U2 Archives | The Quietus

Reviews 5

Supermassive Black Hole (In Your Wallet): The Trouble With Muse At Wembley

Arcade Fire The Suburbs Track By Track Review

U2
The Unforgettable Fire (reissue)

U2 Live Under A Slate Grey Claw: Chris Roberts Reports From Wembley

U2 No Line On The Horizon Track-By-Track Album Review

Articles 21

Anniversary

To Lose The Spark Along The Way: U2’s The Unforgettable Fire

Forty years on from its release – and with the band’s popularity in question more than ever – Wyndham Wallace returns to The Unforgettable Fire, U2’s incendiary denial of expectations and their first encounter with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. (This feature was originally published in 2014)

Books

“Jamaica Has A Magic To It”: An Interview With Chris Blackwell

With the imminent publication of his autobiography (co-authored with Paul Morley), Island Records founder Chris Blackwell talks to Matthew Ingram about recording sessions with Grace Jones, the importance of good cover art, and the trouble with U2

Low Culture Podcast

Low Culture Podcast 13: A tQ Birthday Special!

It's a tQ birthday podcast special covering Live Aid and Guns n'Roses in which John Doran reveals a hitherto unknown love of... Bono!

Books

Fire Up The Versificator! How The Year 1984 Changed Pop

Too late for post-punk too early for acid house, but might 1984 have been the crucial pivot point around which the history of British pop revolves? David Elliott, author of the new book *1984: British Pop's Dividing Year*, investigates

Anniversary

From The Joshua Tree To Pop: Angus Batey Revisits U2

Angus Batey travels back 30 and 20 years to find, respectively, a flawed milestone and an under-appreciated gem but also a band who had lost some of their optimism

Black Sky Thinking

When Bono Vox Met Trump’s Number Two Mike Pence: The CIA Tapes

As David Stubbs wheeled his son's pram past the US embassy he chanced upon a brown manilla envelope of the CIA transcripts of surveillance of top rock band U2 in advance of their singer Bono's friendly chat with President Trump's dastardly assistant Mike Pence

Anniversary

To Lose The Spark Along The Way: U2’s The Unforgettable Fire

Thirty years on from its release – and with the band’s popularity in question more than ever – Wyndham Wallace returns to The Unforgettable Fire, U2’s incendiary denial of expectations and their first encounter with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois

Black Sky Thinking

Songs Of Innocence: On U2, Tax & Hypocrisy

John Doran is singularly unimpressed by U2's invocation of William Blake's Songs Of Innocence. Shouldn't they stop cosying up to morally bankrupt corporations, banks, philosophers, religious leaders and politicians instead?

Black Sky Thinking

A World Of Dreaded Fear: Revisiting Band Aid’s Lyrical Crime Scene

Band Aid raised awareness of a disastrous famine, as well as huge sums of money to try ease it but, one year ahead of its 30th anniversary, Wyndham Wallace begs us to condemn, not celebrate, a song whose lyrics are uglier than Rupert Murdoch’s ballsack

Anniversary

25 Years On: U2’s Zooropa Revisited

Julian Marszalek reckons the stadium bestriding rock band's eighth album is an often overlooked gem in their back catalogue

Books

On The Road: Travels Between Rock & Hard Places With Andrew Mueller

Andrew Mueller rummages through his now borderline-classic book, Rock & Hard Places, reissued and revised this October, and digs out ten pivotal moments from his years on and off the bus

A Quietus Interview

Herbert Goes ‘Banana’: Germany’s Biggest Star Takes On England

Virtually unknown in Britain, Herbert Grönemeyer is a huge star in his native Germany, having sold 18 million albums. Now his sights are set on the country he called home for over a decade. Wyndham Wallace meets him at Berlin’s Hansa Studios…

A Quietus Interview

From A Charred Corpse: The Strange Passion Of Irish Post Punk

Ian Maleney speaks to Andy Votel and numerous musicians about the "locked down" sound of protest emerging from the Irish Underground in the early 80s

A Quietus Interview

A catholic Education: Gavin Friday Interviewed

Mature lensman Gentleman Jim Dyson talks to former Virgin Prune Gavin Friday about his new album catholic

Film

Where The Screens Have No Shame: Killing Bono Reviewed

The story of bad wannabe rock stars becomes an equally bad film. Terry Staunton finds himself stuck in a movie he can’t wait to get out of

Anniversary

Adolescent Awkwardness: U2’s Boy 40 Years On

Ben Graham confesses his love for early U2, and implores us to remember them before they became the biggest band in the world.

A Quietus Interview

A Wild Nobility: An Adam Ant Exclusive By Simon Price

After a 15-year period away from the music business Adam Ant is back in the spotlight once again. Simon Price meets a musical maverick and iconic star of the 80s to talk inspiration, madness and coming back fighting

Film

Jeremy Deller On Depeche Mode: The Posters Came From The Walls

As part of our look ahead to this weekend's Branchage Film Festival, The Quietus sits down with artist Jeremy Deller to discuss his new film about Depeche Mode, _The Posters Came From The Walls_

Black Sky Thinking

Ben Myers Salutes The Return Of The Rock Opera

As Green Day announce a rock opera based on American Idiot, Ben Myers casts his beady eye over the much-maligned genre

A Quietus Interview

Pet Shop Boys: Our Back Catalogue Is 25 Years Of Social Commentary

Julian Marszalek meets pop renaissance man Neil Tennant to talk Potemkin, production and pop

Black Sky Thinking

Give Him A Bono And He’ll Gnaw It. Mr Agreeable Reviews U2

Baker’s Dozen Appearances 5

Baker's Dozen

Early Music: Sarah Davachi’s Favourite Albums

Following the release in September of double album 'Cantus, Descant', as well as an impending live album, Sarah Davachi shares a selection of formative records from her teenage years and studies

Baker's Dozen

Call The Police! – Terry Bickers’ Favourite Albums

One of 80s indie's defining guitarists talks us through his 13 albums – and risks the ire of purists everywhere by insisting that sometimes compilations are best

Baker's Dozen

The Right Things: David McAlmont’s Favourite Albums

As McAlmont And Butler mark the 20th anniversary of The Sound Of... with a deluxe reissue and a run of tour dates, David McAlmont pens us his own Baker's Dozen, moving through his 13 most formative albums