For a band, the first record is the most important because it is a story of their lives. Moreover, they are stories, for the most part, of pain, hurt, longing, mistakes, and of course making whoopee (I always wanted to use that phrase). The first record is a culmination of struggle to that moment in time.
The second album is a doozie (another word I wanted to use). Question... If the first album is your life to that point, what is the second record about? You have a year, after touring from the first record to collect stories and attach them to sonic rhythm and melodies that will frame the new narratives. What do you do? Most bands, as you all know-- die here. They burn away after the first (their biography) album. The second record is also a point in the bands life where they ask, do we go down the path of doing what the label (company) wants, grow the perceived brand and give a little more of the same, OR, go against the company and head in a new and different path? The second option is too scary for the bands so they take the SAFE ROUTES and do as they're told (by the company or fans).
U2 has been a band that has survived and continued to grow from record to record. Currently, their tour is one of the biggest money making concerts ever. They have done the first record-- an angry (but hopeful) look at their history and the struggles of themselves and the people around them. Their second, third, fourth, etc were evolutions from each other. For (some) true artists, this gradual growth is not enough. U2 was not immune to this.
Prior to making Actung Baby, U2 were hitting a wall. Motivation was not clear, thus inspiration for new ideas were absent. Their personal lives were also going through turmoil. They found themselves in a dark place. A once band of brothers (since HS) was about to end. The Edge explains in a interview that the band was not going to make it. He himself was going through a SAD divorce. Incidentally, the band regrouped (Im sure over a Guinness or 5) and decided not to run from the pain and darkness, but embrace and surround themselves with it. They recorded Actung in the dark and dreary back drop of East Berlin around the time of the fall of the Berlin wall. This context gave them the energy to redefine their narrative and look within for their muse. The band pulled out some of their biggest pain filled anthems during this session. The Edge believes the band turned a serious page in their story. BUT..... Actung was INTERVENTION. It wasn't enough to sustain additional narratives for them. They needed a new motivation.
The next album would be their MOST IMPORTANT, but LEAST FAVORITE from fans, some critics, and even concert go-ers. This is the band's favorite album-- the album they did for themselves. Pop was not only a new album, but a new perspective, a new reflection, a new workflow, and a new appreciation for LEARNING. First, the target for U2 was mass consumerism. They believed that this outside EXPERIENCE is clouding the INSIDE. Instead of a preachy approach, they took an "OVER THE TOP" approach. Their concert was called "Pop mart", they played concerts in K-marts and malls, they sang like either human robots and divas, they made fun of themselves, and embraced technology in every form to extend the reaches of music and increase communication globally.
Pop was a new adventure and new adventures are messy. For explorers, they make mistakes with new paths, they get hurt along the way, they ask more questions, and they learn more exploring than by doing more of the same. For U2, it was an adventure that was strange for many of their fans. They suffered lesser sales and their concert was not as successful as some of their previous ones.
A lot of people didn't get the NEW TECH hugging, theatrical pop culture rock band from Dublin. It was too different to many. This album does stand out as very different from the rest of their albums. Technology is throughout, new guitar possibilities, the mic's new effects gives Bono new reaches. The stage is inclusive of the audience, and multimedia art becomes a part of the U2 experience.
The Edge says that Actung woke them up from a funk and Pop gave them longevity. It was not becoming an expert at what the U2 sound and brand was. It was the thrust into learning (narrative and music) and exploring through daily life's landmarks that The Edge thanks for the band's ability to see new options and musical territories.
The lesson here, for me, is success and happiness lies in the learning and not in the perfecting. MAKE YOURSELF A LEARNER. PUT YOURSELF IN A PLACE WHERE THE DOMINANT ANSWER IS "I DON'T KNOW but let's figure it out".
Im now picking up my guitar. Where's the G string?
M
Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 08:07AM
