Album: Review: Boy (1980)
By Matthew Anderson
It's only fitting U2's first album was called Boy. Filled with references to
boyhood and the transition to manhood, the band's debut effort (produced
by Steve Lillywhite) is a collection of songs displaying an abundance of
innocence and youthful optimism in the face of adversity.
At the time of the album's release, Gavin Martin in NME dubbed it "one
of the finest debuts ever released."
Still working on their image as a band, it's humorous to see the liner notes
credit the songs as being written by Bono Hewson, Larry Mullen, Adam Clayton,
and "The Edge" Evans. Soon enough, though, Bono and The Edge would
lose their surnames and quote marks. A scant 13 years later, the same foursome
would be the hands that built Zooropa; 20 years later they'd still be topping
the charts, collecting awards, and changing the world one song at a time.
While the band's popularity would eventually extend far beyond the north of
Dublin, the same character on display in this album continues to echo in the
band's work today. On Boy in 1980, Bono sings of returning to the heart of
a child in “Into the Heart”; during the Elevation Tour of 2001,
he would find himself surrounded by thousands of passionate and devoted fans
as he performed on a heart-shaped stage.
Also telling are the lyrics to “A Day Without Me,” which includes
the lines, "I started a landslide in my ego. Look from the outside to
the world I left behind." Such are the themes that would, in part, constitute
U2's canon.
Like a boy, the album is a snapshot of a band that has yet to find its own
voice and identity. As a result, there's a cold exterior and a distant feeling
to the album.
 
(Photos courtesy of U2.com)
An odd mix of pop, goth, and rock, the album represents in equal parts the
band's early talent and the musical climate in which they started - one in
which acts like The Rolling Stones and David Bowie continued at the top of
their game and a new sound was emanating from bands like Talking Heads and
The Cure.
Nonetheless, there are some genuine U2 gems in the package. “I Will
Follow” and “Out of Control” offer a glimpse of the stadium
band yet to come and even now they're still invigorating these anthems when
performed live.
During U2's historic second night at Slane Castle in 2001, “Out of Control” received
an introduction by Bono reminiscent of his introduction of the tune 20 years
earlier when they opened for Thin Lizzy at Slane: "We're U2, we're from
the north of Dublin. This is our first single. We hope you like it!"
It's the stuff of which goose bumps are made.
After 10 years of song crafting, U2's catalog would become so strong and diverse
only “I Will Follow” wound up on the final set list for The Best
of 1980-1990. “Out of Control” and other early tracks from Boy,
namely “Stories for Boys,” “Twilight,” and “An
Cat Dubh,” were relegated to B-side status on different versions of “The
Sweetest Thing”'s single release. Released in support of The Best of
1980-1990, that tune was itself originally a B-side to “Where the Streets
Have No Name,” one of the massive hits from 1987's The Joshua Tree.
Based on the strengths of Boy, U2 could be seen as a band holding a lot of
musical promise. Based on the strength and character of the bandmates, though,
U2 could be seen as a force to be reckoned with in due time.
Overall Rating: 7.2/10
Originally published at Interference.com on 04-30-2003 at 12:51 AM
|
