U2-A Diary

I don’t know how I missed this when it was first published, but back in early December Goldmine magazine posted their full review of U2-A Diary, and it’s probably the best review of all. Check this out:

The timeline McGee sets up and the way he strings together quotes from U2 insiders makes for an easy, compelling read, and the book is full of superb black-and-white images — some of them rarely seen before — that only serve to enhance McGee’s exhaustive history of a band that still matters.

How cool is that?!? And the review also includes the short Q&A that we did via email. I wish I’d seen this when it was first published, but I’m glad to have found it at all.

Thanks to Eric for pointing me toward this Record Collector review of U2 – A Diary. I have no idea how old the review is, and there’s no date on the web page.

It’s a 3-star review, but I don’t know if that’s 3-out-of-4 or 3-out-of-5. Hmmmm. The text seems favorable:

Whether this is of interest to you – even as a U2 fan – depends largely on what kind of books you like reading – and that’s not as trite a point as it sounds. Truly, lists and quotes appeal to a certain section of the music buying public more than the conjecture and received wisdom of flowing prose. We know which we prefer.

I suppose you could say tha RC doesn’t make it obvious how they feel about the book. But, given that it’s a magazine that focuses on facts and figures, values, release dates, and other collecting details, I’m taking this as a “we prefer this style of book ahead of flowing prose.”

I knew it would happen eventually. After all the positive reviews, one critic came out swinging the other way.

A guy named Robert Holman pretty much ripped the book apart in the Toledo Free Press newspaper. The whole review is too long to quote here, and I don’t understand some of the criticisms. Give it a read and let me know what you think.

Part of me would like to go line-by-line through the review and challenge/refute the stuff I don’t understand or agree with, but that would be petty. :) Everyone’s allowed an opinion … it’s okay to not like the book … and this guy happens to get paid to share his opinions. Life goes on, and I’m sure there’ll be other critics who don’t like the book. Most important thing to me is what you, my fellow U2 fans, think about it.

Thanks to Conor M. for sending me a scan of the January 2009 issue of Q magazine, which includes a brief review of U2 – A Diary. I can’t find the review on Q’s web site, so here’s the full text:

U2: A Diary
Matt McGee, Omnibus Press, £19.95
3 stars

Want to know exactly what U2 were doing on 22 June 1985? Meeting R.E.M. for the first time in the glamorous environs of the Milton Keynes Bowl. How about 20 May 1981? Less historically, Bono was playing Pac-Man with two local radio personalities in the Holiday Inn, Rochester, New York state, after a soundcheck dispute resulted in a cancelled gig.

Matt McGee’s diary-style account of U2′s career, starting with their births and ending with Bono and his wife, Ali, attending the Boxing Day races in 2007, is an impressively exhaustive record of the band’s sprawling career.

A labour of love for the writer — the American founder of the @U2 website trawled through thousands of books and articles as research — it can be plain old hard labour for the casual reader. Yet you don’t need to be the kind of devoted fan who secretly checks to see what their favourite band were doing on their birthday or wedding anniversary to notice the way in which this meticulous format allows you to trace the ebb and flow of the band’s evolution, as tour dates and album releases are slowly replaced by meetings with Nelson Mandela and The Pope.

Obsessive, certainly, but oddly compulsive as well.

- Victoria Segal

Overall, I think that’s a fair review. I’ll confess to being sensitive about the “obsessive” comment at the end; but I’m happy with the “impressively exhaustive record” line earlier. :)

Thanks again to Conor for sending the scan.

Good reviews are always fun to read, and it’s especially nice when people you know and like — and whose opinions you respect — have good things to say about U2 – A Diary. My friend Todd Mintz, himself a big music fan, bought a copy of the book and wrote a review today that praises the book, as well as all of you who helped research and write it here on U2diary.com:

McGee (and all the other fans / contributors at U2Diary.com) have put together an incredible historical document on one of the most important rock bands ever and if you have any interest / like for U2, this is an essential book to own.

Todd also picks up on the 100% objective voice with which I wrote the book — there’s no editorializing. I’m surprised earlier reviews haven’t discussed that, and wonder if future reviews will mention it. We’ll see.