate, rugged little individual.  He worships his sister and imitates much of what she does, but at the same time, is unafraid to strike out and try to do things his own way.  His toddler outlook and approach to life can only really be adequately described in this way; he attacks the world with determination, with unabashed joy, and with vigor.  He, like Erin, is an inspiration to me.  I love my children almost above my capacity to put into words. 

Which brings me to their Mom, my Wife, my best friend and long time soul mate, Laureen.  If our family were a building, she would be the keystone.  The keystone and maybe the foundation as well. Regardless of the challenge or adversity, new or existing that we may face, Laureen always helps me find a way to laugh as we face it together.  She is an outstanding Mom who may sometimes lack confidence but more than makes up for it with instinct, love, patience and devotion.  She has my undying love, admiration and respect.  I am so thankful to have her and for the family we have built together. 

I am thankful for the love, support, and health of our families.  The past several years have seen numerous serious health scares for our parents, grandparents, siblings, and extended families.   Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers daily, that we love you, and are here to offer any support we can.

I am thankful for the friendships we share, some old, some new, all dear.  I feel blessed every day to know that we have so many great friends and regret only that we do not get to spend more time together. 

I am thankful that Laureen and I both saw promotions at work this year.  Mine came in August while Laureen's came through about a week ago. 

I am thankful that the cousins get along so well and genuinely look forward to seeing each other.  And I am thankful that the blessed arrival of Kellen will add another new fun dimension to the cousin dynamic.  Wyatt and Grace are such good kids and Erin is always really excited to see them.  And Johnny may be too young to anticipate seeing his cousins, but he gets excited when they arrive and jumps right into the mix with the bigger kids.  I only wish they could see more of each other.

Finally, I am grateful to be alive and to be free in this great national experiment know as the United States of America, and to the men and women of our armed forces who have sacrificed much, and in many cases all, to secure that freedom for us.    My deepest heartfelt thanks.

Happy and safe Thanksgiving, Everyone!

The Starfish

The Starfish- Author Unkown

I awoke early, as I often did, just before sunrise, to walk by the ocean's edge and greet the new day. As I moved through the morning dawn, I focused on a faint, far away motion. I saw a youth, bending and reaching and flailing arms, dancing on the beach, no doubt in celebration of the perfect day soon to begin.
As I approached, I realized that the youth was not dancing to the bay, but rather bending to sift through the debris left by the night's tide, stopping now and then to pick up starfish and then standing, to heave it back into the sea.

I asked the youth the purpose of the effort. "The tide has washed the starfish onto the beach and they cannot return to the sea by themselves," the youth replied. "When the sun rises, they will die, unless I throw them back into the sea."
 
As the youth explained, I surveyed the vast expanse of beach, stretching in both directions beyond eyesight. Starfish littered the shore in numbers beyond calculation. The hopelessness of the youth's plan became clear to me and I countered, "But there are more starfish on this beach than you can ever save before the sun is up. Surely you cannot expect to make a difference."

The youth paused briefly to consider my words, bent to pick up a starfish and threw it as far as possible. Turning to me he simply said,

"I made a difference to that ONE."