Fill That God Shaped Hole (U2 in general)

Name: markhobbs

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Product:	U2 in general
Date:	08/06/01 (36 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The biggest and best group in the world, They have a big back catalogue at this stage

Disadvantages: It's hard to say how long they can continue for

It's hard being the biggest band in the world.If your not playing sell-out gigs in Mexico city you're being handed loads of money from your record company.But somehow U2 have put their woes aside and carried on making some wonderful music.

From their humble beginnings,they used to play gigs in indoor markets because they were too young to play in pubs,they've went on to do spectacular tours,even bringing a forty foot fruit with them.Who else could have done a Popmart or a Zoo T.V.? Who hasn't dreamed of singing With or Without You in front of tens of thousands of adoring fans?

Lets not forget the music though,which has at times taken a backseat to the tours,but which has never failed to inspire.From the pure rock anthem I Will Follow to the last note of The Ground Beneath Her Feet it's never been boring,it's never been anything but innovative and moving music.Sure,at times they've been a little self-indulgent,but the music has never been bad.

Even with Boy,their debut album,there was a hint that there was something special there.It was a bit raw but there was a hint.They steadily improved and widened their fanbase through studio albums October,War and The Unforgettable Fire.

Then there was the Joshua Tree,the bands first masterpiece.The songs ranged from the beautiful to the haunting,it truly is an epic album..It produced the ultimate U2 anthems I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For,Where the Streets Have no Name and With or Without You.It's a defining moment of the eighties and has only ever been equaled by U2,never bettered.

Then the band tried their hand at playing blues with Rattle and Hum,their last album of the eighties.They had a great version of I Still.... where the chorus was sung by a gospel choir.It also included covers of Helter Skelter,All Along the Watchtower and a frankly lazy duet with BB King.Desire and All I
Want is You were the standout tracks.

That was the end of an era for U2,they were going to be rock stars.They surrounded themselves with everything they used to hate,and they did indeed love it.From now on everything was going to be loud,big,and in your face.

Achtung Baby was more than anybody could have dreamed of,it reinvented rock for the nineties(baby!).From the first few chords of Zoo Station you knew it was going to be something rawer,something to sink your teeth into.It gave us The Fly,Even Better than the Real Thing,Mysterious Ways and of course,One.Their second masterpiece,and the first in U2's more avant garde records.

Zooropa saw U2 experiment with electronica,perhaps they were trying to reinvent rock again.And for the most part it's a brillant album,The Wanderer,sung by Johnny Cash,is the only real let down.

Pop was next,a record that for some bizarre reason never had the response that an album of this quality should get.Discoteque,If God Will Send his angels,Staring at the Sun,Please,if it's anthems you people want,the albums full of them.

Now we're bang up to date with All That You Can't Leave Behind.The music is simpler,the tour is smaller but evarything is still amazing.Their third masterpiece.

U2 are a band that mean a lot to a lot of people.They've always produced amazing music,and had a bit of fun on the way.Although often criticised the Zoo TV and Popmart tours were very important,they showcased U2 to the world.

It's hard to tell what will happen next,perhaps it would be better to call it a day soon.But if they do decide to carry on,they won't have to rely on gimmicks to attract a crowd.Being the best band in the world is enough to do that.


EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG

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