U2 By U2

In 1975, four teenagers from Mount Temple School in Dublin gathered in a crowded kitchen to discuss forming a band. More than thirty years later, Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr are still together, bound by intense loyalty, passionate idealism, and a relentless belief in the power of rock and roll to change the world. In an epic journey that has taken the band from the clubs of Dublin to the stadiums of the world, U2 has sold more than 130 million albums, revolutionized live performance, spearheaded political campaigns, and made music that defines the age in which we live. Told with wit, insight, and astonishing candor by the band members themselves and manager Paul McGuinness, with pictures from their own archives, U2 by U2 allows unprecedented access into the inner life of the greatest rock band of our times.

This new and updated edition of U2 A Diary brings U2s story up to date with information about the band’s ground-breaking film, U2 3D, recording sessions for No Line on the Horizon and the story of how the album was leaked online twice before its official release, the U2 360 world tour and Bono’s back injury that forced an entire leg to be postponed and the band’s struggles to decide how to follow No Line on the Horizon and the 360 Tour with new material. Here is the complete history of U2 told exactly as it happened in day-by-day diary format. As well as following the mid-1970's birth of the band to the present day in journal form, U2: A Diary also includes new revelations and fresh insights into key moments of U2's development. Through interviews and extensive research, author Matt McGee sheds light on stories. Fully illustrated with pictures spanning the bands career, this is a fanatically detailed account of a legendary group's life!

The ultimate celebration of U2 for the band's fans--with two great books in one Cowritten by Brian Boyd, a leading music journalist and close associate of U2, and Niall Stokes, editor of Ireland's legendary Hot Press magazine, U2 Songs + Experience recounts the band's incredible career and analyzes the songs from all their studio albums. Along with a discussion of the influences, inspiration, and origins of U2's immensely popular music, this volume covers the group's rise from its roots in post-punk and its socially and politically conscious music. Iconic and rare photographs showcase posters, backstage passes, classic flyers, and other rock memorabilia. Material compiled from U2 Experience and U2: The Stories Behind the Songs.

John Jobling takes readers beyond the myth in this unauthorized biography of U2 to present the first comprehensive account of the illustrious Irish rockers in 25 years. Drawing on extensive interviews with insiders including record label scouts, studio presidents, politicians, music critics, and childhood friends, Jobling investigates the U2's most personal relationships and controversial business practices, delivering a vivid portrait that traces the rock phenomenon from its conception to post-punk champions to political crusaders. Filled with captivating revelations, reader will learn: - How Bono, the Edge, and Larry Mullen, Jr. worshiped with a Charismatic Christian church that practiced speaking in tongues during the band's early days - Insider stories of the genesis and recording of classic albums such as The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby - Creative tensions within the band and power struggles among management - How the disappointments of the Rattle and Hum film and PopMart Tour spurred the band to greater creative heights - Both the successes and controversies of Bono's wide-sweeping philanthropic and political ventures - The disconnect between the band's personal lives and public personas Sure to inspire debate with every music lover, U2: The Definitive Biography humanizes the band and paints an honest picture of a band's rise to the top, plunging into the heart and underlying soul of this iconic rock and roll band.

U2’s significant career far exceeds that of most average successful rock bands, with a prolific output of thirteen well-received studio albums and a sometimes relentless touring schedule. The band is famous for uniquely drawing together music, art, faith, and activism, all within a lucrative career that has given each of these elements an unusual degree of social and cultural resonance. Broad-minded musically and intellectually, U2’soutput is thematically rich, addressing a slew of topics, from questions of faith to anxieties about commercialism to outright political statements. With one of the largest fan bases in the history of rock music, U2 and their work require contextualization and exploration. In U2: Rock ’n’ Roll to Change the World, Timothy D. Neufeld takes up this challenge. Neufeld explores U2’s move from the youthful idealism of a band barely able to play instruments through its many phases of artistic expression and cultural engagement to its employment of faith and activism as a foundation for its success. This book outlines how U2 reshaped the very musical and even political culture that had originally shaped it, demonstrating through close readings of its musical work the dynamic interplay of artistic expression and social engagement.

Featuring original and revealing interviews with band members and key people close to them, and tracing the band's meteroic rise from the early days to a group that has galvanized the pop music scene for more than twenty years, "Stories Behind The Songs" explores the background and inspiration behind every song written by U2, and is the definitive text on the subject. As testament to the band's enduring popularity, a full twenty-four years after the release of their first album, "Boy", in 1980, U2 hit Number 1 on both sides of the Atlantic with "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb", selling a million copies in three weeks. The first single from that album, "Vertigo" won three Grammys. U2 remains in every sense a world-class rock 'n' roll band, and this book takes you into the heart of the group, to reveal the inspiration behind their music.

Exploring U2: Is This Rock 'n' Roll? features new writing in the growing field of U2 studies. In keeping with U2's own efforts to remove barriers that have long prevented dialogue for understanding and improving the human experience, this collection of essays covers such disciplines as literature, music, philosophy, and theology.