The Inevitable End

Byline: Larry L

So when should a band say goodbye? As The Rolling Stones prepare for one last tour, I can't help but ask the question of U2. Should they:

• Pick a date and stick to it?

• Try and pump out one last massive album?

• Tour on their laurels (a la the Stones) and tour until they collect a pension and beyond?

• Wait until they put out a couple of 'not stellar' albums?

Though many might complain about my opinion, I am ready for this to end. I don't want Bono wheeled out to single Streets 'one last time' in a crackly, sad voice as one of his kids runs around the ramps pushing him. I don't want an old school '40' played with Larry using his walker to slowly meander away into the night.

I want U2's end to be a triumph. If they had walked away after the biggest tour in history, what a way to go! And I know they would love to recapture the crown. I don't know if they can really do it.

If they actually decided to get mad again. If they really had an axe to grind (with apologies to Edge's guitar work!). This writing for light, joy and positivity is all fine and well. What made them and brought them to pinnacle was anger. That is gone. If they can get that back, maybe sticking around a bit longer would be worth it.

I loved 'No Line On The Horizon'. However it didn't kick me in the gut and yell 'YEAH'. It was interesting and different and experimental in its own way. What it wasn't was a reclamation of the hearts and souls of us.

Can they do it? I am not convinced they can. As we wait for the 2013 release I find myself questioning where this going more and more. And asking myself if it isn't already time to stop.

Believers Believe in U2

Joshua Tree - U2

 U2 has been provoking audiences including Christians since they began playing in the 70’s. They made it pretty clear their influences early on, taking on social justice concerns and explored the depths of pop culture in the 90’s.

U2 has been a staple in sermons across the country, across denominations, and across generations. Get Up Off Your Knees is a collection of sermons from the U2 catalog written by several authors. Co-editor Beth Maynard is the pastor of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Fairhaven, Massachusetts.​

“If you walk away I will follow”

— Song Lyrics "I will follow"

U2 is not a “Christian band,” but some of its members are Christians with significant fluency in the vocabulary of the Christian traditin. Thus, throughout their work U2 naturally raises and wrestles with spiritual questions using that vocabulary. Like all art, the results have many levels of meaning and considered from diverse perspectives, especially when you consider that U2’s catalog.

Preachers are always looking for effective cultural connections that help people grasp the meaning of biblical text. One of the points that Raewynne makes is that not only do we take the biblical text out into the world, we bring our life experience and our experience of the world with us when we read biblical text.

If you're a fan of U2, when you come to a situation of discouragement, when you need to be encouraged to persevere, you may come to that situation with "Walk On" in your head. There's just a natural connection that you make of these different texts and these different ways of telling the story of the world that we're in.

Huckabee Invokes Bono

Huckabee hosts a show on Fox News and did interview Bono at the end of last year and last night he threw out Bono's name with the following comments. Hum, are we sure Bono would support such comments ? - No word from Bono's camp. 

"Sometimes — sometimes we get so close to the picture, we really can’t see it clearly.  I’ve had the privilege of working with Bono for the past few years in the One Campaign to fight AIDS and hunger and disease around the world.  Bono is an Irishman and a great humanitarian.  And I remember him telling me of his admiration for America.  He said, ‘America’s more than just a country.  We are an idea.’ And he reminded me that we are an exceptional nation with an extraordinary history who owes it to the generations who are coming after us to leave them with an extraordinary legacy.”

U2 a Christian Band, Rubbish !

One of our early readers sent in some comments that should create some conversation today.  Bringing U2 into a conversation with a group of Christians can be challenging or even dangerous for the relationship. 

The boys held up as prime examples of good Christians that happen to be in the music business, years later most view the boys as arrogant and egotistical abandoning their early religious views.

In fact, many churches will point to U2 as evidence of the fact that the music industry is too full of corruption and depravity for even the most committed believers to hold out against, almost as mothers used to frighten their children into good behavior with stories of the hobgoblins that awaited the ill-behaved child! Viewing U2 on the surface, this can be understandable, but a deeper look at what the band are doing portrays a very different story.

Without a doubt U2 have changed a lot since their early albums. Many believe that U2 no longer possess the Christian beliefs, which so obviously underpinned these albums, and in many respects amidst the images which U2 have created their beliefs can be difficult to unearth.

Often such use of artistic subterfuge is deeply frowned upon by Christian fundamentalists who argue that the gospel message should be perfectly clear; however, this is ignoring the fact that much of the Bible is itself written in artistic prose, rich in hidden meanings and multi-faceted nuances, whilst several books merely contain poetry – the most artistic of all writing forms.

Jesus himself taught in parables, using the images of the day to bring across truths about God, and most of the time leaving the people scratching their heads and wondering what he meant.

U2TOURFANS launches New Site

Moving day has finally arrived for us.  We have been working most of the summer on our new home. ​ Our site has not had a major refresh since before the tour.  The new site is designed to better support your request for more U2 content. We have a c​complete photo section with some of our best photographers work highlighted. We have built a forum that will allow you to share and post comments and get into a deep conversation with fellow U2 fans. Our discography section will provide you the complete history of U2's musical catalog. Our course our daily news section has been updated to include our Facebook interactive community and twitter.  We have more to come. We welcome your feedback. 

Let me personally invite you to look around. If you find something is missing or wrong please send me a note directly. I will work with the team to get it fixed.  Most of all we remember this is your community. We thank you for all your support and look forward to your continued support 

DRE ​

Editor-In-Chief​

U2 Insider "It sounds quite different"

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U2 has been working on their new album and the record company claims 2013 *( oops they let that dog slip out) Anyway the boys have been working with a number of producers such as Danger Mouse, Will.I.AM which of course would lead us to believe that the boys will have a different sound. Gavin Friday said on an interview with RTE Radio One’s Weekend On One program this past weekend. “I’ve heard a bit of it… Its quite different.  Backing the claims that Bono said earlier

"We've had the best three weeks in the studio since 1979. I think they [the other band members] are very aware that U2 have to do something very special to have a reason to exist right now," he said.

Possible New U2 Clips

So these two clips are making the rounds right now under the guise of who knows what to make of it. I haven’t heard these before but that isn’t unusual. Clip one has an older quality about it. Perhaps a leftover from other sessions? The latter has a more distinct feel. Check them out and see what you think!

​Clip 1: Title: U2-13-2-12 HQ Disc3—– 1

http://soundcloud.com/u2mx/u2-13-2-12-hq-disc3-1

Lyrics (forgive me but this sounds like Bongolese to me):
Oh, oh no, oh, oh
I got your phaser on the ground
I know you came but galls around
I gotta fail in blocks that change the soul
You can’t control
Last night, you change my…

Clip 2: Title: U2-13-2-12 HQ Disc3—–2

http://soundcloud.com/u2mx/u2-13-2-12-hq-disc3-2

Lyrics (again, much likely wrong):
Oh be allowed to feed your soul
Going out beneath all we know
Ohhhhoh
Think about us in the roll
Sent you down to be in our soul

Definitely like both but especially the second clip. Whether this turns out to be another moment at the bullshit trough remains to be seen!