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U2 has been and still is producing politically and emotionally driven songs has been alive
and kicking for some twenty odd years. Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen Jr, and Adam Clayton
met at their school,Mount Temple High School in the late 70's. Of course, starting out,
they were bad. But playing gig after gig, they improved and developed a cult like
following.
They released their first
studio album, Boy in 1980 followed by October in 1981 and War in 1983. As the years went
by, so did their following. U2 was already popular in the UK. Their song, Sunday Bloody
Sunday, clinched their worldwide appeal. Rolling Stone magazine, by then had named them
the Band of the Year.
U2
continued to produce albums -- The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree. Then during the
1989 New Year's Eve show in Dublin, Bono announced, "This is just the end of
something for U2. It's no big deal, it's just that we have to go away and dream it all up
again." That was the end of an era for the band.
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| In 1991,
U2 re-emerged with a new sound and their seventh album, Achtung Baby. After releasing this
album, Bono and the boys packed up and launched the Zoo TV tour. This tour propelled them
through their planned single but evolved into an album, Zooropa. Then in 1997, Pop was
released and an accompanying tour, Popmart, commenced. |
October
2nd, 2000, U2 released their tenth studio album, All That You Can't Leave Behind. It
got rave reviews from both critics and fans. The sound was joyful, while the lyrics
melancholy and deep. U2 had stripped down their sound back to just having 4 guys jamming
in a room. In March 2001, the Elevation Tour was launched...
OK, so you're wondering...why U2? I dunno, but I got hooked back
in the late 80's. I was flipping through the radio and I heard With or Without You. I was
in middle school then and was totally blown away by the song. I went out and bought the
Joshua Tree album and have been a fan ever since. Their music strikes a chord in my
heart...I just dunno how to put it into words. The passion with which Bono sings, Edge's
awesome riffs, Adam's bass, and Larry's accompanying drums all have something to do with
it. I think they made me pay attention to what was happening in the world, they still do.
I can't name one album or song that is a favorite because I love all of their stuff...it's
like a soundtrack to my life. :) |
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