When asked what season I love the most, autumn is the usual reply. What with the cool, crisp air, the turned leaves that resemble Joseph’s magic Technicolor coat. But when spring comes, I always reconsider.
The sun returns from its slumber. Flowers burst forth and the weather warms my toes – for it is barefoot season again. Spring also makes me fall in love all over again. And when I say love, I mean lust. What with the acres of exposed skin, seething flesh, long luxurious legs, and bountiful boobies.
Yeah, boobies. I love spring for the boobies.
My first true love, the one I’ll always remember is a little Irish rock band called U2.
The year was 1987 I was 11 years old, puberty was in the air, and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” was in heavy rotation. What a great, f-ing song. Seriously, it’s one of the greatest rock songs ever. Put me on a desert island and that song, nay, the whole bloody album will be coming with me.
That year, and for many to come, I ensconced myself in U2. I went back and bought their old albums, I practically lived with Wide Awake in America in my car. They went live with Rattle and Hum, I memorized ever line from Bono’s mouth. They became electronic and ironic, and I came along for the ride.
They were my band.
Over the years U2 and I have parted ways. The dance beats of Pop didn’t move me. They repented their ways and returned to their roots, but I moved on. I discovered jazz and the jam. But no matter how far apart we’ve grown, I’ll always remember my first true love.
U2
08/28/93
Dublin, Ireland
This was the final stop of the European leg of their ZooTV tour. What better place to finish up than back home? It is some year and a half after they unveiled the ironic sensibilities of their Zoo TV stage presence. Bono has now become The Fly an enigmatic caricature of a rock star – part Jim Morrison, part Lou reed – donning leather pants, slicked hair and wrap around bubble sun glasses.
Article comments
1 - Duke De Mondo
Sir Brewster, perhaps my favourite installment of this great series thus far. Those opening paragraphs may be the funniest i've read from you. Chuckled out a half-tonne o' Laugh-Laugh, i did, at that boobies remark.
With regards U2, i had a fair ol' fling with them myself in my younger years. I still adore Rattle & Hum, The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby! but, as happened also at your end, i kinda moved off away from them.
You've made me wanna go back and listen to Rattle & Hum again, or better yet, fling on that ol' VHS copy of the film, since the version of Running To Stand Still on there is breathtaking. Brilliant version of Sunday Bloody Sunday, too, better even than the one on Under A Blood Red Sky.
Again, excellent work, Sir Brewster.
2 - chantal stone
Ahhh U2...I had my fling with them all through middle school and high school. My love affair started when I heard Under a Blood Red Sky for the first time. and Wide Awake in America stayed in my Sony Walkman...
I saw them play live 5 times between '87 and '88, and I was even able to attend the premier of Rattle and Hum in NY. (yeah, I was a groupie...I won't EVER disclose some of the other crazy stuff I did, and lengths I went to, just to feed my obsession! but they're worth it, no?)
Now, I'm gonna have to go dig out my old vhs Rattle and Hum too.
Excellent article!
3 - El Bicho
"This was the final stop of the European leg of their Pop Mart tour."
Pop Mart coincided with the Pop album. You mean the end of the Zoo TV tour. Although it may have been called Zooropa at this point. I saw this tour three times and the visuals were freakin' phenomonal and tied in thematically. Hands down one of the best tours ever. Forget the bootlegs from this tour and watch the video even though it won't come close to the sensory overload the concert delivered.
4 - Mat Brewster
Thanks Duke. Humor is something I have great difficulty writing. Which is all sort of strange since I spend most of my real life cracking jokes and making with the ha ha. But when I write I get serious for some reason.
Thanks Chantel. For years I rented a VHS copy of Rattle and Hum from the local video store. I swear I could have purchased ten copies of the bloody thing with the money I paid renting. Eventually I did make the purchase, when the same store put their rental copy up for sale.
5 - Mat Brewster
Cripes Bicho, you are correct. It was the final leg of the Zooropa tour. I'll get an editor on that right away.
6 - Mary K. Williams
Rattle and Hum is my favorite U2 album. And the version of "Still Havn't Found What I'm Looking For" from R&H is one of my absolute favorite songs of ALLLLL TIME. Whew!
This was nice Sir Mat - thank you.
7 - DJRadiohead
I was very late to the U2 party, myself. I think I have heard this very bootleg Sir Brewster reviews and it is marvelous if we're talking about the same one.
I never did dig Rattle & Hum though- the CD or the movie (although the CD is better, to me). That's not to say I like nothing on it- it just as an album doesn't hold for me. I own it- I occasionally listen to it. When I need my U2 fix, I go to other albums.
Well done, Sir Brewster. And way to work boobies into the conversation. That is indeed excellent.
8 - chantal stone
Mat....I'm wondering if you ever saw this.....there was a documentary following U2 during the first leg of their US Joshua Tree tour. I think it was either on VH1 or MTV...I'm not sure which one, but it was AWESOME....I had on tape, but managed to lose it over the years.
It was just really incredible--some live concert footage, interviews, behind the scenes of the "Where Streets Have No Name" video, scenes of the band playing pool in some dive bar in the middle of nowhere.
I'd love to get my hands on it again.
9 - Mat Brewster
Thanks for the comments. That is an especially nice version of ISHFWILF Sir Mary. The gospel influences are very cool.
I find I listen to Rattle and Hum very little these days, like you Sir DJ I go elsewhere for my u2 fix, but there was a time when I listened to it relentlessly. The visuals on the movie are fantastic.
Chantel I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. Rattle and Hum was of course filmed during the Joshua Tree tour and contains some of those elements, but I don't know of any other documentary around that time.
10 - Mat Brewster
OH yeah, and any time you can work boobies in an article is a good day.
Boobies, boobies boobies.
11 - chantal stone
Too bad, Mat, I'm sure you would love it if you saw....a lot of impromptu performances, and jam sessions...there's even a scene, I remember, of them rehearsing for a concert, and another scene of them buying cowboy hats a western store in Arizona somewhere. It would make for a good companion to Rattle and Hum...but it was completely separate documentary....almost like a home video.
I'm almost positive I taped it off of MTV, but this was in like 1987, 88.
God, I'm old.
12 - Mark Saleski
great stuff sir brewster.
my favorite live U2 still remains the tape i have of the radio show of their first american show in boston. the version of "An Cat Dubh" killed.
13 - DJRadiohead
My favorite live U2 was Lexington, KY - Elevation tour. I was there. First U2 concert. The night I became a U2 fan.
Other favorite - The Slane Castle DVD version of "Out of Control" is one of the coolest things on the whole damn planet. And the "Bad/40/Streets" from Boston (which can also be found as a b-side for "Electric Storm") makes God happy.
14 - Aaron Fleming
I consider myself a very casual U2 fan. Very very casual, in that I have the Joshua Tree and no other albums. Still, Where The Streets Have No Name is one of the best songs ever.
15 - El Bicho
Aaron, do yourself a favor and pick up "Achtung, Baby".
16 - mat brewster
completely agree with bicho. Actung is completely different than Joshua Tree thoroughly kills throughout.
17 - Kelly
I was at this show. It was my first time ever outside the USA and what a crazy trip it was.
To me, nothing will ever beat ZooTV. The versions of One with Unchained Melody going into Until The End Of The World and then a perfect segue into New Year's Day were just... amazing. Not to mention the unbelievable encores, the great intro, the acoustic set, just unbelievable. And that's just the audio!!! I must go listen to this show again... NOW.
Oh, I almost forgot, this is the show with the version of Bad that Bono dedicates to Michael Jackson. A great version of that song too, though not the greatest.
18 - Mary K. Williams
Still, Where The Streets Have No Name is one of the best songs ever.
Absolutely Sir Fleming. A superb song, I like to train to it.