Before anyone even says anything, I know that this stuff was geared toward adolescent males (and actually appealed most to pre-adolescent males). I know the lyrics are about as stupid as anything rock music has ever produced. I know the objectification of women is part and parcel of Kiss and I hate that. However, I was about six when I… Read more »
Rising out of the ashes of DC’s Minor Threat and Boston’s DYS, Dag Nasty at least initially met the challenge that they were left by their previous bands’ legacies and even laid the groundwork for what would become emo long before it became a genre full of cry-baby guys whining about their girlfriends. Their positive anthems of belief in yourself… Read more »
U2 has had a remarkable career spanning almost three decades in which they have consistently pushed the limits of what rock music can be while remaining incredibly successful. Few bands have done as much to shape music as U2 and certainly no one has done it for as long. They may be the only band to really play in the… Read more »
All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000)I still remember a friend calling me to tell about “Beautiful Day” the day it came out. It was back in the Napster era and I got right online to check it out. I must’ve played five times in a row at least. It was the best rock song I’d heard in years and… Read more »
Achtung Baby (1991)Admittedly, this album took a little time to grow on me. It was a shock. Even though there was four years between their last proper album and Achtung Baby, I certainly had no idea that the band had spent that time completely reinventing themselves. Once I got past that though, it quickly became clear that this album was… Read more »
The Unforgettable Fire (1984)This album still has some elements of the Irish period remaining, making it somewhat of a transitional album. Still, the bigger sound courtesy of the Brian Eno/Daniel Lanois production team and the heavily American-focused lyrical themes land this one more firmly in U2’s American period. The well-known “A Sort of Homecoming” and “Pride (in the Name of… Read more »
Boy (1980)Everything was already in place for greatness. A few years before, guitarists everywhere were floored by what Eddie van Halen was doing, but it seems that no one noticed the Edge doing something every bit as innovative. The difference is that the Edge didn’t have to carry his band. His playing was no more nor less than the song… Read more »
I heard U2 for the first time almost 25 years ago. A friend of mine was a huge fan. As they became one of the biggest rock bands in the world, I wondered, “How did he know?” Now I wonder, “How did I not know?” In every respect, they are as important to the 80s (and everything after) as the… Read more »