Originally Posted by rivergoat
No one has yet mentioned Larry's drumming on Please, either version, which is probably my favorite U2 song for drums. Yeah, it's a marching band beat (both times) but it sounds fantastic and matches the song well. Alot of drumming is just timekeeping, but being able to have your own voice in the music while doing it is Larry's forte.
I think the one who is getting underrated here is Adam. Trust me, crappy bass can ruin a good song. And yeah, he didn't take lessons until Pop, but does that mean anything he did earlier wasn't good? He gave NYD and 2H their style, Exit its mystery - and alot of the B-sides from the 1980's feature great bass lines (Deep In the Heart and Race Against Time come to mind).
I like alot of heavy metal, so I've heard some rippin' bass lines, but being able to play hard and fast does not a good bass player make. It's the ability to warmly fill in the gaps, create the cushion against which the other instruments and vocals rest, and set the underlying tone for the whole song. Adam does this effortlessly.
Other than in a few very early songs, which, to be honest, his bass playing err... sucks, he is the glue which holds everyone else together. And in songs like Lemon, IYWTVD, Vertigo, and GOYB, he makes the song happen. To say that "...just not very far you can go with a Bass guitar and creativity" is plain wrong.
Speaking of creativity, Edge's real skill is taking effects and blending them into "WOW!" moments. He's more of a technician than a guitar player, but just listen to his early work and demos and you can tell he really loves to just play. He can rock with the best of them - super-fast finger work is just not his style. Strictly talking about his guitar work, though, I wouldn't say he's the best in the band - they all run about even in my book. But when you add in his vocals and piano skills, he is certainly the best all-around musician.
Just my two-cents.
goat