HTDAAB is guitar solo deficient!

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salim117

The Fly
Joined
Mar 6, 2004
Messages
278
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Miami
It seems, according to Q magazine, that " all because of you " is the only song on the album that has an actual guitar solo!
Only one song with a guitar solo in the whole album?! That's kind of dissapointing. I love all of edges solo's and was hoping that this album would have several; along the lines of Actung baby, which had a whole bunch of songs with guitar solos. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the edges style, which tends to be on the minimalist side, I could not be a U2 fan if I didn't! edge is a brilliant guitar player and I just wish he would let loose more than he does.
If I list my top 10 favorite U2 songs all but one of them have a guitar solo!

Top-10 :
1. The fly
2. All I want is you
3. Pride
4. Out of control
5. One (2001 concert version had a great solo)
6. Sunday bloody Sunday
7. New Year's Day
8. Mysterious ways
9. With or without you
10. God's country

Salim
 
LOve and peace or else has a mad solo at the end, you can hear it in the 3 minute clip that was leaked!

Plus, just because, All BEacause of you had a mention of a guitar solo, doesn't it's the only one!!!!!!
 
:shrug:

Well they said that, but maybe they didn't mention other solos? (I remember something about a guitar solo coming on in Love and peace or else, from the snippets threads)

I think only one solo would be a tad little for a U2 album; of course AB is the exception in that it has plenty of solos. I think we might get more solos than ATYCLB's three, if the album is indeed guitar oriented. Last but not least, Edge will create guitar solos live. (like New York on the last tour)
 
innocent_eyes said:
LOve and peace or else has a mad solo at the end, you can hear it in the 3 minute clip that was leaked!

Plus, just because, All BEacause of you had a mention of a guitar solo, doesn't it's the only one!!!!!!

There's a 3 minute clip of love and peace or else?! Where? I hope you're right and I just misunderstood what the article was saying. Thanks innocent eyes .
 
Um, we know at the very least that Miracle Drug has a beautiful and haunting slide guitar solo as well.

There may be more, we just don't know until we've heard the album!
 
oh yeah, forgot about miracle drug too!

Hey, are these snippets still available online anywhere, my computer recently got erased and i lost them all!!!!

thanx
 
U2girl said:
:shrug:

I think only one solo would be a tad little for a U2 album; of course AB is the exception in that it has plenty of solos. I think we might get more solos than ATYCLB's three, if the album is indeed guitar oriented. Last but not least, Edge will create guitar solos live. (like New York on the last tour)

By my count, ATYCLB only had one true solo in Walk on.
 
U2girl said:
You don't count WILATW and Kite solos?

You're right about Kite and I forgot about WILATW (not a track I listen to often). Truth is ATYCLB isn't at the top of my favorite U2 albums. I'm a fan of the older stuff.:wink:
 
the end of elevation might be considered a solo also!

By the way, anyone know if the clips are still online anywhere??
:huh: :huh: :huh: :huh: :huh: :huh: :huh: :huh: :huh: :huh:

thanx!
 
Right, with WILATW the solo uses a lot of production techniques as well, but it is extremely effective. It sounds like there's 8 guitars just falling from the sky like shining stars!

The only problem I might have with it is it's too short. It's the part of the song I just wait for when I listen to it, that beautiful climax.
 
WILATW solo is one of the best in my book as well! I *always* cringe though when its over because to my hears it always sounds too short and my imagination has done so much to expand it in really cool ways. In fact, playing that song and playing my own little take on on that solo is one of the driving forces behind me seriously studying the guitar and music right now, LOL! Who knows, it may turn out crap and Edge knew when to end it after all- he's like the King knowing when too much is too much.
 
If it wasn't for that solo in WILATW, i probably would never listen to that song. As for HTDAAB being solo deficient......WHAT!?? Without even hearing the album we know there are solos in at least three of the songs. Plus everyone has already said it's an "Edge album", so relax. Some people just can't hold it together under the new album anticipation...:huh:
 
Just thinking about forced me to just listen to WILATW.

Listen through headphones and turn it up at the solo. Amazing!:drool: :drool:
 
I don't think guitar solo's are overrated at all. The problem is that, most guitar solos are overrated because they aren't very good. IMO, pulling off a really *good* guitar solo, that truly adds that extra ingredient in just the right balance (kind of like Edge's salad-dressing reference) is exceptionally hard to pull off. Most of the time the guitarist goes off on some finger exercise just for the sake of it or just because it may sound cool- but when put in the context of the entire song- defintely doesn't fit. Edge's un-typical restraint with his guitar style and and especially his solos are what really make them shine. Not only that, but they usually just naturally emanate from the song like magic and really add that extra dimension, not stick out like a sore thumb and not properly tie the song together like it should.
 
Tip Top Prince said:
How about you wait until you hear the album before you whine about it's deficiencies.

You know, I was thinking exactly the same thing. But it seems there are people here with amazing superpowers that you and I don't have. I wish I had some of these powers. They seem quite common around here lately.
 
solos are often self indulgent and don't compliment the music as much as showcase the guitarists' skills. Edge really does a nice job ala Alex Lifeson or even Dave Gilmour. Maybe my 3 favorite guitarists.

ATYCLB has two true solos in the purest sense and Kite I guess can be considered a solo. although it's a very short one.

So that's 3 out of 11.

So far we have 3 clips and one full song. 2 solos confirmed.
So that's 2 out of 4, so we are a good bet to get 1 out of the other 7 or MAYBE MORE!

Okay okay. 4 solos would be cool with me. But only if they are as good as Walk On or WILATW. The only thing stoppoing that song from being one of U2's all time best is Bono's vocals, sorry to say but true. There is no excuse for that. Blame Lanois. :)
 
elfyx said:
I don't think guitar solo's are overrated at all. The problem is that, most guitar solos are overrated because they aren't very good. IMO, pulling off a really *good* guitar solo, that truly adds that extra ingredient in just the right balance (kind of like Edge's salad-dressing reference) is exceptionally hard to pull off. Most of the time the guitarist goes off on some finger exercise just for the sake of it or just because it may sound cool- but when put in the context of the entire song- defintely doesn't fit. Edge's un-typical restraint with his guitar style and and especially his solos are what really make them shine. Not only that, but they usually just naturally emanate from the song like magic and really add that extra dimension, not stick out like a sore thumb and not properly tie the song together like it should.


I disagree with you, although your post is well written.

Solos are very 70's and 80's. They don't mean anything anymore. All they do is recount what has already been done before. The guitar solo won't CHANGE the world anymore, the world has evolved but the solo has not. Very overrated and as Edge says "notes are expensive" So why waste them randomly and predictably on every song ala Van Halen?

I dare a band to make a whole album without a solo, I'll buy 50 of those albums.
 
"Vertigo" is punkish. Punk was a reaction to the masturbatory rock excesses of the seventies. Of course there isn't a solo. This isn't The Wall.
PowerSurge said:
I dare a band to make a whole album without a solo, I'll buy 50 of those albums.
I remember hearing Zooropa described as an album without a single guitar solo released at the height of grunge. Guess it depends what you consider a guitar solo (like the little interlude in "The Wanderer"?).
 
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typhoon said:
"Vertigo" is punkish. Punk was a reaction to the masturbatory rock excesses of the seventies. Of course there isn't a solo. This isn't The Wall.

I remember hearing Zooropa described as an album without a single guitar solo released at the height of grunge. Guess it depends what you consider a guitar solo (like the little interlude in "The Wanderer"?).

this is why Zooropa is in my top 5 U2 albums. I hate solos when they are unneccesary, like 99% of the time. Bullet the Blue Sky has a kick ass one, but because it is meant to have one. New Years Day is meant to have one and it is poingnant without being overdone. Kite's solo is short and meaningful but not a sopping sad and depressing solo.
 
Tip Top Prince said:


How about you wait until you hear the album before you whine about it's deficiencies.


Roland of Gilead said:


You know, I was thinking exactly the same thing. But it seems there are people here with amazing superpowers that you and I don't have. I wish I had some of these powers. They seem quite common around here lately.

Easy there Mr.Prince and Mr.de Gilead! I wasn't whinning. Just expressing a concern. This is a free opinion forum last I checked, not just for the high and mighty, all knowing lads like yourselfs!:rant:
I'll admit that I apperantly misinterpreted something I read in Q Mag but, that's not my only reason for bringing up the subject. I love U2 with a passion, just as the rest of you guys/gals do, with or without solos. Thing is, it was AB that "reeled me in" and transformed me from casual listener with JT in my cd collection to a full out fan of all their stuff. I agree that solos can often be redundant or pretentious but the Edge is the exception. ALL of his solos don't just fit the song, they are a "vital organ" of the songs body. Imagine Fly, All I Want,Pride, Out of Control(only to name a few) without those solos. As a rule,U2 solos are never ad-ons but a continous flow to their songs. I just love how edge plays and have been waiting for 13 years for another guitar saturated album. Sorry.:|

Salim
 
What I should have done was ask the question,"Is HTDAAB solo deficient?" or "I hope all this talk about this album being a guitar album lives up to the hype.".
 
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