" ~~~ U2 ~~~ "

Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
edited September 2010 in Other Music
STARS COME OUT TO BID VERTIGO FAREWELL
December 10, 2006


The stars came out tonight in Honolulu to help U2 close out the 5th and
final leg of the Vertigo Tour. Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong joined
the band for "The Saints Are Coming," and that was followed immediately
by a cover of "Rockin' In the Free World" with members of Pearl Jam.
Larry had the final words of the night: "See you soon...."

see the full set list at U2tours.com >>

http://www.u2tours.com/detail.src?ID=20061209
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  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    Bono, U2's Aloha Stadium finale monumental
    Advertiser Staff
    By Derek Paiva

    Advertiser Entertainment Writer

    "We can be as one tonight."

    A full 342 days after his band's concert was officially announced, Bono
    finally sang those words to a near-sellout Aloha Stadium crowd as U2's
    long and winding Vertigo tour came to a monumental close last night.

    Over 2 1/2 hours and 24 U2 classics, the lead vocalist of America's
    favorite rock band from Dublin sang to, preached to and occasionally
    reached into the masses, trying to move them spiritually, politically
    and emotionally.

    A concert equally as entertaining as it was massive in scale and
    execution? Definitely. A rock show perhaps a bit too tightly
    choreographed in the theatrics and special effects department? Kind of.

    But such grand-scale proceedings were nothing unexpected from a band
    long proficient in moving stadiums with the exacting professionalism of
    brain surgeons at the top of their skills.

    A crawl of every date on the Vertigo tour on a towering stage-length
    LED wall of light behind them, U2 slowly emerged from the shadows to
    begin the show. Guitarist the Edge offered subtle riffing, with drummer
    Larry Mullen Jr. and bassist Adam Clayton building tight rhythm.

    And finally, there was Bono — appearing from the shadows on one of two
    long audience-extending catwalks, waving an American flag and kicking
    things off with the soaring "City of Blinding Lights." Dressed entirely
    in black with his now signature wraparound sunglasses snug, he wasted
    little time leading U2 through an entirely satisfying run through its
    illustrious song catalog.

    "Vertigo," "Elevation" and "I Will Follow" kept the crowd's energy up
    early on. After launching a sea of clapping hands on the stadium floor,
    Bono urged the gathered to "take it to church now" by singing along to
    "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For."

    Rock solid as always, Clayton, Mullen and the Edge got deserved
    audience props whenever they took a solo or ambled down the catwalks
    into the crowd. (Each barely said a word the entire show.) But it was
    clear from his first note, and response to every word or act that
    followed, that Bono held the bulk of the crowd's attention and
    affections.

    A shout out to O'ahu's North Shore and a slight change of a "Beautiful
    Day" lyric to "Honolulu right in front of you," by Bono? Roars.
    Switching an "Angel of Harlem" verse to "New York like a Christmas
    tree/Tonight Honolulu belongs to me" accompanied by a wide smile? Even
    louder roars.

    Other highlights early on:

    * Bono blowing a soulful harp on "Angel of Harlem" on one catwalk while
    the Edge jammed on the other.

    * The band allowing a very excited fan plucked from the crowd to play
    keys on "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses."

    * A hushed reading of the rarely-heard-live fan favorite "The First
    Time" with little more than Bono on vocals and the Edge on acoustic
    guitar, and a warm embrace by the two at song's end.

    Through it all, U2's innovative and massive wall of light LED screen
    and two raised video screens delivered animations, visuals of the band
    and other images to the farthest corners of Aloha Stadium, creating a
    surprising intimacy in the huge venue.

    "Love and Peace or Else" effectively launched a seven-song suite of
    politically-charged U2 faves bridged by the politics of Bono. Donning a
    headband with symbols representing Christianity, Islam and Judaism
    partially spelling out the word "coexist," Bono dedicated "Sunday
    Bloody Sunday" to U.S. military personnel. He finished with his now
    ritual hoisting of a child from the crowd on stage to chant the song's
    "No more!" coda.

    "Bullet the Blue Sky" ended with Bono crawling down one of the catwalks
    blindfolded by his "coexist" headband, finally lighting a bright red
    flare — the only moment in the set and show that came uncomfortably
    close to unfortunate political parody.

    Thankfully, the band redeemed itself with an inspired finish of "Pride
    (In the Name of Love)," "Where the Streets Have No Name" and "One,"
    rounding out the main set. Prior to "One," Bono asked the crowd to hold
    their mobile phones aloft and text the Make Poverty History
    organization. Their freshly added names were later scrolled on the
    stage's giant LED screen.

    U2 offered a couple of apologies during the evening for the show's
    postponement. (The final 10 concerts of the Vertigo tour, including the
    Honolulu finale's original April date, had been postponed due to an
    illness in the Edge's immediate family.)

    "Thank you for giving us a second chance," said Bono to the crowd, a
    few songs into the concert. "Thank you for hanging around."

    The crowd roared that it was all OK. Bono then turned to the Edge and
    thanked him for staying strong.

    "For a carbon-based life form, this cat can play," said Bono.

    A first encore that featured crowd favorites "The Fly," "Mysterious
    Ways" and "With or Without You" preceded a second encore that finally
    brought the concert its first wonderfully little-rehearsed surprise.

    Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong appeared on stage at Bono's request to
    accompany U2 on guitar and vocals for both bands' hit "The Saints Are
    Coming." Welcomed back after Pearl Jam's incendiary hourlong opening
    set, vocalist Eddie Vedder and guitarist Mike McReady rocked with Bono
    & Co. on a cover of Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World."

    The spectacle of Bono and Vedder sharing a spontaneous dance on stage
    and McReady and the Edge trading soaring solos even had Kid Rock
    nodding his head and Anthrax's Scott Ian air guitaring with friends in
    a field-level sound booth.

    Done co-leading a stadium-wide "We love the Edge!" chant with Vedder,
    Bono broke from script and motioned the band for one more song. With
    just Bono, the Edge, Mullen and Clayton on stage, U2 ended its Honolulu
    visit quietly with the lovely "Rattle and Hum" ballad "All I Want Is
    You."

    The song slowly coming to an end, each member disappeared from the
    stage with a wave. First Bono, then Clayton, then a final note from the
    Edge, until Mullen, bringing his beats slowly to a close, was the only
    soul left on stage.

    "Thank you for waiting," he said, clearly moved. "See you soon."

    No group hugs or bows for U2 at the end of another long road trip. They
    were ready to go home.
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
    That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    Irish band U2 thrills 47,000 faithful
    Aloha Stadium is overrun by fans for the finale of the band's Vertigo
    world tour

    By Gary C.W. Chun

    It was the last night to attend the church of U2 at Aloha Stadium
    Saturday, and the near sell-out "congregation" literally rocked the
    stands to end the band's Vertigo World Tour. As Bono mentioned early
    on, it was "a gathering of the faithful," and thanked the fans that had
    gathered last night from the world over for their patience and faith in
    the band.

    To celebrate the many months spent on the road, first all 131 dates
    scrolled on the giant video projection screen on stage, ending with a
    roar from the crowd on "131. Honolulu." With that, guitarist the Edge
    launched into the opener "City of Blinding Lights."

    The versatile staging, high-definition video screen, and the two
    192-speaker banks that emitted a crisp, clean sound, made for one of
    the more technically sophisticated shows at the stadium. It was proof
    positive that U2 does put on the best concerts around.

    The band's set and two encores were filled with songs that have been
    staples on this last Pacific Rim leg of the world tour. After the
    opening power of "City...," "Vertigo" and "Elevation," U2 delighted the
    roaring crowd with a ringing rendition of their very first '80s hit, "I
    Will Follow."

    The staging included two semi-circular ramps extending from the stage
    and into the eager audience in the field area. When the band members,
    at times, walked down the ramps to be amongst the crowd, there was an
    intimate and comfortable rapport between U2 and their adoring audience.

    People in the crowd were sometimes invited on stage to interact with
    Bono. One lucky audience member actually had the guts to get up on
    stage, position himself behind the Edge's keyboard setup, and actually
    lead the band through an unexpected and impromptu rendition of the
    rarely played "Who's Gonna Ride Your White Horses." At song's end, he
    gleefully ran down the stage right ramp and leapt for joy back into the
    crowd.

    Bono showed he was in fine voice as well, getting cheers and
    spontaneous applause for his singing on "Sometimes You Can't Make It on
    Your Own," a tribute to his late father, and "Miss Sarajevo," where he
    negotiated his way around the original Luciano Pavarotti Italian
    operatic tenor part very well.

    But along with the declarations of faith, both spiritual and secular,
    was the sociopolitical statements, highlighted by the one-two punch of
    "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Bullet the Blue Sky." Bono exhorted the
    crowd to honor the faiths of Christianity, Judaism and Islam as the
    word "coexist" was shown behind him in large red letters.

    The articles of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights also scrolled
    behind the band during a hearty version of "Pride (In the Name of
    Love)," the song that honors the memory of Martin Luther King and had
    its actual roots during the band's last Hawaii visit way back in 1984.

    U2 ended the set proper in a darkenend stadium lit up by cellphones,
    with the song "One" also a plea to the audience to join the nearly
    half-a-million people who have signed up for Bono's One campaign to
    fight AIDS and poverty, particularly in Africa.

    The band would encore twice: first, with a visual dazzle on "The Fly"
    and "Mysterious Ways," then stark and sombre with a moving "With or
    Without You."

    But the final encore of the tour was the big surprise. After doing one
    of their new singles "Window in the Skies," Green Day's Billie Joe
    Armstrong came out to join the band on "The Saints are Coming," a song
    he and his bandmates did with U2 when the football New Orleans Saints
    came back to a once devastated gulf city and its Louisiana Superdome to
    open its home season.

    Right after that, guests Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam
    joined the band on a revised rendition of Neil Young's "Rockin' In the
    Free World," complete with new lyrics that spelled out the two bands'
    work to end extreme poverty.

    U2 would have the last word, however, as the night would end on a
    gentle "All I Want Is You." And with that, the large crowd happily
    dispersed into the Hawaiian night, knowing that they had seen a very
    special concert.
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
    That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    U2 Wraps Vertigo Tour With Honolulu Blowout
    December 10, 2006, 2:00 PM PT
    Jonathan Cohen, Honolulu

    U2 wrapped its box-office busting Vertigo tour last night (Dec. 9) in
    front of a packed house at Honolulu's Aloha Stadium with a show that
    featured guest turns from members of opening act Pearl Jam as well as
    Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong. Several members of the
    audience were pulled onto the stage as well, including one lucky man
    who got to play piano with the band during "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild
    Horses."

    The 24-song set began as usual with "City of Blinding Lights," from the
    group's 2004 album "How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb," as Bono ran the
    gamut of the heart-shaped stage extension waving the American flag.
    Other early set highlights included "I Will Follow," "Angel of Harlem"
    and "Sunday Bloody Sunday," during which a little girl sat with Bono
    atop the stage monitors.

    U2 guitarist the Edge was saluted on a number of occasions, with Bono
    crediting his "grace under pressure, faith and perseverance." Although
    no formal announcement was ever made, it is understood U2 postponed
    several Vertigo dates from spring to this fall while a member of the
    Edge's immediate family underwent treatment for a life-threatening
    disease.

    The main set wound down with a trio of smash hits: "(Pride) In the Name
    of Love," "Where the Streets Have No Name" and "One," with fans
    encouraged to hold their cell phone aloft during the latter as a show
    of solidarity for the Make Poverty History campaign.

    Armstrong was a surprise guest for a cover of Scottish punk band the
    Skis' "The Saints Are Coming," which U2 and Green Day recorded as a
    charity single for the Music Rising initiative. Armstrong had only
    performed the track live with the band once before.

    Afterward, Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready joined U2 for
    Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World," which they debuted, with new
    lyrics, last month during an anti-poverty benefit in Australia. The
    show closed with a subdued rendering of "All I Want Is You," as drummer
    Larry Mullen Jr. sent the crowd home with a smile: "See you soon."

    Soon will likely be in 2008, U2 manager Paul McGuinness tells
    Billboard.com. U2 will first regroup in the studio, with an eye on
    releasing its next album by late 2007. And although final numbers are
    not yet in, the Vertigo tour is already the second-highest grossing
    trek of all time behind the Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang, with its
    total expected to exceed $377 million.

    In a rare opening slot, Pearl Jam charged through a 13-song set heavy
    on favorites like "Corduroy," "Better Man," "Elderly Woman Behind the
    Counter in a Small Town," "Even Flow" and "Alive." The Seattle band
    wrapped its performance with a cover of the Who's "Baba O'Riley" that
    worked the crowd into a frenzy.

    A number of Hollywood celebrities were on hand for the show, including
    Jeremy Piven, Mira Sorvino and Alyssa Milano.
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
    That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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  • boy I knew I should have gone!!!! I hope the guy who bought my ticket had a good time.
  • PoncierPoncier Posts: 16,169
    Bathgate66 wrote:
    Alyssa Milano.
    :drool:
    This weekend we rock Portland
  • I can't understand why bono says "Thanks for hanging around". Why would anyone leave that paid for a ticket?
  • LizardLizard So Cal Posts: 12,069
    and I heard Kid Rock was there.
    :drool:

    :choke:
    :gag:


    :D:D
    So I'll just lie down and wait for the dream
    Where I'm not ugly and you're lookin' at me
  • brhf9brhf9 Posts: 1,475
    Ok, now feel free to post the mp3s...
    'Go easy, step lightly, stay free!'

    You have been banned for the following reason:
    inappropriate post.

    'Too many people on this earth. We need a new plague.' - Dwight Schrute
  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    brhf9 wrote:
    Ok, now feel free to post the mp3s...


    and what will you be contributing , besides downloads ?

    :confused:
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
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  • brhf9brhf9 Posts: 1,475
    Bathgate66 wrote:
    and what will you be contributing , besides downloads ?

    :confused:

    What do you want?
    'Go easy, step lightly, stay free!'

    You have been banned for the following reason:
    inappropriate post.

    'Too many people on this earth. We need a new plague.' - Dwight Schrute
  • I fell in love with U2 again after the saturday show, It was amazing ....
  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    I fell in love with U2 again after the saturday show, It was amazing ....


    you lucky devil !

    i'm green in envy
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
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  • catefrancescatefrances Posts: 29,003
    toddiet123 wrote:
    I can't understand why bono says "Thanks for hanging around". Why would anyone leave that paid for a ticket?

    he meant having the patience to wait for the postponed tour to restart. he said it in brisbane at the gig i was at and doubtless more times at other
    re scheduled gigs. when i saw U2 in brisbane i had to blow off pearl jam #1 in sydney.
    hear my name
    take a good look
    this could be the day
    hold my hand
    lie beside me
    i just need to say
  • enharmonicenharmonic Posts: 1,926
    Bono is one of my favorite voices in rock. That guy is special.
  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    watching the vertigo DVD from milan in 05, which was part of the new U218 Limited Edition Package .


    those European crowds in those Stadiums make us Americans in our Arenas look silly,... :eek:
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
    That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    http://www.u2.com/news/index.php?mode=full&news_id=2077







    And The Winners Are...

    More than 3,000 of you entered our competition to win a copy of the Deluxe Edition of 'U218 Singles' . Hundreds of you got all five correct answers and prizes are on the way to ten of you. Winning answers here.

    Here's the original questions - this time with the answers.

    * Pete the Chop (whatever happened to him?) was on the b-side of New Year's Day.

    * It's in the Sky and you can see through it in 2007. Window in the Skies, the upcoming single, released on January 1st.

    * The bonus track on the UK edition of ‘U218 Singles’. Answer: I Will Follow.

    * It's the song in which Bono insists he is 'not a hopeless case'. Beautiful Day, as in 'Touch me, take me to that other place/ Reach me, I know I'm not a hopeless case'

    * This single featured a b-side which, much later, became a single itself and is also on U218 Singles. This single is Where The Streets Have No Name - it came out in 1987 with 'Sweetest Thing' on the b-side, which was itself released as a single in 1998.

    Thanks to all those of you who entered - of the hundreds who got the correct five answers, we randomly selected the ten winners and their prizes will be with them soon.

    We'll be launching a new competition for U2.Com Subscribers in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
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  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    THE U2 VIDEO ... WITHOUT U2
    December 15, 2006


    Just as they did with "The Saints Are Coming", U2 are using YouTube to
    premiere the music video for their new single, "Window In The Skies."
    The video is a veritable who's who of music history crammed into 4:19
    of archival footage, with many artists magically appearing to sing the
    lyrics of U2's song. Terrific editing! The only U2 appearance I could
    see was a shot of Edge in the crowd at about the 3:50 mark....

    watch 'Window In The Skies' on YouTube >>

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VskbxuehP3I
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  • kdpjamkdpjam Posts: 2,303
    i saw this earlier, it is pretty cool !
    lay down all thoughts; surrender to the void
    ~it is shining it is shining~
  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    300 turn out as Bill Gates hosts U2 afterparty
    By Wayne Harada
    Advertiser Columnist

    SHIP SHAPE: U2 didn't have to journey far for its party after
    Saturday's rock-out at Aloha Stadium. A reception aboard the Battleship
    Missouri Memorial docked at Pearl Harbor was hosted by Bill Gates, the
    Microsoft billionaire, with Bono and U2 welcoming 300 folks including
    actor Pierce Brosnan, philanthropist Warren Buffett and
    deejay-entrepreneur Tom Moffatt. ...

    On Sunday Bono joined U2ers at The Kahala resort's Veranda and Plumeria
    Beach House. ...

    On another night, The Edge dined with pals at Jose's Mexican Restaurant
    in Kaimuki. ...
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
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  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    edit:

    The band members can be spotted in the crowd shots.

    Bono at 3:28

    Larry at 3:33

    The Edge at 3:50

    Adam at 3:54
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  • Bathgate66 wrote:
    watching the vertigo DVD from milan in 05, which was part of the new U218 Limited Edition Package .


    those European crowds in those Stadiums make us Americans in our Arenas look silly,... :eek:

    Exactly, I saw U2 in dallas Tx with the arena stage, and saw them too in Mexico city and hawaii and I think that the Stadium stage and show is so much better.
  • Otis64Otis64 Posts: 41
    Bathgate66 wrote:
    watching the vertigo DVD from milan in 05, which was part of the new U218 Limited Edition Package .


    those European crowds in those Stadiums make us Americans in our Arenas look silly,... :eek:



    Indeed they do make us American crowds and stages look silly. Hopefully one day we'll see a full release of that show. Although it doesn't get any better than U2 at the Garden, when is the US gonna get a stadium tour?

    Although we got 2 arena legs for both Elevation and Vertigo, it just seems like the stadium shows are on a different level. Not dissing the arena shows {they're great} or anything but a stadium tour in America would be great.

    SUMMER 07!!!
    It's Gonna Be A Long Walk Home
  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    Otis64 wrote:
    Indeed they do make us American crowds look silly. Hopefully one day we'll see a full release of that show. Although it doesn't get any better than U2 at the Garden, when is the US gonna get a stadium tour?

    Although we got 2 arena legs for both Elevation and Vertigo, it just seems like the stadium shows are on a different level. Not dissing the arena shows {they're great} or anything but a stadium tour in America would be great.

    SUMMER 07!!! Prey!

    I was lucky enough to catch them at Yankee Stadium a few tours back . Even in this historic, monumental venue- ( and it was great as hell ) it didnt have that pizzazz that the European Stadium crowds seem to have ..
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
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  • Here is the new U2 video, I think it's really cool.
    How many artist can you see on that video ??

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VskbxuehP3I&eurl=
  • digsterdigster Posts: 1,293
    that's a fantastic video....i had the largest grin on my face by the time it was over. It's nice to see some modern favorites show up there also (Beck, Radiohead)...

    ...also, it begins and ends with a Frank. Interesting.
  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    Here is the new U2 video, I think it's really cool.
    How many artist can you see on that video ??

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VskbxuehP3I&eurl=


    see above

    The band members can be spotted in the crowd shots.

    Bono at 3:28

    Larry at 3:33

    The Edge at 3:50

    Adam at 3:54
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  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    http://www.u2.com/highlights/?hid=334&PHPSESSID=5e91cf49faf19d7477a931d3b5ebea3b



    A Window on Rock'n'Roll


    The video for Window in the Skies, the new single released on January 1st, can safely be described as ‘legendary’.

    A work of brilliant editing, the video stars a dazzling cast of rock’n’roll icons from Elvis Presley to Marvin Gaye, Patti Smith to Frank Sinatra.. and dozens of others. And everyone is on on lead vocals.

    As for U2 themselves – you’ll be hard pressed to spot them. (But you just might).
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
    That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    Running to Stand Still?
    Review by John Waters of U2 by U2, from The Irish Book Review,
    autumn/winter 2006
    The Irish Book Review, December 19, 2006
    by John Waters

    This is a difficult book to argue with. It's a large format coffee
    table volume weighing about five pounds. It has 350 pages of text and
    photographs. More than half a million copies have been printed in ten
    languages. It will almost certainly go into a second and probably
    subsequent editions. As far as the book is concerned, there isn't
    really all that much to "review". The format is straightforward: a
    chronological journey through U2's career by means of interviews with
    all four band members and their manager. The interviews were conducted
    by Neil McCormick, former Hot Press writer and schoolfriend of the
    band, nowadays rock critic with the Daily Telegraph.

    The temptation for the reviewer is to use the book as a means of
    reviewing the band, or its career, or its meaning for society, but
    that's a tall order for a short review. The strongest sense from this
    book is that it takes us nowhere new. It has much in it that is
    interesting, challenging, moving and important, but, when you have
    finished flicking through it, looking at the pictures and reading
    quotes here and there, you are left with the sense that it represents
    merely the raw research for some further assessment and analysis.

    Full review:

    http://www.atu2.com/news/article.src?ID=4522
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  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    New York Post
    December 19, 2006

    Bono Slams Dems' $1B AIDS Dodge

    By Ian Bishop

    WASHINGTON - Even with Democrats poised to control the government's
    purse strings next year, U2's Bono still hasn't found what he's
    looking for when it comes to U.S. funds to combat AIDS.

    The disappointed U2 frontman stormed away from high-level meetings
    with incoming Democratic leaders late last week without assurances
    that $1 billion in proposed U.S. support would become a reality next
    year.

    "I'm alarmed we could not get a commitment from the Democratic
    leadership to prevent the loss of $1 billion in the continuing
    resolution to fight AIDS, malaria and extreme poverty," the rock star
    said in a statement.

    President Bush had proposed that amount in the past.

    "I don't know who's to blame. Democrats are blaming Republicans,
    Republicans are blaming Democrats," Bono added.

    Congressional leaders are expected to freeze the budgets of federal
    agencies, making it unlikely additional funds will be provided.

    © New York Post, 2006.
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
    That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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  • Bathgate66Bathgate66 Posts: 15,813
    Chicago Sun-Times: True Blue to U2
    December 17, 2006

    True blue to U2
    Band pays gospel-like homage to itself in biographical tome

    By Thomas Conner

    Throughout the encyclopedic "U2 by U2," members of the band sigh a
    lot and lament their deification. "I meet people out on the street
    who approach me like I'm Mahatma Ghandi," Bono complains. Drummer
    Larry Mullen Jr. bemoans how the band is often "described in some
    mythic sense." By the end of this story -- though it's only the
    present, not the end -- Bono is on stage telling a new creation myth,
    about guitarist the Edge coming down to Dublin in a spaceship: "And
    Adam said, 'Where are you from?' And Edge said, 'I'm from the
    future.' And Larry said, 'What's it like?' And Edge said, 'It's
    better.' "

    For a band allegedly chafing from the burdens of fame and nearly
    religious glorification, "U2 by U2" sure feels a lot like gospel.

    An oral history of the band based on more than 150 hours of exclusive
    interviews with members Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Mullen Jr.,
    as well as manager Paul McGuinness, U2 by U2 chronicles the life of
    the quartet that inadvertently became the megastars of a generation
    and described by fans with sometimes disturbing seriousness as "rock
    gods."

    • We have the near-virgin birth: Mullen's now-legendary flier, which
    read simply, "Drummer seeks musicians to form band."

    • We have a sermon on a mount, the Red Rocks concert captured
    on "Under a Blood Red Sky" (and an interesting admission from the
    Edge: "You might notice if you watch the Red Rocks video, there are
    very few crowd shots. The reason for that is the place was only a
    third full").

    • We have saved souls: Bono humbly confesses to turning Bob Dylan's
    life around when the icon joined the band on stage for "Knocking on
    Heaven's Door." "He sang beautifully and the crowd went ballistic,"
    Bono says. "I think that night reminded him just what a feeling there
    was for his music."

    There's the requisite fall from grace (Zoo TV through the
    unfortunate "Pop" record) and redemption ("All That You Can't Leave
    Behind"). And all of it is told in God knows how many hundreds of
    thousands of words crammed into densely leaded pages of small text,
    often printed over a graphic background, making it even harder to
    read.

    The book coincides with a new greatest hits package, "U218," which
    lends the whole thing an air of copying the Beatles' "Anthology."
    That package also featured a book, in the same oral history-and-
    photographs style, whose only marked difference is that it weighed
    approximately one pound more than "U2 by U2" (which is nearly 6
    pounds). If this is a coffee-table book, you or the object of your
    gift giving had better have one sturdy coffee table -- and as strong
    a faith in the band as they clearly have in themselves.

    © Sun-Times News Group, 2006.
    For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
    That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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