U2's influence on hard rock and metal

[UnforgettableLemon]

Bands who have covered U2:

Sepultara ( believe)
Queenscrythe
POD

All covered "Bullet"

Members of Axis of Justice primarily hard rock and metal guys:
Maynard (also of Tool and APC), Serj Tankin (of System of a Down), Flea (well, RHCP aren't that hard, but still, and Tom Morello (see bottom). These cats covered "Streets"

Hard rockers who acknowledge U2 as an influence or acknolwedge themselves as fans:

Sammy Hagar
Lars and James of Metallica
Scott Weiland of STP/Velvet Revolver
Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins/Zwan
Rage Against the Machine (Tom emulated Edge, Zach's first record was 11 o'Clock Tick Tock)
Axl Rose
Eddie Vedder


I know there's more I can't think of at the moment. It's interesting. I've got friends who love most of these bands, but despise U2 for beign "soft." It's sad that people with such eclectic musical tastes can have such narrow-minded fans. I just think it's interesting for a band that generally avoids hard rock conventions, for example power chords, to be so resonant with the makers of that very same music. Some of these folks even make their own intelligent and challenging music. Anyway, I was just thinking about this stuff today, any thoughts from others?

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

Metallica have said they are fans of U2. In the Classic Albums thing for The Black Album there's a moment where James and Bob Rock are listening to Sad But True and during that part that Kirk plays on his guitar during the chorus James turns Kirk's guitar louder on the mix and says: "Hey U2 guitar, Kirk's U2 guitar. Yeah!" He does a great face. One of my favorite moments! A band that I love acknowledging another band I worship! Just perfect!

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

Oh yeah and Speultura, as you listed too, has said many times that they are all U2 fans and that for years they wanted to do a cover of a U2 song.

Alos I know that Slash likes U2. I'm sure other artists on hard rock and heavy metal bands do like U2 too!

 

[david]

Henry Rollins

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

Yeah, I gues there's a sort of influence there, if you want to talk about negative influences

But it makes Henry Rollins a helluva a lot more interestesting than his (good) stint in Black Flag and his (terrible) (terrible is not enough) (What words are there to describe this?) poetry.

 

[ADecentMelody]

Smashing Pumpkins has covered Stay (Faraway, So Close).

 

[jphelmet]

a recent article with page hamilton of helmet talked about the influence bono has had on his songwriting.

 

[Dr_Macphisto]

O.A.R. did a cover of Sunday Bloody Sunday this year on their summer tour (probably not considered hard/metal though... heh)

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

Smashing Pumpkins has covered Stay (Faraway, So Close).

Bridge school benefit I believe. And it was

 

[ADecentMelody]

Bridge school benefit I believe. And it was

Very nice. I'm listening to it right now.

 

[BonoFox1]

Im not into heavy metal so Im not familiar with the music by some the mentioned gropus..cept for the Alternative groups which I do listen to...But I love hearing member of other bands say how they were influenced by U2 or how they admire the band itself....
I would like to hear the Smashing Pumpkins version of Stay!

 

[RademR]

Anthrax did a version of EXIT.

 

[u2valleygirl]

I would love to hear POD cover Bullet. Live has covered One. He also mentioned Bono in one of his lyrics.

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

POD's cover of Bullet is on "Fundamental Elements of Southown"

I must hear Live's cover of "One"

Oh, I forgot about Collective Soul, big U2 fans, covered IwF

 

[Inner El Guapo]

I actually heard Corey (lead singer) from Slipknot say something on the radio once, maybe it was a local interview, I don't remember, but anyhow, the guy doing the interview mentioned U2, probably talking about their big tours or something and Corey said (paraphrasing) "Hey those guys are awesome, I just wish they would rock more and cut out the other stuff" Coming from him, that's a nice compliment.

Also, I read once, in an article online that was contmeplating on what the future of Kurt Cobain might have been, that at times he had remarked that he wanted to "do something with Bono". It wasn't an actual quote, just it was mentioned in the article, this might have came from Courtney indirectly, who knows?

Others? I probably have others, I used to listen to a lot of hard metal and such. Still do, just not nearly as much and I pretty much stopped buying it altogether.

covers, Sepultura and Anthrax were already mentioned, also Dream Theatre did Red Hill Mining Town and Bad that I know of.

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

Actually, Courtney's said that she wanted Bono to be a mentor to Kurt, teach him how to enjoy being a rock star without getting caught up in the bullshit. Coming from her, it sounds strange... but still. I think there's a mention of Cobain in Flannagan's book, too

 

[Inner El Guapo]

I'm going to look for the article, I can't remember the source, it wasn't the same thing you are talkign about, I remember reading that and that's what leads me to believe that it possibly originated from Courtney, I've never seen an actual quote from Kurt even mentioning U2. Anyhow, I will look for it.

 

[shaun vox]

papa roach likes u2..saw it on mtv.

 

[Inner El Guapo]

I found it, it's from Charles Cross, who wrote Heavier than Heaven and is considered some type of authority on Cobain. I don't think it's in the biography, but it's been a few years since I read it, the following quote is from a USAToday article from the 10th anniversary of his suicide.

"It's hard to know where he'd be now," Cross says. "I'd like to think he'd have explored blues and folk more and even pursued a career as an interpreter. Nirvana as an entity was over by the end of Kurt's life. He said he was tired of screaming and wanted to create music that was more melodic. He wanted to work with Bono and Michael Stipe. Maybe he'd have decided life as a painter would be easier.

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

 

[Bunbury]

Hmm, too many shit bands in my opinion
Except Sepultura and Anthrax

U2 has been an influence on this fella

 

[Aardvark747]

Hmm, too many shit bands in my opinion
Except Sepultura and Anthrax

U2 has been an influence on this fella

That isnt a joke either! I KNOW I read somwhere that Shagrath was a big U2 fan...and I just thought...wow! Not much influence in their music tho! (For All Tid is their best album btw)

 

[Bunbury]

Yea, not much influence on Dimmu's music for sure, but he's a fan of U2 that's whats important

Stoemblast baby! \m/

 

[jcool]

U2 kite
Joe Perry (Aerosmith)
Bono & co in typically expansive form. "Whenever I want to stop time, I put this song on"
Blender

U2 With or Without YOU
Kings of Leon
Jared Followill "They played it at our high-school prom, and it made me want to die.It was so right for the moment"
Blender

u2 One
errr..Dido (well I am running out of rockstars)
"You can't go wrong with the best band in the world"
Blender

U2 The Joshua Tree Album
Oh BOY!...Chris Kattan
" You go to a U2 concert and they're having fun. The Joshua Tree album is probably their best album, and I love the less commercial songs, like running to stand still and exit. They're dramatic and melodic and they have a tone of spirituality without being too full of shit"
Blender

 

[ZeroDude]

It's all because U2 are class, Dido shouldn't be allowed to listen to U2 but.

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

Hey, I didn't say all the bands would be good ones. I was just talkin' bout it generalwise

 

[TheBrazilianFly]

U2 kite
Joe Perry (Aerosmith)
Bono & co in typically expansive form. "Whenever I want to stop time, I put this song on"
Blender

Fucking cool.


On Metallica's Garage album (their covers album) on the booklet there are many ideas for titles for that album and they are all titles from famous albums but adding the word garage in them. The Garage Tree and Garage Baby were on the list.

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

Fucking cool.


On Metallica's Garage album (their covers album) on the booklet there are many ideas for titles for that album and they are all titles from famous albums but adding the word garage in them. The Garage Tree and Garage Baby were on the list.

I remember that, I forgot. Some of those titles, while horrible, where quite interesting. I really liked "The Garage Remains the Same"

 

[Aardvark747]

Ive wondered what 'Garage Baby' was?! How thick of me! Dark Side Of The Garage is another good one.

Are we sure there are no other albums with BABY as their 2nd word? Id love to believe that 'tallica used TWO U2 albums on there, but AB had never crossed my mind..

 

[UnforgettableLemon]

Lars Ulrich has said on more than one occasion that Achtung Baby is (one of) the greatest rock n' roll albums ever made