The Complete U2 Fan - The Oregonian on 16 December 2005 - Joseph Rose & Marty Hughely
Favorite books
Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2, by Steve Stockman: No big secret that three members of U2 are Christians. The War album ends with a song called "40," an acoustic rendition of Psalm 40. And Bono reportedly persuaded Republican U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms to give up his judgmental ways about AIDS by reading him a passage from the Gospel of Matthew and reminding him of Jesus' compassion for lepers. Stockman, an Irish Presbyterian minister and gifted writer, recalls how U2 met God and put him in show business, took inspiration from the psalms of lamentation, took a lesson from C.S. Lewis, and what the band means when it proclaims, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For."
U2 & i: The Photographs 1982-2004, by Anton Corbijn: The ultimate U2 coffee-table book, filled with brilliant, vivid and often intimate pics by the band's favorite photographer. Spanning more than two decades, the shots chronicle their haircut history (remember when Bono was trying to save the world with a mullet and the Edge didn't seem to have a beanie sewn to his head) and Bono's sunglasses collection, but also impart a sense of who they are beneath the surface. The book is heavy with black-and-white images. It's not cheap, but it's a worthwhile purchase for the serious collector of real things U2.
Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas, by Michka Assayas: For anyone who wants to get deep into the mind and heart of Bono, delve into this series of long but telling and inspiring interviews by a French journalist and friend of Bono. It's all here, albeit in nonlinear fashion: his musical influences, surviving the tough streets of Dublin, the birth of his faith, the death of his parents, his friendships with the other band members and how that has played into U2's long success. His work on poverty, AIDS and free trade. Even the insecurities of a rock star who has become a world leader.
U2: The Complete Songs: For the U2 completist, or anyone who wants to travel deep into Edge's brain, this book presents sheet music and guitar tablature (plus lyrics, of course) for every song written by U2 from 1978 to 1999, in alphabetical order. Commentary is minimal, but do-it-yourselfers will discover much.
U2 Show, by Diana Scrimgeour: Subtitled The Art of Touring, its 300-plus large-format pages offer a multilayered look at the concept, design and execution of the rock concert, as presented by U2. There's loads of dazzling photography (especially of the extravagant ZooTV and PopMart tours), but the meat of the book is the interviews -- with agents, video directors, sound technicians, stage managers, graphic artists, promoters, record execs, even stars such as Peter Gabriel and Steven Van Zandt -- which offer multiple perspectives on the business of touring, the growth of the rock stage spectacle, and U2's commitment to doing as much of it as possible with integrity and heart.
5 best U2 songs not released as singles
1. "So Cruel," from Achtung Baby: A song about love coming in for a crash landing, at a time when the Edge's marriage was balancing on a razor blade. The hammering, plaintive guitar work is the sound of a heart breaking. Choice line: "Between the horses of love and lust we are trampled underfoot" -- a reference to the death of Jezebel.
2. "Red Hill Mining Town," from The Joshua Tree: A song of earth, love and holding on to a dying way of life. The band wanted to release the song as a single in 1987 but stopped short when Bono realized he would have to try to hit the soaring high notes every night on tour. Bono was sure it would destroy his vocal cords. They even shot a video that was never played in the States. Choice line: "We scorch the earth, set fire to the sky/Stoop so low to reach so high."
3. "In a Little While," from All That You Can't Leave Behind: U2 takes a lesson from the Beatles' "Oh! Darling." Raw and unpretentious, just an honest song about the frailty of love, with scaled-down drum and guitar tracks. Too bad Bono and McCartney didn't play this one when they appeared on the Live 8 stage together this year. Choice line: "When the night takes a deep breath and the daylight has no air/If I crawl, if I come crawling home will you be there?"
4. "Until the End of the World," from Achtung Baby: A love song, sort of, through the eyes of Judas (he wants forgiveness). It features some of Edge's best guitar licks and has been one the band's in-concert standouts. Fortunately, according to the play lists on U2tours.com, the band is playing it again on the road. Choice line: "In the garden I was playing the tart/I kissed your lips and broke your heart/You, you were acting like it was the end of the world."
5. "Miracle Drug," from How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb: Inspired by a school-age friend who was a paraplegic yet managed to write poetry by punching out words with a device attached to his head, the song also includes allusions to the fight against AIDS. Gentle, poetic and hopeful, it asks big questions about the cultural conflict between God and science. Choice line: "The songs are in your eyes/I see them when you smile/I've had enough of romantic love/I'd give it up, yeah, I'd give it up/For a miracle drug."
Essential U2 CDs
1. Achtung Baby (1991): A seductive, darkly dazzling album that trades in the misty grandeur of earlier U2 records for a sound like gritty film noir futurism, at once brittle in tone and relaxed in feeling, with echoes of industrial rock, European dance music and the glam cheekiness of T. Rex. Bono drops his magisterial howl for a hushed delivery that's just as powerful but far more sonically seductive.
2. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004): Combining the power and passion of its early work with the subtleties and experimentalism of its middle period, U2 reaches another peak, with the Edge sounding especially revivified. The album strikes a fine balance between reflection and abandon, and leavens its largely straightforward guitar rock with enough atmospheric detailing and stylistic twists to throw off any nostalgic inertia.
3. The Joshua Tree (1987): Toning down the bombast and letting the beauty shine through, U2, led by producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, created a refined, ruminative, resonant sound that translated into colossal sales and legendary status. With "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," "Where the Streets Have No Name" and "With or Without You," it's probably the band's most popular album.
4. War (1983): Brash, passionate and stirring, U2 makes good on its early promise with this third album, its arena rock anthems the sound of young idealists fighting for peace.
5. All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000): Pruning back its playful experimentation of the '90s, the quartet finds new possibilities within its basic guitar/bass/drums format and confidently reasserts its relevance. The first four tracks are pure magic.
Top 5 DVDs
- U2: Coming Home, Live at Slane Castle (2002)
- U2: Rattle and Hum (1988)
- U2: Vertigo 2005, Live from Chicago
- U2: Best of 1990-2000 (2003)
- U2 - The Joshua Tree (2000)
On the Web
- www.U2.com: the band's official site
- www.one.org: "The campaign to make poverty history," spearheaded by Bono
- www.atu2.com: a respected and in-depth fan site
- www.u2log.com: a well-produced Web log and online magazine
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