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U2 Still Hasn't Found What They're Looking For
By Larry Katz
Friday, May 20, 2005
What drives U2?
The Irish quartet may reign as the biggest rock band in the world, but bassist Adam Clayton maintains that he and band mates Bono, the Edge and Larry Mullen Jr. still haven't found what they're looking for. Even after a 26-year recording career, this year's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a sold-out tour that rolls into the TD Banknorth Garden for shows Tuesday, Thursday and May 28, U2 remains hungry.
And hard-working. Clayton called from Toronto on what he terms ``a nonshow day,'' not a day off.
``There's always something going on in the U2 world,'' he said. ``You can never take a day away.''
Herald: Word is that your ``Vertigo'' tour show is less elaborate and less conceptual than your other recent tours. Were you going for simplicity this time?
Adam Clayton: Simpler, yes. But to have no concept wasn't the concept. Central to the show that we're doing is to try and underline what we've always hoped to underline, which is human rights more than anything else. That is at the core of the show. It's a rock 'n' roll show, but it acknowledges that if you are feeling uncomfortable and unsafe because of the situation in the world today, you're right. We are in very difficult times.
Herald: Do you set such a lofty goal as a way to spur yourselves to greater creative heights?
Clayton: I'm not sure that's it. The one thing that we've been able to hold onto from when we first started out was the feeling that we didn't have all the chops that other bands did. Part of the strength of U2 is that we know that as individuals we don't amount to very much, but collectively we can actually make a difference. We have managed to hold on to that view. Each record is like starting over again. We go in the studio and scratch our heads and go, `Can anybody remember how we did this the last time?' It's just horrible. And then eventually we get a clue and some magic happens. Suddenly we're back on course and creating stuff that actually sounds like music.
Herald: After all these years you still have to wait for the magic? Don't you have a formula?
Clayton: I don't think we could. The great thing about our material is that it is incredibly simple. But it's incredibly complicated to get it that simple. If we could only figure out how to get it that simple in the first place it would be a lot easier.
Herald: What was the thinking behind doing that iPod ad?
Clayton: Something you have to think about when you come up with a straight-ahead rock tune like ``Vertigo'' is that there may not be a place for it on radio. But television gets to a lot of people. So was it the right place for people to hear the first new U2 song? Maybe it was the only place. And it really had an amazing effect of getting our music to a younger audience.
Herald: Do you think that you'll still be making music with U2 when you're as old as the Rolling Stones?
Clayton: We have a few more records to make before we make that decision. All I can say is that we have another record in us and I'm excited about what it can be. Anyway, being 60 these days is like being 50 used to be, isn't it? The generation gap isn't there. It's all about the choices you've made and whether you're cool or not.
--Boston Herald
By Larry Katz
Friday, May 20, 2005
What drives U2?
The Irish quartet may reign as the biggest rock band in the world, but bassist Adam Clayton maintains that he and band mates Bono, the Edge and Larry Mullen Jr. still haven't found what they're looking for. Even after a 26-year recording career, this year's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a sold-out tour that rolls into the TD Banknorth Garden for shows Tuesday, Thursday and May 28, U2 remains hungry.
And hard-working. Clayton called from Toronto on what he terms ``a nonshow day,'' not a day off.
``There's always something going on in the U2 world,'' he said. ``You can never take a day away.''
Herald: Word is that your ``Vertigo'' tour show is less elaborate and less conceptual than your other recent tours. Were you going for simplicity this time?
Adam Clayton: Simpler, yes. But to have no concept wasn't the concept. Central to the show that we're doing is to try and underline what we've always hoped to underline, which is human rights more than anything else. That is at the core of the show. It's a rock 'n' roll show, but it acknowledges that if you are feeling uncomfortable and unsafe because of the situation in the world today, you're right. We are in very difficult times.
Herald: Do you set such a lofty goal as a way to spur yourselves to greater creative heights?
Clayton: I'm not sure that's it. The one thing that we've been able to hold onto from when we first started out was the feeling that we didn't have all the chops that other bands did. Part of the strength of U2 is that we know that as individuals we don't amount to very much, but collectively we can actually make a difference. We have managed to hold on to that view. Each record is like starting over again. We go in the studio and scratch our heads and go, `Can anybody remember how we did this the last time?' It's just horrible. And then eventually we get a clue and some magic happens. Suddenly we're back on course and creating stuff that actually sounds like music.
Herald: After all these years you still have to wait for the magic? Don't you have a formula?
Clayton: I don't think we could. The great thing about our material is that it is incredibly simple. But it's incredibly complicated to get it that simple. If we could only figure out how to get it that simple in the first place it would be a lot easier.
Herald: What was the thinking behind doing that iPod ad?
Clayton: Something you have to think about when you come up with a straight-ahead rock tune like ``Vertigo'' is that there may not be a place for it on radio. But television gets to a lot of people. So was it the right place for people to hear the first new U2 song? Maybe it was the only place. And it really had an amazing effect of getting our music to a younger audience.
Herald: Do you think that you'll still be making music with U2 when you're as old as the Rolling Stones?
Clayton: We have a few more records to make before we make that decision. All I can say is that we have another record in us and I'm excited about what it can be. Anyway, being 60 these days is like being 50 used to be, isn't it? The generation gap isn't there. It's all about the choices you've made and whether you're cool or not.
--Boston Herald
