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The U2 Reader You can imagine that the biggest rock band in the world has generated a lot of press, and not all of it good. The U2 Reader offers a sampling of that media frenzy, covering some of the biggest issues in U2's quarter century career. The articles range from their very first mention in a suburban Dublin newspaper to Time, Spin, and Rolling Stone features. Everything is fair game, from the band's political and spiritual gesturing, to being on the road, to the opinions of their peers, and even the shrewd business dealings that have made U2 rich. The U2 snapshot is certainly from the media's perspective, always fishing for the fairy tale story (the roots story of a notice posted on a school bulletin board is repeated ad nauseam) or soundly bashing then praising the band (see Rattle & Hum vs. Achtung Baby or Pop vs. All That You Can't Leave Behind). The thematic grouping of the articles, rather than chronological, seems to leave gaps in the band's history. The media extravaganza of the ZooTV tour is more of a footnote than a milestone. But despite these drawbacks, there is an inside view of the band, ranging from their admitted lack of musicianship in the early days to Bono's struggle with stardom and egomania. |
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