Steve Lillywhite on Jay Mohr Podcast

[brooklynmike]

Found myself having anxiety issues during that interview lol because Lillywhite kept starting stories about a song or whatever and they would go on about something else instead. I'm like fucking tell us the story ya knobs!!!

Yeah, Mohr has a habit of doing that. It's frustrating because he's had some good guests.

 

[Rachel D.]

So far he has said:

Bono's really written some great lyrics on the new album.
They go into when Bono has something to say he really finds a great way to say it but when Bono doesnt, well... he just kind of goofs off. Steve then says that people generally dont take well to U2 goofing off. So atleast U2 is aware of it. Is serious U2 back?

So was he saying that Bono is *not* goofing off on the new album, or did he not specify?

 

[*I*]

So was he saying that Bono is *not* goofing off on the new album, or did he not specify?

I got the impression from his comments that theres been a conscious effort to not goof off this time around. Though I could be putting words into Steve's mouth...

 

[popacrobat]

no, that's about the only interpretation to take of it.

premises:

-The public doesn't take well to Bono goofing off.
-Bono's lyrical work is strong on this album.

there's only one logical conclusion to draw.

 

[FlyontheHorizon]

This is making me optimistic. The lyrics better be good!

 

[Rachel D.]

I got the impression from his comments that theres been a conscious effort to not goof off this time around. Though I could be putting words into Steve's mouth...

no, that's about the only interpretation to take of it.

premises:

-The public doesn't take well to Bono goofing off.
-Bono's lyrical work is strong on this album.

there's only one logical conclusion to draw.

Sounds good to me!

 

[brooklynmike]

no, that's about the only interpretation to take of it.

premises:

-The public doesn't take well to Bono goofing off.
-Bono's lyrical work is strong on this album.

there's only one logical conclusion to draw.

 

[An Cat Gav]

Maxwell's Silver Hammer is track number 3, so it is fairly near the beginning and he's right that it's incredible that any album can be ranked in the top 10 of all time(its my fave Beatles album) with a song that bad (and Octopus's Garden) on it. that's some recovery

His podcasts are definitely worth a listen but he was better when he was on Kevin Smith's Smodcast network.

 

[An Cat Gav]

lol there are worse songs IMO. is that all? Peace on Earth, One step closer. All these are darker shades of brown

Agreed CelticFC (great team!).

I love SATT, and I agree with Mohr about WGRYWH.

 

[akann]

Was anyone else kind of disappointed or surprised when Steve didn't include u2 in his top five bands of all time? He seemed really surprised when Mohr had them at no3 on his list, almost as though he doesn't think that highly of them.

 

[U2DMfan]

Maxwell's Silver Hammer is track number 3, so it is fairly near the beginning and he's right that it's incredible that any album can be ranked in the top 10 of all time(its my fave Beatles album) with a song that bad (and Octopus's Garden) on it. that's some recovery

Paul has a lot of shit on their best stuff. Fixing A Hole? I'm Looking Through You? Martha My Dear and Honey Pie? I could keep going. The only prominent album I can't think of him having a stinker on (at the moment) is Let It Be.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Oh, man. Fixing A Hole is a great tune.

 

[U2girl]

I'm looking through you doesn't belong on that list...and he was easily the better writer out of the two on the latter albums.

 

[U2DMfan]

Oh, man. Fixing A Hole is a great tune.

Okay, okay. Maybe it's a relative statement (compared to the rest).
In any event, I like to have a go at Macca whenever possible.

 

[U2DMfan]

I'm looking through you doesn't belong on that list...

Sure it does. It's my list.

[Francis Dolarhyde voice]
Do you see...?
[/Francis Dolarhyde voice]

 

[U2girl]

And it's a far better song than the others mentioned.

 

[cobl04]

Oh, man. Fixing A Hole is a great tune.

As is Martha My Dear. I also enjoy Maxwell's Silver Hammer, though obviously it's one of the album's weakest tracks.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Sure it does. It's my list.

[Francis Dolarhyde voice]
Do you see...?
[/Francis Dolarhyde voice]

 

[Muldfeld]

I can actually cut Lillywhite a break here (I am not a huge fan of his). Slow it down, speed it up, whatever...it's probably the worst U2 song that ever made it onto a U2 album. Not much he could do to help it.

I think "Shadows and Tall Trees" is one of the best songs on that album or from early U2 and certainly better than most of ATYCLB or HTDAAB, but I never thought anyone would dislike it. I can't STAND "I Will Follow", though.

 

[cypress]

I think "Shadows and Tall Trees" is one of the best songs on that album or from early U2 and certainly better than most of ATYCLB or HTDAAB, but I never thought anyone would dislike it. I can't STAND "I Will Follow", though.

Well, I like both "Shadows and Tall Trees" and "I Will Follow"

 

[An Cat Gav]

Well, I like both "Shadows and Tall Trees" and "I Will Follow"

I love Shadows and Tall Trees, it's a perfect closer to the album, much in the same way that I Will Follow is the perfect opener. It's a perfect little picture in time from Bono's childhood, which is pretty much the theme of the album.
Great song, great album.

 

[Musikwala]

It's a perfect little picture in time from Bono's childhood, which is pretty much the theme of the album.

Is it really?

Seems like everything about this band is Bono-centric. Off the top of my head I cannot think of anything that was written about the other 3 band members!?

 

[jeevey]

Well, he is the lyricist, and he writes mostly from his own POV. If he ever wrote a song about Larry or Adam I doubt he'd say so since they are both so private. But off the top of my head Sunday Bloody Sunday and Wake Up Dead Man were initially drafted by Edge about his own experience, and Original of the Species was written by Bono for Edge and his girls. And of course the Vertigo incarnation of Miracle Drug ended up being largely "about" Sian's bout with leukemia, though the song was written about someone else.

 

[An Cat Gav]

Is it really?

Seems like everything about this band is Bono-centric. Off the top of my head I cannot think of anything that was written about the other 3 band members!?

Well, I'd say it's one of the main themes.

 

[Registered Dude]

Is it really?

Seems like everything about this band is Bono-centric. Off the top of my head I cannot think of anything that was written about the other 3 band members!?

you talking Boy, or their whole catalog?

if it's their whole catalog, consider:
Drowning Man - Adam

much of Achtung Baby - Edge

Big Girls Are Best is really about Larry

 

[Musikwala]

Well, he is the lyricist, and he writes mostly from his own POV. If he ever wrote a song about Larry or Adam I doubt he'd say so since they are both so private. But off the top of my head Sunday Bloody Sunday and Wake Up Dead Man were initially drafted by Edge about his own experience, and Original of the Species was written by Bono for Edge and his girls. And of course the Vertigo incarnation of Miracle Drug ended up being largely "about" Sian's bout with leukemia, though the song was written about someone else.

Is Bono the only lyricist/songwriter in the band? Aren't many of their songs credited to "Bono and The Edge"?

 

[Musikwala]

you talking Boy, or their whole catalog?

if it's their whole catalog, consider:
Drowning Man - Adam

much of Achtung Baby - Edge

Big Girls Are Best is really about Larry

I was talking about the whole catalog. Everything is Bono Bono Bono with this band. lol. It's like Bono = U2 and U2 = Bono.

I know the band comes together and does the songwriting as a unit. But the other 3 members.. especially Adam and Larry are never given (visible) credit? Is it?

 

[digitize]

I was talking about the whole catalog. Everything is Bono Bono Bono with this band. lol. It's like Bono = U2 and U2 = Bono. I know the band comes together and does the songwriting as a unit. But the other 3 members.. especially Adam and Larry are never given (visible) credit? Is it?

Songwriting != lyric writing.

 

[jeevey]

It's usually credited as lyrics by Bono, music by U2. Assigning credit and allocating money based on creative participation is a hive of trouble, and U2 have always chosen to maintain cohesion by crediting that way and paying themselves in a 5 way split with Paul. It's what they want.

Adam and Larry are not spoiling for more credit and attention. I think it was in the 2001 U2 Does Much interview that Adam was asked about the meaning of a song and said, "These are singer questions. You need to ask the singer about these things. I just want to play bass." It really is all about Bono as far as public attention goes, because he's the most vocal, colorful, expressive and communicative personality in the band... or ever, really. And if they all are fine with that then I guess I can be too.

 

[corianderstem]

I was talking about the whole catalog.

Love Is Blindness is widely understood to be about Edge's divorce. There are other interpretations of the song as well, but that was the first 'song not about Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! Bono, Bono, Bono!