New Bono Slagging - any Hot Press members ?

[blueeyedgirl]

"whatever shit Bono was doing" is a pretty mild slag.

Yeah, Mac is getting tame in his old age. He was worse than that in the 80s!

 

[Zoots]

i think the boy is drunk, guys.

Actually no. If I was drunk I'd be celebrating those 2 albums!

In other news, I could do with a couple of beers right about now.

 

[U2Man]

In other news, I could do with a couple of beers right about now.

 

[MrBrau1]

Haven't you read the early interviews? Warners America put more capital into trying to break the Bunnymen in the US than they did U2. They were expected to be bigger.

The only difference is U2 wanted to be big in the US, which I don't think the Bunnymen necessarily cared about at the time.

But U2 have always been megalomaniac in that way.

I don't think so. U2 embraced American audiences . Mac pretty much states he was a wanker on purpose. U2 were charming media darlings and Mac simply came across as a twat. Bitching and whining about his peers, sneering at the audience.

Sure Mac, you could have broken America. If you were a completly different person.

 

[blueeyedgirl]

I don't think so. U2 embraced American audiences . Mac pretty much states he was a wanker on purpose. U2 were charming media darlings and Mac simply came across as a twat. Bitching and whining about his peers, sneering at the audience.

Sure Mac, you could have broken America. If you were a completly different person.

Well, you've just repeated what I've said. and the Warners push isn't an opinion, that was stated in a few interviews at the time. (It's in the Hot Press U2 File, interview from about 1981 with Bill Graham from memory).

 

[MrBrau1]

Well, you've just repeated what I've said.

I really did.

 

[blueeyedgirl]

Good!

 

[GibsonGirl]

I don't think so. U2 embraced American audiences . Mac pretty much states he was a wanker on purpose. U2 were charming media darlings and Mac simply came across as a twat. Bitching and whining about his peers, sneering at the audience.

Sure Mac, you could have broken America. If you were a completly different person.

I don't think his attitude was the major reason why they didn't do so well in the US as U2 did in the 80s. Most people don't give a stuff about what goes on behind the music. U2's singles and albums, while being somewhat similar in style to Echo And The Bunnymen's, were more accessible and radio-friendly. I think if Echo And The Bunnymen had have stayed together and released something of the same quality as The Joshua Tree (not that Ocean Rain doesn't come close) they could have been as big as U2 are today.

 

[J_NP]

not the last two albums. their entire career.

Indeed they were always a bloody overrated joke

 

[U2Man]

Indeed they were always a blood overrated joke

u2?

 

[biff]

"whatever shit Bono was doing" is a pretty mild slag.

It's the first part of the quote that's the slag: comparing U2's music to a cover of Barry Manilow's "Mandy". That's actually pretty insulting. Old Mac hasn't quite lost it yet.

And I do think one of the reasons The Bunnymen didn't make it is their name. It's really, really dumb. A lot of people just could not take them seriously with a name like that.

 

[indra]

It's the first part of the quote that's the slag: comparing U2's music to a cover of Barry Manilow's "Mandy". That's actually pretty insulting. Old Mac hasn't quite lost it yet.

The quote:

"I would do ‘September Song’ differently now if I could, but it was a good attempt in 1985, instead of covering ‘Mandy’ by Barry Manilow, or whatever shit Bono was doing.”

As it's written, he doesn't compare U2's music directly to "Mandy." Clearly he doesn't care for either Manilow or U2, but he's just pointing out two styles he doesn't like and was glad he didn't do. He's not saying they are the same thing (other than being in his opinion, inferior to his work).

All in all a very slight slag. He can do better.

 

[U2girl]

What are you trying to insinuate?

See MrBrau's and U2Man's posts.

If a band talks crap about a contemporary of theirs that made it big...it's pretty obvious what the issue is.

 

[GibsonGirl]

Hilarious. Whenever a musician slags off U2, he's 'jealous.' People here always say the same thing about Oasis, Radiohead, etc. Is it not possible that perhaps these bands/individuals happen to just NOT LIKE Bono and U2?

 

[U2Man]

Hilarious. Whenever a musician slags off U2, he's 'jealous.' People here always say the same thing about Oasis, Radiohead, etc. Is it not possible that perhaps these bands/individuals happen to just NOT LIKE Bono and U2?

it is. but there must be plenty of people that mac just 'don't like'. when it turns into an obsession (like it obviously has in his case)there is probably a bit more to it.

 

[blm]

Doesn't Ocean Rain sound A LOT like U2 in voice and music-could almost mistake it for them, no????

 

[cstar]

It's the first part of the quote that's the slag: comparing U2's music to a cover of Barry Manilow's "Mandy". That's actually pretty insulting. Old Mac hasn't quite lost it yet.

And Bono & U2 have always had such nice things to say about Echo....

 

[GibsonGirl]

Doesn't Ocean Rain sound A LOT like U2 in voice and music-could almost mistake it for them, no????

I've always thought so. Or the more accurate way of putting it is "don't some U2 songs sound A LOT like Ocean Rain?" because the Bunnymen toyed with that style before U2 did.

 

[LMP]

Hilarious. Whenever a musician slags off U2, he's 'jealous.' People here always say the same thing about Oasis, Radiohead, etc. Is it not possible that perhaps these bands/individuals happen to just NOT LIKE Bono and U2?

That's because Oasis and Radiohead aren't as amazing as U2.

It's pure and simple, U2 is the greatest band ever to walk the earth, and if anyone thinks otherwise, they're communists.

 

[U2girl]

Oasis would mouth off at anyone. It is the way of marketing for most of the UK bands - when you got a new release out, pick a target, and fire away! The question is who haven't the Gallagher bros targeted yet?

U2 get so much flak because they're a big band/Bono exposure in the media so they're an easy target. You really don't seriously believe that doesn't affect the amount of the critisism do you?

From what I read, Radiohead and U2 mutually like and respect each other. REM fits in there too.

Echo and the bunnymen - two bands came up with similar sounds at the same time. That probably happens all the time with contemporaries in music.