U2 | BOY - REMASTERED | CD

U2: Paul "Bono Vox" Hewson (vocals); Dave "The Edge" Evans (guitar, background vocals); Adam Clayton (bass); Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums).
Recorded at Windmill Lane, Dublin, Ireland.
"An Cat Dubh" and "Into The Heart" are listed as one song.
U2: Bono (vocals); The Edge (guitar, background vocals); Adam Clayton (bass guitar); Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums).
Audio Mixers: Paul S. Thomas; Martin Hannett.
Audio Remasterers: The Edge; Arnie Acosta.
Audio Remixer: Robbie McGrath.
Liner Note Author: Paul Morley.
Recording information: CBS Studios, London, England (02/26/1980-09/22/1980); The Marquee, London, England (02/26/1980-09/22/1980); The National Stadium, Dublin, Ireland (02/26/1980-09/22/1980); Windmill Lane Recording Studio, Dublin, Ireland (02/26/1980-09/22/1980).
Photographers: Colm Henry; Paul Slattery.
From the outset, U2 went for the big message -- every song on their debut album Boy sounds huge, with oceans of processed guitars cascading around Bono's impassioned wail. It was an inspired combination of large, stadium-rock beats and post-punk textures. Without the Edge's echoed, ringing guitar, U2 would have sounded like a traditional hard rock band, since the rhythm section and Bono treat each song as an anthem. Of course, that's the charm of Boy: all of its emotions are on the surface, delivered with optimistic, youthful self-belief, yet the unusual, distinctive guitar textures give it an unexpected tension that makes it an exhilarating debut. The songs may occasionally show some weakness -- the driving "I Will Follow," the dark "An Cat Dubh," and the shimmering "The Ocean" stand out among the sonic textures -- yet the band's musical and lyrical vision keep Boy compelling until the finish. [Island's 2008 reissue included an untitled bonus track.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

• Format: CD
• Genre: Pop
• Released: 07/22/2008