Bono’s band made their comeback on March 17, with the release of their brand new album “Songs of Surrender”. To mark the occasion, Bono & The Edge teamed up with Dave Letterman to produce a report on their new opus and musical retrospective.
Freshly released on the Disney + platform, the documentary is a marvelous mix of interviews, selective visits to Dublin (where the band members hail from), and live footage of the band’s anthology songs, which they have entirely revisited…
After a long quest for identity, U2 are back with a vengeance, with a new album reinterpreting the greatest anthems of their career. Each song has been carefully rethought and revisited, to offer a 2.0 version of their greatest hits… The general idea: to deliver authentic, stripped-down songs that go straight to the essentials, without the musical “frills” of the time, sometimes deemed “ostentatious” by Bono himself.
This project led the group to reflect on its beginnings, right up to the direction we’re taking today. A sometimes painful introspection, aptly revealed by the report“Bono & The Edge: A sort of Homecoming” currently airing on Disney +.
To carry out this exercise, U2 called on the great American presenter Dave Letterman, 75, and invited him to fly to Dublin to retrace the history of the band, from its beginnings to the present day.
The fascinating report alternates between interviews, visits to the Irish capital and live sessions in a small Dublin concert hall.
The documentary is punctuated by contributions from Dave Letterman, famous for his humor and straight-to-the-point questions.
You learn a lot. Here are some key points to bear in mind:
The 4 members of U2 hail from Dublin. They all grew up in an era troubled by the Northern Irish conflict and the religious question, opposing Catholics and Protestants.
For the latter, Dublin was a tough city in the 1970s. A sad town with no future for its young people, affected in spite of itself by unemployment and the Northern Irish conflict, which was taking place hundreds of kilometers away.
For Bono, this explains the strong spiritual and religious connection of the band, who have never ceased to evoke their faith in their songs. For them, it was a question of entertaining and conveying messages of hope and political commitment.
This led to the creation of the song “Sunday Blody Sunday”, written and composed by The Edge, who wanted to get involved in the situation in Northern Ireland.
The same goes for the song “Bad”, which is entirely dedicated to the city of Dublin, deemed gloomy and inextricable.
Particularly surprising is Bono’s self-criticism in the report.
On Dave Letterman, he admits that he often “baffled” the other band members with his regular outbursts, megalomania, emotional excesses and political activism.
Often considered “too much” and unmanageable, he would sometimes make decisions without the approval of his acolytes, creating tension and the risk of repeated separations…
Bono admits he has often “gone too far”, but has always been guided by his heart and his need to do the right thing.
Another fascinating fact: U2 have made no secret of their desire to get back to basics in their music. Bono considers that he has “lost his way” over the years, offering increasingly commercial albums, packed with unnecessary musical effects and embellishments.
For the band, it’s time for a break with the past and a return to their roots. There’s no need to lapse into commercial pop: U2 intends to return to pure, unadulterated rock, in the direct tradition of ACDC…
But fans can rest assured: U2 will always be U2, with its characteristic touch, political commitment and heartfelt rock anthems!
In short, the report is fascinating, and will appeal to both early fans and novices wishing to look back over the Irish band’s 45-year career. An excellent program, with an emphasis on accuracy and sincerity.
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