dsmith2904
ONE love, blood, life
[SIMG]http://bonovox.interference.com/reviews/billf-u2attheend-sml.jpg[/SIMG]
By Andrew Leahey
Author: Bill Flanagan
Publisher: Delta
Strategically speaking, 1995 was not a good year to publish a U2 biography. The band had released two albums in the previous four years, supporting the Billboard-topping releases with a massive, two-year tour stretching from Florida, USA, to Tokyo, Japan. The band had won three consecutive Grammys, even beating out a sea of Seattle contenders for 1993?s Alternative Music award. A string of memorable videos earned the group performances at the 1992 and 1993 MTV Video Music Awards, and relationships with the likes of Salman Rushdie, Naomi Campbell, Bill Clinton and Frank Sinatra kept U2 prominent in the tabloids. For four years, U2 saturated its fans with albums, performances and public appearances, creating an environment in which any type of U2 propaganda could thrive. 1995, however, was a year of rest, a chance for U2 to enjoy a break from the spotlight while ?Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me? maintained the band?s presence on the charts. And it was during this relatively mundane period, a year free from the media swarm that accompanied Zoo TV, that Bill Flanagan?s ?U2 At the End of the World? was published.
Bad timing? For a writer hoping to ride U2?s coattails up the bestseller?s list, certainly. Flanagan, however, is a strong writer and his book?s late publication date merely separated the hype from the literary merit. U2 was still a popular band in 1995 despite its decrease in musical activity, but it is Flanagan?s detailed, relaxed style that carries ?U2 At the End of the World,? not the fame of its subjects. Between fielding job offers from VH-1 and adjusting to home life after Zoo TV, Flanagan managed to write what many fanatics have deemed ?The Bible? of Zoo-era U2.
Flanagan?s strongest asset is his ability to appeal to casual fans and U2 diehards alike. There?s enough background information here, most notably presented in an extensive interview with Bono?s father Bob Hewson, to explain the ropes to novice listeners. Additionally, Flanagan?s detailed accounts of notable Zoo TV gigs will delight the crazed bootleg collectors who have always wondered why Bono yells ?Naomi, baby!? during the August 28th, 1993 performance of ?Tryin? to Throw Your Arms Around the World.? Flanagan ties these ends together with a strong use of historical context, touching upon everything from Bill Clinton?s presidential campaign in 1992 to the rising tide of grunge music in the process. As the band labors in Berlin to produce material for ?Achtung Baby? in 1990, for example, Flanagan explains the economic and social consequences of that city?s recent reunification. Describing U2?s stage design, he goes into the history of the Trabant automobiles used as light fixtures during the Zoo TV tour. Flanagan understands the hyperbolic, media-heavy nature of Zoo TV cannot be explained without examining CNN?s live coverage of the Gulf War, and the evolving U2 of the 1990s can?t be understood until the frank, reverent temperament of its 1980s counterpart is detailed.
While Flanagan deftly tackles these grand issues, his book also finds ample time for intimacy. The first vocal performance of ?Stay (Faraway, So Close!)? is beautifully described as Bono improvises lyrics and melodies on the studio couch, asking both the author and producer Flood for advice. Adam?s problems with alcohol are tastefully dealt with, while Larry?s supposed injection of bull?s blood to alleviate back pain infuses an air of humor into Flanagan?s lines. The interviews with Bob Hewson help explain the somewhat strained relationship between Bono and his father, and Edge?s budding romance with Morleigh Steinberg, his current wife, is a pleasure to read.
For the duration of the ?U2 At the End of the World,? Flanagan flaunts his ability to switch from amusing tales of barhopping with the band to serious accounts of AIDS and post-Cold War Europe. Like U2?s music, he pairs the grand with the intimate, somehow mixing these polar opposites into an appealing form. Had Flanagan rushed to publish the book amidst the Zoo TV hoopla, his hurried work would have likely suffered. Instead, Flanagan waited until 1995 to treat us to an account that is simultaneously active and reflective, worldly and personal, and completely worthy of the hype.
By Andrew Leahey
Author: Bill Flanagan
Publisher: Delta
Strategically speaking, 1995 was not a good year to publish a U2 biography. The band had released two albums in the previous four years, supporting the Billboard-topping releases with a massive, two-year tour stretching from Florida, USA, to Tokyo, Japan. The band had won three consecutive Grammys, even beating out a sea of Seattle contenders for 1993?s Alternative Music award. A string of memorable videos earned the group performances at the 1992 and 1993 MTV Video Music Awards, and relationships with the likes of Salman Rushdie, Naomi Campbell, Bill Clinton and Frank Sinatra kept U2 prominent in the tabloids. For four years, U2 saturated its fans with albums, performances and public appearances, creating an environment in which any type of U2 propaganda could thrive. 1995, however, was a year of rest, a chance for U2 to enjoy a break from the spotlight while ?Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me? maintained the band?s presence on the charts. And it was during this relatively mundane period, a year free from the media swarm that accompanied Zoo TV, that Bill Flanagan?s ?U2 At the End of the World? was published.
Bad timing? For a writer hoping to ride U2?s coattails up the bestseller?s list, certainly. Flanagan, however, is a strong writer and his book?s late publication date merely separated the hype from the literary merit. U2 was still a popular band in 1995 despite its decrease in musical activity, but it is Flanagan?s detailed, relaxed style that carries ?U2 At the End of the World,? not the fame of its subjects. Between fielding job offers from VH-1 and adjusting to home life after Zoo TV, Flanagan managed to write what many fanatics have deemed ?The Bible? of Zoo-era U2.
Flanagan?s strongest asset is his ability to appeal to casual fans and U2 diehards alike. There?s enough background information here, most notably presented in an extensive interview with Bono?s father Bob Hewson, to explain the ropes to novice listeners. Additionally, Flanagan?s detailed accounts of notable Zoo TV gigs will delight the crazed bootleg collectors who have always wondered why Bono yells ?Naomi, baby!? during the August 28th, 1993 performance of ?Tryin? to Throw Your Arms Around the World.? Flanagan ties these ends together with a strong use of historical context, touching upon everything from Bill Clinton?s presidential campaign in 1992 to the rising tide of grunge music in the process. As the band labors in Berlin to produce material for ?Achtung Baby? in 1990, for example, Flanagan explains the economic and social consequences of that city?s recent reunification. Describing U2?s stage design, he goes into the history of the Trabant automobiles used as light fixtures during the Zoo TV tour. Flanagan understands the hyperbolic, media-heavy nature of Zoo TV cannot be explained without examining CNN?s live coverage of the Gulf War, and the evolving U2 of the 1990s can?t be understood until the frank, reverent temperament of its 1980s counterpart is detailed.
While Flanagan deftly tackles these grand issues, his book also finds ample time for intimacy. The first vocal performance of ?Stay (Faraway, So Close!)? is beautifully described as Bono improvises lyrics and melodies on the studio couch, asking both the author and producer Flood for advice. Adam?s problems with alcohol are tastefully dealt with, while Larry?s supposed injection of bull?s blood to alleviate back pain infuses an air of humor into Flanagan?s lines. The interviews with Bob Hewson help explain the somewhat strained relationship between Bono and his father, and Edge?s budding romance with Morleigh Steinberg, his current wife, is a pleasure to read.
For the duration of the ?U2 At the End of the World,? Flanagan flaunts his ability to switch from amusing tales of barhopping with the band to serious accounts of AIDS and post-Cold War Europe. Like U2?s music, he pairs the grand with the intimate, somehow mixing these polar opposites into an appealing form. Had Flanagan rushed to publish the book amidst the Zoo TV hoopla, his hurried work would have likely suffered. Instead, Flanagan waited until 1995 to treat us to an account that is simultaneously active and reflective, worldly and personal, and completely worthy of the hype.
Funny how the couch fell over in the filming for the video of "Numb." They shoud've left that in for the final version.
I've been thinking idly about reveiwing it (very idly!), but I'd never have done it so concisely. And now I don't have to bother! Thanks Andrew 
