cm
The Fly
When I think of U2's music and the impact it has had on my life I began to wonder why it has not had a similar impact on everyone's lives?
Is the music really no 'better' than that of dozens (or maybe hundreds) of bands whose music has touched the lives of their fans as U2 has ours?
These questions come to mind as I was thinking of a neighbor who is a huge fan of Styx. They buy all their records, travel to concerts, think their music is the greatest ever, etc. Sounds familiar. Yet I wonder how could they be so attached to this music after they have heard U2 who, obviously in our minds, has created the greatest music of all time. I press them and they have heard of U2 and are aware of both older (War/Joshua Tree) and newer (AB/ATYCLB) material and they like it like they do that of dozens or hundreds of other bands.
I am crushed but I don't show it. Is my link to U2 just a happenstance of my life's journey (stumbling upon Boy and a RollingStone story about U2 early in my college years) or simply a chemical reaction in my mind (my favorite color is yellow and I prefer the mountains over the beaches, doesn't everybody)?
Could a simple environmental or physical change in my life resulted in me being a huge Styx fan (hey I did listen to some of their music in the mid 70's and early 80's and have a similar reaction to them as my neigbor does to U2)?
I don't expect to find answers to these questions but as with all of life's great mysteries how do I know that I am correct about U2 or are they just another band with its base of fans of which I am just one. I suppose over time things like record sales, polls, awards and just plain longevity in the world of music will justify their position of musical greatness in my mind and I guess that is all that really should matter.
Yet I fear that U2's music and Rock & Roll in general is fleeting and will be but a blip on the musical journey of man. I also sense that certainly Bono and very likely U2 collectively recognize this and are searching to take their music to a level beyond being just another Rock and Roll band. I think Bono would like to link their music in the collective mind of mankind to greater world issues (disease and poverty and suffering and human dignity) and is certainly on a mission to do this.
Whether the band with Bono's push can achieve this waits to be seen but it certainly provides them great opportunity in the future and makes this an exciting time to be a fan of U2 and this is one thing that a Styx fan cannot look forward to. For them it is just about the music but for us it is about so much more.
Curt
[This message has been edited by cm (edited 02-14-2002).]
Is the music really no 'better' than that of dozens (or maybe hundreds) of bands whose music has touched the lives of their fans as U2 has ours?
These questions come to mind as I was thinking of a neighbor who is a huge fan of Styx. They buy all their records, travel to concerts, think their music is the greatest ever, etc. Sounds familiar. Yet I wonder how could they be so attached to this music after they have heard U2 who, obviously in our minds, has created the greatest music of all time. I press them and they have heard of U2 and are aware of both older (War/Joshua Tree) and newer (AB/ATYCLB) material and they like it like they do that of dozens or hundreds of other bands.
I am crushed but I don't show it. Is my link to U2 just a happenstance of my life's journey (stumbling upon Boy and a RollingStone story about U2 early in my college years) or simply a chemical reaction in my mind (my favorite color is yellow and I prefer the mountains over the beaches, doesn't everybody)?
Could a simple environmental or physical change in my life resulted in me being a huge Styx fan (hey I did listen to some of their music in the mid 70's and early 80's and have a similar reaction to them as my neigbor does to U2)?
I don't expect to find answers to these questions but as with all of life's great mysteries how do I know that I am correct about U2 or are they just another band with its base of fans of which I am just one. I suppose over time things like record sales, polls, awards and just plain longevity in the world of music will justify their position of musical greatness in my mind and I guess that is all that really should matter.
Yet I fear that U2's music and Rock & Roll in general is fleeting and will be but a blip on the musical journey of man. I also sense that certainly Bono and very likely U2 collectively recognize this and are searching to take their music to a level beyond being just another Rock and Roll band. I think Bono would like to link their music in the collective mind of mankind to greater world issues (disease and poverty and suffering and human dignity) and is certainly on a mission to do this.
Whether the band with Bono's push can achieve this waits to be seen but it certainly provides them great opportunity in the future and makes this an exciting time to be a fan of U2 and this is one thing that a Styx fan cannot look forward to. For them it is just about the music but for us it is about so much more.
Curt
[This message has been edited by cm (edited 02-14-2002).]