Artist.......: U2
Album........: BBC Live Lounge
Label........: n/a
Genre........: Rock
Catnr........: n/a
Source.......: DVBS
Rip.date.....: 2012-02-09
Str.date.....: 2009-00-00
Quality......: 211kbps/48.0kHz/Joint Stereo
Url..........: http://www.u2.com/
track title time
1. BBC Live Lounge 49:24
Runtime 49:24
Size 74.58
Release Notes:
Through a combination of zealous righteousness and post-punk experimentalism, U2
became one of the most popular rock & roll bands of the '80s. They were rock &
roll crusaders during an era of synthesized pop and heavy metal, equally known
for their sweeping sound as for their grandiose statements about politics and
religion. The Edge provided the group with a signature sound by creating
sweeping sonic landscapes with his heavily processed, echoed guitars. Though the
Edge's style wasn't conventional, the rhythm section of Larry Mullen, Jr. and
Adam Clayton played the songs as driving hard rock, giving the band a forceful,
powerful edge that was designed for arenas. And their lead singer, Bono, was a
frontman with a knack of grand gestures that played better in stadiums than
small clubs. It's no accident that footage of Bono parading with a white flag
with "Sunday Bloody Sunday" blaring in the background became the defining moment
of U2's early career -- there rarely was a band that believed so deeply in
rock's potential for revolution as U2, and there rarely was a band whose members
didn't care if they appeared foolish in the process.
During the course of the early '80s, the group quickly built up a dedicated
following through constant touring and a string of acclaimed records. By 1987,
U2's following had grown large enough to propel them to the level of
international superstardom with the release of The Joshua Tree. Unlike many of
their contemporaries, they were able to sustain such popularity in the '90s by
reinventing themselves as a postmodern, self-consciously ironic, dance-inflected
pop/rock act, owing equally to the experimentalism of late-'70s Bowie and '90s
electronic dance and techno. By performing such a successful reinvention, the
band confirmed its status as one of the most popular bands in rock history, in
addition to earning additional critical respect.
With its textured guitars, the band's sound was undeniably indebted to
post-punk, so it's slightly ironic that U2 formed in 1976, before punk had even
reached their hometown of Dublin, Ireland. Larry Mullen Jr. (born October 31,
1961; drums), posted a notice on a high-school bulletin board asking for fellow
musicians to form a band. Bono (born Paul Hewson, May 10, 1960; vocals), the
Edge (born David Evans, August 8, 1961; guitar, keyboards, vocals), Adam Clayton
(born March 13, 1960; bass), and Dick Evans responded to the ad, and the
teenagers banded together as a Beatles and Stones cover band called the
Feedback. They then changed their name to the Hype in 1977. Shortly afterward,
Dick Evans left the band to form the Virgin Prunes, and the group changed names
once again, this time adopting the moniker of U2.
U2's first big break arrived in 1978, during the members' final year of high
school, when they won a talent contest sponsored by Guinness. By the end of the
year, the Stranglers' manager, Paul McGuinness, had seen U2 play and offered to
manage them. Even with a powerful manager in their corner, the band had trouble
making much headway, and failed an audition with CBS Records at the end of the
year. In the fall of 1979, U2 released their debut EP, U2 Three. The EP was
available only in Ireland, where it topped the national charts. Shortly
afterward, they began to play in England, but they failed to gain much attention
away from home.
U2 scored one more chart-topping single, "Another Day," in early 1980 before
Island Records offered the group a contract. Later that year, the band's
full-length debut, Boy, was released. Produced by Steve Lillywhite, the album's
sweeping, atmospheric but edgy sound was unlike most recordings by U2's
post-punk contemporaries, and the band earned further attention for its public
embrace of Christianity; only Clayton was not a practicing Christian. Through
constant touring, including opening gigs for Talking Heads, U2 were able to take
Boy into the American Top 70 in early 1981. October, also produced by
Lillywhite, followed in the fall, and it became their British breakthrough,
reaching number 11 on the charts. By early 1983, Boy's "I Will Follow" and
October's "Gloria" had become staples on MTV, which, along with their touring,
gave U2 a formidable cult following in the U.S.
Released in the spring of 1983, the Lillywhite-produced War became U2's
breakthrough release, entering the U.K. charts at number one and elevating them
into arenas in the United States, where the album peaked at number 12. War had a
stronger political message than its predecessors, as evidenced by the
international hits "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day." During the
supporting tour, the band filmed its concert at Colorado's Red Rocks
Amphitheater, releasing the show as an EP and video titled Under a Blood Red
Sky. The EP entered in the U.K. charts at number two, becoming the most
successful live recording in British history. U2 had become one of the most
popular bands in the world, and their righteous political stance soon became
replicated by many other bands, providing the impetus for the Band Aid and Live
Aid projects in 1984 and 1985, respectively.
For the follow-up to War, U2 entered the studios with co-producers Brian Eno and
Daniel Lanois, who helped give the resulting album an experimental, atmospheric
tone. Released in the fall of 1984, The Unforgettable Fire replicated the chart
status of War, entering the U.K. charts at number one and reaching number 12 in
the U.S. The album also generated the group's first Top 40 hit in America with
"(Pride) In the Name of Love," a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. U2 supported
the album with a successful international tour, highlighted by a show-stealing
performance at Live Aid. Following the tour, the band released the live EP Wide
Awake in America in 1985.
While U2 had become one of the most successful rock bands of the '80s, they
didn't truly become superstars until the spring 1987 release of The Joshua Tree.
Greeted with enthusiastic reviews, many of which proclaimed the album a
masterpiece, The Joshua Tree became U2's first American number one hit and their
third straight album to enter the U.K. charts at number one; in England, it set
a record by going platinum within 28 hours. Generating the U.S. number one hits
"With or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," The
Joshua Tree and the group's supporting tour became the biggest success story of
1987, earning U2 the cover of respected publications like Time magazine. U2
decided to film a documentary about their American tour, recording new material
along the way. The project became Rattle & Hum, a film that was supported by a
double-album soundtrack that was divided between live tracks and new material.
While the album Rattle & Hum was a hit, the record and film received the weakest
reviews of U2's career, with many critics taking issue with the group's
fascination with American roots music like blues, soul, country, and folk.
Following the release of Rattle & Hum, the band took an extended hiatus.
U2 reconvened in Berlin in 1990 to record a new album with Eno and Lanois. While
the sessions for the album were difficult, the resulting record, Achtung Baby,
represented a successful reinvention of the band's trademark sound. Where they
had been inspired by post-punk in the early career and American music during
their mid-career, U2 delved into electronic and dance music with Achtung Baby.
Inspired equally by late-'70s Bowie and the Madchester scene in the U.K.,
Achtung Baby was sonically more eclectic and adventurous than U2's earlier work,
and it didn't alienate their core audience. The album debuted at number one
throughout the world and spawned Top Ten hits with "Mysterious Ways" and "One."
Early in 1992, the group launched an elaborate tour to support Achtung Baby.
Dubbed Zoo TV, the tour was an innovative blend of multimedia electronics,
featuring a stage filled with televisions, suspended cars, and cellular phones.
Bono devised an alter ego called the Fly, which was a knowing send-up of rock
stardom. Even under the ironic guise of the Fly and Zoo TV, it was evident that
U2 were looser and more fun than ever before, even though they had not abandoned
their trademark righteous political anger. Following the completion of the
American Zoo TV tour in late 1992 and preceding the launch of the tour's
European leg, U2 entered the studio to complete an EP of new material that soon
became the full-length Zooropa. Released in the summer of 1993 to coincide with
the tour of the same name, Zooropa demonstrated a heavier techno and dance
influence than Achtung Baby and received strong reviews. Nevertheless, the album
stalled at sales of two million and failed to generate a big hit single. During
the subsequent Zooropa tour, the Fly metamorphosed into the demonic MacPhisto,
which dominated the remainder of the tour. Upon the completion of the Zooropa
tour in late 1993, the band took another extended break.
During 1995, U2 re-emerged with "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me," a glam
rock theme to Batman Forever that was produced by Nellee Hooper (Bj÷rk, Soul II
Soul). Later that year, they recorded the collaborative album Original
Soundtracks, Vol. 1 with Brian Eno, releasing the record under the name the
Passengers late in 1995. It was greeted with a muted reception, both critically
and commercially. Many hardcore U2 fans (including drummer Larry Mullen Jr.)
were unhappy with the Passengers project, and U2 promised their next album, to
be released in the fall of 1996, would be a rock & roll record.
The album took longer to complete than usual, ultimately being pushed back to
the spring of 1997. During its delay, a few tracks, including the forthcoming
first single "Discotheque," were leaked, and it became clear that the new album
was going to be heavily influenced by techno, dance, and electronic music. When
it was finally released, Pop did indeed bear a heavier dance influence, but it
was greeted with strong initial sales and a few positive reviews. Demand for the
album lessened in the following months, however, and Pop ultimately became the
band's least popular album in over a decade. In late 1998, the group returned
with Best of 1980-1990, the first in a series of hits collections issued in
conjunction with a reported 50 million dollar agreement with Polygram. Included
in the comprehensive track list was a remixed version of "Sweetest Thing,"
originally released as B-side in 1987, which charted well in multiple countries.
Three years after the mediocre response to Pop, U2 teamed up with Eno and Lanois
once again to release All That You Can't Leave Behind in fall 2000. The album
was heralded as a return to form, melding the band's classic sound with
contemporary trends. It topped charts around the world, reached number three in
America, earned Grammy Awards for the singles "Beautiful Day" and "Walk On," and
became the band's biggest-selling record in years. (The Elevation tour that
followed also brought U2 a hefty paycheck.) Steve Lillywhite, producer of the
early-'80s landmarks Boy, October, and War, returned to the helm for U2's next
record, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. Released in November 2004, it hit the
top of the Billboard charts and quickly gained platinum status. The album also
garnered eight Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Rock Album of the
Year, and Song of the Year (for "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own," which
Bono had written for his father). U2 were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of
Fame in early 2005 and launched an international tour soon after, selling out
arena venues in the U.S. and outdoor stadium shows abroad. The Vertigo Tour
became the highest-grossing tour of 2005; by the time the entire tour concluded
in late 2006, its gross of $389 million had made it the second most successful
tour ever.
U2 returned to the drawing board in 2006 by partnering with veteran rock
producer Rick Rubin. Two songs from those sessions appeared on the compilation
U218 Singles, but the remaining material was ultimately scrapped. The band then
turned to longtime friends Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois, and Steve Lillywhite, all
of whom helped shape the sound of U2's 12th studio effort. Entitled No Line on
the Horizon, the album was originally slated to appear in October 2008, although
the release date was ultimately pushed back to March 2009. No Line on the
Horizon was met with enthusiastic reviews but failed to yield a big radio
single; even so, the band embarked on another lucrative tour that summer. A
second leg, originally planned for 2010, was postponed when Bono suffered a
slipped disc and underwent emergency back surgery. Touring resumed the following
year, and the so-called 360 Tour was ultimately named the highest-grossing
concert tour in history. Meanwhile, Bono and the Edge also worked on music for
the Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, which opened in June 2011.