Rock and Roll Reminiscing UUUU

Tour2ma · June 2003

Rock and Roll Reminiscing

25 May 2003 --- Letter Of The Week is U

For what this is about and some guidelines please click on the following link:

http://clubpolk.polkaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7234

Yes, its a long post, but please read, if you participate.

This week we are only discussing artists whose last name, and groups whose name begin with the letter U.

Note: The word The doesnt count, so for example The Allman Brothers Band belongs in the "A's" discussion and not in the Ts (guideline #5).

When possible, please supply complete title, format, company, year and catalog number when posting recordings.

And so our 26-week odyssey continues

Hope you come along for the ride

Sorry for the late start this week...

danger boy · June 2003

What gives? No one has started this yet. so I will.

U2

While I like most of U2's music.. i prefer their older stuff.. From their first three CD"s.

shack · June 2003

Uriah Heep - Demons And Wizards - 1972 - I have this one on vinyl. "The Wizard", "Easy Livin' ", "Rainbow Demon" and "All My Life" are good tracks.

The Magician's Birthday" - 1972 - Also on vinyl. "Sunrise", "Sweet Lorraine" and "The Magician's Birthaday" are the best cuts.

The Best Of Uriah Heep - 1976 - CD - Most of the good stuff from above but includes "Look At Yourself" and a 10+ minute version of "July Morning" off of the Look At Youself album. Also "Gypsy" from their first album Uriah Heep". This is a very good "best of" album as it contains most of their good stuff. I listened to this one tonight and I still enjoy it very much. Some may find it dated but UH got a lot of play back in my "MIND EXPANDING" days

so I have fond memories (I think

).

shack · June 2003

Originally posted by danger boy
U2

While I like most of U2's music.. i prefer their older stuff.. From their first three CD"s.

If you don't mind...I have to expand on this one a little danger boy....In honor of my good friend that passed away recently...U2 was one of his favorite bands and we discussed them often.

War - 1983 - This is the album that gave us the definitve U2 track "Sunday Bloody Sunday". I'm not sure which version I like better...this one...or the live one on Under A Blood Red Sky - Probably the live version. War IMO is their 3rd best album.

I never purchased the first two CDs but I got some of the material on Under A Blood Red Sky - 1983 - Very nice live album that is very close to War on my list with "Sunday Bloody Sunday" plus "I Will Follow", "Gloria", "New Year's Day" and "40". Good cuts all.

My favorite U2 CD is The Joshua Tree - 1987 - probably because it has my favorite U2 cut on it. "With Or Without You" (just slightly ahead of "Sunday Bloody Sunday"). Top to bottom this album is much more musically refined than their earlier work. I like the edgy early work but this CD showcases their skills. The first four cuts "Where the Streets Have No Name", "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", "With or Without You" and "Bullet the Blue Sky" start the album off very strong. A very good listen.

I also have Rattle And Hum - 1988 and Achtung Baby - 1991. I was disappointed with Rattle And Hum but found Achtung Baby quite interesting if for no other reason than it is so DIFFERENT than anything esle they have done.

Bono is very much like Sting...talented with a very high opinion of their importance in the scheme of things. Plus they both have only one name. At least they haven't changed it like the "Artist formerly known as Prince" did!

avelanchefan · June 2003

Going to elaborate on Shacks post a little more.

I personallyy liked Achtung Baby very much. Not their best album, but very high in my book. Zoo Station, Even better than the Real thing, Mysterious Ways, One, and Until the End of the World are excellent songs. This is one of their more recent CD's that flows very nicely from beginning to end.

I also thought the the album Unforgettable Fire did not recieve more recognition that what it should have. A very good effort by U2.

My favorite song by U2?.....Has to be "New Years Day". I absolutely love that song.

BTW- I prefer the live version of Sunday Bloody Sunday.

I have been to a lot of concerts at Red Rocks. That is one I wish I could have said I went to.

Tour2ma · June 2003

Utopia
Deface the Music Vinyl (1980 Bearsville BRK 3487)
Utopia Vinyl (1982 Network 60183-1)
Bit of a duplication here from the Rs and Todd Rundgren, but there arent that many Us

While I dont believe that in general his Utopia work approaches his solo efforts, I have to say Deface is a very good effort. Certainly worth the couple bucks I laid out for the bargain bin, cutout copy I own. Todds theme here, and this release is clearly dominated by him, is essentially to parody the Beatles entire library in the span of one album. Probably because it is both better done and less obvious it succeeds in many ways more than the Rutles. Fun listen

Cant say the same for Utopia, which is clearly a more collabotative effort and suffers some for that. Todds playfulness is really confined to the packaging. When you pull the album from the stack the first thing you note is that although it lists only sides 1 and 2 on the back cover, it feels a bit too heavy to be a single album. Sure enough a second disc is to be found within bearing an uncredited side 3. Side 4? Well, rather than leave it blank ala our friend Joe Jackson, Todd chose to repeat side three. Pretty cool, but itd be better if side three were worth repeating There are some high points here and there, mostly contributed by Todd, but overall the materials kind of thin here

F1nut · June 2003

I've got nothing to add.

gidrah · June 2003

Dang, and I just wanted to add Utopia. I've been thinking whether or not it would fall into the R's or not and had decided to post it anyways. Good stuff.

Tour2ma · June 2003

gidrah,
There are a bunch more Utopia albums out there to review.

** Rock and Roll Reminiscing  UUUU **

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Rock and Roll Reminiscing UUUU