MEMORABLE MONDAYS: Remembering U2

 A flash in the pan...a song on the radio...we may always recall icons of past but many get lost in the mixture. Reduced to barely a name with a few hits, or daresay the "legacy" acts. Music can be forever, and in a digital age there are so many things to learn. Here we begin our "memorable mondays", and a deal is in sight. 20% off any of the music by this artist in store, as we discuss their success and remember their existence.

Our selection this week is a band some people may know. Formed in Dublin, Ireland, U2 has released 15 studio albums and were even inducted into the Rock n Roll hall of fame. They have sold an estimated 150 MILLION albums worldwide. Let's get to the beginnings.

Larry Mullen Jr. at 14 was in search of some bandmates. The drummer thought perhaps it would be the "Larry Mullen Band" but that lasted only a short time. This led to what became U2, as Bono (actually Paul Hewson), the Edge (actually David Evans), Dik Evans (Edge's brother), Adam Clayton, and Ivan McCormick all showed up to try out in Mullen's kitchen. McCormick was weeded out, which led to a 5 piece band being finalized. They started out doing mostly covers, and called themselves "Feedback". Early punk was a huge influence on the group, as it convinced them musical proficiency was not a prerequisite to success.

After playing their first live performance at a highschool, they changed their name to "The Hype". Around this time, Edge's older brother was now in college and slowly phased out of the band. "The Hype" became a 4 piece ensemble. After this they finally decided on their name being "U2", after Steve Averill (of Radiators from Space) gave them a list of 6 names. It was the one they hated the least, and they liked the ambiguity of it. Dik Evans did not totally give up music, he went on to be part of The Virgin Prunes. Early on, they even opened for U2. 

On March 18th, 1978, U2 won the "Pop Group '78" talent contest in Limerick. It earned them 500 euros and the ability to cut a demo that would be heard by CBS Ireland. Due to their inexperience, the demo was unsuccessful. However, this solidified the band and kept them moving forward. The Irish Magazine "Hot Press" picked up on their skills and became an ally to them, introducing them to their future manager Paul McGuinness. He booked them more demo recordings in hopes of getting them a record deal. One of these demo sessions in CBS Ireland became an Ireland only EP release "Three". They sold 1000 copies of the limited 12" immediately. Another Day was released as a single shortly after, hoping to garner more attention. They then gambled by playing in a 2000 attendance venue, which paid off with Island Records offering them a deal. This got them financially supported for their future endeavors. 

"11 O'Clock Tick Tock" became their lead single on Island records, and while the producer for this was going to produce the rest of the album, he ended up being replaced by Steve Lillywhite, who ended up producing the first 3 U2 albums. "Boy", their debut, was met with praise from critics. Their live performances were still a bit unpolished, but many liked Bono's liveliness. 

The second album led to a bit more struggle as they tried to balance their newfound fame and their faith, along with the original notes for the album being inside a briefcase that was stolen at a show in Oregon. They questioned their status as a band. Upon October's release, it received mixed reviews and limited airplay. Their label cut back some of their funding, which Clayton said resolved them to become better.

In a rented cottage in Howth came the sessions for "War". They convinced Lillywhite to produce their third album despite his usual resolve to only do two for one artist. "New Year's Day" became U2's first successful single outside the UK, and War was met with much more favorable reviews. This was also U2s first shift into more political songwriting, with them making statements against fighting and wars on songs like Sunday Bloody Sunday. The same person who was on the cover of "Boy" was on the cover for "War". 

U2 decided to resign with Island records, with their second deal including the return of the copyrights of their songs, improved royalty rates, and overall improvements. This came at the expense of a larger initial payment. They took a bigger bet on themselves. Fearing they would merely be perceived as arena-rock successors to The Who or Led Zeppelin, they decided to focus on experimentation with The Unforgettable Fire. More ambient and experimental, the band members showed a more diverse sound and helped them grow a wider audience. This time of their career also led them to performing at Live Aid, which is considered a very influential concert for their careers. 

Growing from the Unforgettable Fire came the sessions for what is possibly their most known album, "The Joshua Tree". Instead of focusing on sonic experimentation, they leaned in on a newfound appreciation for folk music. Friendships with Bob Dylan, Keith Richards, and Van Morrison led them to experimenting more with blues, folk, and gospel music. A trip by Bono to Nicaragua and El Salvador and seeing the political unrest also inspired different lyrical approaches, and a focus to their new music. This led to a release that led them to success in America, rave reviews, and even being on the cover of Time magazine. This album also led to a documentary film and double album known as "Rattle and Hum", which was intended to be a tribute to American music. At the end of the tour, Bono hinted that there may be another sonic shift at the end of the tour. U2 was feeling stagnant musically. 

U2 began a difficult crossroads in their next era. They were stung by the criticisms of Rattle & Hum. Mullen and Clayton wanted to stay with the older styles, while Bono and Edge were inspired by European industrial and electronic dance music scenes. They were bordering on breaking up until writing the song "One", which then led to increased morale and led them to finish what would become Achtung Baby. Bono described the album as cutting down the Joshua Tree, and incorporated alternative rock and dance music. It is still cited as one of the greatest rock albums. It turned the band more introspective and less political for a time being as well.

During this time, U2 signed another extension with Island, making them one of the highest paid rock bands. They also worked a concert experience known as Zoo TV. From this stemmed the next album. Zooropa was originally written to be just an EP, but expanded and became a full album. It marks an even stronger departure from their original sound and deeper into the dance music scene. Although commercially successful, the band viewed it more as an "interlude". During this time, Clayton had to receive help for alcoholism, after missing a show due to blacking out.

U2 took a break before returning with "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" for the Batman Forever soundtrack. During this time, they worked doing an experimental album with Brian Eno. They did not want this associated with U2s standard catalog, so they released the collaboration under the experimental name "Passengers". The album "Original Soundtracks 1" was meant to be songs for imaginary films. Mullen dislikes the album, but Bono has a soft spot for it. It was meant to help them explore songwriting more without obsessing over the small details.

Pop became a more difficult record. Mullen's had to have back surgery, which led to them experimenting more with drum loops. When he returned from surgery, they became reworking the recordings. However, they set up the PopMart Tour before the album was finished. The album ended up getting delayed and cut into the rehearsal times. Even with the additional time, they worked until the last minute to complete the album. The album was met with good reviews, but fell off the charts rather quickly. This left the band disappointed. Bono admitted the album did not communicate as intended, and Edge called it a compromise project. The PopMart tour was set up to be a satire on consumerism, and the visuals were even stronger than the Zoo TV tour. At the end of the tour, they released their greatest hits album that broke records in sales. 

Bono and the Edge had felt they deconstructed rock to every degree, and desired to return to a more simplified sound. After the stress of the Pop release, U2 worked with no deadlines for the next album. Sessions were stretched by band members being with family and Bono working with Jubilee 2000. "All That You Can't Leave Behind" was seen as a return to form, and back into graces with the rock community. The album themed around connection pushed U2 to do a scaled back arena tour instead of a stadium set up. After 9/11, the album also saw a sales increase in America. During this cycle, U2 also performed at the Superbowl XXXVI. 

The sessions for the next album left them feeling more to be desired. They ended up enlisting Lillywhite to come back and produce for them again, along with an array of other producers. This contributed to the disjointed sound of the record. Despite this, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb was met with favorable reviews and a hit single in "Vertigo". The tour was met with more difficulties as the Edge's daughter became ill, and they almost cancelled the tour. They also faced a taxation controversy with the Irish Parliament. 

The next sessions they began working with Rick Rubin, but shelved the work and went back with Brian Eno. The sound was meant to mimic a "neverending song" and the theme of pilgrimage. While it was met with rave reviews and their first five star Rolling Stone interview, the fans met it with mixed feedback. "No Line on the Horizon" led also to the U2 360° tour. Despite Bono facing an injury and US postponement, the tour became the largest grossing tour in history at $736 million. It also had the largest concert structure ever built. Talk about visualizers!

U2 has faced negativity since their Songs of Innocence choice. For explanation, they collaborated with Apple to distribute their album through Apple iTunes for free at the time. It automatically downloaded to people's libraries at no cost. It got deemed "rock and roll junkmail". Which is a shame because "Sleep Like a Baby Tonight" is criminally underrated. Songs of Experience was originally intended to be a companion piece to Songs of Innocence, but with Bono's brush with death after open heart surgery and the change of the political climate, they adjusted the tone of the album. Despite having mixed reviews, it sold 1.3 million copies. 

If you have not tried this band yourself, I recommend it. A lovely regular recommended to listen to their albums in order, and it really does show the slow progress of this band evolving their sound consistently. Yet every song feels like a consistent U2 styling. Personal albums of note would be October, Pop, and Songs of Innocence. Go appreciate those unloved diamonds in the rough!