Why U2 Still Matters
I skipped my college classes on March 9th, 1987. I was at Uncle John’s Records in Sioux city, Iowa when they opened. I planned to head to the U’s in the alphabetical section of records, but didn’t need to. What I wanted was on display right inside the door. I purchased a vinyl copy of The Joshua Tree. And a copy on cassette so I could listen to the new offering from U2 during the fifty-minute drive back to Orange City, Iowa.
By that time, I was already a fan of the Irish band. The Joshua Tree was the record that made them stars, but Bono, The Edge, Adam, and Larry had already made an impact on me. The first time I heard “I Will Follow” in 1981, I knew there was something different about this band. Subsequent radio hits still elicited a pause in me, even from the first hearing. There was raw energy, passion and pain, and thoughtfulness. You didn’t just hear it, you felt it.
Then, in 1983, a radio show called “Crosswalk” featured the epic live record, Under a Blood Red Sky. The radio program featured popular cultural moments framed in a Christian worldview. It was the first time I heard what I felt spoken out loud. Someone of the faith recognizing the inherent faith in the music of this rock band. That is when intrigue turned into inclination and investment. The next day, I went to MusicLand in Valley West Mall and bought Under a Blood Red Sky, my first purchase of a U2 record. Within a few months, I had the other three records. Or cassette. I honestly do not remember. But that hasn’t stopped for over forty years now.
A girl I was dating in high school gave me a copy of The Unforgettable Fire for my birthday in 1985. My love for U2 has lasted much longer than that relationship, to be sure. But it was one of the most thoughtful gifts I had received by that point of my life. And we listened to that cassette, and all the others from the Irish band, as I drove her back and forth to school for months on end. I don’t know for sure, but maybe she just got tired of listening to U2 and needed a change…
Getting tired of U2 seems to be a common thing for some. For some others, they never got it. But the dozen or so times I have been able to see them live become common ground for the tens of thousands of fans they bring in each time they play. And the hundreds of thousands of records they sell and the millions of records they sell. We are united by what makes U2 great: celebration and revolt, love and protest, transcendence and weakness.
There are many who do not understand what I still love about a band who are nearly fifty years into their career. And so, I offer these reasons I still think U2 are the greatest rock band around:
· The Music – The music of U2 has changed over the years from post-punk to Americana to electronica and more. But every dang time, they have delivered innovation and excellence.
· The Lyrics – Every band has something cheesy. But by and large, U2 have spoken to the human experience. Whether about love or dissent, unity or revolt, transcendence or fallenness, their lyrics have honestly portrayed the dichotomy of imperfect people held to a perfect vision of what could be.
· The Edge – The guitar work from David Evans has impacted guitarists in ways reminiscent of the iconic players of the 60s and 70s. Emo bands and any modern worship band have been impacted by this tone, style, and effects.
· The Impact – There is not a touring band working today that is not impacted by the ground that U2 broke. From Taylor to Coldplay, what can be done on a touring stage and what is expected from the audience follows the innovations that U2 brought to live performance.
· The Influence – Bands do a variety of things with the platforms they create and the money they make. U2 invests in the world, trying to make it a better place for all of us. International debt relief, AIDS awareness and medical funding, the freeing of Nelson Mandela, environmental concerns and more have been directly impacted by U2.
· The Legacy - After seeing U2 every possible time I could, my wife questioned why I still couldn’t get enough. Then she saw them twice on the Songs of Innocence and Experience tours at The Forum in LA. A couple songs into the first show, she leaned into me and said, “Okay, I get it now.” Looking around any U2 concert, you’ll find four generations of fans who get it, too, singing along with a band who spans the ages.
It’s St. Patrick’s Day, and I have prepared a couple Irish influenced meals, enjoyed a Guinness and some Irish whiskey. We’ve spun records from a dozen Irish bands, from Hothouse Flowers to The Pogue’s to Inhaler. And Even Enya. But spinning a record from U2 is something altogether different. That’s the band. That’s the one who still stops me in my tracks, giving me pause to take in what they are saying and to process the feelings I have yet put to words.
So to Paul, Dave, Adam and Larry: thank you for sharing your view of the world with us. For sharing your view of love with us. And for sharing your view of faith with us. That honesty and vulnerability and humility are rare in the world. Especially in the world of rock and roll. Sláinte!
