U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin, formed in 1976. The group consists of Bono (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), the Edge (lead guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums and percussion). Initially rooted in post-punk, U2's musical style has evolved throughout their career, yet has maintained an anthemic quality built on Bono's expressive vocals and the Edge's effects-based guitar textures. Their lyrics, often embellished with spiritual imagery, focus on personal and sociopolitical themes. Popular for their live performances, the group have staged several ambitious and elaborate tours over their career. The band formed as teenagers while attending Mount Temple Comprehensive School, when they had limited musical proficiency.
Introduction
U2
U2 | Introduction
Rock. Rock, post-punk, funk, hip-hop It developed a melodic sound under the early influence of record producer Steve Lillywhite. Synthesisers, distortion, and electronic beats derived from noise music, dance, and hip-hop
who are the members of the band u2
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Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr.
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where is this band from ?
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Dublin.
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when was it created
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1976.
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name their first album ?
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"Boy".
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what was their musical style ?
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"Boy" and "War" were labelled "muscular and assertive" by "Rolling Stone", influenced in large part by Lillywhite's producing. "The Unforgettable Fire", which began with the Edge playing more keyboards than guitars, as well as follow-up "The Joshua Tree", had Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois at the production helm. With their influence, both albums achieved a "diverse texture". The songs from "The Joshua Tree" and "Rattle and Hum" placed more emphasis on Lanois-inspired rhythm as they mixed distinct and varied styles of gospel and blues music, which stemmed from the band's burgeoning fascination with America's culture, people and places. In the 1990s, U2 reinvented themselves as they began using synthesisers, distortion, and electronic beats derived from noise music, dance, and hip-hop on "Achtung Baby", "Zooropa", and "Pop".
U2 | Musical style
U2 developed a melodic sound under the early influence of record producer Steve Lillywhite at a time when the band was not known for musical proficiency. Bono's songwriting exhibits a penchant for social, political, and personal subject matter, while maintaining a grandiosity. In addition, the Edge has described U2 as a fundamentally live band. U2's early sound was influenced by bands such as Television and Joy Division, and has been described as containing a "sense of exhilaration" that resulted from the Edge's "radiant chords" and Bono's "ardent vocals". U2's sound began with post-punk roots and minimalistic and uncomplicated instrumentals heard on "Boy" and "October", but evolved through "War" to include aspects of rock anthem, funk, and dance rhythms to become more versatile and aggressive.
U2 | Musical style
The song's riff and techno dance rhythm are then introduced. The break in the song's rhythm section features guitar sounds utilizing a "Big Cheese", an effects pedal made by Lovetone. Writer John D. Luerssen noted that the song is "often cited as U2's first experiment with electronica," calling it "a continuation of the experimentation the band had done on "Zooropa"." "Do You Feel Loved", which was considered for a single release, runs at a slower pace and features electronic elements. Bono said of the song: "It's quite a question, but there's no question mark on it," as the band took the question mark off the title of the song for fearing it would be perceived as "too heavy."
Pop (U2 album) | Composition
Clayton's bass guitar was heavily processed, to the point that it sounded like a keyboard bass (an instrument utilized on "Mofo"). The Edge wanted to steer away from the image he had since the 1980s as having an echo-heavy guitar sound. As a result, he was enthusiastic about experimenting with his guitar's sound, hence the distorted guitar sounds on the album, achieved with a variety of effects pedals, synthesisers and knob twiddling. Bono was very determined to avoid the vocal style present on previous (especially 1980s) albums, characterized by pathos, rich timbre, a sometimes theatrical quality and his use of falsetto singing: instead he opted for a rougher, more nervous and less timbre-laden style.
Pop (U2 album) | Composition
In the 2000s, U2 returned to a more stripped-down sound, with more conventional rhythms and reduced usage of synthesisers and effects.
U2 | Musical style
D. Considine stating: "Generally, the album's musical strengths are largely the product of well-honed arrangements and carefully balanced dynamics. Even as the Edge spins increasingly sophisticated guitar lines, he maintains the minimalist bluntness that sparked "Boy". And while bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. have swung to more dance-oriented rhythms, their songs hurtle along with the sort of brusque purposefulness more frequently associated with punk." Considine added: "the songs here stand up against anything on the Clash's "London Calling" in terms of sheer impact, and the fact that U2 can sweep the listener up in the same sort of enthusiastic romanticism that fuels the band's grand gestures is an impressive feat.
War (U2 album) | Reception
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin, formed in 1976. The group consists of Bono (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), the Edge (lead guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums and percussion). Initially rooted in post-punk, U2's musical style has evolved throughout their career, yet has maintained an anthemic quality built on Bono's expressive vocals and the Edge's effects-based guitar textures. Their lyrics, often embellished with spiritual imagery, focus on personal and sociopolitical themes. Popular for their live performances, the group have staged several ambitious and elaborate tours over their career. The band formed as teenagers while attending Mount Temple Comprehensive School, when they had limited musical proficiency.
U2 | Introduction
Adam Sweeting of "The Guardian" said that with the album, U2 "evolved a raw, semi-industrial noise though which to filter strong melodies and thrusting funk-rock grooves". He praised the group for improving their songwriting and incorporating "black humour" into darker lyrical themes. He called the album "quite an achievement" in following up a successful record, responding to emerging musical influences, and expanding the band's sound while still pleasing existing fans. Greg Kot of the "Chicago Tribune" felt the record "shows the band in a grittier light: disrupting, rather than fulfilling, expectations". He praised Lanois' production and said that due to the Edge's guitar playing, "U2 sounds punkier than it has since its 1980 debut, "Boy"".
Achtung Baby | Reception
In the early days of U2, he had what Bono called a "florid" drumming style, before he eventually adopted a philosophy of simplicity and pared down his rhythms. His drumming leaves open space, owing to what "Modern Drummer" described as his understanding of "when to hit and when not to hit". As he matured as a timekeeper, he developed a preternatural sense of rhythm; Eno recounted one occasion when Mullen noticed that his click track had been set incorrectly by just six milliseconds. Under the tutelage of Lanois, Mullen learned more about his musical role as the drummer in filling out the band's sound, while producer Flood helped Mullen learn to play along with electronic elements such as drum machines and samples.
Larry Mullen Jr. | Musical style and techniques
The nickname is commonly believed to be derived from the angular shape of Evans' head. However, the origin of the name is disputed and other theories include a description of his guitar playing and his preference for not becoming fully involved and therefore remaining on the edge of things. U2 began its public performance life in small venues in Dublin in 1977, occasionally playing at other venues elsewhere in Ireland. In December 1979, they performed their first concerts outside Ireland, in London, and in 1980 began extensive touring across the British Isles, developing a following. Their debut album "Boy" was released in 1980.
The Edge | U2
The whole album is first journeys—first journeys geographically, spiritually, sexually." He said that he felt challenged to write about more personal themes and why he wanted to be in a rock band after producer Jimmy Iovine told him, "The person you need to be to make the album that you wanna make is a long way from where you live." "Rolling Stone" deemed "Songs of Innocence" as having the feeling of a concept album, a notion that Bono rejected, although he did opine it was lyrically cohesive in a way the group's other records were not. For the album, the group revisited adolescent musical influences, such as punk rock band Ramones and electronic music group Kraftwerk, for inspiration.
Songs of Innocence (U2 album) | Composition
Boy is the debut studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was released on 20 October 1980 by Island Records and was produced by Steve Lillywhite. "Boy" contains songs from the band's 40-song repertoire at the time, including two tracks that were re-recorded from their original versions on the group's debut release, the EP "Three". "Boy" was recorded from July to September 1980 at Dublin's Windmill Lane Studios, which became U2's chosen recording location during the 1980s. It was their first time working with Lillywhite, who employed unorthodox production techniques such as recording drummer Larry Mullen Jr. playing in a stairwell, and recording smashed bottles and forks played against a spinning bicycle wheel.
Boy (album) | Introduction
The album's lead single, "A Day Without Me", was released in August. Although it did not chart, the song was the impetus for the Edge's purchase of a delay effect unit, the Electro-Harmonix Memory Man, which came to define his guitar playing style and had a significant impact on the group's creative output. Released in October 1980, "Boy" received generally positive reviews. Paul Morley of "NME" called it "touching, precocious, full of archaic and modernist conviction", while Declan Lynch of "Hot Press" said he found it "almost impossible to react negatively to U2's music". Bono's lyrics reflected on adolescence, innocence, and the passage into adulthood, themes represented on the album cover through the photo of a young boy's face.
U2 | "Boy" and "October" (1980–1982)
The band found Lillywhite to be very encouraging and creative, and he subsequently became a frequent producer of their recorded work. Thematically, the album's lyrics reflect on adolescence, innocence, and the passage into adulthood, themes represented on its cover artwork through the photo of a young boy's face. "Boy" received generally positive reviews and included one of U2's first singles to receive airplay on US radio, "I Will Follow". The release was followed by the band's first tour of continental Europe and the US, the Boy Tour. The album peaked on the UK chart at number 52 in August 1981 and in the US at number 63.
Boy (album) | Introduction
Neil Strauss of "The New York Times" wrote that "From the band's first album, "Boy", in 1980, through "The Joshua Tree" in 1987, U2 sounded inspired. Now it sounds expensive." He further commented that "U2 and techno don't mix any better than U2 and irony do." Parry Gettelman of the "Orlando Sentinel" rated the album two stars and found the band's attempt to merge rock music with dance rhythms underwhelming, saying, "U2 lacks the zest for experimentation that has helped make electronic music so appealing to music fans weary of formulaic rock". John Sakamoto of "Jam! Showbiz" said, "Far from an exercise in daring self-indulgence, "Pop" is too often guilty of a much more serious offence: not going far enough." He added, "as with so many elements of the ephemeral culture it both disparages and celebrates, it ends up being something considerably less than has been advertised." Retrospectively, "Pop" is viewed in the music press and public as a disappointment.
Pop (U2 album) | Critical reception
As a result, he uses a floor tom to his left to create the effect of a bass drum. He said, "I couldn't do what most people would consider a normal beat for the song, so I chose alternatives." He was heavily influenced by glam rock acts of the 1970s when first learning to play drums. In the early days of U2, Mullen had what Bono called a "florid" drumming style, before he eventually adopted a philosophy of simplicity and pared down his rhythms. His drumming leaves open space, owing to what "Modern Drummer" described as his understanding of "when to hit and when not to hit".
U2 | Rhythm section
Dave Marsh of "Rolling Stone" said the record's music was "unpretentious and riveting" and called U2 "easily the best Irish rock band since Van Morrison's original Them troupe". He also lauded Lillywhite for his "always spearheaded production". In a separate review for "Rolling Stone", Debra Rae Cohen found the band skilled and likeable while crediting Lillywhite for helping them "blend echoes of several of Britain's more adventurous bands into a sound that's rich, lively and comparatively commercial." Overall, she believed the album did not live up to the high standard set by the opening track "I Will Follow", finding most of it "diffuse and uneven".
Boy (album) | Reception
Some critics have been less impressed by the album in retrospect. Writing for "Entertainment Weekly", Bill Wyman found it "heady" but "erratic", while "Chicago Tribune" critic Greg Kot described the album as "callow post-punk that owes a lot to Joy Division and early Public Image Ltd." According to the "Spin Alternative Record Guide" (1995), the album "established what might be called [U2's] revelationary reputation, hints at the impulse toward faith (after all, its hit was 'I Will Follow'), but mostly communicates confusion of the adolescent variety." David Quantick was more critical in his reappraisal for "Uncut". He had enjoyed the album in 1980 as a rockier contemporary of Joy Division and Echo & the Bunnymen, in spite of Bono's preening vocal performance, but later expressed his shock "at how bad it is".
Boy (album) | Legacy
The time required to complete "Pop" cut into the band's rehearsal time for the tour, which affected the quality of initial shows.
Pop (U2 album) | Introduction
U2 Additional performers Technical
Boy (album) | Personnel
They returned to Dublin in 1991, where morale improved and the majority of the album was completed. "Achtung Baby" was released in November 1991. The album represented a calculated change in musical and thematic direction for the group; the shift was one of their most dramatic since "The Unforgettable Fire". Sonically, the record incorporated influences from alternative rock, dance, and industrial music of the time, and Bono referred to its musical departure as "four men chopping down the Joshua Tree". Thematically, it was a more introspective and personal record; it was darker, yet at times more flippant than the band's previous work.
U2 | "Achtung Baby", Zoo TV, and "Zooropa" (1990–1993)
Throughout the 1990s, U2 experimented with alternative rock and electronic dance music, culminating with their 1997 album "Pop" and the accompanying PopMart Tour. Guitarist the Edge said that with "Pop", the band had "taken the deconstruction of the rock 'n' roll band format to its absolute 'nth degree." However, following the poor reception to the album and tour, the band wished to return to song arrangements that consisted almost entirely of guitar, bass, and drums, and to quickly regroup in the studio after the tour.
All That You Can't Leave Behind | Background
Declan Lynch of Irish magazine "Hot Press" remarked that he found "Boy" "almost impossible to react negatively to". K.R. Walston of the "Albuquerque Journal" said that U2 "knows how to nurse a listener along, toying with tempo and chord structures just enough to sound original but not overly avant garde". The review concluded, "the future shines brightly for bands like this". Terry Atkinson of the "Los Angeles Times" called "Boy" a "subtly ravishing first album, by turns pretty, propulsive, playful and irresistably catchy", while further describing it as "supple and melodic, but tough and vital as well". Atkinson believed that the lyrics had "occasionally trite or vague passages" but were transcended by Bono's "heartfelt, soaring vocals".
Boy (album) | Reception
Facing creative stagnation and a backlash following their documentary/double album, "Rattle and Hum" (1988), U2 reinvented themselves in the 1990s through a new musical direction and public image. Beginning with their acclaimed seventh album, "Achtung Baby" (1991), and the multimedia-intensive Zoo TV Tour, the band integrated influences from alternative rock, electronic dance music, and industrial music into their sound, and embraced a more ironic, flippant image. This experimentation continued through their ninth album, "Pop" (1997), and the PopMart Tour, which were mixed successes. U2 regained critical and commercial favour with the records "All That You Can't Leave Behind" (2000) and "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" (2004), which established a more conventional, mainstream sound for the group.
U2 | Introduction
A Formal Sigh was always hard to categorise. The female vocal format led some to make questionable comparisons with Siouxsie and the Banshees. Several tracks were redolent of U2. Material ranged from caustic observations of contemporary political situations (in tracks like "Bleak Intrusion" and "Ev Rev") to poignantly worded exposés of troubled relationships and anomie ("There is no Hell" and "Launderette")
A Formal Sigh | Musical style
"Boy" peaked at number 52 in the United Kingdom and number 63 in the United States. The album included the band's first songs to receive airplay on US radio, including the single "I Will Follow", which reached number 20 on the Top Tracks rock chart. "Boy"s release was followed by the Boy Tour, U2's first tour of continental Europe and the US. Despite being unpolished, these early live performances demonstrated the band's potential, as critics complimented their ambition and Bono's exuberance. The band faced several challenges in writing their second album, "October." On an otherwise successful American leg of the Boy Tour, Bono's briefcase containing in-progress lyrics and musical ideas was lost backstage during a March 1981 performance at a nightclub in Portland, Oregon.
U2 | "Boy" and "October" (1980–1982)
In May 1980, U2 released "11 O'Clock Tick Tock", their first international single and their debut on Island, but it failed to chart. Martin Hannett, who produced the single, was slated to produce the band's debut album, "Boy", but ultimately was replaced with Steve Lillywhite. From July to September 1980, U2 recorded the album at Windmill Lane Studios, drawing from their nearly 40-song repertoire at the time. Lillywhite employed unorthodox production techniques, such as recording Mullen's drums in a stairwell, and recording smashed bottles and forks played against a spinning bicycle wheel. The band found Lillywhite to be very encouraging and creative; Bono called him "such a breath of fresh air", while the Edge said he "had a great way of pulling the best out of everybody".
U2 | "Boy" and "October" (1980–1982)
Sean McAdam of "The Boston Globe" described it as "a hypnotic album with nuance" that he "recommended without a bit of reservation". He praised Lillywhite's production for creating an "eerie ambience" and said of the band, "U2 have the musical chops, a compelling vocalist... and most importantly 4-minute pop songs that sound at once concise and infectious". Scot Anderson of the "Iowa City Press-Citizen" called "Boy" "an album that, while flawed, shows the potential of the band". Anderson thought certain songs were too long or too short, but believed U2 distinguished themselves from their peers with their spirit and humanity, making "a most refreshing splash in the New Wave".
Boy (album) | Reception
Dik Evans, who was older and by this time at college, was becoming the odd man out. The rest of the band was leaning towards the idea of a four-piece ensemble. In March 1978, the group changed their name to "U2". Steve Averill, a punk rock musician (with the Radiators) and family friend of Clayton's, had suggested six potential names from which the band chose "U2" for its ambiguity and open-ended interpretations, and because it was the name that they disliked the least. That same month, U2, as a four-piece, won a talent contest in Limerick sponsored by Harp Lager and the "Evening Press".
U2 | Formation and early years (1976–1980)
The book is divided into a prologue and twelve chapters. The prologue is structured in four sections, one on each member of the band, containing their views on what being in U2 means to the musicians. Bono talks about his personality, The Edge gives a review on electric guitars, Adam Clayton explains how he'd always wanted to be a rock star, and Larry Mullen Jr. expresses the fact that he had never been comfortable with celebrity or fame. Each one of the members also shares ideas about the others. The first chapter, 1960–75: Stories for Boys, follows their childhood stories with memories and photographs taken from their personal collections.
U2 by U2 | Summary
"Pop" features tape loops, programming, sequencing, sampling, and heavy, funky dance rhythms. The Edge said in U2's fan magazine "Propaganda" that, "It's very difficult to pin this record down. It's not got any identity because it's got so many." Bono has said that the album "begins at a party and ends at a funeral", referring to the upbeat and party-like first half of the album and sombre and dark mood of the second half. According to Flood, the production team worked to achieve a "sense of space" on the record's sound by layering all the elements of the arrangements and giving them places in the frequency spectrum where they did not interfere with each other through the continual experimenting and re-working of song arrangements.
Pop (U2 album) | Composition
The production team made his voice sound more intimate, as up-front and raw as possible. As Flood explained, "You get his emotional involvement with the songs through the lyrics and the way he reacts to the music—without him having to go to 11 all the time... We only used extreme effects on his voice during the recording, for him to get himself into a different place, and then, gradually, we pulled most effects out." "Discothèque", the lead single, begins with a distorted acoustic guitar that is passed through a loud amplifier and a filter pedal, along with being processed through an ARP 2600 synthesizer.
Pop (U2 album) | Composition
In 2005, "Blender" ranked the song at number 214 on its list "The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born". The magazine wrote, "The first song on U2's first album introduced the guitar sound that would define their work. [...] The arena-ready clarion call also established Bono's trademark lyrical earnestness, one of the reasons the song remains a fan favorite and a staple of the band's recent tours."
I Will Follow | Reception and legacy
According to music journalist Jon Pareles, "Songs of Innocence" features U2 strictly playing rock music, particularly arena rock, whose elaborate production "puts a higher gloss, and sometimes a heavier fuzz tone, on the band's instantly recognizable sound". Thematically, "Songs of Innocence" revisits the group members' youth in Ireland in the 1970s, touching on childhood memories, loves, and losses, while paying tribute to their musical inspirations. Bono described it as "the most personal album we've written". In an interview with Gus Wenner of "Rolling Stone", he said, "Let's try to figure out why we wanted to be in a band, the relationships around the band, our friendships, our lovers, our family.
Songs of Innocence (U2 album) | Composition
The remaining five members settled on the name "Feedback" for the group because it was one of the few technical terms they knew. Most of their initial material consisted of cover songs, which they admitted was not their forte. Some of the earliest influences on the band were emerging punk rock acts, such as the Jam, the Clash, Buzzcocks, and Sex Pistols. The popularity of punk rock convinced the group that musical proficiency was not a prerequisite to success. In April 1977, Feedback played their first gig for a paying audience at St. Fintan's High School. Shortly thereafter, the band changed their name to "The Hype".
U2 | Formation and early years (1976–1980)
In the first half of the 1990s, U2 underwent a dramatic shift in musical style. The band had experimented with alternative rock and electronic music and the use of samples on their 1991 album, "Achtung Baby", and, to a greater extent, on 1993's "Zooropa". In 1995, the group's side-projects provided them an opportunity to delve even deeper into these genres. Bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. recorded "" in an electronica style. The recording was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance in 1997 and was an international top-ten hit. In 1995, U2 and Brian Eno recorded an experimental album, "Original Soundtracks 1", under the moniker "Passengers".
Pop (U2 album) | Background and writing
Adding to this period of self-doubt, Bono's, the Edge's, and Mullen's involvement in a Charismatic Christian group in Dublin called the "Shalom Fellowship" led them to question the relationship between their religious faith and the lifestyle of a rock band. Bono and the Edge considered quitting U2 due to their perceived spiritual conflicts before deciding to leave Shalom instead. "October" was released in October 1981 and contained overtly spiritual themes. The album received mixed reviews and limited radio play, and although it debuted at number 11 in the UK, it sold poorly elsewhere. The single "Gloria" was U2's first song to have its music video played on MTV, generating excitement for the band during the October Tour of 1981–1982 in markets where the television channel was available.
U2 | "Boy" and "October" (1980–1982)
Stipe commented in 1984, "It's just the way I sing. If I tried to control it, it would be pretty false." "That voice. It's an extraordinary voice", said U2's lead singer Bono in 2003. "I often tell him I think he's a crooner, and he doesn't like that very much. But it is sort of one part some sort of Bing Crosby '50s laid-back crooner, and one part Dolly Parton", he added, laughing. Stipe insisted that many of his early lyrics were "nonsense", saying in a 1994 online chat, "You all know there aren't words, "per se", to a lot of the early stuff.
Michael Stipe | Musical style
October is the second studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was released on 12 October 1981 by Island Records, and was produced by Steve Lillywhite. The album was lyrically inspired by the memberships of Bono, the Edge, and Larry Mullen Jr. in a Christian group called the "Shalom Fellowship", and consequently it contains spiritual and religious themes. Their involvement with Shalom Fellowship led them to question the relationship between the Christian faith and the "rock and roll" lifestyle, and threatened to break up the band. After completing the third leg of the Boy Tour in February 1981, U2 began to write new material for "October", entering the recording studio in July 1981.
October (U2 album) | Introduction
Robin Denselow of "The Guardian" wrote that it was a "strong debut album", praising Lillywhite for helping U2 improve since a live show that the reviewer attended. Denselow said the group succeeded at their goal of achieving a balance of "power and sensitivity" and said the record "only needs slightly stronger melodies to be very impressive indeed". "Time Out"s critic Ian Birch hailed "Boy" as a "timely" album and said, "Firing off a tradition laid down by the likes of Magazine, [Siouxsie and] the Banshees and Joy Division, U2 have injected their own brand of grace and sinewy spaciousness to create a romanticism exactly right for those who sport chunky riffs and mackintoshes".
Boy (album) | Reception
The Edge said that rather than using effects merely to modify his sound, he uses them to spark ideas during his songwriting process. The Edge developed his playing style during his teenage years, partially as a result of him and Mullen trying to accommodate the "eccentric" bass playing of Clayton by being the timekeepers of the band. In their early days, the Edge's only guitar was his 1976 Gibson Explorer Limited Edition, which became a signature of the group. However, he found the sound of the Explorer's bass strings unsatisfactory and avoided them in his playing early on, resulting in a trebly sound.
U2 | Guitar
The band had limited time to write new music on tour and in July began a two-month recording session at Windmill Lane Studios largely unprepared, forcing Bono to quickly improvise lyrics. Lillywhite, reprising his role as producer, called the sessions "completely chaotic and mad". "October"s lead single, "Fire", was released in July and was U2's first song to chart in the UK. Despite garnering the band an appearance on UK television programme "Top of the Pops", the single fell in the charts afterwards. On 16 August 1981, the group opened for Thin Lizzy at the inaugural Slane Concert, but the Edge called it "one of the worst shows [U2] ever played in [their] lives".
U2 | "Boy" and "October" (1980–1982)
On 25 September 1976, Bono, David Evans ("The Edge"), his brother Dik and Adam Clayton responded to an advertisement on a bulletin board at Mount Temple posted by fellow student Larry Mullen Jr. to form a rock band. The band had occasional jam sessions in which they did covers of other bands. Tired of long guitar solos and hard rock, Bono wanted to play The Rolling Stones and Beach Boys songs. The band could not play covers very well, so they started writing their own songs. The band went by the name "Feedback" for a few months, before changing to "The Hype" later on.
Bono | U2
"I Threw a Brick Through a Window" was one of the band's first songs to highlight drummer Larry Mullen, Jr., while "Gloria" highlights bassist Adam Clayton as it features three styles of playing in one song (using a pick for the most part, playing with fingers during the slide guitar by The Edge, then a "slap & pop" solo towards the end). "Is That All?" borrows the riff from "Cry", an older song the band has used as an introduction to "The Electric Co." live.
October (U2 album) | Composition
The discography of the Irish rock band U2 consists of 14 studio albums, one live album, three compilation albums, 67 singles, and nine extended plays (EPs). The band formed at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in 1976 as teenagers. In 1979, the group issued their first release, the EP "U2-3", which sold well in Ireland. The following year, the group signed to Island Records and released their debut album, "Boy". It reached number 52 in the UK and number 63 in the US. They followed it up with the release of "October" (1981) and "War" (1983). "War" was a commercial success, becoming the band's first number-one album in the UK while reaching number 12 in the US.
U2 discography | Introduction
U2 arrive in the studio with very little finished material." These sessions lasted until December 1995, and around 30–40 pieces of music emerged during this period. Mullen, who had mostly been absent from the sessions to start a family and nurse a worsening back injury, had major surgery on his back in November 1995. Mullen was unable to drum properly during this period, forcing U2 to abandon their usual methods of songwriting as a group but also allowing them to pursue different musical influences. Mullen admits that he was upset that the band entered the studio without him, cognizant that key decisions would be made in the early months of recording.
Pop (U2 album) | Recording and production
Anyway, we were in this band and we had a guitarist who was an Edge from U2 obsessive, but we had a more kind of loose bass player who was really Simple Minds. Graham and me were a bit kind of more mercurial about what we like and what we don't like, but they were more adamant. Looking back at it now, I loved pretending that I was in U2, but I just think that Simple Minds were cooler. "Promised You a Miracle" – I listened to it when I started doing this new Gorillaz record and it just blew my mind, and it blew everyone who I was working with's mind.
Humanz | Musical style and themes
"Boy"s release was followed by the Boy Tour, U2's first tour of continental Europe and the US. Despite being unpolished, these early live performances demonstrated the band's potential, as critics complimented their ambition and Bono's exuberance. On an otherwise successful American leg of the tour, Bono's briefcase containing in-progress lyrics and musical ideas (which were intended for the group's second album, "October") was lost backstage during a March 1981 performance at a nightclub in Portland, Oregon.
Boy (album) | Boy Tour
A far more atmospheric album than the previous "War", "The Unforgettable Fire" was at the time the band's most dramatic change in direction. It has a rich and orchestrated sound and was the first U2 album with a cohesive sound. Under Lanois' direction, Mullen's drumming became looser, funkier and more subtle, and Clayton's bass became more subliminal, such that the rhythm section no longer intruded, but flowed in support of the songs. The opening track, "A Sort of Homecoming", immediately shows the change in U2's sound. Like much of the album, the hard-hitting martial drum sound of "War" was replaced with a subtler polyrhythmic shuffle, and the guitar was no longer as prominent in the mix.
The Unforgettable Fire | Composition
"Analogue"s Brendan McGuirk described them as "Louth's answer to an early form of Radiohead". After witnessing one performance at The Black Box in Belfast, "Hot Press" commented: "There's a playful grope with U2 here, a quick fumble with Talking Heads there and a covert, climactic Krautrock fondle at the end", while the vocals and guitars on "Stop and Remember" were compared to Gang of Four by the magazine. "The Irish Times" observed that they did not fit into any of Dublin's "many micro-musical scenes".
The Immediate | Style
One of the biggest issues he faced in the session with U2 was recording a suitable take of each song, as Mullen and Clayton were struggling to keep time. He said, "without the fuss and fury of a live show to hide behind, their tempos were not to be trusted". While adequate takes of "Stories for Boys" and "Boy/Girl" were eventually captured, the band had particular difficulty with "Out of Control". During a 24-bar section nearly two-thirds of the way into the song, the instrumentation was supposed to drop out for a "simple bass-drum figure" before building back up again.
Three (U2 EP) | Recording
The lead single "Desire" was the band's first number-one single in the UK. The album sold over 14 million copies, while the film grossed $8.6 million. Facing a backlash from "Rattle and Hum" and creative stagnation, U2 reinvented themselves musically in the 1990s. The band's following album, "Achtung Baby" (1991), marked a dramatic shift towards alternative rock, industrial music, and electronic dance music. It debuted at number one in the US, eventually sold 18 million copies worldwide, and spawned five singles, including "One", "Mysterious Ways", and the UK number-one "The Fly". U2's follow up albums "Zooropa" and "Pop" continued the band's experimentation with alternative rock and electronic dance music, reaching number one worldwide but with reduced sales.
U2 discography | Introduction
Within four years, they signed with Island Records and released their debut album, "Boy" (1980). Subsequent work such as their first UK number-one album, "War" (1983), and the singles "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Pride (In the Name of Love)" helped establish U2's reputation as a politically and socially conscious group. By the mid-1980s, they had become renowned globally for their live act, highlighted by their performance at Live Aid in 1985. The group's fifth album, "The Joshua Tree" (1987), made them international superstars and was their greatest critical and commercial success. Topping music charts around the world, it produced their only number-one singles in the US to date: "With or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".
U2 | Introduction
U2 is credited with composing the music for all of "Achtung Baby"s tracks, despite periods of separated songwriting. They wrote the music primarily through jam sessions, a common practice for them. The album represents a deviation from the sound of their past work; the songs are less anthemic in nature, and their musical style demonstrates a more European aesthetic, introducing influences from alternative rock, industrial music, and electronic dance music. The band referred to the album's musical departure as "the sound of four men chopping down The Joshua Tree". Accordingly, the distorted introduction to the opening track "Zoo Station" was intended to make listeners think the record was broken or was mistakenly not the new U2 album.
Achtung Baby | Music
"War"s sincerity and "rugged" guitar were intentionally at odds with the trendier synthpop of the time. A record on which the band "turned pacifism itself into a crusade", "War" was lyrically more political than their first two records, focusing on the physical and emotional effects of warfare. The album included the protest song "Sunday Bloody Sunday", in which Bono lyrically tried to contrast the events of the 1972 Bloody Sunday shooting with Easter Sunday. Other songs from the record addressed topics such as nuclear proliferation ("Seconds") and the Polish Solidarity movement ("New Year's Day"). "War" was U2's first record to feature Corbijn's photography.
U2 | "War" (1982–1983)
After seeing U2 perform live, Lillywhite agreed to produce their single "A Day Without Me". Although the song failed to chart, the band found they could work amicably with him and agreed to have him produce their debut studio album. "Boy" was recorded at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin from July to September 1980. Lillywhite had attracted attention for his work on the debut single of Siouxsie and the Banshees, "Hong Kong Garden" (1978), which contained a musical phrase played on a glockenspiel. U2, who listened to Siouxsie and the Banshees, used Lillywhite's skills to add the distinctive glockenspiel part on "I Will Follow".
Boy (album) | Recording
While the band and its fans often affirm the political nature of their music, U2's lyrics and music have been criticised as apolitical because of their vagueness and "fuzzy imagery", and a lack of any specific references to actual people or characters.
U2 | Lyrics and themes
While the central themes of U2's previous albums "Boy" and "October" were adolescence and spirituality, respectively, "War" focused on both the physical aspects of warfare, and the emotional after-effects. Musically, it is also harsher than the band's previous releases. The album has been described as the record where the band "turned pacifism itself into a crusade." "War" was a commercial success for the band, knocking Michael Jackson's "Thriller" from the top of the UK charts to become the band's first number-one album there. It reached number 12 in the United States and became the band's first gold-certified album there. While poorly received by British critics at the time of release, "War" has since gained critical acclaim.
War (U2 album) | Introduction
In many ways, the album continued along both the roots-influenced sound of their debut and the harder-hitting 80's rock sound of their second record. U2's influence was also evident on this album through Neumann's ambient guitar playing. Overall, the album was very well received by fans and critics.
Home (BoDeans album) | Overview
For "War" I use a click track, something I haven't used before, it's a way of keeping time in my headphones. When I listened to the music in time with the click track I knew I had to bring it down to the real basics. Hopefully for the next LP it will be more complicated, I'll move on. I think of it as a musical progression for myself because I learned a lot recording this album, just about my own style and that's what I wanted to do. I think there is a definite style on "War" where there isn't on the previous albums."
War (U2 album) | Recording
Legião Urbana's self-titled first album was recorded and released in 1985. The album included the hits "Será" ("I Wonder"), "Ainda É Cedo" ("It's Still Early") and "Geração Coca-Cola" ("Coca-Cola Generation"). The album was released on the EMI label, and the band would stay with this record label for their entire career, with both positive and negative experiences. Most of the songs on the album sounded like U2's first record "Boy", also using xylophones effects and The Edge's distinctive guitar style.
Legião Urbana | Legião Urbana (1985)
Stung by the criticism of "Rattle and Hum", the band sought to transform themselves musically. Seeking inspiration from German reunification, they began work on their seventh studio album, "Achtung Baby", at Berlin's Hansa Studios in October 1990 with producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno. The sessions were fraught with conflict, as the band argued over their musical direction and the quality of their material. While Clayton and Mullen preferred a sound similar to U2's previous work, Bono and the Edge were inspired by European industrial music and electronic dance music and advocated a change. Weeks of tension and slow progress nearly prompted the group to break up until they made a breakthrough with the improvised writing of the song "One".
U2 | "Achtung Baby", Zoo TV, and "Zooropa" (1990–1993)
Guitarist The Edge explained that some of the sounds in the introduction that resemble keyboards were actually created by him on guitar. Of the song's introduction, bassist Adam Clayton says, "When people put on the record, we wanted their first reaction to be either 'this record is broken' or 'this can't be the new U2 record, there's been a mistake.' So there is quite a dramatic extended intro where you just don't know what you are listening to." Author Albin Zak, in his book "The Poetics of Rock", says of the introduction, "Before any words are sung, the sounds alone alert the listener that the band has moved into new expressive territory."
Zoo Station (song) | Composition
This image became a target for derision after the band's critically maligned "Rattle and Hum" project in 1988. Various critics called them "po-faced", "pompous bores", and "humourless". The group's continued exploration of American music for the project was labelled "pretentious" and "misguided and bombastic". After Bono told fans on the 1989 Lovetown Tour that U2 would "dream it all up again", the band reinvented themselves in the 1990s. They incorporated alternative rock, electronic dance music, and industrial music into their sound, and adopted a more ironic, flippant image by which they embraced the "rock star" identity they struggled with in the 1980s.
The Joshua Tree | Legacy
On "Pop", he was initially given the role of "DJ and Vibes" before assuming responsibilities as co-producer, engineer, and mixer. One of his main tasks was to introduce the band to sounds and influences within electronica. The band and Howie B regularly went out to dance clubs to experience club music and culture. The overall goal for the record was to create a new sound for the band that was still recognisable as U2. U2 began work on "Pop" in mid-1995, collaborating with Nellee Hooper in London, France, and Ireland. In September, the band moved the recording sessions to Hanover Quay in Dublin to a studio the band had just converted from a warehouse.
Pop (U2 album) | Recording and production
In his opinion, "Lilywhite's production is stunningly thin, Bono's voice is awful, the lyrics are dismal, and only the singles – the Ian Curtis-obsessed 'I Will Follow' and the great 'Out Of Control' – stand up. The rest is awful prog noodling". "Boy" is one of only three U2 albums from which every song has been performed live at least once. "Boy" held this distinction individually until 2017 when all songs from "The Joshua Tree" were performed live on the album's 30th anniversary tour.
Boy (album) | Legacy
For once, not having all the answers seems a bonus." Robert Christgau of "The Village Voice" wrote that "the deadly European virus that's always tainted this band turns out to be their characteristic melodic device", adding that "The Edge becomes a tuneful guitarist by the simple expedient of not soloing, and if Bono has too many Gregorian moments his conviction still carries the music." Philip Smith of "the New Zealand Herald" commended the band's maturing sound and labeled the album "a classic". He concluded his review, "So U2 have set out to make a big statement on a subject close to the Irishmen's hearts – and they have succeeded." "War" was a commercial success, becoming U2's first number-one album in the UK and supplanting Michael Jackson's "Thriller" at the top of the charts.
War (U2 album) | Reception
The record placed an emphasis on religion and spirituality, particularly in the songs "Gloria" (featuring a Latin chorus of ""Gloria, in te domine""), "With a Shout (Jerusalem)", and "Tomorrow". About the album, Bono declared in 2005: "Can you imagine your second album—the difficult second album—it's about God?". The songs mainly refine U2's formula of riff-rockers with songs such as "Gloria" and "Rejoice", but the band also expanded its musical palette in a few ways. In particular, guitarist The Edge incorporates piano in songs such as "I Fall Down", "Stranger In a Strange Land", "Scarlet", and "October". "Tomorrow", a lament to Bono's mother, who died when he was young, features Uilleann pipes played by Vinnie Kilduff later of In Tua Nua.
October (U2 album) | Composition
Just as they did for their 1980 debut "Boy" the band recorded at Windmill Lane Studios with Lillywhite producing. The recording sessions were complicated by Bono's loss of a briefcase containing in-progress lyrics for the new songs, forcing a hurried, improvisational approach to completing the album on time. "October" was preceded by the lead single "Fire" in July 1981, while its second single "Gloria" coincided with its release. The album received mixed reviews and limited radio play. In 2008, a remastered edition of "October" was released.
October (U2 album) | Introduction
Mullen said of the release: "There's a thin line between interesting music and self-indulgence. We crossed it on the Passengers record." It was commercially unnoticed by U2 standards and it received generally mixed reviews. The single "Miss Sarajevo" (featuring Luciano Pavarotti) was among Bono's favourite U2 songs. U2 began work on their next studio album, "Pop", in mid-1995, holding recording sessions with Nellee Hooper, Flood, and Howie B. The band mixed the contrasting influences of each producer into their music, in particular Howie B's experiences with electronica and dance music. Mullen was sidelined due to back surgery in November, prompting the other band members to take different approaches to songwriting, such as programming drum loops and playing to samples provided by Howie B.
U2 | Passengers, "Pop", and PopMart (1994–1998)
Pop is the ninth studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Flood, Howie B, and Steve Osborne, and was released on 3 March 1997 on Island Records. The album was a continuation of the band's 1990s musical reinvention, as they incorporated alternative rock, techno, dance, and electronica influences into their sound. "Pop" employed a variety of production techniques that were relatively new to U2, including sampling, loops, programmed drum machines, and sequencing. Recording sessions began in 1995 with various record producers, including Nellee Hooper, Flood, Howie B, and Osborne, who were introducing the band to various electronica influences.
Pop (U2 album) | Introduction
They added their own instrumentals in a jam session, while lead singer Bono developed vocals at the microphone. Lanois said that the song came together very quickly and was a good example of the producers' creative process with U2: "I think we work best like that: Eno and I provide the sonics for the band, they come in and respond to the invitation." Bassist Adam Clayton said that like many of the group's songs, the jam recording was subsequently edited into a song arrangement that they learned to play. During the guitar-heavy sections of the song, guitarist the Edge used a Japanese effects unit by Sobatt; he described it as: "so extreme.
New York (U2 song) | Writing and recording
"Pop" initially received favourable reviews from critics. Barney Hoskyns of "Rolling Stone" gave "Pop" a four-star rating, praising the band's use of technology on the album: "U2 know that technology is ineluctably altering the sonic surface – and, perhaps, even the very meaning – of rock & roll." The review also stated that U2 had "pieced together a record whose rhythms, textures and visceral guitar mayhem make for a thrilling roller-coaster ride" and that the band had "defied the odds and made some of the greatest music of their lives". David Browne of "Entertainment Weekly" gave the album a B rating, saying, "Despite its glittery launch, the album is neither trashy nor kitschy, nor is it junky-fun dance music.
Pop (U2 album) | Critical reception
In February 1981 during their Boy Tour, U2 began to write new material. ("Fire" had already been recorded at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas while U2 took a break from the Boy Tour.) They wrote part of "October" during an extended sound check at First Avenue in Minneapolis. In March, on an otherwise successful American leg of the tour, the briefcase of lead vocalist Bono containing in-progress lyrics and musical ideas was lost backstage during a performance at a nightclub in Portland, Oregon. The band had limited time to write new music on tour and in July began a two-month recording session at Windmill Lane Studios largely unprepared, forcing Bono to quickly improvise lyrics.
October (U2 album) | Recording
This was done so Bono could record a guide vocal part that his bandmates could hear in their headphones that would not spill into their respective backing tracks. De Whalley said, "you wouldn't have known they were guide vocals by the way Bono went for them – giving it the full monty, arms flailing, legs pumping, willing his mates on the other side of the big plate glass window to pull out all the stops". Although de Whalley had sat in on recording sessions before, he said that he was "no producer" and lacked the necessary technical and diplomatic skills.
Three (U2 EP) | Recording
In "Minutes to Midnight" the band experimented with their established sound and drew influences from a wider and more varied range of genres and styles, a process "Los Angeles Times" compares to a stage in U2's work. Only two songs on the album's tracklist feature rap vocals and the majority of the album can be considered alternative rock.
Linkin Park | Musical style and influences
When U2 began discussing how to arrange the song for live performances, the guitarist found an early demo of it when they were first testing out various arrangement ideas. After listening to it, the group decided to revert to the song's original, simpler guitar-driven arrangement, using what the Edge called "the primary colors of U2" of guitar, drums, and bass. He said that as a result of the musical change, the lyrics "came to life" and the song had a counterbalance, as he believed the prior version was lyrically too reflective when it was mellower. He said the band worked "furiously" on the new version of the song for two days to meet their deadline for submitting it.
You're the Best Thing About Me | Writing and recording
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. The band formed in 1976 and released their debut EP "Three" in 1979 exclusively in Ireland. Following the release of their single "Another Day" in 1980, U2 signed a recording contract with Island Records, and released their first album, "Boy", later that year. The band has since released 14 studio albums, the most recent being "Songs of Experience" in 2017. To date, U2 has released 436 songs.
List of songs recorded by U2 | Introduction
dream it all up again". Following the tour, the group began, what was at the time, their longest break from public performances and album releases. Reacting to their own sense of musical stagnation and to their critics, U2 searched for new musical ground. They wrote "God Part II" from "Rattle and Hum" after realising they had excessively pursued nostalgia in their songwriting. The song had a more contemporary feel that Bono said was closer to "Achtung Baby"s direction. Further indications of change were two recordings they made in 1990: the first was a cover version of "Night and Day" for the first "Red Hot + Blue" release, in which U2 used electronic dance beats and hip hop elements for the first time; the second indication of change was contributions made by Bono and guitarist the Edge to the original score of "A Clockwork Orange"s stage adaptation.
Achtung Baby | Background
As he explained, "I would deliberately not listen to the stuff in between visits, so I could go in cold". Since U2 wanted the record to be harder-hitting and live-sounding, Lanois "push[ed] the performance aspect very hard, often to the point of recklessness". The Lanois–Eno team used lateral thinking and a philosophical approach—popularised by Eno's Oblique Strategies—that contrasted with the direct and retro style of "Rattle and Hum" producer Jimmy Iovine.
Achtung Baby | Recording and production
It incorporates bits of the new technology – a high-pitched siren squeal here, a sound-collage splatter there – but it is still very much a U2 album". Robert Hilburn of the "Los Angeles Times" rated "Pop" four-stars-out-of-four, judging the album to benefit "from the tension of... competing influences, sometimes leaning more on the electronic currents, elsewhere showcasing the more melodic and accessible songwriting strengths". He praised the group's musical experimentation, saying, "It is such boldness that has enabled U2 to remain at the creative forefront of pop music for more than a decade." James Hunter of "Spin" rated the record 9/10, writing, ""Pop" realizes a symphonic transcendence for which the band's earlier stabs like "The Unforgettable Fire" could only wish." He added, "They are now experts at wringing genuine emotion, and even a few smirks, out of random sounds, letting their roots filter up from below." Other reviews were more critical.
Pop (U2 album) | Critical reception
In 2003, "Boy" was included at number 417 on "Rolling Stone"s list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". The magazine wrote, "Too ingenuous for punk, too unironic for new wave, U2 arrived on "Boy" as big-time dreamers with the ambition to back it up." In 2006, "Uncut" ranked the album at number 59 on its list of the "100 Greatest Debut Albums". It was ranked as the seventh best U2 album in a 2017 list by "Newsweek"s Zach Schonfeld, who also called it "a U2 album without the ego" and the "preaching or presumptions of saving the world" that plagued them in the future.
Boy (album) | Legacy
During the recording of the album "Pop" in 1996, Mullen suffered from severe back problems. Recording was delayed due to surgery. When he left the hospital, he arrived back in the studio to find the rest of the band experimenting more than ever with electronic drum machines, something driven largely by the Edge's interest in dance and hip-hop music, and, given his weakness after the operation, he relented, allowing The Edge to continue using drum machines, which contributed heavily to the album's electronic feel.
Larry Mullen Jr. | U2
Facing creative stagnation and a critical backlash to "Rattle and Hum", U2 reinvented themselves in the 1990s through a new musical direction and public image.
Rattle and Hum | Introduction
For their fifth album, "The Joshua Tree", the band wanted to build on "The Unforgettable Fire"s textures, but instead of out-of-focus experimentation, they sought a harder-hitting sound within the limitation of conventional song structures. Realising that "U2 had no tradition" and that their knowledge of music from before their childhood was limited, the group delved into American and Irish roots music. Friendships with Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and Keith Richards motivated Bono to explore blues, folk, and gospel music and focused him on his skills as a songwriter and lyricist. U2 halted the album sessions in June 1986 to serve as a headline act on the Conspiracy of Hope benefit concert tour for Amnesty International.
U2 | "The Joshua Tree" and "Rattle and Hum" (1986–1990)
As the first track on an album that was a major reinvention for the band, "Zoo Station" was an introduction to U2's new sound. The song features layers of distorted guitar and vocals, and industrial-influenced percussion. Irish rock journalist Bill Graham cites David Bowie's album "Low" as a major influence on "Zoo Station", which he called a "new brand of glam rock" with "Spartan rhythms and sudden flurries of melody". The song is played at a tempo of 130 beats per minute in a 4/4 time signature, but only one element of the song's introduction, a marimba-like texture, is played in common time.
Zoo Station (song) | Composition
"Q" described the rockier "Linear" version as being "surrounded by a deceptively simple rhythm track and an evocative string arrangement courtesy of Eno."
Winter (U2 song) | Composition
It's a powerful word, it's lovely to say. It's implying more than 'get up and dance, baby.' I think "October" goes into areas that most rock 'n' roll bands ignore. When I listen to the album, something like 'Tomorrow,' it actually moves me." The briefcase was eventually recovered in October 2004, and Bono greeted its return as "an act of grace". Whereas Lillywhite recorded Larry Mullen Jr.'s drums in the stairway of the reception area of Windmill Lane Studios for "Boy", the producer moved the recording of the drums into the studio for "October"; Lillywhite later called it "one of the things that didn't work so well".
October (U2 album) | Recording
synth pulses" reminiscent of Kraftwerk. Their album "The Man-Machine" was gifted by Bono to Ali when they were dating as teenagers and is name-checked in "Iris (Hold Me Close)" in the line, "But it was you who made me your man/Machine". "This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now" takes musical cues from one of the group's childhood inspirations, the Clash; according to the liner notes, the song is dedicated to the Clash's guitarist/vocalist Joe Strummer. The lyrics were inspired by Bono's realisation that he had found a new family and home in the form of U2, having felt like his childhood house was no longer home after his mother's death.
Songs of Innocence (U2 album) | Composition
The following albums are only officially available as part of this set:
The Complete U2 | Digital box set-exclusive albums
The Complete U2 is a digital box set by Irish rock band U2. It was released on 23 November 2004 by Apple Computer on the iTunes Store. It is the first major release of a purely digital online set by any artist. It contained the complete set of U2 albums, singles, live, rare and previously unreleased material from 1978 to 2004, with a total of 446 songs. This was accompanied by a PDF containing album art, track listings, and band commentary. It originally retailed for $149.99, but a $50 coupon was included with the U2 Special Edition iPods from the fourth-generation iPod.
The Complete U2 | Introduction
Adapted from AllMusic U2 Production
Pop (U2 album) | Personnel
Eno attempted to convince the other band members to wait for Mullen, but as the Edge explains, "The thinking was that we were going to further experiment with the notion of what a band was all about and find new ways to write songs, accepting the influence, and aesthetics of dance music... we thought, 'Let's just start with Howie mixing drum beats and see where that gets us.'" Mullen was back in the studio three weeks after his surgery, but his back prevented him from fully dedicating himself to recording. As he described, "I needed a little more time to recover.
Pop (U2 album) | Recording and production
"Spin" hailed the record as U2's "first wholly successful album because it finally breaks free from the seductive but limiting chant-and-drone approach of earlier material". The review stated, "There isn't a bad song on the record" and that "every one has a hook". The magazine praised U2 for eschewing ambient experimentation in favour of uncomplicated but layered arrangements. Robert Hilburn of the "Los Angeles Times" said the album "confirms on record what this band has been slowly asserting for three years now on stage: U2 is what the Rolling Stones ceased being years ago—the greatest rock and roll band in the world".
The Joshua Tree | Critical reception
War is the third studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Steve Lillywhite, and was released on 28 February 1983 on Island Records. The album is regarded as U2's first overtly political album, in part because of songs like "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day", as well as the title, which stems from the band's perception of the world at the time; lead vocalist Bono stated that "war seemed to be the motif for 1982." U2 recorded the album from September–November 1982 at Windmill Lane Studios with Lillywhite producing, the group's third consecutive album made at the studio with the producer.
War (U2 album) | Introduction
The production crew and the band debated which version to include on the record. Throughout the sessions, U2 were undecided on a unifying musical style for the release, and as a result, they maintained three potential track listings—one for the best songs, one for "vibes", and one for a soundtrack album. Bono suggested editing the best segments of songs together to create a montage.
Zooropa | Recording and production
The Edge says this portion of the show represented "U2 stripped back in the innocence moment of the band, referring to those early years where we formed and influenced by the music of the late 1970 and early 1980s, post-punk and punk music." After four songs, the band more explicitly explored its adolescence, beginning with "Iris (Hold Me Close)", which Bono wrote about his mother who died when he was 14 years old. The set's video screen showed old home video footage of her intercut with visuals of stars, matching the song's lyrics that liken her influence on Bono over time to the light of long-dead star.
Innocence + Experience Tour | Show overview
The album was titled "War" for several reasons; in 1982, Bono said, "War seemed to be the motif for 1982," adding that "Everywhere you looked, from the Falklands to the Middle East and South Africa, there was war. By calling the album "War" we're giving people a slap in the face and at the same time getting away from the cosy image a lot of people have of U2." The Edge said that "It's a heavy title. It's blunt. It's not something that's safe, so it could backfire. It's the sort of subject matter that people can really take a dislike to.
War (U2 album) | Packaging and title
As a rhythm section, Mullen and Clayton often play the same patterns, giving U2's music a driving, pulsating beat that serves as a foundation for the Edge's guitar work. For his drumming, Mullen locks into the Edge's guitar playing, while Clayton locks his bass playing into Mullen's drumming. Author Bill Flanagan said that their playing styles perfectly reflected their personalities: "Larry is right on top of the beat, a bit ahead—as you'd expect from a man who's so ordered and punctual in his life. Adam plays a little behind the beat, waiting till the last moment to slip in, which fits Adam's casual, don't-sweat-it personality." Mullen's drumming style is influenced by his experience in marching bands during his adolescence, which helped contribute to the militaristic beats of songs such as "Sunday Bloody Sunday".
U2 | Rhythm section
At the time, drummer Larry Mullen Jr. was inactive due to a back injury, prompting the other band members to take different approaches to songwriting. Upon Mullen's return, the band began re-working much of their material but ultimately struggled to complete songs. After the band allowed manager Paul McGuinness to book their upcoming 1997 PopMart Tour before the record was completed, they felt rushed into delivering it. Even after delaying the album's release date from the 1996 Christmas and holiday season to March 1997, U2 ran out of time in the studio, working up to the last minute to complete songs.
Pop (U2 album) | Introduction