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Boy

u2 - Boy Audio CD

A fair review of the u2 "Boy" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all u2 reviews here, or go back to the u2 tabs.

Band: u2
Title: Boy
Rating:

Release Date: 2008-07-22
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: I Will Follow 2: Twilight 3: An Cat Dubh 4: Into The Heart 5: Out Of Control 6: Stories For Boys 7: The Ocean 8: A Day Without Me 9: Another Time, Another Place 10: The Electric Co. 11: Shadows And Tall Trees 12: I Will Follow (Previously Unreleased Mix) 13: 11 O'Clock Tick Tock 14: Touch 15: Speed Of Life (Previously Unreleased Track) 16: Saturday Night (Previously Unreleased Track) 17: Things To Make And Do 18: Out Of Control 19: Boy-Girl 20: Stories For Boys 21: Another Day 22: Twilight 23: Boy-Girl (Live at The Marquee, London) 24: 11 O'Clock Tick Tock (Live at The Marquee, London - Previously Unreleased Version) 25: Cartoon World (Live at The National Stadium, Dublin - Previously Unreleased Track)

BOY oh boy!
Edge is already making his mark with his signature chimes and echos of the guitar, and Larry and Adam make a tight, tap-your-foot-to-the-beat rythm section. A great debut album from a great band. Bono lets himself get lost in the music in nearly every song.

The album starts out with "I Will Follow," an enthusiastic song about Bono's mother. Next are the more brooding "Twilight" and "An Cat Dubh," the latter of which segues into "Into the Heart," a beautiful song that ends slowly and quietly with Adam on bass and Edge adding a few flourishes with the guitar. Next is the upbeat "Out of Control," then "Stories for Boys," and the quiet and thoughtful "The Ocean. " "A Day Without Me" marks Edge and what would become his signature echo, then "Another Time, Another Place. " "Electric Co. " follows, reminiscent of "Out of Control," and the album ends with "Shadows and Tall Trees," a song that starts out slowly but ends with a big chorus.

The remastered original Boy CD is great, but only avid fans should spring for the special edition, which includes a second disc of unrealeased songs and live tracks. The few unreleased songs on the second disc include early versions of tracks such as "Twilight," "Stories for Boys," and "Out of Controll," which all sound better in their final versions. Other unrealeased tracks are a bit annoying, like "Boy-Girl. ".

U2's First and Best Album.
But what's up with the cover? When I read that the American cover that we had over here had been changed because the record company was afraid that Americans would see it as having an eery child porn type of look I laughed. . until I saw it. I have to admit it looks a little creepy/wierd to me. And then they had to have a boy on War again but not as bad as this. But the music within it is fantastic. This is a cool album from start to finish. The guitar work is really wonderful- Dave Evans sounds like he is playing this combination of baritone guitar/surf guitar one minute and then bells come out the next in I Will Follow- the album's only real hit and a piece of pop perfection. But there are plenty of great songs on here- Out of Control, A Day Without Me, Twilght and An Cat Dubh are all great. I wish that they would play more of this regularly in their live sets- I think we could all live without With or Without You.

An amazing debut album from U2!
On the album contains two singles, "I Will Follow and "A Day Without Me. U2 released their debut album Boy in October of 1980. " I'd like to break down my rating of each track.
1. )I Will Follow: 10/10 - Classic opening track on Boy, this has a great opening riff by The Edge. Another highlight for me is the bridge, where the music becomes quieter and then suddenly becomes more intense as Bono repeats the line, "your eyes. "
2. ) Twilight: 10/10 - Great song with an awesome guitar part by The Edge. However, my favorite part of the song has always been the lines "in the shadow, boys meets man. " It seems to really fit the concept of the album.
3. ) An Cat Dubh: 9/10 - I think this is a cool song, the singing is excellent from Bono but I just don't like the fade-out at the end, before going into the next track.
4. ) Into The Heart: 10/10 - This is an amazing track that has an awesome instrumental part leading into Bono's lyrics about how he can't go back but remembers how he felt as a child.
5. ) Out Of Control: 10/10 - In contrast with the last track, this is very upbeat and loud. The chorus is amazing and I love Adam's bassline during the verses. My favorite part is at the break where Bono almost sings something like "you take me far away" in the background.
6. ) Stories For Boys: 10/10 - What's neat about this track is that when you put your headphones on you can hear Bono singing the chorus from both channels. The Edge uses some effects and harmonics on the guitar to make a neat, crisp effect.
7. ) The Ocean: 9/10 - This song is very subdued, and the water noises in the background is pretty neat. I just wish the song was a little longer.
8. ) A Day Without Me: 9/10 - The other single from Boy about the death of Ian Curtis. The one thing I don't like about this track is the ending. The voice pitch just sounds too high to me and is slighty irritating.
9. ) Another Time, Another Place: 10/10 - The last couple of tracks have always been my favorite. The opening vocal by Bono, "bright morning lights" brings me into the song everytime. However, the chorus is what really makes this a superb track for me.
10. ) The Electric Co: 10/10 - This is probably my favorite track on the album. The raw and sheer power of this song is simply incredible! The Edge thrashes away while Bono yells out some of the words. The ending is the best part for me. I can't exactly understand what Bono is saying at the end, but nonetheless makes it that much more mysterious to me.
11. ) Shadows And Tall Trees: 9/10 - I like the acoustic sound on this track and the chorus, especially at the end where they modulate up one whole step. The one complaint I have of the song is that they leave out a chorus after the second verse.
12. ) Hidden Track: 9/10 - This very brief snippet is what would become Saturday Night, which is located on Disc 2 of the Bonus Edition. It's a bit of a teaser but also an enticing listen.

The second CD is great as well, there are just some tracks that don't excite me too much. However, what can I say, they recorded these tracks before they released Boy anyway. Tracks 1, 2, and 3 I give 10s. Tracks 4, 5, and 6 I would give a 9, 10, 9. I think the instrumentals are cool but I don't love them. Tracks 7, 8, and 9 I would give a 7, 10, 8. The two original recordings of "Out Of Control and Stories for Boys," sound like they needed a little patching up. Otherwise, it's interesting to hear how it first sounded. Tracks 10, 11, and 12, I would give 10, 7, 9. Once again, the demo version of Twilight doesn't do too much for me, but it's interesting to hear the original riff in it's bare form. Tracks 13 and 14 end on a very good note. I would give the two of them a 10 and a 9. The extended ending of "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" is breathtaking. "Cartoon World," is very entertaining but that feedback can ring in your ear sometimes.

.

Explore the Raw Energy and Primal Adolescence of Early U2
The remastering, supervised by guitarist The Edge, is bold and crystal clear. This fantastic debut from 1980 finally became available in a glorious deluxe edition in 2008. The booklet contains an excellent essay, great early photos, original artwork and the cover art from the early singles. Edge adds some interesting personal notes as well. I'd rate the original album 5 stars and the bonus CD probably 3 (in terms of the quality of the music itself), but the whole package is so excellent it easily deserves the 5 star rating. BOY is an album born of humble beginnings that dared to dream big.

Disk 2:

Back in the 80's I collected U2 B-sides and I had vinyl copies of tracks 2,3,6,7,8,9,12 &13. Here are U2's roots, the sprouting seeds hungrily twisting to life. For any true U2 fan this stuff is essential listening. From the beginning, Bono was the real deal; he wrote about what he knew and what he lived. Many of his early lyrics reflect the pains of growing up, childhood escapism and the starry-eyed excitement of youth. On disk 2, Bono can be heard struggling to find his voice and master it. By the time he recorded vocals for BOY, his voice was magnificent. This was a golden age for Bono - unravaged by the passage of time, tobacco tar, screaming and generally overextending his vocals, his voice sounds positively angelic. But that certainly wasn't always the case on these earliest recordings. (The worst his voice got in recent times was around the ALL THAT YOU CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND album and he needed an operation to save it. It sounds great on their new album NO LINE ON THE HORIZON)

Breakdown:

1) "I Will Follow" (alt mix - previously unreleased) - The most noticeable thing I hear on this mix is an intermittent Edge guitar shimmer cranked up much louder than the subtle background ambiance it provides on the album version. It gives the song a distinctive feel, otherwise it's not too different but not as good as the original either. ****

2) "11 O'clock Tick Tock" - U2's first single on Island records is a winner, featuring a quirky tick-tock rhythm and a killer coda with some compelling Edge chords. The song would continue to develop through live performances. ****

3) "Touch" (B-side of "11 O'clock Tick Tock") - Bono spouts punk histrionics over a driving beat before soaring over the song like a eagle at the chorus. Ends with another upbeat coda. For those in the know this is a post-punk classic. ****1/2

4) "Speed of Life" (previously unreleased) - Adam Clayton is no show boat virtuoso on bass yet he plucks along swiftly through this cool but undeveloped rocker. A seed that never spawned. ***

5) "Saturday Night" (previously unreleased) - This song eventually evolved into "Fire. " The music itself is almost identical but the lyrics are completely alien. Not as good as "Fire" although it's possibly more organic. It's fascinating to hear this embryonic incarnation. ****

6) "Things To Make and Do" (B-side of "A Day Without Me") - an energetic, very basic song with a classic U2 sound. No vocals, it was a chance for Bono to catch his breath during shows from the early days. ****

tracks 7-9 consist of U2's first ever release, the U2-3 EP --

7) "Out of Control" - Bono's voice is clearly out of control as he spastically warbles over a spirited if sloppy take. Those who haven't heard these early versions are in for a shock. ***1/2

8) "Boy/Girl" - I distinctly recall how baffled I was to first hear this juvenile, spasmodic tune. Bono's bizarre vocal ejaculations are obviously influenced by Siouxsie Sioux and of course The Sex Pistols, indirectly. A trip to hear, many no doubt find it unbearable to listen to. **

9) "Stories for Boys" - finds U2 still searching for their own sound. U2-3 comes a little too close to sounding like generic classic rock and the cowbell on "Stories for Boys" doesn't help. ***1/2

10) "Another Day" - I've never heard this one before - it's an exuberant song, Bono singing at the top of his lungs. Its adolescent themes would've fit nicely on BOY. Not a great track but I love being able to finally hear it. ***1/2

11) "Twilight" (B-side of "Another Day") - A more polished version of this song would go on to be a highlight on BOY, but this version is killer post-punk rock. The lyrics are different and I love the Siouxsie-ish histrionics (Yes, I'm calling you on it Bono). *****

tracks 12&13 were recorded live at the Marquee in London, Sept. 22, 1980 --

12) "Boy/Girl" - this weird, vaguely transsexual tune sounds absolutely great in this live setting, a stunning improvement over the studio version. It's got a more natural, assured, road-tested feel. Somehow, they took a dorky song and made it sound cool. ****1/2

13) "11 O'clock Tick Tock" - Edge's guitar soars on this one. Bono and the Edge feed off each other to thrilling effect. *****

14) "Cartoon World" (previously unreleased) - a very interesting relic from an historic show recorded on Feb. 26, 1980 at The National Stadium in Dublin, the night they got signed to Island. Bono sounds pissed about the persistent feedback (plaguing his audition?) while the band get their Kinks on. Very cool! ***1/2.

Absolutely Wonderul U2
I can still see the band
and remember walking out of both shows just completely in awe, I did manage to get a U2 Concert Poster from the Boy show off of the wall on my way out and still have it!. I was fortunate to have access to very good College radio from Cleveland Ohio and to also see U2 at The (original) Cleveland Agora (since burned down)I saw U2 on tour Supporting "Boy" and also "October" at this venue
and was right in front of the stage with a few pals. I did see the Band supporting "War" at the Cleveland
Music Hall as well and I consider myself very lucky. To me U2 Live is where they shine, They are very cohesive and Bono had the crowd in he palm of his
hands, At their young age they showed a ability that showed up later just how well they could play, write , record and play live. I would prefer live U2 over studio but enjoy anything they have done in the studio as well, with Steve Liilywhite, Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois (among others) including Flood they have utilized very diverse producers and engineers and mastering people. Their long time Manager Paul McGuiness is in the background but had guided them well . If you can afford the set or just one of the remastered editions go for it!.

You can see a complete list of all u2 discography, or go back to the u2 tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.