Defend the Indefensible: "New Year's Day" by U2

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Referred to it today on my silly weblog for relatively unoriginal reasons, and dug it out of cold storage. Despite the abjectly fatuos juggernaut they've become (I find their post-irony period somewhat more insufferable than their piety period), I still love this song (and all of War really). Their Clash/Bunnymen/PiL pastiche with pathos aplenty still works for me (especially Edge's choppy helicopter guitars and Bono's hoary wail). I will always enjoy it.

You, however, may beg to differ.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 1 January 2006 23:57 (twenty years ago)

no, i agree

― it was jody that killed the beast (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 2 January 2006 00:01 (twenty years ago)

ditto. they were my first rock'n'roll show, on the 'war' tour, and they rocked my 13-year-old world. the simple little piano line on 'new year's day' is killer (see also the simple arpeggiated guitar riff on 'sunday bloody sunday').

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 2 January 2006 00:05 (twenty years ago)

Great song -- needs no defense.

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 2 January 2006 00:07 (twenty years ago)

Agreed.

― Last Of The Famous International Pfunkboys (Kerr), Monday, 2 January 2006 00:08 (twenty years ago)

They used to be really great.

― Mr. Snrub, Monday, 2 January 2006 00:15 (twenty years ago)

I quite like this song.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 2 January 2006 00:19 (twenty years ago)

i love the big, kind of elegiac sound on 'war' (e.g. the sustain on that piano). one of steve lillywhite's best.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 2 January 2006 00:22 (twenty years ago)

can we make a comprehensive list of all the u2 threads? "u2" is hard to search for. i am finding a lot of "bono" threads though, few of which have to do with u2.

― it was jody that killed the beast (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 2 January 2006 00:23 (twenty years ago)

this song and the album it comes from are both fairly unfuckwithable

― ZR (teenagequiet), Monday, 2 January 2006 00:24 (twenty years ago)

This song invokes strong feelings of nostalgia.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 2 January 2006 00:42 (twenty years ago)

dig the drum sound

― sovietpanda (sovietpanda), Monday, 2 January 2006 00:49 (twenty years ago)

Yeah - this is a really good song, with a wonderful understated guitar solo. It needs no defense, IMHO.

― John Bullabaugh (John Bullabaugh), Monday, 2 January 2006 00:51 (twenty years ago)

This is the only U2 song I can stand in any form or fashion.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 2 January 2006 01:04 (twenty years ago)

I like "Teh Unregrettable Fire" better.

― I Am Sexless and I Am Foul (noodle vague), Monday, 2 January 2006 01:05 (twenty years ago)

I'd much rather like to defend "Beautiful Day", which is a great song, and in fact better than anything they did in the 80s or 90s.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 2 January 2006 01:06 (twenty years ago)

Geir: still wrong in 2006.

― I Am Sexless and I Am Foul (noodle vague), Monday, 2 January 2006 01:07 (twenty years ago)

Clash/Bunnymen/PiL pastiche

PiL comes into this where, exactly? ...It's been a LONG time since I've heard "New Year's Day" so maybe the answer's obvious, but U2 and PiL seem like near-opposites among big UK/Ireland bands of that time, at least on the face of it.

― xero (xero), Monday, 2 January 2006 01:10 (twenty years ago)

i love "beautiful day"! strange to find myself agreeing with geir, but i think it easily ranks among their top 10 songs.

― it was jody that killed the beast (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 2 January 2006 01:13 (twenty years ago)

PiL comes into this where, exactly?

"new year's day" doesn't sound much different from, say, "public image."

you're right though that it's a pretty limited comparison.

― it was jody that killed the beast (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 2 January 2006 01:15 (twenty years ago)

I love "Beautiful Day", but "better than anything they did in the 80s or 90s" was a ginormous stretch.

― I Am Sexless and I Am Foul (noodle vague), Monday, 2 January 2006 01:15 (twenty years ago)

that's our geir!

― it was jody that killed the beast (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 2 January 2006 01:19 (twenty years ago)

this song is good, but "i will follow" is even better.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Monday, 2 January 2006 01:20 (twenty years ago)

i like this song. but the mullets are even better.

― Freud Junior (Freud Junior), Monday, 2 January 2006 02:41 (twenty years ago)

Do you guys think "Beautiful Day" kind of has a Can thing going on until it gets to the first chorus? I've only heard it a handful of times on the radio.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 2 January 2006 02:44 (twenty years ago)

"new year's day" doesn't sound much different from, say, "public image."

you're right though that it's a pretty limited comparison.

Well yeah, they're both kinda powerful surging guitar-rock songs, but surely that's the full extent of any possible comparison. Otherwise it's "soaring, airy, yearning, melancholic, w/graceful piano melody" vs. "snarling, slashing, hate-filled, w/bassline of DOOM," and I still don't really see any of the posited PiL element in U2.

― xero (xero), Monday, 2 January 2006 02:45 (twenty years ago)

I wasn't talking so much "New Year's Day" as I was about U2 up that point in general -- if you can't hear Keith Levene's influence on the Edge's guitar, you're deaf.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 2 January 2006 02:52 (twenty years ago)

I wasn't talking so much "New Year's Day"

It all makes a bit more sense now.

― xero (xero), Monday, 2 January 2006 02:55 (twenty years ago)

Sorry, I should've been clearer on that point.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 2 January 2006 03:00 (twenty years ago)

I don't really see how "New Year's Day" is indefensible. It's probably one U2's better songs. And I am pretty indifferent (not full of venemous hate) towards U2.

― Freud Junior (Freud Junior), Monday, 2 January 2006 03:00 (twenty years ago)

"New Year's Day" clearly has a way more catchy chorus than "Public Image".

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 2 January 2006 03:01 (twenty years ago)

And the mullets.

― Freud Junior (Freud Junior), Monday, 2 January 2006 03:02 (twenty years ago)

I suppose it's not "New Year's Day" that's indefensible but U2 post-Unforgettable Fire (or, say, from the Live Aid mullet onwards) that's indefensible.

X-post ohmygod

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 2 January 2006 03:02 (twenty years ago)

'Under a Blood Red Sky' is pretty sad/funny/scary/epic/silly.

― Freud Junior, Third Cousin to Chuck Norris (Freud Junior), Monday, 2 January 2006 03:04 (twenty years ago)

Has the Edge given public credit to Keith Levene for sonic inspiration / influence? Just curious.

― xero (xero), Monday, 2 January 2006 03:08 (twenty years ago)

i don't think U2 were ever hip enough to have heard PiL.

― it was jody that killed the beast (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 2 January 2006 03:13 (twenty years ago)

The posited Levene -> Edge thing seems at least plausible, as isolated and pointed out; and U2 have always been lavish with public praise for their antecedents. Again, just wondering.

― xero (xero), Monday, 2 January 2006 03:42 (twenty years ago)

New Year's Day >> Beautiful Day >>>> anything else by U2

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 2 January 2006 03:47 (twenty years ago)

i think a keith levene/edge thing is pretty clear, but then again i think there are a LOT of antecedents to the edge. urgh! found its way into the video machine in the wee hours of new year's eve and i couldn't help noticing how much of the edge's sound i could detect in andy summers.

"new year's day" is one of my least favorite of u2's hits, but i used to like it a lot, so maybe i've just heard it a bit too much.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 2 January 2006 04:10 (twenty years ago)

That video still above -- was that supposed to be funny? Never seemed so at the time. But how could the band trudging through the forest with instruments be otherwise?

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 2 January 2006 04:20 (twenty years ago)

"Gloria" is the best of the old stuff

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Monday, 2 January 2006 04:23 (twenty years ago)

Without doubt he invented the unique 'metallic' PiL guitar sound. A sound still imitated to this day, without due credit, most notably by The Edge from U2, not to mention a million indie bands...

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 2 January 2006 04:25 (twenty years ago)

Song needs no defense, it's great. All the elements are important in this one, from the piano to even the bass line.

Causes much nostalgia whenever it crops up on the radio and forces me to dig the album out again. Of course, then I get swept up in "Two Hearts" and "40".

― Edward Bax (EdBax), Monday, 2 January 2006 04:31 (twenty years ago)

"two hearts" >> "new year's day"

― it was jody that killed the beast (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 2 January 2006 04:33 (twenty years ago)

Likewise, one of a precious few U2 songs (the others being "Numb" and a few Passengers tracks) that I actually enjoy.

― Myke Weiskopf (Myke Weiskopf), Monday, 2 January 2006 04:49 (twenty years ago)

xxxpost: Yeah, OK, I just listened to "I Will Follow." All right then.

without due credit, most notably by The Edge

Tsk, The Edge.

― xero (xero), Monday, 2 January 2006 04:51 (twenty years ago)

ts: "two hearts" vs. "do it clean" (well, ok, we know who wins that one)

― it was jody that killed the beast (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 2 January 2006 04:53 (twenty years ago)

Great song, yes.

And "yes" to the Keith Levene influence on U2. HELLO: "Public Image" vs "I Will Follow."

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Monday, 2 January 2006 05:11 (twenty years ago)

HELLO: Yeah, OK, I just listened to "I Will Follow." All right then.

― xero (xero), Monday, 2 January 2006 05:20 (twenty years ago)

The real question is: was Keith Levene also influenced by David Gilmour on "Run Like Hell"?

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Monday, 2 January 2006 06:07 (twenty years ago)

A good friend of mine has actually turned into a U2 freak, and I went to visit him today. He's got pictures of U2 all over his apartment. I feel silly because he's some years younger than I, so all I can do is sound like an old man and tell him stories about how in 1985 they were my favourite band in the whole world and I had posters and fan club magazines etc etc.

People can knock New Year's Day all they want to but for god's sake it sounded like nothing else on EARTH at the time, and there's no way to get that across in this day and age. This is also true for most of "War".

ALSO: WHY IS CELEBRATION *STILL* NOT AVAILABLE ON CD? WHY? That is one of my favourite U2 songs ever, if not my favourite.

― Tomato Voyeur (Bimble...), Monday, 2 January 2006 07:27 (twenty years ago)

the riff , the voice..i still get chills...they rocked until they jumped the shark with anything after"joshua tree".
i bought "boy" and "war" play them continously.
"an cat dubh","a day without me" and "the refugee"are brilliant.

― retrogurl, Monday, 2 January 2006 09:16 (twenty years ago)

it sounded like nothing else on EARTH at the time

Hmmmm....not really entirely sure about that. Seek ye the Bunnymen.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 2 January 2006 14:55 (twenty years ago)

This must be the U2 song [almost] everyone on ILM likes, and I include myself in that. I remember hearing it (when it was still pretty new) on the red radio in the art room, where I used to sometimes hang out in during lunch toward the end of my high school years. It was being played on one of the first stations in the area to temporarily switch to a "modern rock" format, or whatever they were caling it, and the Psychedelic Furs was about as edgy as it got (which was pretty out there for U.S. rock radio at the time). I had already been listening to (really good) college radio for a few years at this point, so U2 didn't sound too ground-breaking.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Monday, 2 January 2006 15:03 (twenty years ago)

I would appreciate it v. much if someone wanted to YSI this. (I know it well but do not have it and this discussion is making me wish I did!)

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Monday, 2 January 2006 15:03 (twenty years ago)

ALSO: WHY IS CELEBRATION *STILL* NOT AVAILABLE ON CD? WHY? That is one of my favourite U2 songs ever, if not my favourite.

C'mon, man....learn to do your homework!

It's right here!

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000JNKK.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

You're welcome.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 2 January 2006 15:04 (twenty years ago)

I agree with everyone else, in that I like it a lot. But I like their other songs, also.

― the bellefox, Monday, 2 January 2006 15:05 (twenty years ago)

The Unforgettable Fire

― the bellefox, Monday, 2 January 2006 15:06 (twenty years ago)

I like this song! Someone start a thread about "Beautiful Day" so I can talk about how much it sucks.

― 'Twan (miccio), Monday, 2 January 2006 15:12 (twenty years ago)

Did anyone hear the "dance remix" of "New Year's Day" that was airred during the footage of Australia's New Year's Eve (right after --- god help me -- "My Humps" by the Black Eyed Attrocities)? It was surprisingly kinda compelling.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 2 January 2006 15:17 (twenty years ago)

The thing about Beautiful Day is - I liked it, then my friend pointed out that the loop never actually resolves itself - like it goes thru a chord pattern that never reaches the tonic - and since then I've found the song unlistenable and frustrating.

― deej.. (deej..), Monday, 2 January 2006 15:28 (twenty years ago)

not a chord pattern but a melody rather.

― deej.. (deej..), Monday, 2 January 2006 15:28 (twenty years ago)

Do like New Years Day tho.

― deej.. (deej..), Monday, 2 January 2006 15:28 (twenty years ago)

I don't mind "Beautiful Day" either. That's an interesting point about the unresolved loop, though. Must listen again.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 2 January 2006 15:44 (twenty years ago)

Say something Nice about ILM's usual suspects.

― Sundar (sundar), Monday, 2 January 2006 16:16 (twenty years ago)

(Er, not saying this thread has been done already, just that my post on the other says what I have to say about "New Year's Day".)

― Sundar (sundar), Monday, 2 January 2006 16:17 (twenty years ago)

one thing i like about 'nyd' that seems like it should annoy me but doesn't: the way he extends the vowels to make "white" rhyme with "quiet". stretching out the word that way makes it actually sound like a big snowfall coming down.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 2 January 2006 16:57 (twenty years ago)

I have to say, I love the distant "Yeeaaaahhhhhhhh" that accompanies the opening piano notes right before the drums come in.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 2 January 2006 17:18 (twenty years ago)

was Keith Levene also influenced by David Gilmour on "Run Like Hell"?

If it's the play-delay/echo-play pattern you're referring to, then the genesis point is really "One Of These Days."

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Monday, 2 January 2006 20:47 (twenty years ago)

"Surrender" is also unfuckwithable.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Monday, 2 January 2006 20:48 (twenty years ago)

I'm a bit baffled that there is nearly universal ILM love for "New Year's Day" and nearly universal ILM hate for the majority of U2's songs. It's not like the rest of their output is drastically different than the songs on "War" (90's material excepted). I can't understand how someone could love "New Year's Day" and hate, say, "Where the Streets Have No Name" (or perhaps "The Unforgettable Fire").

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Monday, 2 January 2006 21:17 (twenty years ago)

"Where the Streets Have No Name"

in this case, the obnoxiousness of the video outweighs any positive feelings i might have about the song on its own.

― it was jody that killed the beast (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 2 January 2006 21:19 (twenty years ago)

OK, but you could say that about 85% of U2 videos.

― NoTimeBeforeTime (Barry Bruner), Monday, 2 January 2006 21:24 (twenty years ago)

The roots of what would make them obnoxious by the time of The Unforgettable Fire are clearly present on the first 3 records, but the self-importance still seems kind of swaggery-youth endearing and not yet world-conqueror insufferable. Also, I prefer Lillywhite U2 to Eno/Lanois U2.

That said, I think Achtung Baby is pretty great too. (And there are good cuts on The Unforgettable Fire/Joshua Tree/Rattle'n'Hum, but I have a hard time listening to any of them straight through.)

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 2 January 2006 21:31 (twenty years ago)

http://image.com.com/mp3/images/cover/200/dre400/e440/e44051wjpky.jpg

Eh? EH? EH?!?

― corey c (shock of daylight), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 09:35 (twenty years ago)

adrian borland said, "i coulda been a contender. bono stole all my good ideas."

the sound were so fucking much better. i mean the songs were just leagues away from any of u2's singles. i think they were just a victim of not being very attractive to the public in general. not decent looking irish turds writing about martin luther king.

― corey c (shock of daylight), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 09:37 (twenty years ago)

the one 80s U2 single I didn't like until recently when I realized that it's one of their best

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 10:38 (twenty years ago)

War is an interesting album to go back and listen to after all this time, they seemed to have ditched a lot of the big reverbs and delay (although not all) that make a band sound like a stadium ready band.

The actual songs they were writing at the time sounded panoramic just by virtue of their own arrangements and not by studio processing.

I wonder if they had maybe come to the conclusion that there was nowhere left to go in terms of chest-beating, steely eyed stadium rock and consquently it was time make the 'art' album.

― mzui (mzui), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 10:44 (twenty years ago)

That last line refers to after they made the War album of course. duh.

― mzui (mzui), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 10:48 (twenty years ago)

Year and years ago I was at an all night gabber party called Dead By Dawn at an anarchist squat in south London and the deejay killed everyone's buzz massively by playing a happy hardcore gabber tune that stole the opening piano intro of "new year's day". It was like he had just pissed on the floor or something, embarassing for all involved.

The original song is pretty unimpeachable pre-suck U2, or at least I felt so at age 14.

― Drew Daniel (Drew Daniel), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 11:06 (twenty years ago)

Here is an Mpeg of U2 performing a pre 'Boy' song called 'Life On A Distant Planet' on an Irish music program in 1979. Fun stuff, Larry looks about 10 years old.

http://s37.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=33AW74FIZ3SFX266SEOTTICF35

― mzui (mzui), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 11:21 (twenty years ago)

Did anyone hear the "dance remix" of "New Year's Day" that was airred during the footage of Australia's New Year's Eve

I wonder if you're talking about the Ferry Corsten remix. Aha ha ha.

― Lukas (lukas), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 19:54 (twenty years ago)

Here is an Mpeg of U2 performing a pre 'Boy' song called 'Life On A Distant Planet' on an Irish music program in 1979. Fun stuff, Larry looks about 10 years old.

aw. they're so cute! reminds me of the stranglers a little.

― miss michael learned (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 20:11 (twenty years ago)

and who knew the edge could play albert hammond, jr. style solos?

― miss michael learned (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 20:15 (twenty years ago)

I can't understand how someone could love "New Year's Day" and hate, say, "Where the Streets Have No Name" (or perhaps "The Unforgettable Fire")

I might not be the best person to answer but I do quite like "The Unforgettable Fire". However I like NYD more than "Where the Streets Have No Name". It sounds more urgent and I think it does more melodically. The guitars are nastier; the changes seem a bit less obvious; the keyboard riff more compelling. But I like my share of obvious music too so it's hard to answer. The lyrics do say more to me but that's not always a deciding factor. It's not like I hate "Where the Streets Have No Name" though. The ambient intro is lovely (though I suspect Eno deserves at least some of the credit for that), the guitars are generally great, and there's a good driving feel. As a whole it just doesn't totally connect in the same way for me, like a lot of classic 80s U2 doesn't. I've never completely figured out why. I think "With Or Without You" does more for me. I'm not necessarily huge on War as an album. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is another example of a song that doesn't really connect with me like it should. I like the beat and the tune but it just feels like a catchy happy song to me. I don't know why. It bugs me. Achtung Baby and Zooropa I can relate to easier. I like "Beautiful Day" too.

― Sundar (sundar), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 20:38 (twenty years ago)

Hmmmm....not really entirely sure about that. Seek ye the Bunnymen.

No, I don't see that as being comparable, I'm afraid. Lillywhite's production probably had a lot to do with it - "New Years Day" and much of War just had a very raw sound to it, not like anything else.

― Tomato Voyeur (Bimble...), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 21:53 (twenty years ago)

Great song, but I think "Seconds" is my favorite.

― darin (darin), Wednesday, 4 January 2006 22:47 (twenty years ago)

I think they're comparable in terms of the overall sound, though War-era U2 have a much harder edge (one would be hard-pressed to ever call the Bunnymen hard-edged, apart from maybe their live renderings of "Do it Clean" and/or "Villiers Terrace". That said, the "big" sound of U2 (swoony, histrionic vox and cinematic arrangements) definetely applies to the Bunnymen as well. But you're right....U2 circa War were raw....much more in touch with hard(er) rock than the Bunnymen (who were never "hard").

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 5 January 2006 00:29 (twenty years ago)

Great song, but I think "Seconds" is my favorite.

Listen to "Johnny Was" by the Stiff Little Fingers (fellow Irish band) if you dig "Seconds".

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 5 January 2006 00:30 (twenty years ago)

Their entire look at the time (shown in the pic above) was completely ripped off the Bunnymen, though surely? The long coats, the army surplus gear, the being-filmed-in-the-snow - all pure Heaven Up Here/Porcupines

― bham, Thursday, 5 January 2006 10:20 (twenty years ago)

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