With or Without You

U2

A band that needs no introduction — take any record from their marathon collection and a handful of stunning tracks are guarunteed. In the running for greatest frontman ever (?) Bono’s passionate singing and performing presence has been the focus, along with Edge’s jagged, beautiful guitar work.

I was in from the beginning on BOY and WAR as a young kid and then became obsessed with THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE and JOSHUA TREE. I still find all their work inspired and unique and hope they re-launch the band soon.

But the thing I love most about this band is how they stood the test of time and stayed together for decades — a testament of their will as four creative individuals making up one unified creative force.

In this amazing single, we’ll never know if it’s a girl or a drug — perhaps both. But whatever it is? It has emptied our hero. 💔

Nothing to win and nothing left to lose

This single still sounds so beautiful and washes over me this morning, playing it loud in my office at 7AM. That Adam Clayton bass in the mix is so perfect — so big but never overpowering. The entire mix and arrangement has Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois fingerprints all over it.

WITH OR WITHOUT YOU would land in my top twenty songs of all time — a list I will never make, because I would have to shoehorn too many songs into it. It was, however, their first number one single in the U.S. and stayed on top for 3 weeks in 1987. I love how the music grows and swells — like the thematic obsession in the lyrics. Not many bands can get away with these Broadway-esque howls at 3:03 but this song easily earns it. And like any big high, I love how the music descends and gradually comes back down, with Edge’s guitar carrying us out of the last minute. Perfect song. And such a memorable video below that has been remastered.