I wanna get a U2 cd, I have none of their albums. which one should i buy first?

i'd start with how to dismantle an atomic bomb (their latest) just to get a feel of where they are in the present. then i'd go in this order:

boy
achtung baby
zooropa
pop
rattle and hum
joshua tree
all that you can't leave behind
war
unforgettable fire
october
under a blood red sky
passengers: original soundtracks

Get Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby! and All That You Can't Leave Behind first. Not that all of those are my favorites, but they seem to be the benchmarks of each of their different eras.

"Achtung Baby"! You should start with "ACHTUNG BABY"!!!

Then you should get their latest "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb" Or "The Joshua Tree"...

My personal favourite is "POP" but people don't like it (neither U2)...

BillieSparks said:

I'll save you some money.

The only U2 albums you need are Achtung Baby, Zooropa, Passengers and Pop. Also get their two "Best Ofs". These are all masterpieces. Pop is flawed but
it represents last time U2 were remotely interesting. So listen to it as a requiem and it'll make sense.

The rest of their output is boring, predictable, unexciting crap - ESPECIALLY the last two albums and Crap Out Your Bum.
[Edited 7/6/05 21:40pm]

Shapeshifter said:

Well, I disagree. There's nothing boring about Boy, War, The Unforgettable Fire and Joshua Tree.

But I prefer their 90's work too. I'll never understand the bad rap that Pop gets.

Shapeshifter said:

for a band that continues to be the number one band in the world and continues to satisfy even the most long term fan, people are still saying such nonsense?! ...Atomic Bomb is a great record and there's nothing boring about it. vertigo, love and peace or else, city of blinding lights, yahweh, a man and a woman, crumbs from your table, sometimes you can't make it on your own...these are instant classis u2 songs. to be honest, this is the closest the band had come to "boy" since 1980.

i guess in the end its just an opinion, like mine above, and is only really relevant to the owner of the thought.

In my admittedly biased opinion, U2 hasn't made a bad album yet. Their back catalog is extremely rich and varied. The easiest ways into their catalog would probably be through Achtung Baby, Joshua Tree, War, and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. Albums like Zooropa, Unforgettable Fire, Pop, and Rattle and Hum might take a little more effort, but are still definitely worth it.

im afraid u2 have bored the arse off me since the dreadful "pop" album in the mid nineties.....before that, they were a very good rock band and there is no doubt "the joshua tree" is their greatest album

blackbob said:

Cheek said:

don't worry about him...after all, he has the trendy band du jour (albeit a very good band) as his avatar.

SassyBritches said:

"Pop" is my favourite...

Cheek said:

achtung, pop, and how to dismantle are my faves. its very difficult for me to pick the best of the three.

SassyBritches said:

Yeah! "Achtung Baby" is a close second, and I'm slowly becoming addicted to "How To Dismantle..."

Unforgettable Fire is the best. And I have always wondered why "Pop" gets bad reviews. It is awesome. Perhaps because it is pretty experimental. Were they experimenting with acid around this time?

achtung, pop, and how to are like a three part series. achtung shows the band growing up and experimenting. pop shows them losing their faith and battling with inner demons that were instigated from achtung, and how to dismantle shows them reconciling all these dilemmas and coming "home."

SassyBritches said:

isn't that the story of fleetwood mac?

purplegypsy said:

its the story of you and me, sweetheart.

"All That You Can't Leave Behind" was considered the shit by critics when it came out. Seems like it's fallen off lately. I wonder why.

blackbob said:

It's strange...I love "The Joshua Tree", but there are several of their albums that I put on and enjoy more.

Why haven't U2 remastered their early albums?

seanski said:

that's how their going to make money when they've retired from music.

SassyBritches said:

I heard they were supposed to start this year.

GangstaFam said:

they need to!

SassyBritches said:

It'd make sense for their 25th anniversary. They should do it like The Cure has been with their 2 disc remasters.

GangstaFam said:

And while they're at it, they need to upgrade some of their video collections and concerts to DVD. I'm tired of waiting for Zoo TV, Blood Red Sky, Popmart, or the 1980-1990 Collection to be released.

Axchi696 said:

BillieSparks said:

download the U2 irving Plaza 2000 show.....or get your hands on the rattle and hum tape or Live Aid....if not then get Pop, just to upset Bono. Forget buying albums, start collecting early boots like me, then we can trade

1st of all, don't listen to these guys, stay away from Pop...its one of the worst representations of U2 out there. Yes its experimental...but so is Achtung Baby but the difference is Achtung works and Pop doesn't (even Bono hates it).

I'd start with Joshua Tree...still their best. Then Achtung Baby, War, Unforgettable Fire, All That You Can Leave Behind, How To Build...,Under a Blood Red Sky, and Boy. Any of those you'll be happy with. The questionable ones for me are Rattle and Hum (Some of it is awesome...it has All I Want Is You...possibly my favorite U2 song...but some of it is shit...the cover of Helter Skelter and All Along The Watchtower), Zoopropa, and October both of which have their moments but aren't their best. The 1st best of set is great...look for the one with the 2nd disc of b-sides. The 2nd best of set is a waste of money imo.

Pagey said:

"How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb"