Bono Slates 'Unimaginative' Rock Bands

[shaun vox]

Bono has been having a go at rock rather than pop.

We're used to artists slagging off pop bands, but Bono's told us there have always been manufactured artists and he's fine with that.

However, the U2 star reckons rock bands are letting the side down by not being creative enough:

"I'm not cross with the pop stars or boy bands or girl bands or teen bands. I'll tell you what I'm cross with -- I'm cross with rock bands, because they're not imaginative enough, they're not dealing with the 21st century very well."

"Hip-hop is more innovative, though there is the sense that that might about to change with the White Stripes, the Thrills, with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club coming along..."



here is the link.http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/news/altnews/031006_u2.shtml


very interesting.

 

[jick]

Well, Bono must be shooting himself in the foot. I mean, don't get me wrong - U2 are good. No, they're great. Or even the GREATEST band ever. But they aren't THAT imaginative. They're not even imginative to begin with. You don't have to be imaginative to be great anyway. Radiohead are pretty imaginative but they are a so-so band at best. Pink Floyd are quite imaginative too, but they can't hold a candle to U2.

Cheers,

J

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

well it's nice to hear him talking about music for once

i wonder if he likes belle and sebastian

 

[Leeloo]

Sorry but sounds like he's changed his tune and gone wishy washy on the pop thing. Remember when ATYCLB came out, he was all hard case against manufactured pop, boy bands and junk? He said it was crap music that was ruining the industry, he said 'get out of the way, you may be the boys but we are the men!' Now he's taking up for that garbage? You know what I think it is? Either his daughters have brainwashed him or he doesn't want to offend Beyonce and Jay Z or Ja Rule or whoever he always has over to his house for his daughters. Bono knows down inside that kind of music SUCKS so take a stand and admit it!! As a talented artist, he should try to improve his kids' musical taste instead of falling victim to it

Imaginitive?! WTF does he expect? I hear a wide variety of stuff out there. If anyone is unimaginitive and always sounding the same, it's stuff he always brags on like Coldplay and Pearl Jam. So I don't know what he's whining about, really.

 

[oliveu2cm]

i wonder if he likes belle and sebastian

 

[tackleberry]

Well, Bono must be shooting himself in the foot. I mean, don't get me wrong - U2 are good. No, they're great. Or even the GREATEST band ever. But they aren't THAT imaginative. They're not even imginative to begin with. You don't have to be imaginative to be great anyway. Radiohead are pretty imaginative but they are a so-so band at best. Pink Floyd are quite imaginative too, but they can't hold a candle to U2.

I'm sorry but Pink Floyd is one of the greatest rock bands of all time, and I truly believe that they could most definitely hold a candle to U2. They are quite different bands, but as far as live shows go and even as far as innovation in the studio, Pink Floyd are a mega mega band. I thinkj its unfair and biased to say that U2 are a "better" band than Pink Floyd.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

Sorry but sounds like he's changed his tune and gone wishy washy on the pop thing. Remember when ATYCLB came out, he was all hard case against manufactured pop, boy bands and junk? He said it was crap music that was ruining the industry, he said 'get out of the way, you may be the boys but we are the men!' Now he's taking up for that garbage? You know what I think it is? Either his daughters have brainwashed him or he doesn't want to offend Beyonce and Jay Z or Ja Rule or whoever he always has over to his house for his daughters. Bono knows down inside that kind of music SUCKS so take a stand and admit it!! As a talented artist, he should try to improve his kids' musical taste instead of falling victim to it

First off, I don't think that's the case, that he's "taking up for that garbage". I think what he means is that there's always going to be manufactured pop artists, and while he may not be a fan of that stuff and while he may not listen to it, it's always gonna be there because of the tweens who will like it.

And that's fine, they have every right to enjoy that stuff if it pleases them. He's not angry with them for not being overly creative, because that kind of music isn't meant to do that kind of thing to begin with, these pop artists are doing what everyone expects these pop artists to do.

That's what I think he meant.

Second, if his daughters enjoy that music, that's their choice. I went through a teenybopper phase between the ages of 12 and 14 (keep in mind that that's the age area of his daughters right now)...a lot of teenagers go through that. He doesn't need to "improve his kids' taste"...that's what they enjoy at this particular time, which makes sense, because they're in the age group that music is geared towards. As they get older, their tastes could easily change-mine certainly did. But if they like that kind of music right now, there's no shame in that.

Besides, who's to say his daughters don't listen to rock music as well as this pop stuff? My sister likes music from all kinds of genres-she loves *N Sync, but also likes John Mellencamp. Maybe his daughters do have a wide variety of musical tastes.

Originally posted by Leeloo
Imaginitive?! WTF does he expect? I hear a wide variety of stuff out there. If anyone is unimaginitive and always sounding the same, it's stuff he always brags on like Coldplay and Pearl Jam. So I don't know what he's whining about, really.

That's your opinion that groups like Coldplay and Pearl Jam are unimaginative. Someone else might disagree. Apparently Bono doesn't think they're unimaginative, so...*shrugs*.

Anywho, in response to this article, I must agree with Bono, there's very few rock groups out there today that I can really get into. There's nothing new or special about them, in my opinion.

"Hip-hop is more innovative, though there is the sense that that might about to change with the White Stripes, the Thrills, with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club coming along..."

(has never heard of the Thrills or the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club...but agrees about the White Stripes, from what she has heard so far).

Angela

 

[Leeloo]

What I was saying was not that it doesn't have a right to exist, but that he did a total 360 from what he was preaching in 2000-2001. He was acting like the savior of rock, U2 was here to save rock, pop and manufactured stuff was crap, garbage, etc., ruining the industry more than napster, it must be driven out, and all this. Then now he's completely changed his tune and I don't believe he really feels that way. He felt too strongly about hating that stuff. That's why I think he's kissing up to it so Beyonce and co. won't get offended and not come to his house anymore and that's wrong since as an influential member of the music community he could make a difference by continuing to take a stand against crap music.

As far as giving them better taste, I mean, expose them to a wide variety of GOOD stuff and maybe they won't fall into the old follow the crowd and like whatever junk is popular thing. Or of course, maybe he did try, and they say they like that stuff to be rebellious, some kids are like that. But his personal life is not my business, though I still disapprove of his wimping out on his stand against pop in a mainstream media type of way.

 

[Liesje]

He's starting to remind me of myself....I HATE manufactured pop with such a passion and I'll go on and on about how it's an embarrassment to call it "music" and refer to those pop singers as "artists", but now I've adopted a more apathetic attitude. Pop sucks ass, but there's always going to be fake shit out there. Most pop is not even worth commenting on. It's not worth my time to even think about.

I believe his kissing up to pop stars is a result of his humanitarian campaign. He can't do everything alone and needs more influence on people who never listen to his music. You have to ask yourself, what's more important: defacing pop music so rock is king? Or dealing with the differences in order to save lives?

I think Bono's mature enough to get over it and forget about pop music. It's not worth arguing over anymore. If he wants to invite Beyonce over, fine, it's his house, that doesn't mean he listens to her albums.

 

[Rafiennes]

Sounds to me like he's attacking the Linkin Parks, the Korns, the limp Bizkits, the Stainds, the whole "Daddy wouldn't play catch with me so I'll write a shitload of songs about it then we'll spawn a gazillion other bands who have the same format which is sing in faux-angst mode and then shout out the chorus at the top of my lungs in faux-anger mode and then maybe we can have some white guy rap every so often kind of thing"

NOW - before the assault comes on, I know that not all of the groups mentioned above do what I just described, but they have various parts of the aforementioned formula (yeah, that's right, I said aforementioned) Maybe he's pissed off with the attack of the music clones and the lack of rock and roll difference. I'm a big lover of tunes, melodies, good solid rock songs that get stuck in my craw. I also like a band that I can tell apart from others. I know, when I turn on K-Rock here in NY (on that rare occasion) if it's the White Stripes, Strokes, BRC, Radiohead or Flaming Lips. But I can't tell if it's Staind Linkin Corn Bizkit cos, quite simply, it-all-sounds-the-same.

So...in a roundabout way, I think that's what he's talking about.

As Dennis Millers says, "Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong."

 

[EvolutionMonkey]

Sounds to me like he's attacking the Linkin Parks, the Korns, the limp Bizkits, the Stainds, the whole "Daddy wouldn't play catch with me so I'll write a shitload of songs about it then we'll spawn a gazillion other bands who have the same format which is sing in faux-angst mode and then shout out the chorus at the top of my lungs in faux-anger mode and then maybe we can have some white guy rap every so often kind of thing"

NOW - before the assault comes on, I know that not all of the groups mentioned above do what I just described, but they have various parts of the aforementioned formula (yeah, that's right, I said aforementioned) Maybe he's pissed off with the attack of the music clones and the lack of rock and roll difference. I'm a big lover of tunes, melodies, good solid rock songs that get stuck in my craw. I also like a band that I can tell apart from others. I know, when I turn on K-Rock here in NY (on that rare occasion) if it's the White Stripes, Strokes, BRC, Radiohead or Flaming Lips. But I can't tell if it's Staind Linkin Corn Bizkit cos, quite simply, it-all-sounds-the-same.

So...in a roundabout way, I think that's what he's talking about.

As Dennis Millers says, "Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong."

That's exactly what I was thinking and don't forget all these crappy nu-punk bands like Good Charlotte, AFI and all the others that I don't feel like burning my brain cells remembering. They all sound the same in their genres there is no break thru imagination with these bands, they're like sheep that follow each other in circles instead of following a leader and trying to change their music and evolve, it's freakin sad ! . He knows Britney and the boy bands are close to death so of course he is gonna go after the next target. For myself I hate nu-metal more than I hate Britney right now too, five years ago I would of said otherwise but I don't think that makes him a hypocrite it shows he is reflecting his views according to the times. Once again the B-man is one step ahead of the pack.

 

[DaveC]

I'm sorry but Pink Floyd is one of the greatest rock bands of all time, and I truly believe that they could most definitely hold a candle to U2. They are quite different bands, but as far as live shows go and even as far as innovation in the studio, Pink Floyd are a mega mega band. I thinkj its unfair and biased to say that U2 are a "better" band than Pink Floyd.

You're my new best friend.

Radiohead are pretty imaginative but they are a so-so band at best. Pink Floyd are quite imaginative too, but they can't hold a candle to U2.

You sound like you're deliberately trying to piss me off.

 

[EmilyBono]

Well...if he did a 360, wouldn't that put him right back in the same position? I'd go for a 180 maybe

 

[typhoon]

I think that all Bono was saying was that pop bands have an excuse for sucking--no one expects anything world-shattering from Britney Spears--but he's disappointed that few rock bands are shaking things up out there now.

 

[Bunbury]

There is too much cock rock out there that is bland and boring.
I blame it on these mega corporation radio station that are drowing us with this crap.
Bono is on point, but I think he only of speaks of mainstream acts.
Bono should check out more underground rock and metal acts that are absolutely awesome and highly imaginative IMO.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

What I was saying was not that it doesn't have a right to exist, but that he did a total 360 from what he was preaching in 2000-2001. He was acting like the savior of rock, U2 was here to save rock, pop and manufactured stuff was crap, garbage, etc., ruining the industry more than napster, it must be driven out, and all this. Then now he's completely changed his tune and I don't believe he really feels that way. He felt too strongly about hating that stuff. That's why I think he's kissing up to it so Beyonce and co. won't get offended and not come to his house anymore and that's wrong since as an influential member of the music community he could make a difference by continuing to take a stand against crap music.

And I don't think that's the case. Like stated earlier, I think he's realizing now that these manufactured pop acts are on the decline-they weren't in 2000 and 2001, so he figures he'll just let it go and stop going after them now.

Either that, or maybe he figures he's already expressed how unimaginative they are, and there's no need to repeat that again.

Basically, what typhoon, EvolutionMonkey, and LivLuv said.

Originally posted by Leeloo
As far as giving them better taste, I mean, expose them to a wide variety of GOOD stuff and maybe they won't fall into the old follow the crowd and like whatever junk is popular thing. Or of course, maybe he did try, and they say they like that stuff to be rebellious, some kids are like that.

That's the thing, though-while pop music may not be considered good to you, to some people it is, so maybe his daughters feel this music is good stuff right now.

The rebellious scenario could be the case, too. Who knows?

Originally posted by Leeloo
But his personal life is not my business, though I still disapprove of his wimping out on his stand against pop in a mainstream media type of way.

I personally don't see it as wimping out. Bono figures we all know where he stands on pop music, so there's no need to reiterate that stance.

Angela

 

[kingofsorrow]

if bono is so against sorry rock bands then maybe he and the rest of U2 should get their asses back into the business of making music, instead of jetsetting around the globe hanging out with supermodels shaking hands with politicians and indulging in all that sellout behavior.
in other words BONO, put up or shut up. and stop telling us about the great new U2 album and show us. where is it? i guess all that money does go to your head.

 

[shaun vox]

ALL YOU LEAVE BONO ALONE.

bono is saying that there are no beatles no led zeppelin no rolling stones no pink floyd no guns n roses any more.
just trash rock bands.

i think its cool that bono is talking about rock music these days , who gives a shit about pop and rap.

im glad he does not talk about pop music. the music is not worth it. peace.

sounds like u2 is making some good rock&roll if he his taking a piss on rock bands of today.

 

[Bunbury]

Today's mainstream rock=crap

 

[kingofsorrow]

ALL YOU LEAVE BONO ALONE.

bono is saying that there are no beatles no led zeppelin no rolling stones no pink floyd no guns n roses any more.
just trash rock bands.

i think its cool that bono is talking about rock music these days , who gives a shit about pop and rap.

im glad he does not talk about pop music. the music is not worth it. peace.

sounds like u2 is making some good rock&roll if he his taking a piss on rock bands of today.

maybe we'll get lucky and hear him sing instead of talking.
like i said bono needs to put up or shut up.

 

[Tizer]

I suppose it depends on what you label 'mainstream rock'.

 

[Bunbury]

I suppose it depends on what you label 'mainstream rock'.

Simple anything on corporate radio and MTV.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

Adam Clayton liked Limp Bizkit's stuff around the time when Limp was really huge.

I wonder what kind of hip hop Bono listens to?

 

[Strato Edge]

if bono is so against sorry rock bands then maybe he and the rest of U2 should get their asses back into the business of making music, instead of jetsetting around the globe hanging out with supermodels shaking hands with politicians and indulging in all that sellout behavior.
in other words BONO, put up or shut up. and stop telling us about the great new U2 album and show us. where is it? i guess all that money does go to your head.

"Sell out behavior" I can't believe people are still saying this kind of stuff.

Bono's trying to make difference in the world... More power to him!

 

[JOFO]

my only response, as usual, is to disagree with jick, when he says: radiohead is so-so at best.


dude.....please come down from your mountain of musical wisdom and stick your head in a bucket of water...at the bottom of which I will place a CD of radiohead's for you.

 

[kingofsorrow]

"Sell out behavior" I can't believe people are still saying this kind of stuff.

the f**cked up thing is that now it's true.
but like i said before, Bono needs to put up or shut up.
where is the U2 that put all the bullshit bands and their wallpaper music in the thrash where they belong?
where is the U2 that made INNOVATIVE albums, instead of a rehashed, more user friendly version of a U2 masterpiece.
most bands only get to see 1 of their albums hailed as a masterpiece. U2 has had 3 albums hailed as masterpieces.
where is that U2?

 

[JOFO]

hopefully putting the final touches on an album that will kick us all in the ass, heart, and mind.

 

[kingofsorrow]

hopefully putting the final touches on an album that will kick us all in the ass, heart, and mind.

man i would love to have a U2 blow my mind, kick my ass and shut me the f**k up again.

 

[zooperson]

man i would love to have a U2 blow my mind, kick my ass and shut me the f**k up again.

my goodness, so would i. you just watch. man their album is gonna blow everyone away. have some hope people. i admit it's hard to be optimistic and having to wait so long for the album but come on you guys. it's freakin U f*cking 2 we are talking about.

iv'e been seeing alot of negative posts lately about u2's dirrection and where they are going and all this stuff and i am tired of it. it will be worth the wait.

jick i totally disagree. u2 is one of the most innovative, original bands ever. the edge is like no one else.

bono is right. evrything is dull and the same. how many "the" bands have we heard of in the last year? the hives, the vines, the strokes, the this, the that, the whatever! most sound the same and all you hear about them is "yeah they are so great, so new, so fresh, they will be around for awhile." and have we heard from any of them in a while? no! cause a week later there is something else " so new. so fresh, so original" so whatever!

just wait you will see the u2 that we have all been longing for.

 

[Bunbury]

where is the U2 that made INNOVATIVE albums, instead of a rehashed, more user friendly version of a U2 masterpiece.
most bands only get to see 1 of their albums hailed as a masterpiece. U2 has had 3 albums hailed as masterpieces.
where is that U2?

U2 makes rehashed music?? That is just not accurate.
Joshua Tree similar to Pop? Is that what you mean as rehashed or what?