Clayton: Disappointed With His Bass Performance In POP!

[jick]

POP had it's shining bass moments according to a noisy minority in this forum. You get the allegedly groovy groove of Do You Feel Loved, or the intricate arrangement of Please. Some U2 fans felt that POP was one of Clayton's carrer highlight, especially since he was coming off bass guitar lessons in New York before the POP project started.

But it seems Clayton is his own worst critic. After reading once again his November 2004 interview in Q Magazine, Clayton says: "Playing bass has become much simpler the last two records (logically HTDAAB & ATYCLB). Before it used to be so complicated. I was always trying to come up with the best possible, ever. When you put yourself under that much pressure you don't necessarily get anywhere The wheels just spin a lot."

So my interpretation of Clayton's analogy would be similar to that of an F1 or Indy Car race. One car can have so much wheelspin and brake lock and skidding, and they look so fancy all around the track but in the end, the car that is running simpler with less fanfare ends up with a much better laptime.

I those who look with awe to Clayton's bass playing in POP are impressed because it sounds spectacular and many notes are hit. But is the bass really communicating? Is it really "getting anywhere" to quote Clayton?

Clayton says no, and I agree with him. What do you guys think?

Cheers,

J

 

[Aardvark747]

I say - BRING BACK 'SOME DAYS ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS'!!!!

 

[typhoon]

It doesn't look like he singled Pop out, so you could easily say he feels the same way about The Joshua Tree if you felt like it (unless I missed something). In fact, I don't even see where he says he was "disappointed" with anything.

I don't think you'll be happy until we have a quote from everyone down to Paul McGuinness saying he was dissatisfied with the way he managed the band on Pop. Maybe a janitor who works at their studio can come out and publicly apologize for the album.

 

[yimou]

I agree with Typhoon.

 

[Aardvark747]

I agree with Typhoon.

...but not with me? I'm hurt!

 

[BVS]

 

[phanan]

What Typhoon said.

 

[bathiu]

I was walking... and I met Shrek, yes, THE Shrek... and he told me: "We love the album "War" by U2"... and then went away.

So my interpretation of Shrek's words is that U2 are not happy with ATYCLB... I mean... think about... it makes sense, right?

Just remember, I do not seek attention. I just pick a set of facts, present it as it is, draw the possible implications of the facts, then present it to Interference for intellectually stimulating discussion.
I have realized that every thread I start has always been taken with great interest by the readers of this forum. All of this just makes me more careful with what I say, more diligent in researching my facts.
So remember, Shrek has spoken. U2 are not happy with ATYCLB.

Shrek says so, and I agree with him. What do you guys think?


Cheers,

b

 

[bedouin fire]

So my interpretation of Clayton's analogy would be similar to that of an F1 or Indy Car race. One car can have so much wheelspin and brake lock and skidding, and they look so fancy all around the track but in the end, the car that is running simpler with less fanfare ends up with a much better laptime.

...therefore michael schummacher should have played the bass on pop.

 

[Habib]

dO YOU feel loved, new year's day and vertigo are adam clayton's best bass line

 

[Nube Gris]

"POP had it's shining bass moments according to a noisy minority in this forum"

Noisy minority?
I dont think so.
The majority of people in this forum and out of it think this way, even if Pop isn't one of their favorites

 

[deltau922]

LOL, who are you calling the noisy minority?

 

[D'oh!]

I think Pop is one of Adam's better records, he is possibly the strongest performer out of the 4, neither of whom are at the top of their game.
That said I wouldn't say Pop is Adam's strongest showing, so I would tend to agree if he is not entirely happy with his work on that record

And i think he is quite happy to 'plod along', to borrow a quote from Adam himself......

 

[Adam'sbaby]

Re: Re: Clayton: Disappointed With His Bass Performance In POP!

...therefore michael schummacher should have played the bass on pop.

This would actually help Formula 1....Michael has been winning way too often lately.....
What am I thinking......Look at my avatar.. Adam is my man!

 

[Macfistowannabe]

I think he was great on POP.

Especially:

Do You Feel Loved
Mofo
If God Will Send His Angels

Some of his best work on the bass.

 

[matt76]

I think Clayton and Mullen are on top of their games on Pop and hold the whole thing together.

 

[Pero]

I was walking... and I met Shrek, yes, THE Shrek... and he told me: "We love the album "War" by U2"... and then went away.

So my interpretation of Shrek's words is that U2 are not happy with ATYCLB... I mean... think about... it makes sense, right?

Just remember, I do not seek attention. I just pick a set of facts, present it as it is, draw the possible implications of the facts, then present it to Interference for intellectually stimulating discussion.
I have realized that every thread I start has always been taken with great interest by the readers of this forum. All of this just makes me more careful with what I say, more diligent in researching my facts.
So remember, Shrek has spoken. U2 are not happy with ATYCLB.

Shrek says so, and I agree with him. What do you guys think?


Cheers,

b

Finally, someone after me and The Brazilian Fly who says that jick post some stupid threads. Typhoon, i agree with you.

Best Adam's work was on MMMMMOOOOOFFFFFFOOO which was mentioned once.
Jick, what do you have against POP?who is minority?
I started a thread called I've just realised, and 4 pages of nothing but: I like pop, i love pop. Even the survivor said that Pop is 4th. That' a minority?! I don't think so!!!

POP

 

[popmart86]

I say - BRING BACK 'SOME DAYS ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS'!!!!

yes they should play that on this tour.

'gone' has really good bass too.

 

[zoopop]

I've played bass for over 5 years now (thanks to Adam, insperation) and as a bass player I also see Pop as his best work. Its not so much the riffs he plays on it, but the way he and Larry carry the songs. Its such a diverse album for Adam. He was doing things for the first time with songs like Miami, Playboy Mansion, and Velvet Dress. He does have some cool riffs, Do You Feel Loved, Last Night On Earth, and Please. Adam is always noticed on U2 records (except ATYCLB) and he is such a unique player with his own style. By the way he is fantastic on HTDAAB.

 

[Jack In The Box]

oh, again this? I can't imagine Interference without jick

 

[yimou]

I say - BRING BACK 'SOME DAYS ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS'!!!!

I agree with Aardvark

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

The attention seeker is back with the same old bullshit. Fucking annoying bastard. He is the master of making others roll their eyes.

 

[U2DMfan]

U2's greatest sounds are often when Adam is prominent and right up front in the song. New Years Day, Bullet, UTEOTW, Vertigo on and on. POP, if anything, is a GREAT bass album, ask anyone who can play the bass. And then ask anyone who has ears.....and then read what Jick writes and think the opposite.

 

[sue4u2]

jick really does love POP. Everyone has different way's of expressing their true feelings. This is jick own strange way.

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

As usual a remark made to cover a large period of time has been condensed to cover one small period of time, and then is misconstrued to mean something it doesn't mean at all.

Do I need to go on.....

 

[Jack In The Box]

jick really does love POP. Everyone has different way's of expressing their true feelings. This is jick own strange way.

he also loves Adam Clayton

 

[ahmad]

i love pop, but i do think adam's best work in a long time is on COBL. that song is remarkable... don't want it to end, when i put it on.

 

[stagman]

Gone is pure genious!
I think Adam was great on Pop, although the electronica sound probably emphasized the bass much more than any other album...being both good and bad on Pop.

 

[clarityat3am]

It's a musical journey, really.

 

[jick]

This isn't about my liking or disliking POP.

It's about Clayton's own assessment that his bass playing wasn't getting anywhere before the last two albums.

Sorry if my topic is misleading. I don't mean to say I am disappointed with Clayton's bass playing in POP. I meant to say that Clayton himself is the one disappointed with his own pre-ATYCLB work.

So according to Clayton (who I feel is a pretty good authority in bass playing), his best bass works have come in ATYCLB and HTDAAB. Please do feel free to disagree with him. This is what this thread is all about.

Cheers,

J