intedomine
Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB
Mrs. Garrison said:
He had a hot girlfriend whom he deemed worth keeping forever.
Compared to Bono, do you think the others remember better?
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He had a hot girlfriend whom he deemed worth keeping forever.
Cactus Annie
Refugee
Well don't you think it's easier to remember patterns than it is words?
3 chords for the verse, 2 chords for the chorus, same 3 chords for the verse, same 2 chords for the chorus, and maybe one extra chord thrown in to make a bridge.
Now compare that to remembering 14 different lines with only the chorus repeating...
Which do you think is easier?
Dunno. Do you think he maybe cyclothymic like Stephen Fry? Memory can be a problem for those with bipolar. It would explain a few things if he was cyclothymic. I think Fry and Bono are quite similar in quite a few ways.
Galeongirl
Galeonbroad
Bono has a perfect memory. In many articles it's shown that he's amazing at remembering tiny details on people and their names and meetings and what they told him 20 years ago. He remembers all that.
He just doesn't remember song lyrics. Some people have that. It doesn't make you bipolar or cyclothymic or whatever.
He just doesn't remember song lyrics. Some people have that. It doesn't make you bipolar or cyclothymic or whatever.
Rob33
Rock n' Roll Doggie
Let's be honest, you're not making sense...
occlith
The Fly
Ah, youth. Try it 30+ years from now.
shart1780
Rock n' Roll Doggie
Well, I've been listening to U2 since 2001 and know pretty much every song by heart and Bono has been the writer and singer in U2 for 30 years and doesn't remember a lot of his songs...
I'd be willing to bet that if they actually played their back catalogue somewhat regularly they'd have no problem, but since they don't they'd be unable to play half their songs in concert on the fly... which kind of sucks, so I'd mainly chock it up to laziness. I remember going to a Fugazi concert a while back and they basically made the setlist up as they went and took requests from the crowd. Also the two guitarists switched guitar parts periodically. I honestly think U2 is less technically talented band than many others out there (although they write some of the best music) , so it's harder for them to play certain songs without rehearsing.
I just wish they'd play more of their back catalogue. I doubt most of the band would have much of a problem... except maybe Bono, who just can't seem to remember a good amount of his lyrics.
I'd be willing to bet that if they actually played their back catalogue somewhat regularly they'd have no problem, but since they don't they'd be unable to play half their songs in concert on the fly... which kind of sucks, so I'd mainly chock it up to laziness. I remember going to a Fugazi concert a while back and they basically made the setlist up as they went and took requests from the crowd. Also the two guitarists switched guitar parts periodically. I honestly think U2 is less technically talented band than many others out there (although they write some of the best music) , so it's harder for them to play certain songs without rehearsing.
I just wish they'd play more of their back catalogue. I doubt most of the band would have much of a problem... except maybe Bono, who just can't seem to remember a good amount of his lyrics.
singyourlife
War Child
He may be shite at remembering the lyrics, but he wrote 'em in the first place, so he's probably not overly fussed to be honest!
I probably know hundreds of song lyrics off by heart, but I can't write songs or sing to the standard that Bono can, so it's irrelevant really!
I probably know hundreds of song lyrics off by heart, but I can't write songs or sing to the standard that Bono can, so it's irrelevant really!
Marien
Refugee
I think you don't understand what jamming is, they play from a very different musical concept to what you're talking about, their approach to music is in that sense more similar to jazz musicians than to rockers.
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
You've probably listened to ________ (insert your favorite song) hundreds of times, so of course you have learned the lyrics.
I don't think Bono spends a lot of time listening to U2 songs once they have the album wrapped up.
It's a completely different perspective, also I'm sure a lot of his older songs he doesn't feel quite connected to in the way he did 20 or 30 years ago.
Fans have different relationships with the songs than artist do.
blueeyedgirl
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
3 pages and noone's mentioned Springsteen? 
LuckyNumber7
Blue Crack Addict
3 pages and noone's mentioned Springsteen?
Well you just did
Funny that you say that when I'm listening to Streets of Philadelphia.
cobl04
45:33
I'm On Fire is my sexy karaoke song.
I can take you higher
I can take you higher
... and they've pretty much admitted to this in the past. they're the ones who said they created their sound because of an inability to copy anyone else's.
u2's greatness is in their synergy. none of the 4 would be able to be great on their own, but together they produce something special and unique. they've all gotten better at their craft over the years, but they are not a single one of them can claim to be at or near the top of their field as individuals... only as a group.
Mrs. Garrison
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Seriously, for all the u2 songs that we know and are aware of, think of how many more exist. Everytime they release an album of 11 songs, there's always a big deal made about how "we've got 50 or 60 songs"...etc. So if they had 500 songs released, how many more do they have as unreleased demo tracks?
Lots of Hits
maybe....we'll see
Shawn Bonneau
New Yorker
Bono can't even remember the words to hits lol
shart1780
Rock n' Roll Doggie
I agree, they're great, but not the same kind of great as a lot of other bands. If U2 tried to pull a King Crimson or Led Zeppelin and extend a song or play something unplanned like jamming together and adding snippets of other songs on the fly it would probably end up sounding like poo because they don't have the raw technical talent. They're more like The Beatles in that they know how to make good songs with simple instrumentation but they won't be able to pull the music off if they don't think up and practice what they're going to do repeatedly.
pepokiss
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
all I can say is this:
YouTube - Racing In The Street Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Live Hyde Park 2009
YouTube - Racing In The Street Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Live Hyde Park 2009
whackjester
Acrobat
I'm a big Glen Phillips fan and solo, he has a tendency to forget lyrics, chords, makes flubs, etc. on a fairly frequent basis. There are quite a few songs that people call out for him to play and he claims he doesn't remember them (or course it could also be because he doesn't want to play them too).
Anyway, I think as BVS pointed out, fans have a different connection to songs and I can't really fault a lyricist or song writer for forgetting songs they haven't played or though of for years.
The John Tree
War Child
In defense of Bono: I write songs, and I perform 3-4 nights a week, sometimes more. It's easy when you're sitting in your car singing along, or listening to your iPod. But when you're performing, your mind is on so much more. You're feeling out the crowd, you're emoting, you're trying to make sure you're in key, that the band's in time, that you know the next chord or the next section, and sometimes the next word gets lost. Sometimes you lose your place. And that's just me playing to a bar full of drunks. I can't imagine the pressure of playing to a stadium.
Also, you don't notice it as bad with Larry, Edge, and Adam because musicians have little tricks up our sleeve for when we lose place. If I was, say, The Edge and I forgot the next chord during a song, I could still miss the chord but play a little lick in the same key and things would turn out at least alright, if not perfect.
In defense of Bruce: in that clip of "Racing in the Street", Bruce was reading off of a teleprompter, but it's not noted that this was during the "Stump the Band" portion of his show where he takes requests. Racing in the Street wasn't a regular part of that set, at best it was a rotating song and only really got regular play during the few shows where he played the entire Darkness album. I think we can cut the Boss some slack, especially considering how wordy his songs are.
Also, you don't notice it as bad with Larry, Edge, and Adam because musicians have little tricks up our sleeve for when we lose place. If I was, say, The Edge and I forgot the next chord during a song, I could still miss the chord but play a little lick in the same key and things would turn out at least alright, if not perfect.
In defense of Bruce: in that clip of "Racing in the Street", Bruce was reading off of a teleprompter, but it's not noted that this was during the "Stump the Band" portion of his show where he takes requests. Racing in the Street wasn't a regular part of that set, at best it was a rotating song and only really got regular play during the few shows where he played the entire Darkness album. I think we can cut the Boss some slack, especially considering how wordy his songs are.
pepokiss said:
I'm sorry, but I'm failing to see a point. Unless you're just saying that bruce rules, then I agree.
Cactus Annie
Refugee
You said many bands out there. How many technically great rock bands do you think are they? Indeed some of the best and most successful rock bands such as The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Oasis, Kings Of Leon, REM and Nirvana aren't technically trained. This isn't the 70's where prog rock rules. Rock music isn't about great technical efficiency and neither is pop. In fact technical efficiency can be a hindrance in rock and pop music. Besides practice and constant pushing musical boundaries over 30+ years can be just as good as classical training. Nowadays prog rock is sometimes regarded as being uncool and pretentious.
Anyway, I don't think technical ability has anything to do with remembering your songs. That's just a memory problem.
I was going to say that Bono drops in snippets of their and other people's songs all the time, but never mind.
The words raw and technique are on opposites side of the same coin. Technique has something to do with a piece of paper you gain from a stage school whilst raw talent is some natural musical ability that you're born with. U2 do have that.
Earlier someone mentioned that they are more like jazz than rock musicians. I like jazz
LemonMelon
More 5G Than Man
Well, I don't see how remembering every element of a given song should be my responsibility. There are four members of the band.
I can probably play 30 or 40 U2 songs off the top of my head on an acoustic guitar, lyrics included, and I didn't even write them. I don't see why their entire catalogue has been condensed down to that over the past few tours. Laziness, I suppose, or lack of interest in the material, but saying that makes me come across as a dick.
corianderstem
Blue Crack Distributor
The simplest answer is just that Bono's memory isn't that great.
Big effing deal.
Big effing deal.
LemonMelon
More 5G Than Man
Why hasn't Bono bought himself an upgrade yet?
corianderstem
Blue Crack Distributor
There's a joke in here somewhere about his technology investments ......
LuckyNumber7
Blue Crack Addict
Right and again I thought initially the comments made were implying extemporaneous playing, in which case I doubt anyone can play any given song extemporaneously without screwing up, live in front of a crowd (of 70,000+ people at that).
shart1780
Rock n' Roll Doggie
Well, to be fair almost every snippet is played multiple times over a tour and is obviously rehearsed.
i would say in this case its more about rehearsing; i am pretty sure if he practiced an old song a couple of times it would come back to him.
Ya know what's fucked up? Listening to the Sao Paolo show... Bono fucks up "I wanna run..." in streets. I mean come on... it's the first fucking line to your most classic song.
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