(Sorry this is late but I had a party to go to where I met Samuel L Jackson. It was awesome.)
I can't think of a band that is more divisive than U2. Nickelback was my first choice as most divisive, but I think they might be in on the joke. Make catchy tunes that don't really mean anything and are innocuous and people will eat it up. Heck, they made a song called "Rock Star" that talks about what they'd be willing to do to become rock stars. I'd say that's some Andy Kaufman type mojo myself.
Back to U2. I'm a fan of U2, and many people are as well. Then there are people that HATE U2 and think Bono is nothing but a fake and pretentious git. Can't say I disagree with that assessment. He always seems a bit too good to be true sometimes, and a bit in your face a lot of the times. However, no one can deny the music. "With or Without You" is a fantastic song, as are most of the songs off Joshua Tree. To then reinvent yourselves with Achtung Baby the way they did was very gutsy. Especially as this was their seventh studio album. Generally by that time bands aren't making any big changes to their sound. They've got a groove and they hit it. They may experiment with one or two new styles per album, but not completely change their sound.
Numerous great songs off this album, and I could have chosen any of them. "Ultraviolet" is one of my all-time favorites, and "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" is great as well. (And was on a mix-tape one a girl I was into in High School made for me for my birthday.) "One" and "Mysterious Ways" alone would make any other band ecstatic. But I decided, it being Good Friday tomorrow, that I was going to write about my favorite track off the album.
"Until the End of the World" is a fantastic song from Judas' point of view in Hell talking to Jesus in Heaven about their last moments on earth. That's some heavy stuff for a pop song. The beginning starts, as all good U2 songs, with The Edge's guitar. Larry Mullen's drum playing is fantastic and Adam Clayton's bass is powerful. Bono's voice is conversational singing, as that would be the only way for this song to work.
The lyrics are some of the most powerful that U2 ever wrote. "Haven't seen you in quite a while/Been down in the hole just passing time. Last time we met it was a low lit room/ we were as close together as a bride and groom. We at the food/ we drank the wine/ everybody having a good time/ except you/ you were talking about the end of the world" followed by a jangly guitar. Awesome.
Or how about this: "In my dream, I was drowning my sorrows/but my sorrows they learned to swim./Surrounding me/ going down on me/ spilling over the brim./ Waves of regret/and waves of joy/ I reached out for the one I tried to destroy/ you, you said you'd wait/ until the end of the world." That's some awesome lyrics.
I only wish I could write something like that. Combined with their entire output, U2 are undoubtedly one of the best bands of the last 40 years. I know some people don't like them, but I've always dug the music. Just because you don't like someone personally doesn't mean you can't like their artistic output. (I like Oasis music, but think that Liam Gallagher is an idiot. It's not a contradiction, it's a choice. Listen to Achtung Baby again the entire way through. It's pretty awesome, and still sounds good today. (I do NOT suggest listening to Pop again though. That was awful.)
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