How much credit should Brian Eno get for U2's sound?

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Flying FuManchu

Flying FuManchu

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Post-War, Mr. Eno helped produce Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, and All That You Can't Leave Behind with mebbe a smidgeon of Zooropa (Can't remember off the top of my head). I've heard people lay the praise on Eno and not U2 for essentially helping create the sound and innovations that we're pretty much used too expecting from U2. Henry Rollins for example essentially said this. Eno is given credit for helping to make Robert Fripp's sound as well (a influential guitarist), etc.

So what do people think? Is Eno really the reason for U2's success/ sound? How much should Eno get credit for post-War U2? Wasn't Lanois also Eno's understudy? People in the know have any idea?
 
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Eno did shape their sound. He should get credit for that. U2 should also get credit for wanting to work and working w/ Eno. It takes 2.
 
I say credit Eno, Lanois and U2, all 2 did a superb job working together and making those amazing albums...:drool:
 
My point though is that should one consider Eno is to U2 as the Neptunes is to Britney Spears/ Justin Timberlake? Eno also plays on U2's records as does Lanois. Was there ever the possibility of that being how the U2- Eno relationship worked? As hard as I find it to believ, I remember someone on another thread saying something like, "most of U2's innovations came from Eno."
 
Flying FuManchu said:
My point though is that should one consider Eno is to U2 as the Neptunes is to Britney Spears/ Justin Timberlake? Eno also plays on U2's records as does Lanois. Was there ever the possibility of that being how the U2- Eno relationship worked? As hard as I find it to believ, I remember someone on another thread saying something like, "most of U2's innovations came from Eno."
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He's a HUGE part of their sound. The right producer can make things click. I think people who say u2 would be nothing w/o Eno are missing the point. Eno worked WITH U2, it took 5 people to make that sound, not 1. For comparison sake: How big a part of The Beatles sound was George Martin? Would they have been shit w/o him? They were a team. Same w/ U2 and Eno, and Lanois, and Lillywhite.
 
Low is one of the greatest albums ever made. Eno is a God for creating that. Not to mention the (what seems like) millions of other brilliant albums he's touched.
 
Lancemc said:
Low is one of the greatest albums ever made. Eno is a God for creating that. Not to mention the (what seems like) millions of other brilliant albums he's touched.
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I really love that album. Breaking Glass, Sound And Vision, Be My Wife. Sweet stuff. Eno played all over it. If you think U2 are shit because of their work with Eno, then you HAVE to think Bowie is shit as well.
 
Agreed. Sound and Vision especially is remarkable. There aren't nearly enough songs that good in the world. And if we are going to talk about Low, we can't ignore the amazing instrumental section on the second half of that record. Brian Eno's influence is unmistakable there. Warszawa:drool:
 
Lancemc said:
Agreed. Sound and Vision especially is remarkable. There aren't nearly enough songs that good in the world. And if we are going to talk about Low, we can't ignore the amazing instrumental section on the second half of that record. Brian Eno's influence is unmistakable there. Warszawa:drool:
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Warszawa is great. That record really freaked me out when I started to go Bowie crazy years back. I had Ziggy, and the like, and Low was just a huge left turn.
 
Yeah, the first time I listend to Low was like a complete mindfuck. But a good one. In the least, it changed the way I listened to all Bowie music.
 
How much does he play on U2 records, I mean Ive seen him play some acoustic guitar on The Making of The Joshua Tree, but thats not that big of a deal. Does he play alot of the Electric fills or piano, or what?
 
he usually does a lot of keyboard work. Most noticably on The Joshua Tree and Zooropa. It hand his hands pretty deep in the UF, Achtung Baby, and ATYCLB as well. Again, mostly keyboard and a little guitar work.
 
AH, I've walked into a Bowie thread. Awesome.

And I'm glad I'm not the only one that noticed a striking similarity of some songs off of Zooropa to some songs off of Low. Low is definately one of my favorite albums of all time. It's just, pure musical bliss from start to finish. All of the melodies are just so unique and marvelous, and the instrumentals are some of the best ever done in rock music, in my opinion. Just amazing throughout. :drool:
 
I think it is too difficult to accurately determine exactly how much credit is due. The recording process is so fluid, meaning that rarely is there a point where you can say "Eno suggested Bb instead of Gb on the third chorus". I would suggest, however, that as mentioned when a band makes a decision which producer to deal with they are already going in a direction and courting the most qualified to take them there. U2 is a rare position where they choose their producers.

I think Eno and certainly Lanois' effect on other albums (including the current one) are underestimated. I personally think Lanois might have more of a traceable impact.

It's all speculation.
 
Can't forget Passengers, in all of it's craziness was "Eno Gone Wild" for U2

even had vocals on "A Different Kind of Blue"
 
I always thought Eno was most influential on Unforgettable Fire b/c that is where the biggest change occurred IMO for U2 sonically and maybe lyrically. Also the ambient music is overwhelming in that album. I think it's been written that Eno sort of pushed Bono and company into writing lyrics differently. Eno introduced Edge to the e-bow as well as some other effects. So I have no problem seeing that as the most influence that Eno might have had in the songwriting process.

However, after that, the other impression I got was Lanois and Eno were more of a partnership in the Joshua Tree and he was seemingly less hands on/ influential with the other albums. Do people believe that is how it actually is instead of Eno being the svengali to some? I mean as important as Eno was, he never seemed that important to me after UF. Isn't Edge's Captive album actually more of a sign that U2 more or less developed their sound and innovations with only a push from Eno and company into that direction?
 
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Whats the difference between the original versions of Brian Enos albums and the Euro import remastered ones?

Theres a number of the Eno CD's on sale in Australia at the moment. The original verison is on sale and the remastered ones are full price. Are the remastered albums worth the double price?
 
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U2 is just as responsible for their own sound as anyone else.

If anyone it's Edge who should get a lot of credit for U2's "sound." He was giving U2 a distinct sound, a few years before Eno came into the picture.

Adam with his "do it yourself" bass playing. He came up with "New Year's Day", before Eno, and that is his signature bass line. Just watch the audience as soon as he plays the first few notes. The bass is supposed to be part of the foundation on which a song is laid on, and who is laying down that foundation, Adam. Eno might suggest a bass line here or there, but allegedly, Adam played "pick and slap" bass a few times on
"Unforgettable Fire" but he was doing that on"October."

The drums are like the bass, also part of the foundation of a song, and Larry's the one laying down the drum lines, though I have seen Edge give Larry suggestions.

Bono was an untrained singer. And he writes 95% of the lyrics, he is the main voice of U2. Isn't Bono more responsible for U2's "sound" than Eno?

My favourite U2 album, is not Joshua Tree or Achtung Baby, it's actually War.

I guess I like Steve Lillywhite's influence on U2, a little more than Eno/Lanios.

Eno wanted to erase "Where the Streets" a song Edge started composing on his own.

Yes he should get credit, but I disagree with Henry Rollins assertion that U2 albums are just bad Eno albums.

"Passengers" which Larry doesn't care for much, that is what happens when Eno fully influences U2's work.

However, after that, the other impression I got was Lanois and Eno were more of a partnership in the Joshua Tree and he was seemingly less hands on/ influential with the other albums.
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I'd lean more towards that direction.
 
Eno and Lanois are a team, so I think they both influenced the band, just like Lillywhite did.
 
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