As part of my job at one of the other sites that I write for, I am occasionally required to write record reviews, and I can’t help but compare some of the stuff I review to U2. It’s given me some insight into another reason that U2 have got to be considered one of the […]
Read MoreCovering U2 – A Capella
I’ve kind of got a soft spot for a capella music. I think it’s probably because I like things that are really complicated, and because the idea of what humans can accomplish, even without instruments or even electricity, appeals to the super-hero fan in me. This week, I’m presenting my three favorite a capella versions […]
Read MoreU2 101 – Walk On
I was managing a record store back in late 2000 when All That You Can’t Leave Behind was released, and I remember being really excited with the way the album was being received by music buyers. One shopper, in particular, whose comments have stayed with me told me that he liked “the one that sounds […]
Read MoreWhy U2? – Reason #13
Not too long ago, my wife and I were discussing how U2’s music, with the possible exception of the Unforgettable Fire album, has managed to avoid sounding too much like a product of its times. Out of Control sounds just as vital today as it did 35 years ago, and Pop, if anything, sounds even […]
Read MoreCovering U2 – Dierks Bentley and Pras Michel
I think that it really speaks volumes to the far-reaching influence that U2 has had that their music has been covered by artists from such a wide range of genres. From metal to country to hip-hop, U2 themselves have taken cues from just about every style of music that I can imagine, and it’s gratifying […]
Read MoreU2 101 – Desire
I’ve never quite been able to get my head around why Rattle & Hum was so roundly detested in the critical community. I’ve read all about how people interpreted the fact that U2 were celebrating some of music’s brightest stars to mean that the band thought they themselves were one of those stars. I’ve heard […]
Read MoreWhy U2? – Reason 12
In my real life, I’m a total and complete geek. I collect comic books and action figures. I read sci-fi. I’ve even got a cat named after a character from Star Trek. You can imagine then, I’m sure, the delight that I derive from the fact that U2 (or at least Bono, anyway) seem to […]
Read MoreCovering U2 – AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered
The end of 2011 was a pretty exciting time for U2 fans. We were just coming down from the 360 tour and basking in the awesomeness that was (and is) the 20th anniversary Achtung Baby releases. part of that celebration was the cover album AHK-toong BAY-bi Covered, released by Q magazine. As this is a […]
Read MoreU2 101 – Bullet the Blue Sky
“Bullet the Blue Sky” is one of those songs that I always like to think of as belonging to U2-fandom. There are some songs, like “Beautiful Day”, “One”, or “With or Without You”, that are universally acclaimed and beloved, even by those who don’t know much about the band. In fact, I suspect that there […]
Read MoreWhy U2? – Reason #11
I think that my wife’s favorite thing about U2 is the relationship between Bono and his wife, Ali, and I really can’t blame her. It’s romantic, how they’ve known each other all these years and managed to make the relationship last and work despite the false starts that they suffered through at the beginning. They’ve […]
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