U2

[cloggypop]

Yeah but harmonics.

[Total Longo]

I used to love them. They peaked with Achtung Baby (which still sounds awesome). I'm still gutted that I missed the Zoo TV tour.

 

Saw them twice on that tour, once in Kiel in Germany which was indoors and then the following summer at Roundhay Park which was an enormo-gig. Brilliant, two of the best gigs i have ever seen, but couldn't care less about what they do nowadays, as it's mainly dull. 

 

Deffo a massive fan in the 80's and early 90's though. Thought the Passengers albums was quality as well. Went downhill from Pop onwards.

[General Dryness]

I saw Bill Bailey play some of The Edge solos in a live comedy performance once. The point he was trying to make was that they are all generally 3 chords.

Yeah, not a great guitarist but a distinctive sound. He's made a lot out of not very much at all.

[Dr Nowt]

Neither Jack White or The Edge are great guitarists in the way that Jimmy Page is, however both have very original styles. From that point of view I would say The Edge would have as much right as Jack White to be there.

 

I can certainly see and appreciate this POV mate.

[VERBAL DIARRHEA]

Love the early stuff, seen them live a few times in the 80's.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

Keep meaning to watch a documentary my mate told me about called It Might Get Loud, with Jack White, Jimmy Page and, errrrr, The Edge talking about their respective playing/influences, etc.

 

Sounds quite shamelessly cringeworthy from the latter just to be sat there with them on such a premise.

 

 

It's pretty good that, well worth a watch if you're into that sort of thing.

 

I'm no U2 fan (I won't be particularly explicit given this is the U2 thread) but I can kinda see why they went with him rather than another 'bluesy' guitarist.

There are some really lovely moments when they're showing each other how to play some of their more famous riffs.  When one of them is talking, the other two look like awe-struck fan-boys who've won a competition to get a guitar lesson from one of their heroes.

 

The whole film is like a love-letter to electric guitars.  It's really sweet.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

Saw them twice on that tour, once in Kiel in Germany which was indoors and then the following summer at Roundhay Park which was an enormo-gig. Brilliant, two of the best gigs i have ever seen, but couldn't care less about what they do nowadays, as it's mainly dull. 

 

Deffo a massive fan in the 80's and early 90's though. Thought the Passengers albums was quality as well. Went downhill from Pop onwards.

I was a (more or less skint) student in Spain at the time.  I lived in Oviedo (where? Exacccly!) for about 6 months then moved to Barcelona.

 

They never played Barcelona, but they did play Oviedo, about 2 weeks after I moved.

 

They were just taking the piss.

 

The Zoo TV thing is one of the best concert films there is.

 

[Total Longo]

Yeah, not a great guitarist but a distinctive sound. He's made a lot out of not very much at all.

 

I think he is well aware that he isn't a "show off" guitarist. If you watch the classic albums show on The Joshua Tree, he states that at the end of With or without You, where it builds to this climax and then breaks down again, at the part that everyone expects it to soar again, he takes great delight in the fact that it's just a strummed D chord (variation) to finish the song. Absolute simplicity and it works perfectly. 

 

I personally love the guy (he is easily the most likeable member of U2) and much prefer his choppy, delay-draped sound to the standard endless and yawnsome blues solos that go on forever

[General Dryness]

I think he is well aware that he isn't a "show off" guitarist. If you watch the classic albums show on The Joshua Tree, he states that at the end of With or without You, where it builds to this climax and then breaks down again, at the part that everyone expects it to soar again, he takes great delight in the fact that it's just a strummed D chord (variation) to finish the song. Absolute simplicity and it works perfectly.

 

I personally love the guy (he is easily the most likeable member of U2) and much prefer his choppy, delay-draped sound to the standard endless and yawnsome blues solos that go on forever

Yeah I've seen that classic albums, love what he did at the end of WOWY.

 

He doesn't use a million notes where three or four would do, hence making a lot out of not much at all. The band play for the song, in that you don't hear moments of individual brilliance, but great pieces of music.

[Red Dawn]

Boy to Achtung Baby period was superb. Decline started from Zooropa onwards with some gems on Pop and All that you can't leave behind. Their best album for me since Pop was No Line on the horizon which funnily enough was pretty much panned.

I have seem them on every tour since first Joshua Tree tour and the Joshua Tree tour last year was the last time I will to see them. Their new albums are dull and uninspired. Ive lost interest in them now.

 

Was a huge fan for years. Now I'm not bothered.

[General Dryness]

Something else that's always impressed me about them is that they've had the same line up since pretty much day dot.

 

Imagine working with the same three people for 40 years? I've wanted to maim some of my ex colleagues within 4 days.

[AnttheBass]

The criticism of them as individual musicians is bandwagon. Let’s all have a downer on U2.

 

Larry is as good a drummer as they come. Edge is original and his use of effects, delay, Juno 106 sounds and textures on Unforgettable Fire, groundbreaking.

 

Adam? Plays in the pocket and is the bedrock. No Jaco Pastorious, but the Weather Report bored me to fuck.

 

Bono? Can be a boring wanker but FFS, he’s up there in terms of singers.

 

A few guitarists and drummers on here thinking it’s cool to hate. Too fucking cool for school.

 

Get within a million miles of what U2 achieved and then offer your pompous critique.

 

Total bandwagon.

[General Dryness]

I think I like you.

[Guest]

The criticism of them as individual musicians is bandwagon. Let’s all have a downer on U2.

 

Larry is as good a drummer as they come. Edge is original and his use of effects, delay, Juno 106 sounds and textures on Unforgettable Fire, groundbreaking.

 

Adam? Plays in the pocket and is the bedrock. No Jaco Pastorious, but the Weather Report bored me to fuck.

 

Bono? Can be a boring wanker but FFS, he’s up there in terms of singers.

 

A few guitarists and drummers on here thinking it’s cool to hate. Too fucking cool for school.

 

Get within a million miles of what U2 achieved and then offer your pompous critique.

 

Total bandwagon.

What an intro. Just wading in shooting down the opinions. I don't know whether to rep or neg. I think I'll wait and see what others do and jump on the bandwagon.

[cloggypop]

 

 

Eno is original and his use of effects, delay, Juno 106 sounds and textures on Unforgettable Fire, groundbreaking.

 

 

 

Agreed.

[Mook]

The criticism of them as individual musicians is bandwagon. Let’s all have a downer on U2.

 

Larry is as good a drummer as they come. Edge is original and his use of effects, delay, Juno 106 sounds and textures on Unforgettable Fire, groundbreaking.

 

Adam? Plays in the pocket and is the bedrock. No Jaco Pastorious, but the Weather Report bored me to fuck.

 

Bono? Can be a boring wanker but FFS, he’s up there in terms of singers.

 

A few guitarists and drummers on here thinking it’s cool to hate. Too fucking cool for school.

 

Get within a million miles of what U2 achieved and then offer your pompous critique.

 

Total bandwagon.

 

I don't really get this point, do you mean achievement in terms of financial/chart success or musical ability as the two certainly don't tend to go hand in hand? Do people have to be millionaires on the back of scores of songs they've written before they're allowed to think that U2 are crap without being 'pompous'?

[Dr Nowt]

I don't really get this point, do you mean achievement in terms of financial/chart success or musical ability as the two certainly don't tend to go hand in hand? Do people have to be millionaires on the back of scores of songs they've written before they're allowed to think that U2 are crap without being 'pompous'?

It’s the internet mate, so you can’t offer a personal opinion on something like music, no matter how benignly, without someone taking it to heart because it isn’t one they share.

 

You supercilious cunt.

[KopOut]

Jumped on the back of new wave and left em all for dead.

 

In terms of creative simplicity, and the ability to craft new ideas with a trad’ line up of guitar bass drums & vocals, & although a four piece and not three, they reminded me of The Police.

 

Later on, ENO’s input was like Trevor Horn’s on other heavyweights of the day - adding rock texture and getting the most out of the band.

 

I used to play a few covers of ‘Achtung’ and ‘Joshua’ with a band in the 90s, and they were always great to play, very enjoyable.

 

They have earned their place in history as rock legends.

[setreal]

They're no Coldplay.

[Total Longo]

If U2 and Radiohead got together and produced a gormless, vapid child, then that child would be Coldplay.

 

They're about as interesting as a bowl of rice. 

[Juniper]

Larry is a good drummer as they come?! Ha!

 

He's been playing the same beat since the 1980's.....

[Carvalho Diablo]

I don't really get this point, do you mean achievement in terms of financial/chart success or musical ability as the two certainly don't tend to go hand in hand? Do people have to be millionaires on the back of scores of songs they've written before they're allowed to think that U2 are crap without being 'pompous'?

 

Completely agree mate. I loathe that arrogant ideology.

 

FWIW Lars Ulrich cannot play for shit and there is zero evidence that he's not a paedophile.

[Carvalho Diablo]

Always really liked The Edge as a guitarist (and as a backing singer). I think the guy is massively underrated, think he's a real pioneer when it comes to playing the effect and not just the guitar. The soundscapes he produces as the lone guitarist (in addition to an Everest sized mountain of effects backstage) is phenomenal.

 

My favourite run of U2 albums is definitely Achtung baby - Zooropa - Pop. Incredible and wonderful pompousity.

[SasaS]

I saw Bill Bailey play some of The Edge solos in a live comedy performance once. The point he was trying to make was that they are all generally 3 chords.

 

 

[KopOut]

“We made a career out of three chords and a whole lot of energy” - Mick Jagger