Youthful ignorance: the critical misunderstanding of U2
There’s something strange about U2. Their success and stature are completely undoubted, and yet they have simultaneously become something of a joke, particularly amongst younger generations, and certainly since the release of 1993’s change-in-direction LP Zooropa. Now the jibes have moved to ultimately negate their excellent golden period of 1983-1988.
That’s not to say that perhaps Bono, The Edge, Clayton and Mullen didn’t have it coming. Zooropa’s effort to cash in on the industrial rock of the 1990s backfired, omitting the stadium textures that had defined The Joshua Tree and The Unforgettable Fire. Then, things got even worse with 1997’s Pop, an utter travesty of a record.
In 2000, U2 made their ‘comeback’ with the respectable (albeit soft) All That You Can’t Leave Behind. The 21st Century would broadly mark the end of U2’s artistic credibility amongst anyone who wasn’t already over the age of 40. Somehow, U2 had gone from being rock gods to a cringe-fest. Perhaps this was mainly due to the several debatable marketing events and appearances the band made during that period.
Throughout the 21st Century, there was the red iPod, the free album on iTunes that no one asked for, the ridiculous 360 tours, not to mention Bono’s incessant preaching. And why, oh, why would Edge not take off that beanie? Even when dressed in a tuxedo on the red carpet, there it was, washed, dried and ironed, as though we didn’t know he was bald when he first donned the cowboy hat back on the Joshua Tree tour. Let’s not even mention the god-awful airport music video for ‘Beautiful Day’.
So it’s fair to say then that U2 shot themselves in the foot over and over again. And yet each of their tours sells out without fail. Are U2 a band still living in the glory days of the 1980s? Admittedly, the aforementioned All You Can’t Leave Behind and its 2004 follow-up, the terribly titled How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, wrangled back some of the critical and commercial respectability that the band’s 1990s period has pissed down the drain.
Yet, this is largely missing the point. The fact is that U2 continue to play sold-out stadium shows, are one of the best-selling rock bands of all time, and were in the position to collaborate with Apple in the first place for a reason. The reality is that in the 1980s, U2 pretty much solely defined alternative stadium rock, with its roots in 1983’s War.
War combined a punk sensibility with genuine Irish political intrigue and guitar tones that had hitherto never been heard. I dare anyone to listen to ‘New Year’s Day’, ‘Like A Song’ and ‘Two Hearts Beat As One’ and tell me they don’t absolutely bang. Plus, the kid Bono could sing! A year later, perhaps U2’s best album, The Unforgettable Fire, dropped. In many ways, the punk sound of U2 was gone forever. But, it was thankfully replaced with beautiful guitar textures, brought to the fore by ambient master Brian Eno, that were just begging to be rung out in stadiums across the world.
From there, things got even better. As with many, my first introduction to U2 was their most popular release, The Joshua Tree. I already knew the first three singles from, well, just merely existing (how could you not?) But hang on, what was this fourth track? ‘Bullet The Blue Sky’. It was just about the hardest thing I’d ever heard, that drumbeat and bassline, that slide-down guitar tone. The vocals. I couldn’t quite believe my ears. Could this really be the same band that had just run through ‘With Or Without You’?
Evidently, U2 were far more than I had initially thought. They were sure as hell, not just the band that my dad liked, nor were they the silly blokes on telly who were evidently past it. U2 had gotten themselves into that position for a good reason.
So many, many moons later, it still feels strange that amongst my own beloved millennial generation, U2 are still perceived as a bit cringe and a bit of a meme. Whilst that is somewhat understandable given the 21st Century bad music (haven’t we all?) and questionable marketing stunts, the fact remains that U2′ 83-’88 (with the utmost respect for LPs one and two) absolutely bangs. So forget the iPod and preaching and stick ‘Bullet The Blue Sky’ on today.
