U2 and complex songs?

[BANZAI]

U2 haven't got a lot of songs with a complex song structure. What do you think are the most complex songs? The only song I can name is Zooropa...and even that one isn't very complex: just three different parts combined in one.

Maybe the Fez-sessions will bring us some more complex songs?

 

[BVS]

Let's define "complex" first, shall we?

 

[Varitek]

here we go again......

 

[gman]

As a musician, I would have to say all u2 songs are fairly straight forward.......for me, i would have to say that probably their earlier stuff is more technically challengin than anything from JT onwards

 

[Peterrrrr]

U2 haven't got a lot of songs with a complex song structure. What do you think are the most complex songs? The only song I can name is Zooropa...and even that one isn't very complex: just three different parts combined in one.

Maybe the Fez-sessions will bring us some more complex songs?

Bad

 

[Hornbag]

Bad isn't complex structure-wise, for the vast majority of the song is simply two Chords, D and A. What makes the song so musically brilliant is how the band elaborates on nothing but these two chords and turns it into a master work

 

[phillyfan26]

Edge is complex. The rest of the band is not.

 

[Dorian Gray]

Please isn't so straightforward.. it's of their more complex songs.

 

[theoriginal]

I think complex would be a song that has more than a basic pattern ala verse verse chorus verse chorus bridge etc...

Personally I think The Unforgettable Fire is one of their most complex songs. While there are verses and a sort of chorus, very little repeats in the song, and the feel of the song changes throughout.

I think it's apparent that on HTDAAB they were trying to be more complex in their writing. Specifically, I'm thinking about the songs that mix things up at the end; the "bridge" or whatever the explosive part of Sometimes would be called, the "feel your love teaching me how" part of Vertigo, the Edge vocal of Miracle, and the final chords of Original, which is a completely new progression to the song. I remember Bono somewhere talking about how Original was them trying a more complex song structure.

 

[europop2005]

when you come up with such genius moments as "a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle" yeah thats getting deep

 

[BVS]

when you come up with such genius moments as "a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle" yeah thats getting deep

Not sure what this has to do with "complex".

That's a borrowed line, Bono didn't write it. It's an "old" saying...

 

[ultraviolet92]

i reckon shadow and tall trees, into the heart, october, exit, miami, gloria but i cant think of any others at the moment

but quite a few songs are very complex

 

[BVS]

i reckon shadow and tall trees, into the heart, october, exit, miami, gloria but i cant think of any others at the moment

but quite a few songs are very complex

Ok, now we really need to define "complex" because some of those are some of the simplest U2 songs in the catalogue. Miami is just one simple loop. October could be played by any beginner piano student. So how are we defining "complex"?

 

[EdgeIsTooSexy]

complexity doesnt make a song.

 

[ahittle]

Edge tends to disguise the fact that many U2 songs are pretty simple if you strip them down. Some of their biggest songs are 3,4,5 chords and that's it. Not that more chords makes a song better!

OOTS is indeed pretty complex. More parts there than your typical rock song. And a few novel changes, too, as that one chord goes from major to minor before the chorus ("except the thing that you want"). It's not a favorite of mine - I always thought it felt like a bunch of parts stitched together.

Coming off of JT and R&H, AB always impressed me as a leap into more complex writing. More bridges.

Actually Boy has some pretty complex pieces for such young guys.

 

[LMP]

Let's define "complex" first, shall we?

Complex as in song structure?

Zooropa is also one of the only ones that comes to mind here, maybe Running to Stand Still / Heroin Part 2.

 

[BVS]

Complex as in song structure?

Zooropa is also one of the only ones that comes to mind here, maybe Running to Stand Still / Heroin Part 2.

Zooropa excluding the intro isn't that complex and RTSS is extremely simple, just 4 chords and the truth...

 

[phillyfan26]

The only complexity in U2 songs really is The Edge's effects and occasionally (Bullet ZooTV solo, 11:00 Tick Tock) his playing. Larry had the drum part in ITABTAW and Bono hits some high notes sometimes. Past Edge, there's really nothing.

 

[LMP]

Zooropa excluding the intro isn't that complex and RTSS is extremely simple, just 4 chords and the truth...

The structure is still different from the rest of their work though, it probably doesn't qualify as complex.

More often than not, U2 songs are more complex lyrically than musically, at least for me.

 

[last unicorn]

Personally I must say that I find songs with a "simpler" structure more moving than "complex" ones.

 

[socceroo]

Gloria is fairly complex with it's strange riff, harmonics & slide guitar and so on.

 

[shaun vox]

LEMON anyone?? hello.

 

[IrishDawg]

I dunno if you guys play guitar, but Where the Streets Have no Name is a pain in the ass to play. I consider it complex in that aspect. You have to make your right hand wrist move about 100 miles an hour at a constant speed or it sounds like crap.

 

[rihannsu]

I dunno if you guys play guitar, but Where the Streets Have no Name is a pain in the ass to play. I consider it complex in that aspect. You have to make your right hand wrist move about 100 miles an hour at a constant speed or it sounds like crap.

Which makes Edge the potential wanking champion of the world does it not?

 

[Zoots]

If you're talking about Dream Theater style theatrical complexity and crazy time signatures, U2 does not do that stuff. Sure, Miami has an offbeat drum/bass and Mofo has got some wacky shit going on but overall U2 is not musically complex.

 

[Vincent Vega]

Which makes Edge the potential wanking champion of the world does it not?

Since he's using some technical help he would be disqualified due to "e-doping".

 

[ahittle]

Personally I must say that I find songs with a "simpler" structure more moving than "complex" ones.

Yeah - and their most long-lasting songs - and biggest hits - have been gloriously simple. It takes guts not to load on the parts and changes.

 

[Zoots]

It takes guts not to load on the parts and changes.

how so?

 

[BVS]

how so?

Because avoiding masterbation is always a gutsy thing to do...




No, in all honesty, I could care less about structure or what not...

If the song connects it connects, THAT IS ALL I'M LOOKING FOR.

 

[Infinity]

The beauty of U2 music is that less is more and also the whole is MUCH bigger and better than the sum of its parts.