Mar
30
2012

'Still Urgent and Brilliant'

29

One of our most popular features on U2.com in the period between the last two tours was 'My U2 Playlist' - in which people connected with the band came up with their definitive list of U2 tracks.

In the next few weeks we'll be publishing a whole new set of playlists but before we do, we figured it was a good moment to republish some of those previous ones.

First up it's Garret 'Jacknife' Lee, who's worked with any number of great names in the studio and spoke to us in 2006, not so long after he'd been in the studio with U2, working on How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. Here's his U2 Playlist.





1. The Electric Co. - Boy
I was very young when this came out and a fan from listening to them on the Fanning show. I vaguely remember a phone-in picking the A-side for the U2/3 EP. I picked the wrong one. Still do. The electric co. was astoundingly good on the Vertigo Tour. Hasn't dated at all. Still urgent and brilliant.



2. Trash, Trampoline and The Party Girl - B-Side / Celebration Single
I love the sound of Bono's voice on this. It's raw and beautiful. A spontaneous and playful recording. Fast cars from HTDAAB has echoes of this. I played this on my battered acoustic when I was a kid. I think I may have listened to the A-side once. A wonderful noise.



3. Like a Song - War
I don't remember loving this when it came out. I was in a bar in New York a few years back and the DJ put this on. It sounded so fresh and blew me away. Fucking brilliant!! You can hear it's influence everywhere now. The Killers, the Walkmen, Bloc Party etc. Larry Mullen is one of the greatest drummers ever. He's inventive and very powerful. The last minute or so of this is superb. If this was released now by a new band folks would be creaming themselves.



4. Bad - The Unforgettable Fire
From the off you know something special is going to happen. Hymnal, honest, earnest, roofless, a band liberated from a need to be cool, sonically superb, undeniably excellent the song still packs a punch now.



5. All I Want is You - Rattle and Hum
You can detect the Springsteen influence here. Aside from one of the most incredible string arrangements ever, this song is a delicious treat. Follows the same topography as Bad. Has all the hallmarks of the U2 sound - seemingly simple yet complex guitar lines, bass doing its own thing. The biblically lyrical references and the drums tastefully providing the backbone but in a subtle, intelligent way. The strings remind me of my favourite song 'Ode to Billy Joe' by Billie Joe Spears and I don't know why.



6. Zoo Station - Achtung Baby
One of the best intros ever. Flood's brain in hyperdrive. The song sounds like the inside of a gurgling Geiger organic robot during orgasm. There is nothing wrong with this track at all. Fucking brilliant! Bands trying to find their experimental side now seem to just copy this formula. Machine and band fused. Edge has an incredible voice. You hear it every so often and it's a treat. An amazing start to U2 version 3.0.



7. Stay (faraway, so close) - Zooropa
An intimate band recording with a stunning vocal performance from Bono. I don't know why I like the names of cities listed in songs but I do. An underrated album. Why? The 90s was an incredible decade for U2. Simply lovely.



8. Miss Sarajevo - Passengers
I love this album. Eno and U2 is always special. My friend Howie B worked on this. Howie has a unique mind. The lyics in this song are some of Bono's best. The East 17 line is so emotive. Nice to hear this on the Vertigo Tour too.



9. Beach Sequence - Passengers
Some wonderful melodic moments here. The voice drifting in and out breaks up the track like seeds do in a mouthful of watermelon. Underdone and all the better for it.



10. Mofo - Pop
Bono's voice sounds great here. Fantastic groove. Dynamically very interesting. A hugely ambitious sound finely executed. Dense and deep. I like to delve and find things over a period of time and there is lots to discover in this song. Shame about the fade out. I dislike fading out. It's better to burn out than to fade away. I only agree with this line when it has to do with recordings.



11. Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of - ATYCLB
I had kind of forgotten about U2 at this point. My wife has always been a huge fan. We had our first baby and had both been out work for quite a while. We had no money but everything was perfect and we were happy. Melissa bought the album and we listened to it on repeat while we painted the new baby's room. I fell in love with U2 again. And then I did the Snow Patrol album and then U2 called me and then we had had another baby. This song is brilliant (despite the weird synthetic brass thing going on at the end).



12. Miracle Drug - HTDAAB
One of the first songs I worked on. Bono's voice has arrived at a magnificent area. It has weight, soulfulness, experience and credibility. The lyrics are some of their best: "there is no failure here sweetheart"; "freedom has a scent like the top of a new born baby's head". A euphoric moment live. Uplifting and dare I say inspirational. An instant classic. Edge sings, Larry sings! Exceptional and effortless U2. They are at one of the best points in their career now. Comfortable in their own skin with nothing to lose and playing like motherfuckers. HTDAAB is one of their best yet.



13. A Man and a Woman - HTDAAB
A very underrated song. Again an exceptional performance by Bono. Boy, Edge can sing high, listen to the middle eight. Sultry and sticky.....a fine fine song about the odd mysteries of love. Which leads nicely too.



14. She's a Mystery to Me - B-Side/ All Because of You
What is there to say ? I do love the Orbison version and it's difficult to hear this without his voice haunting the recording. A simple and brilliant song... ".

29  Comments
U2Gal - 21 April, 2013
Great mix!
It is a great mix although for me "Miss Sarajevo" and "Zoo Station" don't really go together...
macphistopdx - 29 June, 2012
Nice!
Electric Co. & Miss Sarajevo - excellent. The first time I heard U2 do the latter live and Bono suddenly went into that amazing opera voice, I nearly fell over.
xbonell - 22 May, 2012
Great playlist!
Zooropa underrated, totally agreed and I think that is one of the band's best albums.
tramper - 20 May, 2012
Mofo rocks
Very interesting playlist indeed. I totally agree with you about Mofo. I would have loved to listen to it on the last tour. I was blown away by that song in 1997 on the Pop Mart Tour. It is about time to let the Pop album come out of the shadow. Such a great piece!
NanyandGonzo - 17 May, 2012
Great mix!
I think this is an incredible mix, it has everything, from the classics, to the ones sometimes forgotten or not listened to very often. I agree with Electric Co in Vertigo's concert, nice hearing abou Mofo, too, sometimes I feel Pop hasn't been given the credit it indeed has. And Stay, what can I say, I rediscovered it after so many years, I feel in love with the video like ages ago. Thanks for sharing.
rainer - 14 May, 2012
great playlist
...thank you! just a real fan is able to create a list like that!!
Randyk - 14 May, 2012
Electric Co
Electric Co on the Vertigo Tour DVD is my favorite live song performance. I wish I could find that performance on CD somewhere. I want that on my iPod.
jbhu2 - 08 May, 2012
Pasty Gross Mouth
Alright nice set list...Does anyone else hate this picture (the one with Jackknife, eyes crossed out, shark mouth on the forehead)? A few years ago they had it up and I avoided going to U2.com for weeks. Now it's graced the front page again. Oh joy (he says with much sarcasm)!! Please take it down. It's not a good look it's just annoying junior high school scribble drivel and tells me nothing of Jackknife Lee. There, now I've said it and can go on with life.
davide78 - 04 May, 2012
The bomb are great!
The voice of Bono on How to dismantle an atomic bomb are very strong in every song!
The Goal is Elevation - 25 April, 2012
Another Vote for Mofo!!
One of the coolest openers ever!!
ains - 25 April, 2012
Mofo
a great lost song that did really did " blow the audience away" on the Pop tour, great tracks in this listing!
valerieann - 19 April, 2012
man and a woman
I LOVE this song soooo much!. Great sexy bass, thanks, Adam! Did anyone hear the "2 buskers" version done by Edge and Bono at Clinton Foundation show?
soundguy - 19 April, 2012
A Man and a Woman
Finally, someone else besides me thinking this is one of the bands best tunes. Very underrated.
1ocean - 03 April, 2012
Well Played....
I just made a playlist of this mix(minus the last track, only have it live...) What a solid listen, top to bottom. You can tell he's a true fan. Well played mate!
hapy - 03 April, 2012
Miracle Drug...
Miracle Drug is another great song from U2. And I also like this song from U2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwKEdFoUB0o Thanks Bono!
NanyandGonzo - 02 April, 2012
Only U2
Only U2, they're the only band who can have playlists with such variety and sound awesome. What about asking others from their staff, for instance? It'd be great to listen to their own playlists too!
jaden_kane - 02 April, 2012
Jacknife, How Could You?!
You missed one...From HTDAAB: Crumbs from YourTable--I get chills everytime I hear it.
mcgeebers - 02 April, 2012
Passengers
Jacknife, delighted to see Passengers getting the mention it deserves, especially the lesser lauded Beach Sequence which is simply sublime. I love the triple of whammy of songs 2, 3 and 4 being Slug, Your Blue Room (used on 360 Tour) and Always Forever Now
Hardfelt - 01 April, 2012
Yeay yeah yeah
Agree with you whole heartedly re: Like A Song - I've been banging on about it for years. Check out the outro on Franz Ferdinand's 'Jacqueline' and you'll see they've lifted it straight from here. Homage? Definitely, but just shows the depth of influence U2 have had on the very young ears of the 80's and 90's.
Scott Cleaver - 01 April, 2012
U2's U2 Playlists please!!!!
I love the diversity of jacknife's playlist and the passion in which he writes about each and every track...in fact it would make a great members CD, don't you think? Would be amazing to have the likes of LIKE A SONG, or UNFORGETTABLE FIRE out on the radio nowadays...and see how a band like U2 would influence the world all over again. It seriously would be a great thing to see the playlists of all 4 members...and to hear as to why those are the songs those chose. Please put it to them... Scott (Down Under in NZ)...and looking forward to the U22 CD :)
septiembrepro - 01 April, 2012
amazing playlist
I never imagine find those songs on a playlist. He's a real fan.
Gwellan - 01 April, 2012
You're right... too !
While reading this article I choose my preferred song for each E/P. It was never the same than Jacknife but all of his choices could have be mines. A really good playlist.
robinwillams2008 - 01 April, 2012
excellent playlist
good to see that one of the producers that worked on the how to dismantle an atomic bomb loved to the band from childhood. i agree too about how i'd like to see one of the band members playlists. i'd one to see edges or bonos
bowieno - 01 April, 2012
Excellent Choices
nice list and enjoyed the stories-- and agree mofo has a better ending live
antpic - 01 April, 2012
How about .......
A re-release of Passengers: Original Soundttracks 1...........
joshthetree - 31 March, 2012
radio radio
I'd like to see members featured on this play list, that'd be really great ;0)
sugarman - 30 March, 2012
Good Playlist!
i'm so glad he included Beach Sequence! an incredible piece of music.
danielsentana - 30 March, 2012
About time!
Something that ain't Duals. But it isn't new either. Good to see Lee is a big fan of the oldies. Now can we get each band member's playlist? :)
tan_lejos_tan_cerca - 30 March, 2012
Great
Curious playlist and nice to read what he says about each song and what links him to it. Very interesting to hear it from someone who has done a great work with them! Another thing, have you thought about asking Willie Williams his playlist? :)
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