U2

BELFAST, Northern Ireland -- The appeals from two prime ministers didn't work. The pronouncements from President Clinton fell flat. And the parade of furloughed terrorist prisoners at political rallies produced more outrage than reconciliation.So, when all else failed on the campaign trail in recent weeks, the leaders trying to rally Northern Ireland to vote yes to peace brought out the rock 'n' roll stars.Last night, pop met politics as U2 and local band Ash united Northern Ireland's top two politicians in a bid to galvanize young voters before Friday's referendum on the historic Northern Ireland peace accord.

U2The Best Of 1980-1990 (Island 314 524 613)Has any group in rock articulated the sound of heroism as eloquently as U2 did in the '80s?From the hurtling guitar and breathless vocal of "I Will Follow" to the relentless thrum of "Where the Streets Have No Name," U2 pulled an almost palpable urgency from its music.It wasn't just the tartly dramatic posturing of Bono's voice; there was also something larger-than-life about the surging pulse of the Edge's shimmering, echo-treated guitar. And between Larry Mullen Jr.'s lithe, melodic drumming and Adam Clayton's bedrock bass lines, U2 was blessed with a rhythm section of uncommon power and grace.

It's not what you think.Forget what you may have heard about "Pop" (Island 314 524 334), the U2 album that arrives in stores Tuesday. There's no truth to the rumors that U2 has turned against rock, given up its guitars and gone techno. There was more techno in the 1995 remix of "Lemon" than there is on all of "Pop."Forget as well the interviews that have found Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen proclaiming their boredom with rock while praising the vitality of club culture. As much as that seems to underscore the sound and sensibility of "Discotheque," the album's first single, it actually has more to do with the image U2 is cultivating -- that of post-modern, superstar hipsters -- than with any music it has made.

Rock fans have come to expect a certain beating of the drums whenever a big tour gets under way. Inevitably, there are MTV specials, VH1 retrospectives and contests on The Box. Sometimes, you even see paid advertising.But for sheer hype, the ABC special "U2: A Year in Pop" sets a new high-water mark -- one that makes downtown Grand Forks look drier than Death Valley. Tied to the launch of U2's Pop Mart Tour (which began last night in Las Vegas), the show is an unabashed valentine.It gushes.

There was a telling moment toward the end of U2's set at RFK Stadium on Monday night. After dedicating "Please" to Native American activist Leonard Peltier, the band proceeded to bend the song slowly out of shape, stretching the music like Silly Putty as it moved from a dub-inflected bass groove to what could best be described as rock-oriented ambient.Then, as Bono rallied through the final, pleading verse, drummer Larry Mullen Jr. waded in with a distinctly martial cadence. As the band rallied around him, that beat sounded more and more like the opening to "Sunday, Bloody Sunday."

The Cable GuyOriginal Motion Picture Soundtrack (Work 67654)Because the track listing includes bits of dialogue and an actual song performed by Jim Carrey, it may look as if the soundtrack to "The Cable Guy" offers more comedy than music. Guess again. From the growling guitars of Jerry Cantrell's "Leave Me Alone" to the grinding synths of Filter's "Hey Man Nice Shot," the songs on this soundtrack are far more interested in exploring the dark than in making light. Given the talent involved, though, that shouldn't come as a surprise.

When is a U2 album not a U2 album?When it doesn't sound like an instant hit, apparently. At least, that's the impression left by the Passengers album "Original Soundtracks 1" (Island 314 524 166, arriving in stores today).Although the album was recorded by the members of U2 with longtime collaborator Brian Eno, who co-produced "Zooropa," "Achtung Baby" and "The Joshua Tree," the band's name appears nowhere on the packaging.Bono, bassist Adam Clayton, guitarist the Edge and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. are listed after Eno as individual Passengers -- as if they were contributing to an Eno project instead of the other way around.

Huge. Immense. Enormous. Oversized. Monumental.By the end of last summer's "Zoo TV Outside Broadcast" tour, those were the words most rock fans had begun to associate with U2. And no wonder. Having already proved itself a major draw on the concert circuit, the band seemed determined to inflate every aspect of its existence, from the information overload of its live show to the ironic excess of its media image.Big wasn't big enough for this band; U2 wanted more. So when the band announced its new deal with Island Records, the figure floated was some $200 million -- more than Madonna, more than Michael Jackson, more than the Rolling Stones.

Et tu, U2?When the Irish rock act U2 announced the schedule for its first U.S. tour in five years late Monday evening, local fans may have noticed that Baltimore and Washington were not among the band's destinations.Albany, N.Y., Austin, Texas, and Hartford, Conn., are included on the itinerary, as well two shows in Los Angeles, two in the Boston area and three in or around New York City. But the 32-concert tour -- which begins Feb. 29 in Lakeland, Fla. -- gets no closer to our neck of the woods than a March 7 show at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Va., and a March 10 date at the Philadelphia Spectrum.

Philadelphia "Well, we've been away for a while," announced Bono just a few songs into U2's concert at the Philadelphia Spectrum last night. "But," he added, pausing to let a sly smile spread across his face, "we're back."Indeed they are. And though it has been five years since the Irish quartet last hit the road, it's clear that U2 has lost little in the way of momentum. If anything, the Philadelphia show -- the closest this Zoo TV Tour came to Baltimore on its first leg -- showed the band to be sharper than ever, effortlessly whipping the capacity crowd into a fist-pumping chorus-singing frenzy.

No Line on the Horizon U2 [Interscope Records] ** 1/2 (2 1/2 STARS) Less than a minute into the first track on U2's new album, No Line on the Horizon, it's clear the Irish rockers are ready to take risks again. That much is refreshing. For all of the copies sold and Grammys won, U2's last album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, was a safe bet. The songs were focused and vaguely reminiscent of the group's early years, but few were very memorable. Not so with No Line on the Horizon, which won't be released in stores in the U.S. until next Tuesday, but was available for listening this weekend on U2's MySpace page and on U2.com.

Kenna wasn't the only one baffled by the commercial failure of his debut, 2003's New Sacred Cow. The category-defying singer-songwriter released one of the most critically lauded pop albums of that year. Several reviews proclaimed his music - a kinetic synth-based fusion of hip-hop-friendly beats awash with nervy punk-rock textures and grand melodies recalling U2 - the future of pop. But apparently music buyers didn't get the hype. The CD only sold about 50,000 copies, and Columbia Records, Kenna's label, soon dropped him. Drained and frustrated, the alt-rock-pop artist, who was born in Ethiopia and raised in Virginia, took time off. He felt the need for spiritual rejuvenation and, to clear his head, Kenna attempted to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in early 2004.

Baltimore helped rock the 60th Cannes Film Festival on Saturday night with a screening of the U2 concert documentary U2 3D, produced by former Baltimore Ravens President David Modell and his brother, John, and co-directed by Baltimore native Mark Pellington. Declaring "Happy birthday, Cannes!" on the red carpet, singer Bono led U2 in a mini-concert for a crowd of 5,000, by David Modell's estimate. "As far as I have been told, this performance was the first and only one on the steps leading to the Palais [des Festivals]

It's pretty easy to keep your mouth shut when you stand next to Bono for 25 years. By the same token, it's also pretty easy to become a good listener. The first reason is why the Edge, the guitarist for U2, has long projected the same poker-faced presence on stage as Charlie Watts from the Rolling Stones. The second reason is why he is now assuming an atypical role as spokesman for a charity benefiting the beleaguered musicians of New Orleans. "I didn't ask Bono for advice, no, but I have been influenced by watching him and inspired as well," said David Evans, who in his youth picked up his now-famous nickname for the angular cut of his profile.

The Irish rock band U2 cemented its position atop the music universe last night as the band swept the 48th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, winning five awards, including album of the year and song of the year. "This is really a big, big night for our band," said lead singer Bono, in a leather jacket and white cowboy hat. "There's always the possibility with rock music that it might just amount to a little more than entertainment, on occasion, and you might be able to communicate some honest feelings."

RECORD OF THE YEAR "We Belong Together," Mariah Carey "Feel Good Inc.," Gorillaz featuring De La Soul "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," Green Day "Hollaback Girl," Gwen Stefani "Gold Digger," Kanye West MY PICK / / "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." This is one of the few bright pop-rock tracks of last year with lyrical substance and a good groove. The blistering, dramatic ending is nice, too. But Mariah Carey may snag this one, because "We Belong Together" was such a massive smash with an easy melody that resides in your head.

Forest Hill Industrial Airpark, lots N3, T2 and U2 Location: North side of Industry Lane, west of Commerce Drive. Developer: 118-124 Industry Lane LLC/Harford Associates General Partnership Description: Construct two warehouses on lot T2, add parking on lot N3.

"One of the best and most endearingly naked messianic complexes in rock 'n' roll. It takes one to know one." -- Bruce Springsteen, poking fun at Bono (and himself) during U2's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

An update on the concert scene: newly announced shows and ticket availability. For ticket information and purchase, call Ticketmaster at 410-547-SEAT except as noted. Just announced Kenny G performs at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia on June 5. Also, Alison Krauss and Union Station, featuring Jerry Douglas, play there May 28. U2 plays the MCI Center in Washington Oct. 19-20. Tickets are on sale now. The Blind Boys of Alabama will perform at George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium on April 2. Still available Carbon Leaf at the Recher Theatre in Towson on March 31. Patty Larkin at the Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis on April 1. 410-268-4545.

The new tour is called Vertigo, but it might well be rechristened Hysteria in the wake of frenzied reports from fans frustrated by last week's presale of tickets through U2's Web site. Days after an Internet sale of tickets to fans who paid $40 each to join U2.com on the promise of priority access to "some of the best seats available," throngs are wailing that they still haven't found what they're looking for. "People are really tweaked about this," says Steve Rossier, 37, of San Diego, who joined U2.com in hopes of landing prime seats but came away empty-handed.