This week's OTR: U2 half-albums

[vertigbo]

Hi gang,

In this week's OTR I talk about U2 half-albums: four- or five-song sequences that easily work as self-contained musical narratives - perhaps more so than the whole albums from which they are culled.  An obvious example - to me - is No Line on the Horizon.  If they'd released the first five tracks as an EP it might well be my favorite U2 record.

I'm curious, do you have any favorite half-albums?  What about album sequencing generally?  Where did U2 really get it right, and where might they have chosen a better running order?

[imaginary friend]

first 5 songs on ATYCLB: as perfect as perfect gets.

[singnomore]

If I think about it most albums have a strong first half? Boy, October, War etc

I actaully like the 2nd half of the Joshua Tree - the first half (which i love) is almost too perfect!

[dirtdrybonesandstone]

Running to Stand Still, Red Hill Mining Town, In God's Country, Trip Through Your Wires from TJT is as good as it gets.   The best four-in-a-row done by anyone.    Whenever I made a "U2 compilation" to turn people onto U2, these four, in this order, always kicked it off.   I could easily include Bullet to the front end of this as well.   

Side Two of TUF is pretty stand-alone stuff.   I always felt they followed up on Side One of TUF in the making of TJT, and they followed up on Side Two when they made AB. 

Side One from ATYCLB.     No need to have gone any further.   Fortunately they did.

[Nanda360]

Running to Stand Still, Red Hill Mining Town, In God's Country, Trip Through Your Wire from TJT is as good as gets.   

I agree and I'd include the first 4 songs on Achtung Baby and NLOTH.

[_acrobat]

The first five on Zooropa, never really cared for the rest besides The Wanderer.

[Johnny Feathers]

It's something I noticed more back when 2-sided media (tapes, records) were still competing with CDs in the marketplace.  Tracklistings were traditionally structured that way, so hearing albums straight through was a new concept, for those whippersnappers out there.  Regardless of what I'm listening to it on, The Fly is always "the beginning of side 2" of Achtung Baby.

That said, I'm not sure there's a better example than side 1 of the Joshua Tree.  Sure, it's overexposed now, but there's a reason for that.  It's probably the best five songs the band put together in their history.  It's practically an album unto itself, with a beginning, middle, and end.  It's the reason why the beginning Red Hill Mining Town is almost like, "oh, I forgot, there's ANOTHER side yet...."

[Drummer Boy]

Running to Stand Still, Red Hill Mining Town, In God's Country, Trip Through Your Wire from TJT is as good as it gets.   The best four-in-a-row done by anyone.   
Whenever I made a "U2 compilation" to turn people onto U2, these four, in this order, always kicked it off.   I could easily include Bullet to the front end of this as well.   

Did it ever work?

[Bads316]

Fez through to Cedars - A great sequel to the first part of the album, shame about the adverts in the middle.

[dirtdrybonesandstone]

Running to Stand Still, Red Hill Mining Town, In God's Country, Trip Through Your Wire from TJT is as good as it gets.   The best four-in-a-row done by anyone.   
Whenever I made a "U2 compilation" to turn people onto U2, these four, in this order, always kicked it off.   I could easily include Bullet to the front end of this as well.   

Did it ever work?

Especially for those who thought Bono was more annoying than talented.

[JTBaby]

I have a lot of disdain for ATYCLB as a full fledged album.

But as an old school EP it would have been great with:

Beautiful day
Walk on
Kite
In a little while
When I look at the world

[Drummer Boy]

Running to Stand Still, Red Hill Mining Town, In God's Country, Trip Through Your Wire from TJT is as good as it gets.   The best four-in-a-row done by anyone.   
Whenever I made a "U2 compilation" to turn people onto U2, these four, in this order, always kicked it off.   I could easily include Bullet to the front end of this as well.   

Did it ever work?

Especially for those who thought Bono was more annoying than talented.

That's funny, I've just realized most non-U2-fans seem to think that way.

Well, I don't know if I would put "Trip through your wires" in a U2 compilation,
but I can imagine how awesome an album that starts with "Running to stand still" must be.
I might ask for a copy one day. 

[dangerous and honest]

My suggestions:

An Cat Dubh, Into The Heart, OOC, Stories For Boys, The Ocean

or

UTEOTW, Wild Horses, So Cruel , The Fly, MW