Audio CD review:
U2 - Boy

U2 - Boy

Band: U2 Title: Boy Rating: Release Date: 1990-04-30 Media: Audio CD Tracks: 1: I Will Follow 2: Twilight 3: An Cat Dubh 4: Into the Heart 5: Out of Control - U2, U Two 6: Stories for Boys - U2, U Two 7: The Ocean 8: A Day Without Me 9: Another Time, Another Place 10: The Electric Co. 11: Shadows and Tall Trees

Promising start, not perfect To be honest, I have never been an especially big fan of the first three albums. As a longtime U2 fan, having started to listen to them as far back as 1983, I realize this review will put me at odds with many U2 fans. While I like them, I merely find them interesting. Let me explain philosophically that I really don't care for mythologizing Rock bands or Musicians. For example, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Zeppelin have become so mythologized, it has become almost impossible for many to fairly assess the merit of their music, in each case, however great it might be overall, each has been `hit and miss' with their catalogue. U2 suffers from the same kind of mythologizing at this point. To not be intellectually honest, and admit that any band or artist has their strength and weaknesses, is actually a disservice to that band from their fan base. That isn't to add or diminish U2's importance within the Punk / new wave / Alternative scene, and that should be acknowledged in the context of 1980 / 1979. From a sonic standpoint 'Boy' was a revelation. There were plenty of Punk bands that laid the groundwork as Paul Morley points out in his essay. U2's energy, simplicity, the epic, ambient scope of their best songs could be a strength, but it could also be a weakness if done to excess. In their early career, of the four of them, The Edge was always the most naturally talented musician of the band, as a guitarist and keyboardist. Larry and Adam was a solid rhythm section, and while Bono had passion, he had to develop his skills as a vocalist. It just wasn't there yet. Steve Lillywhite should be commended for helping to focus their studio sound, and it is this focus that makes the first five tracks, and their sequencing especially strong, 'I Will Follow, Twilight, An Cat Dubh, Into The Heart', and 'Out Of Control' flow beautifully well together. Yet the material becomes wildly uneven in the second half on the album, with 'A Day Without Me', being the other standout track. The problem is with a lack of song craft, there are plenty of songs on the second half of the album, full of promise that is never realized. This focused song craft is what distinguished the Brian Eno / Daniel Lanois production era. Now, what do I mean when I write `song craft'? What I mean is go beyond the basic blueprint of a song and find that right coloring, accompaniment, that right part, or lyric in some cases, that gives it that extra depth. This isn't to say U2 ever lacked `depth' in contrast to other bands, U2 demonstrated depth from the beginning, but too many songs just feel like blueprints, and the gears are not completely gelling at that stage of their career. Yes, they were a new band, full of exuberance at recording and touring, as that should be pointed out, but to maintain U2 was a flawless band from outset is dishonest. Now onto disc two which is the real treat for any completist, personally I have had a longtime fascination with U2's B-sides, therefore it is great to have one disc that includes the Columbia era `3' ep, as well as the Another Day single. '11 O'Clock Tick Tock' is a fairly strong and interesting track, as well as it's B-side 'Touch'. I actually find 'Saturday Night', which eventually became 'Fire' off of the "October" album, to be a better version. 'Speed of Life' and 'Things to Make and Do' is an interesting pair of instrumentals. 'Boy / Girl' is a very awkward punk track. To each his own for those who like it. The Columbia versions of 'Out of Control' and 'Stories for Boys', while interesting, are not as strong as the Lillywhite produced tracks. 'Cartoon World' is an early precursor to 'Shadows and Tall Trees', and it's an especially disappointing track, very uneven recording for a live record, and a sloppy performance from the band. The sound of these remasters is an improvement from prior CD editions and welcomed. Credit really has to be given for the wonderful packaging, Paul Morley's essay, while not a definitive biography, is insightful and informative of the band's early influences, The Edge's comments are also interesting, lyrics and rare photos are included. This reissue is an ideal model for how CD reissues should be handled in the future, should be of note to other compilation producers, although some fans will beg to differ about what might have been overlooked. Worthwhile. . In the beginning... . . there was a whole lot of energy. To listen to how U2 began is interesting, especially for those of us who didn't discover them until Under a Blood Red Sky and Joshua Tree. Their music always had a lot of passion but in the beginning the energy was pretty boundless. I don't love everything on this release, but there are a number of really great songs. "I Will Follow" is of course trademark U2, but I also particularly like "The Electric Co. " which I knew from Under a Blood Red Sky. A couple of new favorites are "Out of Control" and especially "A Day Without Me" which has a fantastic beat that gets pleasantly stuck in your head and you just can't get it out (not that you really want to). "Into the Heart" is another that has a beautiful sound - I wish the instrumental beginning was even longer. The bonus CD is interesting as well, and sometimes I think I prefer it to disc 1. There are a couple of live versions of "11 O'clock Tick Tock" (another favorite from Under a Blood Red Sky) and an early version of "I Will Follow. " There are a couple of stinkers but overall it's likely to please the die-hard fans. It's interesting to listen to the original three songs from 3 (U2's first album) and note the difference in sound, both vocals and guitar (Bono sounds like the teenager he probably was and the guitar lacks the Edge's trademark delay and sounds like everyone else at the time). The packaging on this release is nice, with the original artwork as opposed to the hideous silhouetted American cover, which is included inside (the band was concerned about accusations of pedophilia, or something like that). The essay by Paul Morley is rambling and incoherent and overly-grandiose - and is best ignored - but there are a number of interesting comments by the Edge regarding several recordings. I especially liked his comments on the distinct drum sound achieved on "11 O'clock Tick Tock. " This and the lyrics are what make it worthwhile. Like some others have mentioned, it's probably not for the casual fans, but it's a lot of fun to listen to and is an interesting contrast to their later music. Great album and a Deluxe Edition worth the title. Not only Boy is a great debut album but the bonus material is really worth. Of all the U2 Deluxe Editions that are being released, this one is the most valuable. Early singles 11 O'Clock Tick Tock, A Day Without Me, U2 3 and Another Day are important pieces of history that show the band's growth in the early days. The songs from U2 3 (from 1979 - two years earlier), in particular, are a must; not that they are that good but because the band sounds very young and different with a bit of glam-rock edge. So, as a Deluxe Edition, this is as good as it gets. A five-star. As an album, Boy is raw, wild and passionate. You can feel the monster of a band that these guys would become. The ingredients are all there. A band that through boldness and simplicity, manages to create a trademark sound. Bono was still far from the great singer we all know but he delivers with such passion and conviction that you can foresee the leader in him. But in those days it was clearly Edge's unique guitar sound that guided U2. A clear, bright, bold, electrifying guitar sound around which the songs were built. Add a solid backbone (Adam+Larry) and there you have the basics of U2. The album kicks off with their first classic I Will Follow and, up until Out Of Control, the sequence is simply astonishing. The second half is not that good but still throws in the great The Electric Co. near the end. All in all, a great debut but not as good as some latter stuff. Not for the casual fan But this deluxe 2CD set is definitely not for the casual fan and not worth the money. The original Boy album is a great CD and the remastering is well done here with a lot of muddled aspects of the original cleaned up. The second disc has only noteworthy moments. The early versions of "Stories for boys" and "Out of control" are interesting for a true U2 fan. As is the song "Saturday night". But "Boy-girl" and "Cartoon world" are horrible. The live version of 11 O'Clock Tick Tock is forgettable. Basically, this 2CD set offers interesting insight into the beginnings of U2. But for the casual fan, I would recommend buying the single disc, since even I, a big U2 fan, will not be throwing the second disc in the player all that often. . Familiar tunes return, new gems delight It's a complete U2 package for those who really love this band. 2 complete CDs, both a joy for different reasons: the original songs bring back a sense of nostalgia for the band's exuberant beginnings, and the new tracks of live recordings and some never before released are a delightful surprise. Comes with a very polished book with historical photos, retrospective by Paul Morley and comments by The Edge on the rare and unreleased tracks. It's worth the extra expense if you want to go deeper into the U2 catalog. . You can see a complete list of all U2 discography, or go back to the U2 tabs