Discotheque
The first single, complete with “boom”-enriched outro and accompanying video featuring soon-to-be-legendary appearance of U2 as Village People. Bono: “when we were recording that, we had the whole studio in mirror balls and disco lights”.
Do you feel loved
Heavy groove-based rocker in the vein of Even Better Than The Real Thing. Very likely single. Wry personal references is suspected in the opening lines “take these hands, they’re good for nothing / you know these hands never worked a day”.
Mofo
Sonic assault as U2 are possessed by the twin spirits of Underworld and the Prodigy, with Bono at his most cathartic. Breakneck double-tracked drumming quite likely the highlight of Larry Mullen’s recorded career.
If God Will Send His Angels
Slow-winding ballad constructed around a title that existed during Zooropa sessions. Bono: “it’s this guy who’s beating up his girlfriend about her searching for answers and just telling her to look around. It’s like science fiction gospel. Edge is calling it country hip-hop”.
Staring at the Sun
Infectious, sky-scraping pop song with echoes of Ray Davies and Bowie’s Soul Love. Notable alone for middle eight “referee won’t blow the whistle / god is good but will he listen?”. Dead cert summer number 1.
Last Night On Earth
U2 play Oasis at their own game. Steaming rocker with powerful, beatle-y chorus. The last track to be finished, with vocals recorded at 7am on the day of the album cut. Bono: “it felt like the last night on earth, alright”.
Gone
Soaring uplifter oddly reminiscent of The Verve, replete with darkly spiritual lyric. Likely to be emotional highpoint of candlelit vigil if U2’s plane ever goes down. Edge: “there’s many layers to that song and there’s another level to it which I haven’t figured yet”.
Miami
The strangest track of all. Electro experimental before Mullen kicks in with a weighty John-Bonham-styled groove. Lyrical snapshots of a band trip to Florida in Spring ‘96. Edge: “it’s creative tourism”.
The Playboy Mansion
Touching tale of Lottery-playing Average Joe fantasising about gaining entry to Hugh Hefner’s private Disneyland, set to 60s-flavoured trip-hop. Return to knowingly delivered truisms in verses, including the maybe libellous “if Coke is a mystery / Michael Jackson… history”.
If You Wear That Velvet Dress
Muted and, frankly, horny ballad with echoes of Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game. Something for the weekend. Edge: “that was a song that basically came out of improvisation with Nellee Hooper”.
Please
Shuffly meandering and moody mid-pacer. Edge: “one of the most intricate pieces of music we’ve ever written”.
Wake Up Dead Man
Spaghetti Western atmosphere bristling with distant radio voices. A distorted Bono voices his frustration to Jesus: “I’m alone in this world / and a F@#!ed up world it is too”.
Copyright Q Magazine ? 1997
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