Bono has revealed one of his all-time favourite tunes – and it may be a surprise.
The iconic U2 frontman, aged 65 and known offstage as Paul Hewson, shared his musical preferences on BBC’s Desert Island Discs, where he chose the eight records he’d take if marooned. Topping his list was Bob Dylan’s Every Grain Of Sand, yet he also expressed high regard for Noel Gallagher’s Dead In The Water.
Discussing his choice, Bono explained: “Well, this is Noel Gallagher and the High Flying Birds, and this is Dead In The Water and he has this thing where the songs just take him wherever they want to take him.
“It is a little bleak to be on an island with a song called Dead On The Water but there is some defiance in the song and defiance is the essence of romance.”
The mutual admiration between Noel and Bono is well-known, with Gallagher himself appearing on Desert Island Discs back in 2015.
Noel, who is gearing up for the return of Oasis next month, paid homage to U2 by selecting their hit With Or Without You as one of his top tracks.
In praise of the Irish rockers, Noel remarked: “You listen to it now (The Joshua Tree album) and honestly it is easily one of the greatest batches of songs any band has ever written. I love U2. I don’t know. If you don’t get it, you don’t get it, and shame on you for not. This is one of the greatest songs ever written.”
Noel, who will reunite with his younger brother Liam after a long hiatus since 2009, has named bands such as The Beatles, The Smiths and Pink Floyd amongst his top picks.
In contrast to Oasis, U2 have remained united through the years, and their frontman Bono shared on BBC Sounds the secret to their enduring bond.
Speaking about the band’s dynamic, Bono said: “I mean, we break up all the time, in truth. It is really trying for the male ego to suffer the kind of introspection writing great songs takes and the extraspection – might have made that word up – of your mates criticising what you do.
“So we have broken up many times and it is also a good thing to say to yourself, ‘You know what, we might be done.’ But the thing that has kept us there is unfinished business – a sense that we still maybe haven’t got to that sound we hear in our head and the song, that song.
“So if you are going to serve the song, you might as well do it with the people who understand you and can tell you to, I promised I wouldn’t swear on the BBC, and I’m not going to, but just tell you where to go.
“And we have all gone through moments where somebody has stepped on our toe and I have been in a huff and a puff but in U2 presently we are OK with that – but I don’t know for how long.”