Rattle And Hum: 25 Years To U2 Album

Rattle And Hum was released about 25 years ago on 10th of October, 1988. Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton tried to follow the roots of Gospel and Blues Rock after making their wonderful The Joshua Tree. Some of the critics said that U2 were trying to get into the giant shoes of the artists they covered, such as Bob Dylan, The Beatles, John Lennon and B.B King. Still, It was a great effort to travel through America's earlier sounds. 25 years after, some of the songs might sound pretty old, but it deserves the recognition, so here are five original songs from that album

God II

Heartland

Desire

When Love Comes To Town (With B.B. King)

All I Want Is You

Bandcamp Hunting #6 - 5 Things You Should Hear

Oyinda - Before The Fall EP

Oyinda has got a great voice with a British accent, which cannot hide her origin. She's making an Elctro-Synthpop which sounds pretty futurist yet interesting. This is her first EP, hoping to hear more of her in the future

Eefje De Visser - Het Is

I haven't been to the Netherlands yet, so I don't managed to try speak their language so far. Listening to Eefje De Visser voice, sings unrecognised words (for me...) in sounds like Folk-Pop album makes me want to hurry up to the next departure to Schipol and take the car to Utrecht, trying to hear her music

Superman Revenge Squad - A Funny Thing You Said

Ben Parker, a musician from Croydon, UK. Released a beautiful single called A Funny Thing You Said. I like the rhythem of this song as well his voice and lyrics. BTW - Great monikor!

Handsome And Gretyl - Harmony

Taken from the forthcoming album of this Seattle based dou, who met each other, got married and started to make music together. Their album will be released on September and will be named Miles And Miles. Meanwhile, you can enjoy this beautiful harmony

Dylan Frater Music - The Torch Songs EP

Going down to New Zealand, I found this wonderful EP, by Dylan Frater Music from Wellington. His voice is so powerful, reminds me something like Bono (Of U2 in his good years) and the leading singer of Gomez, Ian Ball. Great album for the weekend, don't miss Living Your Way.

Blue (Pick Word #30)

That's been a wonderful day today with a blue sky and beautiful sunshine. It reminded me of some songs about the Blue color, so here are five of them by Passangers, Moby, Elbow, Nick Drake and Cocteau Twins. Seems that I'll publish more notes about this beautiful color.

Passangers - Your Blue Room (Taken From Original Soundtracks 1, 1995)

Moby - Into The Blue (Taken From Everything Is Wrong, 1995)

Elbow - Powder Blue (Taken From Asleep In The Back, 2001)

Cocteau Twins - Blue Bell Knoll (Taken From Blue Bell Knoll, 1988)

Nick Drake - Way To Blue (Taken From Five Leaves Left, 1969)

Speak Louder: 30 Years To REM's "Murmur"

When REM, a young four piece Rock band from Athens, Georgia entered Reflection studios in January 1983, I don't think they imagined how well known they'll become in the future. Those four young guys: Michael Stipe, Mike Miles, Peter Buck and Bill Berry recorded that album after replacing their producer Stephen Hague for Mitch Easter, who emphasised the technical perfection as the previous and gave them more freedom. It seems that it was one of the best decisions made by REM, who convinced their label IRS, to schudele a tryout with Mitch Easter. The label heard the recordings and agreed that they'll continue woring together, and the rest is History. The album was released on 13 of April, 1983, 30 years ago, earning quite good reviews but it sold only 200,000 copies, which was considered under the expectations. The leading single was Radio Free Europe, which peaked the #78 place in Billboard Chart but the critic loved it so much that even the Rolling Stone magazine crowned it as the best album of 1983, beating Michael Jackson's Thriller, U2's War and The Police's Synchronity. Looking back at that album made me discover again the pure magic that was translated to their big success later on. So let's celebrate with them by hearing five songs from that great debut album.

Radio Free Europe

Sitting Still

Talk About The Passion

Catapult

Perfect Circle

Wartime: 30 Years To U2's "War"

When War, the third  studio album of the Irish band U2 was released 30 years ago, on 28 February, it was different world then we know now. There was still the Cold War between USA and USSR, Ronald Reagan (40th president of US) and Margaret Tatcher (UK Prime-Minister) accelerated the privatisation of the public sector, leaving a minimal welfare state and you called still hear the bombs exploding in Northern Ireland's streets while the struggle between Unionists and Protestants seems far away from its end. In a world which war was a defining moment, Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. made an album which was a prayer for a peaceful world. Although it may sound too old these days, hearing Sunday Bloody Sunday (Which was written about Bloody Sunday riots in Derry, 1972), New Year's Day (Which was reshaped by the Polish Solidarity Movement, Solidarnosc) and even beautiful 40, can make you think about war and its victims. For the 30 year anniversary of that Politically oriented album, here are five songs which are relevant even today. 

Sunday Bloody Sunday

 

Like A Song

 

Drowning Man

 

New Year's Day

40

Kite (Pick Word #5)

When I was younger, I was fascinated by kites, those tethered air crafts that older kids in the neighbourhood flew. First invented in China about 2,800 years ago, the kites were made of silk and Bamboo which were the immediate materials to be used for that then new toy. Today, we can see children and mature people flying they're kites by the sea or in a windy green field far away from the noise of the common life. I searched for songs about kites and found a few that are really great, so enjoy them and try to fly one by yourselves. You can find some similar songs on Museum Of Flight Series

1) U2 - Kite (Taken from All That You Can't Leave Behind, 2000)

Favourite Line: I'm a man, I'm not a child. A man who sees the shadow behind your eyes

 

2) Sun Kil Moon - Black Kite (Taken from Among The Leaves, 2012)

Favourite Line: Down the river, along the sea, up in the sky black kite follow

3) Blow Up Hollywood - Kite (Taken from Blow Up Hollywood, 2002)

Favourite Line: praying, wishing, hoping that somehow we'll see the light

 

4) K's Choice - White Kite Fauna (Taken From Paradise In Me, 1996)

Favourite Line: I close my eyes and perceive marble emptiness looking for my soul to bless

 

5) Damien Jurado - Paper Kite (Taken from Caught In The Trees, 2008)

Favourite Line: I'm caught out in your string, lucky enough to be in your tree

Horses (Pick Word #2)

The Horse (Equus ferus caballus) is one of he most ancient animals which were domesticated by human beings. We can find it along the human History writings as well as we can see them today functioning as police horses or work animals. A lot of songs were written about horses and it deserves to start the issue of animals which will gather together songs about them under the name Animal Kingdom. so here's five songs dedicated to horses, enjoy.

1) The Rolling Stones - Wild Horses (Taken from Steaky fingers, 1971)

In 5 Words: Jagger goes to experience nature
Favourite Line: Childhood living is easy to do. The things you wanted I bought them for you

2) Bat For Lashes - Horse And I (Taken from Fur and gold, 2006)

In 5 Words: Fantasy and reality mixed up
Favourite Line: The smell of redwood giants, the banquet for the shadows. Horse and I. We're dancers in the dark

3) U2 - Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (Taken from Achtung Baby, 1991)

In 5 Words: From the days I could still hear them
Favourite Line: Took a drive in the dirty rain to the place where the wind calls your name 

4) GusGus - Arabian Horse (Taken from Arabian horse, 2011)

In 5 Words: Icelandic ride with Techno tempo
Favourite Line: Disappear into the dust. Lost on your horse

5) PJ Harvey - Horses In My Dreams (Taken from Stories from the city, stories from the sea, 2000)

In 5 Words: Wish everyone these kind of dreams
Favourite Line: Horses in my dreams. Like waves like the sea