U2 Is OK

I know that it's not cool to like U2 anymore. But I adore the band (maybe it's the Irish in me). I loved U2 when they were young and hung out in San Francisco with my late friend -- the swashbuckling music writer Adam Block (I still miss him). I loved them later on when I saw them soon after 9/11 at Madison Square Garden and NYC was still in mourning. The show was like a religious ceremony. As big as the bleeding city itself, yet hushed.

Their new album reimagines many of their iconic songs -- and I recommend it. But the band left off one of my favorites songs, "One Tree Hill" - a gorgeous elegy to a dead crew member. Here's a live version of the song which still gives me chills.

U2, in my mind, was the last great rock band. Their music deeply resonated with me. It still does.