Will.i.am: An asset or a liability to NLOTH?

[Earnie Shavers]

BEP pre Fergie and all that Where is the Love/Lets Get Retarded rubbish were great. Behind the Front & Bridging the Gap were more than decent albums.

 

[AEKU2]

Thanks for the "well said," but you are mistaken if you think Obama is "conservative". As for those who oppose American actions in Afghanistan and Pakistan, I'd like to know what they would like to do to eradicate alQaeda and other Islamic extermists? Opposing the Iraq war is one thing - it was arguably not an absolutely necessary as a response to 9/11 and could have been handled better militarily and politically (though I don't think any sensible person could argue that the Iraqi people as a whole are not better off without Saddam, Qusai and Uday running the show!), but opposing US actions in Afghanistan and Pakistan is another thing altogether, intervention in both places was absolutley necessary after 9/11 (again, however, things could have been handled better in some cases - being too friendly toward Pakistan, the main safe-haven and harbor for al-Qaeda and Taliban, for example.) One must distinguish between unintended civillian casualties as a result of legitimate military actions and terrorist actions that have as their sole aim the killing of as many civilians as possible.

As for Hamas being "democratically elected," that does not make them a worthy or legitimate negotating partner. The National Socialists were democratically elected elected in Germany too Should we therefore have "negotiated" with Hitler over control of Europe and the fate of the Jews? Hamas (and Hezbollah in Lebanon) are brutal cleptocratic terrorist organisations (like the PLO, now so-called Palestinian-Authority); they rule by force and intimidation (numerous reports are available of they way they abuse and intimidate Palestinian Arabs who oppose them, especially by knee-capping). Like the PLO (especially under Arafat) they mouth democratic platitudes when speaking to Western leaders and media, but their real principle is "one vote, one time" (after which they will never voluntarily relinquish power. Hugo Chavez has also implemeted this principle in Venezuela) Hamas' charter still calls for the elimination of Israel and contains numerous anti-Semitic passages.

It is simply inconceivable for one to think that negotions can be opened on a truly just basis with Hamas when they insist on the elimination and utter destruction of their purperted negotiating partner (Would you "negotiate" with someone who said his chief aim was to kill you? No, you'd do whatever you needed to to stop him from killing you, with all necessary force.). Then again, they way you use "Zionist" as if it were a self-evidently bad thing to be, indicates that you probably do think we should have negotiated with the Nazis in the same way you wish to negotiate with the fascist anti-Semites of Hamas.

Finally, Bill Moyers is hardly an objective source for news and information. He has a long track record of extreme Leftism and is a former LBJ and Carter operative.

Anyway..sorry to go on, but it needed to be said. I would prefer to stay focused on music and not politics, at least here on this site (One aspect of U2 I've always found intriguing is that I know as many conservatives as liberals who are fans, and who respond to many different aspects of their music, often despite disagreements with some of Bono's flightier political pronouncements).

Americans should stick there heads up there arse and fuck off from the rest of the world. I say put a wall up and fuck off.

 

[Dalton]

Americans should stick there heads up there arse and fuck off from the rest of the world. I say put a wall up and fuck off.

Well if an intellectual such as yourself is saying that, I imagine it is only a matter of time before it happens.

 

[fna692002]

This was one thread that I didnt think would get off topic, but wow was I wrong

 

[EmitFlesti]

Americans should stick there heads up there arse and fuck off from the rest of the world. I say put a wall up and fuck off.

Quite an intelligent contribution. Really adding a lot to the debate.

I bet this same guy who wants to build a wall around America probably thinks of himself as "progressive" and "tolerant."

Judging from your spelling of "arse" I'm assuming you're British? Well, if the toffs and wankers who ran the British Empire (speaking of heads up asses!) hadn't fucked things up so badly in the Middle East and elswhere in the first place, perhaps America wouldn't have to go around trying to fix things! (Not that America's attempts to fix things haven't often resulted in simply more problems, but still...).

 

[catlhere]

Whatever he did, it must be good because I like the songs that he is linked to in this topic.

 

[Irvine511]

go to FYM, fools.

both of you .

 

[cdirani]

???

 

[Diemen]

This is not the place to air your political rantings. Let's keep this thread on topic, please.

 

[gvox]

Interesting that he helped on songs people like. ALOT.

 

[ultraviolet7]

He did keyboards and production on Crazy Tonight
He did production and vocals on NLOTH 2

If this is the case, I'd say that he definitely was a liability.

 

[Rob33]

You bring up some interesting points.

I'm not sure how, but this left me cracking up hysterically for 5 minutes, no joke

 

[corcovadosong]

I don't think he matters in terms of the album.

but in terms of U2 saying "hey, you know who'd really help our sound? will.I.am." or "hey, you know who's a karrraazzyy up-and-comer to keep your eye on? will.I.am."

That's a liability. Seriously. U2, sometimes, needs to get out more.

 

[JJF92U2]

I think he is responsible for the odd vocal take on NLOTH 2. Bono sounds too fast and nasal. But I'll Go Crazy... is a good song so i dont know. Hes not that bad.

 

[santiago]

I think he hardly did anything on the album. apparently the version of Crazy tonight he produced wasn't used (althopugh some samples from it survived to the final take, probably the strings).

He plays keyboards on magnificent and on NLOTH2 as well as some backing vocals on the latter.

So as he has not added much, it's difficult to tell if his influence has been positive or negative. We'll probably get to hear his mix of Magnificent, though and I would like to hear his "more over the top" version of Crazy tonight

 

[gvox]

I don't think he matters in terms of the album.

but in terms of U2 saying "hey, you know who'd really help our sound? will.I.am." or "hey, you know who's a karrraazzyy up-and-comer to keep your eye on? will.I.am."

That's a liability. Seriously. U2, sometimes, needs to get out more.

I think he hardly did anything on the album. apparently the version of Crazy tonight he produced wasn't used (althopugh some samples from it survived to the final take, probably the strings).

He plays keyboards on magnificent and on NLOTH2 as well as some backing vocals on the latter.

So as he has not added much, it's difficult to tell if his influence has been positive or negative. We'll probably get to hear his mix of Magnificent, though and I would like to hear his "more over the top" version of Crazy tonight

What I don't get is how you guys can say something like "he didn't do anything" or "he didnt add much". The simple fact is he had a hand in the final product of 3 songs that we love, and he's given credit for that. Even if some of his stuff didn't get used, he was part of the PROCESS and that is how great music is made. The song would not sound the same without what he added, and what we have is what U2 wanted to present: with/without will.i.am's parts.

The only reason anyone here is trying to minimize his influence is because he's a member of a hip-pop group and you hate him. If it was some other 'rock' artist, people would be falling all over themselves trying to pinpoint the exact parts that person contributed and singing praises and giving U2 thumbs ups for bringing in said rock artist and saying ' like omg he/she really enhanced the song!!!11!!' When Edge gets credits for backing vocals, do we all go 'yeah well his backing vocals didn't really add anything to the song or matter in the album' ??

 

[BVS]

gvox, you should know by now from reading interference for years. Hip hop isn't real music therefore hip hop folks aren't real musicians.

Duh

 

[catlhere]

Bono = Hip Hop

listen to him at the end of Wire, on the album, or live. He spits hot fire.

 

[Zooropa man]

Well, he is going on tour with the band.... that says it all...

 

[BVS]

Well, he is going on tour with the band.... that says it all...

Really?

How does that say it all?

 

[Zooropa man]

Really?

How does that say it all?

C'mon... Black Eyed Peas are awful. They can do better then that.

I was surprised when they brought him on board for the production of Crazy. The good thing is that I can't hear any influence at all.

 

[BVS]

C'mon... Black Eyed Peas are awful. They can do better then that.

I was surprised when they brought him on board for the production of Crazy. The good thing is that I can't hear any influence at all.

Actually early BEP are pretty damn good. And he did more than Crazy...

Yet you still haven't told me how "it says it all"...

 

[Zooropa man]

Actually early BEP are pretty damn good. And he did more than Crazy...

Yet you still haven't told me how "it says it all"...

I was being sarcastic... if that's allowed.

 

[santiago]

What I don't get is how you guys can say something like "he didn't do anything" or "he didnt add much". The simple fact is he had a hand in the final product of 3 songs that we love, and he's given credit for that. Even if some of his stuff didn't get used, he was part of the PROCESS and that is how great music is made. The song would not sound the same without what he added, and what we have is what U2 wanted to present: with/without will.i.am's parts.

The only reason anyone here is trying to minimize his influence is because he's a member of a hip-pop group and you hate him. If it was some other 'rock' artist, people would be falling all over themselves trying to pinpoint the exact parts that person contributed and singing praises and giving U2 thumbs ups for bringing in said rock artist and saying ' like omg he/she really enhanced the song!!!11!!' When Edge gets credits for backing vocals, do we all go 'yeah well his backing vocals didn't really add anything to the song or matter in the album' ??

Errr... no, no, you misunderstand me.

I am in no way trying to minimise his influence because of not liking him, it's just that I think his influence is not very strong on this album. He has a couple of additional production credits, plays additional keyboards on Crazy tonight Magnificent (as does Bono on the latter) and sings additional backing vocals on NLOTH2. That's quite a bit, but there's no song he has actually produced or mixed (in the way that Lanois, Eno, Lyllywhite etc.. have), so his influence is very difficult to pinpoint.

I would really like to hear the crazy tonight version he produced, and we'll eventually get to hear his remix of Magnificent, but on the released version of the album he has not done much.

In terms of sonic contribution, I think Cenzo Townshend, Terry Lawless and Declan Gaffney have contributed a lot more, but as they are not famous, we are not discussing them as much as we perhaps should.

So bring on further collaborations between will.i.am and U2, what I've heard isnt' bad, but it's really difficult to judge the quality of his contributions on this one.

 

[bram]

Bono = Hip Hop

listen to him at the end of Wire, on the album, or live. He spits hot fire.

Please don't bring up the end of Wire. Cringe-worthiest lyrics the man ever wrote.

I'm on your side
Be on the both side
I'm on right track
You get off my back
I'm no dope
I give you hope.

I think I just threw up a little in my mouth. I also think this song singlehandedly keeps the first half of UF from being the best U2 side ever.