We were in last chance saloon. When I say “we”, sure, I was fulfilling the role of the hand-squeezer while also in charge of the delivery-room music, but “we” was really quite clearly just my wife Aimee and her midwife Annie. As for “last chance saloon” though, that was more clear cut: there would be…
Tag: U2
For Christchurch: U2’s ‘One’ And Why It Matters About The Word In The Song So Many Get Wrong
There’s a line in U2’s One that people always get wrong: “We’re one but we’re not the same / we get to carry each other…” “Get” being the key word. I remember Bono explaining this some years ago, pointing out that it’s a subtle but significant difference. If “we’ve got to carry each other” rather…
U2 Stun With A Live, Gospel Version Of ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’
“We want to play for you now a gospel song, a gospel song with a restless spirit”. What a beautiful and succinct way to describe one of the most meaningful hits of the 80s and from an album that’s just as powerful 30 years on as it was in 1987. U2 would’ve performed I Still…
The Missed Opportunity Of Band Aid 30
Band Aid 30 recording Do They Know It’s Christmas. I think it’s great – indeed vital – that good folks like Bob Geldof are galvanizing some of the biggest names in music to raise funds in the fight against Ebola. It just bums me out that given it’s 20 years since a new Christmas song…
25 Years Since The Fall Of The Berlin Wall – David Bowie’s Heroes
Marking 25 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall (November 9, 1989), here’s David Bowie’s Heroes, a song I’ve often thought of as the greatest song U2 never wrote. This is in large part due to the soundscape created by producer Brian Eno who years later would go on to work with U2, but…
U2’s Free Album: Is It Worth The Backlash? The 3 Best Tracks From ‘Songs Of Innocence’
The question could’ve been, is it worth the hype? But a couple of weeks after U2 surprised many with the release of their 13th LP Songs Of Innocence as a free iTunes download, the backlash is in full-swing. “More hated than Nickelback!” yelped one blogger’s headline while making a fact-ignoring case for U2’s downfall being…
Nelson Mandela Dies – U2 Pays Tribute With ‘Ordinary Love’
Nelson Mandela. “I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.” I thought of this Nelson Mandela quote a couple of days ago when New Zealand politician John Banks was once again trying to tell all who’d listen that anyone who knows him knows he’s an…
The Dark Gospel Of Johnny Cash – ‘God’s Gonna’ Cut You Down’
Johnny Cash Sometimes I need only the most tenuous* of links to select a brilliant song to play in closing on Newstalk ZB’s The Two (Pam Corkery / Tim Roxborogh – Fridays and Sundays from 8pm) and last night was one of those occasions. Pam had mentioned “ramblers and gamblers” in passing and it made…
When A Great Band Gets A Good Album’s First Single Wrong #U2 #TheKillers
Apologies for the hashtags in the headline, but two of my favourite bands have erred in recent times with their new album’s first single and somebody needs to come forward and tell them. Pick me! Today I was at JB HiFi and was reminded of just how brilliant and inspirational U2 can be. Lots of…
The Edge Turns 50 – U2’s Best Soul Song
The vitriol against U2 fascinates me. A recent article here in New Zealand about Bono being the biggest prat in music attracted pages and pages of comments, most of them agreeing. Here is arguably the most dominant band of the last 30 years, a musical outfit capable of rock, pop, soul, electronica, dance, rock ‘n’ roll,…
When U2 Teamed Up With Johnny Cash
U2. With news U2 have just beaten the Rolling Stones for the highest grossing concert tour of all time, (tipped to pass US $700 million) I felt compelled to go for a stroll around the Lindeman Island golf-course with my iPod set to nothing but Bono, The Edge, Adam and Larry. And Johnny. I’ve always…