![\"Bono](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Bono-Singer-U2-U-2-2019-Far-Out-Magazine-1140x855.jpg\")
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(Credits: Far Out \/ YouTube Still)<\/p>\n
Tue 21 April 2026 14:00, UK <\/p>\n
No one gets to the top of the charts the same way Bono<\/a> has without having a few skeletons in the closet. <\/p>\n Even though there are plenty of times where he shamefully made U2 look like one of the biggest bands in the world, it\u2019s nice to know that even he realises when the band screws up, like when they tried to forcefully shove their album onto everyone\u2019s phone. But even if that\u2019s still one of the most regrettable pieces of the band\u2019s history, Bono felt that he would rather have that than listen to some of the band\u2019s early work.<\/p>\n The whole point of U2 was about pushing themselves on every single record, and while that did lead to some of the greatest albums in their discography, there are more than a few times where it\u2019s a step too far. Rattle and Hum already made them look like one of the most pretentious bands on the planet, and while they did end up correcting themselves nicely on Achtung Baby<\/a>, it\u2019s not like Pop is necessarily the band\u2019s favourite album whenever they started performing the tunes live.<\/p>\n But you really want to know the most embarrassing parts of a rock star\u2019s life, it always comes when looking at their musical baby pictures. You have to remember that the band were still trying to carry on the punk tradition when they first started, and while they did eventually start singing some of the most militant songs of their career on records like War, Boy was the first time where they were trying to get a bit more suggestive.<\/p>\n Bono had already said that he tried to spend most of the first record writing about sex<\/a>, but when he listened to the record, all he could hear was the naive little kid who was trying his hardest not to screw up. All of their signature sounds were already in place to a degree, but even if \u2018I Will Follow\u2019 is one of the best songs of their early career, Bono felt that there was no way that he was going to sing those songs like he used to.<\/p>\n Even years after making the record, Bono says that he has a hard time going back to those songs because of how embarrassing he sounds on the record, saying<\/a>, \u201cI\u2019m just embarrassed. And yeah, I do think U2 pushes out the boat on embarrassment quite a lot. And maybe that\u2019s the place to be as an artist, is right at the edge of your level of pain, for embarrassment, your level of embarrassment. And the lyrics as well. I feel that on Boy and other albums, it was sketched out, very unique and original material. But I don\u2019t think I filled in the details.\u201d<\/p>\n He does have a point in some of the songs being rough sketches, but that doesn\u2019t make them bad by any stretch. Every single debut is going to be a little bit rough around the edges, and while fans weren\u2019t expecting them to make the kinds of songs that they would hit on with The Joshua Tree, the sound of Bono\u2019s booming voice and The Edge\u2019s guitar at least helped them stand out amid all the other post-punk bands out at the time.<\/p>\n And, really, all great U2 songs are never fully fleshed out until they have a chance to play them live. There are some fantastic tunes on here, and while you are hearing them at a bit of a distance on the record, Under A Blood Red Sky <\/a>brought new life to some of these tunes, whether that\u2019s turning \u2018I Will Follow\u2019 into an arena rocker or feeding off the crowd on some of their early singles like \u201811 O\u2019Clock Tick Tock\u2019.<\/p>\n It\u2019s only natural for bands not to like going back to their roots, but there\u2019s a nostalgic charm when going back to Boy over the years. The band weren\u2019t exactly the best in the world yet by any stretch, but knowing where they would be going in the future, it\u2019s nice to see them at a point where they were a little more scrappy. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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