I wasn't sure which thread or forum to post this in, so you can move it if you want to admin.
My experience watching the Daniel Lanois documentary "Here Is What Is"
I really want to say thanks to atu2.com for posting the news about this film, including the title, so that I was able to take advantage of my arrival back in Toronto to buy a ticket for 11:15 on Friday September 14th to see it. I'm really glad I went.
U2 songs
There really wasn't much in terms of the Fez footage, but that's probably because I only saw it once and couldn't absorb much; most of you would have done a much better job of taking it all in. About 3 song samples were shown -- each from 20 seconds to 50 seconds, I'd guess.
1. The first and longest sample was a crunchy guitary piece with The Edge, Bono and Daniel Lanois all on guitars. Bono was singing, too, but it was hard to tell much because the melody seemed a bit repetitive and not as nuanced as I would have liked. Yet that was just a first impression.
2. The next had Bono on electric guitar strumming with Lanois and Eno around him, and he giggled after he broke off and stopped playing, seeming uncertain of the lyrics, remarking "or something." I wasn't sure if it was just a cover, but The Edge (without guitar), standing, seemed amused. Couldn't tell much from this. I was more stunned that Bono was playing guitar, as the footage started on the player's feet and scanned upward.
3. The last one was a shot from overhead of Bono and (I think) The Edge and Lanois, but perhaps Brian Eno also, all singing into a microphone. When I spoke to Mr. Lanois in the question period, He referred to this as the choir piece, I think. It seemed the most interesting.
It's really hard to tell anything; I was just excited at seeing the footage, though it was not in the best quality picture.
Talking with Brian Eno
The nicest parts of the film for this non-Lanois music fan was seeing Brian Eno and Lanois talk about music and their history together. I wish there'd been more because Eno was very clear and methodical in how he expresses himself.
They first talked about making something out of crap. Eno was saying that people always think Beethoven had the music perfectly formed in his head and just put it down on paper, but music always comes from nothing. It's all about the process. The tiniest seed can become something great if given the right conditions, just as the seed with the greatest potential can become nothing special if given poor conditions. His message was that everything has potential, and Lanois remarked that his life reflected this as he (and maybe Eno; I'm not sure) came from humble beginnings.
Eno told Lanois that he enjoyed telling people his techniques for making music. He used the example of looping over certain sounds a number of times to create an effect. He said, in his defense, that "it doesn't mean I think I don't have any talent," (they both laughed) "but it tends to take away some of the mysticism surrounding music."
There was a nice moment when Eno was looking at a Middle Eastern rug and was awed at the colors and how they were arranged next to each other. He wasn't sure if he liked it, but was fascinated by it, remarking that each color was not solid but a mixture of other colors, and that the designer placed a complementary colored strip next to one strip and next to that 2nd strip was another complimentary color. He had never seen anything like it. It's too bad the footage was in black and white. Lanois remarked that he thought Eno was talking about music composition, but, in fact was talking about the rug.
They used this to launch into a short discussion about music composition, which was the other striking moment. If you look back at the press from "All That You Can't Leave Behind", you'll find quotations of Eno saying that there's a difference between music that's fun to make and which tends to be complex, and music that's fun to hear. In the lead-up to the 2000 album, he and Bono had discussed the timelessness of popular Beatles songs that were so simple, you could hear them from a window or in the next room. Thus, the mission statement for "All That You Can't Leave Behind" was to simplify melodies. This notion has always bothered me, especially in the last few years, given the results in U2's music which has appealed more to the mainstream but sacrificed creativity and uniqueness. Now, in Fez, Eno was telling Lanois that he likes complex things. He's bored by simplicity. If this is going to be the attitude as these two co-write with U2, I'm very excited. I hope they fight all the way for this vision of not surrendering to the mainstream, but just write great quality music.
The meat of the documentary
There were a ton of full-length (or close to it) Daniel Lanois songs used; some slight interviews with his drummer; some footage of a collaboration with Sinead O'Connor. I had tried to listen to Daniel Lanois album last year, but wasn't too interested. I was surprised at how subtle and beautiful his voice was. His guitar effects sounded more exciting that what I heard in the Fez footage. Some very jarring guitar sounds reminicent of The Fly, and lots of blusey guitar effects and the use of that metal sliding cylinder one sees in "The Unforgettable Fire" sessions. Much of Lanois' guitar effects sound like those on that 1984 U2 album, actually. Now, we know where U2 got it from.
My statements to Daniel Lanois.
On my way to the cinema, I wondered if Lanois would be there for a Q & A, but it was the second airing and I doubted it. Still, I had some ideas about what I wanted to say. Before the film aired, Lanois came in and the introduced himself and his two producers to the crowd. The woman conducting the proceedings said Mr. Lanois would answer questions after it was over. I kept thinking how I'd formulate my recommendations for the next U2 album. Would he get mad it wasn't a question about his work specifically or the documentary? Would he cut me off mid-statement, saying it wasn't the time and place? I needed to be clear but not take up too much time from other Lanois fans, so I kept thinking about what I had to say, and I was so damn nervous.
The lights came on after it was over and I hesitated, as I was too terrified to ask first. After the first person, I quickly raised my hand. "You, in the back. Blue shirt," Daniel Lanois yelled.
I knew there were a lot of people there who were fans of his, so I thought I'd ask him first if I could make some recommendations about the upcoming U2 album.
He said, "The new U2 album?" "Yes" (some people giggled) "Yeah," he replied calmly.
I couldn't believe it. It was happening. My mind was cluttered, as I stumblingly said something like:
"You're probably familiar with concerns that U2's most recent work has tended to be simpler, less subtle, and more obvious lyrically.... When I listen to a song like "Love and Peace or Else", I think that Bono has missed the point.
(Here's why I think that):
http://forum.atu2.com/forum.src?Action=Posts&Subject=12713&Topic=25&SubjStart=26
"Because you guys write political songs, and ...God I feel so nervous," I muttered. "I wanted to suggest Battlestar Galactica as a kind of muse because it's the most politically-insightful show in the history of American pop culture. It's all about the dehumanization and homogenization of the other -- whoever that may be -- and it's about war and terrorism.... and faith. There are no good guys and bad guys, and the conflict comes out of differing interests and perspectives. And I just wanted to suggest that to the band as a kind of muse..."
The whole time, he was a gentleman. Neither he nor his producers smirked or looked annoyed (from what I could see, way up)
He asked, "Well, what did you think about the choir piece?"
I nervously slightly lied and said, "It was pretty good," even though I barely had an opinion, which is not to say it isn't good, but it was hard to tell.
I emphasized, "I mean, I loved Achtung Baby!....But when I hear a song like 'Love and Peace or Else' saying both sides just have to lay down their arms...That's just not the problem." (If I were thinking clearly, I would have said, laying down arms helps the Israelis continue the occupation, but not the Palestinians who only began resisting violently after being ethnically cleansed from their homes and land, and occupied after 1948. I would have also said that "Bullet the Blue Sky" was great for bringing up American mistreatment of Nicaragua, as was "Mothers of the Disappeared" great for discussing the actions of US-supported Latin American dictators who killed leftist activists, and "Silver and Gold" for discussing South African apartheid. I would have also expressed thanks for "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and especially "Please" for illuminating the ego-centric mentality of many terrorists. Yet, I would have said that's only half the problem in this war on terror. State actions of oppression and war are equally morally ambiguous as terrorism.)
He then said something; I can't remember what because I was so nervous, but then said, "Well, I'll pass on the message to them."
"Thank you!" I said.
That made my freaking day! I still can't believe it! If U2 sees this show, they're smart enough to get all the nuances and brilliant realistic depiction of the dilemmas facing our world one can't find in mainstream media. I've fantasized about moments like this when I could raise awareness for this show that can change culture (in the West and East) for the better by bringing understanding.
I've also fantasized of meeting Bono on some Much Music show and questioning U2's creative reticence of late, and bringing up certain corporate decisions regarding their commercial releases, like not having lyrics for the deluxe version of "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" (so we'd have to buy the regular version of the album to get them in print) or only releasing their worst Vertigo tour performance and having almost nothing on the bonus disc, or doing a bad job with DVD releases by putting out the barest of extras.
I still can't believe this happened. I wanted to chicken out but I'm proud of myself for not doing so! I was able to get through to someone intimately associated with U2 to bring attention to the most important show in American history and to voice the dissatisfaction of many fans over U2's recent output.
My experience watching the Daniel Lanois documentary "Here Is What Is"
I really want to say thanks to atu2.com for posting the news about this film, including the title, so that I was able to take advantage of my arrival back in Toronto to buy a ticket for 11:15 on Friday September 14th to see it. I'm really glad I went.
U2 songs
There really wasn't much in terms of the Fez footage, but that's probably because I only saw it once and couldn't absorb much; most of you would have done a much better job of taking it all in. About 3 song samples were shown -- each from 20 seconds to 50 seconds, I'd guess.
1. The first and longest sample was a crunchy guitary piece with The Edge, Bono and Daniel Lanois all on guitars. Bono was singing, too, but it was hard to tell much because the melody seemed a bit repetitive and not as nuanced as I would have liked. Yet that was just a first impression.
2. The next had Bono on electric guitar strumming with Lanois and Eno around him, and he giggled after he broke off and stopped playing, seeming uncertain of the lyrics, remarking "or something." I wasn't sure if it was just a cover, but The Edge (without guitar), standing, seemed amused. Couldn't tell much from this. I was more stunned that Bono was playing guitar, as the footage started on the player's feet and scanned upward.
3. The last one was a shot from overhead of Bono and (I think) The Edge and Lanois, but perhaps Brian Eno also, all singing into a microphone. When I spoke to Mr. Lanois in the question period, He referred to this as the choir piece, I think. It seemed the most interesting.
It's really hard to tell anything; I was just excited at seeing the footage, though it was not in the best quality picture.
Talking with Brian Eno
The nicest parts of the film for this non-Lanois music fan was seeing Brian Eno and Lanois talk about music and their history together. I wish there'd been more because Eno was very clear and methodical in how he expresses himself.
They first talked about making something out of crap. Eno was saying that people always think Beethoven had the music perfectly formed in his head and just put it down on paper, but music always comes from nothing. It's all about the process. The tiniest seed can become something great if given the right conditions, just as the seed with the greatest potential can become nothing special if given poor conditions. His message was that everything has potential, and Lanois remarked that his life reflected this as he (and maybe Eno; I'm not sure) came from humble beginnings.
Eno told Lanois that he enjoyed telling people his techniques for making music. He used the example of looping over certain sounds a number of times to create an effect. He said, in his defense, that "it doesn't mean I think I don't have any talent," (they both laughed) "but it tends to take away some of the mysticism surrounding music."
There was a nice moment when Eno was looking at a Middle Eastern rug and was awed at the colors and how they were arranged next to each other. He wasn't sure if he liked it, but was fascinated by it, remarking that each color was not solid but a mixture of other colors, and that the designer placed a complementary colored strip next to one strip and next to that 2nd strip was another complimentary color. He had never seen anything like it. It's too bad the footage was in black and white. Lanois remarked that he thought Eno was talking about music composition, but, in fact was talking about the rug.
They used this to launch into a short discussion about music composition, which was the other striking moment. If you look back at the press from "All That You Can't Leave Behind", you'll find quotations of Eno saying that there's a difference between music that's fun to make and which tends to be complex, and music that's fun to hear. In the lead-up to the 2000 album, he and Bono had discussed the timelessness of popular Beatles songs that were so simple, you could hear them from a window or in the next room. Thus, the mission statement for "All That You Can't Leave Behind" was to simplify melodies. This notion has always bothered me, especially in the last few years, given the results in U2's music which has appealed more to the mainstream but sacrificed creativity and uniqueness. Now, in Fez, Eno was telling Lanois that he likes complex things. He's bored by simplicity. If this is going to be the attitude as these two co-write with U2, I'm very excited. I hope they fight all the way for this vision of not surrendering to the mainstream, but just write great quality music.
The meat of the documentary
There were a ton of full-length (or close to it) Daniel Lanois songs used; some slight interviews with his drummer; some footage of a collaboration with Sinead O'Connor. I had tried to listen to Daniel Lanois album last year, but wasn't too interested. I was surprised at how subtle and beautiful his voice was. His guitar effects sounded more exciting that what I heard in the Fez footage. Some very jarring guitar sounds reminicent of The Fly, and lots of blusey guitar effects and the use of that metal sliding cylinder one sees in "The Unforgettable Fire" sessions. Much of Lanois' guitar effects sound like those on that 1984 U2 album, actually. Now, we know where U2 got it from.
My statements to Daniel Lanois.
On my way to the cinema, I wondered if Lanois would be there for a Q & A, but it was the second airing and I doubted it. Still, I had some ideas about what I wanted to say. Before the film aired, Lanois came in and the introduced himself and his two producers to the crowd. The woman conducting the proceedings said Mr. Lanois would answer questions after it was over. I kept thinking how I'd formulate my recommendations for the next U2 album. Would he get mad it wasn't a question about his work specifically or the documentary? Would he cut me off mid-statement, saying it wasn't the time and place? I needed to be clear but not take up too much time from other Lanois fans, so I kept thinking about what I had to say, and I was so damn nervous.
The lights came on after it was over and I hesitated, as I was too terrified to ask first. After the first person, I quickly raised my hand. "You, in the back. Blue shirt," Daniel Lanois yelled.
I knew there were a lot of people there who were fans of his, so I thought I'd ask him first if I could make some recommendations about the upcoming U2 album.
He said, "The new U2 album?" "Yes" (some people giggled) "Yeah," he replied calmly.
I couldn't believe it. It was happening. My mind was cluttered, as I stumblingly said something like:
"You're probably familiar with concerns that U2's most recent work has tended to be simpler, less subtle, and more obvious lyrically.... When I listen to a song like "Love and Peace or Else", I think that Bono has missed the point.
(Here's why I think that):
http://forum.atu2.com/forum.src?Action=Posts&Subject=12713&Topic=25&SubjStart=26
"Because you guys write political songs, and ...God I feel so nervous," I muttered. "I wanted to suggest Battlestar Galactica as a kind of muse because it's the most politically-insightful show in the history of American pop culture. It's all about the dehumanization and homogenization of the other -- whoever that may be -- and it's about war and terrorism.... and faith. There are no good guys and bad guys, and the conflict comes out of differing interests and perspectives. And I just wanted to suggest that to the band as a kind of muse..."
The whole time, he was a gentleman. Neither he nor his producers smirked or looked annoyed (from what I could see, way up)
He asked, "Well, what did you think about the choir piece?"
I nervously slightly lied and said, "It was pretty good," even though I barely had an opinion, which is not to say it isn't good, but it was hard to tell.
I emphasized, "I mean, I loved Achtung Baby!....But when I hear a song like 'Love and Peace or Else' saying both sides just have to lay down their arms...That's just not the problem." (If I were thinking clearly, I would have said, laying down arms helps the Israelis continue the occupation, but not the Palestinians who only began resisting violently after being ethnically cleansed from their homes and land, and occupied after 1948. I would have also said that "Bullet the Blue Sky" was great for bringing up American mistreatment of Nicaragua, as was "Mothers of the Disappeared" great for discussing the actions of US-supported Latin American dictators who killed leftist activists, and "Silver and Gold" for discussing South African apartheid. I would have also expressed thanks for "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and especially "Please" for illuminating the ego-centric mentality of many terrorists. Yet, I would have said that's only half the problem in this war on terror. State actions of oppression and war are equally morally ambiguous as terrorism.)
He then said something; I can't remember what because I was so nervous, but then said, "Well, I'll pass on the message to them."
"Thank you!" I said.
That made my freaking day! I still can't believe it! If U2 sees this show, they're smart enough to get all the nuances and brilliant realistic depiction of the dilemmas facing our world one can't find in mainstream media. I've fantasized about moments like this when I could raise awareness for this show that can change culture (in the West and East) for the better by bringing understanding.
I've also fantasized of meeting Bono on some Much Music show and questioning U2's creative reticence of late, and bringing up certain corporate decisions regarding their commercial releases, like not having lyrics for the deluxe version of "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" (so we'd have to buy the regular version of the album to get them in print) or only releasing their worst Vertigo tour performance and having almost nothing on the bonus disc, or doing a bad job with DVD releases by putting out the barest of extras.
I still can't believe this happened. I wanted to chicken out but I'm proud of myself for not doing so! I was able to get through to someone intimately associated with U2 to bring attention to the most important show in American history and to voice the dissatisfaction of many fans over U2's recent output.
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