popsadie
Acrobat
I have been a U2 fan for nearly half of my 35 year old life at this point. I listened to them when I was five years old and my mom loved War and I discovered them for myself during my senior year of high school. Their music gave me a tool to talk to and try to understand God even during times when I didn't feel much like talking to Him. Lately, God and I have barely been on speaking terms and I had been avoiding music that reminded me of that, including U2.
However, old habits die hard; I have learned. I discovered this a week ago while sitting at the hostel I am currently living in. Someone put on the Glastonbury "With or Without You" on the widescreen and at first I wasn't pleased. I had avoided listening to that show on purpose, having heard that Bono hadn't done that great of a show that night. At first, my apprehensions seemed appropriate. Bono's vocals weren't that great and the music at first seemed a bit murky, but then I decided to keep listening. As I did, the swirling atmosphere of Edge's guitar swept me away and the imperfections of Bono's vocals didn't even matter. Without realizing it, I had goosebumps and a feeling of holy ground. It was then that I realized that U2 is very near sacred to me.
I suppose this may be why I can't seem to write an objective review of the new album. U2's themes and the music that accompanies it speaks to me in ways that go beyond my intellect. Very few bands approach the sacred and secular worlds in the way that U2 does and very few sing songs of doubt and defeat in ways that keep me hopeful. I do enjoy the music of many other groups, both "Christian" and "secular", but it seems like I can only listen to most of it with a divided self. U2, however, seem to understand what it is like to be "too sacred for the world" but "too of the world for the church" and thus their music reaches me in ways that other favorite bands can't seem to. Songs like "Moment of Surrender", "A Sort of Homecoming" and "Iris" beautifully acknowledge both the brokenness of my world, but a belief that there is more beyond. Does anyone else feel this way about U2?
However, old habits die hard; I have learned. I discovered this a week ago while sitting at the hostel I am currently living in. Someone put on the Glastonbury "With or Without You" on the widescreen and at first I wasn't pleased. I had avoided listening to that show on purpose, having heard that Bono hadn't done that great of a show that night. At first, my apprehensions seemed appropriate. Bono's vocals weren't that great and the music at first seemed a bit murky, but then I decided to keep listening. As I did, the swirling atmosphere of Edge's guitar swept me away and the imperfections of Bono's vocals didn't even matter. Without realizing it, I had goosebumps and a feeling of holy ground. It was then that I realized that U2 is very near sacred to me.
I suppose this may be why I can't seem to write an objective review of the new album. U2's themes and the music that accompanies it speaks to me in ways that go beyond my intellect. Very few bands approach the sacred and secular worlds in the way that U2 does and very few sing songs of doubt and defeat in ways that keep me hopeful. I do enjoy the music of many other groups, both "Christian" and "secular", but it seems like I can only listen to most of it with a divided self. U2, however, seem to understand what it is like to be "too sacred for the world" but "too of the world for the church" and thus their music reaches me in ways that other favorite bands can't seem to. Songs like "Moment of Surrender", "A Sort of Homecoming" and "Iris" beautifully acknowledge both the brokenness of my world, but a belief that there is more beyond. Does anyone else feel this way about U2?