The recent success of Bono: Songs of Surrender is a testament to the longevity and cultural impact that U2 has made. The band has remained relevant by reinventing itself several times, shifting its image, musical style, and lyrical content. In 1988, while on tour for their fifth studio release, The Joshua Tree, a documentary chronicled the band at what many consider the peak of their popularity.
Entitled U2: Rattle and Hum, and released in conjunction with an album of the same name, its reception is still divided among critics. To some, it’s an intimate portrait of a band on the road. Others see it as a pompous and bloated exercise, one of many that existed in a decade synonymous with decadence and excess. Regardless of what one’s reaction might be, there’s no denying that U2: Rattle and Hum captures a band at the crossroads of their career.
Examining the extensive body of work that U2 has released, one sees multiple peaks and valleys with varying results. The Joshua Tree, the album released prior to U2: Rattle and Hum being filmed, saw the band enter new heights of popularity. Songs such as “Where The Streets Have No Name,” “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” and “With or Without You” received widespread airplay and heavy rotation on MTV. Besides the songs that received massive exposure, The Joshua Tree saw the band tackle other complex subjects such as drug addiction (“Running to Stand Still”) and humanitarian crises (“Mothers of the Disappeared”).
U2 had always been a band that provided social commentary through their music. Their increase in popularity with The Joshua Tree introduced something of a dichotomy for the group: widespread commercial success and the desire to bring larger awareness to their audience about relevant social topics. This contrast is prevalent throughout U2: Rattle and Hum. The audience witnesses a band becoming somewhat overinflated with success, while still attempting to remain true to their ethos of taking a stand for what’s right.
Related
U2 Biopic in Development at Netflix With J.J. Abrams and Bohemian Rhapsody Writer
J.J. Abrams is partnering with Netflix to produce an original series about the Irish rock band U2.
U2 play in large sold-out stadiums and revel in their newfound rock-star persona, and at times, exhibit anger and discontent with some of the prominent political issues throughout the decade. This meeting of opposites is apparent during a performance of “Sunday, Bloody, Sunday,” when Bono launched into a condemnation of a terrorist attack that had recently taken place in Ireland. U2: Rattle and Hum continually shifts between grandiose spectacle and intimate portrait. Presented almost entirely in black and white, audiences get to see the band up close and personal as they embark on a tour and witness the sights and sounds of America. The concert sequences showcase live performances that are enthralling and entertaining, clearly capturing U2 at the high watermark of their career.
The tour that U2 undertakes in the film isn’t one that one might imagine a typical rock band to do, especially one popular during the 1980s. The over-the-top debauchery and hedonism of Mötley Crüe and the like are completely absent. Despite U2 being launched into the stratosphere as far as popularity was concerned, U2: Rattle and Hum serves as a wonderful homage and love letter to the people and institutions that helped pave the way for rock and roll.
Far removed from the lighted stages and sold-out stadiums, U2 spent time recording at Sun Records in Memphis. The legendary recording studio is regarded as one of the most significant locations in the history of rock and roll. Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley spent time at Sun Records. U2, recording their song “Angel of Harlem” at the location, a song that mentions John Coltrane, is a fitting homage to the genre’s formative years. An interview with drummer Larry Mullen Jr. as the group visits Graceland depicts the love and admiration for Elvis and certainly shows the group’s admiration for the genre’s early days.
Related
The Best Concert Films, Ranked
A great concert film brings artistry to a musical experience most people never get to witness, and these films do it the best.
In addition to “Angel of Harlem,” the group performs many renditions of songs by the artists who inspired the genre and U2 themselves. U2: Rattle and Hum begins with the group covering “Helter Skelter,” with Bono proclaiming, “This is a song Charles Manson stole from The Beatles; we’re stealing it back.” Other notable covers include “All Along the Watchtower” and “Sympathy for the Devil.” The locations they visit and the songs they perform, including a collaboration with blues legend B.B. King entitled “Love Comes to Town,” are all part of a love letter to the genre. A cynic might argue that all of these moments are self-serving, but no one can deny the admiration and reverence exhibited by U2 for the pioneers of rock and roll.
U2: Rattle and Hum depicts a unique period in the band’s upward trajectory as one of the largest recording acts to ever exist. Interestingly, the band appeared to have listened to the negative criticism regarding the pompous nature of the film. Their follow-up, Achtung Baby, would be a parody of rock stardom, mimicking the attributes many had accused the band of exhibiting.
Despite being the most interesting and layered depiction of U2, Rattle and Hum isn’t available to stream on any online platform, but physical copies are available through retailers.
U2: Rattle and Hum
November 4, 1988
98 minutes
Phil Joanou
| Play | Cover | Release Label |
Track Title Track Authors |
|---|