U2 - Modern Musical Influences

[Hawk269]

So in the past year, I have seen and gotten into Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Interpol, Franz Ferdinand and other outstanding young bands.

I can definitely hear the same energy of these modern bands in Vertigo's tempo and beautifully distorted power chords. Also, U2 is taking full advantage of the left/right channel just like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, who used this technique extensively on their debut record 'BRMC' and 'Take Them On, On Your Own' (just listen to 'Love Burns' and you'll hear what I am referring to).

I look at Vertigo as this wonderful collection of lessons learned from prior projects and current influences, all rolled into one. Bono's voice sounds similar to 'Gone' from Pop in terms of the echoing effect, Edge's guitar is distorted and grinding similar to BRMC and these other modern progressive bands, and Larry and Adam are revisiting the fast tempo from the Boy/October/War era in their virtuoso playing. You can definitely hear some Clash and Ramones in this song as well. The lyrics - classic U2 double (and sometimes triple) entendre. There are already hundreds of interpretations of this one song flying around the net. Put it all together and you have one monstrous rock tune.

What other music do you think U2 is being influenced by these days?


AJ

 

[ShellBeThere]

I don't know but I like the way you write...

Maybe you can "ask the edge"..that would be a great question to have answered!

cheers...

 

[sharky]

The Hives. I heard a bit of the call/response in "Hate to Say I Told You So" in the chorus. Same with the Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go" especially with the Spanglish.

I wonder what the rest of the album will sound like and if what we believe are similarities now will be showing up in tghe rest of the songs.

 

[Chile]

The ending smells like Nirvana, sounds like foo fighters, overall, but the craftmanship is better executed. At certain points, I feel like I'm listening to a track off Who's Next. Truthfully, there are references to so many different bands including the various incarnations of the u2 sound, and yet it sounds so fresh.

I'd already put this in as part of my question, pretty much, but I'm sure I wasn't the only one, heh. Actually, I was more interested to know whether the references were intentional, whether this has any bearing on the meaning of the song, and more importantly, what the band meant to say to us with this song.

 

[lmixristhebest]

As far as left channel/right channel goes, U2 has been recording in stereo for their entire career, so I wouldn't really say that's a modern/BRMC influence. I do remember a few years ago, Edge said that he liked the country/rock stuff that Richard Ashcroft was up to.