U2
Rattle And Hum

To understand this album, there are two possible explanations. One of two things: either U2 suddenly became idiots, or they became greedy cowards.

Since no one becomes an idiot suddenly, greed and cowardice are the (banal) explanation for this absurd hybrid of live and unreleased tracks, which was released just a year and a half after "Joshua".

Let's try to clarify. We are in 1988. U2 had already become the most popular band in the world, and "Joshua" continued to receive (overblown) celebrations. U2, though nearly in their thirties, weren't able to endure all this.

History often repeats itself, and knowing very well how the (inflated) myth of "Pepper" became burdensome and was one of the (various) causes for the Beatles' breakup, I fully understand how terrible it must have been for U2 to live under the shadow of the "Tree".

The reason for the hybrid is precisely this: U2 were afraid to release a true follow-up to "Joshua" (too overwhelmed by its myth), so they placed the new songs amidst the live tracks, thinking this album would be judged as a live with some unreleased material. It's a pity there are 9 unreleased tracks...; if they had only five new songs, I could understand, but with nine unreleased tracks, definitely not. Who did they think they were fooling? The trick was, in fact, missed by no one—except the most loyal fans.

Unfortunately, it doesn't end here. I can very well understand that after creating a masterpiece—and "Joshua, with appropriate clarifications, is undoubtedly one—you can wonder: will we be able to make things as great as those done in the past? It's human. Then, logically, when there's too much celebration around, the best thing is to disappear. U2 could have gone out of circulation for a few years, processed the celebrations, and evaluated them for what they are..., and then, with newfound serenity, produced a great album. Instead—and it really pains me to say this—out of greed for money, they couldn't resist riding the stratospheric commercial success of "Joshua".

And it was another incredible commercial success: to date, 14 million copies sold, a couple below "Achtung Baby" (which, however, had "One" as a single...).

The cowardice of not presenting a true follow-up to "Joshua", diluting it in a "fake live", the greed to ride the market demand, the pretentiousness of posing as expert disseminators of the American musical tradition about which, in reality, they knew almost nothing, and then Bono's prophetic attitude in "Silver and Gold"—truly bordering on the ridiculous—literally provoked criticism's insults. I don't usually agree with critics, but this time it's impossible not to agree with them.

During the Zoo Tour, Bono candidly admitted: "Making ‘Rattle and Hum’ was a screw-up" (cf. Bill Flanagan, "U2 at the End of the World"). True words. This record is, in its conception, a colossal screw-up, such an enormous naivety as I've rarely seen in my life. U2 practically begged to be slammed.

If I have to judge the live-unreleased hybrid, it’s a fixed 1—a grade I wouldn't give to any record.

But, as we know, "Love is blind." And my love for the band makes me blind. So I'll pretend not to see the live songs, and I'll review "Rattle and Hum" as a (dignified) follow-up to "Joshua".

The review could very well end here. The rest is a track-by-track, so if you're not interested, don't read it.

First, let’s look at the album without the live tracks. 1. Van Diemen's Land 2. Desire 3. Hawkmoon 269 4. Angel of Harlem 5. Love Rescue Me 6. When Love Comes to Town 7. Heartland 8. God II 9. All I Want is You Let's have a look at the individual songs.

"Van Diemen's Land" is dedicated to the poet John Boyle O'Reilly, who fought against the English government for Ireland's liberation. He was deported to "Van Diemen's Land" (now Tasmania), where all the political prisoners were sent. The melody is inspired by a classic Irish ballad called "The River is Wide.” Edge placed his splendid sparkling guitar and his voice (beautiful), making it a masterpiece—at least for me.

"Desire" is a pleasant (radio-friendly) song that would have been better as an intro for its undeniable energy. In the lyrics, there's a line where Bono makes fun of himself: "I'm like a preacher stealing hearts in a traveling show. For love or for money, money...?" Unfortunately, in “Silver and Gold,” he’ll destroy this irony, taking himself a bit too seriously...

"Hawkmoon 269" is a song with an idea repeated endlessly, but it has the power to move me and touch me. Despite its simplicity and repetitiveness (in the music and lyrics), it never bores me. The lyrics are a letter from Bono to his wife, written during the 1987 tour. He continually tells her, "I need your love." Simple but effective.

"Angel of Harlem" is a song that has never driven me crazy, but it’s impactful and very well-arranged with trumpets. Another radio-friendly single, classier than "Desire".

"Love Rescue Me" was written together with Bob Dylan. These are the U2 I like to hear. A song of depth, although it requires patience from the listener. One of the band's best ballads. I don’t understand why Edge didn't put his sparkling guitar into it. Probably he didn't, otherwise, it would have been too similar to "Heartland".

"When Love Comes to Town". I have to say a few more words about this song. During "The Joshua Tree Tour" in 1987, U2 decided to engage in a "commercial collaboration" with B.B. King (famous bluesman and Jimi Hendrix's idol). With B.B. King alongside, U2 would have found even more favor in the USA, while B.B. King, who was going through a crisis, would, as he said, "restore his recording credibility". Putting aside the moral aspect behind all duets, let's judge the song itself. I must say it’s not as bad as I thought. It’s a pleasant piece, even good if we want, but there's nothing of the real classic blues that leaves you in silence during and after listening. More smoke than fire. It would have been great to hear a classic slow blues done with Edge's guitar. Additionally, in this song, there’s never real synergy between the two guitarists: Edge does his job, and B.B. King does his. They seem like two separatelies at home. Regarding the singing, I like B.B. King a lot. Bono isn't thrown away, but, as they say, "If you want to sing the blues, you have to be black, or you have to have suffered like a black man."

"Heartland" is Edge's guitar in all its splendor—joined by good bass work and a fair but nice drum work. The counter-vocals are perfect and touch the strings of emotion. Excellent the ending, when Bono's vocalizing joins the melancholic guitar. One of U2's forgotten masterpieces.

"God, part 2" is nothing, musically speaking. What counts here is the lyrics. Bono received much criticism and was accused of believing himself to be the new John Lennon—who twenty years earlier had written his resigned "God," in which he said he believed in nothing, but only in himself and Yoko Ono. Bono decided to write the sequel. In the verses, he says he doesn't believe in a whole series of things but believes in love. The idea doesn't displease me, but it needed much better music. Moreover, if he had titled the song more modestly "I Believe in Love," this piece wouldn’t have made all the noise it did, and he wouldn't have received accusations of grandiosity.

"All I Want is You" is another of U2’s masterpieces, on which no words are needed. Just a note: a minute and twenty of conclusion is really too much.

I don't like the album title—taken from a line in "Bullet the Blue Sky". The dominant theme of almost all the pieces is love, and "Love" would have been the better title—perhaps banal, but better.

Judged with only the unreleased, it's a good album, let's say a 3.5-star, very easy in a couple of episodes ("Angel of Harlem" and "Desire"), mediocre in another couple ("Love Comes to Town," "God, part 2"), but with an exciting song ("Hawkmoon 269") and four of the best tracks ever recorded by the band ("Heartland," "Van Diemen's Land," "Love Rescue Me," and "All I Want is You").

If I think that, instead of this useless record, they could have made a real live and "Heartland," "Van Diemen's Land," "Love Rescue Me," and "All I Want is You" would have ended up in "Achtung Baby," I almost feel sadness...

But perhaps without this useless record and the criticism that followed, "Achtung Baby" wouldn't have been so great. It was the terrible criticisms received for "Rattle and Hum" that forced them to bring out the attributes, like never before and never again, telling "Joshua" and all its suffocating myth to go to hell, and bringing out the most badass album of their career, the "masterpiece of maturity"—unfortunately, to date, the last masterpiece of their history. "'Achtung Baby' is us finally coming down from the ‘Joshua Tree’". (Bono)