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U2
By George A. Paul
Last year, U2 fans saw a long overdue catalog revamping with the deluxe reissue of The Joshua Tree. It was well worth the wait. Now, we go back to the beginning for the Irish rockers’ initial three albums. Housed in hard cover cases and a book format, each re-mastered two-CD set contains an hour-long disc of rarities, plus a booklet with comments by The Edge, essays by veteran music critics, multiple photos and lyrics. Boy (1980), the first of a triptych with producer Steve Lillywhite, was a memorable debut, most notable for “I Will Follow.” The song featured Bono’s passionate vocals and Edge’s magnificent guitar squalls. Here, the original UK cover has been restored; there’s a newfound clarity to “An Cat Dubh” and “Stories for Boys.” Lillywhite’s original mix of “Follow” is an eye-opener and an unreleased “Saturday Night” should’ve made the cut.
October (1981) partially lived up to the difficult second album curse (“Gloria” is a classic). Bono’s spiritual-tinged lyrics were rushed, and even Edge admits it’s both fascinating and embarrassing to hear today. There are some highlights. Larry Mullen Jr.’s drums crackle anew on “I Threw a Brick,” and virtually all of the bonus tracks are live (culled from BBC sessions plus London, Boston and Holland gigs). You can tell Bono was commanding the stage even then. A wonderful Irish-centric take on “Tomorrow” (from the 1996 comp Common Ground) is included.
U2 proved it was a force to be reckoned with on 1983’s War. Bono’s writing had taken a political turn during “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “Seconds,” Mullen’s rhythms were more tribal and Waterboys’ fiddler Steve Wickham added a new aesthetic. Among the multiple remixes on disc two are deconstructions by Ferry Corsten (“New Year’s Day” from 1999 is a keeper) and Francois Kervorkian (“Two Hearts Beat as One” is great). All three discs are a must for diehard U2 enthusiasts.
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