How good is U2?

[manwiththespinninhead]

U2 are the last great band ! there has never been a band with the same line up that has lasted as long and been as consistant as u2.

its only been in the last few years that they have become more respected and bono is a household name , everyone knows who he is .

i cant ever see any other band doing what u2 have done .

the only other contenders in my opinion are "COLDPLAY" or "THE KILLERS".

 

[Jdelbove]

Well yes some bands are better than U2 in terms of skill. However Zepllin and U2 are very differnt. I think the Edge creating the echo sound basicly blows Zeppellin out of the water. Yea Zeppellin rocks out harder but they rock out in a traditional sense. The Edge and U2 created their own sound and expanded on what a guitar can do instead of just playing rock guitar. Further Bono is not a rock singer. But this is what makes Bono great technicly he is a far better singer in terms of range power and control than most rock singers. He makes Robert Plant look rediculose. This is what makes U2 better than these other bands. First the fact they have stayed away from classic rock guitar sounds and Edge has created his own path. Further Bono's vocals are more like somthing you would hear on broadway than a rock band. This makes the band more interensting and allows them to convey emotions better than most. Clayton and Mullen have made their own unique contributions such as larrys militeristic style and the fact that clayton often creates a second rift with the bass. Ultimately Bono's vocals are far beyond proficiant and he surpasses most rock singers in terms of talent and versitility.

 

[cdisantis83]

U2 deserves to be mentioned in the first strata of rock royalty, which in my mind consists of Floyd, Zeppelin, The Who, The Stones, Springsteen, and the Beatles. The one thing that these bands have in common, ethereal as it may be, is majesty. There have been bands that have been comprised entirely of virtuouos, like ELP, that have never attained that sense of grandeur. In the end, it really comes down to strong song-writing and a sense of purpose, which all of the aformentioned bands shared. I've often thought about the greatest albums I've heard (and I have listened to a lot of music), and generally I cannot rank a U2 album in the top 5, yet they are still my second favorite band. U2 has certainly made some compelling and incisive observations on the world around them, yet it seems that they have yet to put together a sweeping gesture of the likes of Dark Side of the Moon or Quadrophenia. There have been plenty of epic songs, but never really an epic album that is commanding from start to finish. Then again, I suppose that album-oriented rock is really a thing of the past. In any case, the only post-70s band that can make any claim to rivaling U2 is Radiohead.

By the way, I consider it high blasphemy to disparage Robert Plant in any way.

 

[U2girl]

Well, I'm known for my HTDAAB love, but I love all eras and all album, not putting down any of them.

A refreshing point of view.

 

[gherman]

Quote: "The most over rated band in the history of music is The Beatles, and I own all of their albums and have heard them many many times."

I agree with a lot of what you said but I could not disagree more with you on this one.

 

[LMP]

They are the last Big Band we'll see for a long time, that has to count for something.

They've made timeless music, and have stayed fresh over 25 years, which is hard to do in rock music.

I don't know where to place them among "the greats" but they're certainly up there.

Plus, Bono's one of the more prominent figures of the 21st century.

 

[allbecauseofu2]

u2 has had a alot of singles and radio airplay sucess, . however, that sucess is well, "cute" compared to the singles and radio airplay of say billy joel. I mean i have seen his show, every songs a hit hit. if he plays some album cut, its shocking. From the outsiders perspective, u2 is still playing second fiddle to the rock gods. thats pretty insane, either that someone whos in the HOF and been arond for over 25 years is playing second to anyone, or mabey that the rock gods before them are realy "gods" and can't be moved. i mean to say how great the other bands are is like, such a given . Also, a band thats putting a bid in for second fiddle althoguh still far away is red hot chili peppers. rem would have been for with thier last 3 albums doing how they did, rem is back to cult status.

 

[J_NP]

U2 is as good as

this man

was to football

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

Irvine is great.

He really "gets" it.

Three cheers, etc.

Sums up perfectly why I like, nay, love this band.

 

[Jeffo17]

PELE!!!!!!!!!! is the Best ever!

 

[LPU2]

Good in what respect? It's such a silly argument. Who's a better guitar player? Richard Thompson or Eddie Van Halen? Who was a better painter? Van Gogh or Picasso? Do you look at, what, brush strokes to determine this?

Er...um...

Not only is it subjective but it's comparing completely different styles. It's impossible to say.

The Beatles were good, but the Rolling Stones endured longer. Beach Boys had better recordings. Dylan had more to say. Kinks were better live.

Just impossible.

 

[u2head]

It's so subjective.

Enough said.

 

[allbecauseofu2]

baby boomers from the 60;s also don't get 'zoo tv era" and that might hurt u2 as far as being on the level of the other bands.