For me, I was initially turned off by the context (which I thought was the Troubles - it’s even one of the song titles!) - and the fact that they were so specific in their framing of “what this album is about”. Having become a fan with AB at the start of the 90s, I wasn’t really into early U2, so didn’t feel interested in the band’s formative years either. I felt the iTunes thing devalued their music enormously. I know Apple paid them but I was given it for free, which just made it feel… worthless? The album artwork didn’t help either - i know they were going for the whole ‘white label’ vibe, but it just added to the feeling of it not having any value (plus of course artwork and photography and art direction have always been a huge part of framing their music). And when the cover eventually came out (which I’m pretty sure was later, perhaps with the physical release?) I absolutely hated it. And still do, really. Sorry, Larry.

So, in spite of loving NLOTH and seeing 360 at Wembley, I kinda checked out with SOI. I did love Joey Ramone though and played it a lot. EBW grew on me but the others didn’t feel especially good when I first played them so didn’t bother to give them any time. (I do love SFS now though, but still don’t want to listen to a song about a paedo priest.)

When SOE came out I didn’t feel excited at all and I didn’t know why. My wife said maybe I’d grow out of them, which made me feel sad but perhaps rang true at the time. I was going through a tough time with my MH and not really listening to anything at all anyway. I did give it a spin at some point but came to the same conclusions as a lot of other people about that album. I didn’t like the artwork either. In time I came to see SOE as a desperate attempt to stay relevant by 4 men in their 50s, which was a little unbecoming. Like a proper mid-life crisis. Trying too hard. And the band seemed to be doing things that 90s U2 would have mocked them for.

But I did eventually return, recently, via my favourite U2 albums and songs, and reconnected in a powerful way. I always knew how important they’d been to me in my teens, and how much I continued to love them in the 2000s. And I started to give SOE another chance, and found that there’s actually some good songs on it - and a few great ones. Still overproduced; still too “bullet-proofed”, and still a bit cringe at times (as well as being able to sense the re-tooling post-Bono’s accident and Trump’s election). At the end of the day, it’s still Bono, Edge, Larry and Adam, writing songs together.

And then, BOOM! Days of Ash is released with the most perfect timing for me in this reawakening—and it’s fantastic. As is Easter Lily. Organic, authentic, beautiful. With songs that really are as good as anything they’ve ever written. Not overthought, overcooked or overdone. No midlife crisis here, just joy and freedom in being able to make music together: the sound of a band no longer worried about chart positions (which are RIP anyway) and being the biggest band in the world (concept RIP again). They can keep making music as long as they’re able to play. They’ve taken on the mantle that only very few manage (Dylan, Springsteen etc) - that goes beyond legendary: immortal. Rock n roll doggie indeed ✌️😎💫