As someone who has never been a U2 fan, I found myself dumbfounded and seduced by the band's new CD, Songs of Innocence and Experience as well as knocked out by its recent concerts here at The United Center ( June 24 through July 2 ). The recording and the show that I saw on the band's first night were packed with a joy and gravity that I rarely see in the music of newer musicians these days. However, the shocker for me was that, although I never liked U2 much, this edition left me wet and exhausted.
As the only old school "supergroup" stadium-filler left intact ( The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Grateful Dead, and Pink Floyd have all lost key members while morphing into revival acts ), that says an awful lot since this most humane and politically outspoken of bands was never about entertainment for the sake of entertainment. If there was any complaint that could be leveled at U2, it was that lead vocalist Bono could be called "preachy."
As a man who is obviously focused on world events, it was obvious decades ago that he was aware that the many fans who have the cash to see his band up close in arenas are financially immune to the sufferings around them ( at the show that I saw, I was amazed at the number of destitute and desperate street people begging for pennies at the gates of The United Center ) or that the band's popularity has clout that borders on the political. It's too easy to bitch at Bono for using his celebrity for spreading the word on what is really going on, especially when he uses it to remind the privileged masses who would rather just shake their booties and forget about all those icky issues.
Whether I cozied up to them or not, I had to admit that I had never heard of a white rock band ( albeit a band from Northern Ireland ) who recorded a valentine to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and turned it into a rallying anthem that has become inescapable ( "Pride ( in the Name of Love )" ).
With all that passion and thunder, my disconnect with U2 had nothing to do with the music, the content or the band—the act just never struck a nerve in my ears. Granted, the one song that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up was the throwaway single "Kiss Me, Thrill Me, Kill Me," from the Batman Forever soundtrack ( of all sources ). I was content with U2 being a non-starter with me until I heard the first few seconds of "The Miracle ( of Joey Ramone )," the lead-off track on the new CD.
The seduction started a good 15 seconds before Bono opened his mouth and I was suckered in by the sound and vibe of the song. Ultimately, "The Miracle" is one big, crisp, sexy slab of pure, cool rock 'n' roll. "Volcano" is even better, with Bono's croon gliding over a throbbing foundation provided by Adam Clayton's bass and Larry Mullen Jr.'s percussion. When Bono purrs, "Do you live here, or is this a vacation?" in the middle of the song, you have to wonder if the protagonist is a witness or the center of the mayhem that is described. "Volcano" is cryptic, bracing, a bit subversive and daring. It is what pure rock 'n' roll was all about back in the 1950s with a greased-up, pelvis-thrusting Elvis suggesting lewd thoughts from the hips down.
If the rockers have an abrasive and powerful bite ( which seems new to my ears from this band that loves an anthem just a little too much ), the slower, quieter songs have a pulsating flavor that is enrapturing, graceful and sensual. "Sleep Like A Baby Tonight" is haunting, hallowed, and feels like the soundtrack to a pulsing, airy dream. "Every Breaking Wave" has a patient, beautifully sleek groove which demands attention and appreciation. Hearing these recordings puts newer bands like Imagine Dragons in a ridiculous place, with all their sonic flash and gimmicks. The punchline is that U2 has written great songs and used the production to make them everything they could be, rather then putting the production first.
If Songs of Innocence and Experience sounds like a familiar warhorse finding a new mojo, U2's concerts took the idea of stadium rock in an entirely different direction. This was an instance where the technology was used to bring every single member of the audience into an intimate space with the band, making these concerts engaging to the senses as well as the heart.
Dressed from head to toe in black, Bono came out snarling through "The Miracle," while "The Electric Company" came with a sample of Stephen Sondheim's "Send In the Clowns." For the second half of the show, a massive metal wall of what looked like black blinds descended from the rafters atop the floor-length runway with images of hope, despair and pure whimsy projected on it, with the band placed within and on the structure.
The hits and anthems came out in droves ( "Sunday, Bloody Sunday," "Vertigo," "Even Better than the Real Thing," "Mysterious Ways" ) with a hearty chunk of the new CD ( an acoustic "Every Breaking Wave" was particularly lovely ), but there were plenty of surprises. Punk priestess Patti Smith's "People Got the Power" segued into a thunderous "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," an elegant "Beautiful Day" came with a sample of Johnny Mercer's "I Remember You," and the band whipped out a scruffy take on Paul Simon's "Mother and Child Reunion."
And yes, Bono spoke at length about the plight of the world, but this time—instead of sounding like a self-appointed president of the United Nations—what he had to say came from the heart. ( Maybe his recent motorcycle accident which clearly limited his movements during the show, or the recent death of the band's manager has had an effect on his attitude. )He thanked the American public for taking the lead in fighting AIDS on an international level and almost sounded boastful that his own country had just overturned the laws against marriage equality a month earlier. ( The show came a week before our own Supreme Court made its decision here. )
The idea of rock 'n' roll and upfront discussions on the plight of humanity may sound like a dull mix, but in this instance U2 found a way to put ideas and thoughts across in a way that this enthusiastic crowd could digest. Borrowing a line from Bill "The Butcher," the antagonist of Martin Scorsese's film Gangs of New York, Bono quipped, "America is a great idea..." Then the band launched into a short segment of "The Hands that Built America," the Oscar-nominated song from that movie. U2 then ripped through an earth-shaking version of "Pride ( In the Name of Love )." I think it was U2's subtle way of telling us that we have accomplished a lot, but that there is still so much more to be done.
