U2

The Best of 1980-1990
$13.98
I really enjoyed this period of U2s music.
After purchasing this and reflecting back while listening going down the road lets you know that this was their peak period in time.
It wound up being better than they probably thought it might be when they were working those years.

U2: The Stories Behind Every U2 Song (Stories Behind the Songs)
$14.95
U2 fans who want material on the band but ¡Èstill haven¡Çt found what they¡Çre looking for¡É will welcome this song-by-song volume. This definitive new book features original and revealing interviews with the group, plus key people close to them. It not only traces U2¡Çs meteoric rise to fame, but explores the background and inspiration behind every song written by the band. A full analysis of U2¡Çs long-awaited new album No Line on the Horizon makes up the last main chapter. ??

No Line On The Horizon
$5.00
Initially breezing through the Irish supergroup's lofty new record is an underwhelming undertaking for those expecting the loud bombast of Vertigo or the funky dance rhythms of Pop. Those initiates versed in the genius of longtime U2 collaborator/producer and father of ambient music Brian Eno may however find the subdued, trans-radio experimentation comprising No Line on The Horizon to be a victorious new direction for the mega-band, now in their 33rd active year. Emphasis on atmosphere is an obvious sonic motif throughout, accompanied by lyrical themes of universality ("I've been in every black hole, at the alter of the dark star"), love ("my body's now a begging bowl, begging to get back to my heart"), spirituality ("to the rhythm of my soul") and phycology ("to the rhythm of my unconsciousness") summed up in succession on one of the better cuts Moment of Surrender. The payoff is reminiscent to the the mid eighties sound of The Unforgettable Fire. The upside being the more poetic, arty side of the quintet exchanged for the colorful, larger than life, megaton-rock side. Overall, the universal themes and trance invoking ambient soundscapes could potentially come off with the zing of Radiohead's In Rainbows... for the 50 y/o+ audience at least, who have followed their beloved U2 from the start. For me the bountiful, blurred transitions and often out of focus sounding choruses couple with the album's booklet photography a little too well. That is, we find the band wandering throughout various gray tundras, starring aimlessly into the distance and striking a pose when the habitual moment of clarity arises. - Tyler Starkey

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The Unforgettable Fire
$34.99
The Unforgettable Fire marked a distinct turn in U2's sound. It was the first album to be produced by Daniel Lanois & Brian Eno and the album has a fuller, more ethereal sound as compared to their earlier work, but there is still that sense of rebellion and immediacy. The album's single "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" is great example of the combination of the sounds. It has a driving beat, but with the Lanois/Eno production, it has a much fuller sound than say a "Sunday Bloody Sunday", but is no less powerful. "A Sort Of A Homecoming" is a beautiful, lush song that opens the album while "Wire" and the title track are pulsating, powerful songs. "Bad" may well be the best song the band has every done. A song about the perils of heroin addiction, it has the compassionate The Unforgettable Fire marked a distinct turn in U2's sound. It was the first album to be produced by Daniel Lanois & Brian Eno and the album has a fuller, more ethereal sound as compared to their earlier work, but there is still that sense of rebellion and immediacy. The album's single "Pride (In The Name Of Love)" is great example of the combination of the sounds. It has a driving beat, but with the Lanois/Eno production, it has a much fuller sound than say a "Sunday Bloody Sunday", but is no less powerful. "A Sort Of A Homecoming" is a beautiful, lush song that opens the album while "Wire" and the title track are pulsating, powerful songs. "Bad" may well be the best song the band has every done. A song about the perils of heroin addiction, it has the compassionate & understanding lyrics and anthem like quality that the band is best known for. Granted that some of the songs like "Elvis Presley & America" and "4th of July" are not the best they every done, but the bulk of the album is classic U2. The bonus disk has some nice rarities including the four songs that made up the Wide Awake In America EP that features two stunning live performances of "A Sort Of Homecoming" & "Bad".