which U2 album shocked you most on your first listen?

[imaginary friend]

For me, it was The Unforgettable Fire. Right from the first wave of ambient drums and blurred guitars to the dreamy synth and quiet (for Bono, at least) vocals that brought it to an end, I was completely stunned. I must've played it front-to-back at least 4 times the day it was released, and I still could barely believe that, "Pride" aside, it was even the same band.

your turn.

[Thunder Peel]

It's tough to say but that award probably goes to Boy. I remember being really shocked at the energy and fast-paced nature of the album; it was thrilling and immediately sucked me in as a relatively new fan.

Honorable mention also goes to Pop, mostly because I had heard such negative things about it and was surprised how much I loved it on my first listen.

[JBS]

In some small way all of the albums have shocked me, even the two albums that I'm not all that fond of (I'm looking at you October and No Line!).

That's one of big reasons why I am a fan of these guys.

As to which album shocked me the most, I think it's probably The Unforgettable fire.

Because of the way I discovered U2 in the nineties I initially thought the bands eras were split between their embracing of technology on Achtung and Zooropa and their more traditional instrumentation on Joshua Tree, Rattle and Hum, and War.

The Unforgettable Fire was an eye opener for me in that the band's experimental side was there very early on and caused me to look at their 80's output in a totally different light.

[Starman]

Zooropa, Pop, and most of all, the Passengers album.

[EnduringChill]

I think Achtung Baby because I couldn't believe how good it was. I was pleasantly surprised by Pop, Passengers, and HTDAAB because they were all better than I'd expected. But AB was the big one, the "I like an album more than The Joshua Tree!" one.

[wraitii]

I had read a ton of bad things on Original Soundtracks 1. Then Slug came in.

[MLP Midnight]

I had read a ton of bad things on Original Soundtracks 1. Then Slug came in.

Slug is brilliant. That, YBR, and Miss Sarajevo make the album for me.

[Saculniai]

War: That bloody awful electric violin on Sunday Bloody Sunday!

[Starman]

I had read a ton of bad things on Original Soundtracks 1. Then Slug came in.

Slug is brilliant. That, YBR, and Miss Sarajevo make the album for me.

I love Slug! Those three songs, Always Forever Now and One Minute Warning are my favorites.

[satellitedog01]

-Pop shocked me with how intense the listening experience was constructed to be, and how strong an atmosphere it conveyed.
-Bomb shocked me, as it was the first time I wasn't excited by the album on first listen
-ATYCLB shocked me with the first U2 song I outright hated.  (Stuck)
-The quick follow up albums they began promising after each album starting with ATYCLB that never happened shocked me less and less.

Of these the one lasting experience is Pop still being my fave U2 album. (Started to enjoy Bomb more after a few weeks, and I got to like Stuck with the live versions)

[@lmighty DS]

Zooropa. It was a grower for me which i liked at first, but now i'm obsessed with it.

TUF. Didn't expect that epic of an album, i guess? When ASOH was done i knew i was in the U2 "thing" for life.

[shorne]

Achtung Baby... I really was expecting the new songs to be akin to God Part II etc... though when I saw the cover and the song titles... I knew I was in for something interesting

[Droo]

Zooropa. The 2 minutes of white noise and eerie voices speaking during the intro to the title track. The looping chimes of Babyface. The monotone mumbling of Numb. The falsetto disco of Lemon. The nearly industrial Daddy's Gonna Pay. The blistering guitar effect during the solo of Some Days. Johnny Cash showing up on The Wanderer. 

The album was so utterly bizarre, so ethereal, so unlike the other U2 albums I had listened to up to that point, it was jarring and alarming.

[MEMORY_MAN]

I became a fan in the late eighties as a tween.  I saw Rattle and Hum with my dad and then got Under a Blood Red Sky, then followed up with all of the rest of the albums and singles I could get my hands on.  Every album was new and different.  The biggest shocker at first was Achtung Baby.  It was the first album I had to wait for after immersing myself in all of the 80s albums.  When I first heard The Fly and saw the video for it I was shocked by the change.  Then I heard the openings of Zoo Station once the album was released, and was amazed by the creativity.  Then Zooropa came and it shocked me further.  I have always loved how they reinvent themselves and hope they are able to do it yet again in such a positive way.  I just hope it doesn't end up in the rap/pop way as much as the rock/experimental way.  But as long as the Edge keeps making that guitar sing like no other, I will be along for the ride. 

[StickOnTattoos]

great topic, I must say; some really neat stories in here.



for me personally, Pop
I was too young for the AB shock. in fact I got on after ATYCLB
I was still pretty new to the band at the time, i can't remember which albums I hadn't heard yet. I just remember practically dancing in my bed with my headphones on. and I was acquainted with the best of versions from Pop, I couldn't beleive my ears when I heard the original versions.

"BOOM CHA! WHAT?"