The formula to a U2 song,,,

[DPrinceNY]

well not really, just a thought lol. Many U2 songs (alot of the better ones) have the same chorus + chorus + bono yelling + chorus formula.

Some U2 songs that include Bono's yell or moan or whatever u call it towards the end of the song include: Electrical Storm, With or Without You, Sometimes you can't make it on your own, The Hands that build America, Kite and I'm sure others that I cant think of right now...

All have similar endings and has become a formula used by U2 to create a good amount of their songs. Ha I’m of course over exaggerating as I don’t want to upset anybody. obviously U2 has tons of other great songs.

If you start counting U2 Live recordings, the famous “Bono yell/moan/ cry is used in Discothèque, Mysterious Ways, Elevation, Please, EVBTRT…etc. Perhaps its all a coincidence

 

[JMScoopy]

 

[MrBrau1]

That's our U2.

God bless'em for it.

I love that sound.

 

[Zoots]

yeah its all formulaic pop/rock. sucks.

 

[AtomicBono]

KNEEL
FEEL
KNEES
SNEEZE
FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEL
GOAL
SOAL
OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH

 

[Achtung_Bebe]

I wouldn't call it the "formula" to a U2 song so much as the stamp to a U2 song.

gotta love the noises

 

[Axver]

KNEEL
FEEL
KNEES
SNEEZE
FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEL
GOAL
SOAL
OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH

You forgot 'sky'.

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

Bono yelling.

 

[MrBrau1]

Bono yelling.

Edge playing guitar like Edge

 

[AtomicBono]

no one cares about adam and larry

I shall rename them thing 1 and thing 2

 

[namkcuR]

Edge playing the guitar like he did in Mofo

 

[doctorwho]

You forgot 'sky'.

He also forgot "kiss", "fire" and "desire".

no one cares about adam and larry

I shall rename them thing 1 and thing 2

I'm sure the gals in PLEBA would love to talk about Adam and Larry's "things".

 

[catlhere]

My thoughts on a typical U2 song

off the next album "Something In Time You Can't Forget"
:chik-chika-chik guitar noise:
rums and bass start:
:ringing guitar kicks in:

desert, kneeling on the desert
your love makes me crawl
your kiss like fire and rain
youre a sugar child
honey baby my desire
yeah, yeah you make me feel
see the sky, in my blue eyes

:bono falsetto:
oooooo-wooohooooooo
im home again

:ending guitar noise:

Bono performs the whole thing while holding a random girl in the audience

 

[BVS]

Music is formula


shit thread...

 

[impy13]

Many U2 songs (alot of the better ones) have the same chorus + chorus + bono yelling + chorus formula.

Kite

Who's to say where the wind will take you
Who's to say what it is will break you
I don't know, which way the wind will blow
Who's to know when the time has come around
Don't want to see you cry
I know that this is not goodbye

Who's to say where the wind will take you
Who's to say what it is will break you
I don't know, which way the wind will blow
Who's to know when the time has come around
Don't want to see you cry
I know that this is not goodbye

yeahhheaehahararharhahraha

Who's to say where the wind will take you
Who's to say what it is will break you
I don't know, which way the wind will blow
Who's to know when the time has come around
Don't want to see you cry
I know that this is not goodbye





Wow. That really IS the formula.

 

[MrBrau1]

Music is formula


shit thread...

You just blew many a mind.

 

[Popmartijn]

Someone on this board had a signature a while ago (and I'm talking about a couple of years ago here ) that described the typical U2 song. I forgot the exact formula sadly, but it was funny (including a mention of Bono incorporating a Lou Reed song).

 

[DPrinceNY]

no one cares about adam and larry

I shall rename them thing 1 and thing 2

listen to WOWY, the rattle and hum version, then tell me no one cares about Larry's drums and Adam's bass.

 

[DPrinceNY]

Music is formula


shit thread...

music is formula? how narrow minded are you. If you want formula music listen to pop or a child’s lullaby. Essential and worthwhile music has always been beyond a particular formula. Listen to the "best ranked” classic rock songs, they all sound unique from one another. They weren’t all created using some A+B=C gimmick.

What this thread is merely stating is that there seems to be a formula to a typical "U2" song. This doesn’t concede with a formula for writing any type of music; that would just be absurd. It is somewhat expected for a band to sooner or later, in U2’s case later, start repeating themselves. Actually repeating might not be the right word as U2’s songs do sound different from one another and are not mere duplicates. I’d say U2 has realized what works and what doesn’t and writes future material for future albums with that in mind.

 

[maycocksean]

I've noticed all artists tend to "repeat themselves>" If you read a bunch of books by the same author, you'll begin to notice a sort of echo, a stylistic formula that always pops up. I've even seen it in my own writing.

I think good artists try to break out of that as much as they can but I don't think anyone can ever totally succeed at it. Every piece of art an artist creates has his/her unique stamp on it.

U2 is no exception. I'll hear something familiar in Mofo and Zoo Station and Pride (In the Name of Love) and Zooropa. When I finally listened to October after years of putting it off (since it's widely considered to be their worst album) I was pleasantly surprised to hear hints of everything U2 would become in snatches here and there.

 

[DPrinceNY]

I've noticed all artists tend to "repeat themselves>" If you read a bunch of books by the same author, you'll begin to notice a sort of echo, a stylistic formula that always pops up. I've even seen it in my own writing.

I think good artists try to break out of that as much as they can but I don't think anyone can ever totally succeed at it. Every piece of art an artist creates has his/her unique stamp on it.

U2 is no exception. I'll hear something familiar in Mofo and Zoo Station and Pride (In the Name of Love) and Zooropa. When I finally listened to October after years of putting it off (since it's widely considered to be their worst album) I was pleasantly surprised to hear hints of everything U2 would become in snatches here and there.

exactly

 

[JCOSTER]

Bono yelling.

 

[Canadiens1131]

• Take a guitar riff with delay set to the 16th note.
• Add in some lyrics written in the first person.
• Sprinkle 'soul' and 'kneel' liberally.
• Add one shit couplet to throw off the fans.
• Pour in the bassline in 8th notes played in the wrong key
• Add in a pedestrian backbeat.
• Have a random shout or scream of a phrase that really isn't understandable
• Overdub everything above x10

 

[BVS]

music is formula? how narrow minded are you. If you want formula music listen to pop or a child’s lullaby. Essential and worthwhile music has always been beyond a particular formula. Listen to the "best ranked” classic rock songs, they all sound unique from one another. They weren’t all created using some A+B=C gimmick.

Music is formula. You have verses, chorus, bridges. You have certain time signatures, certain chord progressions, keys you have to stay in, etc...

If it wasn't formula it would just sound like kids beating on pots.


Name me one band worth it's salt that doesn't stick to some "formula"

 

[Canadiens1131]

Music is formula. You have verses, chorus, bridges. You have certain time signatures, certain chord progressions, keys you have to stay in, etc...

If it wasn't formula it would just sound like kids beating on pots.


Name me one band worth it's salt that doesn't stick to some "formula"

[giant margin blowing image removed.]



PWNED

 

[WalkOn21]

PWNED

I thought I would never see that expression on Interference.

 

[BVS]

Yes ambient music in general can approach music with a little less formula.

But even Brian Eno has his signature formulas. You can't deny that.

 

[Canadiens1131]

But even Brian Eno has his signature formulas. You can't deny that.

Like the lack of Brian Ferry?

 

[DPrinceNY]

Music is formula. You have verses, chorus, bridges. You have certain time signatures, certain chord progressions, keys you have to stay in, etc...

If it wasn't formula it would just sound like kids beating on pots.


Name me one band worth it's salt that doesn't stick to some "formula"

What you have mentioned are characteristics of music, it is simply the notation of music and nothing more. You can still make exceptional music without having verses, chorus or bridges. When I refer to formula I mean similarities that a song has with another song, mostly in structure. You're saying that all music is formula (ie. it has chorus etc.) while my definition of formula is more specific, (ie. an exact number of choruses etc.)

btw for those who dont know what PWNED is according to urban dictionary...


A corruption of the word "Owned." This originated in an online game called Warcraft, where a map designer misspelled "owned." When the computer beat a player, it was supposed to say, so-and-so "has been owned."

Instead, it said, so-and-so "has been pwned."

It basically means "to own" or to be dominated by an oppo

 

[BVS]

What you have mentioned are characteristics of music, it is simply the notation of music and nothing more. You can still make exceptional music without having verses, chorus or bridges.

Characteristics? No they are defining pieces of structure in vocal songs. Yes there are some great songs without true choruses or bridges, but you can't make music without all of them.

When I refer to formula I mean similarities that a song has with another song, mostly in structure. You're saying that all music is formula (ie. it has chorus etc.) while my definition of formula is more specific, (ie. an exact number of choruses etc.)

I understand, but like I said, every artist does this.