Tag Archives: How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

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Song of the Day #5,222: ‘A Man and a Woman’ – U2

Continuing my look at 2004, first by counting down my own top ten albums of that year.

#6 – U2 – How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

U2’s eleventh studio album is the last great thing they ever did.

In the 18 years following How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, the band released three albums of diminishing quality and commercial appeal. The world’s greatest rock band became an afterthought.

But in 2004, they were still kicking ass. This album sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and won nine Grammys, including Album and Song of the Year.

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Song of the Day #821: ‘Original of the Species’ – U2

Top Ten Male Vocalists – #4 – Bono

Bono is the guy on this list who would probably actively lobby to be on this list. He sings everything as if he’s auditioning for the title of Most Awesome Rock God of All-Time, Ever. And I can see how that can be a turn-off to people who aren’t particularly into Bono or U2 (including some regular readers of this blog).

But the thing is, this guy can sing like a son of a bitch. He might have a massive ego, but he backs it up with massive talent. And I have to hand it to him for that.

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Song of the Day #191: ‘City of Blinding Lights’ – U2

u22I’m not a U2 fanatic by any means, but I completely understand why they’ve been dubbed the world’s greatest rock band. They exude unparalleled star power and their music is grand and powerful in a way that belongs totally to them. You always hear about other bands mimicking U2 but you never catch them being anything but themselves.

They are also the masters of the song intro. The best example is ‘Where the Streets Have No Name,’ which kicks off The Joshua Tree so effectively that the rest of the album seems almost like an afterthought. ‘Zooropa,’ the opening track of the underrated album of the same name, is another great one.

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