Where are the guitar solos?

[Bonoa]

I'm surprised people even expect solos from Edge.

 

[Edge_Orchestra]

with or without you has a guitar solo?

There is no 'real' solo in WOWY. Well, not on the album at least.

There is a bit that Edge plays leading into the "Shine Like Stars" bit WHEN they play that bit.

 

[digitize]

no, the live versions they have been playing since 93 have ruined WOWY

Oh, I fully agree, but apparently Edge doesn't.

 

[Edge_Orchestra]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but is this the first time that Edge has ever been fully mobile on a tour (ie using a headset microphone so he can roam freely)? If so, could that be anything to do with making more mistakes - maybe being uncomfortable with wireless technology or something? I think we take Edge very much for granted as a studio perfectionist, but forget that he's human too. I have a JT bootleg from 1987 - Denver, I think - where he totally screws up the solo in Sunday Bloody Sunday. I'm sure there's plenty of others too.

Edge has used wireless units for guitars in the past. I don't think that is a huge issue in itself. He (and the others) are far more mobile on the stage than in the past.

 

[BEAL]

Only on a few songs, usually combined with the Les Paul.


I'm surprised people even expect solos from Edge.

Not so much, but one of the great things about U2 is/was their ability to take the studio tracks, and turn them into something else live. Songs like Please, LNOE, Bullet, Exit, LIB, etc..... have another dimension live.

Usually it was something like a solo from the Edge.

My complaint with some of the newer songs is that they're identical to the studio version. There used to be a slight mystery to how a song would turn out live, that doesn't really exist now.

I have hope with what they did with Kite on the last tour, probably my favorite live song from the tour.

 

[BSBONO]

Not so much, but one of the great things about U2 is/was their ability to take the studio tracks, and turn them into something else live. Songs like Please, LNOE, Bullet, Exit, LIB, etc..... have another dimension live.

Usually it was something like a solo from the Edge.

My complaint with some of the newer songs is that they're identical to the studio version. There used to be a slight mystery to how a song would turn out live, that doesn't really exist now.

I have hope with what they did with Kite on the last tour, probably my favorite live song from the tour.

Agree 100% and is kind of what I was alluding to when starting this. Too many of the songs played on this tour sound too close to studio version and in the past Edge would add some interesting extras including some solos.
Of course he is not known for being solo crazy but it does not mean he can't play some of the time where it really ehances the song experience. The WOWY and MW solos from the past is absolutely some of his best work and makes your spine tingle. Also, Bad has been longer on previous tours and part of what is missing is some interesting guitar parts that Edge used to play occasionally on this song. I will try and dig up a clip of what I am referring to.

And I agree of the entire band for whatever reason Edge does not seem to be at his best. It doesn't mean he sucks...of course he does not. But his creativity and fundamentals seem to be lacking so far on this tour.

 

[Salome]

It doesn't mean he sucks...of course he does not. But his creativity and fundamentals seem to be lacking so far on this tour.

does he look good then?

 

[mo786]

its not so much EXPECTING solos, its that the few short solos he can and has done can add so much to each song, that its odd that he doesnt do them

 

[BEAL]

Ultraviolet from this tour is a great example (though the Zootv versions were great even though the structure was the same...Bono made it a great live song though).

And yes, song does not have a solo, but has enough variation to it that it feels fresh. Crazy tonight would be a good example for the new songs.

I guess part of it could be the fact that U2 go out and promote these songs before the tour, so we've already heard Breathe, Mag, Crazy tonight multiple times that it's not fresh when they're played on tour.

Anyway, just would like to see a little more surprises I suppose.

 

[Scorpionac]

I haven't been following the tour very much, but MW should never be without a solo. It's the reason I like that song so much. Everything else in it is just icing.

 

[bigjohn2441]

they've got a 150 ft claw! they dont need no damn guitar solos!

 

[Salome]

most of their tours really only have 1 or 2 big solos in them
this time it's quite obviously Unknown Caller taking up that spot

 

[runbyu1]

most of their tours really only have 1 or 2 big solos in them
this time it's quite obviously Unknown Caller taking up that spot

I don't know, look at Popmart, there's decent solos in:

Mofo
Last Night on Earth
Until the End of the World
All I Want is You
Gone
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet
Please
Mysterious Ways
One

As far as Big: Last Night On Earth, AIWIY, Bullet, Please & Mysterious Ways all had BIG solos. Pretty awesome.

 

[hasin73]

If

1. MOS had a solo at the outro
2. Magnificent had a solo at the outro
3. WOWY had the solo of ZOO TV era &
4. MW had the solo at the outro

.... then this 1st leg would be the best 1st leg of all the tours.

 

[smitefull1]

all of these are reasons i cant get my friends to like u2

 

[digitize]

I don't know, look at Popmart, there's decent solos in:

Mofo
Last Night on Earth
Until the End of the World
All I Want is You
Gone
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet
Please
Mysterious Ways
One

As far as Big: Last Night On Earth, AIWIY, Bullet, Please & Mysterious Ways all had BIG solos. Pretty awesome.

Saying that Mofo, AIWIY, Gone, nearly-acoustic SBS, and One have true "solos" is quite a stretch. I'm not sure I like calling the tribal-chanting section of Please a solo, either.

 

[yenlard]

we need the fly solo from the elevation tour or some electric co shredding. god that song was sick on the last tour. but like others have said, the edge is not about the solo. although i wish he weren't so modest sometimes.

 

[Moser]

we need the fly solo from the elevation tour or some electric co shredding. god that song was sick on the last tour. but like others have said, the edge is not about the solo. although i wish he weren't so modest sometimes.

Electric co's solo doesn't have any guitar shredding...even though I love playing the solo on my Strat.

Electric co. is really a fantastic live song.

 

[smitefull1]

see the wyclef WOWY video

"i don't know what i'm doing up there"
-edge

maybe the most honest line ever spoken by a u2 member

 

[bigjohn2441]

^ goes to show you Edge cant improvise that well, even though that solo was ok.

"we came from punk rock. we were trying to get rid of the assholes with 40 mintue solos!" - yet one of their 1st songs, street mission, is pretty much 1 big guitar solo.