**The Offical U2 Fan Thread**

[jameseb]

Same here, Achtung Baby is brilliant!

 

[Motor City Christian]

Ok, I bought the best of 1990-2000 CD, my first U2 album. I have hear that U2 was Muslim, is there any truth to that? There are some very clear Biblical inferences in their songs. I was especially baffled by the song which talked about "many mansions". But it also said God "threw away the key". Exactly, what do these guys believe? I am a little baffled. What does that song mean?

 

[Axver]

U2's MUSLIM? Where in the world did you hear that? They're very much Christians, or at least Bono is. Edge keeps quiet about it, feeling it's a very personal thing (though to quote Bono, he's a "Zen Presbyterian who finds Catholicism to be just too much glam rock"), Larry's also quiet but has made his beliefs very clear, and while Adam Clayton isn't a Christian, he'd have to have been influenced by the other three after being in a band with them for over half his life.

The First Time is a bit of a difficult song to interpret. Let me get back to you on that one.

 

[Motor City Christian]

Musically, I really liked Beautiful Day (which was why I bought it). "The End of the World" has some great imagery of the Last Supper. I was surprised that "Elevation" and "The Streets Have No Name" where not on that Best of 1990-2000 CD.

 

[Neenie]

Bono say's the song is about losing faith, he hasn't lost his faith at all. it's an expression of the moment that people feel. Thats all the info i can find.

Oh.. And Edge is newly converted Muslim, you'll see him wearing his new turbin hat on the next tour. With a new beard. hehe

 

[Axver]

Alright on The First Time, it's not one of my favourite songs so I haven't really thought a whole lot about it, but here's a site with some interpretations by other people;

http://hem.bredband.net/steverud/U2MoL/Zooropa/1sttime.html

In fact, it has some pretty good interpretations on almost all songs: http://hem.bredband.net/steverud/U2MoL/

Geez... I just read the story of this song from the in the heart book, and you covered it pretty well!

Thanks! Being a New Zealander and it being one of my favourite songs, I kind of know it inside out. It's interesting how Bono intertwins Maori ritual and beliefs with Christian theology (the running to the sea of Maori belief with the imagery from Revelation of the moon turning red).

Do you like my avatar?

I think anything with U2 is pretty cool! I like the heart in the suitcase ... it's like an answer to HMTMKMKM's headache in a suitcase, hehe!

I've got hundreds of band pics now.

You should see my collection. I go nuts with screenshots when I watch VCDs ... I've made a couple of posts on my LiveJournal with some of my screenshots.
http://www.livejournal.com/users/axver/180619.html#cutid2
http://www.livejournal.com/users/axver/172490.html

though i think Boy is better imo.

I'd have to agree that Boy is better than October, but I think either of them could have been improved by including 11 O'clock Tick Tock. I think it would've fit perfectly either between The Electric Co. and Shadows And Tall Trees or Fire and Tomorrow.

 

[Dawn Marie]

Absolutely! Here's the story;

U2 began 1984-85's Unforgettable Fire tour in New Zealand (best performance ever of Pride (In The Name Of Love) was in Wellington, 31 August 1984), and there they met Greg Carroll, who was part Maori. He became a roadie for and close friend of the band, and Bono admired him for his committed and dedicated work ethic. However, in Dublin in 1986, he was out on Bono's motorbike, running an errand on a rainy night when someone ran a red light and hit and killed him. U2 went to his funeral in Wanganui and played there, and furthermore, Bono wrote One Tree Hill - some of the lyrics hark to Maori ritual and beliefs.

U2 was also going to start the Joshua Tree tour in New Zealand in memory of Greg Carroll, but they simply ran out of time and were forced to begin their tour in the USA instead. For that reason, they held the Lovetown tour in 1989 which spent most of its time in Australia and NZ.

Wow, you're almost as obsessed with U2 as I used to be with another band.

 

[Axver]

Musically, I really liked Beautiful Day (which was why I bought it). "The End of the World" has some great imagery of the Last Supper. I was surprised that "Elevation" and "The Streets Have No Name" where not on that Best of 1990-2000 CD.

Oooh yeah, Until The End Of The World is an awesome song. To give some background on it, at various live performances, Bono will yell out "Jeeesus, this is Juuudas!" Elevation ... well, it's not really a classic (though neither is Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of), and Where The Streets Have No Name was from 1987, it's track seven on The Best Of 1980-1990 (though it's slightly edited).

And Edge is newly converted Muslim, you'll see him wearing his new turbin hat on the next tour. With a new beard. hehe

Haha! What, along with Adam becoming a Buddhist so he has more of an excuse to wear orange sarongs? I can't get over how Adam wears sarongs and collects spoons ...

 

[Axver]

I know this belongs in my last post, but oh well ...

Bono say's the song is about losing faith, he hasn't lost his faith at all. it's an expression of the moment that people feel. Thats all the info i can find.

Ah yes, I forgot about that quote! I love that one. I asked my friend about this song, and she says the book Walk On: The Spiritual Journey Of U2 describes it as the story of the Prodigal Son, but with a different ending.

 

[Neenie]

Haha! What, along with Adam becoming a Buddhist so he has more of an excuse to wear orange sarongs? I can't get over how Adam wears sarongs and collects spoons ...

Yeah.. Adam is the oddball in the band hehe, though he has a great fashion taste! i wonder if he still has his Springfield spoons

I was just reading some of those reviews mostly by christians in the link you posted, every song they made happens to be about Christianity. Trying to find a song that isn't hehe.


Great pics of the band Axver!

 

[Axver]

Yeah.. Adam is the oddball in the band hehe, though he has a great fashion taste! i wonder if he still has his Springfield spoons

Hehe. Oh, he's done some hilarious fashion-related stuff. THE AFRO! The hardhat and surgical mask of Popmart! The Poptart shirt! Did I mention THE AFRO? Oh, and THE AFRO! I love THE AFRO.

I was just reading some of those reviews mostly by christians in the link you posted, every song they made happens to be about Christianity. Trying to find a song that isn't hehe.

Hehe, yeah. It's interesting some of the imagery you get if you look deeper into the songs. Though for a song that isn't ... Some Days Are Better Than Others!

Great pics of the band Axver!

Thanks!

 

[oldrooster]

I have the Passengers album, it is very good. I would have to say that the live version of bad is my favorite U2 song

 

[Axver]

I've got mp3s of a bit of Passengers and Passengers-era stuff ... Bottoms (Zoo Station Mix) is one of my favourites, seeing it's pretty much an instrumental Zoo Station.

Bad's an absolute epic live. They've done some AMAZING things with it, from the 13:45 long one in Stuttgart, Germany in 1985 through to combining it and All I Want Is You on 20 November 1989, Sydney in one stunning song. That's the greatest link of songs since the historic An Cat Dubh --> Into The Heart link.

Speaking of links, anyone here got some favourites? I'll list some of the common ones;

I Threw A Brick Through A Window --> A Day Without Me
October --> New Year's Day
MLK --> The Unforgettable Fire
Desire --> All Along The Watchtower
Bad --> 40 --> Where The Streets Have No Name
All I Want Is You --> Where The Streets Have No Name
Please --> Where The Streets Have No Name
Mofo --> I Will Follow
Discotheque --> If You Wear That Velvet Dress
One --> Unchained Melody
Bullet The Blue Sky --> Running To Stand Still

And then there's the historic ZooTV run;
Bad --> All I Want Is You (or The First Time) --> Bullet The Blue Sky --> Running To Stand Still --> Where The Streets Have No Name

 

[redjosh]

Absolutely! Here's the story;

U2 began 1984-85's Unforgettable Fire tour in New Zealand...

wow, cheers for that!
thats great - U2 chose to write a song about my precious homeland! good on em. i may even become a fan of them yet!

 

[Neenie]

OK my favorites


Please - Where The Streets Have No Name
Pop muzik - Mofo
Daddy's gonna pay for your crashed car - Lemon - With or without you
Last night on earth - Until the end of the world
Mac Phisto - Ultra voilet


Warning, ramble ahead!!

I really miss Zootv, i wish i could go back in time to that era. I was about 16-17 years old, I remember all the hype over ZooTv when they come to Melbourne. They were on the news on every channel, even on current affairs and even took two full pages of the Melbourne herald! it was amazing!!!everyone i knew was talking about them, and a few months later the Sydney Video was on national broadcast, i become a full fan and i was watching the show every night after School! I would usually watch the Mac phisto speech the most. I couldn't get over how much they sounded different from the last tour, at that time i bought all the Albums, and Zooropa was released! but yeah... I couldn't get over the change. I have never noticed a bigger change in a band before! I was thinking all the time, what happened??? Why such a big change? what drugs are they taking? But anyway's the new stuff was great, and my friends listen to them as well, i was just waiting for them to go back to normal mode, but i was waiting for nearly ten years!!! I had stages when i would go on and off the band. I kind of fell off them after the whole Zootv trilogy. and found them again during Elevation. But Zootv definitely had a better feeling!! Whose going to ride your wild horses was the first single i had ever bought! Ohh.. I miss that!

currently saving up money for the next tour, and our wedding at the same time. we don't know if we should follow them around Australia or go overseas, we will see what happens. I just wish i could go back in time! hehe but i'm glad i got the most of my youth being a U2 fan.

{END OF RAMBLE}

Ohh and Axver i love Adams AFRO as well! You kinda look like him!

 

[Neenie]

thats great - U2 chose to write a song about my precious homeland! good on em. i may even become a fan of them yet!

Well they have done a couple of shows in New Zealand, And I'm sure Axver will arrange a show for you, if he can.

Your already becoming a fan!

 

[Lisa0794]

Ok, I've finally arrived!!!!

This is by far the best thread I've found yet, although I only joined this site 2 days ago.

I have loved U2 forever . . . .

My favorite songs are:

All of them!!!!

By Really . . . They are:

Bad
Hawkmoon 269
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Two Hearts Beat As One
40
A Sort of Homecoming
Pride
The Unforgetable Fire
Slow Dancing
Salome
Lady With the Spinning Head
Where the Streets Have No Name
I Still Havent Found What I'm Looking For
With or Without You
Bullet the Blue Sky
In God's Country
One Tree Hill
Running to Stand Still
Do You Feel Loved
Gone
Please
The Fly
Mysterious Ways
So Cruel
Numb
Elevation
Beautiful Day
Kite
Grace
New York

Geez!! I could go on and on and on!!!!!! Truthfully there is no bad U2 song!!!!

And they are the greatest live band ever!!!!

Can't wait for the next tour!!!

Lisa
"Did I waste it?
Not so much I couldn't taste it
Life should be fragrant,
Rooftop to the basement" Kite

 

[kel32]

It's so cool to see all these U2 fans!!!

I would definitely be considered an 'old school' U2 fan...Back in high school, my whole world revolved around U2. I played guitar in a U2 'cover band'. Our best songs were Sunday Bloody Sunday, Pride, 11 o'clock tick tock, I will follow, With or without you, and Where the streets have no name...Since then, i've traded in my electric guitar for an acoustic, now playing mostly songs like '40', 'Desire', 'All I want is you', 'Bad', and 'Running to stand still'...

I was fortunate enough to see them twice in concert, and when the movie 'Rattle & Hum' came out, I saw it 17 times...

My all-time favorite songs would have to be:
'40'
'I still haven't found what i'm looking for' (Rattle & Hum Gospel version)
'Sunday Bloody Sunday' (live at Red Rocks)
'Pride' (all versions)

They definitely had a huge impact on my life...

~peace~

 

[Flynmonkie]

It's so cool to see all these U2 fans!!!
I would definitely be considered an 'old school' U2 fan...Back in high school, my whole world revolved around U2. I played guitar in a U2 'cover band'. They definitely had a huge impact on my life...
~peace~

Hey Kel
You played in a band?? That is awesome! My son is 15 and he started writing music reviews for the local paper at 13. It is pretty weird getting calls from various labels to speak with him regarding tickets to concerts etc.. (he even got me Shania Twain tickets but that is for another thread entirely! Like I said earlier - that is when you KNOW your OOOOOLLLLLLDDD!!)

He took guitar and decided he would be much better at writing about it!

All I want is you is one of my favorites tooooo! Man I just cannot pick one...depends on the mood. They don't just "sing" about things.....they set precedence!

That is what is so great about U2 they have made such a HUGE impact on so many lives, from just the surface listener to the studied musician...their just cool like that!

You know I just love the song "So Cruel" Lisa!! Your list looks pretty good to me!!!

 

[Axver]

Wow, there's a good deal to reply to today! Maybe I'll stretch this out over a couple of posts. This is going to be long!

wow, cheers for that!
thats great - U2 chose to write a song about my precious homeland! good on em. i may even become a fan of them yet!

We'll have you converted yet! Yeah, U2 has a special attachment to New Zealand, which is wonderful indeed. I've got a number of their shows in NZ - 31 August 1984, Wellington; 4 November 1989, Christchurch; 8 November 1989, Wellington; 1 December 1993, Christchurch (both audio and VCD); and 4 December 1993, Auckland. I'm about to receive a copy of the 1984 Wellington show including The Cry/The Electric Co. Why is that noteworthy? Because it's possibly the rarest U2 item I have, even moreso than my full audio of the Christchurch '93 concert, because it's widely known in the trading community that that song simply does not exist. Well look what happens when you randomly meet someone with the master tapes ...

Those shows I listed are most of the NZ shows. They opened the 1984 tour in Christchurch on the 29th of August (we don't even have a setlist for that, let alone a recording) and played two shows in Auckland after the Wellington one. A recording exists of the one from the 1st of September. On 1989's tour, they played two shows in Auckland as well, also after Wellington, and I simply don't know if recordings exist or not. So I have 5/10 of U2's NZ shows.

Janine, that 'ramble' about ZooTV hitting Melbourne's just amazing! How I envy you, being around for that. I was far too young to even be aware of Lovetown or ZooTV hitting New Zealand. Did you make it to either of the Melbourne concerts? The sudden change in the band from Lovetown to ZooTV was so radical it's not funny, and I've heard so much speculation on why ... but it all has to go down to the Fly goggles!

Interviewer: What's the scariest thing you've ever done?
Bono: Well I found this pair of glasses ... I put them on ...

With regards to the next tour ... I'm not even sure what I'm hoping for now. Starting in February 2005 would be brilliant in that university won't start until March, but that's pushing it fine with the money situation and so I don't know if I'd make it to the USA. A later start eases money worries, but can I get out of university? Whatever happens, I simply HAVE to be at the Atlanta gig. And I'm definitely following them around Australia and NZ. The plan of attack for me is: Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch. That's a six gig minimum! Woo! If I have the cash, I'll try to get to Adelaide and Perth too.

Ohh and Axver i love Adams AFRO as well! You kinda look like him!

Well thank you! I rather had my semi-afro cut off today, though my hair still stands up a bit, and knowing the way it grows like a weed, it'll be exploding soon enough. I'll post some of my favourite afro photos sometime ... but the October CD cover says it all! Heh.