Bono and Live Aid - what if...?

[beau2ifulday]

After reading the article in the Mirror about Jim Kerr bashing Bono for his meetings with Blair and Bush at the WEF last week, it got me to thinking. Had Bono not participated in Live Aid, and never become involved with trying to relieve debt, AIDS and poverty in Africa, do you think U2 would be coming out with more severe and direct political records? Would Bono be criticising Bush and Blair more openly (had he disagreed with the war - i'm still not too sure where Bono stood on all that) and would he be more outspoken?
Obviously, it's just speculation, but i'd be interested to hear from fans who were around when Bono was 'wrapping himself in a white flag', given that I missed that era of U2.

[Val]

Bono has verbalized opposition to the war in Iraq.

[ThisIs40]

Originally posted by beau2ifulday
Had Bono not participated in Live Aid, and never become involved with trying to relieve debt, AIDS and poverty in Africa, do you think U2 would be coming out with more severe and direct political records?...I'd be interested to hear from fans who were around when Bono was 'wrapping himself in a white flag', given that I missed that era of U2.

I was around for that era, and I think that is clearly where the band still stands. However, they are also clearly in a position to express whatever they want in their songs, and I just think that they decided to develop albums that drew from other influences and emotions, and explored other styles. Would I like to see more direct commentary in their current work? Absolutely. But I don't think Bono's extracurricular involvement is the reason we don't.

[knox]

Originally posted by ThisIs40

I was around for that era, and I think that is clearly where the band still stands. However, they are also clearly in a position to express whatever they want in their songs, and I just think that they decided to develop albums that drew from other influences and emotions, and explored other styles. Would I like to see more direct commentary in their current work? Absolutely. But I don't think Bono's extracurricular involvement is the reason we don't.

I actually think it would diminish U2 as a band. One thing about them is the way that so many different people of different backgrounds, and yes political opinions, are still able to identify with the music.

Songs like Sunday Bloody Sunday are political, yes, but not in a taking-sides way: SBS is a cry to everybody: "how long must we sing this song" is a message that EVERYBODY gets.

[~BrightestStar~]

What they all said.

[ThisIs40]

Originally posted by knox
Songs like Sunday Bloody Sunday are political, yes, but not in a taking-sides way: SBS is a cry to everybody: "how long must we sing this song" is a message that EVERYBODY gets.

Agreed. Maybe I chose the wrong verbiage in quoting the term "direct commentary." I just liked the thoughts and emotions the earlier works evoked for me. I would have liked to see such themes continued, in a general way, through their later work. I do not hold it against them that they sought a broader audience or to relate to a greater number of people. The "newer" songs and shows just haven't spoken to me in the same way.