U2
U2 | |
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Background information | |
Also known as |
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Origin | Dublin, Ireland |
Genres | |
Discography | |
Years active | 1976–present |
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Members | |
Past members |
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Website | u2 |
U2 are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin 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 chiming, effects-based guitar sounds. Bono's lyrics, often embellished with spiritual imagery, focus on personal and sociopolitical themes. Popular for their live performances, the group have staged several elaborate tours over their career.
The band was formed when the members were teenaged pupils of Mount Temple Comprehensive School and had limited musical proficiency. Within four years, they signed with Island Records and released their debut album, Boy (1980). Works such as their first UK number-one album, War (1983), and singles "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Pride (In the Name of Love)" helped establish U2's reputation as a politically and socially conscious group. Their fourth album, The Unforgettable Fire (1984), was their first collaboration with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, whose influence resulted in a more abstract, ambient sound for the band. By the mid-1980s, U2 had become renowned globally for their live act, highlighted by their performance at Live Aid in 1985. Their fifth album, The Joshua Tree (1987), made them international stars and was their greatest critical and commercial success. One of the world's best-selling albums with 25 million copies sold, it produced the group's only number-one singles in the US to date: "With or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For".
Facing creative stagnation and a backlash to their documentary and double album Rattle and Hum (1988), U2 reinvented themselves in the 1990s. Beginning with their acclaimed seventh album, Achtung Baby (1991), and the multimedia spectacle of the Zoo TV Tour, the band pursued a new musical direction influenced by alternative rock, electronic dance music, and industrial music, and they embraced a more ironic, flippant image. This experimentation continued on Zooropa (1993) and concluded with 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), returning to a more conventional, mainstream sound. Although their twelfth album, No Line on the Horizon (2009), did not meet commercial expectations, the supporting U2 360° Tour of 2009–2011 set records for the highest-attended and highest-grossing concert tour, both of which stood until 2019. In the 2010s, U2 released two companion albums: Songs of Innocence (2014), which received criticism for its pervasive, no-cost release through the iTunes Store; and Songs of Experience (2017). In 2023, U2 released Songs of Surrender, an album of re-recorded songs, and began the U2:UV Achtung Baby concert residency at the Sphere in the Las Vegas Valley.
U2 have released 15 studio albums and are one of the world's
.History
Formation and early years (1976–1980)
In 1976, Larry Mullen Jr., then a 14-year-old pupil of Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin, Ireland, posted a note on the school's notice board in search of musicians for a new band. At least five people responded and attended the first practice, which was held on 25 September in Mullen's kitchen. Mullen played drums and was joined by: Paul Hewson ("Bono") on lead vocals; David Evans ("the Edge") and his older brother Dik Evans on guitar; Adam Clayton, a friend of the Evans brothers, on bass guitar; and Ivan McCormick. Mullen later described it as "'The Larry Mullen Band' for about ten minutes, then Bono walked in and blew any chance I had of being in charge." Peter Martin, a friend of Mullen and McCormick, loaned his guitar and amplifier for the first practice,[3] but he could not play and was quickly phased out;[4] sources differ on whether he was in attendance at the first meeting or not.[5] McCormick was dropped from the group after a few weeks.[6] The remaining five members settled on the name "Feedback" for the group because it was one of the few technical terms they knew. Early rehearsals took place in their music teacher's classroom at Mount Temple.[3] Most of their initial material consisted of cover songs, which they admitted was not their forte.[7] Emerging punk rock acts such as the Stranglers,[8] the Jam, the Clash, Buzzcocks, and Sex Pistols were strong influences on the group. The popularity of punk convinced them that musical proficiency was not a prerequisite to success.[9]
We couldn't believe it. I was completely shocked. We weren't of an age to go out partying as such but I don't think anyone slept that night ... Really, it was just a great affirmation to win that competition, even though I've no idea how good we were or what the competition was really like. But to win at that point was incredibly important for morale and everyone's belief in the whole project.
—The Edge, on the band's winning a 1978 talent contest in Limerick[10]
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".[11] Dik Evans, who was older and by that time attending college, was becoming the odd man out. The rest of the band was leaning towards the idea of a four-piece ensemble.[10] In March 1978, the group changed their name to "U2".[12] Steve Averill, a punk rock musician with the Radiators from Space and a 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.[13] Dik Evans was officially phased out of the band with a farewell concert at the Presbyterian Hall in Sutton on 4 March. During the show, which featured the group playing cover songs as the Hype, Dik ceremonially walked offstage. The remaining four band members returned later in the concert to play original material as U2.[10][14] Dik joined another band, the Virgin Prunes, which comprised mutual friends of U2's; the Prunes were their default opening act early on, and the two groups often shared members for live performances to cover for occasional absences.[15] On 18 March, the four-piece U2 won the "Pop Group '78" talent contest sponsored by the Evening Press and Guinness's Harp Lager as part of Limerick Civic Week.[16] The win was an important milestone and affirmation for the fledgling act.[10] The contest prize consisted of £500 and a recording session for a demo that would be heard by record label CBS Ireland.[17] U2's demo tape was recorded at Keystone Studios in Dublin in April 1978,[17] but the results were largely unsuccessful due to their inexperience.[18]
Irish magazine
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.[28] Martin Hannett, who produced the single, was slated to produce the band's debut album, Boy, but ultimately was replaced with Steve Lillywhite.[29] From July to September 1980, U2 recorded the album at Windmill Lane Studios,[30][31] drawing from their nearly 40-song repertoire at the time.[32] Lillywhite suggested recording Mullen's drums in a stairwell, and recording smashed bottles and forks played against a spinning bicycle wheel.[29] 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".[29] The album's lead single, "A Day Without Me", was released in August. Although it did not chart,[30] 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.[28]
Released in October 1980,
The band faced several challenges in writing their second album,
October was released in October 1981 and contained overtly spiritual themes.[50] The album received mixed reviews and limited radio play,[51] and although it debuted at number 11 in the UK,[50] it sold poorly elsewhere.[52] 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.[53] During the tour, U2 met Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn,[54] who became their principal photographer and has had a major influence on their vision and public image.[55] In March 1982, the band played 14 dates as the opening act for the J. Geils Band, increasing their exposure.[56] Still, U2 were disappointed by their lack of progress by the end of the October Tour. Having run out of money and feeling unsupported by their record label, the group committed to improving; Clayton recalled that "there was a firm resolve to come out of the box fighting with the next record".[52]
War and Under a Blood Red Sky (1982–1983)
After the October Tour, U2 decamped to a rented cottage in Howth, where they lived, wrote new songs, and rehearsed for their third album, War. Significant musical breakthroughs were achieved by the Edge in August 1982 during a two-week period of independent songwriting, while the other band members vacationed and Bono honeymooned with his wife, Ali.[57][58] From September to November, the group recorded War at Windmill Lane Studios. Lillywhite, who had a policy of not working with an artist more than twice, was convinced by the group to return as their producer for a third time.[59][60] The recording sessions featured contributions from violinist Steve Wickham and the female singers of Kid Creole and the Coconuts.[59] For the first time, Mullen agreed to play drums to a click track to keep time.[57] After completing the album, U2 undertook a short tour of Western Europe in December.[61]
War's lead single, "
On the subsequent 1983 War Tour of Europe, the US and Japan,[62] the band began to play progressively larger venues, moving from clubs to halls to arenas.[70] Bono attempted to engage the growing audiences with theatrical, often dangerous antics, climbing scaffoldings and lighting rigs and jumping into the audience.[71] The sight of Bono waving a white flag during performances of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" became the tour's iconic image.[72] The band played several dates at large European and American music festivals,[73] including a performance at the US Festival on Memorial Day weekend for an audience of 125,000 people.[74] Nearly rained out, the group's 5 June 1983 concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre was singled out by Rolling Stone as one of "50 Moments that Changed the History of Rock and Roll".[75] The show was recorded for the concert video Live at Red Rocks, and was one of several concerts from the tour captured on their live album Under a Blood Red Sky.[76] The releases received extensive play on MTV and the radio, expanding the band's audience and showcasing their prowess as a live act.[75] During the tour, the group established a new tradition by closing concerts with the War track "40", during which the Edge and Clayton would switch instruments and the band members would leave the stage one-by-one as the crowd continued to sing the refrain "How long to sing this song?".[77][78] The War Tour was U2's first profitable tour, grossing about US$2 million.[79]
The Unforgettable Fire and Live Aid (1984–1985)
With their record deal with Island Records coming to an end, U2 signed a more lucrative extension in 1984. They negotiated the return of the copyrights of their songs, an increase in their royalty rate, and a general improvement in terms, at the expense of a larger initial payment.[80]
U2 feared that following the overt rock of the War album and tour, they were in danger of becoming another "shrill", "sloganeering
Partly recorded in Slane Castle, The Unforgettable Fire was released in October 1984 and was at the time the band's most marked change in direction.[86] It was ambient and abstract, and featured a rich, orchestrated sound. Under Lanois' direction, Mullen's drumming became looser, funkier, and more subtle, and Clayton's bass became more subliminal.[87] Complementing the album's atmospheric sound, the lyrics were left open to interpretation, providing what the band called a "very visual feel".[86] Due to a tight recording schedule, Bono felt songs like "Bad" and "Pride (In the Name of Love)" were incomplete "sketches".[84] The album reached number one in the UK,[88] and was successful in the US.[89] The lead single "Pride (In the Name of Love)", written about civil rights movement leader Martin Luther King Jr., was the band's biggest hit to that point and was their first song to chart in the US top 40.[90]
Much of the Unforgettable Fire Tour moved into indoor arenas as U2 began to win their long battle to build their audience.[91] The complex textures of the new studio-recorded tracks, such as "The Unforgettable Fire" and "Bad", posed a challenge in translating to live performances.[86] One solution was programming music sequencers, which the band had previously been reluctant to use but now incorporate into the majority of their performances.[86] Songs on the album had been criticised as being "unfinished", "fuzzy", and "unfocused", but were better received by critics when played on stage. Rolling Stone, which was critical of the album version of "Bad", described its live performance as a "show stopper".[92]
In March 1985, a Rolling Stone cover story called U2 the "Band of the '80s", saying that "for a growing number of rock & roll fans, U2... has become the band that matters most, maybe even the only band that matters".
The Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum (1986–1990)
The wild beauty, cultural richness, spiritual vacancy and ferocious violence of America are explored to compelling effect in virtually every aspect of The Joshua Tree—in the title and the cover art, the blues and country borrowings evident in the music ... Indeed, Bono says that 'dismantling the mythology of America' is an important part of The Joshua Tree's artistic objective.
For their fifth album,
The Joshua Tree was released in March 1987. The album juxtaposes antipathy towards US foreign policy against the group's deep fascination with the country, its open spaces, freedom, and ideals.
In October 1988, the group released
Achtung Baby, Zoo TV, and Zooropa (1990–1993)
Buzzwords on this record were trashy, throwaway, dark, sexy, and industrial (all good) and earnest, polite, sweet, righteous, rockist and linear (all bad). It was good if a song took you on a journey or made you think your hifi was broken, bad if it reminded you of recording studios or U2 ...
—Brian Eno, on the recording of Achtung Baby[130]
Stung by the criticism of Rattle and Hum, the band sought to transform themselves musically.
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.[135] 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".[136] Thematically, it was a more introspective and personal record; it was darker, yet at times more flippant than the band's previous work. Commercially and critically, it has been one of the band's most successful albums. It produced five hit singles, including "The Fly", "Mysterious Ways", and "One", and it was a crucial part of the band's early 1990s reinvention.[137] In 1993, Achtung Baby won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.[138] Like The Joshua Tree, many publications have cited the record as one of rock's greatest.[116]
Like Achtung Baby, the 1992–1993
In June 1993, U2 signed a long-term, six-album deal to remain with Island Records/
Clayton's issues with alcohol came to a head on the final leg of the Zoo TV Tour. After experiencing a blackout, Clayton was unable to perform for the group's 26 November 1993 show in Sydney,[151] which served as the dress rehearsal for a worldwide television broadcast the following night. Bass guitar technician Stuart Morgan filled in for him, marking the first time a member of U2 had missed a concert since their earliest days.[152] After the incident, Clayton resolved to quit drinking alcohol.[151] The tour concluded the following month in Japan. Overall, it tallied 5.3 million in ticket sales[153] and US$151 million in gross revenues.[154] Q's Tom Doyle said in 2002 that Zoo TV was "the most spectacular rock tour staged by any band".[155]
Passengers, Pop, and PopMart (1994–1998)
In 1995, following a long break, U2 contributed "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" to the soundtrack album of the film Batman Forever.[156] The song was a hit, reaching number one in Australia and Ireland, number two in the UK, and number 16 in the US.[157] In November, the band released an experimental album called Original Soundtracks 1, a collaboration with Brian Eno, who contributed as a full songwriting partner and performer. Due to his participation and the record's highly experimental nature, the band chose to release it under the moniker "Passengers" to distinguish it from U2's conventional albums.[158] Mullen said of the release: "There's a thin line between interesting music and self-indulgence. We crossed it on the Passengers record."[159] It was commercially unnoticed by U2 standards and it received generally mixed reviews.[160] The single "Miss Sarajevo" (featuring Luciano Pavarotti) was among Bono's favourite U2 songs.[161]
U2 began work on their next studio album,
In February 1997,
The PopMart Tour commenced in April 1997 and was intended as a satire of consumerism.[171] The stage included a 100-foot-tall (30 m) golden yellow arch reminiscent of the McDonald's logo, a 40-foot-tall (12 m) mirrorball lemon, and a 150-foot-long (46 m) LED video screen, at the time the world's largest.[176] U2's "big shtick" failed to satisfy many who were seemingly confused by the band's new kitsch image and the tour's elaborate set.[177] The reduced rehearsal time for the tour affected the quality of early shows,[178] and in some US markets, the band played to half-empty stadiums.[179][180] On several occasions, the mirrorball lemon from which the band emerged for the encores malfunctioned, trapping them inside.[181] Despite the mixed reviews and difficulties of the tour, Bono considered PopMart to be "better than Zoo TV aesthetically, and as an art project it is a clearer thought."[182] He later explained, "When that show worked, it was mindblowing."[183]
The European leg of the tour featured two highlights. The group's 20 September 1997 show in
All That You Can't Leave Behind and Elevation Tour (1998–2002)
Following the mixed success of their musical pursuits in the 1990s, U2 sought to simplify their sound; the Edge said that with Pop, the group had "taken the deconstruction of the rock 'n' roll band format to its absolute 'nth degree".[194] For their tenth album, All That You Can't Leave Behind, the group wanted to return to their old recording ethos of "the band in a room playing together".[194] Reuniting with Eno and Lanois, U2 began working on the album in late 1998.[194][195] After their experiences with being pressured to complete Pop, the band were content to work without deadlines.[194] With Bono's schedule limited by his commitments to debt relief for Jubilee 2000 and the other band members spending time with their families, the recording sessions stretched through August 2000.[194][196]
Released in October of that year, All That You Can't Leave Behind was seen by critics as a "back to basics" album,[197] on which the group returned to a more mainstream, conventional rock sound.[194][198] For many of those not won over by the band's forays into dance music, it was considered a return to grace;[199][200] Rolling Stone called it U2's "third masterpiece" alongside The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby.[201] The album debuted at number one in 32 countries[202] and sold 12 million copies.[203] Its lead single, "Beautiful Day", was a worldwide hit, reaching number one in Ireland, the UK, Australia, and Canada, while peaking at number 21 in the US.[204] The song won Grammy Awards for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year.[205] At the awards ceremony, Bono declared that U2 were "reapplying for the job ... [of] the best band in the world".[206] The album's other singles were worldwide hits as well; "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of", "Elevation", and "Walk On" reached number one in Canada,[207] while charting in the top five in the UK and top ten in Australia.[47][208]
The band's 2001
On 3 February 2002, U2 performed during the Super Bowl XXXVI halftime show. In a tribute to those who died in the September 11 attacks, the victims' names were projected onto a backdrop, and at the end, Bono opened his jacket to reveal an American flag in the lining.[220] Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stone, and USA Today ranked the band's performance as the best halftime show in Super Bowl history.[221] Later that month, U2 received four additional Grammy Awards; All That You Can't Leave Behind won Best Rock Album, while "Walk On" was named Record of the Year, marking the first time an artist had won the latter award in consecutive years for songs from the same album.[222] In November 2002, the band released their second compilation, The Best of 1990–2000, which featured several remixed 1990s songs and two new tracks, including the single "Electrical Storm".[223]
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb and Vertigo Tour (2003–2006)
Looking for a harder-hitting rock sound than that of All That You Can't Leave Behind,[224] U2 began recording their eleventh studio album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, in February 2003 with producer Chris Thomas.[225] After nine months of work, the band had an album's worth of material ready for release, but they were not satisfied with the results; Mullen said that the songs "had no magic".[224] The group subsequently enlisted Steve Lillywhite to take over as producer in Dublin in January 2004.[226] Lillywhite, along with his assistant Jacknife Lee, spent six months with the band reworking songs and encouraging better performances.[224] Several other producers received credits on the album, including Lanois, Eno, Flood, Carl Glanville, and Nellee Hooper;[227] Bono acknowledged that the involvement of multiple producers affected the record's "sonic cohesion".[228]
Released in November 2004, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb received favourable reviews from critics.[229] The album featured lyrics touching on life, death, love, war, faith, and family.[230] It reached number one in 30 countries,[229] including the US, where first-week sales of 840,000 copies nearly doubled those of All That You Can't Leave Behind, setting a personal best for the band.[231] Overall, it sold 9 million copies globally.[232] For the album's release, U2 partnered with Apple for several cross-promotions: the first single, "Vertigo", was featured in a television advertisement for the company's iPod music player, while a U2-branded iPod and digital box set exclusive to the iTunes Store were released.[233] "Vertigo" was an international hit, topping the charts in Ireland and the UK,[234] while reaching number two in Canada and number five in Australia.[235] The song won three Grammy Awards, including one for Best Rock Song.[236] Other singles from the album were also hits; "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own", written as a tribute to Bono's late father, went to number one in the UK and Canada, while "City of Blinding Lights" reached number two in both regions.[237] In March 2005, U2 were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Bruce Springsteen in their first year of eligibility.[238][239] During his speech, Springsteen said the band had "beaten [the odds] by continuing to do their finest work and remaining at the top of their game and the charts for 25 years".[240]
U2's 2005–2006
In February 2006, U2 received five additional Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year for "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own", and Best Rock Album and Album of the Year for How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb;
In August 2006, the band incorporated its publishing business in the Netherlands following the capping of Irish artists' tax exemption at €250,000.[255] The Edge stated that businesses often seek to minimise their tax burdens.[256] The move was criticised in the Irish parliament.[256][257] The band defended themselves, saying approximately 95% of their business took place outside Ireland, that they were taxed globally because of this, and that they were all "personal investors and employers in the country".[258] Bono later said, "I think U2's tax business is our own business and I think it is not just to the letter of the law but to the spirit of the law."[259]
No Line on the Horizon and U2 360° Tour (2006–2011)
Recording for U2's twelfth album,
No Line on the Horizon was released in February 2009, more than four years after How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, marking the longest gap between albums of the band's career to that point.[266] It received generally positive reviews, including their first five-star Rolling Stone review, but critics found it was not as experimental as originally billed.[267] The album debuted at number one in over 30 countries,[268] but its sales of 5 million were seen as a disappointment by U2 standards and it did not contain a hit single.[269][270] Following the album's release, the band discussed tentative plans for a follow-up record entitled Songs of Ascent.[271] Bono described the project as "a more meditative album on the theme of pilgrimage".[262]
The group embarked on the U2 360° Tour in June 2009. It was their first live venture for Live Nation under a 12-year, US$100 million (£50 million) contract signed the year prior.[272][273] As part of the deal, the company assumed control over U2's touring, merchandising, and official website.[274] The 360° Tour concerts featured the band playing stadiums "in the round" on a circular stage, allowing the audience to surround them on all sides.[275] To accommodate the stage configuration, a large four-legged structure nicknamed "The Claw" was built above the stage, with the sound system and a cylindrical, expanding video screen on top of it. At 164 feet (50 m) tall, it was the largest stage ever constructed.[276] The tour visited Europe and North America in 2009. On 25 October 2009, U2 set a new US record for single concert attendance for one headline act, performing to 97,014 people at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.[277] In May 2010, while rehearsing for the next leg of the tour, Bono suffered a herniated disk and severe compression of the sciatic nerve, requiring emergency back surgery.[278] The band were forced to postpone the North American leg of the tour and a headlining performance at the Glastonbury Festival 2010 until the following year.[279] After Bono's recovery, U2 resumed the 360° Tour in August 2010 with legs in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, during which they began to play new, unreleased songs live.[280] By its conclusion in July 2011, U2 360° had set records for the highest-grossing concert tour (US$736 million) and most tickets sold for a tour (7.3 million).[281]
Songs of Innocence and Innocence + Experience Tour (2011–2015)
Throughout the 360° Tour, the band worked on multiple projects, including: a traditional rock album produced by
On 9 September 2014, U2 appeared at an Apple product launch event to make a surprise announcement of their thirteenth studio album, Songs of Innocence. They released it digitally the same day to all iTunes Store customers at no cost,[291] making it available to over 500 million people in what Apple CEO Tim Cook called "the largest album release of all time".[292] Apple reportedly paid Universal Music Group and U2 a lump sum for a five-week exclusivity period in which to distribute the album[293] and spent US$100 million on a promotional campaign.[292] Songs of Innocence recalls the group members' youth in Ireland, touching on childhood experiences, loves and losses, while paying tribute to their musical inspirations.[294] Bono described it as "the most personal album we've written".[295] The record received mixed reviews and drew criticism for its digital release strategy; it was automatically added to users' iTunes accounts, which for many, triggered an unprompted download to their electronic devices.[296][297][298] Chris Richards of The Washington Post called the release "rock-and-roll as dystopian junk mail".[299] The group's press tour for the album was interrupted after Bono was seriously injured in a bicycle accident in Central Park on 16 November 2014. He suffered fractures of his shoulder blade, humerus, orbit, and pinky finger,[300] leading to uncertainty that he would ever be able to play guitar again.[301]
Following Bono's recuperation, U2 embarked on the Innocence + Experience Tour in May 2015,[302] visiting arenas in North America and Europe from May through December.[303] The group structured their concerts around a loose autobiographical narrative of "innocence" passing into "experience", with a fixed set of songs for the first half of each show and a varying second half, separated by an intermission—a first for U2 concerts.[304] The stage spanned the length of the venue floor and comprised three sections: a rectangular main stage, a smaller circular B-stage, and a connecting walkway.[304] The centerpiece of the set was a 96-foot-long (29 m) double-sided video screen that featured an interior catwalk, allowing the band members to perform amidst the video projections.[305][306] U2's sound system was moved to the venue ceilings and arranged in an oval array, in hopes of improving acoustics by evenly distributing sound throughout the arena.[304] In total, the tour grossed US$152.2 million from 1.29 million tickets sold.[307] The final date of the tour, one of two Paris shows rescheduled due to the 13 November 2015 attacks in the city, was filmed for the video Innocence + Experience: Live in Paris and broadcast on the American television network HBO.[308][309]
The Joshua Tree anniversary tours and Songs of Experience (2016–2019)
In 2016, U2 worked on their next studio album,
U2
Songs of Experience was released on 1 December 2017.[323] Lyrically, the album reflects the "political and personal apocalypse" that Bono felt had occurred in his life in 2016.[324] The first single, "You're the Best Thing About Me",[325] is one of several songs from the record for which Bono wrote the lyrics as letters addressed to people and places closest to his heart.[312][313] Songs of Experience received generally mixed reviews from critics,[326] though it was the sixth-best-selling album globally in 2017 with 1.3 million copies sold.[327]
In May 2018, the band embarked on the Experience + Innocence Tour, which consisted of arena shows across North America and Europe.[328] It was a sequel to their 2015 Innocence + Experience Tour, reprising its loose narrative and the multifaceted stage comprising a rectangular main stage, circular B-stage, connecting walkway, and doubled-sided LED video screen with an interior walkway. Several enhancements were made to the set, such as a higher resolution and more transparent video screen and the addition of LED panels to the B-stage floor.[329] The band incorporated augmented reality into the shows, releasing a mobile app for concertgoers to use and reviving Bono's demonic stage character MacPhisto from the 1993 Zoo TV Tour with the help of a camera filter.[330][331] The tour concluded in Berlin in November with total revenues of $126.2 million from 924,000 tickets sold, according to Billboard.[328]
U2's Joshua Tree anniversary concert tour
Songs of Surrender and concert residency at Sphere (2020–current)
In October 2022, several media outlets reported that U2 were in discussions to sign with Irving Azoff and his son Jeffrey of Full Stop Management, following the end of Guy Oseary's nine-year tenure as the band's manager.[336]
Over a two-year period during lockdowns for the COVID-19 pandemic, the group worked on Songs of Surrender, an album of re-recorded and reinterpreted versions of 40 songs from their back catalogue.[337][338] Largely the effort of the Edge and Bono,[339] the album was recorded with collaborators that included Bob Ezrin, Duncan Stewart, Declan Gaffney, and Stjepan Hauser.[340] The reimagined songs feature stripped-down and acoustic arrangements,[341] in different keys and tempos and often with re-written lyrics.[342][343] The project was conceived as a companion to Bono's memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, which was released in November 2022.[337] That same month, Bono embarked on a book tour called "Stories of Surrender", initially consisting of 14 dates across North America and Europe.[344] During the shows, Bono performed U2 songs in stripped-down arrangements mirroring those from Songs of Surrender.[345] The record was released in March 2023 to mixed reviews.[346] It was the group's first number-one album in the UK since 2009,[347] but sales quickly tapered off; it charted in the UK for three weeks, and in the US for one week after reaching number five.[47][348] The album's release coincided with a television documentary film, Bono & The Edge: A Sort of Homecoming, With Dave Letterman, that premiered on Disney+.[349] In April, Bono resumed his "Stories of Surrender" book tour with an 11-show residency at the Beacon Theatre in New York City.[350]
From September 2023 to March 2024, U2 staged a 40-date concert residency[351] called U2:UV Achtung Baby Live to inaugurate the Sphere in the Las Vegas Valley. The concert series was announced during a Super Bowl LVII television advertisement. Performances were focused on the group's 1991 album Achtung Baby and leveraged the venue's immersive video and sound capabilities, which include a 16K resolution wraparound interior LED screen and speakers with beamforming and wave field synthesis technologies. Mullen did not participate in the concerts in order to recuperate from surgery,[352] marking the first time since 1978 that U2 performed without him;[353] Dutch drummer Bram van den Berg from the band Krezip filled in.[352] Coinciding with the beginning of the residency, the group released the Las Vegas-inspired single "Atomic City".[354] U2:UV Achtung Baby Live grossed $244.5 million from 663,000 tickets sold.[355]
Musical style
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.
In the 1990s, U2 reinvented themselves as they began using synthesisers,
In the 2000s, U2 returned to more stripped-down rock and pop sounds,
Vocals
Bono is known for his impassioned vocal style, often delivered in a high register through open-throated belting.[108][379][380][381] Bono has been classified as a tenor,[382][383] and according to him has a three-octave vocal range;[384] one analysis found it to span from C♯2 to G♯5 on studio recordings over the course of his career.[385] He frequently employs "whoa-oh-oh" vocalisations in his singing.[386] Rock musician Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day said: "He's a physical singer, like the leader of a gospel choir, and he gets lost in the melodic moment. He goes to a place outside himself, especially in front of an audience, when he hits those high notes." He added that Bono is "not afraid to go beyond what he's capable of".[387]
In the early days of U2, Bono unintentionally developed an English vocal accent as a result of him mimicking his musical influences such as Siouxsie and the Banshees.[388] "I still think that I sing like Siouxsie from The Banshees on the first two U2 albums. But I found my voice through Joey Ramone at that gig in Dublin. I stood there and heard him singing. He sang a bit like a girl too. It was all going to be OK after all. That was my way in."[389] His vocal style evolved during the band's exploration of roots music for The Joshua Tree; Spin said that he learned to command "the full whisper-to-shout range of blues mannerisms".[390] Bono attributed this maturation to "loosening up", "discover[ing] other voices", and employing more restraint in his singing.[391] For "Where the Streets Have No Name", Bono varied the timbre of his voice extensively and used rubato to vary its timing,[392] while author Susan Fast found "With or Without You" to be the first track on which he "extended his vocal range downward in an appreciable way".[393]
Bono continued to explore a lower range in the 1990s, using what Fast described as "breathy and subdued colors" for Achtung Baby.
Guitar
The Edge's style of playing guitar is distinguished by his chiming
The Edge's guitar sound is frequently modulated with a delay set to a dotted eighth note for rhythmic effect.[405][416][417] After acquiring his first delay pedal, the Electro-Harmonix Memory Man,[28] he became fascinated with how to use its return echo to "fill in notes that [he's] not playing, like two guitar players rather than one".[418] The effect unit became a mainstay in his guitar rig and had a significant impact on the band's creative output.[28] The Edge became known for his extensive use of effects units, and for his meticulous nature in crafting specific sounds and guitar tones from his equipment choices.[407][419] Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page called him a "sonic architect",[418] while Neil McCormick described him as an "effects maestro".[420] Critics have variously referred to the Edge's guitar sounds as evoking the image of fighter planes on "Bullet the Blue Sky",[421] resembling a "dentist's drill" on "Love Is Blindness",[397] and resembling an "airplane turbine" on "Mofo".[422] The Edge said that rather than using effects merely to modify his sound, he uses them to spark ideas during his songwriting process.[416]
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.[408] In their early days, the Edge's only guitar was his 1976 Gibson Explorer Limited Edition,[416][423] which became a signature of the group.[424] 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. He said by focusing "on one area of the fretboard [he] was developing a very stylized way of doing something that someone else would play in a normal way".[425] Other equipment choices contribute to the Edge's unique sound. His 1964 Vox AC30 "Top Boost" amplifier (housed in a 1970s cabinet) is favoured for its "sparkle" tone, and is the basis for his sound both in the studio and live.[419] Rather than hold his plectrum with a standard grip, the Edge turns it sideways or upside down to use the dimpled edge against the strings, producing a "rasping top end" to his tone.[39]
Rhythm section
As a rhythm section, Mullen and Clayton often play the same patterns, giving U2's music a driving,[426][427] pulsating beat[428] that serves as a foundation for the Edge's guitar work.[427][429] For his drumming, Mullen locks into the Edge's guitar playing, while Clayton locks his bass playing into Mullen's drumming.[430] 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."[431]
Mullen's drumming style is influenced by his experience in marching bands during his adolescence,
Clayton's style of bass guitar playing is noted for what instructor Patrick Pfeiffer called "harmonic
4 time consisting of steady eighth notes emphasising the roots of chords.[440] Over time, he incorporated influences from Motown and reggae into his playing style, and as he became a better timekeeper, his playing became more melodic.[440] Flanagan said that he "often plays with the swollen, vibrating bottom sound of a Jamaican dub bassist, covering the most sonic space with the smallest number of notes".[431] Clayton relies on his own instincts when developing basslines, deciding whether to follow the chord progressions of the guitars or play a counter-melody, and when to play an octave higher or lower.[430] He cites bassists such as Paul Simonon, Bruce Foxton, Peter Hook, Jean-Jacques Burnel,[440] and James Jamerson as major influences on him.[441] Describing his role in the rhythm section, Clayton said, "Larry's drums have always told me what to play, and then the chords tell me where to go".[440]
Lyrics and themes
U2's lyrics are known for their social and political themes, and are often embellished with Christian and spiritual imagery.
Bono's personal conflicts and turmoil inspired songs like "
While the band and its fans often affirm the political nature of their songs, U2's lyrics and music were criticised as apolitical by Slate in 2002 for their perceived vagueness and "fuzzy imagery", and a lack of any specific references to people.[450]
Influences
The band cites
Activism and philanthropy
Since the early 1980s, the members of U2—as a band and individually—have collaborated with other musicians, artists, celebrities, and politicians to address issues concerning poverty, disease, and social injustice.
In 1984, Bono and Clayton participated in
During their Zoo TV Tour in 1992, U2 participated in the "Stop
The band dedicated their 2000 song "
Since 2000, Bono's campaigning has included
In November 2005, the Edge and producer
At the
Bono has received a number of awards for his music and activism, including the
Other projects and collaborations
The members of U2 have undertaken side projects, sometimes in collaboration with some of their bandmates. In 1985, Bono recorded the song "
In addition to collaborating with fellow musicians, U2 have worked with several authors. American author
In April 2017, U2 were featured on a Kendrick Lamar song, "XXX", from his album DAMN.[496]
Legacy
U2 have sold an estimated 150–170 million records worldwide, placing them among the
In the 1980s, U2 "dominated the alternative rock scene", according to cultural critic
Based on data from
U2 are regarded as one of the greatest pop-rock acts of all time.
U2 received their first
Members
Current members
- Bono (Paul Hewson) – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica (1976–present)
- The Edge (David Evans) – lead guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (1976–present)
- Adam Clayton – bass guitar (1976–present)
- Larry Mullen Jr. – drums, percussion (1976–present)
Current touring musicians
- Terry Lawless – keyboards (2001–present)[528]
- Bram van den Berg – drums, percussion (2023–2024)[352]
Former members
- Dik Evans – guitar (1976–1978)
- Ivan McCormick – guitar (1976)
Discography
- Boy (1980)
- October (1981)
- War (1983)
- The Unforgettable Fire (1984)
- The Joshua Tree (1987)
- Rattle and Hum (1988)
- Achtung Baby (1991)
- Zooropa (1993)
- Pop (1997)
- All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000)
- How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004)
- No Line on the Horizon (2009)
- Songs of Innocence (2014)
- Songs of Experience (2017)
- Songs of Surrender (2023)
Live performances
Concert tours
- U2-3 Tour (1979–1980)
- 11 O'Clock Tick Tock Tour (1980)
- Boy Tour(1980–1981)
- October Tour (1981–1982)
- War Tour (1982–1983)
- The Unforgettable Fire Tour (1984–1985)
- The Joshua Tree Tour (1987)
- Lovetown Tour (1989–1990)
- Zoo TV Tour (1992–1993)
- PopMart Tour (1997–1998)
- Elevation Tour (2001)
- Vertigo Tour (2005–2006)
- U2 360° Tour (2009–2011)
- Innocence + Experience Tour (2015)
- The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 (2017)
- Experience + Innocence Tour (2018)
- The Joshua Tree Tour 2019 (2019)
Concert residencies
- U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere (2023–2024)
References
Citations
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{{cite magazine}}
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