The thrill of the hunt

Since I've never been one to wait until Christmas to find out what my gifts are it should come as no surprise that I don't have the patience to wait until my favorite band, U2, officially releases their albums. There is a definite thrill that comes with finding ways to prematurely obtain the music. The boys from Dublin can rest assured as I will always purchase the album once it is released...heck I've spent enough on that band to completely refurbish the guestrooms of their Riviera villas.

A brief breakdown of my first experiences with each U2 album from Achtung to the present:

Achtung Baby (1991)- My love for the band was just blossoming as I was entering high school. The local radio station, KJQ, managed to play the entire album one week before release. Their aim was to play one new song on the top of every hour. I carried my little boom box around with me to ensure that I was able to record every song to tape. I distinctly remember playing basketball in Fruit Heights after school and abruptly stopping the play so I could record when "Wild Horses" came on. I was originally confused by most of the songs but the album would slowly grow on me over the ensuing months and years to where it is now my 2nd favorite U2 album. Most people were turned off by the new direction that the band was taking but I stood my ground and defended their innovation and fearlessness. History would prove me right.

Zooropa (1993)- Fast forward to the summer before senior year. U2 with their "Fly-MacPhisto" shtick and was really wearing on alot of my "purist" friends. I continued to love what they were doing. The release of this album was abrupt and came somewhat as a surprise. The album was scheduled to be released at midnight at our local Hastings music store. It was a summer night and we were all attending a high school dance. At 11:30 me, Norm, and Robb Finlinson hopped into Norm's yellow honda and went to the record store so that we could fulfill our obligation with the band. I distinctly remember the heavy electricity and anticipation as we put the cd in and listened to "Zooropa" for the first time. We drove around in the early morning hours taking in each new track. I remember pulling up to the school and creating quite a buzz with the new purchase.

Batman Soundtrack (1995)- The next few releases were somewhat difficult as they were released during my mission. "Hold Me Kiss Me Kill Me Thrill Me" was the much anticipated single that was to support the latest Batman movie. My problem was that it was being released the week after I entered the MTC. Dear friend, Peter Watkins, understood my dilemma and mailed me a contraband copy of the song with a package of cookies. I had to listen to the song in secret for fear of inciting a riot in these ultra obedient confines. I could only get one listen in before I was overwhelmed with guilt. The tape would remain buried in my belongings throughout the remainder of my mission.

Passengers (1996)- My "at home" sources alerted me to the release of this one. I waited until a P-Day and made the purchase at my local Wal-Mart. I climbed on the roof of our little house so that I could listen in private. Once again the guilt only permitted one listen. I did love "Miss Sarajevo" and "Your Blue Room". I later confessed to my mission president this indiscretion. He thanked me for my honesty and then just laughed.

Pop (1997)- This one came out at the tail end of the mission. I remember being in Edinburg, Texas when it was released. We were at an old folks center doing service. The TV was on and I think I was casually watching during the work. Right then the infamous U2 press conference, the one given from the lingerie aisle of the K-Mart, came on. It had my complete attention and I completely enjoyed their sense of irony. It was a brief worldly respite from my otherwise angelic two years. Since I only had a few months left I made the commitment to hold out on buying the album. I did give in and purchase the first single, "Discoteque". The same result: one listen, guilt, destruction of the tape, confession to the mission president, laughter from the mission president.

All that you can't Leave Behind (2000)- Free from my ecclesiastical duties I was able put my whole heart into preparing for this release. It was during the hey day of Napster so there were rumors and fake songs flying all over the internet. There was quite a frenzy during the last two months leading up to the release. Finally the damn broke and the album leaked about a month prior. I managed to have the album pretty much memorized by the time it was finally released. I also managed to get a nasty virus on my computer.

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (2004)- For whatever reason I wasn't too involved in the build up to this one. I had just finished business school and was in a pretty crappy relationship. I actually waited until the album was released before listening to it. I think I even waited a week or two before buying it. I got it at the local "Barnes and Noble" over at the Biltmore in Phoenix. I remember being somewhat underwhelmed.

No Line on the Horizon (2009)- I was back in the game for this one. I contacted the European guy who managed to record the tracks outside of Bono's place in the south of France. This was a good year before release so my appetite had plenty of time to grow. A few weeks ago the band released "Get on your Boots". A couple weeks later the title track followed. Then articles and reviews started to surface from heavily guarded advanced listening parties. The buzz was all very positive and I was ready to get my piece of the action. People began to speculate as to whether or not the album could be released without being leaked first. With all of the draconian measures that Universal Music was taking to protect their prize the smart money was on yes. But then the dam broke. Some Australian numb skull accidentally put the album up for sale on their website. Despite the fact that it was only up for a few minutes it was enough for thousands of fans to get in there to make the purchase. By the time anyone could respond the album was flying unfettered on thousands of links and torrent sites. Early numbers had it being downloaded over 100k times in just a couple days. Naturally I got my piece of the action. I have spent the last two days listening to the album. I will reserve my judgment until I give it some time to settle in.

And that is how I have experienced each new U2 album over the last 20 years.