Tonight is one of the biggest nights of the year and J and I are going to be a part of it! It always is a big night when U2 comes into town. Showcasing a captivating Irish swagger and politically-infused and humanitarian-ized lyrics, U2 never disappoints. And I would be remiss if I did not thank my good friend Brian C for this gift. THANK YOU, Brian!
Before I got my new job, Brian and I carpooled to and from work for five years and many of those trips included conversations about "the best of U2" – the top ten U2 songs and favorite five CDs. Brian’s favorite U2 song is "One." Mine? Possibly "Mysterious Ways," though I love many other songs just as much. Consider some of my all-time favorites:
Elevation
Vertigo
With or Without You
One
Where the Streets Have No Name
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Pride (In the Name of Love)
Desire
Discotheque
MoFo
Beautiful Day
Walk On
Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of
Yahweh
Some of their accolades throughout the past 25 years sum up some of my thoughts, as well as Brian’s, perfectly, (from Wikipedia’s page on U2):
80's: Rolling Stone magazine called U2 the "Band of the 80s", saying that "for a growing number of rock-and-roll fans, U2 has become the band that matters most, maybe even the only band that matters."
91 - 94: Rolling Stone magazine declaring that U2 had "proven that the same penchant for epic musical and verbal gestures that leads many artists to self-parody can, in more inspired hands, fuel the unforgettable fire that defines great rock & roll."
96 -98: Regarding Pop and PopMart Tour: Rolling Stone Magazine even went so far a claiming U2 had "defied the odds and made some of the greatest music of their lives".
Congratulations are also in order. U2 has been awarded with five Grammy nominations for 2005:
Best Album of the Year : How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
Song of the Year (Best Lyrics): "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own"
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal: "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own"
Best Rock Song: "City Of Blinding Lights"
Best Rock Album: How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
I’ve believed in the power of this new album since it was released. These nominations are the capstone to a project that really marks one of their best. Read my review of it here.
On the heels of these nominations comes this great achievement: Billboard has just reported that U2's Vertigo tour is the top-grossing tour of the year. From Billboard:
Vertigo reported grosses of $260 million and drew more than 3 million people to 90 concerts, all of which were sell-outs.
In addition, U2's June 24-27 run at Dublin's Croke Park was named Boxscore of the year, grossing more than $21.1 million and drawing nearly 247,000 fans.
U2 is also well known for their humanitarian work. Bono is perhaps the best-known advocate for AIDS cure funding and research, alleviating debts to third-world countries, and helping the impoverished in Africa. U2 has supported the following human rights causes:
Amnesty International
Greenpeace
African Well Fund
Support for Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi
DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade in Africa)
Chernobyl Children's Project
Jubilee Debt Campaign
The ONE Campaign
Great human beings and great rock artists. May U2 rock on forever.
12:29:51 PM  | |
|
