1. U2 are the most divisive band in history.
    I love that about them.

    The reasons why are more complex.

    U2 are Irish [ I am part of the Irish Catholic Diaspora ] - desperately uncool
    [ like me - bar Larry ] no real Rock lineage there and the British Music Press deep down resents the fact that an Irish brotherhood with no lineage [ even though British Rock lineage in the great pantheon - Beatles, Zep, Stones, The Who is all cultural theft ] appropriate The Clash, Joy Division, and....cared and stuck together. Oh and were bloody Christians. I love the fact that they are still together. I love their earnestness. I love the fact that their best songs are ours.

    They belong to you and I.

    Bono knows it too.

    I love the fact I hear the ' light ' when I listen to them.


    So - the new album - U2 are running the last race. I am running it with them.
    An utterly divisive album by the divisive band.

    Where do I stand?

    With them. They care far, far too much.

    A lovely quality.

    I LOVE U2. Treasure them before they are gone.
  2. Originally posted by petejv:U2 are the most divisive band in history.
    I love that about them.

    The reasons why are more complex.

    U2 are Irish [ I am part of the Irish Catholic Diaspora ] - desperately uncool
    [ like me - bar Larry ] no real Rock lineage there and the British Music Press deep down resents the fact that an Irish brotherhood with no lineage [ even though British Rock lineage in the great pantheon - Beatles, Zep, Stones, The Who is all cultural theft ] appropriate The Clash, Joy Division, and....cared and stuck together. Oh and were bloody Christians. I love the fact that they are still together. I love their earnestness. I love the fact that their best songs are ours.

    They belong to you and I.

    Bono knows it too.

    I love the fact I hear the ' light ' when I listen to them.


    So - the new album - U2 are running the last race. I am running it with them.
    An utterly divisive album by the divisive band.

    Where do I stand?

    With them. They care far, far too much.

    A lovely quality.

    I LOVE U2. Treasure them before they are gone.
  3. Originally posted by petejv:U2 are the most divisive band in history.
    I love that about them.

    The reasons why are more complex.

    U2 are Irish [ I am part of the Irish Catholic Diaspora ] - desperately uncool
    [ like me - bar Larry ] no real Rock lineage there and the British Music Press deep down resents the fact that an Irish brotherhood with no lineage [ even though British Rock lineage in the great pantheon - Beatles, Zep, Stones, The Who is all cultural theft ] appropriate The Clash, Joy Division, and....cared and stuck together. Oh and were bloody Christians. I love the fact that they are still together. I love their earnestness. I love the fact that their best songs are ours.

    They belong to you and I.

    Bono knows it too.

    I love the fact I hear the ' light ' when I listen to them.


    So - the new album - U2 are running the last race. I am running it with them.
    An utterly divisive album by the divisive band.

    Where do I stand?

    With them. They care far, far too much.

    A lovely quality.

    I LOVE U2. Treasure them before they are gone.
    Thank you, beautiful post. And yes, we should treasure them. In my opinion they've been treated way too harsh at times but they will be dearly missed when they're gone and I think in hindsight people will treat them differently.

    Oh, and thank you Remy and the team for this great long read on SoE. Amazing read!
  4. Each day there is a different song stuck in my head. Today was Summer of Love then listened to the album while studying, now Get Out Of Your Own Way
  5. Originally posted by petejv:U2 are the most divisive band in history.
    I love that about them.

    The reasons why are more complex.

    U2 are Irish [ I am part of the Irish Catholic Diaspora ] - desperately uncool
    [ like me - bar Larry ] no real Rock lineage there and the British Music Press deep down resents the fact that an Irish brotherhood with no lineage [ even though British Rock lineage in the great pantheon - Beatles, Zep, Stones, The Who is all cultural theft ] appropriate The Clash, Joy Division, and....cared and stuck together. Oh and were bloody Christians. I love the fact that they are still together. I love their earnestness. I love the fact that their best songs are ours.

    They belong to you and I.

    Bono knows it too.

    I love the fact I hear the ' light ' when I listen to them.


    So - the new album - U2 are running the last race. I am running it with them.
    An utterly divisive album by the divisive band.

    Where do I stand?

    With them. They care far, far too much.

    A lovely quality.

    I LOVE U2. Treasure them before they are gone.
    +1
  6. Originally posted by petejv:U2 are the most divisive band in history.
    I love that about them.

    The reasons why are more complex.

    U2 are Irish [ I am part of the Irish Catholic Diaspora ] - desperately uncool
    [ like me - bar Larry ] no real Rock lineage there and the British Music Press deep down resents the fact that an Irish brotherhood with no lineage [ even though British Rock lineage in the great pantheon - Beatles, Zep, Stones, The Who is all cultural theft ] appropriate The Clash, Joy Division, and....cared and stuck together. Oh and were bloody Christians. I love the fact that they are still together. I love their earnestness. I love the fact that their best songs are ours.

    They belong to you and I.

    Bono knows it too.

    I love the fact I hear the ' light ' when I listen to them.


    So - the new album - U2 are running the last race. I am running it with them.
    An utterly divisive album by the divisive band.

    Where do I stand?

    With them. They care far, far too much.

    A lovely quality.

    I LOVE U2. Treasure them before they are gone.
  7. “Right back at the beginning, [then-day-to-day manager Brian Celler] took me out for dinner and said, "There's this track called 'The Little Things That Give You Away,'" and he basically just read a list of the world's top producers -- Brian Eno, Steve Lillywhite, Paul Epworth, Danger Mouse -- who have had a go at it. He said, "The band knows there is a great song in there and if you can get this off the ideas table, then you've done something that none of these other producers could." So that became my personal mission. Although quite a few of us worked on it, Jolyon and myself really shaped that track. It's got that Lamb kind of shape to it. The way it goes up the gears and explodes at the end”.

    There must be so many versions of this song! I think he absolutely nails it though, it’s stratospheric in its approach.
  8. Update: I bloody love SOE.
  9. Originally posted by eddyjedi:“Right back at the beginning, [then-day-to-day manager Brian Celler] took me out for dinner and said, "There's this track called 'The Little Things That Give You Away,'" and he basically just read a list of the world's top producers -- Brian Eno, Steve Lillywhite, Paul Epworth, Danger Mouse -- who have had a go at it. He said, "The band knows there is a great song in there and if you can get this off the ideas table, then you've done something that none of these other producers could." So that became my personal mission. Although quite a few of us worked on it, Jolyon and myself really shaped that track. It's got that Lamb kind of shape to it. The way it goes up the gears and explodes at the end”.

    There must be so many versions of this song! I think he absolutely nails it though, it’s stratospheric in its approach.
    Absolutely. Best thing they've done since COBL, maybe even before that.