Elvis
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
by Devlin Smith
Author: Mark Chatterton
Fire Fly Publishing
Is it possible to know all?
With his ?Complete Encyclopedia,? music writer, fan and former U2 fanzine Silver and Gold editor and publisher, Mark Chatterton takes a cue from Britanica and tries to explain all that there is to know and print about U2, the band members, its music and its whirling dervish of a universe. Basing each of his entries on pre-existing articles and interviews, Chatterton manages only to skim the surface of U2 in his 287-page reference book.
Set up in standard alphabetical order, U2: The Complete Encyclopedia describes U2 facts, anecdotes and references - such as family members, collaborators, venues and monuments. Unfortunately, many of Chatterton?s entries are fairly skeletal, especially when talking about people of importance in U2?s history. The Michael Hutchence entry, for instance, related a story of how U2 showed pictures of Hutchence during at the Pop Mart concert the day after his death, and that Bono not only sang on Hutchence?s posthumous solo CD, but also wrote ?Stuck in a Moment and You Can?t Get Out of It? in memory of the INXS singer, yet doesn?t mention any real relationship or connection U2 and INXS, U2 and Hutchence, Bono and Hutchence had before the singer?s untimely death. Without any of the back-story on Hutchence and U2, it seems like all the events mentioned in the entry happened in a vacuum.
The content following the entries is true gold - the encyclopedia?s booming appendix. Every U2 concert from March 1978 through the end of the Elevation tour is listed, as are television and radio appearances. The discography is the most impressive, not only providing release dates and catalog numbers, but also noting alternate versions and media: vinyl, cassette and CD albums, singles and interviews.
As a cataloging tool, U2: The Complete Encyclopedia is completely handy and worthwhile. Individual entries, though, don?t offer much in-depth or revelatory information, and if you?ve read a substantial amount of articles on U2, you?ve probably heard it all before. There is a convenience and novelty factor, however, in being able to find mentions of ABBA and ?TV Gaga? in the same book.
Author: Mark Chatterton
Fire Fly Publishing
Is it possible to know all?
With his ?Complete Encyclopedia,? music writer, fan and former U2 fanzine Silver and Gold editor and publisher, Mark Chatterton takes a cue from Britanica and tries to explain all that there is to know and print about U2, the band members, its music and its whirling dervish of a universe. Basing each of his entries on pre-existing articles and interviews, Chatterton manages only to skim the surface of U2 in his 287-page reference book.
Set up in standard alphabetical order, U2: The Complete Encyclopedia describes U2 facts, anecdotes and references - such as family members, collaborators, venues and monuments. Unfortunately, many of Chatterton?s entries are fairly skeletal, especially when talking about people of importance in U2?s history. The Michael Hutchence entry, for instance, related a story of how U2 showed pictures of Hutchence during at the Pop Mart concert the day after his death, and that Bono not only sang on Hutchence?s posthumous solo CD, but also wrote ?Stuck in a Moment and You Can?t Get Out of It? in memory of the INXS singer, yet doesn?t mention any real relationship or connection U2 and INXS, U2 and Hutchence, Bono and Hutchence had before the singer?s untimely death. Without any of the back-story on Hutchence and U2, it seems like all the events mentioned in the entry happened in a vacuum.
The content following the entries is true gold - the encyclopedia?s booming appendix. Every U2 concert from March 1978 through the end of the Elevation tour is listed, as are television and radio appearances. The discography is the most impressive, not only providing release dates and catalog numbers, but also noting alternate versions and media: vinyl, cassette and CD albums, singles and interviews.
As a cataloging tool, U2: The Complete Encyclopedia is completely handy and worthwhile. Individual entries, though, don?t offer much in-depth or revelatory information, and if you?ve read a substantial amount of articles on U2, you?ve probably heard it all before. There is a convenience and novelty factor, however, in being able to find mentions of ABBA and ?TV Gaga? in the same book.
