Friday, June 7, 2019

A Window Above: Babyface

Song: "Babyface"
Writers: U2
Original Release: July 5, 1993
Band: U2
Album: Zooropa



Given the lyrical content, I rather doubt that this song is about drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. though his nickname is, in fact, Babyface.  However, I do think it's appropriate that the unofficial video above is essentially a tribute to Mullen.  As I wrote in my last U2 post, I believe the drums are the secret of the band's success and this track, in particular, makes excellent use of percussion.

Want to hear all of the songs I have featured in a convenient playlist?

Enjoy: A Window Above

What are you listening to these days?

12 comments:

  1. Not to argue the importance of Mullen and his drums, but I think the real reason they became who they are is all about Bono and his charisma, especially early on, and his earnestness with crowds.
    I'm saying this after watching some of their early concert footage recently.

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    1. No argument here. Bono is the main draw and deservedly so. But the atmosphere of the band's sound is framed by percussion.

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  2. Fleetwood Mac drums caught my interest. It is all about the beat.

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  3. The whole band works together well. This is funny because the band itself believes it's made up of subpar musicians. Even if that's true, clearly each of them has capitalized quite well on their skills, and the whole, as they say, is better than the sum of its parts.

    But yes, the drumming is excellent.

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    1. ... Andrew doesn't like it when I say things like this but I agree that, as instrumentalists, they don't quite measure up with the other all-time great bands - except for Mullen. He's the real deal.

      U2 owes a great debt to Brian Eno and the other gifted producers they've worked with over the years. They are hardly alone in that, of course. The Beatles, genius songwriters though they may have been, would never have become the band they were without Sir George Martin. In fact, I wouldn't say the Beatles measure up to Led Zeppelin, Rush, Cream or the Who as instrumentalists. In that case, the exception is Paul on the bass.

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    2. I don't disagree, necessarily, except maybe about Edge. Evidently, he's done some amazing things on guitar. But I'm a music expert. I do know that Clayton has always been weak on bass and wouldn't have been kept in any other band. Even just a couple of years when I saw their Joshua Tree anniversary tour, Clayton threw off "With or Without You," to Bono's visible annoyance.

      But! They are tremendous songwriters, so...

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    3. Yes. I could teach you to play a Clayton bass line in 15 minutes. Whereas McCartney... I'd happily devote many hours to learning McCartney bass lines.

      On a more serious note, Clayton has dealt with some pretty serious substance addiction issues, too. Musicians, man...

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  4. one of my favorite music groups...excellent drums

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