corianderstem
Blue Crack Distributor
My thoughts exactly.
ONE on American Idol?
- Thread starter zooropop40
- Start date
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My thoughts exactly.
U2isthebest
ONE love, blood, life
ETA: I didn't quote it, but this was directed towards believer75's last post.
^Exactly. It's not like Adam tried to turn into a metal song or something completely different. He changed the melody and keys somewhat. That's completely normal for a cover of a song. And don't feel the need (and this isn't directed at you, believer, but to the people stroking out over this) to rush to U2's defense. Right before Adam's performance, Simon said that Bono called him on Saturday and gave Adam permission to do the song saying it would be their (the band's, obviously) pleasure to allow Adam to sing it. Apparently they're more than confident in his talent. But of course, it's not the 90s anymore,so I guess this just means they're selling out. Losers.
/sarcasm.
^Exactly. It's not like Adam tried to turn into a metal song or something completely different. He changed the melody and keys somewhat. That's completely normal for a cover of a song. And don't feel the need (and this isn't directed at you, believer, but to the people stroking out over this) to rush to U2's defense. Right before Adam's performance, Simon said that Bono called him on Saturday and gave Adam permission to do the song saying it would be their (the band's, obviously) pleasure to allow Adam to sing it. Apparently they're more than confident in his talent. But of course, it's not the 90s anymore,so I guess this just means they're selling out. Losers.
/sarcasm.
believer75
War Child
ETA: I didn't quote it, but this was directed towards believer75's last post.
^Exactly. It's not like Adam tried to turn into a metal song or something completely different. He changed the melody and keys somewhat. That's completely normal for a cover of a song. And don't feel the need (and this isn't directed at you, believer, but to the people stroking out over this) to rush to U2's defense. Right before Adam's performance, Simon said that Bono called him on Saturday and gave Adam permission to do the song saying it would be their (the band's, obviously) pleasure to allow Adam to sing it. Apparently they're more than confident in his talent. But of course, it's not the 90s anymore,so I guess this just means they're selling out. Losers.
good postPlus, it's good to see U2's One at #14 on the most downloaded rock songs here in America, thanks to the recognition it got on AI this week. Beautiful Day is #54. If this is some people's intro to U2, then I see no problem whatsoever with this. These two songs are a great way to start out.
LyricalDrug
Rock n' Roll Doggie
Whenever I watch one of these hair-gel-whippersnappers on American Idol, I think to myself, "why don't you sing us a song that you wrote yourself, and then we'll talk about whether or not you have talent" lol
U2isthebest
ONE love, blood, life
That's probably because they're not allowed to. They have a theme every week that they have to stick to. I think it would be an awesome theme night, though. Many of the contestants have written songs before auditioning for AI. I know Adam has, as well as others. I'm sure they'd love to be able to sing their own music; they auditioned for the show, hoping to eventually have a chance to make their own music. Also, Adam, in particular isn't exactly a 'whippersnapper'. He's 27, and he's been living in L.A. since he graduated from high school doing musical theater, working retail, auditioning, recording, etc. He's worked his ass off for this chance. It's not like he just woke up one morning and said, "Ooh, I wanna be famous. I should try out for American Idol".
LemonMelon
More 5G Than Man
For me, the usage of the term "whippersnapper" gives off a facetious vibe.
Or maybe I'm just bent on seeing the good in everyone.
U2isthebest
ONE love, blood, life
For me, the usage of the term "whippersnapper" gives off a facetious vibe.
For me, it gives off the vibe of my grandparents.
. They both use that term frequently.
corianderstem
Blue Crack Distributor
Agreed - some of the best musical performances have been by people performing songs they didn't write (Aretha Franklin - RESPECT, Janice Joplin - Me and Bobby McGee, Jeff Buckley -Hallelujah, Johnny Cash - Hurt (and One for that matter), Elvis - Hound Dog, Jimi Hendrix - All Along the Watchtower, Soft Cell - Tained Love, Clash - Police and Theives, Talking Heads - Take me to the River, Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U, and the list goes on....)
U2isthebest
ONE love, blood, life
You don't need to write your own music to be musically talented.
BLASPHEMY
or something like that...
Danny Boy
Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB
corianderstem
Blue Crack Distributor
What the hell is that?
AiRMaRcI9o0
Refugee
Slapnutz
Refugee
Indeed. The idea that you have to pen your own music to be considered musically gifted is ludicrous. Did Marlon Brando write all his own scripts? It's about genuinely identifying with what's written on the page and then bringing something new to it (something which these pop idol gremlins fail to do).
Anyway, Elvis was not manufactured; he was essentially the same person before Parker got to him. A distinctive characteristic of a manufactured artist is that of a refined and streamlined stock image, that is marketed by the record company. This was impossible for Elvis, seeing how he invented the image.
Or something like that.
Anyway, Elvis was not manufactured; he was essentially the same person before Parker got to him. A distinctive characteristic of a manufactured artist is that of a refined and streamlined stock image, that is marketed by the record company. This was impossible for Elvis, seeing how he invented the image.
Or something like that.
OP
OP
zooropop40
Refugee
agreed. you do not have to write your own songs to be somehow musically talented. Even people who write great songs for other people are talented.
zoocarolina
Refugee
Just downloaded it off of ITUNES and it's pretty damn good (much better than the performance). It's a studio cut, 4+ min and even keel, no screaming so the perf was just that, for the show!
subnet
New Yorker
the studio version is a bit anti-climatic for me, sorry adam.
never end a song by fading out, imho.
never end a song by fading out, imho.
zoocarolina
Refugee
Agreed, you just can't beat Bono singing it and it's so great to begin with, it's hard for someone to even come close.
U2Soar
War Child
It turns out that his full studio version is pretty good
That was the worst cover of One I think I have heard. Funny that most of the judges actually liked that rendition. Shows how bad their musical taste is...or maybe I am just strange
If I am strange it doesnt look good for the future of music for me.
If I am strange it doesnt look good for the future of music for me.
OP
OP
zooropop40
Refugee
That was the worst cover of One I think I have heard. Funny that most of the judges actually liked that rendition. Shows how bad their musical taste is...or maybe I am just strange
If I am strange it doesnt look good for the future of music for me.
no you are not strange. most people on this thread have voiced the same opinion. I really think that as U2 fanatics, we hold their songs near and dear to our hearts and are very sensitive to any other version or anyone else singing it. I think that this is the reason why we hated the version... simply because we have such a standard for U2's material, and seeing it outside what we are used to can be kind of upsetting for us.
That being said, I did not like the version at all, but the studio version he recorded is definitely an improvement over the way he did it live.
JCOSTER
ONE love, blood, life
When my son was 4 or 5 he wanted a kidz bop cd, the one he wanted had Vertigo on it. I thought I would rip my ears off, now that is the worst cover song of a U2 song! 
OP
OP
zooropop40
Refugee
Kidz Bop + Anything =
I really hope that I never have to hear this vertigo cover in my lifetime
I really hope that I never have to hear this vertigo cover in my lifetime
gvox
Ghost of Love
I find this kindof a bullshit sentiment that runs rampant around here. How exactly is One "supposed" to be sung? In hushed tones and reverence for The Greatest U2 Song Of All Time, only sung by U2 Fan Club Prescreened Rock Singers?
Come on, it's a song being sung on American Idol, just like any other song.As for the Blige hate - MJB sang it repeatedly in a fully sanctioned by U2 version and they played along, even imo ramping up a bit to suit the intensity of her voice. She sang it great. How exactly is singing it out forcefully 'missing the point' of what the song is "about"? If anything, I would say turning it into a rallying cry is very appropriate, in the same way SBS can be notched right down to a saddened dirge and Please can be toned right down to an acoustic plea and Still Havent Found can be beautifully augmented by a full choir with gospel soloists taking it into a new direction - and, notably, with new lyrics. Some people sound like whiners "OMG THEYRE RUINING OUR SONG!" and "LOVE A HIGHER LAW DUDE, NOT LOVE is A HIGHER LAW" <- like, are you fucking kidding me here?
Now..I don't particularly like the way Adam sang it, I think he went a bit off the grid with it. Honestly? I don't think Adam has listened to the original too much. I think his One experience is largely based around the remake with MJB and he figured "ok, this is a great version, but if I come out and sing it exactly like MLB, well people will just say 'great, he is doing a MJB impersonation' and write me off" or something along those lines and so therefore decided that he needed to take it to an even higher level than she did. I think she took it as far as it needed to go and, if he wanted to make it his own without sounding too much like either Bono or MJB, he could have found somewhere in the middle
. But he chose to interpret the song that way, well if that's the way he feels the tune well good for him. 
JCOSTER
ONE love, blood, life
Well said ^^^
I do wonder however, if Bono only allowed him to sing the MJB version.
I do wonder however, if Bono only allowed him to sing the MJB version.
LyricalDrug
Rock n' Roll Doggie
For me, the usage of the term "whippersnapper" gives off a facetious vibe.
Definitely meant it in a facetious sense
...Nah seriously though, I'm sure these American Idol contestants have talent and that's great that they're singing, the world needs more music, etc. But forgive me for sounding like a cranky grandpa sitting on my front porch in Mississippi, but back when I WAS A KID, those with real musical talent posted signs on the high school bulletin board looking to form a band, taught themselves how to play their own instruments -- hell, they even BUILT their own instruments sometimes -- and they wrote their own songs, hustled their own way on to the radio and TV, all on the strength of their own songs and their own performances, and went on to be the biggest band in the world. Everyone else who falls short, well, the bus station is that way...
popacrobat
Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB
no, i'm not fucking kidding you, but i love how you have to be a complete douchebag to make your point- though i can't say i'm shocked at all.
U2DMfan
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
As far as I'm concerned, there is the (studio) album version, a handful of excellent live versions and everything else can go to hell.
Because this song was co-opted as something it's not long before this dude decided to sing it. More power to him, even if it's awful and completely removed from the subtle power of the original. What I mean is, it's not supposed to be (to me) an overwrought piece of wank.
The original is simple and powerful and that's all it needed to be.
It's not supposed to be a song for vocal gymnastics.
Or at the least, I don't want it to be.
Because this song was co-opted as something it's not long before this dude decided to sing it. More power to him, even if it's awful and completely removed from the subtle power of the original. What I mean is, it's not supposed to be (to me) an overwrought piece of wank.
The original is simple and powerful and that's all it needed to be.
It's not supposed to be a song for vocal gymnastics.
Or at the least, I don't want it to be.
gvox
Ghost of Love
Let me get this straight, I'm a douchebag for laughing at people who whine about a cover song where the singer changes one word in a line, notably, that doesn't result in any real change to the meaning of the line? Now you really must be fucking kidding me.
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