Birdwell ([email protected])
Sun, 29 Nov 1998 06:01:12 -0500
Why I adore U2 by Birdwell --a wordy bastard...
(hee hee I feel like I am doing one of those themes from grade school)
U2 has always been apart of my life...even though at the time I didn't know
it, my mum always told me a story about this really persistant guy in a band
that had asked her to his hotel room, she never really gave details. But it
wasn't till I began to drive, that I really began to get into U2. (Now I
know what you are going to say...uh huh, great another one of those heresay
stories...but I would like to believe my mum is an honest woman.) Anyways,
my mum was driving me to driving school and to make conversation I asked her
if she remembered the band's name...I had always thought it was some stupid
70's hippy band. She said they were Irish...U something...my chin dropped
to my lap. U2???? Yea, my mum said slowly, that sounds right... Ohmigod!!
I felt as if a megaton bomb exploded in my chest...mum tell me
more..please!!!!!! Turns out after my parents divorce in '81, while she was
living in Boston and me and my Da in Utah...she would go clubbing. One
night her and her mates where at a club in Boston listening to this new band
U2, she was doin her thang-dancing, having fun et al. After the set the
band was at the bar--enjoying their free drinks, my mum saw her moment to
thank them. She had a great time and being the great gal she is, wanted to
let them know how great they were. So they talked...she can't remember
about what...just chit chat I guess. Eventually one of the guys (I grabbed
my JT cd when I got home, and asked her if she cou'd identify the guy...she
pointed to Bono) casually mentioned..."you know it get's very lonely in our
hotel rooms at night..." ah ha we know he was going...poor guy and his
terrible pick up lines. Well my mum being the careful type, declined.
She's here with friends. "Are you sure we could get you a cab." No, I need
to get back to the base. "Are you sure??" Sorry. And she left. Well,
let's just say that hit me like a ton of bricks...my mother and U2!!! My
mother said no to Bono!!!?!?! So I began to have a small interest in the
band...listened to the copy of JT my best mate gave me...pretty good
stuff...
But it wasn't till pop came out a year or so later...that I latched on and
never let go...when I heard them I felt connected...they understood what was
going on in my frazzled little mind. Gone and Mofo were the vocalisations
of my own heart. The greatest gift U2 gave me was giving my soul words to
express itself. I remember waking up early to get Pop from Tower records
and rushing home so I could hear a bit of it before going to class...I only
heard the first minutes of Discotheque...I had thrills and chills coursing
up and down my back and my legs. I went to class on a cloud....in rabid
anticipation of going back to my flat and listening to the rest. And the
rest was ambrosia. I bought AB and Zooropa the next day..I only had JT and
a few other songs I had on compilation tapes my mates had made for me. I
plugged these songs into my walk man and found peace in a time of darkness.
In a time where I craved to be understood, and not getting any...I found
four paddies that did. I remember walking somewhere listening to I think
Pop and stopping hit by a sudden realisation...they understand!! Thus my
world was forever changed...I began to dig for anything about U2...books,
articles, net stuff...and I took my luke warm u2 fan friends along for the
ride. I learned that these guys not only make great music...but these guy
personally are fantastic!!!! These four paddies still live in their
hometown, they all have been together for 20 years. The list goes on and
you all know what I mean...these guys are great!! I found out that Edge and
I were related...it's soo spooky we have the same ears. (My family is heavy
into the geneology), Bono and I are so similair in personality its
frightening to think that there's another one of my types running around
(and he's loaded so he can pretty much do what ever the hell he wants to),
Larry and I share filmmaking interests (an article I found last year--he
wants to find a young filmmaker to make music for film with--that's me!!),
and for some reason Adam seems damn familair...I have "seen" him before.
Shrug...I have all sorts of weird connects to these guys...no I am not
obsessive...not really...just all these weird connections freak me out.
More than their genius music I love these boys for who they are and what
they have done. Their work with charities and their exploration of
religion, love, politics, and betreyal...are above and beyond their
contempories.
Yes and their music is enough to be grounds for idolarisation. Boy makes me
feel like a teenager again, trying to find out who I am in this messed up
world. October helps me deal with the loss of a parent..."Won't you come
back tomorrow"...it reminds me of the silence in the world and the peace
that it can bring and the loneliness that it can invoke. War, from SBS, I
came to grips with the violence of my life and the violence I felt was to
come. UF...a sweet beautiful record that reminds me of home...and Bad that
reminds me that I am not alone in my feelings of explosion. JT was merely
pure genius...U2 stepped up to the plate and hit a homerun...the bass line
and guitar whine in WOWY sends chills through my bones (and as a personal
side note: the video NEEDS to be redone, sorry all you die hards but that
video does not properly capture that song...now if they let me at it...I
even have the scipt all ready.) WTSHNN...gawd...I'll take that run too B.
And I hope U2 never find what they are looking for!!...then the grand
promise and glory that is life would be over...Running to Stand Still is not
an anti drug anthem to me...its a song about a girl who is trapped, doesn't
have to be by drugs, but possibly a society that holds her prisoner in a
hall of mirrors...or a dark bleak city that holds no promise only in that
small patch of blue is there some hope. R&H...wow...God Part II, Hawkmoon
269 and Desire..the DRUMS!! the vocals..melt me like butter. When I feel
like the world is caving in on me and I am about to give in...I pop in AB
and listen to the last three tracks over and over ...Ultraviolet (Light my
Way), Acrobat and Love is Blindness...(go and get the lyric sheet and pop in
AB...it makes everything all right!! Myserious Ways remix is a trip through
funky wire...wheeee...(not to mention another weird factoid, my mum was a
amatuer belly dancer for a time in the early 80's...hmmm). One...well it
touches me differently each time I hear it...a song of such breadth and
scope...it defies words. Zooropa...ahhh...a record that began as a small
little thing that blew up into a beautiful, delving record. ...with insights
into the crazy world we call reality...seen more clearly through the tour
weary eyes of U2. And I already went into the utter spectacular genius that
is Pop. To me each record keeps getting better and better...I can scarcely
wait for the next morph of genius!!!
So to sum it up...it's the boys themselves that lend them to be
worshipped...their cute antics and personalities...their gusto...to get on
stage with a 40 ft mirror ball lemon, a huge golden arch and a olive. From
the early days to now...they still have their hearts on their sleeve and the
minds into tomorrow.
Most of this is rambling it is after all almost 6 am and I haven't gone to
bed yet...hope some of this made sense. And didn't offend any precious
conception of the band and such. Remember in 81 Bono wasn't married
yet....so don't get all angry as I know tempers are fierce right now. Love
ya all.
smooches and all that rot,
Birdwell<--ask me about my connections...I have so many stories its
frightening....and come to my web page..for Gavin Friday fans its a MUST!!
Come Visit us! The Dublin Meatpackers!
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Birdland/3110/
you can swallow, or you can spit, or you can just fucking duck!
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