Biography

Through a combination of zealous righteousness and post-punk experimentalism, U2 became one of the most popular rock & roll bands of the '80s. Equally known for their sweeping sound as for their grandiose statements about politics and religion, U2 were rock & roll crusaders during an era of synthesized pop and heavy metal. The Edge provided the group with a signature sound by creating sweeping sonic landscapes with his heavily processed, echoed guitars. Though the Edge's style wasn't conventional, the rhythm section of Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. played the songs as driving hard-rock, giving the band a forceful, powerful edge that was designed for arena rock.

And their lead singer, Bono, was a frontman who had a knack of grand gestures that played better in arenas than small clubs. It's no accident that footage of Bono parading with a white flag with "Sunday Bloody Sunday" blaring in the background became the defining moment of U2's early career — there rarely was a band that believed so deeply in rock's potential for revolution as U2, and there rarely was a band that didn't care if they appeared foolish in the process. During the course of the early '80s, the group quickly built up a dedicated following through constant touring and a string of acclaimed records. By 1987, the band's following had grown large enough to propel them to the level of international superstars with the release of The Joshua Tree.

Unlike many of their contemporaries, U2 was able to sustain their popularity in the '90s by reinventing themselves as a post-modern, self-consciously ironic dance-inflected pop-rock act, owing equally to the experimentalism of late '70s Bowie and '90s electronic dance and techno. By performing such a successful reinvention, the band confirmed its status as one of the most popular bands in rock history, in addition to earning additional critical respect.

With its textured guitars, U2's sound was undeniably indebted to post-punk, so it's slightly ironic that the band formed in 1976, before punk had reached their hometown of Dublin, Ireland. Larry Mullen Jr. (b. October 31, 1961; drums) posted a notice on a high school bulletin board asking for fellow musicians to form a band. Bono (b. Paul Hewson, May 10, 1960; vocals, guitar), the Edge (b. David Evans, August 8, 1961; guitar, keyboards, vocal), Adam Clayton (bass), and Dick Evans responded to the ad, and the group formed as a Beatles and Stone cover band called the Feedback, before changing their name to the Hype in 1977. Shortly afterward, Dick Evans left the band to form the Virgin Prunes. Following his departure, the group changed their name to U2.

U2's first big break arrived in 1978, when they won a talent contest sponsored by Guinness; the band were in their final year of high school at the time. by the end of the year, the Stranglers' manager Paul McGuinness saw the band play and offered to manage the group. Even with a powerful manager in their corner, the band had trouble making much headway — they failed an audition with CBS Records at the end of the year. In the fall of 1979, U2 released their debut EP U2:3. The EP was available only in Ireland and it topped the national charts. Shortly afterward, they began to play in England, but they failed to gain much attention.

U2 had one other chart-topping single, "Another Day," in early 1980 before Island Records offered the group a contract. Later that year, the band's debut, Boy, was released. Produced by Steve Lillywhite, the record's sweeping, atmospheric but edgy sound was unlike most of its post-punk contemporaries, and the band earned further attention for its public embrace of Christianity; only Clayton was not a practicing Christian.

Through constant touring, including opening gigs for Talking Heads and wet T-shirt contests, U2 was able to take Boy into the American Top 70 in early 1981. October, also produced by Lillywhite, followed in the fall, and it became their British breakthrough, reaching number 11 on the charts. By early 1983, Boy's "I Will Follow" and October's "Gloria" had become staples on MTV, which, along with their touring, gave the group a formidable cult following in the US.

Released in the spring of 1983, the Lillywhite-produced War was U2's breakthrough release, entering the UK charts at number one and elevating them into arenas in the United States, where the album peaked at number 12. War had a stronger political message than its predecessors, as evidenced by the UK, college radio, and MTV hits "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day." During the supporting tour, the band filmed their concert at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheater, releasing the show as an EP and video title Under A Blood Red Sky.

The EP entered in the UK charts at number two, becoming the most successful live recording in British history. U2 had become one of the most popular bands in the world, and their righteous political stance soon became replicated by many other bands, providing the impetus for the Band Aid and Live Aid projects in 1984 and 1985, respectively. For the followup to War, U2 entered the studios with co-producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, who helped give the resulting album an experimental, atmospheric tone. Released in the fall of 1984, The Unforgettable Fire replicated the chart status of War, entering the UK charts at number one and reaching number 12 in the US the album also generated the group's first Top 40 hit in America with the Martin Luther King Jr. tribute "(Pride) In the Name of Love." U2 supported the album with a successful international tour, highlighted by a show-stealing performance at Live Aid. Following the tour, the band released the live EP, Wide Awake in America in 1985.

While U2 had become one of the most successful rock bands of the '80s, they didn't truly become superstars until the spring 1987 release of The Joshua Tree. Greeted with enthusiastic reviews, many of which proclaimed the album a masterpiece, The Joshua Tree became the band's first American number one hit and its third straight album to enter the UK charts at number one; in England, it set a record by going platinum within 28 hours. Generating the US number one hits "With or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," The Joshua Tree and the group's supporting tour became the biggest success of 1987, earning the group the cover of respected publications like Time magazine.

U2 decided to film a documentary about their American tour, recording new material along the way. The project became Rattle & Hum, a film that was supported by a double-album soundtrack that was divided between live tracks and new material. While the album Rattle & Hum was a hit, the record and film received the weakest reviews of U2's career, with many critics taking issue with the group's fascination with American roots music like blues, soul, country and folk. Following the release of Rattle & Hum, the band took an extended hiatus.

U2 reconvened in Berlin 1990 to record a new album with Eno and Lanois. While the sessions for the album were difficult, the resulting record, Achtung Baby, represented a successful reinvention of the band's trademark sound. Where they had been inspired by post-punk in the early career and American music during their mid-career, U2 delved into electronic and dance music with Achtung Baby. Inspired equally by late '70s Bowie and the Madchester scene in the UK, Achtung Baby was sonically more eclectic and adventurous than U2's earlier work, and it didn't alienate their core audience.

The album debuted at number one throughout the world and spawned Top 10 hits with "Mysterious Ways" and "One." Early in 1992, the group launched an elaborate tour to support Achtung Baby. Dubbed Zoo TV, the tour was an innovative blend of multi-media electronics, featuring a stage filled with televisions, suspended cars and cellular phone calls. Bono devised an alter-ego called the Fly, which was a knowing send-up of rock stardom. Even under the ironic guise of the Fly and Zoo TV, it was evident that U2 was looser and more fun than ever before, even though they had not abandoned their trademark righteous political anger.

Following the completion of the American Zoo TV tour in late and before the launch of the European leg of tour, U2 entered the studio to complete an EP of new material that became the full-length Zooropa. Released in the summer of 1993 to coincide with the tour of the same name, Zooropa demonstrated a heavier techno and dance influence than Achtung Baby and it received strong reviews. Nevertheless, the album stalled at sales of two million and failed to generate a big hit single. During the Zooropa tour, the Fly metamorphosed into the demonic MacPhisto, which dominated the remainder of the tour.

Upon the completion of the Zooropa tour in late 1993, the band took an extended break. During 1995, U2 re-emerged with "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me," a glam-rock theme to Batman Forever that was produced by Nellee Hooper (Bjork, Soul II Soul). Later that year, they recorded the collaborative album Original Soundtracks, Vol. 1 with Brian Eno, releasing the album under the name the Passengers late in 1995. It was greeted with a muted reception, both critically and commercially.

Many hardcore U2 fans, including drummer Larry Mullen Jr., were unhappy with the Passengers project, and U2 promised their next album, to be released in the fall of 1996, would be a rock & roll record. The album took longer to complete than usual, being pushed back to the spring of 1997. During its delay, a few tracks, including the forthcoming first single "Discotheque," were leaked, and it became clear that the new album was going to be heavily influenced by techno, dance and electronic music. When it was finally released, Pop did indeed bear a heavier dance influence, but it was greeted with strong initial sales, as well as some of the strongest reviews of U2's career. In late 1998, the group returned with Best of 1980-1990, the first in a series of hits collections issued in conjunction with a reported $50 million agreement with Polygram. Three years after the mediocre response to Pop, U2 teamed up with Eno and Lanois once again to release All That You Can't Leave Behind in fall 2000.

Albums

• 1980 Boy Island
• 1981 October Island 1983 War Mobile
• 1983 Under a Blood Red Sky [live] Island
• 1984 The Unforgettable Fire Mobile
• 1985 Wide Awake in America [live] Island
• 1987 The Joshua Tree Mobile
• 1988 Rattle and Hum Polygram
• 1991 Achtung Baby Polygram
• 1993 Zooropa Island
• 1997 Pop Polygram
• 2000 All That You Can't Leave Behind Interscope
• 2000 Hasta la Vista, Baby: Live From Mexico City U2 Limited

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Biography

From the outset, U2 went for the big message — every song on their debut album Boy sounds huge, with oceans of processed guitars cascading around Bono's impassioned wail. It was an inspired combination of large, stadium-rock beats and post-punk textures. Without the Edge's echoed, ringing guitar, U2 would have sounded like a traditional hard rock band, since the rhythm section and Bono treat each song as an anthem.

Of course, that's the charm of Boy: all of its emotions are on the surface, delivered with optimistic, youthful self-belief, yet the unusual, distinctive guitar textures give it an unexpected tension that makes it an exhilarating debut. The songs may occasionally show some weakness — the driving "I Will Follow," the dark "An Cat Dubh" and the shimmering "The Ocean" stand out among the sonic textures — yet the band's musical and lyrical vision keep Boy compelling until the finish. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Album Songs

1. I Will Follow (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 3:36
2. Twilight (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 4:22
3. An Cat Dubh (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 6:21
4. Into the Heart (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 1:53
5. Out of Control (U Two) - 4:13
6. Stories for Boys (U Two) - 3:02
7. The Ocean (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 1:34
8. A Day Without Me (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 3:14
9. Another Time, Another Place (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 4:34
10. The Electric Co. (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 4:48
11. Shadows and Tall Trees (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 4:36

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Biography

U2 sounded so confident and assured on their debut that perhaps it was inevitable they would stumble slightly on its follow-up, October. The record isn't weaker than its predecessor because it repeats the formula of Boy, it's because the band tries too hard to move forward. Bono, in particular, tries too hard to make big political, emotional, and religious statements, but the remainder of the band isn't innocent.

In general, the music is too pompous, with the sound overwhelming the actual songs. But when U2 do marry the message, melody and sound together, as on "Gloria," "I Threw a Brick Through a Window" and "I Fall Down," the results are thoroughly impressive. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Album Songs

1. Gloria (U Two) - 4:13
2. I Fall Down (U Two) - 3:39
3. I Threw a Brick Through a Window (U Two) - 4:54
4. Rejoice (U Two) - 3:38
5. Fire (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 3:51
6. Tomorrow (U Two) - 4:39
7. October (U Two) - 2:20
8. With a Shout (U Two) - 4:02
9. Stranger in a Strange Land (U Two) - 3:56
10. Scarlet (U Two) - 2:54
11. Is That All? (U Two) - 3:01

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Biography

Opening with the ominous, fiery protest of "Sunday Bloody Sunday," War immediately announces itself as U2's most focused and hardest-rocking album to date. Blowing away the fuzzy, sonic indulgences of October with propulsive, martial rhythms and shards of guitar, War bristles with anger, despair and, above all, passion.

Previously, Bono's attempts at messages came across as grandstanding, but his vision became remarkably clear on this record, as his anthems ("New Year's Day," "40," "Seconds") are balanced by effective, surprisingly emotional love songs ("Two Hearts Beat As One"), which are just as desperate and pleading as his protests. He performs the difficult task of making the universal sound personal, and the band helps him out by bringing the songs crashing home with muscular, forceful performances that reveal their varied, expressive textures upon repeated listens.

U2 always aimed at greatness, but War was the first time they achieved it. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Album Songs

1. Sunday Bloody Sunday (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 4:38
2. Seconds (U Two) - 3:24
3. New Year's Day (U Two) - 5:38
4. Like a Song (U Two) - 4:48
5. Drowning Man (U Two) - 4:12
6. The Refugee (U Two) - 3:40
7. Two Hearts Beat as One (U Two) - 5:00
8. Red Light (U Two) - 4:09
9. Surrender (U Two) - 6:01
10. 40 (U Two) - 2:08

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Biography

War turned U2 into arena-rock stars, and the EP Under a Blood Red Sky captures the band on its supporting tour as they adjusted to their larger audiences. Unsurprisingly for a band that always favored the grand statement, the group flourished in such a setting, as this mini-EP attests.

Comprised of material recorded in America and Germany, Under a Blood Red Sky draws equally from the band's first three albums, and these live versions, while less textured, are considerably tougher than their studio counterparts and illustrate quite effectively why U2 were considered one of the best, most exhilarating live bands of the '80s. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Album Songs

1. Gloria (U Two) - 4:32
2. 11 O'Clock Tick Tock (U Two) - 4:34
3. I Will Follow (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 3:36
4. Party Girl (U Two) - 2:52
5. Sunday Bloody Sunday (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 4:55
6. The Electric Co. (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 4:51
7. New Year's Day (U Two) - 4:29
8. 40 (U Two) - 3:36

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Biography

In many ways, U2 took their fondness for sonic bombast as far as it could go on War, so it isn't a complete surprise that they chose to explore the intricacies of the Edge's layered, effects-laden guitar on the follow-up, The Unforgettable Fire. Working with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, U2 created a dark, near-hallucinatory series of interlocking soundscapes that are occasionally punctuated by recognizable songs and melodies.

In such a setting, the band both flourishes and flounders, creating some of their greatest music, as well as some of their worst. "Elvis Presley and America" may well be Bono's most embarrassing attempt at poetry, yet it is redeemed by the chilling and wonderful "Bad," a two-chord elegy for an addict that is stunning in its control and mastery. Similarly, the wet, shimmering textures of the title track, the charging "A Sort of Homecoming," and the surging Martin Luther King Jr. tribute "Pride (In the Name of Love)" are all remarkable, ranking among their very best music, making the missteps that clutter the remainder of the album somewhat forgivable. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Album Songs

1. A Sort of Homecoming (Bono/U Two) - 5:28
2. Pride (In the Name of Love) (U Two) - 3:49
3. Wire (U Two) - 4:19
4. The Unforgettable Fire (U Two) - 4:55
5. Promenade (U Two) - 2:34
6. 4th of July (Bono/U Two) - 2:14
7. Bad (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 6:08
8. Indian Summer Sky (U Two) - 4:19
9. Elvis Presley and America (U Two) - 6:22
10. MLK (Bono/Edge [1]/U Two) - 2:32

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Biography

As the band were completing the supporting tour for The Unforgettable Fire, they released the four-track EP Wide Awake in America. Comprised of two outtakes ("Three Sunrises," "Love Comes Tumbling") and two live cuts (including "Bad"), the record may be aimed at the hardcore collector, but most U2 fans will find it necessary, since the two rejects are actually stronger than about half of The Unforgettable Fire, and the live cuts again demonstrate U2's undeniable talent for captivating concerts. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Album Songs

1. Bad [live] (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 7:59
2. A Sort of Homecoming [live] (Bono/U Two) - 4:04
3. Three Sunrises (U Two) - 3:46
4. Love Comes Tumbling (U Two) - 4:41

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Biography

Functioning as both the soundtrack to the group's disastrous feature-film documentary and as a tentative follow-up to their career-making blockbuster, Rattle and Hum is all over the place. The live cuts lack the revelatory power of Under a Blood Red Sky and are undercut by heavy-handed performances and Bono's embarrassing stage patter; prefacing a leaden cover of "Helter Skelter" with "This is a song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles, and now we're stealing it back," is bad enough, but it pales next to Bono's exhortation "OK

Edge, play the blues!" on the worthy, decidedly unbluesy "Silver and Gold." Both comments reveal more than they intend — throughout the album, U2 sound paralyzed by their new status as "rock's most important band." They react by attempting to boost their classic rock credibility, they embrace American roots rock, something they ignored before. Occasionally, these experiments work: "Desire" has an intoxicating Bo Diddley beat, "Angel of Harlem" is a punchy, sunny Stax-soul tribute, "When Loves Come to Town" is an endearingly awkward blues duet with B.B. King, and the Dylan collaboration "Love Rescue Me" is an overlooked minor bluesy gem.

However, these get swallowed up in the bluster of the live tracks, the misguided gospel interpretation of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and the shameful answer to John Lennon's searing confession "God," "God Part II." A couple of affecting laments — the cascading "All I Want Is You" and "Heartland," which sounds like a Joshua Tree outtake — do slip out underneath the posturing, but Rattle and Hum is by far the least-focused record U2 ever made, and it's little wonder that they retreated for three years after its release to rethink their whole approach. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Album Songs

1. Where the Streets Have No Name (U Two) - 5:37
2. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (U Two) - 4:37
3. With or Without You (U Two) - 4:56
4. Bullet the Blue Sky (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 4:32
5. Running to Stand Still (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 4:18
6. Red Hill Mining Town (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 4:52
7. In God's Country (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 2:57
8. Trip Through Your Wires (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 3:32
9. One Tree Hill (U Two) - 5:23
10. Exit (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 4:13
11. Mothers of the Disappeared (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 5:14

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Biography

Functioning as both the soundtrack to the group's disastrous feature-film documentary and as a tentative follow-up to their career-making blockbuster, Rattle and Hum is all over the place. The live cuts lack the revelatory power of Under a Blood Red Sky and are undercut by heavy-handed performances and Bono's embarrassing stage patter; prefacing a leaden cover of "Helter Skelter" with "This is a song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles, and now we're stealing it back," is bad enough, but it pales next to Bono's exhortation "OK

Edge, play the blues!" on the worthy, decidedly unbluesy "Silver and Gold." Both comments reveal more than they intend — throughout the album, U2 sound paralyzed by their new status as "rock's most important band." They react by attempting to boost their classic rock credibility, they embrace American roots rock, something they ignored before. Occasionally, these experiments work: "Desire" has an intoxicating Bo Diddley beat, "Angel of Harlem" is a punchy, sunny Stax-soul tribute, "When Loves Come to Town" is an endearingly awkward blues duet with B.B. King, and the Dylan collaboration "Love Rescue Me" is an overlooked minor bluesy gem.

However, these get swallowed up in the bluster of the live tracks, the misguided gospel interpretation of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and the shameful answer to John Lennon's searing confession "God," "God Part II." A couple of affecting laments — the cascading "All I Want Is You" and "Heartland," which sounds like a Joshua Tree outtake — do slip out underneath the posturing, but Rattle and Hum is by far the least-focused record U2 ever made, and it's little wonder that they retreated for three years after its release to rethink their whole approach. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Album Songs

1. Helter Skelter [live] (Lennon/McCartney) - 3:07
2. Van Diemen's Land (Edge [1]/U Two) - 3:05
3. Desire (U Two) - 2:59
4. Hawkmoon 269 (Bono/U Two) - 6:22
5. All Along the Watchtower [live] (Dylan) - 4:24
6. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For [live] (U Two) - 5:53
7. Freedom for My People (Mabins/Robinson) - :38
8. Silver and Gold [live] (Bono/U Two) - 5:49
9. Pride (In the Name of Love) [live] (U Two) - 4:27
10. Angel of Harlem (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 3:49
11. Love Rescue Me (Bono/Dylan/U Two) - 6:24
12. When Love Comes to Town (Bono/U Two) - 4:15
13. Heartland (Bono/U Two) - 5:03
14. God, Pt. 2 (Bono/U Two) - 3:15
15. The Star Spangled Banner performed by Jimi Hendrix - :43
16. Bullet the Blue Sky [live] (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 5:36
17. All I Want Is You (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 6:30

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Biography

Reinventions rarely come as thorough and effective as Achtung Baby, an album that completely changed U2's sound and style. The crashing, unrecognizable distorted guitars that open "Zoo Station" are a clear signal that U2 have traded their Americana pretensions for post-modern, contemporary European music. Drawing equally from Bowie's electronic, avant-garde explorations of the late '70s and the neo-psychedelic sounds of the thriving rave and Madchester club scenes of early '90s England, Achtung Baby sounds vibrant and endlessly inventive.

Unlike their inspirations, U2 rarely experiment with song structures over the course of the album. Instead, they use the thick dance beats, swirling guitars, layers of effects and found sounds to break traditional songs out of their constraints, revealing the tortured emotional core of their songs with the hyper-loaded arrangements. In such a dense musical setting, it isn't surprising that U2 have abandoned the political for the personal on Achtung Baby, since the music, even with its inviting rhythms, is more introspective than anthemic. Bono has never been as emotionally naked as he is on Achtung Baby, creating a feverish nightmare of broken hearts and desperate loneliness; unlike other U2 albums, it's filled with sexual imagery, much of it quite disturbing, and it ends on a disquieting note.

Few bands as far into their career as U2 have recorded an album as adventurous or fulfilled their ambitions quite as successfully as they do on Achtung Baby, and the result is arguably their best album. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Album Songs

1. Zoo Station (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 4:36
2. Even Better Than the Real Thing (U Two) - 3:41
3. One (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 4:36
4. Until the End of the World (U Two) - 4:39
5. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (U Two) - 5:16
6. So Cruel (U Two) - 5:49
7. The Fly (U Two) - 4:29
8. Mysterious Ways (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 4:04
9. Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 3:53
10. Ultraviolet (Light My Way) (U Two) - 5:31
11. Acrobat (U Two) - 4:30
12. Love Is Blindness (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 4:23

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Biography

U2 planned to record a new EP before launching the European leg of their ambitious Zoo TV tour in 1993, but the EP quickly turned into the full-length album Zooropa. Picking up where Achtung Baby left off, Zooropa delves heavily into U2's newfound affection for experimental music and dance clubs. While the title track marries those inclinations to the anthems of The Joshua Tree, most of the record is far more daring than its predecessor.

While that occasionally means it's unfocused and meandering, it also results in a number of wonderful moments, like the quiet menace of "Daddy's Gonna Pay for Your Crashed Car," and the space-age German disco of "Lemon," Edge's droning mantra "Numb," and the gentle, heartbroken "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)," one of U2's very best love songs. As the album winds to a close, it drifts off track, yet the best moments of Zooropa rank among U2's most inspired and rewarding music. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Album Songs

1. Zooropa (Bono/U Two) - 6:30
2. Babyface (Bono/U Two) - 4:00
3. Numb (U Two) - 4:18
4. Lemon (Bono/U Two) - 6:56
5. Stay (Faraway, So Close!) (Bono/U Two) - 4:58
6. Daddy's Gonna Pay for Your Crashed Car (Bono/U Two) - 5:19
7. Some Days Are Better Than Others (Bono/U Two) - 4:15
8. The First Time (U Two) - 3:45
9. Dirty Day (Bono/Edge [1]) - 5:24
10. The Wanderer (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 4:44

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Biography

No matter which way you look at it, Pop doesn't have the same shock of the new that Achtung Baby delivered on first listen. Less experimental and more song-oriented than Zooropa, Pop attempts to sell the glitzy rush of techno to an audience weaned on arena rock. And that audience includes U2 themselves. While they never sound like they don't believe in what they're doing, they still remove most of the radical elements of electronic dance, which is evident to anyone with just a passing knowledge of the Chemical Brothers and Underworld.

To a new listener, Pop has flashes of surprise — particularly on the rampaging "Mofo" — but underneath the surface, U2 relies on anthemic rockers and ballads. "Discotheque" might be a little clumsy, but "Staring at the Sun" shimmers with synthesizers borrowed from Massive Attack and a Noel Gallagher chorus. Similarly, "Do You Feel Loved" and "If You Wear That Velvet Dress" fuse old-fashioned U2 dynamism with a keen sense of the cool eroticism that makes trip-hop so alluring. Problems arise when the group tries to go for conventional rock songs, some of which are symptomatic of the return of U2's crusade for salvation.

Pop is inflected with the desire for a higher power to save the world from its jaded spiral of decay and immorality, which is why the group's embrace of dance music never seems joyous — instead of providing an intoxicating rush of gloss and glamour, it functions as a backdrop for a plea of salvation. Achtung Baby also was a comment on the numbing isolation of modern culture, but it made sweeping statements through personal observations; Pop makes sweeping statements through sweeping observations. The difference is what makes Pop an easy record to admire, but a hard one to love. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Album Songs

1. Discothèque (Bono/Edge [1]/U Two) - 5:19
2. Do You Feel Loved (Bono/Edge [1]/U Two) - 5:07
3. Mofo (Bono/Edge [1]/U Two) - 5:49
4. If God Will Send His Angels (Bono/Edge [1]/U Two) - 5:22
5. Staring at the Sun (Bono/Edge [1]/U Two) - 4:36
6. Last Night on Earth (Bono/Edge [1]/U Two) - 4:45
7. Gone (U Two) - 4:26
8. Miami (Bono/Edge [1]/U Two) - 4:52
9. The Playboy Mansion (Bono/Edge [1]/U Two) - 4:40
10. If You Wear That Velvet Dress (Bono/Edge [1]/U Two) - 5:15
11. Please (Bono/Edge [1]/U Two) - 5:02
12. Wake up Dead Man (Bono/Edge [1]/U Two) - 4:52

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Biography

Nearly ten years after beginning U2 Mach II with their brilliant seventh album Achtung Baby, U2 eases into their third phase with 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind. The title signifies more than it seems, since the group sifts through its past, working with Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, all in an effort to construct a classicist U2 album. Thankfully, it's a rock record from a band that absorbed all the elastic experimentation, studio trickery, dance flirtations, and genre bending of Achtung, Zooropa, and Pop — all they've shed is the irony.

U2 chooses not to delve as darkly personal as they did on Achtung or Zooropa, yet they also avoid the alienating archness of Pop, returning to the generous spirit that flowed through their best '80s records. On that level, All may be reminiscent of The Joshua Tree, but this is a clever and craftsmanlike record, filled with nifty twists in the arrangements, small sonic details, and colors. U2 take subtle risks, such as their best pure pop song ever with "Wild Honey"; they're so self-confident they effortlessly write their best anthem in years with "Beautiful Day"; they offer the gospel-influenced "Stuck in a Moment," never once lowering it to the schtick it would have been on Rattle & Hum. Like any work from craftsmen,

All That You Can't Leave Behind winds up being a work of modest pleasures, where the way the verse eases into the chorus means more than the overall message, and this is truly the first U2 album where that sentiment applies — but there is genuine pleasure in their craft, for the band and listener alike. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Album Songs

1. Beautiful Day (Bono/U Two) - 4:08
2. Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of (U Two) - 4:32
3. Elevation (Bono/U Two) - 3:47
4. Walk On (Bono/U Two) - 4:56
5. Kite (Bono/U Two) - 4:26
6. In a Little While (Bono/U Two) - 3:39
7. Wild Honey (Bono/U Two) - 3:46
8. Peace on Earth (Bono/U Two) - 4:48
9. When I Look at the World (Bono/Edge [1]/U Two) - 4:17
10. New York (Bono/U Two) - 5:30
11. Grace (Bono/U Two) - 5:30

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Biography

To highlight their very cheeky, pro-kitsch Pop Mart stage show, U2's Hasta La Vista Baby!: Live From Mexico City is a definite token, for the mega-world tour that supported the band's 1997 release, Pop, almost went bankrupt due to its heavy, star-studded production and high-end ticket prices. Alas, the fans still came out to join Dublin's favorite band on yet another whirlwind showcase of classic tunes and newer electronic cuts, so by industry standards it might have been a disappointment but the fans would beg to differ.

Only available to those fans belonging to the worldwide Propaganda fan club, Hasta La Vista Baby! is vibrant and exciting, everything Pop Mart wanted to be, as well as a staple for any U2 record collection. Mostly it's especially for those who appreciate Bono's cocky stage antics and the band's classy interaction with the audience. That's what made them famous isn't it? Well, partly. It's about the music first and foremost, and for a band like U2, a global phenomenon since the '80s, it's all about rock & roll. And on a live stage, they truly strut their stuff once more.

The album kicks off with the band's techtronic twist of M's 1979 cult classic "Pop Muzik" prior to the thunderous bombasts of "Mofo." This particular track found on Pop is riveting as Adam Clayton's signature bass lines step up behind Edge's churning power licks for an enigmatic show opener. Of course, the ever so timid Larry Mullen Jr. and his drum kit shimmer away, while Bono is his iconic self. That is exactly what the fans want anyhow, the gnarling grit and grudge of a hearty performance. "I Will Follow," which was dug up from the vaults of Boy, was quick while still fashionable, but the passion behind "New Year's Day" gathered a crowd singalong for a dynamic moment. This may have been the time for U2 to show off its musical reinventions, but the classics could not be overlooked and surely wouldn't be by the band nor the fans.

But it was also a time for the band to shine as a tight unit, 20 years on as best mates and as a musical family, so new songs were sweet and welcomed. The acoustic "Staring at the Sun" was touching, and the electricity of "Discotheque" sizzled with ambience, but the harmonic darkness on "Please" was a little haunting as Bono dedicated the song to INXS' Michael Hutchence, his friend and musical counterpart who had committed suicide two weeks prior to this show. Typically emotional and always supreme, U2 could have only composed such a tribute.

Far more mature and gutsy since their 1983 live album, Under a Blood Red Sky, Hasta La Vista Baby! didn't need the waving white flags and all the rage about a revolution. U2 looked beyond that social chaos for a rock & roll good time, playing other hits like "Where the Streets Have No Name" and "With or Without You" so the fans who paid loads of cash to see one of the world's biggest bands would not go home disappointed. Pure swagger was what it was all about, U2 exuding a real rawness and Hasta La Vista Baby! illustrating the prevalence of this band. An honesty is still present, and regardless of the band's creative monstrosities for this individual tour, this album depicted what a marvelous show it really was. — MacKenzie Wilson

Album Songs

1. Pop Muzik (Scott) - 3:08
2. Mofo (Bono/Edge [1]/U Two) - 4:36
3. I Will Follow (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 2:50
4. Gone (U Two) - 4:41
5. New Year's Day (U Two) - 4:58
6. Staring at the Sun (Bono/Edge [1]/U Two) - 4:31
7. Bullet the Blue Sky (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 6:11
8. Please (Bono/Edge [1]/U Two) - 6:58
9. Where the Streets Have No Name (U Two) - 6:35
10. Have No Name - 2:05
11. Discothèque (Bono/Edge [1]/U Two) - 5:08
12. With or Without You (U Two) - 5:46
13. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me (Bono/U Two) - 5:39
14. One (Bono/Clayton/Edge [1]/Mullen) - 6:07