Bono vs. Lennon/McCartney

[Canadiens1131]

Because EYKIW's general crowd of regulars amuses me from time to time....

Between Bono and Lennon/McCartney, who do you think is the most talented songwriter/frontman (men?) and human being(s)? Who made the more meaningful music?

Vote and discuss.

 

[namkcuR]

If you're talking songwriting, it should really be Bono/Edge vs Lennon/McCartney.

 

[Canadiens1131]

If you're talking songwriting, it should really be Bono/Edge vs Lennon/McCartney.

I would have included Edge but that would have muddled things as I wanted to keep guitar out of it - just comparing the qualities of frontmen.

 

[namkcuR]

Purely as a frontman, Bono is far and away the best of these three. I doubt either Lennon or McCartney could ever hold a huge live audience in the palm of their hand the way Bono can. When he's performing, he owns the arena/stadium.

In terms of songwriting, it's between Lennon and McCartney, and that's a debate that could go on forever. IMO, it's Lennon. He was simply a genius and an innovator. Hard Day's Night, Help, Ticket To Ride, You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, Norwegian Wood, Nowhere Man, In My Life, I'm Only Sleeping, She Said She Said, Tomorrow Never Knows, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, A Day In The Life, I Am The Walrus, Strawberry Fields Forever, All You Need Is Love, Happiness Is A Warm Gun, Julia, Dear Prudence, Come Together, I Want You(She's So Heavy), Across The Universe, Working Class Hero, Mother, Love, God, Imagine, Jealous Guy, Oh My Love, Instant Karma, (Just Like)Starting Over, Woman, Beautiful Boy - all Lennon. I think he's somewhat of a Godfather in the world of rock music.

 

[BigMacPhisto]

If anyone thinks Bono is a better songwriter.....

 

[Axver]

Let's see. On the one hand, I think the Beatles are hugely over-rated and dislike them a fair bit. On the other hand, I quite enjoy U2's music and just think a few people on this forum over-rate the band out of blind devotion.

So this vote's easy. Bono.

 

[U2girl]

If anyone thinks Bono is a better songwriter.....

...they're entitled to having an opinion.

edit not directed at you, Bigmaphisto: Enough of the thought police freaking out over, yes, a bias in U2 related polls on a U2 site. Who would have thought?

 

[Sken]

Bono

 

[U2Man]

Isn't it a bit unfair that Bono is up against two other persons here?

 

[JCOSTER]

Bono all the way.

 

[U2Man]

I agree with everything that namkcur said in this thread. This comparison is a bit odd...but since I regard song writing as a far more important skill for a musician than showman skills, I'm gonna have to vote for Lennon/McCartney.

Even if you included Edge in this and gave Bono & Edge 30 more years of writing songs, they wouldn't touch Lennon & McCartney.

 

[BonosSaint]

Bono: Front man, far and away
Lennon/McCartney: Songwriting
Lennon/McCarney: More musically significant

Not that U2 is too shabby. They have their place secure.

When U2 stops performing live, we'll see how the music stacks up.

Who are the better human beings? I'm not touching that one with a ten-foot pole.

 

[CPTLCTYGOOFBALL]

Lennon And/or McCartney for their Beatles output, but I'd likely put Bono ahead of them if you campare his work with their solo stuff-They had loads of great songs in the 70s but also alot of pretty average (for them) stuff

 

[Aygo]

That's easy: Bono (it should be Bono + The Edge). The Beatles are a great band but hiiiiiiiiiighly overated and the lyrics are nooooot that huge. Bono has already made even better than that...

 

[angelordevil]

I agree with everything that namkcur said in this thread. This comparison is a bit odd...

It's actually an interesting comparison. I think Bono has used Lennon and McCartney as guideposts for success over the years. They were a huge part of that mixing-music-with-meaningful-causes movement that Bono obviously so identified with.

In many ways, Bono is an amalgam of both of these guys--equal parts brilliance and buffoonery.

 

[CTU2fan]

1. Lennon
2. Bono (close)
3. McCartney (not close)

If there was any doubt where the talent lie in the Beatles, take a look at the solo careers...Paul's has been utterly dreadful, bubble-gum poppy.

And Julian Lennon is clearly superior to that little snot Jesse McCartney...I'm not counting Sean, because I think Yoko cheated. Slut.

 

[LMP]

Bono's the better frontman of the other two for sure.

Songwriting, they pretty much own Bono. Don't get me wrong, I love most of Bono's songwriting, but John and Paul DEFINED pop music with their songs, and it boils down to this:

John/Paul wrote Revolver, and Bono didn't.

So John/Paul for me.

 

[LemonMelon]

Yet another one of these rediculous polls... I tell you, the next one really should be James Hetfield vs a blender filled with drywall.

Anyway...

Better frontman=Bono, no contest.
Better songwriter=Lennon/McCartney (specifically Lennon), no contest.

 

[ponkine]

Bono could never write A Day In The Life

End Of Story

 

[Aygo]

^ Yeah, probably not but could Lennon or McCartney write Wild Irish Rose, "40" or The Wanderer? I highly doubt it... McCartney certainly not...

 

[U2Man]

Aygo, those 3 songs you just listed, are probably the most straightforward, simple songs you could possibly have listed. "The Wanderer" could hardly be more simple and traditional.

 

[xaviMF22]

"The wanderer" has Bono's best lyrics IMO

 

[Aygo]

Aygo, those 3 songs you just listed, are probably the most straightforward, simple songs you could possibly have listed. "The Wanderer" could hardly be more simple and traditional.

Really? "40" and Wanderer... straightfoward and simple? Simple in the way they were made by you and me...
You don't think that Wanderer could be more simple and tradirional? Well, I guess that song could easily be a country song with a different arrangement, I have already tried myself, it works.

What I mean is that despite the great songwritting of Lennon (cause I think Cartney's not that great), Bono's one is different. I can't see Bono writing songs (even few of the more popular ones) of the Beatles (even though Bono wishes that ) but I can't see too Lennon writing Wanderer, "40", THTBA, The Ocean, The Unforgettable Fire, The fly, A Sort Of Homecoming or even Streets...

 

[U2Man]

No, they've got their own style. I just think that Lennon/McCartney's music tends to be more sophisticated and have more resonance with people in general.

About The Wanderer...yes, it's a straightforward country rhythm/chord sequence. Dum di da daa da da da daa da da da.

 

[Canadiens1131]

About The Wanderer...yes, it's a straightforward country rhythm/chord sequence. Dum di da daa da da da daa da da da.

I love phonetic writing

 

[Aygo]

No, they've got their own style. I just think that Lennon/McCartney's music tends to be more sophisticated and have more resonance with people in general.

About The Wanderer...yes, it's a straightforward country rhythm/chord sequence. Dum di da daa da da da daa da da da.

We're in 2006. In general, and after 40 years, I'm not sure if it makes sense at all. Yeah, The Beatles have "invented" (?) pop music and became the first "astronomic" band, but music industry changed so much (despite some don't want to believe in it) that some statements seem to come from the 1970's or 1980's... Like this... And I like The Beatles (Lennon's songwriting and the last 4 years in particular) but they're the most overated pop/rock band in the history of music.

About The Wanderer, you should know - and being fan from a band that has experiemented half the world in music - that a song can be whatever you want it to be. The Wanderer may have supposedly been composed as a country song (you can easily see it, I know) , but listen to its final version... apart from the lyrics, Cash singing it and apart from what you can percept... does it sound country at all?

 

[sue4u2]

I been listening to the Beatles since I was 10 or 12 at least. I can only judge by what I listen to the most. As much as I love some of the Beatles music, I have bought very little of their catalogue over the decades. I was more intrigued with Lennon's lyrics than McCartney's. With Bono/Edge - U2 it's different. Their lyrics/music makes me want everything I can get my hands on. Listening to the same song over and over in various different forms doesn't bore me.
I have honestly not done this with any other artist. I never did this with the Beatles they honestly never illicited the depth of emotion Bono/Edge have.
Closest I ever came to this type of obsession was Led Zepplin, but this U2 thing has gone way beyond that, for a much longer period of time.
I'm just a U2 Junkie I love their lyrics But that's just me..

 

[U2girl]

And Julian Lennon is clearly superior to that little snot Jesse McCartney...I'm not counting Sean, because I think Yoko cheated. Slut.

Jesse McCartney is not related to Paul.

Unlike Heather, Mary, Stella and James. (who does play guitar but I'm not sure he put out albums yet; he played guitar on a song on Flaming Pie and has co-written and played on two songs on Driving Rain)

I always thought Julian took after John in his looks while Sean took after Yoko.

 

[BVS]

Singer and frontman, Bono beats both of them hands down.

Songwriting, Bono beats Paul.

Songwriting, John beats Bono...

 

[BVS]

And Julian Lennon is clearly superior to that little snot Jesse McCartney...I'm not counting Sean, because I think Yoko cheated. Slut.