U2
If the Rolling Stones were the "World's Greatest Rock Band" in the late '60s and early '70s, then U2 possessed the title in the '80s. From Ireland, the band was also known for making potent social and political statements - death for most Rock groups.
U2 got together in the mid-'70s when drummer Larry Mullen posted a notice at his school looking for band members. At the same time, Paul Hewson was writing songs. Being in a band sounded like a good idea. Brothers, Dave and Dik Evans, also joined as did Adam Clayton. Later on, figuring the band was going nowhere Dik bailed. U2 started out, as Feedback, then The Hype. Paul Hewson gave himself the name Bono Vox, taken from a hearing aid company. Guitarist Dave Evans became The Edge. The nickname was provided by Bono and had something to do with the shape of Evans' head. After winning a talent contest, the band got a chance to record a demo and by early '80 they were signed to Island Records.
U2's "War" CD was their breakthrough. The powerful riff rocker "New Year's Day" and the fierce "Sunday Bloody Sunday" showed a band with a conscience. The latter is a protest song against the seemingly endless violence in Northern Ireland.
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U2 went on to record the incredible "Joshua Tree." Released in '87, the album had "With Or Without You," "Where The Street Have No Name" and "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." It defined U2 as a challenging and creative force. In the '90s, U2 stretched out with the "Achtung Baby" (industrial), "Zooropa" and "Pop" (techno).
Prior to the release of "All That You Left Behind" the music press was full of stories about this album being a return to the group's roots. The sonic density of "Pop" had given way to a leaner, airier sound. In many ways, Bono's vocals and The Edge's guitar, U2's two most recognizable entities, harked back to the glory days.
Bono is known for his involvement in notable causes, like the elimination of crippling third world debt and combating AIDS, especially in Africa. Not that it was all social issues and politics for U2. They cranked it up for the Super Bowl XXXVI ('02) halftime show, reaching an estimated audience of 80 million in the U.S.
'04 saw U2 roar to the top of the album charts (again) with "How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb" containing ipod favorite, "Vertigo." They followed that with a much anticipated tour and induction into the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame.
It's is not uncommon to see Bono meeting with presidents, politicians and religious leaders in an effort to mitigate suffering around the world. He even launched a product line in '06, RED (with participation from Converse, The GAP and Apple, among others), to benefit the fight against AIDS in Africa. But a few weeks before that, Bono and the rest of U2, along with Green Day performed during the pre-game show on ESPN's Monday Night Football to celebrate the reopening of the Louisiana Superdome (severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina) in New Orleans. They played a live version of their recently recorded hurricane charity single, a cover of Scottish Punk band, the Skids, "The Saints Are Coming." In a bit of a switch, it was The Edge who was out in front. "Every musician owes a little bit of a debt to New Orleans," he said.
The two bands also played "Beautiful Day," and Green Day's "Wake Me Up When September Ends." Performance footage was sold online to benefit Music Rising, an organization co-founded by The Edge that replaces musical instruments lost in '05's Gulf Coast storms.
U2 is the most important group from the'80s. They made their debut with the exceptional "Boy" album. "October" followed, building their audience. "War" is an undeniable classic. The live "Under A Blood Red Sky," the EP "Wide Awake In America" and the near classic "The Unforgettable Fire" came next. U2 hit their absolute '80s peak with "Joshua Tree." The next year, '88, U2 presented another great album, the live/studio soundtrack to their documentary "Rattle & Hum."
With the '90s, U2's sound changed significantly. The largely sparse sound gave way to dense production. The basic elements were still there among the double tracked guitar/vocals and other production devices. "Achtung Baby," produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, is a masterpiece. "Zooropa" follows "Achtung Baby's" lead. "Pop," unveiled in '97, is a solid effort but not really in the same league with earlier works.
"All That You Left Behind" is not U2's greatest CD but there's more than enough to recommend. The follow-up, ""How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb," proves U2, a quarter century after their debut, are still vibrant creative force. But just as Grunge bands wore out the "soft verse/loud chorus" song structure, U2 has their own rut. There's the slow opening, giving everybody a chance to warm up and allow Bono to emote on the track's best verse. After a bit of that, the song kicks into a U2 Rocker. This is all well and good, but in a world of instant gratification it is far better to come out swinging and keep it up until the whole thing either runs out of gas or comes crashing down. The only songs that manage it are"Vertigo" (no wonder it was the set's first single) and "All Because of You." That said, this album has a handful of great songs and enough good ones to make anyone (fan or not) happy. Check out "Miracle Drug" and "Love And Peace Or Else." As with their previous effort, U2 needs to Rock more. They can you know, they really can.
If you don't own their '90s albums, "U2: 1990 -2000" is probably the best way to catch up on one of Rock's all-time great groups. Any album with "Even Better Than The Real Thing," "Beautiful Day," "Mysterious Ways" and "One" is worth owning. There are also remixes of four songs including "Staring At The Sun" and a batch of B-sides (for the faithful). Who could ask for more? Well, the hits just keep coming.
"U218," released in '06 (just in time for holiday shopping), is a collection of 18 singles (see title) with the expected, "Pride (In The Name Of Love)," "New Year's Day," and "One," plus more current tracks including, "The Saints Are Coming," the group's charity (Hurricane Katrina) collaboration with Green Day. There is also an accompanying DVD.
Gotta Haves: The Joshua Tree - 1987: The album opens with three churning, tormented Rockers, "Where The Streets Have No Name," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and "With Or Without You." The politically anguished "Bullet The Blue Sky" and "Red Hill Mining Town" are especially memorable. "In God's Country" and "One Tree Hill" Rock while "Trip Through Your Wires" has a driving Blues feeling. This is U2's best 80's album.
Achtung Baby - 1991: With the distorted repetitive guitar riff and Bono's heavily processed vocals, "Zoo Station" represents a change for U2. Aside from the production effects, obviously influenced and implemented by producers Lanois and Eno (with mixing by Flood), "Achtung Baby" has some of U2's best crafted songs. There's the bombastic "Even Better Than The Real Thing," the mournful "One" and the churning "Until The End of the World." "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" breaks from the din and Rocks lean through the verses. Excellent lyrics. "Mysterious Ways" with Edge's commanding guitar and Bono's double tracked vocals is another powerful Rocker. The rhythm track (bass, drums and cowbell) is the perfect center for the song to swirl around.
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