Coldplay and Billy Corgan on U2 in EW

[kakvox]

I just bought the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly, with Coldplay on the cover ("Coldplay: Are they the next U2"). #821/822 May 27, 2005

Here are a couple U2 snippets from the magazine:

X&Y - Martin won't bristle if you compare Coldplay's latest to U2's anthem-packed The Unforgettable Fire. "I love the idea of lots of people in a big place singing the same thing," he says. "U2 are the best band of all time at that. That's what we're striving for in 50 percent of our songs, and the other 50 percent are more introspective." Don't be surprised in X&Y becomes the all-out blockbuster that U2's newest album was supposed to be, but wasn't quite.


In an article on Billy Corgan and his new solo album due out, he names 4 albums in his record collection that gave him recent inspiration, and mentions U2, in a less-than-complimentary way:

Echo and the Bunnymen, Crocodiles (1980)
"Often overlooked. An incredible album from one of the most underrated bands in rock history. The real deal - and, yes, a band U2 ripped off."

 

[Earnie Shavers]

a) I won't be surprised if Coldplay's album outsells U2's 3 to 1.

b) Bono even says what Billy Corgan is saying there.

 

[typhoon]

Before this turns into a Billy Corgan bash session:

Saying that someone ripped someone else off isn't really an insult in rock music. Everyone rips someone off, and no one denies it. He's just trying to get people interested in an underrated band.

 

[kakvox]

The only thing I don't get is that he says E and the B were the real deal. How is U2 not?

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Semi related - have you heard Billy Corgan doing Stay?

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

The only thing I don't get is that he says E and the B were the real deal. How is U2 not?

i'm thinking the way he says the real deal means like the original. U2's first album was them just basically copying a bunch of people. it's still a good album, but i wouldn't call it original.

 

[kakvox]

i'm thinking the way he says the real deal means like the original. U2's first album was them just basically copying a bunch of people. it's still a good album, but i wouldn't call it original.

Oh, OK. I had always thought Billy Corgan liked U2, so I guess there wasn't much meant in this statement. It just seems he adds U2 into the equation for no reason.

 

[learn2kneel]

The Newsweek Article about Coldplay mentions U2 a ton also. Actually everywhere that Coldplay is mentioned U2 is (free publicity i guess)

 

[Yahweh]

Coldplays album would have to sell 30 million copies to outsell U2s album 3-1 and that is being conservative...because in the end I think Bomb will sell 13-15 million it is already close to 10 right now.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

Coldplay rawk! Billy Corgan did no wrong!

 

[madonna's child]

Entertainment Weekly also rips the Vertigo Tour in that issue. They complain about the lack of spring dates and then say that the band is only coming back in the fall to make a shitload more money. Meanwhile, the claim that Coldplay's tour will be the best tour of the summer.

I like Coldplay, but come one people, they haven't exactly reinvented the wheel...

 

[typhoon]

"Reinvent the wheel" means to recreate something that already exists without improving it significantly, so, uh, yeah, that's exactly what they've done.

I still dig 'em, though.

 

[MrBrau1]

a) I won't be surprised if Coldplay's album outsells U2's 3 to 1.

b) Bono even says what Billy Corgan is saying there.

You really think Coldplay are going to sell 20 million records?

 

[MrBrau1]

So we've got an article with Chris Martin giving U2 a compliment which included "the Best Band of All Time." and people are gonna rip Coldplay?

And after the Irving Plaza concert in 2000, Billy called U2 the "still, the Greatest Band on The Planet" and people are gonna rip him as well?

 

[Ladera Heights]

Yeah the Billy quote is taken out of context. He has been more than complementary on more than one occasion.

 

[STING2]

Not that there is any real comparison between the two albums, but someone should remind Billy that U2 were finished recording Boy by the time Echo and the Bunnymen's debut album was released. In addition, the songs that were on Boy were songs that U2 had been playing for nearly 2 years. Its more likely that Echo and the Bunnyman were influenced by the "unknown band" from Dublin.

 

[kakvox]

Not that there is any real comparison between the two albums, but someone should remind Billy that U2 were finished recording Boy by the time Echo and the Bunnymen's debut album was released. In addition, the songs that were on Boy were songs that U2 had been playing for nearly 2 years. Its more likely that Echo and the Bunnyman were influenced by the "unknown band" from Dublin.

Cool. Good to know. I'll let Billy know when I see him.

 

[RademR]

Coldplay is a great band and Smashing Pumpkings were one a favorite of mine when they were around...both comments arent a big deal.

I don't see Coldplay selling more than u2's new album, not even in the States.

 

[ImOuttaControl]

I don't see Coldplay selling more than u2's new album, not even in the States.

It's possible considering coldplay has massive hype of X & Y and the last album sold like well over 10 million copies.

 

[VintagePunk]

Before this turns into a Billy Corgan bash session:

Saying that someone ripped someone else off isn't really an insult in rock music. Everyone rips someone off, and no one denies it. He's just trying to get people interested in an underrated band.

Exactly. All of it is derivitive since Bill Haley and the Comets, and the great Negro spirituals. Everyone who is anyone recognizes that, even Bono.

Still doesn't explain why Corgan is such an asshole.

Don't see Coldplay outselling the most recent U2 - their appeal isn't as great across target groups.

Could be wrong though. I guess I'll see in a month or so.

 

[Aardvark747]

Yeah the Billy quote is taken out of context. He has been more than complementary on more than one occasion.

 

[OnFire]

I was kind of lukewarm to Coldplay's new release, I liked Rush of Blood but thought it just didn't rock. This quote from the latest Newsweek article about them has me intriqued though:

"About 60 seconds into the opening track, "Square One," a rush of guitar transforms Coldplay into something that, for all its gifts, it has never been: a thunderous rock-and-roll band."

Chris Martin also makes some amusing comments in the article about their unrequited love for Radiohead.

 

[doctorwho]

I'm going to challenge this a bit.

U2's last album debuted with nearly 850,000 copies sold in the U.S. and has gone to 3x Platinum. For anyone to say that this "isn't quite a blockbuster" should be flat-out smacked upside the head. In an era of illegal downloads, these types of numbers - especially for a 25 year old band - are incredible.

Now, if by "blockbuster" they mean quality - well, that's HIGHLY subjective. I'm listening to some Coldplay live now and let me tell you, it ain't U2 live - by a long shot. They sound like a really really good, really refined garage band, but nowhere near the awe-inspiring performances of U2. Their songs simply do not uplift - they are just melancholy. They are like Radiohead-lite. I have yet to be overwhelmed by anything Coldplay has done.

As for Corgan's comments - he's right. U2 were heavily inspired by Echo and the Bunnymen. But seeing as how both groups came out around the same time, the influence is minimal. In contrast, I hear a lot of Echo and U2 in the Smashing Pumpkins, so Corgan should be watchful of his words - because if U2 ripped off Echo, so did he.


Edited to add: As I listen to this live Coldplay CD I also hear TONS of U2. So if U2 ripped off Echo (highly questionable...), Coldplay is "ripping off" both U2 and Radiohead. Maybe they'll succeed, but I just don't think this new album will be this 3x Platinum album that U2's latest has become.

 

[Superman]

coldplay bores superman

 

[D-Bot]

Everyone seems to forget to mention that Corgan also talked about being at a U2 show this year in that article, so he's obviously a fan.

I'm not exactly sure why but Entertainment Weekly seems to have some sort of vendetta against U2. Their review of Atomic Bomb was just about the worst I saw in the mainstream press. They gave it a B-, but the actual review was a lot more critical than that would suggest.

 

[thesuburbskill]

Yeah the Billy quote is taken out of context. He has been more than complementary on more than one occasion.

yup... i remember bono even saying something along these lines : billy has stuck out his neck for us a lot... and he's got a looong neck =]

 

[kakvox]

Everyone seems to forget to mention that Corgan also talked about being at a U2 show this year in that article, so he's obviously a fan.

I'm not exactly sure why but Entertainment Weekly seems to have some sort of vendetta against U2. Their review of Atomic Bomb was just about the worst I saw in the mainstream press. They gave it a B-, but the actual review was a lot more critical than that would suggest.

I think everyone out there does. They are paid to write about what is up and coming, not bands that have been around as long as U2, which is rare, because they are usually dead in the water.

 

[dudeman]

Re: Re: Coldplay and Billy Corgan on U2 in EW

coldplay bores superman

swish

 

[rjhbonovox]

So we've got an article with Chris Martin giving U2 a compliment which included "the Best Band of All Time." and people are gonna rip Coldplay?

He didn't say "the Best Band of All Time." He said -

Martin won't bristle if you compare Coldplay's latest to U2's anthem-packed The Unforgettable Fire. "I love the idea of lots of people in a big place singing the same thing," he says. "U2 are the best band of all time at that. That's what we're striving for in 50 percent of our songs, and the other 50 percent are more introspective."

Best band at playing a certain type of song where lots of people in a big place are singing the same thing! A little different, me thinks!

Also Coldplays new single is great, pisses all over anything off HTDAAB, especially COBL! Whoops.....controversial!

 

[Bono's shades]

Not that there is any real comparison between the two albums, but someone should remind Billy that U2 were finished recording Boy by the time Echo and the Bunnymen's debut album was released. In addition, the songs that were on Boy were songs that U2 had been playing for nearly 2 years. Its more likely that Echo and the Bunnyman were influenced by the "unknown band" from Dublin.

I also thought it was strange that a band that released their debut album at almost the same time as another band's first album came out could have "ripped off" that band. I think it's more likely that E&B and U2 were influenced by some of the same bands and that's why they sounded a little bit alike sometimes.

I know this is sort of off-topic, but Echo and the Bunnymen's "The Killing Moon" is one of my favorite songs ever.