Edge's Vertigo guitar playing is Overrated...

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Meh, so some people don't like the single for reasons of personal taste. I believe the discography of u2 is expansive enough to provide plenty of alternatives for people to have a song they really appreciate.

Personally, the hook reminds me of Pete Townsend (The Who) as interpreted by David Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana) which is then combined with the signature sounds of U2 we've all come to love. I understand many people will disagree, and I'm willing to accept that.

To me, Vertigo is a big, juicy, hard rocking pop tune with many of the trappings of the Grunge sound, minus all of the downer lyrics. To paraphrase another great rock band: I know it's only rock and roll, but I like it. Yes I do!
 
while i agree that Jick's posts usually tend to have a negative tone to them, rarely, if ever, have i seen him get out of line as far as violating the rules here.

personally, i don't mind it that he presents the "glass half empty". there's always two sides to everything. i do agree though that it would be refreshing to see a positive thread.

in other words, this post has absolutely no point. lol.
 
radioskugga said:


I still don't know what a power chord is... could anyone enlighten me please?
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A power chord is technically not a chord, but an interval. You can think of it as a chord without thirds. As such, it is neither major nor minor.

Power chords are used a lot with heavy distortion effects because they won't sound dissonent when they are applied. Thus they are used in rock, blues, metal, punk, and pop a lot.

They are also suited to this certain style of music because they are simple chords, containing only two notes- the root and its fifth - no third which would make it a major or a minor.

Because of their musical makeup, power chords tend to lack a certain depth to them, which is why most songs that are made up entirely of power chords have a kind of empty or hollow feel to them.

And I tend to shy away from excessive power chord usage, but I must admit that for me personally, Vertigo is one of the best examples of power chord usage in any song out there. It really is a testament to Edge's skill that he could pull it off so well.

Me, personally- I don't think Edge's playing in Vertigo is overrated at all.
 
i just reckon that through vertigo u2 can write songs that none of us are capable of......if u don't like the song...listen to something else....not too difficult

i know i cant write songs as good as this...i'm just going to enjoy...nobody comes close to vertigo at the moment....it'll go down as a classic....let's talk in 20 years....
 
The edge is a guitar master. If god could play the guitar he would play like the Edge. I dont care if he plays power chords or plain chords or whatever. I am not a musician. All I know is that listening to Edge playing the guitar just makes me feel great. The man got soul.
 
the ironic thing is that jick will probably get better seats for the concert than me.
 
I haven't read every post on this site in the past few days because there's so friggin' many of them, but I don't seem to remember very many people calling Edge's guitar work on Vertigo "innovative." I think people are just happy with the mood and energy of the song. We all very well may be overrating the song, but keep in mind, it's the first single in two years and the first single from a studio album in four years. It's natural for everyone to be a little over-excited. Maybe Vertigo will end up being a classic, maybe it won't. Only time will tell. Besides, everyone's idea of a "classic" is different.
 
Personally I think Jick just does it for the attention, to get other U2 fans upset in other words.

Either that or he is an incredibly negative person. Personally, I generally ignore his threads, I recommend most of you do the same or, at the very least, don't give him the satisfaction of getting upset about what he says.
 
My only question is....

WHY Does it NEED to be "innovative and groundbreaking"?

It's an awesome song, with a very catchy melody, and great guitar, even if it isn't "groundbreaking." the song rocks, plain and simple. I dont see why people say u2 need to take risks, they need to do something no ones ever done before, etc... boggling.
 
HelloAngel said:
I love Edge's dirty guitar on this song - it's a type of playing that I'd love to see more of - dirty riffing. :up:
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HELL

FUCKING

YEAH!


POWER CHORDS RULE!!!! :up:

You can make a lot with power chords and "simple" guitar playing. As long as it sounds good that's all that matters!
 
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There's a big difference between art and skill. Eddie Van Halen is a skillful guitar player. What he does with his guitar is more a product of athleticism than artistry. Edge is an artist. Listen to his guitar as if you are touching the brush strokes on an oil painting. There's energy, color, light, darkness, mood, etc. Edge would be the first one to tell you that he's no guitar virtuoso. Personally, I have very little interest in them anyway. Holding Edge up to some ridiculous technical standard is like telling an impressionist painter to sharpen up the edges a bit.
 
bass

I gotta say...I kind of agree with jick on this one too...I'm not a musician, and I don't even necessarily understand what a chord is...but what I think makes the song catchy/rocking is its fast beat and bono's lyrics...Adam's bass line is fantastic. Edge does have his little moments in the song, but he's not what makes the song great.

btw, I can't believe how you guys are attacking this guy...I've always told my friends that U2 fans are the nicest, most intelligent, and most polite fans of any rock bands...no pushing at concerts, no fighting, etc.... why bring that here now?
 
jick said:


With Or Without You is a solid example of Edge's distinctive guitar playing that makes him the genius. If you take Vertigo in isolation without even knowing it was U2 ...just the song itself, you would never call the guitars genius. But if you take WOWY in isolation, and see the Edge play the guitar that way and pull it off instead of going to a Slash-like solo -- you are gonna say "wow! this is pure genius!"

Cheers,

J
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But the very things you bring up can also be viewed as a "weakness" in "With or Without You". For example, Edge's playing in WoWY is classic Edge - heavy echo effect with a very minimalist approach. One could tell this is U2 (or the Edge) from the first few notes. In contrast, with "Vertigo", it's difficult to tell that the song is by U2 until Bono's distinctive vocals kick in. Furthermore, one might argue that WoWY overuses the echo effect; whereas, this is not true for "Vertigo" which has a beautiful mix of guitar effects and styles.

Edge has a chance to rip into a wild solo in "Vertigo" but restrains himself thus adding so much more to the song. Again, it's this elegant simplicity - the same Edge applied to WoWY that makes "Vertigo" more powerful. Any artist will tell you that there's a time to actually *subtract* or resist adding to a piece as it can hurt more than help. Edge is brilliant at this, which is why he is one of the world's best guitarists.
 
LPU2 said:
There's a big difference between art and skill. Eddie Van Halen is a skillful guitar player. What he does with his guitar is more a product of athleticism than artistry. Edge is an artist.
Click to expand...

That is complete BULL POOP. Eddie Van Halen, Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson type of players (i.e. virtuosos)... are all skillful players AND ARTISTS. Hell, I may not be a fan of Van Halen but what he does with the guitar is just as artistic as the Edge. Eruption is a amazing piece and the riffs he makes outside of the tapping are just as great as the Edge's riffs. Different philosophies and styles.... speed is a tool... just as sustaining a note for like 5-6 seconds...
 
I am sure real musicians and guitar players in this forum will agree.
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:madspit:

Uh, I don't agree, and I've been playing the guitar for five years. Yes, The Edge is playing power chords for the most part - but the fact is, it still sounds like Edge! Very few "garage bands" could come up with something like "Vertigo". The bands you mention typically have four chords in the verses with a bit of palm muting thrown in here and there, plus a four chord chorus. "Vertigo" is intricate in sections. Particularly the last chorus - I still haven't quite managed to figure out what it is he's playing there, but I can assure you, it is NOT power chords.

And why are power chords so bad? I don't understand everyone's aversion to the damn things. I also don't see where you got the idea that people were saying "Vertigo" was "innovative" in terms of the guitar. I've seen plenty of people saying it sounds cool - which it does - but I can't recall seeing anyone mentioning that it was "groundbreaking". And as someone else said here, why does it even need to be groundbreaking? It fits the song perfectly, in my opinion.

Oh, and to all of you saying Edge has never "sunk to the level power chords", he has, though I wouldn't put it in a negative light. "Elevation" is filled with more power chords than "Vertigo." "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" is also power chords for the most part. That spacey sound you hear in the verses is a power chord played through a whammy pedal. And, of course, there are more of them in the chorus.

So please, don't get your knickers in a knot over something as trivial as power chords. Just because Edge is playing them doesn't mean he's overrated in ANY way or form.
 
I've been playing guitar for a few years and what Edge is doing is not overated. Its a cool riff and its the direction U2 wanted to go with the song. I think its amazing that a guitarist as skilled as Edge (dude has skillz) could take a step back and play a simple riff like Vertigo. Thats the cool thing about the song. Its a simple garage punk riff that U2 did. AND IT ROCKS!!! I"m sure Edge will have some great moments on the album.
 
Friend Jick,

I have been watching this conversation. You are seeking attention via the lit dynamite stick. I see it well. Terrorists use the same tactics to try to create chaos and mayhem. These fine people engage in peaceful and light hearted conversation. You make some show their teeth.
You can dislike U2's new single or say my playing is rubbish, do you think I really give a fig? I know what work went into the LP and Vertigo in particular. Layers of sounds, three hundred takes, If I borrow any "licks" they would be from the Clash or, at best the Ramones. U2 sprang from punk rock. We are still punk rock. We can play anything we want to play or..not play at all if we dont want to. My problem is this: Dont light the fuse of a bomb and then hand that bomb to my good friends and then walk off...stay around and see the results. Better yet...dont light that fuse, put the bomb in your pocket and walk off. I want you to be happy. If you cant, dont spread that disease called "hate" We've far too much that in this world today!
 
what up u-2 fans, u-2 is the best ever , and i mean ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
The Edge said:
Friend Jick,

I have been watching this conversation. You are seeking attention via the lit dynamite stick. I see it well. Terrorists use the same tactics to try to create chaos and mayhem. These fine people engage in peaceful and light hearted conversation. You make some show their teeth.
You can dislike U2's new single or say my playing is rubbish, do you think I really give a fig? I know what work went into the LP and Vertigo in particular. Layers of sounds, three hundred takes, If I borrow any "licks" they would be from the Clash or, at best the Ramones. U2 sprang from punk rock. We are still punk rock. We can play anything we want to play or..not play at all if we dont want to. My problem is this: Dont light the fuse of a bomb and then hand that bomb to my good friends and then walk off...stay around and see the results. Better yet...dont light that fuse, put the bomb in your pocket and walk off. I want you to be happy. If you cant, dont spread that disease called "hate" We've far too much that in this world today!
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:bow: :applaud:
 
jick said:
But after a few listens, you realize that Edge is just playing regular "power" guitar chords with a riff any high school garage band could come up with. Nothing innovative or ground-breaking about his guitar playing.
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Well what do you want him to do?!?! Play the guitar with his ears? Like Bono said, the guitar playing DOES rock. Do you know how many crappy new bands try to play similar chords and sound AWFUL?

Bono said the guitar playing ROCKS. He didn't say that The Edge is a musical wizard who can magically make sounds from his guitar for you to love! But it does rock, and that is what U2 has been all about. From Boy, to Zooropa, to HTDAAB.

Sheesh, I hope this thread gets deleted.
 
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