U2 - Boy (remastered)

Published Wednesday 14th January 2009
U2 - Boy (remastered)
U2 - Boy (remastered)

STYLE: Rock
RATING 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 77211-
LABEL: Island
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 2

Reviewed by John Cheek

"We don't sound like any other group. Our songs are different - they hold emotions of a spiritual nature." The lack of a new U2 long-player - now scheduled for 2nd March - has ensured renewed interest in last year's remastered, reissued first three albums. Although it's hard to believe, there was a time when U2's peers weren't Oasis, R.E.M. or the Stones; 'Boy' comes from an era when The Blades and Protex featured among their contemporaries as Dublin's finest debuted amidst the mod revival and where Blondie, Talking Heads and The Clash were expected to clean-up the decade. 'Boy' is testimony to U2's longevity and to how relevant they sounded in 1980. As those latter artists got high on "experimentation", U2 were in the vanguard of post-punk and the sad beauty of things like "The Ocean" threatened to mask the sheer innocence and naivety, not just of the lyrics but the sonic landscapes of "I Will Follow" and "Out Of Control". Remastered, they yield a new freshness as four teenagers grapple with adolescent feelings towards relationships, spirituality and adult life. Containing the most interesting bonus CD of the three, there's 1978's "Street Missions" - a song I'd only heard previously on a rare, bootleg tape. Well worth investigating.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.

Be the first to comment on this article

We welcome your opinions but libellous and abusive comments are not allowed.












We are committed to protecting your privacy. By clicking 'Send comment' you consent to Cross Rhythms storing and processing your personal data. For more information about how we care for your data please see our privacy policy.

NAVIGATION
CONNECT WITH CROSS RHYTHMS
SIGNUP

Connect with Cross Rhythms by signing up to our email mailing list

A Step Change...
Cross Rhythms Media Training Centre
MORE ARTICLES
DISCOGRAPHY
ARTIST PROFILES
Artists & DJs A-Z
# A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z #
Or keyword search

 

PRAYER ROOMS
Watering Hole
Be heard in your pain and needs and cry out to your God in our Prayer Room