New INXS Demo...Featuring Bono?

[Nick66]

It's not discrediting anyone. It's simply saying that it was largely "the seed" that was planted by various U2 websites - before anyone had heard the song - that made people think it was him. When in reality, independent of those seeds, if you just randomly heard this song you would almost certainly not think to yourself, "this sounds just like bono!!!" because in a vacuum, it sounds nothing like bono.

but this is the thing, it's not about dismissing an opinion. this isn't an opinion. it's been all but confirmed that it's not bono. saying you like the song/don't like the song is an opinion. saying that thomas jefferson was the 10th president of the US is not an opinion - it's a misstatement of fact. just like saying this is bono singing is not an opinion. it's a fact that it isn't him. two days ago it was an opinion. today, it's a fact.

i wouldn't have even commented on this if the thread wasn't filled with people saying, "LOL. i love u2, and i know bono when i hear him, and this is definitely bono." clearly...

Um, no, in fact, it's an opinion. If you think it sounds like Bono, it's an opinion, and therefore can't be wrong. Even if it's not Bono, the fact that someone may think it sounds like Bono is an opinion.

And when you say that people only think it sounds like Bono because of the "seed" planted by various U2 sites, again, you're stating an opinion. You don't know for sure how people would react to that song without that seed. Do you? Do you? Of course you don't.

It's not your place to authoritavely declare whether it sounds like Bono or not. All you can do is say that to you it doesn't sound like Bono, that's it.

You know, it's entirely possible that people can think this singer, or any singer, sounds like Bono, and not have it actually be Bono. It happens.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

So that is discrediting those who are of the opinion that it does sound like Bono?

No, but I find it very surprising that people do think it's Bono, because I'm not making my personal judgement based on some strained hearing of a slight difference somewhere in the detail of the tone based on 20+ years of close Bono listenership - to me it's obviously not Bono, and you can tell that within about three seconds. Not discrediting people who think it sounds like Bono, or it's similar to him, just surprised that people actually think it is him, because the match, to me, is nowhere near close.

 

[James U2]

Um, no, in fact, it's an opinion. If you think it sounds like Bono, it's an opinion, and therefore can't be wrong. Even if it's not Bono, the fact that someone may think it sounds like Bono is an opinion.

And when you say that people only think it sounds like Bono because of the "seed" planted by various U2 sites, again, you're stating an opinion. You don't know for sure how people would react to that song without that seed. Do you? Do you? Of course you don't.

It's not your place to authoritavely declare whether it sounds like Bono or not. All you can do is say that to you it doesn't sound like Bono, that's it.

You know, it's entirely possible that people can think this singer, or any singer, sounds like Bono, and not have it actually be Bono. It happens.

i don't disagree with anything you say. my point is that, at this point in time, it's pretty clear - simply by the information that has trickled out - that's it's not bono. so at this point it's more of an opinion to continue to say that it's bono. i can be of the opinion that discotheque was the lead single off of 'achtung baby' all i want, but once evidence to the contrary has been provided, it ceases to still be considered opinion.

it would be one thing, per your post, if people were saying, "i know it's not bono, but i think it sounds like him." it's another thing to say, "it's bono". at least at this point in time where, again, there is ample evidence to show that it's not him.

i'm all for opinions. otherwise what point does a forum like this exist for. but opinions should be based on information. not some shrug of the shoulder whim.

 

[ryancoke71]

No, but I find it very surprising that people do think it's Bono, because I'm not making my personal judgement based on some strained hearing of a slight difference somewhere in the detail of the tone based on 20+ years of close Bono listenership - to me it's obviously not Bono, and you can tell that within about three seconds. Not discrediting people who think it sounds like Bono, or it's similar to him, just surprised that people actually think it is him, because the match, to me, is nowhere near close.

Surprise!

 

[gvox]

Like Jesus on the cross "forgive them Father, they don't know..."

Holy shit

 

[gvox]

They've got a studio there. So i think that Andrew from INXS passed some time there and recorded the song with Bono and Edge.

Great theory and all Sherlock, except for the fact that Andrew's note explicitly states it was made in his (Andrew's) lounge room, not Bono/Edge's house studio. And frankly, if you think that Bono would sound like that singing into a mic in someone's lounge room, you need your ears irrigated.

 

[Nick66]

i don't disagree with anything you say. my point is that, at this point in time, it's pretty clear - simply by the information that has trickled out - that's it's not bono. so at this point it's more of an opinion to continue to say that it's bono. i can be of the opinion that discotheque was the lead single off of 'achtung baby' all i want, but once evidence to the contrary has been provided, it ceases to still be considered opinion.

it would be one thing, per your post, if people were saying, "i know it's not bono, but i think it sounds like him." it's another thing to say, "it's bono". at least at this point in time where, again, there is ample evidence to show that it's not him.

i'm all for opinions. otherwise what point does a forum like this exist for. but opinions should be based on information. not some shrug of the shoulder whim.

Well, I agree, especially with your last paragraph. But you made it sound like it was unreasonable for anyone to simply think it sounded like Bono, and that they only did so because of the "seed" planted in their mind. I'm merely making the point that it's perfectly reasonable to think it sounds like Bono, even if no one else does, or even if the evidence says its not Bono.

To use your example, saying "Discothèque" was a single of Achtung Baby is not really an opinion, it's a misstatement of fact that's provably wrong. But if someone says "Discothèque sounds like it could have been a single off Achtung Baby"...well, that's an opinion. One I may think is crazy, but an opinion nonetheless, and therefore not provably wrong.

And in this case, I don't think it's out of the realm of reasonableness to think this guy sounds a bit like Bono...and I at least don't think it's unreasonable for others to draw that conclusion.

Now, if someone said "It IS Bono", and all the facts indicated otherwise, I'd agree with you, it's a questionable opinion. But you really can't question someone thinking it sounds like Bono.

 

[BVS]

On the other hand, I don't think everything needs to be predicated with "In my opinion". For example, if I say "The Unforgettable Fire is U2's best album", I shouldn't have to preface that with "In my opinion..." That should go without saying, obviously it's an opinion. Most everything on here is opinion. Obviously it's Val's opinion that it's Bono in the track b/c no one knows for sure just now. And of course, the more facts someone has to support that opinion, the more valid that opinion is.

Surely people understand the difference in saying:

"UF is U2's best album."

and

"This is Bono."

If we don't, then we have much bigger issues here.

 

[James U2]

Well, I agree, especially with your last paragraph. But you made it sound like it was unreasonable for anyone to simply think it sounded like Bono, and that they only did so because of the "seed" planted in their mind. I'm merely making the point that it's perfectly reasonable to think it sounds like Bono, even if no one else does, or even if the evidence says its not Bono.

To use your example, saying "Discothèque" was a single of Achtung Baby is not really an opinion, it's a misstatement of fact that's provably wrong. But if someone says "Discothèque sounds like it could have been a single off Achtung Baby"...well, that's an opinion. One I may think is crazy, but an opinion nonetheless, and therefore not provably wrong.

And in this case, I don't think it's out of the realm of reasonableness to think this guy sounds a bit like Bono...and I at least don't think it's unreasonable for others to draw that conclusion.

Now, if someone said "It IS Bono", and all the facts indicated otherwise, I'd agree with you, it's a questionable opinion. But you really can't question someone thinking it sounds like Bono.

okay... i think we basically agree

yes, i think it's perfectly fine to say, "i think this is bono." what drew me to post in the first place was out of a response to those who were saying "it IS bono". that, to me, seemed excessive, especially in light of the evidence.

i apologize for insulting anyone

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Surely people understand the difference in saying:

"UF is U2's best album."

and

"This is Bono."

If we don't, then we have much bigger issues here.

I dunno, the amount of times someone does post something like 'that song sucks' and you get a very quick IN YOUR OPINION in response would suggest that understanding is kinda lacking.

 

[Galeongirl]

Stuck in a moment sucks. Very hard.




It's a fact!

 

[Niceman]

You know, this isn't so complicated. We have a singer here who we don't know. He's heavily influenced by Bono.

 

[Nick66]

okay... i think we basically agree

yes, i think it's perfectly fine to say, "i think this is bono." what drew me to post in the first place was out of a response to those who were saying "it IS bono". that, to me, seemed excessive, especially in light of the evidence.

i apologize for insulting anyone

 

[Nick66]

Stuck in a moment sucks. Very hard.




It's a fact!

Are you saying Bono didn't find a decent melody? That songs OK in my book.

 

[gvox]

Aside from the patently obvious fact that it's not Bono's voice, some people read WAYYY too much into that note of Andrew's. But playing along, let's dissect the relevant statement:

"Recently at a party, I met a fellow songwriter by accident, an Irish bloke"

Wait - you "met" a fellow songwriter. Would it be fair to say that "met" here fully means "met" as in "was introduced to", "became friends with", or any other variation that indicates that Andrew previously did not know this person? Which pretty much rules out Bono, right? I'm pretty sure Andrew and Bono have met long before "recently at a party". In which case, it wouldn't be "met", it would be "bumped into", "ran into", "saw again" or some other similar statement that indicates that they had met before and sortof know each other.

Also, I don't get any "wink wink nudge nudge Irish songwriter" vibe from this statement at all. I get that he met a songwriter who also happened to be Irish. He's probably saying that because he's not, you know, Irish, and he's just identifying the guy. He's not going wink wink IRISH SINGER YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD OF ONCE OR TWICE nudge nudge.

"and we sat around playing songs on acoustic guitars."

Sure, could be Bono, or about a gazillion other Irish songwriters

"Despite his funny accent"

Noone's accent is necessarily "funny" as in ha ha funny, it's funny to the listener because it's heavy/thick and not what the person is used to. Bono doesn't have a heavy Irish accent, and certainly not in his singing voice. I can't imagine someone writing "Despite Bono's funny accent..." It just doesn't fit.

"we then spent a few days songwriting and singing together… "

Let me get this straight: we're to take from this that Andrew just met Bono at some party, and Bono dropped what he was doing to spend a few days songwriting and singing with him? What are the chances? I'm a say slim to practically none. The way he's telling this story it's like two musicians met at a party, played a bit and said holy shit, lets hang out at my house (Andrew's) and see what we can come up with, and bang they recorded some stuff right then and there. Slim chance Bono is doing that imo.

Finally his statement about what the song is. He doesn't explicitly state that it's being sung by the same person that he met at the party. He doesn't even really hint it, unless you buy that Bono spent a few days at Andrews house singing and songwriting. And even if one was to get that idea, again, Bono just dropped everything for a few days after a party to sit in someone's lounge room and bang out songs for someone else's band? Cmon now!

It's not Bono.

 

[gvox]

Now, if someone said "It IS Bono", and all the facts indicated otherwise, I'd agree with you, it's a questionable opinion.

The contents of a handwritten note by the person who put the song out should pretty clearly be given more weight than someone's interpretation of what they're hearing in their ears.

 

[Tommy WM]

Bono thinks U2 are irrelevant these days. I can only imagine what he thinks about INXS who have done nothing relevant since the passing of Michael Hutchence.

 

[gvox]

Well according to Bono he thinks U2 are irrelevant these days. I can only imagine what he thinks about INXS who have done nothing relevant since the passing of Michael Hutchence.

yeah cause no offense INXS fans but that Tiny Summer song sounds hopelessly dated. It's a nice song, but there's not much "relevant" "radio" or "club" about the tune, imo. It's just...there..for me.

 

[Nick66]

Bono thinks U2 are irrelevant these days. I can only imagine what he thinks about INXS who have done nothing relevant since the passing of Michael Hutchence.

Actually, Bono said that U2 was "close to the edge of irrelevance". In fact he never said that U2 was irrelevant.

So your stating what you believe Bono thinks is an opinion...disproven by the facts.

You points about the relevance of INXS, however, are well taken.

 

[gvox]

By those criteria then Lady Gaga has no freakin clue what glory might actually look like, then. She just imagined that she was close to the edge of it.

 

[kassandra]

but this is the thing, it's not about dismissing an opinion. this isn't an opinion. it's been all but confirmed that it's not bono. saying you like the song/don't like the song is an opinion. saying that thomas jefferson was the 10th president of the US is not an opinion - it's a misstatement of fact. just like saying this is bono singing is not an opinion. it's a fact that it isn't him. two days ago it was an opinion. today, it's a fact.

i wouldn't have even commented on this if the thread wasn't filled with people saying, "LOL. i love u2, and i know bono when i hear him, and this is definitely bono." clearly...

Don't believe you are correct it has not been officially confirmed by anyone. I only read that "fans" of INXS believe its Rea.

Uhm James, where is it confirmed that it's not him? I've not seen any evidence supporting that yet... only fan speculation...

Nice edit bro.

See above!

it's not confirmed confirmed (i.e., u2.com hasn't said "it's not bono") but when you take all the information into consideration, especially the update on @u2, it's pretty clear that it's not bono.

NOt pretty clear to me.

Surprise!

I'm with ya on this one!

Stuck in a moment sucks. Very hard.




It's a fact!

Aside from the patently obvious fact that it's not Bono's voice, some people read WAYYY too much into that note of Andrew's. But playing along, let's dissect the relevant statement:

"Recently at a party, I met a fellow songwriter by accident, an Irish bloke"

Wait - you "met" a fellow songwriter. Would it be fair to say that "met" here fully means "met" as in "was introduced to", "became friends with", or any other variation that indicates that Andrew previously did not know this person? Which pretty much rules out Bono, right? I'm pretty sure Andrew and Bono have met long before "recently at a party". In which case, it wouldn't be "met", it would be "bumped into", "ran into", "saw again" or some other similar statement that indicates that they had met before and sortof know each other.

Also, I don't get any "wink wink nudge nudge Irish songwriter" vibe from this statement at all. I get that he met a songwriter who also happened to be Irish. He's probably saying that because he's not, you know, Irish, and he's just identifying the guy. He's not going wink wink IRISH SINGER YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD OF ONCE OR TWICE nudge nudge.

"and we sat around playing songs on acoustic guitars."

Sure, could be Bono, or about a gazillion other Irish songwriters

"Despite his funny accent"

Noone's accent is necessarily "funny" as in ha ha funny, it's funny to the listener because it's heavy/thick and not what the person is used to. Bono doesn't have a heavy Irish accent, and certainly not in his singing voice. I can't imagine someone writing "Despite Bono's funny accent..." It just doesn't fit.

"we then spent a few days songwriting and singing together… "

Let me get this straight: we're to take from this that Andrew just met Bono at some party, and Bono dropped what he was doing to spend a few days songwriting and singing with him? What are the chances? I'm a say slim to practically none. The way he's telling this story it's like two musicians met at a party, played a bit and said holy shit, lets hang out at my house (Andrew's) and see what we can come up with, and bang they recorded some stuff right then and there. Slim chance Bono is doing that imo.

Finally his statement about what the song is. He doesn't explicitly state that it's being sung by the same person that he met at the party. He doesn't even really hint it, unless you buy that Bono spent a few days at Andrews house singing and songwriting. And even if one was to get that idea, again, Bono just dropped everything for a few days after a party to sit in someone's lounge room and bang out songs for someone else's band? Cmon now!

It's not Bono.

I don't see this as clear and I don't agree with your deduction. I think it could be Bono and I do think it is Bono. Of course no one is certain but to me it does sound like him.

 

[GraceRyan]

Dudes, it's Michael Jackson from the great beyond. Ya'll will eat crow when the grainy Lochness Monster/Big Foot footage surfaces.

 

[gvox]

You don't agree that Andrew and Bono know each other previously so "met" is not a way to describe them meeting again? You don't agree that Bono's voice - singing or talking - isn't heavily Irish enough for someone to make a point of saying "despite his funny accent"?

You can believe what you want, but it fails to stand up to a test when put up against what we know about Bono.

If an artist wanted to have Bono do a voice over, it would be way more profitable marketing-wise to out and out say it's Bono, OR make the hints lean so directly in his direction so as to make people think it was him. His statement doesn't even HINT it, not in the slightest bit, in fact every hint he gives leads you away from Bono, except the fact that Bono is also from Ireland.

 

[gvox]

Maybe it's Larry! He's Irish! And he has a funny accent!

 

[Nick66]

Aside from the patently obvious fact that it's not Bono's voice, some people read WAYYY too much into that note of Andrew's. But playing along, let's dissect the relevant statement:

"Recently at a party, I met a fellow songwriter by accident, an Irish bloke"

Wait - you "met" a fellow songwriter. Would it be fair to say that "met" here fully means "met" as in "was introduced to", "became friends with", or any other variation that indicates that Andrew previously did not know this person? Which pretty much rules out Bono, right? I'm pretty sure Andrew and Bono have met long before "recently at a party". In which case, it wouldn't be "met", it would be "bumped into", "ran into", "saw again" or some other similar statement that indicates that they had met before and sortof know each other.

Also, I don't get any "wink wink nudge nudge Irish songwriter" vibe from this statement at all. I get that he met a songwriter who also happened to be Irish. He's probably saying that because he's not, you know, Irish, and he's just identifying the guy. He's not going wink wink IRISH SINGER YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD OF ONCE OR TWICE nudge nudge.

"and we sat around playing songs on acoustic guitars."

Sure, could be Bono, or about a gazillion other Irish songwriters

"Despite his funny accent"

Noone's accent is necessarily "funny" as in ha ha funny, it's funny to the listener because it's heavy/thick and not what the person is used to. Bono doesn't have a heavy Irish accent, and certainly not in his singing voice. I can't imagine someone writing "Despite Bono's funny accent..." It just doesn't fit.

"we then spent a few days songwriting and singing together… "

Let me get this straight: we're to take from this that Andrew just met Bono at some party, and Bono dropped what he was doing to spend a few days songwriting and singing with him? What are the chances? I'm a say slim to practically none. The way he's telling this story it's like two musicians met at a party, played a bit and said holy shit, lets hang out at my house (Andrew's) and see what we can come up with, and bang they recorded some stuff right then and there. Slim chance Bono is doing that imo.

Finally his statement about what the song is. He doesn't explicitly state that it's being sung by the same person that he met at the party. He doesn't even really hint it, unless you buy that Bono spent a few days at Andrews house singing and songwriting. And even if one was to get that idea, again, Bono just dropped everything for a few days after a party to sit in someone's lounge room and bang out songs for someone else's band? Cmon now!

It's not Bono.

You may be right, and it very well may not be Bono. But having said that, I think you're parsing this letter a bit much, especially w/regards to things like the throw-away "funny accent" line and what the definition of "met" is.

 

[kassandra]

You don't agree that Andrew and Bono know each other previously so "met" is not a way to describe them meeting again? You don't agree that Bono's voice - singing or talking - isn't heavily Irish enough for someone to make a point of saying "despite his funny accent"?

You can believe what you want, but it fails to stand up to a test when put up against what we know about Bono.

If an artist wanted to have Bono do a voice over, it would be way more profitable marketing-wise to out and out say it's Bono, OR make the hints lean so directly in his direction so as to make people think it was him. His statement doesn't even HINT it, not in the slightest bit, in fact every hint he gives leads you away from Bono, except the fact that Bono is also from Ireland.

Yep I don't agree with your deduction. I respect it though.

I think it is Bono.

 

[gvox]

You may be right, and it very well may not be Bono. But having said that, I think you're parsing this letter a bit much, especially w/regards to things like the throw-away "funny accent" line and what the definition of "met" is.

Well that's exactly my point! I'm parsing the letter because people jumped all over "Irish bloke" and assumed that it would be Bono. If "funny accent" and "met" and other highly doubtful things all taken together are "throwaway", why does "Irish bloke" get to be less "throwaway" and necessarily turn into it being Bono?

As it is, there's another Irish bloke who has more of an Irish lilt, probably has way more time to be sitting around hammering out songs with Andrew from INXS, and ultimately sounds way more like the guy in that clip, than Bono does. Hmmm...lemme see now..

 

[Nick66]

Well that's exactly my point! I'm parsing the letter because people jumped all over "Irish bloke" and assumed that it would be Bono. If "funny accent" and "met" and other highly doubtful things all taken together are "throwaway", why does "Irish bloke" get to be less "throwaway" and necessarily turn into it being Bono?

As it is, there's another Irish bloke who has more of an Irish lilt, probably has way more time to be sitting around hammering out songs with Andrew from INXS, and ultimately sounds way more like the guy in that clip, than Bono does. Hmmm...lemme see now..

Well, I think the writer of this letter certainly intended for us to think it's Bono, his coyness is evidence enough of that, especially taking into consideration Bono's history w/INXS, and the fact that the singer does at least sound passingly like Bono.

And in that sense, it really doesn't matter whether it's Bono or not, the letter had its intended effect...more people are listening to an INXS song and talking about them more than they have in years. From that perspective at this point it really doesn't matter whether it's Bono or not.

 

[Niceman]

I don't think the author of the letter intended anyone to think it was Bono. Is there only one Irish singer in the world? It's not like it said, "A certain Irish singer."

 

[gvox]

Well, I think the writer of this letter certainly intended for us to think it's Bono, his coyness is evidence enough of that,

What "coyness"? By simply using the word Irish? Bull. I see absolutely no evidence of someone trying to make people think it might be Bono, and the other things he said taken in totality lead away from Bono. He doesn't even say that it's the same guy voicing the track, although I can see how it could be read that way.

People just want it to be Bono. And frankly I don't think it sounds like him.

If noone ever knew there was a U2-INXS connection (and truly, did it even extend too far past MH and Bono's friendship??), and just listened to this track on their own, I can't see how they'd think it was anything other than a singer who *might want to sound like Bono, with a few other influences thrown in.

The guy has a unique sound that's actually nice on it's own merits and has enough noticeable difference to separate himself from Bono's style. Also, Bono doesn't really phrase and ride the melody the way this guy does. He's good. He's not Bono.