As a long-time U2 apologist (read: lifetime fan), I’ve always been mystified at the hatred aimed at Rattle & Hum. Yes, it had shit covers of Bob Dylan and the Beatles, and, seriously, nobody is ever gonna steal “Helter Skelter” back from Paul McCartney, much less Charles Manson.
That said, the studio songs from that era would have made a fucking amazing transition album between The Joshua Tree and the reinvention of Achtung Baby! As it turns out, there was easily an album’s worth of great studio recordings in between those records. It’s just that their ambition was greater than their execution. Or something.
They still coulda released Rattle & Hum as a concert film and soundtrack, but maybe followed it up with a studio album – let’s call it Heartland – with the following track listing:
Side One
- Desire
- Angel of Harlem
- Hawkmoon 269
- Van Diemen’s Land
- When Love Comes to Town
- Heartland
Side Two
- God Part II
- Halleujah Here She Comes
- Silver & Gold
- Jesus Christ
- A Room at the Heartbreak Hotel
- All I Want is You