25 years of "War"

One sobering reality about being an '80s fan is the never-ending series of anniversaries and celebrations of work -- movies and music -- that became milestone achievements in popular culture.

This week, it's time to honor U2's "War" album. Recorded in 1982 and released on Feb. 28, 1983, "War" would become the band's first No. 1 album in the U.K. (knocking off Michael Jackson's "Thriller" -- which turned 25 years old earlier last month), spawned four hit singles and reaching platinum status in the U.S. with more than 4-million records sold.

Beyond the economics though, "War" marked a breakthrough for U2. Previously regarded as a band that impressive musical skills but insignificant messages, critics fell over themselves to praise the sudden "arrival" of the politically conscious U2.

"The songs here stand up against anything on the Clash's London Calling in terms of sheer impact," Rolling Stone said in its review. "The fact that U2 can sweep the listener up in the same sort of enthusiastic romanticism that fuels the band's grand gestures is an impressive feat."

War featured "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "New Year's Day," "Surrender" and "40." But is it U2's best album? Wait 'til the blog battle later this week between myself and pop music playboy Sean Daly!

Build the ultimate 80s New Year's playlist

What do you have going on New Year's Eve this year? Whatever it is, it'll be better than what I did back in 1985.

A bunch of friends and I -- fresh from our first semester of college -- sat around the house, sipped Old Milwaukee and watched the date change on The Weather Channel. No kidding. We were glued to the TV, silent as it switched from Dec. 31, 1985 to Jan. 1, 1986.

Meanwhile, literally next door -- steps away, my ex-girlfriend was throwing a "party for two" with her new boyfriend (a "more mature" fellow if you believe what she says. Whatever.)

My goal for every New Year's Eve since that dreadful night: Throw or attend a party that will eventually wipe that awful memory from my 80s-saturated brain. So far, no luck. The pain lingers.

But this year, I have you -- the 80s nation -- to help. I want to build "The Ultimate New Year's Eve Playlist" for the annual get-together ... and maybe even for a special podcast. They don't need to be "themed" songs for New Year's Eve -- just really fun songs that get you in the mood to stay up all night.

I'll need your suggestions, but here are some that come to mind.

Same Old Lang Syne - Dan Fogelberg: Play this one very early, before everyone's so liquored up that depression sets in. Raise a glass and toast to the memory of the "leader of the band."

Rock Lobster - B-52: This song never fails to get people on their feet. I love any song with lyrics like "He was in a jam. S'in a giant clam!"

I Could Write A Book - Harry Connick Jr.: A little hokey, I know, but it reminds me of the New Year's Eve scene in 1989's "When Harry Met Sally," the ultimate New Year's Eve movie of the 80s. (Maybe the only one.)

New Year's Day - U2: Truth be told, it's one of my least favorite U2 songs. I never understood having the video for the song with the band playing in the snow.

1999 - Prince: Oh yeah, a truly cliche song. Play this one very, very late. People will either love it, or they'll head home. Either way, mission accomplished!

What other songs are can't-lose for parties on New Year's Eve?

So that's what the bug-glasses are for

U2 performed a quick, 2-song set at France's Cannes Film Festival this week to mark the debut of their new 3-D concert movie -- "U2 3D." (I know, a tough title to remember.) Movie-goers will have to wear special glasses -- resembling regular sunglasses, not the cheesy red-and-blue "Creature from the Black Lagoon" type -- to view the bulging effects.

The movie captures the band live during its 2005-06 Vertigo tour during concerts in Mexico City and Buenos Aires. According to Variety's review of the Cannes preview, "even nonfans may find their eyes popping and their heads bobbing."

Unlike 1988's largely unwatchable "Rattle and Hum," this new flick is straight concert footage with no band interviews or documentary timeouts.

A release date is planned for fall 2007. Click here to see the movie's trailer.

Bono to lead efforts to free Paris Hilton

Did the headline scare you? It's just a satire from The Spoof, a U.K. website with a sense of humor strong enough to rekindle the war between the motherland and the colonies.

The website "quotes" U2's Bono saying: "Paris ... is a beacon of light and hope to all ugly, fat, boring, lifeless sacks of meat that drag their unworthy, filth ridden carcases through their mundane lives on a daily basis. ...  If she goes down man, that's it for me, I am just gonna top myself, so will Adam and the boys."

By the way ... U2's Bono -- aka Paul Hewson -- is 47 years old today.

FIVE THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT BONO:

• Bono says seeing Monty Python's "The Secret Policeman's Ball" in 1979 was his inspiration to start in with charity work.
• With his two daughters' help, Bono illustrated a children's book -- "Peter and the Wolf" -- in 2003. Sales of the book benefited the Irish Hospice Foundation.
• Bono has said his favorite U2 song is "Stay (Farway, So Close!)."
• He is the only person in history to be nominated for an Academy Award, Golden Globe, Grammy, and Nobel Peace Prize.
• Regarding his famous stage name, it's said he was nicknamed "Bono Vox" -- the name of a hearing aid store in Dublin -- because he sang loud enough for deaf people to hear him.

(Sources: IMDB.com, TV.com, U2.com)

40 songs that changed the world

Rolling Stone magazine, in its 40th anniversary edition, has published a list of 40 songs that changed the world. And what do you know ... some are even from the 80s. Click here for the full list.

"That's Alright" by the always-overrated Elvis Presley was No. 1 on the list. You have to go all the way down to No. 10 to get a truly worthy song -- "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan. (Though it appears the ranking is actually chronological, which dimishes its impact already.)
 

But overall, I think they picked a fair number from the 80s, even if the selection themselves are sometimes suspect. Here they are, along with their rank among the top 40:

28. "TV Party" - Black Flag
29. "Billie Jean" - Michael Jackson
30. "When Doves Cry" - Prince.
31. "Pride (In The Name of Love)" - U2
32. "Like a Virgin" - Madonna
33. "Walk This Way" - Run DMC/Aerosmith
34. "Just Like Heaven" - The Cure
35. "Sweet Child O' Mine" - Guns N Roses
36. "Bring The Noise" - Public Enemy

I'm surprised that neither "Do They Know It's Christmastime" by Band-Aid nor "We Are The World" by USA for Africa made the list. It makes you wonder what "changed the world" meant in the eyes of Rolling Stone's editors. These are songs that may have changed music history but not world history.

That being said, I can live without "TV Party." But add Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and replace "Like a Virgin" with "Material Girl" -- the real anthem of the 80s.

Other artists who deserve to be there: The Replacements, AC/DC, Peter Gabriel, The Dead Kennedys and REM. Bands from outside the 80s that didn't make the list include The Doors, The Who and Pink Floyd. So it wasn't just the 80s that is oddly represented.

Sir Bono? No, 'His Demigodness' will do

U2's Bono is now officially a "Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire." It's sorta like being Knight Rider, only with far less hair gel. The honor was bestowed upon Bono for his work to defeat poverty and disease in Africa.

Britain's ambassador to Ireland performed the ceremony today, though Bono was reportedly disappointed that no sword or kneeling was involved. Likewise, because he's not a British citizen, Bono cannot use the title of "sir."

5 MORE ROCK STARS WITH A HEART:

• John Mellencamp: Co-founded of Farm Aid concerts.
• Bob Geldof: Organizer of Live Aid and Live 8 concerts.
• The Edge: Raising money for Katrina victims.
• Kenny Loggins: His "Conviction of the Heart" tune considered the environmental movement's anthem.
• Paul Simon: Set to receive the first Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, honoring the positive effect of music on the world’s culture.

For sale: One very-used guitar

Members of U2 are donating some of their signature props and instruments to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Guitarist The Edge is leading the "Icons of Music" auction by offering up his beloved 1975 Cream Gibson Les Paul guitar.

The auction will be held live and online on April 21 at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York. (The online auction will be at www.juliensauctions.com). But before you bookmark the webpage and start polishing your pennies, take a look at the estimated bids expected for these gems:

• The Edge's guitar: $60,000-$80,000
• Sunglasses worn by John Lennon: $4,000-$6,000
• Hand-written lyrics by Bruce Springsteen: $2,000-$4,000
• Sunglasses worn in concert by Bono: $2,000-$4,000
• A tom-tom drum from U2's Larry Mullen Jr.: $8,000-$10,000
• Bass guitar from U2's Adam Clayton: $20,000-$30,000

Looking for a bargain? How about a surfboard signed by Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, estimated to fetch between $1,000 and $2,000. Proof once again that the 90s and grunge just doesn't live up to Stuck in the 80s standards.

Tom Cruise: Your own, personal Jesus

It's official (so says one London tabloid): Tom Cruise is the "Christ" of Scientology. The Sun reports today that Scientology leader David Miscavige believes that the 44-year-old Cruise will be worshiped like Jesus for his efforts to boost awareness of the church.

Let us here at Stuck in the 80s be the first to congratulate Tom for the honor. He now joins the other...

DEITIES OF THE 80s:

Bono, Zeus of the Mullet: Only one person in history is deified for waving a white flag. And you're looking at him.

Jim Belushi, the Buddha of Comedy: Rub his belly and offer a prayer. (Ours is that he quits TV and goes back to making movies like 1986's About Last Night.)

Nick Nolte, the Dionysus of Drama: Did you know Nolte was up for the roles of Superman and Han Solo? Now you know why he's been drowning his sorrow.

Tawny Kitaen, the Aphrodite of Matrimony: She polished the hood of David Coverdale's car (before moving on to Tommy Lee, Jerry Seinfeld, Chuck Finley ... just raise your hand if you haven't dated Tawny).

Madonna, the Athena of the Dance Floor: Unlike her Greek counterpart, she's not a symbol of self-control or discipline (unless it's bondage-and-discipline). But her wardrobe selections have pappa-bear Zeus spitting lightning.

Gene Simmons, the God of Thunder (and rock n' roll): The spell we're under will slowly rob us of our virgin souls.

Let them know it's Christmastime

No question about it: This is my favorite Christmas song and video of all time -- not just the 80s...

A little trivia about the effort:

• Most fans believe that Bob Geldof wrote the song "Do They Know It's Christmas" -- but he actually co-wrote it with Midge Ure of Ultravox. Ure did not have a solo singing performance on the song, but he's responsible for adding the familiar "Feed the world" chorus at the end.
• The artists had only 24 hours to record the song. Phil Collins recorded the first track on drums. Spandau Ballet singer Tony Hadley was the first to record a vocal track. Boy George recorded the final vocal track.
• Paul Young sings the opening lines to the song. But those lines were actually written for David Bowie, who was unable to attend the recording.
• U2's Bono originally objected to his solo line "Tonight thank god it's them instead of you." He later admitted it was a painful truth that most people felt that way.
• Most fans know that Band-Aid's song inspired "We Are The World" by U.S. artists. But did you know that it also spawned similar charitable projects in Canada ("Tears Are Not Enough"), Finland, Latin America, Germany and Yugoslavia?

For more information on the project, go to the BandAid website or Bob Gelfdof's website.

R.E.M vs. U2?

Has everyone seen the article on Slate.com by now? Their writer poses the question: Who was the best rock band of the '80s -- R.E.M. or U2?

Sounds vaguely like an argument that Times pop critic Sean Daly and I would joust over in a Ye Ole Time Blog Battle. I'm guessing he'd want to take U2 and stick me with defending R.E.M.

For some reason, it doesn't seem like a fair comparison. It's like asking, who's your favorite sports team -- the Tampa Bay Bucs or the Chicago Cubs. They're not playing the same game. Likewise, the bands' lyrics and messages were nowhere close to being similar. The guitar work by The Edge and Peter Buck were mirror opposites. Bono and Michael Stipe comparatively have the personalities of Penn and Teller. Really the only thing they had in common was the timeframe.

Two of my favorite albums of the 80s were by these two bands: U2's Unforgettable Fire and R.E.M.'s Lifes Rich Pageant. I own them both on CD and play them often, which proves the real answer to Slate's question is: Just enjoy both bands and instead focus on the real questions of the 80s, like:

• Best Daryl Hannah movie of the 80s: Blade Runner or Reckless?
• Why is Dan Aykroyd singing in "We Are The World"?
• Worst Tom Cruise movie of the 80s: Legend or Losin' It?
• How did everyone suddenly learn how to dance at the end of Footloose?

[Click here to listen to our U2 podcast from 2005]

Bono makes headlines -- literally

U2 crooner Bono is the guest newspaper editor Tuesday at The Independent, a daily tabloid newspaper in Britain. The newspaper donated half its revenue for the day to Bono's campaign to fight AIDS in Africa.

The lead headline: "NO NEWS TODAY" ... but in smaller type -- "Just 6,500 Africans died as a result of a preventable, treatable disease."

Bono's edition had a large dose of AIDS-related news, including an interview of Prime Minister Tony Blair, conducted by Bono himself. The two discussed global warning, educational initiatives for poor nations and the health crisis in Africa.

The edition also featured commentaries by Nelson Mandela, Bob Geldof, Elvis Costello and Eddie Izzard.

It wasn't all serious hard news. Bono gave space for a Q&A with fashion king Giorgio Armani. And U2 guitarist The Edge tells the story of how musicians in New Orleans are rebuilding their culture in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Another interesting tidbit added by the Editor in Chief: Top 10 Works of Music, as chosen by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. A lot of classical music, but Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love," Aretha Franklin's "Respect" and Elton John's "Rocket Man" make the list. As does "anything by U2." What a suck-up.

U2's "One" is No. 1 for lyrics

A poll of 13,000 music fans has crowned a line from U2's song "One" as Britain's all-time favorite lyric.

The line is "One life, with each other ... sisters, brother."

In second place was The Smiths' lyric from "How Soon is Now" that reads: "So you go on, and you stand on your own. And you leave on your own."

Nirvana's signature hit "Smells Like Teen Spirit" came in third with its line: "I feel stupid and contagious. Here we are now. Entertain us." Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" had the No. 4 lyric: "Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds. Have no fear for atomic energy, 'cause none of them can stop the time."

What do you think? Is that really the best lyric of the rock era? Or even the best U2 lyric? Personally, I prefer "Free at last, they took your life. They could not take your pride" from Pride (In The Name of Love).

Bono looking to buy Nirvana catalog?

Is U2 lead singer Bono looking for Nirvana? Word on the web is that Elevation Partners, which includes Bono as a partner, is ready to make an offer on the musical catalogue of grunge pioneers, which would includes tunes such as "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Come As You Are."

Courtney Love, the widow of the late Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain, is looking to sell as much as a 25 percent stake in the band's catalogue, reportedly because the burden of managing it has become overwhelming. Probably from cashing those endless 5-cent checks every time MTV plays Weird Al's "Smells Like Nirvana" video. ("A garage band from Seattle ... Well it sure beats raisin' cattle!")

Meanwhile, back in Bono's universe

Hollywood actor Edward Norton today praised Bono for being able to work with people he doesn't like. Quoted in the Ireland Online website, the star of Fight Club said, "It's very enlightened to choose to seek as much positive connection as he does, even with the people who are the instruments of these terrible terrible policies."

Among the people Bono has broken bread with in his anti-poverty and anti-AIDS campaigns: George W. Bush, Jesse Helms and Kofi Annan.

Cancer behind U2 tour cancellation?

U2 is canceling the remaining portion of their world tour -- including stops in Australia -- due to a family member's illness. The band had several shows scheduled around the Asia-Pacific area, some in cities the band hasn't visited in more than a decade. Who's sick? According to a New Zealand website, it's the daughter of guitarist The Edge. An Irish newspaper reported in January that his 7-year-old has leukemia.

U2's promoter provided no details in a statement posted Thursday on the band's website: "Any fan of U2 will realise that this decision has not been taken lightly. We will announce further details as soon as we have them."

More trouble for Hasselhoff

... Meanwhile, poor David Hasselhoff has own problems these days. The former star of 80s TV's Baywatch and Knight Rider faces a charge of domestic violence filed by his wife. Pamela Bach, his wife of 16 years, asked for but was refused a restraining order. The legal fiasco came only hours after Hasselhoff pleaded no contest to drunk driving. Hasselhoff remains a hugely popular singing star in Germany, though his fame in non-Germanic households is largely confined to him running around the beach in a red lifeguard speedo.

(Save it. Cherish it. Gary Coleman and David Hasselhoff. Life is beautiful.)

Bono, Geldof among Nobel Prize nominees

Musicians Bono of U2 and Bob Geldof, best known for his Band-Aid and Live-Aid charity efforts, are among the nominees for this year's Nobel Peace Prize, according to Billboard Magazine and Canadian media reports. Usually the nominees for the award are not announced, but word sometimes slips out from those doing the nominating.

Bono's campaign to ease Third World debt and Geldof's efforts to fight poverty and famine in Africa have attracted a lot of media attention this year, with Bono being named as Co-Person of the Year by Time Magazine. The winner, who will receive $1.3-million, will be announced in December.

Meanwhile back in the U.K: Though Bono and Geldof, the former frontman of Irish punk group Boomtown Rats, may be kindred souls in the world of charity, it's a different story in person. On Thursday night in London, Bono introduced Geldof to the audience of the NME Awards, Britain's version of the Grammy's. But Bono shocked everyone by plastering his speech with a slew of profanity, using the f-word 14 times, according to observers.

"Bob Geldof has told me to f--- off perhaps hundreds, maybe thousands of times," Bono explained, according to Ireland Online. Geldof was being awarded the Hero of the Year award. Hey, lay off the Guinness, Bono. St. Patty's Day isn't for another month.