U2 : the definitive biography /

Jobling presents the first unauthorized biography of the iconic Irish band in their almost 40-year career, and he offers a warts-and-all group portrait of the four members: Paul Bono Hewson (charismatic fireball), Dave the Edge Evans (quiet . . . with a sly sense of humor), Adam Clayton (a charming rebel), and Larry Mullen Jr. (quiet and short in stature). Jobling describes their early days in Dublin, when they played to half-empty clubs and received rejection after rejection from record labels. With the exception of Clayton a perennial hard-partying free spirit the other band members belonged to an Evangelical Christian group, and Jobling describes their struggles balancing their Christian values and rock 'n' roll's earthly temptations. He also examines Bono's humanitarian work, especially his role as a spokesman and lobbyist for the poor and AIDS-stricken in Africa. He meticulously discusses the band's output, too album after album, year after year. The book ends on a surprisingly dour note with a quote from music critic Jim DeRogatis, who laments the band's choosing money over art, essentially becoming a giant megacorporation. Even so, U2 fans will eat this up.--Sawyers, June Copyright 2014 Booklist

Lofty moral aspirations aside, the story of the four-decade career of the Irish rock band U2 has been laden with contradiction and internal strife. U2-which claims all its original members, and has yet to announce a single official hiatus since its formation in 1976-is the perfect example of how a long-surviving band can resemble a long-surviving marriage. Jobling, a British music and film journalist, reminds us that even the best marriages are rocky affairs, replete with broken promises, failures of nerve, betrayals, and downright nasty behavior. All that, from a massively popular rock band? While the U2 mystique owes much to the political, social, and spiritual concerns openly espoused by the band (and, in particular, the group's focal point, Bono), it's clear that-as in life, so in rock and roll-serious compromises have been made by all, little of which has been a secret. Yet it's these missteps, rather than the band's adventurous music and remarkable longevity, that concern Jobling, who charts as much internal dissension, business wheeling and dealing, mishandled political maneuvering, and individual misbehavior as can be substantiated. Why these four wildly wealthy lads stay together to make music remains the big, unanswered question. Jobling presents a researched, knowing and briskly paced saga, to be sure, but this falls short of a definitive biography. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Unauthorized biography of U2, one of the most respected and admired yet divisive acts in the history of rock. Sometimes, the divisiveness stems from the same roots as the respect; some people find the band's frank embrace of politics empowering and noble while others find it preachy and sanctimonious. Where some see spectacle, others see bombast. British journalist Jobling explores the lives and careers of the band members: lead singer and most visible member Bono, lead guitarist The Edge, bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. The four met as schoolboys and made a slow, steady climb through Dublin's music scene, eventually rising first to regional prominence and eventually to global dominance. Along the way, three of the members, all except Clayton, took part in a Charismatic Christian church that engaged in the speaking of tongues. At times, each of them partook in the excesses of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle and, to varying degrees, embraced a political mission that would come to define them, especially frontman Bono, nearly as much as their music. The band has a reputation for keeping tight control of their image, which might explain the unauthorized nature of the book. While this frees Jobling to be critical of a variety of subjects concerning the bande.g., its absurdly high ticket prices and corporate tiesit also proves restrictive since the band doesn't get the opportunity to respond to some of the more prurient charges that the author, via his interview subjects, levels against them. Indeed, at times, those subjects seem to relish the chance to grind axes, especially in the second half of the book. Not likely to be the "definitive biography" of U2, but Jobling provides a passable comprehensive history of the members' music, politics, faith and group dynamics. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.