Bono- The rock and roll poet of his generation?

[*Stormy*]

I just read on another thread that Joyful girl called Bono "the R&R Poet of his generation, like Springsteen is for his and Dylan is for his."

Joyfulgirl, I agree. There are several other candidates for Dylan's generation, like the Beatles and Jim Morrison. Others for Springsteen's too, like John Mellencamp. Not taking anything away from Bono, he IS hands down, but who was there really in his, (ours too Joyfulgirl so we should know) generation?
I think this should be discussed. Yes Bono is it, who else would it be? My only question is who comes in a distant second!

My vote would go to Axl Rose. He wrote some heavy lyrics when he wanted to. Most of the bands of Bono's generation were the 80's hair bands, and though I LIKE them and enjoy them, they were not really much for lyrical content. There were flashes of brilliance, like Bret Michaels' "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" (which he wrote from honest heartbreak and was not acting up like many of his other songs)

Opinions? Nominations? Rude comments? What do you think?

 

[madonna's child]

I think he's the poet of his generation. But I'm extremely biased.

------------------
The Irish been coming here for years. Feels like they own the place.

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[HolyJoe914]

I suppose Michael Stipe/REM would rank as the main contender to Bono as lyricist of the 80s/90s generation.

But especially since Bill Berry's departure, REM seems to have lost its focus. A great album would put it back together for them, but right now they're definitely on the slide.

Axl Rose? Bret Michaels? PLEASE tell me you were kidding.

 

[kobayashi]

Originally posted by HolyJoe914:
A great album would put it back together for them, but right now they're definitely on the slide.

i agree with the fact that bill berry rem was superior but 'reveal' is a masterpiece.

 

[daisybean]

Originally posted by *Stormy*:
I just read on another thread that Joyful girl called Bono "the R&R Poet of his generation, like Springsteen is for his and Dylan is for his."

Joyfulgirl, I agree. There are several other candidates for Dylan's generation, like the Beatles and Jim Morrison. Others for Springsteen's too, like John Mellencamp. Not taking anything away from Bono, he IS hands down, but who was there really in his, (ours too Joyfulgirl so we should know) generation?
I think this should be discussed. Yes Bono is it, who else would it be? My only question is who comes in a distant second!

My vote would go to Axl Rose. He wrote some heavy lyrics when he wanted to. Most of the bands of Bono's generation were the 80's hair bands, and though I LIKE them and enjoy them, they were not really much for lyrical content. There were flashes of brilliance, like Bret Michaels' "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" (which he wrote from honest heartbreak and was not acting up like many of his other songs)

Opinions? Nominations? Rude comments? What do you think?

Stormy, I gotta disagree with you about Axl. While lyrically he was talented, the original Gn'R carried him. It was Slash's raw guerrilla style guitar that made the music memorable, IMHO.

As for ERHIT that could easily be replaced by Warrent's "Heaven," LA Guns' "Ballad of Jayne," Any Bon Jovi Song. I'm not picking on your choices here, it's just that 80's hair bands are today's Teen Pop. A few artists/songs have their "Flashes of Brillance," however, they are interchangable with each other.

To me, what makes great R&R poetry is to be able to take the lyrics without the music and feel them that way.

I think my "distant second" would have to be Tori Amos.




------------------
Daisy

and you become the monster
so the monster will not break you
TIEEEEEEEEEEEE
AIM: daisyone75

 

[*Stormy*]

Originally posted by daisybean:


As for ERHIT that could easily be replaced by Warrent's "Heaven," LA Guns' "Ballad of Jayne," Any Bon Jovi Song. I'm not picking on your choices here, it's just that 80's hair bands are today's Teen Pop. A few artists/songs have their "Flashes of Brillance," however, they are interchangable with each other.

Okay Daisy I don't want to fight, but I have some beefs: first, the minor one: Tori Amos came along far too late to be Bono's generation. She would be more in with 90's people.

Now, the big fit:

80's HAIR METAL LIKE TODAY'S TEEN POP?

Uh, excuse me but:
*80's hair metal bands write their own material
*80's hair metal bands played their own instruments
*80's hair metal bands were actual groups of friends who came together on their own, just like U2, they were not pre-fab actor fakes hired by auditions to fill roles!

If you really read the lyrics to ERHIT, you would see you have been very unfair. It was not written by studio people, it was not a quick knock-off that sounded right, it was written with feeling by Bret Michaels in a Dallas laundromat, when he heard his girlfriend had left him. He was heartbroken. The term "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" was meant to represent that for every good and beautiful thing, there is a bad part. For him, it was losing his girl just as his band's success took off and his dreams were coming true, yet they would be without her love, leaving him feeling empty.

My favorite line is:
"I listen to my favorite song playing on the radio
hear the DJ say love's a game of easy come and easy go
but I wonder, does he know, has he ever felt like this?"

I have thought that before too. When you hear a song about a broken relationship, I wonder, is it just a story, or someone's feelings? With Bret, I know he KNOWS!

His heartbreak and deep feelings are relayed in the closing lines:
"Now I hear you found somebody new
and that I never meant that much to you
to hear that tears me up inside
and to see you cuts me like a knife"

Haven't many of us felt that? He put it into words eloquently and beautifully.

I am not expecting you or anyone else to like and admire 80's hair bands, just give the devil his dues. Instead of teen pop, they could more accurately be compared to today's rock-rap genre, something many people do not like and consider junk, but it is honest creative output from real writers and musicians, whether or not you enjoy their work. Personally I dislike rock-rap, but I will not put it in the same category as teen pop, because unlike that crap, it is their own creation, and they deserve that much credit!

To me, what makes great R&R poetry is to be able to take the lyrics without the music and feel them that way.

I agree with you here, and I do believe that ERHIT is poetry on its own. If you don't agree that's fine, but at least he wrote it himself! That's more than teen pop does!

 

[Angell]

I agree Bono is hands down the one, but as far as contemporaries...I would mention Simon Le Bon of Duranduran (or however they're spelling it now). I used to love the abstract way he wrote. (I might now too, but I haven't paid any attention to them in a long time) But you would have to get past the D2 image and many of their singles to see the way he really can write. "Save A Prayer" and "Do You Believe in Love" (I think that's the title) are the two songs that immediately come to mind

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"Love is a verb..."
enterangell@cs.com

 

[*Stormy*]

Yes, Angell, and one of his 90's songs, ordinary world, has some very heavy lyrics. I think most of the 80's artists get a bum rap. There was some good stuff out there. I mean much better than most of the CRAP out there the last few years.

 

[barlowdog]

Morrissey, Paul Westerberg and Elvis Costello are the only ones I can think of that come close for me, although I'm sure there's many more I didn't get to hear.

 

[U2SJ]

Angell- Ahhhh! Duran Duran! I loved them...right after U2, then INXS came Duran Duran!

 

[daisybean]

Stormy... I loved 80's hair bands, don't get me wrong (I never missed a issue of Metal Edge or Parade), but I think you misunderstood me. At the time there were so many hair bands that they kinda melted together. The goods ones like Poison, Warrant, Cinderella stood out, however the others (Remember Tora Tora, Trixter, Slaughter, Winger) all were "cookie cutter" bands or posers. There albums contained some "heavy" songs and some power ballads for airplay. Yes, they may have written their own songs however, they seem to be from out of a "mold." Much the way boy bands are, the only difference it some old guy creates them.

------------------
Daisy

and you become the monster
so the monster will not break you
TIEEEEEEEEEEEE
AIM: daisyone75

 

[*Stormy*]

Oh yes, I knew them all and had the mags too. Lots of them may have been alike, and they probably were going along with a formula that was popular and worked so they could cash in on the fad. But they were far more creative and talented than those boy bands- not only did 'some old man create them' they are really just actors, hired to play a role which most anyone who could carry a tune could fill. The 'hair' bands came together in garages as friends, formed real bands, wrote songs and played their own music. They are a FAR cry from boy bands. Menudo and New Kids on the Block were the N'Sync of the past, the hair bands are more comparable to today's rock/rap- they are real bands, write and play their own material, but they all look and sound alike and are part of a fad. Good Lord, I can't wait until the rockrap fad goes out and people start making fun of their stupid clothes and tuneless music. The hair bands were far more talented IMO.

 

[daisybean]

Originally posted by *Stormy*:
Oh yes, I knew them all and had the mags too. Lots of them may have been alike, and they probably were going along with a formula that was popular and worked so they could cash in on the fad. But they were far more creative and talented than those boy bands- not only did 'some old man create them' they are really just actors, hired to play a role which most anyone who could carry a tune could fill. The 'hair' bands came together in garages as friends, formed real bands, wrote songs and played their own music. They are a FAR cry from boy bands. Menudo and New Kids on the Block were the N'Sync of the past, the hair bands are more comparable to today's rock/rap- they are real bands, write and play their own material, but they all look and sound alike and are part of a fad. Good Lord, I can't wait until the rockrap fad goes out and people start making fun of their stupid clothes and tuneless music. The hair bands were far more talented IMO.

I agree with you there Stormy, rap/rock is already fading. I swear Kid Rock's new album is his old album with a new sleeve.

Hair bands are a far cry musically, but my meaning in my original post was what you said, that some were just jumping on the bandwagon. Some of these bands were most likely discovered by managers who soley wanted to cash in. Much like today They are creating bands.



------------------
Daisy

and you become the monster
so the monster will not break you
TIEEEEEEEEEEEE
AIM: daisyone75

 

[*Stormy*]

That's what I mean, that hair metal is like the rockrap bands of today, NOT the boy groups who aren't real bands. Rockrap is a fad, lots of imitators, cookie-cutter look and sound, and yes I do believe managers are discovering them to cash in. Personally I prefer long poofy hair, spandex and a tune to shaved heads, saggy pants, multiple face peircings and no tune at all. Kid Rock is one of the better ones, and that is a sad thing. He has his own style and plays different types of music too. Limp Bizkit, Slipnot, Linkin Park, Papa Roach, System of a Down- yuck. Crazy Town may be one of the scariest because they seem to blend the extreme look and general sound of rockrap with a teen pop type of thing too. I do hope the fad ends soon, but fear what may be next- country punk?

 

[joyfulgirl]

Just thought I should make an appearance in the thread inspired by moi.

*boost*