With all this music-talk continuing in the blogosphere thank to Castor at Anomalous Materials, I have been thinking more about music myself - hence this list. First off, before this Top 5, I shall lay dow some ground rules. Obviously 'Live' DVD's or films don't count - so no U2:3D, ZOOTV or PopMart. Additionally to that, the tour-film Rattle and Hum directed by Phil Joanou doesn't count because, though released theatrically, it's a live DVD deep down. Finally, having only recently discussed The Million Dollar Hotel, its fair to state that as U2 and Bono actually wrote the whole soundtrack, thats discounted. Also, Goldeneye, is only written by Bono and The Edge, but alas is not performed by U2, so that doesn't count either. Blog Cabins always mentions the 'notable' films he hasn't seen when analysing years in reflection. In the same way, it appears that a bunch of film I have not seen use U2 songs. Namely, The Heartbreak Kid ('One'), Elizabethtown ('In The Name Of Love'), Brothers ('Winter') and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly ('Ultraviolet'). Sorry Ben Stiller, your Heartbroken Kid, I'll bet, slaughters the song.
Before I rank the Top 5 Best use of U2 tracks in songs, lets note the horrendous uses of some songs: 'Bad' in Taking Lives ('Bad' is possibly one of U2's best tracks and it was used in sex-drama with Ethan Hunt and Angelina Jolie. Tragic), 'Beautiful Day' in anything - it is always used and, though I have only seen its use on sports programmes in England, I have additionally seen it used in the film Bandits (Though IMDB notes the use of the same song in Smallville, CSI:NY and Nim's Island). Obviously, we cannot forget the atrocious 'remix' of 'Elevation' in Lara Croft:Tomb Raider. In fairness, I reckon thats more to do with fact that 'Elevation' is a crap song anyway - its just U2 trying to recreate Blur's 'Song 2'...
Lets Countdown ...
5. Gangs of New York ('The Hands That Built America') - I have specifically hunted down the version with an orchestral beginning - opposed to the slightly less-epic version featuring on 2002 'Best Of 1990-2000'. I persoanlly like Gangs of New York at any rate (though I was in absolute shock that Andy and John from The Hollywood Saloon only recently spoke about films that should never-have-been and specified Gangs of New York as the worst Scorsese film! No sir.)
4. About A Boy (Zoo Station) - I like About A Boy for a number of reasons. Its virtually a rom-com for boys. Hugh Grant lives the perfect life and, having said that, you know he has the sweetest sound-system known to man... meaning Zoo Station would sound incredible in his flat. I couldn't find the scene itself, but it is used in the scene as the young lad is ringing Hugh Grant's doorbell...
3. Three Kings (In Gods Country) - I have been desperate to rewatch Three Kings for a long time but have yet to do so. But rarely does a film use a song so effectively that it finishes the film with such a positive buzz. In keeping with highlighting the songs being use in the sequence itself I have a section from the film which shows the final 10-minutes. Skip to 04.15 to see the use of the song...
2. Friends (With or Without You) - I know its a little bit cliche, but forgive me for having a heart. I think it is one of my favourite U2 songs, if not the favourite song. Unfortunately I couldn't find the scene itself but I found one of those silly 'dedication' videos that uses the song itself... the closest I could get considering...
1. Batman Forever (Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me) - I think this song is Number One for a bunch of reasons. First off, the video is incredible. Apparently Bono was actually considered for Batman, but I think its safe to say that he should stick to what he knows and leave the animators to create the only version of Batman Bono will ever play. Secondly, you could only get this track either on the soundtrack or on a single (remember them) before 2002 ... so it remained one of those incredible songs that was difficult to get hold of - alongside Oasis' 'Whatever' and multiple others...
