Who is the REAL 'talent' of the band?...

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pvanort

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Ok all, IMO in every great band in music history, there is one member of the group which without, the group would'nt have achieved it's success. Example: IMO The Beatles would'nt have done what they did without John Lennon. So the question moves on to U2. Who do YOU beLIEve is/was the key to their success?... And don't post some "it's apples n' oranges", or "it's a group effort" B.S., 'cause you know what I'm talkin' about!...


My answer is the Edge...


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"Hey, pardon me for askin', but who's that little ol' man?..."
 
I wouldn?t say so. Though Edge is the best musician of the band, the coolest, the sexiest (if the PLEBAians are right
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), the one who caught the eye of the public for U2 was Bono. His wild and aggressive stage performance was just cool to watch. You should the video for Electric Co. (round 1980).

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beLIEve
 
As far as the one who is most responsible for U2's sound, it's undoubtedly Edge, but as far as the most talented, that's very tough. Bono might not be the most talented instrumentalist, but his songwriting, lyrical and singing skills are outstanding and it seems clear that he and Edge are the chief songwriters in the band (once they've found the vibe, etc).

I tend to lean just slightly over to Edge's side on this one, though it's very close between Bono and Edge.

[This message has been edited by Diemen (edited 03-24-2002).]
 
I'd have to say Bono...it seems to me that U2 got to where they were based on his charisma and ability to draw the audience in.

I have to give some recognition to the Edge too...he broke the mold when it comes to how guitarists look at the world, not to mention his obvious influence on a lot of guitarists who came after him.
 
Sometimes talent gets confused with musical expression, and what instruments best serves a person in the public's eyes and ears. U2 is obviously in the same boat as many other bands in this aspect, but in many other cases, different as night and day.

The Edge obviously has an instrument in the guitar that affords him the recognition he deserves. The guy could hardly play the guitar when he first started in the band, but sheer determination, and the talent to create new sounds on the guitar that have revolutionized that instrument, and what a guitarist should do with it has added much to the success of U2. But you have to wonder has it been the Edge's guitar playing that has inspired Bono's lyrics, or has it been Bono's lyrics that the Edge has found a sound to wrap around it and give it a sound that would meet the lyrical inspiration and ambiguity in Bono's lyrics. We could argue that in a good sense, but only the band truly knows.

Bono's instrument is his throat. Though limited in what you can add or do with it, Bono has shown the talent to, like a soul singer, start a song from experience, and from somewhere deep inside himself that has the ability to draw in a crowd with not only the lyrical aspect of the songs, but a stage persona, as in the Edge's case of matching Bono's lyric with a guitar sounds, matching his stage presence with the same passion and charisma that his lyrics afford.

Adam Clayton plays the bass. Take out the bass, sans talents, and you have the rest of the band sounding like they are playing in a tin can. However, Adam plays an instument that is not afforded the same ability stage wise, as well as on record with solos, or the strings that have the ability to rise above the singer to make their presence known, as in the case of the Edge. The bass is unassuming, but all the while, in the case of Adam, he is kicking the *hit out a song with his constant, steady, rhythmic playing. To say that Adam doesn't have the talent, because of the playing of an instrument that just doesn't have the capability to demand the attention like the guitar is a little unfair. Sometimes the the internal ryhthm of a song, like the heart and soul, are overlooked with the outside flash of the guitar and voice.

I don't even have to mention U2 without drums, especially the drumming of Larry. Larry has chosen, because U2 has chosen to be a band that plays almost as one, that the song itself, are almost as important as the individual playing the song. So you will never see Larry playing a 10 minute drum solo, like other drummer have in the past, and we all thing to ourselves, that it the best talent in the band, that band could never do without that drummer. But Larry again desires for his playing to be unassuming in that he plays for an emotion to be found in U2's music, not a drawing of one's interest to a certain person, though the PLEBA girls would disagree
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. I can't even imagine some songs without Larry's playing, or Larry's talent that has pushed a song to another level like in Sunday Blood Sunday for instance.

The reason I have always, and will always love this band, is that not only does each member bring a musical talent born out of determination and a passion to make music that in many cases transcends music that has been made over the last 25 years, but they have made music that for themselves tell their fans and the musical word, each one of us is important to the musical success of the band as a whole, as well as individually. It could be the reason the band has remained intact for that last 25 years, because constanly when the band comes together or when apart, each band member knows that they need the musical talent of each one in the group, and what they draw from each member's instrumental sound, or voice. U2 is sheer musical artistry at it's best.

Chris

[This message has been edited by spanisheyes (edited 03-24-2002).]
 
Bono would be crap without the Edge, and the Edge would be crap without Bono.

Those two need each other. Bono needs Edge's musical creativity, and Edge needs Bono's passion.

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Watch More TV, ITs your world you can change it, taste is the enemy of art, Every thing you know if wrong, mock the devil, and he will flee from thee
www.geocities.com/nshaikspike/evil.html
 
you can yell during the joshuea tree dvd, that Bono has no clue what's going on in the studio. He just gets to sing, not do anything with music hardly. Edge is the one that gives bono and the others ideas for forming a song. Sometimes the others come up with stuff, but Edgy nuts makes the most.
bono needs music to sing to, so he is not the main talent of the band.
 
Edge gives U2 it's sound. Bono gives them their image. I think what it comes down to is that without Bono, U2 would still have been sucessful, but more along the lines of critical respect, not commercial. With Bono, U2 becomes the biggest (and best) band in the world.
 
i'd have to argue that it'd be Bono.... hes the one w/ the amazing lyrics, hes the singer and ya' can't forget the personality on that man .....i guess i'd go with Bono. . .

but i love Edge's guitar and Larry's drumming and, and, and.... ah, &^$#@! it ....Bono i guess

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' I want to run
I want to hide
I want to tear down the walls
That hold me inside
I want to reach out
And touch the flame
Where the streets have no name. . .'
.:. U2: Rock's Unbreakable Heart!

Love is...cold steel/Fingers too numb to feel/Squeeze the handle/Blow out the candle
Love is blindness.../A little death/Without mourning/No call/And no warning...

[Thanks Coach P]
 
I think it depends on how you look at it. Bono's stage performance has made them the most popular band. Edge's guitar style makes people listen over and over again just to make out the different sounds he creates. Larry's drumming style is different from anything else, and that attracts people who like a good beat. His style, i'd say, is more like a marching band style. Examples of this are SBS, Bad, BTBS, Like A Song..., and 40.

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"Yep...Silver and Gold!!!" - Bono

We'll Shine Like Stars In The Summer Nights...
 
I don't know about the "real talent" but U2 wouldn't be as big today without Larry's ability to say "NO." As in "No, that's stupid" or "No, that doesn't make sense" Bono would get too out there without the grounding force of Larry.
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I think the personality differences of all 4 make them much more together than they ever would be as individuals. It's that old 90s buzzword "Synergy" at work
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I'd have to go with Bono. Without him, there'd probably be a lot less people irritated and annoyed with U2, but he's unquestionably the public face and the voice of the band, it's big mouth, big ego and it's blind ambition. There are many amazing musicians in the world, but only a few frontmen with such a genuine, iconoclastic star quality or such magnetic stage presence and ability to connect with the audience.
 
Well,
personally, I'd have to go with Paul McGuiness
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. Oh! then Gavin Friday, and then Brian Eno and Danny Lanios.

Just my opinion.....
Bless ya!
WHYWHY

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But seriously.......I think Danny Lanios has AMAZING talent. Yes, I KNOW he's not in the band, but I thought it would be cool to state the obvious for once.
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[This message has been edited by WHYWHY (edited 03-27-2002).]
 
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