Will.i.am worked with U2 on new album?

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Tiger Edge said:
:sick:
This is like comparing every rock band to Nickelback.

Gonna have to agree with Irvine here. I have a friend who flat out lists that she hates "black music."Lest we forget who invented rock and roll in the first place. Even the fucking name, "rock and roll." :rolleyes:
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1. no one to my knowledge made that comment on this thread

2. since when does expressing an opinion about a particular type of music make one "racist"? Can't someone express their disdain for a particular artist's work or a genre of music itself without being seen as racist? Lets not get too liberal here.

3. Does disliking "hip hop" or "rap music" = disliking black people? :down:

Not trying to jump all over your post here...you didn't make the racist claim. I'm just using this post as a jumping point.

But I tell ya....its kind of annoying when people start throwing around the "race card" with no real solid proof, or without being specific. I noticed that there was ONE poster (Little Bono) who posted two posts a few pages back that were stereotypical and boarding on racist...but no one else to my knowledge has come close to such a thing. If thats who he was referring to then he needs to be more specific instead of implicating everyone.
 
gvox said:
Although, for some reason, even though it was U2 playing all the instruments, people still panned the production on the MJB version of One (note- this is not a discussion on her contribution). I have no idea whether said producer was black white or purple, but it did sound a bit more punchy (for lack of a better word off the top of my head), ie, more aimed at a hip hop / pop audience and I liked the production.. :shrug:

U2 is punk rock from Venus for the soul, no? ;)
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I didn't have the same reaction about the Mary J version of 'One'.
Not that I thought it was 'great', I thought it was fine. Mary J sounded a hell of a lot better than Bono. Why not just let her sing it by herself? Why not produce the song for her? Why not just let her cover it all by herself with her own producers? It was another in the long line of 'image issues' that U2 deals with. They 'look' like they are really pandering to get into a wider audience. Maybe because they are.

I only heard it a few times on VH1 and live so I couldn't give you a critique of the production. My general feeling about that is, considering we still have the U2 album version and hundreds of excellent live versions, it seems like a silly gripe. It seems like fans who feel their sacred song has been tainted. I am not that idealistic about U2, not anymore.

I have gotten to the point with U2, where they are so unabashedly mainstream, that things like this are to be expected. I just hope for the best quality of music, that's all.

I love NIN, when Reznor remixed Vertigo, I thought it was an awesome idea, I got the song and I praised it up and down. Now I listen to it after the newness is long gone and it sounds pretty bland, to be honest. He's done amazing remixes for other artists (ironically his Puff Daddy remix is great). So I guess what I'm trying to say is, whatever the end result is of this Will.I.Am thing, it's going to stand on it's own. If it's good, I'll say it's good. If it's not, I'll say "I told you so" :wink:
 
ps333 said:
1. no one to my knowledge made that comment on this thread

2. since when does expressing an opinion about a particular type of music make one "racist"? Can't someone express their disdain for a particular artist's work or a genre of music itself without being seen as racist? Lets not get too liberal here.

3. Does disliking "hip hop" or "rap music" = disliking black people? :down:

Not trying to jump all over your post here...you didn't make the racist claim. I'm just using this post as a jumping point.

But I tell ya....its kind of annoying when people start throwing around the "race card" with no real solid proof, or without being specific. I noticed that there was ONE poster (Little Bono) who posted two posts a few pages back that were stereotypical and boarding on racist...but no one else to my knowledge has come close to such a thing. If thats who he was referring to then he needs to be more specific instead of implicating everyone.
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I think this is off topic. I think everyone else here knew perfectly what Irvine was referring to, and he was absolutely right. There was no race card played by him at all, he was bang on.
 
U2DMfan said:
I didn't have the same reaction about the Mary J version of 'One'.
Not that I thought it was 'great', I thought it was fine. Mary J sounded a hell of a lot better than Bono. Why not just let her sing it by herself? Why not produce the song for her? Why not just let her cover it all by herself with her own producers? It was another in the long line of 'image issues' that U2 deals with. They 'look' like they are really pandering to get into a wider audience. Maybe because they are.

I only heard it a few times on VH1 and live so I couldn't give you a critique of the production. My general feeling about that is, considering we still have the U2 album version and hundreds of excellent live versions, it seems like a silly gripe. It seems like fans who feel their sacred song has been tainted. I am not that idealistic about U2, not anymore.

I have gotten to the point with U2, where they are so unabashedly mainstream, that things like this are to be expected. I just hope for the best quality of music, that's all.

I love NIN, when Reznor remixed Vertigo, I thought it was an awesome idea, I got the song and I praised it up and down. Now I listen to it after the newness is long gone and it sounds pretty bland, to be honest. He's done amazing remixes for other artists (ironically his Puff Daddy remix is great). So I guess what I'm trying to say is, whatever the end result is of this Will.I.Am thing, it's going to stand on it's own. If it's good, I'll say it's good. If it's not, I'll say "I told you so" :wink:
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I listened more for the production because I wanted to see what they would 'add'. I do agree that Mary is singing her heart out on this track, but I think too it caused Bono to step up a bit, Edge to ring out a little brighter, and definitely Larry to drum harder. Just my take on it. I do believe it is produced by someone from Mary's camp, going off the top of my head.

But I mean it was a momentary thing, for charity, Bono had probably wanted to do something with her for a while, and it fit the occasion. I think 'pandering' had zero to do with it, to be perfectly honest with you. EDIT: let's not forget, we had Kanye saying George Bush doesn't care about black people, the blatant disregard shown for the communities down there, really Katrina brought the issue of race front and centre once more. There was a point to be made, and U2 was the band to make it, with one of the most popular black artists: and that point is that we are one. I don't think the message would have been the same if Mary just covered it herself, it would be just another cover. The U2 version of One is more widely known than people think, so I can't buy the trying to gain a new audience argument. If that's the case then we'd have to go back to Whats Goin On...hell, When Love Comes To Town..I know, I'm digressing into another genre but the principle remains the same...U2 do songs with who they want to because they want to do the song with that person, period.

I totally agree with you on the nutjobs who think One is some sortof sacred song that she has defiled by singing it. Give me a break.

I also like the Reznor remix, better than the original in alot of ways. lol.

You're right..anything Will.i.am does / doesn't do with U2 will have to stand on it's own, and I won't necessarily like it either if it's crap.
 
ps333 said:
I noticed that there was ONE poster (Little Bono) who posted two posts a few pages back that were stereotypical and boarding on racist..
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Yeah and that's who I quoted. A few posts later someone came in and tossed the "chav" word around. I assume it's the British equivalent of "wigger" since Wikipedia said it was a derogatory word, but I apologize if I'm wrong. I'm only a hapless kiddo from an urban city. :sigh:
 
gvox said:
I think this is off topic. I think everyone else here knew perfectly what Irvine was referring to, and he was absolutely right. There was no race card played by him at all, he was bang on.
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I wouldn't assume something like that....because you might be wrong.

Whats perfectly obvious here is that we disagree about this matter. But its not on topic...so lets move on.
 
Jeez, why is everybody so serious in this place? For the record, Irvine (and anyone else that thinks the same thing), im not a racist, that post was not meant to be racist and im not criticising "black music"(again i dont mean that in a racist way), if anything i quite like some rap and hip hop, just like i like some rock, pop, dance and whatever other types of music there is out there. If anything in that post i was trying to highlight the fact that U2 attempting rap or hip hop is just wrong (all be it in a sarcastic way, i guess i failed in that too) because its not exactly something they would be good at.

Im sorry if anyone was offended by my post as i didnt mean any offence .. Im actually really bothered by the fact that people took it the way that they did :reject:

Im sorry for de-railing this thread too, but i just wanted to sort this out :sigh:
 
Bono doing rap:

YouTube - U2 - Happiness Is A Warm Gun (The Gun Mix)

Even Thom Yorke can do rap:

YouTube - Radiohead - Wolf At The Door (Live)

It all depends on how it's done. If the subject matter is interesting it will work. I think people can't stand lots of rap music because of the subject matter in rap music usually includes ghetto lifestyle and gang banging. I don't think Bono would be doing that and he would be laughable if he tried since that's not his upbringing before he got rich and famous.
 
I didn't have the same reaction about the Mary J version of 'One'.
Not that I thought it was 'great', I thought it was fine. Mary J sounded a hell of a lot better than Bono. Why not just let her sing it by herself? Why not produce the song for her? Why not just let her cover it all by herself with her own producers? It was another in the long line of 'image issues' that U2 deals with. They 'look' like they are really pandering to get into a wider audience. Maybe because they are.

I only heard it a few times on VH1 and live so I couldn't give you a critique of the production. My general feeling about that is, considering we still have the U2 album version and hundreds of excellent live versions, it seems like a silly gripe. It seems like fans who feel their sacred song has been tainted. I am not that idealistic about U2, not anymore.

I have gotten to the point with U2, where they are so unabashedly mainstream, that things like this are to be expected. I just hope for the best quality of music, that's all.
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Thank you for explaining this to me. I completely agree with you on this. That's what I was trying to say about Oasis. They never felt the need to "kiss ass" in order to break into the mainstream. One of my work mates has just come back from America where they'd been working for few a months. They said that all they play on the radio is R'n'B (fake) and Hip-hop. Now if all U2 wanted to achieve was to get a song high in the US charts, then they done it but as the cost of their integrity. You want see Oasis trying to pull a stunt like that. They play that song all the time so I hope it leaves them red faced. But at least I feel as though Bono has showed some remorse for what he done (ie: last year's performance at the London chapal, phone call earlier in the year to that Irish radio station, Nelson Mendela's birthday message, introductiong of WOS which was on facebook).

Just because someone doesn't like Hip Hop and RnB (Fake) doesn't mean they're racist. I love the old black music: reggae, jazz, blues, motown, staxx, soul, gospal. My mum's favourite music is black music but she hates modern RNB (particurly Rihanna) and Hip Hop. I'm old so I just like everything old and I love me sleep.

Chavs can be white or black. Actually most of them in my town are white. My neighbours are white.
 
Cactus Annie said:
They play that song all the time so I hope it leaves them red faced. But at least I feel as though Bono has showed some remorse for what he done (ie: last year's performance at the London chapal, phone call earlier in the year to that Irish radio station, Nelson Mendela's birthday message, introductiong of WOS which was on facebook).
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I have no idea what you're talking about, I really don't understand the part of "Bono showing some remorse". Why should he? I don't think he's remorseful of that duet, because obviously U2 have RESPECT for MJB and other artists, that's why they worked with her, and Bono even duetted with her on several occasions. Just because some fans don't like it doesn't mean that U2 can not reach out to other artists. They have always shown their respect for other artists from different genres by collaborating. U2 are more open minded that many of their fans, which I find sad because I thought being a fan of U2 means sharing their open-mindedness and not being prejudiced about other artists or styles of music. One thing I love about them is that they do not put other artists down like many other bands like to do.

I may not like all kinds of music, all songs or artists, or even everything U2 are doing, still I respect their decisions.

I think after all this time people should start bitching about the collaboration with MJB. It wasn't that bad. After all, it was the first number one single for them in a very long time.
 
I think its comical that some people are bashing Bono for singing w/MJB on the song ONE.

First of all, its HIS song. (Well, U2's but you get the point)

Secondly, She and her camp probably asked Bono and company to sing with her to appeal to multiple audiences from two different music genres; a very smart move that has worked for so many people (refer ro Run DMC/Aerosmith in case you don't get what I'm referring to)

Thirdly, did you miss the reinterpretive message of the song???? When MJB and Bono sing together it starts to become more about the plight of African Americans, the oppression that they've been facing, and the bringing together of two races and two cultures as.....wait for it.....ONE. "We're one but we're not the same". You can't get that power and that message unless Bono or some other prominent white singer is part of the duet. Who else was she going to sing it with? Bon Jovi? U2 wrote the damn song, so thats why they sang it with her.

I understand your views on the performance and your opinions about the quality of the vocals, but I think that when you look at that song with such a single minded almost shallow view you kind of miss the depth and power of the message that its delivering. Thats my take on it.

I like it, for the above reasons...and I actually think Bono's voice is perfectly fine on it.
 
ps333 said:
Thirdly, did you miss the reinterpretive message of the song???? When MJB and Bono sing together it starts to become more about the plight of African Americans, the oppression that they've been facing, and the bringing together of two races and two cultures as.....wait for it.....ONE. "We're one but we're not the same". You can't get that power and that message unless Bono or some other prominent white singer is part of the duet. Who else was she going to sing it with? Bon Jovi? U2 wrote the damn song, so thats why they sang it with her.
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Going of topic here but:
It may be for a good cause and not intentional or mean of you, but what you just said sounds racsist. MJB is African-American so by that she knows about strugles of other AA people? That's like saying that Bono knows about the struggle of a poor single mother with a baby (just an example) because they're the same race.

OnT:
I would like to think "there's no way will would be in any part of making of the record except maybe brigning them coffee and tea and oredering lunch", but I honestly I am not sure anymore. I don't want him on the record. I hope U2 can go more "alternative" become much less main stream than they are now and lose many of those "I like Vertigo, B day and Pride (or insert any commercially popular song)", especially when it comes time to buy tickets for a concert :p
 
Anian said:
Going of topic here but:
It may be for a good cause and not intentional or mean of you, but what you just said sounds racsist. MJB is African-American so by that she knows about strugles of other AA people? That's like saying that Bono knows about the struggle of a poor single mother with a baby (just an example) because they're the same race.

OnT:
I would like to think "there's no way will would be in any part of making of the record except maybe brigning them coffee and tea and oredering lunch", but I honestly I am not sure anymore. I don't want him on the record. I hope U2 can go more "alternative" become much less main stream than they are now and lose many of those "I like Vertigo, B day and Pride (or insert any commercially popular song)", especially when it comes time to buy tickets for a concert :p
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Holy fuck. First you say that it's racist to think that MJB knows about the struggles of black people (of course she does, she did start from nothing, are you for real?!!) and then in the next paragraph turn around and say the only thing Will should be doing is bringing U2 their coffee and tea and serving them lunch, and THAT'S not supposed to feel racist??

This place gets crazier and crazier.
 
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