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A review by thebeardedpoet
U2: At the End of the World by Bill Flanagan, Bill Flanigan
4.0
U2 at the End of the World covers the history of the band in the early 1990s. My favorite material in this book is about the bro-mance between Bono and Frank Sinatra. (Yeah, you read that right!) Sinatra is a major character in the second half of the book.
Flanagan also provides an up close view of the making of two albums "Achtung Baby" and "Zooropa." I enjoyed the descriptions of how songs were built up in the studio with the creative nurturing of Brian Eno.
Embedded with the band throughout the two years of their Zoo TV tour around the world, Flanagan details the strange change in perspective experienced by a band on tour for months at a time--in particular how difficult it is to acclimate to being home when it's all over.
The book provides some suggestion of how the Christian faith of three of the members affect their art, life on the road, and their big decisions. However, their faith is not front and center during this era of their career. I was struck most by how Bono interacted with strangers, in particular women who either suggested or explicitly offered to have sex with him. Bono stuck to conversation every time. The author observes this is Bono's way of maintaining fidelity to his wife: if he sees a woman whom he finds attractive, he talks her up until he finds out why it would never work out. Bono comes across as a person who works hard to do the right thing and to maintain morality even when there are risks or costs. Still the band is a rock band touring out in the secular world, so they recognize that they are sometimes distant from God and pushing the boundaries of what Christians and perhaps even Christ himself might consider holy.
The book really deals best with the group dynamics of U2--how they function as collaborative artists and equal business partners. There was much discussion about how they financially divide all earnings equally, even though the Edge and Bono are the primary song writers. Flanagan explores the tensions caused by the arrangement and speculates on the outcome of future renegotiations.
Flanagan also provides an up close view of the making of two albums "Achtung Baby" and "Zooropa." I enjoyed the descriptions of how songs were built up in the studio with the creative nurturing of Brian Eno.
Embedded with the band throughout the two years of their Zoo TV tour around the world, Flanagan details the strange change in perspective experienced by a band on tour for months at a time--in particular how difficult it is to acclimate to being home when it's all over.
The book provides some suggestion of how the Christian faith of three of the members affect their art, life on the road, and their big decisions. However, their faith is not front and center during this era of their career. I was struck most by how Bono interacted with strangers, in particular women who either suggested or explicitly offered to have sex with him. Bono stuck to conversation every time. The author observes this is Bono's way of maintaining fidelity to his wife: if he sees a woman whom he finds attractive, he talks her up until he finds out why it would never work out. Bono comes across as a person who works hard to do the right thing and to maintain morality even when there are risks or costs. Still the band is a rock band touring out in the secular world, so they recognize that they are sometimes distant from God and pushing the boundaries of what Christians and perhaps even Christ himself might consider holy.
The book really deals best with the group dynamics of U2--how they function as collaborative artists and equal business partners. There was much discussion about how they financially divide all earnings equally, even though the Edge and Bono are the primary song writers. Flanagan explores the tensions caused by the arrangement and speculates on the outcome of future renegotiations.