Similarities? Perhaps. I'm very skeptical about a number of things, though. Why U2/the Beatles? And from there, if there is a pattern that exists where you could predict a 3rd band and then a 4th 'new sound', it must be necessarily true that this pattern applies to other bands/sounds - otherwise, it's pure coincidence. Furthermore, the album cover art "proof" is sketchy at best. Yes, you've pointed out commonalities, but you could find paintings, photographs, sculpture, etc that have all those same commonalities. I mean, you don't have to be hugely versed in the study of artistic composition to have an understanding of image colour tone, line balance, shape, volume, and texture. So there are similarities in vertical line formation?
Plus some of the examples are pretty ridiculous. As though Adam's hair is blonde in order to correspond to the yellow 'the Beatles' title, or vice versa? I'm sure he groomed himself entirely with this end in mind. It is also pretty convenient in the next example that the blue background on hard day's night is ignored entirely in order to not take away from the 'red text over black and white image' connection.
I mean, I won't take away that the similiarities that do exist are interesting, but I don't think they're substantial enough to prove that a connection between the two bands exists. Things like 'this is the third album for both, and they're still developing their sound, they haven't arrived at their 'final sound' yet' is vague at best, and could be said of virtually any band.
Given the volume of pictures taken of each band, it is a
gross misrepresentation
at best to pick a single image from Help and a single image from 1992 and say that it's proof that the bands are connected in some significant way.
In the U2 picture, the guys (from left to right, Edge to Adam) are spelling out HELP in Semaphor, which is a sign language that uses flags/arm positions to communicate messages at sea over a distance where/when verbal communication is impossible for whatever reason. To say that they were going to "ask for “HELP” concerning this matter" and that "they emulated The Beatles HELP cover." seems wrong to me. Yes, they were asking for help over that matter, that's obvious. They are asking for help quite explicitly, using a legitimate language. But the Beatles cover is not expressing anything ("RUJV" I'm pretty sure isn't a word) and so to say that there's a similarity there would be misleading, I think. Similar in that they're moving their arms? Sure, if you ignore the fact that people move their arms all the time without it having to mean something. Given the context of the scenario, that they're on a boat in the picture (which is clear from looking at it), and they're protesting the poisoning of the environment with radioactive waste, and they're clearly posing for a picture trying to raise awareness, I think 'help' is a perfectly reasonable and legitimate thing for them to express; they want people to help their cause. I don't think it's any more significant than that, however.
I mean, I'd need a
lot more convincing evidence to be presented to consider the site anything more than a novelty.
As for Mr. McCartney, I've gotta say that I'm not a fan. The seal hunt thing recently has just been the straw that broke the camels back for me. I secretly, although I guess its not-so-secretly now, wish that it had been him instead of George to die most recently. Poor George
