Customer Reviews

Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Are you a U2 fan? Are you intrigued by their spiritual leanings? This book sets out to demystify one of the most successful rock bands in history. Where others have crashed and burned, U2 has sped steadily onward. Where others have flamed out in a one-hit blaze of glory, U2 continues to reinvent themselves without ever betraying their own personality.

"Walk On" takes on quite a challenge by attempting to draw some lines about U2's spiritual (ie. Christian) purposes. I've loved U2 since first hearing "Sunday Bloody Sunday" in a friend's living room back in the early 80's and, like many others, I've always wondered where they stood in regards to God, the church, religious hypocrisy, etc. Steve Stockman manages to amass and present a heady mix of information, culled from interviews, concerts, etc. He defines U2's apparent mission from an artistic and spiritual standpoint, but refrains from boxing them in. He brings to light info that I've long looked for and never found. He makes U2 into a living, breathing, touchable band while further elevating them to the pinnacles of rock history.

If I had one complaint here, it's that Stockman resorts to personal diatribes here and there. He not only interprets U2's motivations, he takes a personal stand on issues that U2 doesn't directly address. That's okay, of course, but it moves this book away from a purely journalistic foundation and turns it into a great look at U2 coupled with a few mini-sermons.

I applaud anyone willing to peel back the layers of a much loved band. Not only do we see the genius of U2's music, we see the gut-wrenching decisions and soul-searching they go through. This book is worth the money if you want to know the heart of U2. Just be warned: you might also know more than you wanted of the heart of Steve Stockman.

I have followed the career of U2 almost from the beginning, and they have been one of my top two or three bands of all time for many years. As a Christian, discovering their spiritual underpinnings was exhilerating to me, and a source of great joy, which later led to puzzlement when their lifestyles seemed to turn decadent. The basic question remained: Are they still Christians? This book answers that question with a resounding YES!

All this time there has been a method to the madness of U2, even with their seeming slide into the typical rock lifestyle during the 1990's. As they invented and reinvented themselves, they were still sending out a peculiarly Christian message for those with ears to hear. This book draws on many interviews over the years with the band, particularly frontman Bono, and Bono shows a depth of spirituality that may be surprising to many. Look past the smoking, drinking, and cursing (which seems to have fallen off somewhat with the onset of the new millennium) and you find a band (or at least a frontman, more about that later) that is in love with God and humankind, and expresses its faith in artistic ways that often confound the more literal-minded.

Where this book falls short, in my opinion, is that it seems to be mostly the spiritual journey of Bono. What about the rest of the band? We hear a little from The Edge, and virtually nothing from the other Christian in the band, Larry Mullen. Even the token non-Christian, Adam Clayton, would have had things to share about being in a band with three Christians. Surely he has not spent all this time with them and gone totally untouched spiritually. Bono is simply the most visible member, but I'm sure the others would have something to say as well.

If anyone is unsure whether, as a Christian, you "should" like and support U2 or not, this book has the answer. As for me, I think I'll run out and fill in the gaps in my U2 CD collection.

Any serious U2 fan should read this book, as it is full of good insights into the spiritual motivations of the world's greatest rock band. You can't really understand U2 if you don't understand the true source of their inspiration, and Stockman does a fine job of revealing the profoundly Christian nature of it.

My overall impression of the book is positive, as it will be of great interest to any real U2 fan, with lots of stories and background to their albums and songs. As a Christian minister myself, I appreciate also Stockman's interpretations of Christian doctrine and life, and further agree heartily that U2 has much to teach the Church about being truly Christian.

My only complaints are two: first, while the author's interpretations of many lyrics and stage messages (visual and verbal) are plausible, I often wondered whether Bono would have agreed with them, as the line between Bono's own thoughts and Stockman's is often very fuzzy in the text. In other words, at times I wondered whether I was reading a book about U2's spiritual journey or Stockman's. Second, the writing is a bit amateurish -- almost like that of a high school newspaper editor gushing about his favorite band. His overwhelming adoration for his rock heroes is obvious and sincere (and shared by me), but is a bit melodramatic and distracting at times.

These critical comments should not, however, deter one from reading this book. The subject matter alone was interesting enough for me to overlook the book's faults, and it is obvious that Stockman has done his homework (He KNOWS U2). In the end, I felt myself to be a kindred spirit.

U2 has been a formidable group for two decades, and have always had something worthwhile to say, as Steve Stockman skillfully reminds us. I do remember at age 20 (in 1987) being deeply touched by their songs "With or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." But then my passion for Bob Dylan's songs kicked in, and I forgot about this great group. In recent years I've realized how extensive Dylan & Bono's history is (in 1984, Bono interviewed Dylan, and sang onstage with him; in 1987-1988 they wrote & recorded together; Dylan joined U2 onstage in 1987; in 1997, Dylan invited Bono to participate in his tribute album to Jimmie Rodgers; and Bono joined Dylan onstage in 1989 & 1999).

But Steve Stockman points out the wide range of figures that have influenced Bono and U2--from Dylan to Joey Ramone, from Martin Luther King to C.S. Lewis! Also helpful was his chapter on the band's roots in Dublin and how they shaped the band's direction. I recently watched MTV's 20 year annniversary retrospective and was amazed at the diversity of artists who paid their respects to U2 (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Marilyn Manson and Smashing Pumpkins, if I recall correctly!)

Although Stockman is a believer in Jesus, he doesn't force-feed the reader his beliefs, but instead, asks probing questions both about the Church, and those who happen not to believe--and all in the larger context of U2's art and career. I got an education on things I was unaware of...

In chapter 1, Stockman writes: "The Christian press and Christians in general have been the doubters [to U2's faith]. There seems to have been a keen enthusiasm to denounce the band's Christian members as lost...in the very early days when the band did speak to Christian magazines, they were often misquoted and felt used and abused. The evangelical Christian world seemed to claim U2 as its property, and therefore, U2's members found their faith defined and explained by magazines rather than by the members themselves. Aligning themselves with the Christian press would have pigeonholed their faith and their art, squeezed them into the mold of other people's expectations, and narrowed the focus of the band's influence and scope."

No point in questioning Stockman's research, he cites many interviews (mostly Bono quotes) which is helpful in the context of the spiritual story he is telling. Here are two examples: "For many years the band members said that their faith--not their rock 'n' roll lifestyle--was the real rebellion."..."For a long time, Bono and the rest of the U2 guys were amused by the absurdity and obscenity of how important rock stardom had become."

Huh? This flew in the face of the stereotype of Bono as narcissistic. Stockman reminds us that Bono spoke at Harvard University's commencement ceremony (June 2001) and railed against materialism & narcissism.

The book covers the entire career of U2 (albums, tours, interviews) and ends with their release, All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000). Stockman quotes one of its songs, "Grace," where Bono clearly alludes to the biblical concept of the song:

"Grace / She carries the world on her hips / No champagne flute on her lips / No twirls or skips between her fingertips / She carries a world in perfect condition." Stockman further comments about the song, "In a world where the Eastern religions get a great deal more acceptance on the scale of cool than Christianity usually receives, Bono pulls a subtle little punch for the Christian belief in salvation by singing 'She travels outside of karma / She travels outside of karma'."

(This reminded me of a not-so-subtle punch Bob Dylan delivered during one of his gospel concerts (May 7, 1980): "God's waiting to set you free. I know you don't hear much about God these days. We're gonna talk about Him all night. We're not gonna be talking about no mysticism, no meditation, none of them Eastern religions. We're just gonna be talking about Jesus. Demons don't like that name. I'll tell you right now, if you got demons inside you, they're not gonna like it.")

A bizarre moment in the book occurred when Stockman recounted a story Bono told to Joe Jackson about a Zoo TV concert: "[Bono:] One night I was doing my Elvis-devil dance on stage with a young girl in Wales, and she said, 'Are you still a believer? If so, what are you doing dressed up as the Devil?' I said, 'Have you read the Screwtape Letters, a book by C.S. Lewis that a lot of intense Christians are plugged into? They are letters from the Devil. That's where I got the whole philosophy of mock-the-devil-and-he-will-flee-from-you.' She said, 'Yes,' and I said, 'So you know what I am doing.' Then she relaxed."

This anecdote pointed up the fact that Bono is a thinker and is getting people (believers & non-believers) to ponder profound topics.

Provocative were the last 3 sentences of the book: "The Church could almost pack up its contemporary music stall that it has resourced for 40 years and head back home because on the Elevation tour, U2 has done what that industry has aimed to do--involve Jesus in the conversation of a generation. As the band's concerts finish with communal choruses of 'hallelujah' just as they used to finish with [Psalm]'40' (off 1983's War album), concert halls are taking on the spiritual feel and emotion of cathedrals and churches. God is in the house, and the world is there to meet with Him."

Stockman's book is informative, entertaining, and challenging. It's made me want to revisit those albums I heard as a young adult--and encounter those U2 records I've missed since...and read C.S. Lewis's book, The Screwtape Letters.

Doesn't it always seem like U2's spiritual life gets short shrift?--one question per interview with Bono. I always want more, and Stockman has delivered it. He uses his extensive knowledge of the U2 Canon combined with his pastoral skills to bring understanding and insight to the meandering postmodern faith journey of the world's most fascinating band.

While Stockmen draws heavily on already printed interviews and media sources for his direct quotes of band members (many of which I'd read elsewhere first), I found his comments on their comments helpful and surprisingly, not distracting. In fact, Stockman's own faith is refreshing in a world of evangelicalsim that doesn't give much breathing room to artists. U2, as he describes them, is the quintessential postmodern expression of faith through art. No wonder they rankle at times. And no wonder they inspire!

This book is especially satisfying to fans who've memorized lyrics, attended multiple concerts and read anything related to U2. Stockman pulls the pieces together in one long satisfying research paper that is neither stuffy or fluffy. Instead, he writes in comfortable prose and uses well-documented research.

The only thing missing is a fresh interview with Bono so that Stockman could have asked him his three questions.

This book encouraged me in my faith journey--to keep being true to questions and answers, and to live my spiritual life authentically.

It's evident from this book that Stockman has never spoken one-on-one with Bono (and if I'm wrong, that makes the book even worse in my opinion). If you're going to write a commentary on someone else's sprituality, please at least get to KNOW the person! Besides some loose descriptions of things U2 has done that have any relation to Christianity or spirituality, the book is nothing but a) assertions about the religious themes in Bono's lyrics that are too obvious to even be worth commenting on and b) inferences based on his own opinion of Bono and not any primary knowledge of what Bono's lyrics truly mean.

The sources Stockman's pulling from are things most big U2 fans are already familiar with (and we're also familiar with their level of credibility). In fact, I think most big U2 fans could come up with more accurate inferences of Bono's lyrics.

If you are truly interested in U2/Bono's sprituality, as a Christian and huge U2 fan, I highly recommend the following:

Bono In Conversation (w/ Michka Assayas)
U2: At the End of the World (Bill Flannagan)
Bono: The Rolling Stone Interview (w/ Jann S. Wenner, RS986, Nov 3, 2005)

Bono has plenty to say on his own spirituality!

As a practically lifelong fan of U2 who has appreciated their musical depth and spiritual conscience since the mid-80s, "Walk On" is overdue and an essential read!

I have come across "surface" U2 fans for years with very limited understanding of the band beyond their radio hits and catchy choruses. Some of these and other fans also grew frustrated with the likes of "Still Haven't Found" and the 90's version of U2. These folks would benefit greatly by taking the time to look beyond the surface and into the heart of this legendary group. "Walk On" affords that opportunity as it reveals the true meaning behind the songs that have fielded the most questions. When discovering the true meaning of such songs in "Walk On," the reader finds that the songs that seem the most vague or confusing are actually the deepest and most meaningful spiritually.

The greatest discovery for me by reading "Walk On" is the revelation of some of the '90s songs and concerts. The songs on "Pop," for example, that initially raised my eyebrow and begged my questions happen to be the most spiritually deep songs of the 90s from U2!

For me, having 25 years of key interviews, lyrics, albums, concerts, and many of the spiritual and social involvements of U2 elaborated upon and summed up in one book is invaluable.

Finally, someone (Stockman) with spiritual depth and musical understanding has written a book from the important standpoint, "To understand the music of U2, you must know where they are coming from spiritually." How true!

I am not one to read books about rock bands, even ones as influential as U2. But after seeing them in concert, and reading some things about them on the Christianity Today website, I was intrigued.

This book really gave me some good insights into the band, their beliefs, and the real meaning of their music. I have a new appreciation for songs I've always liked. I want to go and read more and learn more about the band, and I want to go back and listen to CDs I've long since forgotten about, all as a resulf of this book. Really, that is the ultimate compliment I can give the writer.

So why only 3 stars? Well, a few things... first, the book seemed a bit shallow. Why not show me actual lyrics in detail? Why not go further into scripture and analysis of that scripture? There just wasn't quite enough insight there to make me think enough that I have to read the book again to pick up something I may have missed. It bothered me that it seemed so obvious that the author has never sat down and talked to Bono or the other band members, yet he tried to manufacture a personal familiarity that he obviously doesn't have. I'm referring to things like referring to the band as 'the guys,' like they meet at the pub for a pint once a month. I know that may seem picky, but it really pulled me out of the book at times.

Generally, the book was good... I learned a few things, and I'm inspired to research the subject more and read other, more detailed books about U2. So this is a good place to start for anyone who is interested in U2, Christianity, or both topics.

I'm a Christian, and started liking U2 at a young age. I didn't
know they were a Christian group at the time, but the more I
heard their songs, the more I could see scriptural references,
and Christian beliefs being shown. Sometimes, I'd wonder, though,
if they "were" Christian, based on songs like "Wake up Dead Man",
"The First Time" etc.
This book explains just what Bono was writing, and why he
wrote it. I felt the book challenged MY Christianity. Such an
instant is when Rev. Stockman points out what U2 was doing, how
the Church perceived that, why they perceived that as 'wrong'-
because the Church wasn't used to seeing people going out into
the sinful world and spreading the Word of God to those who needed
to hear it! -That's what Jesus did.
One verse that stuck in my mind, that wasn't mentioned in
the book, was Matthew 9:12 Jesus said "It is not the healthy
who need a doctor, but the sick."

For me this book was brilliant. Yes I am a U2 fan. My pre-Christian days U2 always led me beyond earth to the spiritual. But after becoming a believer in Christ, to express that you still love them met with frowns from the Theological Police.
As a journalist and a writer of fiction (first book in the process of being published) the creative and artistic side of worship is BEYOND important it's essential, and until I came across Stockman I thought I was alone. If you are a christian and wanting to EXPRESS and use your GOD GIVEN gift... Then DO IT! It's allowed, you were made by Him to create... Obey! If you are a U2 fan but don't share the Faith then you will still enjoy the read, as there are some great insights to what drives the band.
This book has done so much for me - its like a revelation. Thanks to the publisher and to Steve Stockman - Brilliant...!