..Book Reviews..

Or what exactly is even better than the real thing? Well, don't get too excited. While Into the Heart gives the detailed story behind every U2 song recorded, sometimes the answers lie beyond the simple context in which the song was written and recorded.

Niall Stokes, founder and editor of Ireland's Hot Press, follows U2 from the very beginning, exploring each song with quotes from band members, producers, and friends, as well as culturally relevant information, and the stories and event that shaped each song. Some stories you'll have heard before, like the fact that all of Bono's lyrics were stolen just weeks before they were supposed to record October, but many of them will be new, even for hard-core U2 fans.

The analysis is usually thorough, although not incredibly in-depth. With over 20 years of songs, each one gets about a page, which is enough to give the context and tell any interesting stories, but not enough to thoroughly explore the different meanings of each song. Understandably, some songs get more coverage and more insight than others.

The writing could stand some improvement. Especially the captions, which try so hard to be smug they're not even worth reading. My copy was also lightly peppered with typos, something I wouldn't expect to see so often in a published book.

This is an updated edition of the book, and includes All That You Can't Leave Behind, as well as the quasi-U2 project, the Million Dollar Hotel soundtrack. It also includes tons of color and black and white photos, which makes it interesting to flip through and watch the hairstyles of U2 change over the years.

This book works best as an overall reference and as a midpoint for understanding some of your favorite U2 songs better. I'd recommend listening to a song and reading along with the lyrics, then reading the story behind that song. Sometimes it's illuminating, sometimes it's not. It's a great reference, but certainly not the final word.