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U2
U2 formed in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency. Over the course of the 1980s, the band released several successful albums and developed a devoted international following, largely from extensive touring. U2 became noted for its anthemic sound that emphasized Bono's vocals and The Edge's textural approach to guitar playing, as well as the band's political and social activism. The band reached a level of mega-stardom with their highly praised 1987 release The Joshua Tree. However, the band subsequently felt trapped by their image and set out to revamp their sound. The band's critically-acclaimed 1991 album Achtung Baby and the accompanying Zoo TV Tour were the results, with which U2 replied to the dance and alternative music revolutions, criticism of their image, and their own sense of musical stagnation. This experimentation continued for the rest of the 1990s.
In the early years of the 21st century, U2 have pursued a more traditional sound while maintaining influences from their previous musical explorations. They continue to enjoy the highest level of commercial and critical success. The band is active in human rights and social justice causes, such as Amnesty International, Make Poverty History, the ONE Campaign, Live Aid, Live 8, Bono's DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade in Africa) campaign, and The Edge's Music Rising.
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Musical style
Since their inception, U2 have developed and maintained a distinctly recognisable sound, with emphasis on melodic instrumentals and expressive, larger-than-life vocals. This appraoch is rooted partly in the early influence of record producer Steve Lillywhite at a time when the band was not known for its musical proficiency. The Edge has consistently used a rhythmic echo and a signature delay to craft his guitar work, coupled with with an Irish-influenced drone played against his syncopated melodies, that ultimately yields a well-defined ambient and atmospheric sound. Bono has nurtured his falsetto operatic voice and has exhibited a notable lyrical bent towards social, political, and personal subject matter while maintaining a grandiose scale in his songwriting.
Despite these broad consistencies, with each album U2 have introduced new elements into their musical repertoire. U2's early sound was influenced by bands such as Television and Joy Division, and have have been described as containing a "sense of exhilaration" that resulted from The Edge's "radiant chords" and Bono's "ardent vocals". Beginning from their post-punk roots and minimalistic and uncomplicated instrumentals heard on Boy as well as their second album October, their sound evolved through War into one more versatile and aggressive, with aspects of rock anthem, funk, and dance rhythms. The two albums were labelled "muscular and assertive" by Rolling Stone, influenced in large part by Lillywhite's producing. The Unforgettable Fire, which began with the Edge playing more keyboards than guitars, as well as follow-up The Joshua Tree had Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois at the production helm, and with their influence, both albums achieved a "diverse texture" according to Rolling Stone. The songs from The Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum placed more emphasis on Lanois-inspired rhythm as they mixed in distinct and varied styles of America-derived gospel and blues that stemmed from the band's burgeoning fascination with America's people and places. In the 1990s, U2 reinvented themselves, as they began using synthesizers, distortion, and electronic beats derived from alternative music, dance music and even hip-hop, in both Achtung Baby and Pop. The 2000s had U2 returning to more of a stripped-down sound with less use of synthesizers and effects, and a more traditional rhythm. While the band's sound has shifted on record over the years, The Edge has described U2 as a fundamentally live band.
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Campaigning and activism
U2 has long been interested in social and political issues inside and outside the scope of their music. Both as a band and individually, the members of U2 have collaborated since the early 1980s with other musicians, artists, celebrities, and politicians to address issues concerning poverty, disease, and social injustice.
In 1984, Bono and Adam Clayton participated in Band Aid to raise money for Ethiopian famine relief. The initiative produced the hit charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and would be the first among several collaborations between U2 and Geldof. In July 1985, U2 played Live Aid, a follow-up to Band Aid's efforts. An emerging force in rock-and-roll at the time, U2 contributed to the internationally televised event with a memorable performance of the song "Bad". Invited by World Vision, Bono and his wife Ali visited Ethiopia whereh Bono witnessed the famine first hand. Bono would later say this laid the groundwork for his Africa campaining and some of his songwriting.
In 1986 U2 participated in both the A Conspiracy of Hope Tour in support of Amnesty International, and in Self Aid for unemployment in Ireland. The same year, Bono and Ali also visited Nicaragua and El Salvador on the invitation of the Sanctuary movement and saw the effects of the El Salvador Civil War first hand. These 1986 events greatly influenced The Joshua Tree album being recorded at the time.
In 1992, the band participated in the "Stop Sellafield" concert with Greenpeace during their ZooTV tour. Events in Sarajevo during the Bosnian war inspired the song "Miss Sarajevo", which premiered at a September 1995 Pavarotti and Friends show at which Bono and the Edge performed at War Child.. A promise in 1993 saw them play Sarajevo as part of 1997's Popmart Tour. In 1998 they performed in Belfast days prior to the vote on the Good Friday Agreement, bringing Irish political leaders David Trimble and John Hume on stage to promote the agreement. Later that year, all proceeds from the release of "The Sweetest Thing" single went towards supporting the Chernobyl Children's Project.
In 2001, the band dedicated "Walk On" to Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. In late 2003, Bono and the Edge participated in the South Africa HIV/AIDS awareness 46664 series of concerts hosted by Nelson Mandela. The band played 2005's Live 8 concert in London and the band and manager Paul McGuinness were awarded Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award for their work in promoting human rights.
Since 2000, Bono has done a significant amount of solo campaigning; he was involved in the Jubilee 2000 campaign with Geldof, Muhammad Ali, and others with the aim of cancelling third world debt during the Great Jubilee. In January 2002, Bono, along with activists from Jubilee 2000 founded a multinational NGO called DATA, with the aim of improving the social, political, and financial state of Africa. He continued his campaigns for debt and HIV/AIDS relief into June 2002 by making high-profile visits to Africa. Product Red, a 2006 for-product brand seeking to raise money for the Global Fund, was also founded, in part, by Bono. The ONE Campaign, the US counterpart of Make Poverty History, has been shaped by his efforts and vision. Bono has also teamed up with Yahoo! to promote the ONE Campaign, which Yahoo! has helped to re-develop.
In late 2005 following Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, The Edge helped introduced Music Rising, an initiative to raise funds for musicians who lost their instruments in the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast. In 2006, U2 collaborated with pop punk band Green Day to record a cover version of the song "The Saints Are Coming" by The Skids to benefit Music Rising.
- Origin: Dublin, Ireland
- Genres: Rock, Post-punk, Alternative rock
- Years active: 1976–present
- Labels: Island, MCA, Interscope, Mercury
- Website : www.u2.com
U2 formed in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency. Over the course of the 1980s, the band released several successful albums and developed a devoted international following, largely from extensive touring. U2 became noted for its anthemic sound that emphasized Bono's vocals and The Edge's textural approach to guitar playing, as well as the band's political and social activism. The band reached a level of mega-stardom with their highly praised 1987 release The Joshua Tree. However, the band subsequently felt trapped by their image and set out to revamp their sound. The band's critically-acclaimed 1991 album Achtung Baby and the accompanying Zoo TV Tour were the results, with which U2 replied to the dance and alternative music revolutions, criticism of their image, and their own sense of musical stagnation. This experimentation continued for the rest of the 1990s.
In the early years of the 21st century, U2 have pursued a more traditional sound while maintaining influences from their previous musical explorations. They continue to enjoy the highest level of commercial and critical success. The band is active in human rights and social justice causes, such as Amnesty International, Make Poverty History, the ONE Campaign, Live Aid, Live 8, Bono's DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade in Africa) campaign, and The Edge's Music Rising.
___________________________________________________________
Musical style
Since their inception, U2 have developed and maintained a distinctly recognisable sound, with emphasis on melodic instrumentals and expressive, larger-than-life vocals. This appraoch is rooted partly in the early influence of record producer Steve Lillywhite at a time when the band was not known for its musical proficiency. The Edge has consistently used a rhythmic echo and a signature delay to craft his guitar work, coupled with with an Irish-influenced drone played against his syncopated melodies, that ultimately yields a well-defined ambient and atmospheric sound. Bono has nurtured his falsetto operatic voice and has exhibited a notable lyrical bent towards social, political, and personal subject matter while maintaining a grandiose scale in his songwriting.Despite these broad consistencies, with each album U2 have introduced new elements into their musical repertoire. U2's early sound was influenced by bands such as Television and Joy Division, and have have been described as containing a "sense of exhilaration" that resulted from The Edge's "radiant chords" and Bono's "ardent vocals". Beginning from their post-punk roots and minimalistic and uncomplicated instrumentals heard on Boy as well as their second album October, their sound evolved through War into one more versatile and aggressive, with aspects of rock anthem, funk, and dance rhythms. The two albums were labelled "muscular and assertive" by Rolling Stone, influenced in large part by Lillywhite's producing. The Unforgettable Fire, which began with the Edge playing more keyboards than guitars, as well as follow-up The Joshua Tree had Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois at the production helm, and with their influence, both albums achieved a "diverse texture" according to Rolling Stone. The songs from The Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum placed more emphasis on Lanois-inspired rhythm as they mixed in distinct and varied styles of America-derived gospel and blues that stemmed from the band's burgeoning fascination with America's people and places. In the 1990s, U2 reinvented themselves, as they began using synthesizers, distortion, and electronic beats derived from alternative music, dance music and even hip-hop, in both Achtung Baby and Pop. The 2000s had U2 returning to more of a stripped-down sound with less use of synthesizers and effects, and a more traditional rhythm. While the band's sound has shifted on record over the years, The Edge has described U2 as a fundamentally live band.
____________________________________________________________________
Campaigning and activism
U2 has long been interested in social and political issues inside and outside the scope of their music. Both as a band and individually, the members of U2 have collaborated since the early 1980s with other musicians, artists, celebrities, and politicians to address issues concerning poverty, disease, and social injustice.
In 1984, Bono and Adam Clayton participated in Band Aid to raise money for Ethiopian famine relief. The initiative produced the hit charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and would be the first among several collaborations between U2 and Geldof. In July 1985, U2 played Live Aid, a follow-up to Band Aid's efforts. An emerging force in rock-and-roll at the time, U2 contributed to the internationally televised event with a memorable performance of the song "Bad". Invited by World Vision, Bono and his wife Ali visited Ethiopia whereh Bono witnessed the famine first hand. Bono would later say this laid the groundwork for his Africa campaining and some of his songwriting.
In 1986 U2 participated in both the A Conspiracy of Hope Tour in support of Amnesty International, and in Self Aid for unemployment in Ireland. The same year, Bono and Ali also visited Nicaragua and El Salvador on the invitation of the Sanctuary movement and saw the effects of the El Salvador Civil War first hand. These 1986 events greatly influenced The Joshua Tree album being recorded at the time.
In 1992, the band participated in the "Stop Sellafield" concert with Greenpeace during their ZooTV tour. Events in Sarajevo during the Bosnian war inspired the song "Miss Sarajevo", which premiered at a September 1995 Pavarotti and Friends show at which Bono and the Edge performed at War Child.. A promise in 1993 saw them play Sarajevo as part of 1997's Popmart Tour. In 1998 they performed in Belfast days prior to the vote on the Good Friday Agreement, bringing Irish political leaders David Trimble and John Hume on stage to promote the agreement. Later that year, all proceeds from the release of "The Sweetest Thing" single went towards supporting the Chernobyl Children's Project.
In 2001, the band dedicated "Walk On" to Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. In late 2003, Bono and the Edge participated in the South Africa HIV/AIDS awareness 46664 series of concerts hosted by Nelson Mandela. The band played 2005's Live 8 concert in London and the band and manager Paul McGuinness were awarded Amnesty International's Ambassador of Conscience Award for their work in promoting human rights.
Since 2000, Bono has done a significant amount of solo campaigning; he was involved in the Jubilee 2000 campaign with Geldof, Muhammad Ali, and others with the aim of cancelling third world debt during the Great Jubilee. In January 2002, Bono, along with activists from Jubilee 2000 founded a multinational NGO called DATA, with the aim of improving the social, political, and financial state of Africa. He continued his campaigns for debt and HIV/AIDS relief into June 2002 by making high-profile visits to Africa. Product Red, a 2006 for-product brand seeking to raise money for the Global Fund, was also founded, in part, by Bono. The ONE Campaign, the US counterpart of Make Poverty History, has been shaped by his efforts and vision. Bono has also teamed up with Yahoo! to promote the ONE Campaign, which Yahoo! has helped to re-develop.
In late 2005 following Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, The Edge helped introduced Music Rising, an initiative to raise funds for musicians who lost their instruments in the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast. In 2006, U2 collaborated with pop punk band Green Day to record a cover version of the song "The Saints Are Coming" by The Skids to benefit Music Rising.
