From Bono himself

[ZOOTVTOURist]

this thread has become a pain to read ...
just a bunch of worthless moaning, groaning, and whining that does nothing for anyone...*sigh*

1. If it's so painful for you to read statements, you don't like, there are easy ways to stop your pain. One might be, stop reading it ...
2. The theory, elder fans might be frustrated with U2 being successful, is pure nonsense. I became a fan in '84 – and, guess what, U2 were even successful then. There might be only a few of us here, who attended the Limerick talent cast in the 70ies ...
3. The sense of an open board, a forum under democratic parameters and with the freedom of mind (without offending anybody) as priority, is discussion: the publishing and reflection of opinions, that are different. Respect the difference, folks!

 

[Axver]

1. If it's so painful for you to read statements, you don't like, there are easy ways to stop your pain. One might be, stop reading it ...
2. The theory, elder fans might be frustrated with U2 being successful, is pure nonsense. I became a fan in '84 – and, guess what, U2 were even successful then. There might be only a few of us here, who attended the Limerick talent cast in the 70ies ...
3. The sense of an open board, a forum under democratic parameters and with the freedom of mind (without offending anybody) as priority, is discussion: the publishing and reflection of opinions, that are different. Respect the difference, folks!

I should have just waited for you to post. You're clearly more diplomatic than a stressed Axver.

 

[ramblin rose]

just a bunch of worthless moaning, groaning, and whining that does nothing for anyone...*sigh*

Only took two weeks of membership to get you to this point of despair. You need to train further. You're not ready for the actual album release and tour.

 

[Zoots]

Then DON'T FUCKIN' READ THE THREAD. Seems you're being too thin-skinned about your heroes.

Here, go post somewhere with other people who think Bono can do no wrong!



I don't think anybody's said Larry sucks because of his age. Don't make up shit.



Please, stop making up shit. Nobody's frustrated that U2 are successful. Maybe you should read some posts and see what people's actual critiques are rather than just jumping to idiotic conclusions.



It's a messageboard. Discussion would be pretty boring if there were no differences of opinion.

But you could say every thread on Interference ultimately does nothing for anyone. I mean, Song Survivor games? Woop-dee-fucking-doo. But I still enjoy them.

Axver, thank you for that excellent post of supreme pwnage!

 

[last unicorn]

Errr, I wouldn't want anybody to know too much about a project I'm currently working on, so I'm not frustrated about U2/Bono not talking about the progress or direction of their new music. I think it can mean bad luck. I'd rather be surprised when it comes out than disappointed because I've been led to have wrong expectations. So right now, everything is open and possible, I like that.

 

[waynetravis]

They might suprise us

 

[MrPryck2U]

Fall of 2008


Book it!

 

[TheFirstBigW]

I have to agree wtih the spirit of Rob33's post, and anyone here who doesn't like what he has to say can also choose not to read his post rather than complain about it.

I don't mean to put words in his mouth, but I believe he's basically saying, Why can't we be positive about the band and focus on what they do well rather than picking at them and tearing them apart for every little thing? And I personally agree with him.

I'm not saying that constructive criticism of the band can't ever be a part of discussion, but sometimes it's the way that you say things rather than what you say that reveals the most about you. People in society who hate U2 couldn't express their opinions of the band in a much more negative way than some of the posts on this board.

Of course, everyone has the right to say whatever they want within forum rules, but the negativity, cynicism, bitterness, and downright lack of faithfulness as a fan that some people seem to exhibit towards the band on a regular basis definitely leaves me wondering why some people bother following the band or coming here at all.

But, of course, it's your choice to say whatever you want...

 

[shaun vox]

I just hope u2 and bono get their shit together and make something NEW. enough of the simple songs.
we want creativity. but bono is still running around the world which is bad for the MUSIC!

 

[Axver]

I don't mean to put words in his mouth, but I believe he's basically saying, Why can't we be positive about the band and focus on what they do well rather than picking at them and tearing them apart for every little thing?

There seems to be this idea that it's the same people doing all the criticising, which is a load of bollocks. Different people have different critiques of different aspects, and to lump them together as a homogenous group of whiners is unfair. One person may dislike how Bono hypes the album with mindless cliches but is optimistic about the quality of future material; another may be totally different, interested in Bono's actions and how they might influence the music, but ultimately pessimistic about how the album will be milked as a material product rather than a work of art. They're both "complainers" to the more blindly defensive posters here, but grouping them together and condemning them simply for "complaining" is illogical.

Ultimately, there's always going to be someone who doesn't think something's a good idea - it comes with the territory when a forum is as large and diverse as this. To expect a thread to lack a difference of opinion is naive, especially over such a prominent topic in which most members will have a very strong interest.

Of course, everyone has the right to say whatever they want within forum rules, but the negativity, cynicism, bitterness, and downright lack of faithfulness as a fan that some people seem to exhibit towards the band on a regular basis definitely leaves me wondering why some people bother following the band or coming here at all.

I don't get comments like this. This isn't just a forum for people who are fans of present day U2's studio work. Some people are here because they love what the band used to be, but don't enjoy the current stuff - and perhaps even feel (rightly or wrongly) betrayed by a band they had a strong investment in. Some people, like myself, still think U2 rules live but are pessimistic about any future studio work. And hell, some of us - again myself included - may not have come here if we'd always felt the way we do now, but our opinion used to be different and now this has become an integral part of our online world and leaving would cut us off from a community we value.

 

[TheFirstBigW]

I don't get comments like this. This isn't just a forum for people who are fans of present day U2's studio work. Some people are here because they love what the band used to be, but don't enjoy the current stuff - and perhaps even feel (rightly or wrongly) betrayed by a band they had a strong investment in.

Sorry if I was pigeon-holing you and other honest U2 fans with those who seem to be just hostile towards the band for whatever reason. I guess what some of us are saying is that we have no problem with fans making critical statements of the band as long as we can tell that they're coming from a place of appreciation of the band itself. It's just that some of the critical comments that people have made sound like they don't really appreciate U2 at all...like they're saying, "We don't care about the band...just give us the music we want, and if you don't, we'll turn on you."

I can respect and appreciate where you're coming from, and in a way I miss what some of us feel are "the glory days" of U2 when they were more cutting edge and taking risks. My personal opinion is that U2 is still capable of being all of those things, but that they have made the conscious decision to go in the direction that they have on the last two albums for specific reasons. Because of that, I also believe that they will be able to return to form of those previous days whenever it's necessary (and I'm also hoping that the new album will be that time).

Anyway, I guess you're probably right...people who say mean-spirited things about U2 without any appreciation for them as a band are probably a minority, and I apologize if I lumped you in with them...

 

[Salome]

some people on this forum react to every small bit of U2 news with such a huge amount of negativity that it gets (beyond) tiresome

to then tell the people who are actually still fans of what the band is doing (on a U2 forum) that they can just choose not to read their comments is a bit dubious

if it worked like that some people just shouldn't open any thread containing anything re. what the band has done after 1998 because apparently they aren't able to react while keeping their negativity in check enough to even give the band a chance

 

[rihannsu]

I don't get comments like this. This isn't just a forum for people who are fans of present day U2's studio work. Some people are here because they love what the band used to be, but don't enjoy the current stuff - and perhaps even feel (rightly or wrongly) betrayed by a band they had a strong investment in. Some people, like myself, still think U2 rules live but are pessimistic about any future studio work. And hell, some of us - again myself included - may not have come here if we'd always felt the way we do now, but our opinion used to be different and now this has become an integral part of our online world and leaving would cut us off from a community we value.

Yeah, that's all fine and good Axver, but the problem is that I never seem to hear very much about what you DO like. I'm not going to say that you never post anything positive but in my experience the overall tone of your posts seems to be negative, and sometimes downright demeaning. You talk incessantly about what you DON'T like but even when asked (as in a recent thread) you don't really say specifically what you DO like. So it leaves an overall negative impression of your opinion of the band. I accept that that is probably not your intention but it does come across that way whether you mean it to or not. So in the end certain people get tagged in others minds as complainers because of this type of thing. Just as you had me tagged as being a know it all and always having to be right even though that is far from my intentions. When it seems like all someone does is criticize and complain then it is hard to understand why they stick around. Sure they have every right to, but it doesn't make any sense to me. Also, if they feel betrayed by the band then it makes even less sense to me that they would stick around. You've obviously been here a lot longer than I have and I accept that you've formed bonds with people, but I'm just commenting on what new people coming into the boards see. A new person coming in can only go by the posts they get to read now so we have no way of knowing what anyone else history with the band is so we probably get a distorted view of other poster's opinions. The longer one is around the more you get to know and then sometimes you realize that you've got someone pegged wrong. But it is human nature for people to tend to catagorize and right or wrong it is going to happen.

I tend to be more interested in finding out what people like than what they don't like or at least to get a balanced idea. Also, for me, music is much more about what it makes me feel than any particular sound or formula. From the beginning the band seems to have that idea as well. It has always seemed that how the music connects with the fans is much more important than any particular sound. I just feel that when people get too caught up in analyzing the music that they loose the ability to truly feel it and be moved by it. What U2 songs have the biggest effect on you emotionally? What moves you about the music? Are you in any way touched by the music on the last two albums? I'd really like to know. For me the last two albums have really made a huge difference in my life. I like all the albums and I don't have a problem with JT and AB being seen as the masterpieces musically but for emotion, heart and soul the last two albums speak to me much more strongly. They get me through the day and support me through just trying to make it in this crazy world. Each and every album they have made has a particular strength in a certain respect. The problem is that when you try to apply some overall standard to the albums depending on what your standards are you will get different opinions as to what albums are their best. I prefer to judge each album according to the standard that the band was striving for on that particular album. For the most part U2 is fairly consistant on achieving what they set out to with each project. As long as they are happy with what they do I think that it will be good. Even if it's not my cup of tea, I can respect them for doing what they set out to do. To me a band fails when they don't meet their own goals for their project.

Dana

 

[U2DMfan]

Did your Mum not give you enough attention?

That's the best you can do?

Here's an idea, roy.

Just once, try and have a discussion about something instead of crybaby pot shots because your self-image-extension attachment to a 45 year old rock band has become hurtful.

 

[LPU2]

If Bomb is a guitar album, I want Slash to join U2.

Sweet! And we can put Neil Peart on the drums, Les Claypool on bass and Ronnie James Dio for vocals!

Great players, but I doubt they could match what U2 does as a band.

Why is it that even U2 fans don't understand Edge's greatness? Miles Davis once said that the difference between an average musician and a good musician is that a good musician can play anything he thinks. The difference between a good musician and a great musician is WHAT he thinks.

Edge is no virtuoso, but what he chooses to play (and not play) is the biggest reason I still love this band after 30 years. His sonic landscapes and textures are just captivating.

Yeah, they can be hidden in the mix and he plays with an almost zealous modesty, but if you listen closely, the beauty of the composition becomes clear. Yes, Bomb is a guitar album. An amazing guitar album.

There's an Edge imitator on Youtube who takes the guitar part out and brings them to the surface. Check out this link. Listen to it about 3 times and I think you'll better appreciate what Edge does.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL_xpErKFNI

 

[ZOOTVTOURist]

For me the last two albums have really made a huge difference in my life. I like all the albums and I don't have a problem with JT and AB being seen as the masterpieces musically but for emotion, heart and soul the last two albums speak to me much more strongly. They get me through the day and support me through just trying to make it in this crazy world./B]

This is great & fine – but this is, what we already called the question of individual taste and the personal emotianal approach towards U2's different albums. Just respect, that while you are praising the last albums, others might be much more sceptical. That's all, isn't it?

 

[Utoo]

Sweet! And we can put Neil Peart on the drums, Les Claypool on bass and Ronnie James Dio for vocals!

Great players, but I doubt they could match what U2 does as a band.

Why is it that even U2 fans don't understand Edge's greatness? Miles Davis once said that the difference between an average musician and a good musician is that a good musician can play anything he thinks. The difference between a good musician and a great musician is WHAT he thinks.

Edge is no virtuoso, but what he chooses to play (and not play) is the biggest reason I still love this band after 30 years. His sonic landscapes and textures are just captivating.

Yeah, they can be hidden in the mix and he plays with an almost zealous modesty, but if you listen closely, the beauty of the composition becomes clear. Yes, Bomb is a guitar album. An amazing guitar album.

There's an Edge imitator on Youtube who takes the guitar part out and brings them to the surface. Check out this link. Listen to it about 3 times and I think you'll better appreciate what Edge does.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL_xpErKFNI

I don't see why "guitar album" needs to be "Slash-esque cock-rock album." There are so few other guitarists out there who play in a style anywhere similar to Edge (save for this copycat guy.. ). I think it's harder to compose the type of music that he plays than it is to write a cock-rock guitar solo. Having seen the solos that Edge has done, he can indeed do cock-rock or bluesy solos if he wanted. I doubt, however, that most cock-rock guitarists could do anything like the Edge.

I think it was Bob Dylan who told Edge years ago that Edge write phenomenal music, but that its flaw was that no one would be able to play it.

 

[ramblin rose]

This is great & fine – but this is, what we already called the question of individual taste and the personal emotianal approach towards U2's different albums. Just respect, that while you are praising the last albums, others might be much more sceptical. That's all, isn't it?

Your comment would be reasonable, if those people who happened to like the last two albums and enjoyed them as much as earlier releases weren't consistently referred to as "blindly following" U2.

The implication always being that if you enjoyed the last two albums as much as earlier ones you were somehow "blind" and your opinion of those albums was somehow not valid.

 

[TheFirstBigW]

Great points about the Edge by both LPU2 and Utoo!

Edge has said that his purpose with the last couple of albums was to try to be as minimalist as possible with his playing...to evoke as much as he could with as few notes as possible. As the saying goes, sometimes less is more.

Edge has been as brilliant in the last two albums as he has always been...he's just been more subtle about it.

The fact that he has been willing to step into the background and serve the music rather than be in the forefront where more attention would be on him is a testament to his lack of ego and his willingness to do whatever he feels is necessary to do what's best for the songs.

 

[Rob33]

There's an Edge imitator on Youtube who takes the guitar part out and brings them to the surface. Check out this link. Listen to it about 3 times and I think you'll better appreciate what Edge does.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL_xpErKFNI

ah, thank you very much...i hadn't seen that one before!

yeah on COBL there are some amazing guitar parts that are so subtle, in order to hear it clearly you have to listen veerry carefully, but this guy just made it a whole lot easier haha

My cousin has been playing guitar for about a year now and he is always looking at the complexity of the guitar playing rather than the sound! Whenever I show him something from the Edge, he rarely shows any interest to learn it because it just doesn't look complicated enough... For instance, the solo on the Fly is rather straightforward but is packed with such emotion and expression...and it never gets old!

many people, unfortunately,just don't truly understand the greatness of The EDGE...this is partly because of his modesty..as Bono talks about in this interview...it's an informative interview I really enjoyed..

http://youtube.com/watch?v=EsXHVqXMPXI




Thanks again LPU2!!

 

[Zoots]

There's an Edge imitator on Youtube who takes the guitar part out and brings them to the surface. Check out this link. Listen to it about 3 times and I think you'll better appreciate what Edge does.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL_xpErKFNI

Yeah I've seen that before. He plays it like how they play it live. How it should've been on the album as well!

 

[shart1780]

Hey let's discuss how great U2 is.

They're my favorite band... and I really like the song Please.

Bono's hair is nice...

Any comments?

 

[Zoots]

I doubt, however, that most cock-rock guitarists could do anything like the Edge.

I think it was Bob Dylan who told Edge years ago that Edge write phenomenal music, but that its flaw was that no one would be able to play it.

What about all the U2 tribute bands everywhere?? They're playing the same stuff, aren't they? Plus... what evidence do you have that "cock-rock" guitarists can't play Edge style material? I mean I respect Edge's style but I doubt it is so difficult that nobody can play it.

 

[Rob33]

I mean I respect Edge's style but I doubt it is so difficult that nobody can play it.

Well, it's not so much that nobody can play it, it's that even if someone can play it...nobody can play it LIKE the Edge plays it and get as much out of the guitar

 

[God Part III]

How do you know that Bomb doesn't sound like Venusian punk rock ? Have you really ever heard Venusian punk rock bands ?

Grammatically speaking, is "Venusian" the correct term?

Maybe it once sounded like punk rock on Venus, and then they got lost in the music again and songs like Miracle Drug and City of Blinding lights came up.

Anyway.
I personally agree with Axver though. It's as if Bono prepared a hypeish, empty answer in his mind before the interview, and that is exactly what we got. And I have the right to be annoyed that he didn't take the time to answer the question properly, he even seemed to avoid it. This is not hyping me. It's the exact opposite actually. It worries me when Bono doesn't say "Oh, just you wait, we have a lot in the works rigth now, I can't speak for when but I can tell that I personally think we're threading new ground... we're going back in the studio in two weeks and I can't wait to hear Edge playing the new tune he talked to me about over the phone last night." - Instead he just says: "We're the biggest band in the world. We're currently making an album that's new" - and skips back to talking RED/ONE whatever.

/rant

Also, what matters is not if other guitarists can play like Edge, what matters is if they do. Noone does.

 

[rihannsu]

Grammatically speaking, is "Venusian" the correct term?

Yes.

Dana

 

[LPU2]

What about all the U2 tribute bands everywhere?? They're playing the same stuff, aren't they? Plus... what evidence do you have that "cock-rock" guitarists can't play Edge style material? I mean I respect Edge's style but I doubt it is so difficult that nobody can play it.

It's not about difficulty. Sure, if you set the dials right, you can reproduce it. It might sound pretentious as hell but isn't music still art? Any good painter can reproduce a Monet. Doesn't make him Monet.

Miles Davis wouldn't make a list of the best trumpet players. Nina Simone wouldn't make a list of the best singers. What Edge does is add shimmer and texture to a song. Even percussion. And if you pay attention to it, it's often sonically brilliant.

Like you, I've always loved Edge's early solos in New Year's Day and the like, but where he REALLY blows my mind is on the last couple albums.

 

[Axver]

Sorry if I was pigeon-holing you and other honest U2 fans with those who seem to be just hostile towards the band for whatever reason. I guess what some of us are saying is that we have no problem with fans making critical statements of the band as long as we can tell that they're coming from a place of appreciation of the band itself. It's just that some of the critical comments that people have made sound like they don't really appreciate U2 at all...like they're saying, "We don't care about the band...just give us the music we want, and if you don't, we'll turn on you."

I honestly don't see many people making comments along those likes. I mean, sure, there's shaun vox and a couple of others floating around, but I think most of us have written him off as a semi-troll. I think some of the more prominent "critics" actually offer some of the most valuable posts here. Earnie Shavers for instance isn't exactly HTDAAB's greatest fan, but a thread always goes up in quality when he posts.

My personal opinion is that U2 is still capable of being all of those things, but that they have made the conscious decision to go in the direction that they have on the last two albums for specific reasons. Because of that, I also believe that they will be able to return to form of those previous days whenever it's necessary (and I'm also hoping that the new album will be that time).

I agree with the first part, that U2 have made a conscious decision - and one that I think is a really bad decision artistically. I don't believe they can still make another masterpiece; most bands don't make even one, but they've managed to do 2 and that's pretty impressive. But I believe they could still do another good album. Only if they leave behind the mindset of the last 7 years though. I feel like, in the 1980s and 1990s, they let the fans come to them as they made whatever they liked; this decade, they seem to have been more conscious about making music to bring in fairweather fans (and by that comment, I'm obviously not referring to anyone here as no fairweather fan in history's going to be hunting down Interference).

I don't mean to come off too critical - I do like being sarcastic and having a laugh, but I genuinely enjoy the anticipation of an upcoming album. And this time around, I have no expectations, so hopefully U2 will surprise me.

 

[Axver]

Yeah, that's all fine and good Axver, but the problem is that I never seem to hear very much about what you DO like. I'm not going to say that you never post anything positive but in my experience the overall tone of your posts seems to be negative, and sometimes downright demeaning. You talk incessantly about what you DON'T like but even when asked (as in a recent thread) you don't really say specifically what you DO like.

I sincerely haven't a clue which thread you're referring to in the last sentence I quoted. And really, have you been paying that little attention to my posts? I guarantee you that if you ask just about anybody who's ever hung out in EYKIW "who's the biggest fan of the Lovetown Tour?", I'd be in the top five. Same goes if you replace "Lovetown Tour" with The Unforgettable Fire album, One Tree Hill, the pre-Boy era, Passengers, and U2 setlists in general. And I was the lead poster in that epic Heartland Appreciation Thread that ran to 800+ posts. It's no secret that when I like something, I really like something.

Also, if they feel betrayed by the band then it makes even less sense to me that they would stick around.

I should say I wasn't referring to myself with that comment. I don't think you were implying that I was, but I feel I should make that clear. I was with the other two, but I think if somebody feels betrayed, they invested just a bit too much emotion in a band they've never truly met.

Also, for me, music is much more about what it makes me feel than any particular sound or formula. From the beginning the band seems to have that idea as well.

Don't let the label of "prog fan" fool you - I agree entirely. Some of the best prog, technically speaking, is just really bloody boring. Sure, I'm blown away by the skill of the Behold The Arctopus guys, but I'm not exactly in a hurry to play Sensory Amusia.

It's just that, well, lately U2 haven't made me feel much. I think their music has become too formulaic for comfort. You don't share that opinion and that's cool. But to me ... well, I Will Follow is still a storming and electrifying track, while I would not be sad if I never heard Vertigo ever again.

What U2 songs have the biggest effect on you emotionally? What moves you about the music? Are you in any way touched by the music on the last two albums? I'd really like to know.

Alright ...

1. One Tree Hill, no doubt. The last minute of the 26 December 1989 performance is the most moving minute of music I've ever heard. And I'm not a guy who cries during a concert, but the performance on 25/11/2006 ... that was something else. Utoo and miracledrug83 can attest to how excited and overcome I was both nights it was played in Auckland. Another one is Bad - bono_man2002 and Screendoor can attest to my responses to that in Melbourne and Boston respectively. Bad has moved me like no other song since I was 10. Heartland and ASOH give me tingles. Others? 11 O'clock Tick Tock, The Unforgettable Fire, Slug, Bass Trap, Gloria.

2. What moves me about the music? That question's too hard to answer. Some intangible quantity, some emotional reaction. There's good music, there's great music, and then there are my five star songs/albums. I can't quite explain what it is about the five star material that lifts it into that league, but they al affect me similarly, whether it's U2's One Tree Hill or The Shadows' Wonderful Land or Agalloch's In The Shadow Of Our Pale Companion. I suppose a completely transcendent atmosphere, well-written and moving lyrics (if present), and an effortless sincerity oozing out of the music.

3. Yes. Even ATYCLB in places. I truly hate ATYCLB as an album; I know that's blunt but I don't know how else to say it. But that said, WILATW's lyrics are powerful, Kite is beautiful especially live, Walk On is moving despite its lyrical cliches, and Grace ... I'm a bit put off by a lot of religion these days (let's just say I've had some bad experiences), but it's such a beautiful and eloquent spiritual expression.

As for HTDAAB, COBL's very powerful - though I only listen to it live nowadays as the mixing makes me cringe on the studio version. It's a special song in my life and my friend's. And One Step Closer doesn't get the credit it deserves. I'm not sure anything else on the album really touched me, but there are some other good songs and I think over half of the album is worthwhile.

 

[ZOOTVTOURist]

So now, have we finally cleared that now? Axver is a U2-fan and, yes, he's not prending to do so and likes U2 and their music (*smile*). Axver has attended the gig(s) in Melbourne and New Zealand – I can be called kind of witness, too (double *smile*) – and so he listened to a version of OTH, that really did move some people here deep in the heart (triple *smile*). By the way we listened to another beautiful version of this song, while waiting in front of Melbourne's stadium – including some references to John Lennon's "Xmas (War Is Over)". So please, let's stop this "Oh you don't like Beautiful Day, how can you be a real u2 fan?"-chatter ...