If you studied popular music of the last three decades, you'd be hard-pressed to find a band with the influence on music as well as social and cultural issues as the group U2. Front man, Bono's strong belief in the triumph of the human spirit over the sometimes horrible human condition is more than well known. His strong christian beliefs, has made him a strong advocate for a number of humane causes. But my interest runs along the path of their beginnings. For that, we go back to 1976 Dublin, Ireland, where, at a local high school, a 14 year-old Larry Mullen, (drummer), posted on the schools' bulletin board, an invite for amateur musicians to come to his home to tryout for a band he wants to form. Among those to show is 15 year-old Paul David Hewson, (later to be known as Bono-Vox, then shortened to Bono).
Another was Londoner transplant, David Evans, who was 14. David played guitar and would later develope a sharp, distinct sound that would be one of the factors in the title of his nickname, 'the Edge'. Also present was bassist, Adam Clayton, who couldn't play bass at the time, but certainly talked like he could. Together, the four lads formed their band and named it 'Feedback'. Dedication was never a question mark for these boys. They rehearsed diligently for 18 months while playing small gigs locally. Although young, the band showed immediate promise. With their style and energy, they we're able to connect directly and strongly with the audience, giving them a loyal following. Local celebrity having been gained, along with a new band name, 'the hype', the young group got their first big break in 1978 at a talent contest in Limerick, Ireland. With Jackie Hayden of CBS records in attendance and looking on, the boys from Dublin stole the show, and won 5oo pounds. I have no idea if Hayden ever spoke to the group, but if he did, he must have told them to get management, because that was their next move.
Dublin businessman, Paul McGuiness agreed to manage the promising band and another name change took place. They we're now U2. In March of 1980, U2 signed a deal with Island Records and released their first album, "Boy," later that year. It was well received by fans, both in Ireland and the U.K. In 1981, the band released their second album, 'October'. Synthesizers' and the electronic drum beats of bubblegum bands still dominated the airwaves, but U2's unique sound was winning over music fans and critics alike. In 1983 international success was reached in a big way with the release of album no. 3, "War". The bands' style and sound had now traveled across the pond to the states to hopefully be embraced by a whole new audience. The songs, 'New Years Day' and 'Sunday, Bloody, Sunday' were breakout hits, however, not on the radio, but on a new medium that arrived on the scene like a bolt of lightening. MTV had taken the music world by storm, and video's for both songs got heavy air play on the new network.
The band's live performances were gaining them fans as well. As in Ireland, American audiences were drawn by the kinetic energy of U2. Although critics and fans alike considered U2's sound as hard, aggressive, and even some type of a "call to arms", the band, (especially Bono), set it straight that the songs were anti-war and in no way an angry cry for blood in the streets of Northern Ireland or anywhere else. With the success of War and their fourth album, 'Under a Blood-Red Sky' still looming, U2 signed a new contract with Island records. The new contract gave the band more control in the areas' of creativity and finances. Control they would use by personally choosing the producers of their fifth album, 'The Unforgettable Fire'.Named for drawings survivors of Nagasaki and Hiroshima had created in the wake of the atomic attacks. Bono had seen them on display in a museum and was both moved and disturbed by the drawings. This must of played a role in the change of style and sound on 'Fire' Gone was the aggressive style from 'War', replaced with a more conscientious and social awareness. Songs like the pulse pounding "Pride" written about the assassination of Martin Luther King and "Bad", about the horrors of drug addiction Bono had witnessed in some of his friends back in Ireland.
On the tour for the album, 'Bad' became the celebrated tune for live audiences, while 'Pride' became a huge chart hit, breaking the top 5 in the U.K. and top 50 in the states. The boys from Dublin were now bona fide rock-stars, with a large and ever-growing fan-base. They were calling most of the shots as well, with creative and financial control over their careers. Worldwide super-stardom would hit with the release of 1987's 'Joshua Tree'. The album had a new more mature style, but the sound was unmistakably U2. Rather than social or political based songs, the lyrics from Joshua Tree were more about life's journey, (up to that point, anyway). From the dark and haunting sound of the song 'With or Without You' to the freeing and inspirational, 'where the streets have no name', U2 was branching out once again to attract a whole new audiences. Critics hailed the album, as a triumph. The band even made the cover of 'Time' magazine. U2 was deemed by many, 'the band of the eighties' and one of the most influential bands of the decade. From friends' and neigbors' garages, to local celebs, to the conquest of the U.S., to sold-out stadiums around the world, U2 has conquered the world and didn't stop there. After 'Joshua Tree', U2 has released an array of 24 albums., some of which were 'live' and 'best of', but all classic. The band is still turning out music, and Bono is still a social and political advocate for those less fortunate. Truly, their musical influence has spread far beyond the decade they first appeared to us, much in the same way bands like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin have.
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