U2 have been a constant throughout my adult life, from my
teenage years to my 50s. Maybe they are not as important today (forcing
everyone to have "Songs of Innocence" on iTunes backfired badly), but
they have rich back catalogue of great moments.
After the electronic dance music of "Achtung Baby",
"Zooropa" & "Pop" (U2 albums can always be grouped in threes),
and the post modern irony shows, U2 reconvened in 2000 with a desire to return
to the original classic U2 sound. The
first single from next album the
irresistible "Beautiful Day"
ticked all the boxes of a U2 classic .
It starts quietly with Brian Eno's piano, and restrained
Bono's vocals, almost spoken. The theme
is set from the opening "The heart is a bloom / Shoots up through the
stony ground ". The human spirit
can survive anything.
Within a minute, it
gets louder as the big sing-along
chorus hits, being joined by the
drums and Edge's distinctive guitar (and
less distinctive vocals). It is a feel good anthem, of finding joy in everyday life. Even though things might be tough - " It's
a beautiful day / Don't let it get away".
The bridge section
"Touch me" seems to borrow from
A-ha, which we can forgive (although my sister might not). Then Bono takes a trip around the world,
finding beauty everywhere - China,
canyons, Bedouin fires, birds, even oil fields (maybe the last one was more of
a stretch).
The final words are
the summary - "What you don't have, you don't need it now ". Another
multi-millionaire saying you don't need things to be happy. Like John Lennon's
imagining no possessions. The song closes with more guitar and drums before
a quiet fade.
Beautiful Day became an instant classic, with incessant
radio play (especially in the Summer), beloved for TV incidental music , and rewarded with a number
1 single in the UK, and a Grammy in the US. It became a staple in the U2 live
show, a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Hear Now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co6WMzDOh1o
Hear Next - The two acknowledged classic U2 albums are
"Joshua Tree" and "Achtung Baby", but there are strong
tracks on most of the U2 albums.
