U2: Songs + Experience

by Brian Boyd

Songs + Experience is the ultimate celebration of the act hailed as the greatest rock band in the world. Co-written by Brian Boyd, a leading music journalist and close associate of the band, and Niall Stokes, Editor of Ireland's legendary Hot Press magazine, the book recounts the band's incredible career and analyses the songs from all of their studio albums (including Boy, The Joshua Tree and Songs of Experience).
The book discusses influences, inspiration and the origins of their immensely popular music, all accompanied by rare photographs, including many items of rock memorabilia, comprising posters, backstage passes, classic flyers and more.

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 4, 2018

About the author

Brian David Boyd is a University Distinguished Professor at the University of Auckland and a preeminent scholar best known for his definitive work on Vladimir Nabokov. After earning his PhD from the University of Toronto, Boyd was invited by Véra Nabokov to catalogue her husband's archives, leading to his award-winning, two-volume biography, The Russian Years and The American Years. His scholarship on Nabokov remains prolific, encompassing numerous edited volumes, verse translations, and the digital project AdaOnline. Beyond his expertise in Russian literature, Boyd is a pioneer in the field of "biopoetics," exploring the intersections of literature, evolution, and cognition. His landmark book, On the Origin of Stories, argues that storytelling is a biological adaptation rooted in play, applying evolutionary criticism to works ranging from Homer to Dr. Seuss. A versatile intellectual, he has also tackled the biography of philosopher Karl Popper and co-curated major exhibitions on the origins of art. In 2020, his contributions to the humanities were recognized with the Rutherford Medal, the Royal Society Te Apārangi’s highest honor.