Album Review #130: Rattle And Hum (U2)
U2
RATTLE AND HUM
1988-ISLAND
Produced By JIMMY IOVINE
- Helter Skelter
- Van Diemen's Land
- Desire
- Hawkmoon 269
- All Along The Watchtower
- I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
- (Freedom For My People)
- Silver And Gold
- Pride (In The Name Of Love)
- Angel Of Harlem
- Love Rescue Me
- When Love Comes To Town
- Heartland
- God Part II
- (The Star Spangled Banner)
- Bullet The Blue Sky
- All I Want Is You
U2 was on its way to becoming the biggest thing on the planet in 1988, and Rattle And Hum was supposed to be the vehicle to put them over the edge. Instead, the film and the soundtrack turned out to almost be their first real career negative. Sure, it was huge. But it was also something that humbled the band...and maybe saved them. Part live album, part studio tracks, and a couple of non U2 recordings thrown in, Rattle And Hum is a scattered mess at times...at other times it's great. The opening "Helter Skelter" is awkward, and the BB King cameo on "When Love Comes To Town" was simply played to death. But Bob Dylan guesting on two songs ("Hawkmoon 269" and "Love Rescue Me"), as well as some blistering live performances do save the day. A straight live album would have been better, but this will suffice.
The film is not as good as the album, although it is cool that the black & white concert footage was shot at the old McNichols Arena in Denver. As big as The Joshua Tree had just made them, Rattle And Hum brought them back to earth. This is worth having, a document of what was then the biggest band on earth during their prime.
This is album #130 in an ongoing series.
