The Art of Reinvention
Few things are more American than the comeback. In all walks of life, we love the rise, the fall and the rise again story arc. I think it fits in nicely with our historical character as a people, going all the way back to manifest destiny and the wide open possibilities for anyone with initiative and drive. At our birth as a people, it was only the driven and adventurous who made the trip over in the first place (or debt prisoners). Rock and roll is essentially an American art form, regardless of the nationality of its practitioners. And as Bono himself has said, the American Myth has always been something of a religion to the Irish.
So the comeback is something we love in all walks of life; politics, business, sports and our entertainment. But even better than the mere comeback is the successful reinvention, because not only do you rise again from the ashes of your past, but you do it with something new to say or do, not merely successfully reproducing what worked before. There are quite a few reinvention stories in rock music. Some are not artistically great, but at least are commercially successful (take Aerosmith, turning from washed up hard rock dinos into power ballad kings in the 90's).
Bands have several options once they have a huge hit record. They could pull a Dire Straits or Peter Gabriel and lay low for several years, allowing the dust and expectations to settle (as each did after Brothers in Arms and So, respectively). They could try to recapture the same vibe and magic, usually to diminishing returns (INXS after Kick). They could call it a day and go out on top of the world, avoiding the question of “what do we do next?” altogether (The Police after Synchronicity). Or, they could pull the most difficult trick of all, which is to realize that they cannot improve upon their current sound, and therefore go back to the drawing board and create a new sound. This is risky, because why leave the comfort of what got you there? Will your fans rebel?
After U2 released The Joshua Tree in 1987, they were the biggest band in the world. Years ago when I gave you my Favorite Records list, The Joshua Tree was (and still is) my favorite record of all time. It is near perfection. What the hell do you do after a Joshua Tree? They stalled with Rattle and Hum and its disaster of a documentary film that came close to turning U2 into a joke. Seeing the road ahead after Rattle and Hum, they almost broke up, then they decided to leave America, spiritually and musically, and return to Europe in their aesthetic. They went to Berlin (and back to Dublin) and tried to capture some of that Bowie/Eno Low vibe.
The result was the most impressive reinvention in rock history. From being on top of the world with The Joshua Tree, they were able to revamp their entire sound and remain on top with Achtung Baby. The fact that both The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby are two of the greatest and most admired records of the past thirty years says volumes about the talent and resilience of Ireland’s greatest band. It is also a testament to what quite a bit of desperation can do. Achtung Baby was a rebirth, and such a creative burst is rare in a band that had already been around for a decade.
What To Listen To:
Boy was an auspicious debut, made most exciting by Edge’s already interesting approach to the guitar. War was the culmination of their first period, U2 at their most earnest, political and confrontational. Unforgettable Fire was a transitional record, but it is also one of my favorites. Producers Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno helped U2 create their most atmospheric music. The Joshua Tree, as I said above, is about as perfect as a record can be. Perfectly paced, produced, written, performed…I cannot suggest a single improvement. Achtung Baby shows U2 diving into European dance rhythms and industrial sounds with aplomb, while still retaining their way with a hook. Zooropa is viewed as a toss-off (because it kinda is), but while not as great as Actung Baby, I think that it actually captures their Euro ambitions even better. The live EP Under a Blood Red Sky is U2 in their early glory. I don’t think they’ve gotten it right yet as far as compilations go. Best of 1980-1990, Best of 1990-2000 and U218 Singles all have wonderful tracks, of course, but they are all haphazardly sequenced, are missing some essential songs, and make for a fragmented view of the most important band of the last 30 years. A solid, comprehensive box set is really in order for these guys. They have released each record of theirs through 1987 (so far) in deluxe editions with an extra disc containing b-sides, live cuts and remixes from the appropriate period. If you are a fan, they are all really worthwhile, as U2’s b-sides are often equal to what makes it on the albums.
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