From the Musical Attic

Been on the road again – twice (the second trip is not quite halfway done). And as longtime readers know, I listen to a lot of music while driving.

So yeah: that means you’re about to be subjected to some off-topic musical musings – a auditory walkabout, if you like.

Consider yourself forewarned. (smile)

. . .

The Iriish band U2 is a favorite of mine. And during recent travel, I had the chance to listen to one of their albums I hadn’t listened to recently: their 2000 release “All That You Can’t Leave Behind.”

While I don’t regard it as the band’s best, it’s still highly regarded. It received a Grammy Award for Best Album (plus several others for songs/performances) and is on several “best of all time” listings regarding popular music.

Like most albums, I find it a mixed bag. Some of the tunes IMO qualify as simply time filler; I don’t bother to listen to them much. But several of the cuts from the album are as good as anything the band has ever done.

The album’s first four tracks IMO stand out in particular. That’s not solely my opinion; they also happen to be the 4 singles from the album. Moreover, each of these tunes received an indiviaual Grammy Award as well.

And IMO each deals with a common – and very human – condition.

The first, “Beautiful Day”, deals with boredom, disillusionment, and the opportunity for change. The second – “Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of” – deals with depression and suicide. The third – “Elevation” – deals with seeking out comfort, whether from another person or something else. And the fourth – “Walk On” deals with perserverance during adversity.

Three of these themes should be quite familiar to most veterans. Unfortunatley, for many all four will be painfully familiar.

I’ve linked each tune to it’s title above. If you feel inclined, have a listen; they’re IMO excellent tunes, and I think it would be worth your time. Sorry about any ads; YouTube seems more infested with then each day, even in “privacy protected” mode.

But its a fifth tune on the album that I think might actually be one of the band’s best. IMO it captures the “vibe” of a certain place absolutely perfectly; it’s better in that respect than all but a handful of other tunes I’ve ever run across. If you’ve ever been there, I think you’ll agree.

It also deals with an unfortunately common human theme many vets have experienced as well, often after leaving Acitive Duty: the proverbial “mid-life crisis”. And I also believe a certain Navy vet and former frequent commenter to TAH who seems to only comment rarely these days will doubtless enjoy the tune, too. (smile)

New York. Even if you’ve only visited it briefly, I think you’ll find the above tune (and 3rd party video, which is by the way excellent) spot on.

There’s another tune from the album that also IMO hits home – hard. Perhaps that one gets a future article of its own.

. . .

Well, that’s it for today’s walkabout. Back to taking care of some necessary tasks before hitting the road again in a few days.

Category: Pointless blather, Who knows