A perfect example of why U2's Bono is full of it

Exactly. See Aerosmith. When is the last time they put out anything really worthwhile? That's why I included in that last post that U2 is still putting out relevant music.

Look, if someone hates U2 or Bono, that's fine and completely understandable -- that was my point in the last post. No problem with that. But if the band is truly not "any good," how does it still put out music that stands up against anything the bands of today are putting out? It flies off shelves and download sites, and concerts at the largest arenas sell out in an hour or less.

Seriously, there's only a handful of bands for which that's the case. I don't really like the Rolling Stones or The Who, bands which have stood the test of time. But I wouldn't ever call them overrated. Their talent and overall body of work is undeniably stellar -- they just don't work for me.

 

There's a difference between "not any good" and overrated. I really liked U2's early stuff, but I haven't liked anything they've done in about 15 years. They're not a bad band, just not the be-all end-all that many people make them out to be.

 

Perfect, Pallister. I totally understand that. In instances such as these, I still equate overrated with underachieving, which is why I feel as I do. But that's just my interpretation of overrated.

I even agree with you to a degree -- I thought "Pop" was a tremendous downfall, on CD and in concert. I thought "Achtung Baby" was unreal, but it was such a step in a different direction from their early stuff that I can see where it would be a dropping-off point for some. And the Joshua Tree was surely the high-water mark, and that album will be 20 years old in about five months.

I tend to treat them as be-all end-all at times, but I try to internalize that and be at least a little objective unless I'm dealing with a fellow junkie. So hopefully I've managed to do that to at least a small degree here. Way too many pissing matches on these threads, which is why I so rarely post relative to the length of time I've been a member. I do like your points, though.

 

It's hard not to when walking out of one of their concerts.

 

This John Kerry game is fun... isn't it?

 

So, if U2 is overrated, who's on the list of better bands?

 

Actually, I think some of that concert money does go to Africa. I'm fairly certain that they contribute a lot of their income to charitable causes. I know they did the 1441 concert, or whatever it was called. But, see, the casual U2 follower isn't going to know the minute details. They just see the U2 that is postered in the papers for meeting with the president. They do so much more than that. If you have a few minutes, visit their Web site and explore the U2 experience. It's one of the best band Web sites in the world. It won such an award a few years ago.

 

Just to follow up on this point, I went to the Web site and clicked on their hearts and minds link.

Today, they announced that 100 U2 photos were up for auction with proceeds to benefit the construction of water wells in Africa. Fans already pitched in during 2005 to help deliver 14 wells that serve 20,000 people.

The band also launched Product RED to raise funds to fight AIDS in African and Music Rising, which will raise funds to replace the instruments lost during Hurricane Katrina.

They're also auctioning off a trip to Hawaii for a concert, with the funds benefitting an Irish charity that improves hospital services.

That's just in recent days. I don't have time to go back through everything, but rest assured that the band is doing more than its part, and probably more than the Irish government, to aid noble causes around the world. And let's not forget it's political statements, including those that put pressure on the South African government prior to the end of apartheid and their effort to help Nelson Mandela gain freedom.

In 2005, Bono recorded a Peter Gabriel song with Alicia Keys to benefit families with AIDS living in Africa. This was a downloadable thing, much like other recent projects that he's been involved in. U2 fans flock to the Web to grab anything the band puts out, and charitable organizations are the natural beneficiaries of this craze.

 

Their fans are lemmings?

And U2 gave Mandela his freedom? I must have missed that turn of events. I'll light an extra candle for Bono at the shrine tonight.

 

See the Free Mandela concert of 1988, of which Bono was a highlight given his band's prominent place in music at that time. Also see the many calls for justice made during U2's live concerts.

And, really, DP, just pay attention. There'll be a test. If you don't have Rattle and Hum, your music collection is incomplete. Don't buy their greatest hits or any of the recent stuff, just buy Rattle and Hum and listen from beginning to end. That's why U2 is big today. They made one of the greatest albums of all-time, and it was a follow-up to the ever-popular Joshua Tree, which launched their careers into the stratosphere. Those albums are enough to create wild anticipation every time one of the band's members makes a noise.

 

I'll remember that the next time I get out the collection and spread it across the foyer.