U2 at the EMA'S???

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Nick66 said:
My complaints about these versions of the songs have nothing to do with how I feel about the album...I've said many times here I love the record, and in fact don't think there's a bad song on SOI. I know there are some haters for songs like California, or people who don't understand Volcano, but not me...I love 'em all.

I just don't care for stripped down, acoustic U2 (except in very small doses), never have. Is that OK? :) :reject:
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I don't care for stripped down, acoustic U2 either, but I prefer the acoustic version of California to the album version. I really like the arrangement. The chamber arrangements for these songs are all wonderful. EBW would be better served if Ede had come up with a piano part that wasn't so basic. It's like something that someone who just learned their first piano chords would play. I can see what you mean about Bono's passion, but I think it's as real as it's ever been, which is not something I'd have said during Vertigo or 360 eras.
 
To be honest, I don't like this accoustic era U2 is going through. But as long as this helps to promote their excellent SOI, I can't criticize this option. Rock music is so hard to promote now, maybe the stripped down versions work better nowadays.

But I'm really expecting U2 to go full electric when the tour begins. Ok, I can listen to 1 or 2 accoustic songs, but not more than that.
 
CMIS said:
Larry coming on just took it to another level. Bono superb.
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Couldn't agree more. I wish there were a way to get Larry (and Adam) in there a bit earlier (I realize that their performance coincides with a certain part of the song)...those drums are very powerful (made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up :D). I know Bono really gets "into" the songs but I think he needs to tone down the "are we so" just a wee bit. It's very stirring but take just a little off of it. Love Edge on piano...wonder if we might get a little "The Sweetest Thing" on this tour since the piano will be taking up residency on the stage.
 
Well he has put on weight

conan2_4.jpg~320x480
 
I typically prefer everything full band and Edge with an electric guitar in his hands, but the album version of Every Breaking Wave doesn't hold a candle to the live performances so far.

If they played it electrically, could it improve? Probably. But the song is better suited for something more intimate and stripped down. I was underwhelmed when I heard EBW on the album, but blown away by these performances, specifically this one.
 
The song was nearly finished 4 years ago. It was better then. It's part of the NLOTH world, and seems to have absolutely nothing to do with Songs of Innocence, other than some flimsy "me and Ali as teenagers" explanation. Honestly, you could say the song's about Adam and Larry and it would hardly make a difference.

As for Bono singing really loud, like Neutral Milk Hotel fucking loud, it doesn't seem like it's coming from the song, more just him showing off how loud and "passionate" he can sound. His screaming works in the MOS verses because it's reflecting the horror of the situation. His screaming works in Bad because...well u know why it works. Here it's got nothing to do with the song. He's just going nuts to...i dunno...prove something I guess.
 
ozeeko said:
The song was nearly finished 4 years ago. It was better then. It's part of the NLOTH world, and seems to have absolutely nothing to do with Songs of Innocence, other than some flimsy "me and Ali as teenagers" explanation. Honestly, you could say the song's about Adam and Larry and it would hardly make a difference.

As for Bono singing really loud, like Neutral Milk Hotel fucking loud, it doesn't seem like it's coming from the song, more just him showing off how loud and "passionate" he can sound. His screaming works in the MOS verses because it's reflecting the horror of the situation. His screaming works in Bad because...well u know why it works. Here it's got nothing to do with the song. He's just going nuts to...i dunno...prove something I guess.
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I'm wondering how you KNOW this?
 
ozeeko said:
The song was nearly finished 4 years ago. It was better then. It's part of the NLOTH world, and seems to have absolutely nothing to do with Songs of Innocence, other than some flimsy "me and Ali as teenagers" explanation. Honestly, you could say the song's about Adam and Larry and it would hardly make a difference.
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Well, you could say it's about Nelson & Winnie Mandela for that matter, because EBW has about as much to do with them as OL does. For that matter EBW is probably a better fit for their relationship thematically. In fact, I'm pretty sure I could make a Nelson/Winnie argument for every line in EBW that would make it a lot more relevant to them than OL, the latter of which could have been about George and Barbara Bush for all it had to do with the Mandelas.

In both these cases, it's just a matter or Bono trying to fit a square peg into a round hole to suit whatever yarn he wants to spin about the song he's hyping. Which is fine, just don't expect me to buy it.
 
ozeeko said:
The song was nearly finished 4 years ago. It was better then. It's part of the NLOTH world, and seems to have absolutely nothing to do with Songs of Innocence, other than some flimsy "me and Ali as teenagers" explanation.
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it's about commitment, if not monogamy. how terrifying these concepts can be and how we can destroy relationships out of fear of success.

one of the more remarkable things about Bono is that he's still married to a girl who he met when he was 14. and he's been a global rock icon since 1987 or so. and they are still together.

i'd say that, along with the death of his mother and the formation of U2, that was about the most significant thing that happened to teenage Bono in the 1970s.
 
ozeeko said:
What's there to wonder about? It's an opinion. Just the way I feel.
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It's an opinion yes, and I disagree very much with it. You make it sound as if you can look inside a person and know what they think, feel and which intentions they have. Having seen and heard these promo performances I'm pretty sure Bono is very, very much into this song, and his singing is an indication of that passion, it's not him trying to show off. That's just a ridiculous thing to say about a singer like him. You can say what you want about Bono if you love criticizing him so much, but saying his vocal performance isn't about this song but about himself is wrong on a lot of levels. That's my opinion, and I'm sure a lot will agree here. Sometimes the picking on the band and Bono in particular is taken a bit too far here.
 
ozeeko said:
What's there to wonder about? It's an opinion. Just the way I feel.
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"He's just going nuts to...i dunno...prove something I guess."

OK, but it's an opinion on what someone else is thinking while they are performing and not just about the performance. That's where it differs from just an opinion for me.
 
last unicorn said:
It's an opinion yes, and I disagree very much with it. You make it sound as if you can look inside a person and know what they think, feel and which intentions they have. Having seen and heard these promo performances I'm pretty sure Bono is very, very much into this song, and his singing is an indication of that passion, it's not him trying to show off. That's just a ridiculous thing to say about a singer like him. You can say what you want about Bono if you love criticizing him so much, but saying his vocal performance isn't about this song but about himself is wrong on a lot of levels. That's my opinion, and I'm sure a lot will agree here. Sometimes the picking on the band and Bono in particular is taken a bit too far here.
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We both saw and heard the same thing and have two different opinions. That's reality. If you love it then my opinion shouldn't mean anything.
 
ImNotSleeping said:
"He's just going nuts to...i dunno...prove something I guess."

OK, but it's an opinion on what someone else is thinking while they are performing and not just about the performance. That's where it differs from just an opinion for me.
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I said "I guess." Not "I know for a fact."
 
Bono is too sincere, insincere and now feigning sincerity?

Lucky he has that shit storm umbrella because the shitty weather looks endless.

Sent from down the rabbit hole
 
last unicorn said:
I'm pretty sure Bono is very, very much into this song, and his singing is an indication of that passion, it's not him trying to show off. That's just a ridiculous thing to say about a singer like him.
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It's a "ridiculous thing to say" that Bono...Bono...tries to show off?

We are talking about U2 Bono, right?

Um...OK.

Irvine511 said:
there's a point at which cynicism becomes naivete.
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Which point is that?
 
Irvine511 said:
there's a point at which cynicism becomes naivete.
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I'm not suggesting that Bono isn't feeling anything about what he's singing. To sing like that you definitely have to be feeling something and be in a certain emotional state to pull it off. I just prefer the first version of EBW, and personally found that one to be more emotional. If people find this version more emotional that's great, and I'm happy for them. Doesn't mean me and others can't express our views on what's not working for us with a certain song. I don't even dislike it. Just find it to be not the ideal song for Bono to lose his voice over. And yes, the performance does have a diva-like quality to it that turns me off, much like listening to Maria Carey and Aretha trying to out-sing each other. I think the song sounded better with an understated approach.
 
the point at which we assume that just because a performer can turn on his "passionate" switch we assume that what we're seeing isn't actually passion, and it's all just showing off or trying to sell something. it's a complex thing going on, and to think we're so worldly as to know his motives and emotions and thoughts is not just presumptuous, but naive.
 
ozeeko said:
I'm not suggesting that Bono isn't feeling anything about what he's singing. To sing like that you definitely have to be feeling something and be in a certain emotional state to pull it off. I just prefer the first version of EBW, and personally found that one to be more emotional. If people find this version more emotional that's great, and I'm happy for them. Doesn't mean me and others can't express our views on what's not working for us with a certain song. I don't even dislike it. Just find it to be not the ideal song for Bono to lose his voice over. And yes, the performance does have a diva-like quality to it that turns me off, much like listening to Maria Carey and Aretha trying to out-sing each other. I think the song sounded better with an understated approach.
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that's all fine. i totally get you prefer the 2010 version and that's cool. and your points about a diva-off do make sense -- i find it a little over the top as well.

my issue is thinking that because Bono's got something to sell that this performance is all calculation.

i mean, there *is* an element of calculation, of course, and he knows that something stark and spare like this is probably the best thing they can do for the album, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know what the song is about or that it doesn't have deep personal meaning.

i'm sure he knows that it's in his and U2's best interests to come across as "passionate," but that doesn't mean it's faked.
 
Irvine511 said:
the point at which we assume that just because a performer can turn on his "passionate" switch we assume that what we're seeing isn't actually passion, and it's all just showing off or trying to sell something. it's a complex thing going on, and to think we're so worldly as to know his motives and emotions and thoughts is not just presumptuous, but naive.
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Presumptuous it may be, but I don't think naive is the word you're looking for.
 
Irvine511 said:
It is.


Sent from
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Well then you're using it incorrectly, I'm afraid. Naive can by a synonym for credulous...how can being incredulous about Bono's sincerity be naive?

The word you're looking for is cynical. Naive would in fact be assuming the emotional catharsis he's displaying is genuine and not showmanship (when in fact the latter is always present, even if sometimes it's genuine as well), because you'd be accepting what you're seeing without incredulity.

I don't see why we have to assume Bono is not putting on a show anyway...that's what he does, put on a show. I promise you he doesn't wear leather trousers around the house either (well I'm assuming he doesn't). If he sometimes "feels" it, great. But he admitted himself around the time of FTSD that on a lot of nights he's just going through the motions. I just find all of it a bit over the top sometimes, especially in these made for TV performances when he knows the camera is almost always trained on him...you notice he typically doesn't do this little emo show on tour. It's almost like the difference in performance between a stage actor and TV actor. Only in this case Bono is more William Shatner and less Patrick Stewart.
 
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