Seeing U2 without one of the original band members was a weird thing for fans. After all, the Irish foursome had always been singer Bono, guitarist The Edge, bassist Adam Clayton, and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. But playing drums with neck or back problems is nearly impossible.
Due to ongoing neck issues and surgery to correct the problem, Mullen missed the band's residence at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The performances were great, of course, as U2 is always fantastic live, but not having Mullen was not easy for the band.
Here is the good news, though: Mullen is back to playing and has been in the studio with the band making new music. In fact, some of the tracks are being produced by Brian Eno. How much new music there is and how close the world is to getting a new U2 album is unknown.
Fans of U2 will be quite happy with Bono's update on Larry Mullen Jr.
Bono gave the Mullen and studio update while accepting the Woody Guthrie Prize recently in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He said that Mullen has been in "mighty form" and that the drummer's work has been some of his best.
That is saying quite a bit, as Mullen is one of the more underrated drummers in rock, and has been for decades. What he doesn't try to do in terms of bombast, he makes up for with precision and tempo. Songs such as "New Year's Day" and "Trip Through Your Wires" simply would not be the same without Mullen.
Additionally, there is something special about a group that starts off in the early 20s and remains together, while consistently producing high-quality music, for over 40 years. The band has released at least three masterpiece albums, and there is no reason to think that they are done creating such brilliant music.
Perhaps, whenever the next album is released, it could be the band's best. Clearly, U2 has always had an elite chemistry, and now that drummer Larry Mullen Jr. is fully back and, according to Bono, playing his best, the only thing fans should expect is further excellence.