Why did The Edge gave up on finding new guitar sounds?

[U2_Guy]

Edge's guitar sound was always about "not sounding like a guitar".

Edge himself was always telling journalists that his goal was to try to find different sounds that sometimes the listener would not even know it was a guitar sound. That pursue had it's culmination on the 90's records.

But since ATYCLB, Edge's guitar is just the chiming guitar. Not that this is a bad thing at all. It is still brilliant and better than any other guitar.

Why did he give up on distortions, effects, and on the pursue for new sounds?

 

[Folkelig]

Maybe he just found out that there is a reason for it being called a guitar, and not a synth or keyboard?. Maybe he just grew weary of having to be something that he's not? Or maybe he have come full circle?

 

[U2_Guy]

Maybe he just found out that there is a reason for it being called a guitar, and not a synth or keyboard?. Maybe he just grew weary of having to be something that he's not? Or maybe he have come full circle?

I hope not. He sounds more interesting when he's trying new sounds for the guitar.

 

[If you shout...]

You bring up a pretty good point, U2_Guy; Edge really isn't doing anything revolutionary or whatever with his guitar, these days.

Ironically, though, the direction--the "new" direction, I should point out--that most of the people in this forum have been clamoring for is one in the direction of straight-ahead, guitar-driven rock'n'roll. Ironically enough, going backwards historically would be taking a huge step forward for The Edge. If their next album featured guitars that "sounded like guitars" and showcased the man tearing it up with blistering solos and monster riffs, that would be CRAZILY new for this band. Sure sure sure...they've done it a few times over the years, but hardly consistently....hardly even INconsistently, it's been so rare. If U2 goes for the jugular (as I sense a lot of us want them to) the next time out, that WOULD be new....for The Edge.

Again, if he embraces traditional (or more traditional) playing, he WOULD be doing something new.

 

[JOFO]

who cares?

it's one of the greatest sounds in recorded music.

if edge put out an album of himself tuning his guitar with that sound that ran 44 minutes, I'd buy it.

 

[ZeroDude]

who cares?

it's one of the greatest sounds in recorded music.

if edge put out an album of himself tuning his guitar with that sound that ran 44 minutes, I'd buy it.

Has anyone done that before?

 

[Axver]

This thread's absurd. During Zooropa and Pop, Edge pushed the guitar and deviated away from his normal sound. Now he's back to his typical sound, the one that served him well through the entire eighties.

People have a problem with this?

 

[MrBrau1]

This thread's absurd. During Zooropa and Pop, Edge pushed the guitar and deviated away from his normal sound. Now he's back to his typical sound, the one that served him well through the entire eighties.

People have a problem with this?

Yes. Edge is only interesting if he's making his guitar sound like a wasp or laser beam. When he plays with his own, signature sound, it's very uncreative. The nerve of him, to actually sound like himself.

 

[elfyx]

During ATYCLB, Edge himself said he was thrilled to 'rediscover' the guitar, and all it could and could not be. He mentioned finally being comfortable being a guitarist.

Also, I think there are some really fantastic guitar effects and sounds on HTDAAB. Bono specifically mentioned it in regards to Chris Thomas as well. Apparently CT helped forge many of the guitar sounds on the album.

 

[born2runDmd]

Much like Bono has a signature sound in his vocals, so Edge does with his guitar.

It's no different than a Pete Townsend-esque sound or a very Beatles-sounding tune.

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

Yeah, what elfyx said, he pretty much stated from the end of the Elevation Tour that he was going for a more "organic" guitar sound. The guitar sound on this album shouldn't be a shock to hardcore fans who read everything the band says. He's been talking about going this direction for the past 3 years now.

 

[Dalton]

Edge's guitar sound was always about "not sounding like a guitar".

Edge himself was always telling journalists that his goal was to try to find different sounds that sometimes the listener would not even know it was a guitar sound. That pursue had it's culmination on the 90's records.

But since ATYCLB, Edge's guitar is just the chiming guitar. Not that this is a bad thing at all. It is still brilliant and better than any other guitar.

Why did he give up on distortions, effects, and on the pursue for new sounds?

That just isn't true. I agree that he is not using a lot of distortion right now, but he is still using a lot of effects and I am suprised by how many of you are overlooking the Edge's new affection playing his slide. Now if we could just get him an e-bow.

Sure the Edge uses a "classical" U2 sound on this album, but he is also using a lot of other tones that are new to the last two albums.

The 80's were chimes and delay, the 90s distortion and oughts seem to be the polished slide. Not bad in my book.

 

[Joha_U2]

The Edge sounds awesome in this album, what more do you want?! Sometimes U2 fans upset me.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

New sounds? I think new sounds are pretty hard to come by these days...

 

[rjhbonovox]

He is doing nothing with his guitar. No wah wah, no fuzz hardly any distortion just the chiming and coke riffs from I will Follow to Where the streets have no name. I loved them then but it can get a bit tiresome when he has filled the last 2 albums with it. The tracks are merging as I speak, Crumbs sounds like Walk On and Miracle Drug is not that far away from Beautiful Day and it all stems from the sound of his guitar.

 

[Dalton]

He is doing nothing with his guitar. No wah wah, no fuzz hardly any distortion just the chiming and coke riffs from I will Follow to Where the streets have no name. I loved them then but it can get a bit tiresome when he has filled the last 2 albums with it. The tracks are merging as I speak, Crumbs sounds like Walk On and Miracle Drug is not that far away from Beautiful Day and it all stems from the sound of his guitar.

lmao

either you don't play guitar or you don't play very well. Honestly. This statement is absolutely ridiculous. My head hurts.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

Crumbs sounds like Walk On b/c the Edge ripped off his own Walk On solo riff.

If people listen to players such as Buckethead, Vai, Satriani, Jeff Beck, etc... or even "crap" bands.... new sounds are very hard to come by these days. With that said, I think his little slide sound/ intermission in COBL is a cool guitar sound...

 

[rjhbonovox]

I reckon his banjo playing is better than his guitar on this album. And yes Dalton I have been playing guitar since 1985, got a Stratocaster in 1986. To point something out, I have been listening to an outtake from Salome, a song called "She's gonna blow your house down". Now listen to the Edge on that song and tell me that is not excting guitar playing. He just sounds so all the same now, Echo Echo bloody Echo.

 

[Dalton]

I reckon his banjo playing is better than his guitar on this album. And yes Dalton I have been playing guitar since 1985, got a Stratocaster in 1986. To point something out, I have been listening to an outtake from Salome, a song called "She's gonna blow your house down". Now listen to the Edge on that song and tell me that is not excting guitar playing. He just sounds so all the same now, Echo Echo bloody Echo.

I love that song. I love what the Edge was doing in the 80's. I love what the Edge did in the 90's.

If you think that the Edge is playing the same things now that he did in the 80s then you don't know as much as you think about the guitar. There are elements that are similar, but there are also element that are there from the 90s as well.

The only album that the Edge did not impress me was ATYLB.

(BTW - I was listening to POP today - Edge plays a mean guitar in Do you Feel Loved - Great stuff)

 

[MrBrau1]

How does anyone know Edge "gave up" on his guitar tone? Maybe, the sounds on this record are the EXACT sounds he wanted to get. The title of this thread is a shit burger.

 

[rjhbonovox]

No I wouldn't say that all the songs have the same edge sound, Love and Peace Or Else at the end now that is beautiful guitar, a more industrial sound, Vertigo is also a different sort of Edge guitar and nice to hear as well. Yeah I think Do You Feel Loved is great, I think that song belongs to Larry though, also the lyrics "Take these shoes, they ain't going nowhere etc" says the same kinda lyric on Yahweh " Take these something or other", well its kinda similar.

 

[MrBrau1]

Same thing on Acrobat and Zooropa:

"And you can dream, so dream out loud"

"She's gonna dream up the world she wants to live in, she's gonna dream out loud"

 

[rjhbonovox]

Ahhhh well spotted there, but that was the main statement from the 90's "Dream out Loud"

 

[Mark Freedman]

Edge is playing signature U2 sounds. Basically, because he plays in a band called U2.

But it sounds like a horn section in COBL.

 

[Dalton]

No I wouldn't say that all the songs have the same edge sound, Love and Peace Or Else at the end now that is beautiful guitar, a more industrial sound, Vertigo is also a different sort of Edge guitar and nice to hear as well. Yeah I think Do You Feel Loved is great, I think that song belongs to Larry though, also the lyrics "Take these shoes, they ain't going nowhere etc" says the same kinda lyric on Yahweh " Take these something or other", well its kinda similar.

Great. So basically your argument boils down to this: you like more distorted guitar. There is no way else around it, but the guitar can do a lot of things without distortion. The Edge is in one of those phases right now.

Sadly you sound like your 80's counterpart sounded in the 90's. The Edge is doing some great stuff on this album, but it is different from the 90's stuff.

 

[Canadiens1131]

I like Edge's guitar right now, he took it just about as far as I wanted to see him go on POP. I'm sure we'll see a "second coming of U2 experimentation" soon enough.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

Great. So basically your argument boils down to this: you like more distorted guitar. There is no way else around it, but the guitar can do a lot of things without distortion. The Edge is in one of those phases right now.

Sadly you sound like your 80's counterpart sounded in the 90's. The Edge is doing some great stuff on this album, but it is different from the 90's stuff.

But you have to admit they over-hyped the album in terms of what Edge was doing guitar wise and just the overall sound.... Some of it was mis-leading IMO and I can understand some reason for disappointment in the Edge's guitar play. For the record, I generally like what the Edge is doing in HTDAAB, but he does seemingly regurgitate some sounds on this album where its pretty noticeable.

 

[rjhbonovox]

But you have to admit they over-hyped the album in terms of what Edge was doing guitar wise and just the overall sound.... Some of it was mis-leading IMO and I can understand some reason for disappointment in the Edge's guitar play. For the record, I generally like what the Edge is doing in HTDAAB, but he does seemingly regurgitate some sounds on this album where its pretty noticeable.

Yeah too right....Bono's too blame "the edge is doing extraordinary things with his guitar" was what he said and I don't see much evidence of it here. Maybe he was talking about something else? Maybe he meant that the edge was cooking the dinner with his guitar or something which would be an extraordinary thing, I suppose.

 

[Matthew_Page2000]

It's time to stop bitching about Bono's hyperbolizing. It's over. The album is out. It doesn't rock like a mofo. It does rock like U2. Let's get over it.
I love the U2 rockers too. I wish the album had a couple more ABOY's and LAPOE's but wish in one hand and s*** in the other and see which one fills up first.
It's a great album. I love UF and that album has only 2 (two) rockers. Pride and Wire. If someone tries to tell me Indian Summer Sky is a rocker I'm gonna clock 'em.

HTDAAB is a great album. It doesn't rock that hard but then again neither does Zooropa, UF or Joshua Tree. And they're not half bad.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

In terms of what you mentioned about distortion... that Blow Your House Down track with the guitar part intro and the Fly intro (cello sound) would be cool things for the Edge to explore IMO.