David O'Reilly's animated video for U2

Animator David O'Reilly (Twitter), whose work I've featured on Boing Boing's original video program many times, has created this lovely music video for a little-known band from Ireland called "You Too." What's that? Oh I've been corrected, "U2." I think this great little video will really help them get somewhere and make a name for themselves! The song is "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight."

• [Talia]

  A pretty good name, to be sure.

• [Talia]

  I’m slow/unfunny. Never mind me.

• [Anonymous]

  The song is garbage, but the video is great. Thanks for posting that.

• [Anonymous]

  Great vid. I Love this animation style.

  pet-peeve: embedded video-player with no volume control

• [Pablissimo]

  Oh Yeah! Jon Klassen was the “…art director/production design type guy…” for this video. He’s also fantastic – check out his stuff here: http://burstofbeaden.com/ and here: http://jonklassen.blogspot.com/

• [Brother Provisional]

  First, it’s spelled Negativland. Their name is taken from a song by 70′s krautrockers Neu!, hence the Germanic spelling.
  Secondly, as interested as I may be in the animation, I’ll be damned if I request 1 byte of U2′s music to be send down my intertubes. Sure, their work with Eno in the 80′s was alright, but these days they represent the acme of corporate music. Not that there’s anything wrong with corporate music categorically, but the business side of U2 happen to be some of the worst predatory copyright hawks out there. Specifically, Paul McGuinness, U2′s long time manager, has made public comments in the past and taken certain legal actions which have lead me to undertake a general digital boycott of U2′s music.

• [wylkyn]

  Nice animation, but U2 lost it a long time ago. Bono hasn’t written an interesting song in a while, not since he started just writing commercial jingles. Just my opinion, of course. I know they are still very popular. But to me, their recent stuff is just devoid of any spark. It all sounds the same. But I like the animation.

• [wylkyn]

  Expressing disappointment in U2′s decline into banality is hardly “bashing.” I don’t think they have always been boring. I love their early albums.

• [gobo]

  I think David OReilly is one of the most important animators working today. It’s interesting to see his work in a mainstream setting, but no less gorgeously designed.

• [godfathersoul]

  Yes, U2… I have heard of them. They keep making crap music like this tho and they’ll never make anything of themselves – even through feeble attempts to align themselves with decent animators.

• [Phikus]

  Brother Provisional: Ok, since we are going to be pedantic, U2′s work with Eno and Lanois was in the 80′s AND 90′s as well as several times since, including their latest, from which this vid was made. The band have publicly disassociated themselves from the opinions of their manager on a number of occasions. Managers are all assholes. That’s why they are managers. Even Neu! and Negativland probably had asshole managers.

  Wylkyn: When something is not quite my cup of tea, I just hit the space bar and move on. I don’t take the time to criticize it in a public forum, lest I rob the joy someone else may derive from said post with useless negativity. Every time there has been a post here concerning this band, there has been quite a bit of vitriol spewed in their direction. Do you think Bono and the guys give a shit about whiny posts here? Do you think Edge is going to read this and go “You know, guys, we suck! Why can’t we make some good music like we did in the old days..?” You have your right to your own opinion, of course, and it is my opinion that such comments are indeed bashing, since they serve no constructive purpose.

  For the record, before you pidgeonhole me as some fanboy who is just crying “Won’t everyone just leave U2 aloooone?” I like all kinds of music, including Neu! and even some Negativland. The number of albums I like by U2 far outweighs the music I appreciate from both of those bands combined, sad to say. I was just trying to get the usual typical comments out of the way so we can have some kind of real discussion here. I should have known better.

• [Phikus]

  Six comments in and the U2 bashing is already in full force. Negativeland reference in 3…2…

• [Anonymous]

  Absofuckinglutely beautiful. Great animation!