U2 in London

"One of the hardest things about being in U2 was not belonging to a tradition. In the past, we've gone looking for a tradition to fit into. I mean, we feel close to soul because of the spirituality and the sense of abandon; we feel close to rock 'n' roll because it can confront an issue head-on; we even feel an empathy with folk music because it deals with timeless ideals, not juvenilia. Now, we don't try to fit anymore, we don't even consider ourselves to be a rock 'n' roll band at all." - Bono, 1992