‘U2’: The Negativland EP that U2 sued out of existence
There’s not enough lampooning in music these days. In a world where the sonic landscape is as eclectic as ever, it’s strange that artists taking the piss out of each other in their work has become a dying trend—except in the rap world, where Kendrick Lamar and Drake have recently taken things to a different level. Many contemporary acts seem ripe for satire, but it seems few are bold enough to take the risk in today’s climate, where fear of retribution often leads to conformity. Back in the early 1990s, however, Negativland delivered a prime example of musical lampooning with their U2 EP, fearlessly challenging the status quo.
Negativland might be an outfit unknown to many British readers, but they are a cult experimental musical act formed in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1979. An innovative group that has released many albums since their 1980 self-titled debut, their sneering, ironic work was perfect for the era in which they emerged. Their tact was spiritually at home with Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn’s influential punk label SST Records, with whom they released some of their best work in the late 1980s and early 1990s, such as Escape from Noise and Helter Stupid.
Their most notorious record, 1991’s U2, was also released on SST. It remains a strange case and a reminder of just how subtle and effective lampooning of other acts can be. On the other hand, it also demonstrates that despite being largely hateable, the Irish stadium rock band U2 are not cats to be messed with, as they have the entire economic and legal might of the industry at their disposal.
Negativland earned infamy when lawyers from Island Records sued them over using an unauthorised sample of the 1987 U2 hit ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’ on the EP, as well as a misleading artwork, which made it look like the record was by U2 and called Negativland. The two tracks on the EP are both called ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’ and are parodies of the Irish band’s global hit of the same name, and are experimental sound collages that are a far cry away from the original.
Explicitly outlining how Negativland feel about the Irish quartet, the first track samples the original recording, and the second, ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (Special Edit Radio Mix)’, samples a bootleg of influential radio DJ Casey Kasem’s outtakes, including his brutal opinion of U2 and erroneous evaluation of where they’re from: “These guys are from England and who gives a shit?”
After the EP was released in 1991, Island sued Negativland, and not only claimed copyright infringement but that it was actually a cynical attempt on their part to confuse U2 fans, who were eagerly awaiting Achtung Baby, the follow-up to Rattle and Hum. As a result of the legal action, U2 was withdrawn and deleted. It was replaced with another Negativland EP, Guns, which reused the cover art of its predecessor and included a wry note.
The back of the EP featured a sardonic letter to U2 regarding the previous EP’s incident: “This recording is dedicated to the members of our favourite Irish rock band, their record label, and their attorneys. The music is two U.”
This wouldn’t be the last Negativland said on the matter. They spoke extensively about it in their 1992 magazine and CD release, The Letter U and the Numeral 2, which, ironically, led to a lawsuit from SST for supposed copyright infringement., leading to a protracted conflict. They could not be deterred, though, and the two tracks from U2 were released on the 2001 compilation, These Guys Are from England and Who Gives a Shit. Their efforts remain an exemplary moment in lampooning the big fish and how artists can remain firmly on their course despite threatening industry machinations.
