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U2 Mime on Jonathan Ross !!

  • 05-12-2004 4:07pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 47


    Did anybody see U2's performance on Jonathan Ross this past few days (I saw the repeat last night) ??

    They performed 2 tracks -

    Sometimes you can't make it on your own,
    and
    I will follow.

    Bono was most definately not singing a number of sections of the I Will Follow and at one point he did make a seriously obvious lip sync error!! Is Bono joining the elite lip sync error greats from recent times such as Ashlee Simpson and Posh Spice ?!? (Both recently made serious errors while lipsynching)

    At the end of I Will Follow, Bono and Edge were singing through the same mic for about 10 seconds - and the effect on Edges voice was not on Bono's voice - and as a recording person, I can tell you it is impossible.

    So there we have it - the "best band in the world" following the trend of not wanting to risk a mistake on television. I understand the need for U2 Ltd as a business to have everything looking perfect and sounding perfect so they can sell more copies of the new records and more gig tickets, but I did hold them on a pedastle for a few years because of their live performances. Last night changed all that for me - and they have confirmed their position in the sell-your soul-for-cash chart ! With 750 Million euros in the bank I'd like to think that at this point in their career, they would be thinking of artistic integrity and not more cash. I guess that's the problem. O yeah, and the fact that Bono can't sing the high parts of the tracks he wrote years ago means he now has to mime!

    I'm gutted :(

    I pose the following question.
    Are U2 the biggest whores in Ireland ?


«1

Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,911 ✭✭✭Zombienosh


    Conspiracy wrote:
    Are U2 the biggest whores in Ireland ?

    yes. yes they are.

    u2 and boner/bono can go and die.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 594 ✭✭✭mobile04


    i think u may be a bit harsh here friend
    i hate miming myself shows terrible dis respect 4 the fans and all

    but think of what they are doing for this country.

    dont wanna sound im harping on but
    they did a lot for us
    haning been in america a lot myself
    been a great how can i say.....focal point for me starting off buisness conversation and pub chat for me in the past . never really liked them much after josh 3 album but the last 2 albums were awesome and i did hear a lot of the live stuff on the dvd they had out in hmv last week. very good


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,911 ✭✭✭Zombienosh


    i didnt say that because they mimed.

    i said that because i hate them.
    but miming just proves how crap they are


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,468 ✭✭✭Lex_Diamonds


    Conspiracy wrote:
    O yeah, and the fact that Bono can't sing the high parts of the tracks he wrote years ago means he now has to mime!

    There you go tbh. Bono isnt getting any younger, so he probably needs a crutch when it comes to singing these days.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 453 ✭✭dead air


    That's not true at all. I'm not setting to defend bono here exactly, I just noticed during the performance that bono's voice was very weak in parts, not exactly the trademark giveaway of a pre-recorded vocal.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,483 ✭✭✭Töpher


    dead air wrote:
    That's not true at all. I'm not setting to defend bono here exactly, I just noticed during the performance that bono's voice was very weak in parts, not exactly the trademark giveaway of a pre-recorded vocal.
    Realistic miming. Designed to fool the masses, yet still be "pretty".


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 750 ✭✭✭Bungalow Bill


    I didn't watch 'I will follow' but the other two songs were definitely not mimed. You could even hear cracks in Bono's voice which i'm sure has been under a lot of strain recently. Even the band were playing live which is often not the case. For some reason some Irish people are very spiteful of Bono and I don't know why, I think U2 are a great band and not many are still churning out excellent albums after 20 something years. As he said last on Jonathon Ross, he plans on dedicating the rest of his life to eradicating poverty, yet certain boards users wish he would just 'die'!! You sir, are a grade A wanker. Stop being such a fcking begrudger and just appreciate what the man does.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 11,848 ✭✭✭✭Doctor J


    Does it matter? So the guy can't hit the high notes he used to hit when he was twenty, so what? People get old, it happens, their bodies can't do the things it used to be capable of doing when they were younger. Meh, I'm no fan of U2 but they've done a hell of a lot of good and any band who can keep an audience for well over twenty years and still evolve (if even slightly) from album to album deserves respect.

    Until you've experienced a poxy monitor mix you'll never understand why some folks mime in tv studios. I mean, Jonathan Ross' show, I can understand why someone would mime on that, an audience of ponces and hobnobbers all gawping at you with their dead eyes, who'd want to sing to those buggers? Get them on Jool's show and let's see what they can really do.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 594 ✭✭✭mobile04


    lads yeah the guy is like 80 for gods sake

    when he was in his prime we all were proud of them at one stage or another

    i remember even me dad saying that rattle and rum was a moving piece of footage showing the rise of an irish band in the world of music

    no matter what bad things are said
    i think the lads did more than ok and this live topic on tv should be ended.
    look at the britney yoke..
    now theres f . all talent there
    ps theres the croke park gig coming up
    lets see bono give it socks there no miming there for sure

    rock on ireland and all its super star bands and actors


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 217 ✭✭Bessacadia


    yes. yes they are.

    u2 and boner/bono can go and die.


    Yes please.
    U2 are the biggest load of crap ever.
    He is a twat, so full of himself I have to switch the tv off if he comes on.

    Don't mind me, I have a spot.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 9,230 ✭✭✭OLDYELLAR


    yes have to agree , U2 are a useless pile of crap !


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 29,130 ✭✭✭✭Karl Hungus


    So their guitarist can't play guitar and their singers can't sing... Nothing new there.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 981 ✭✭✭tj-music.com


    I didn´t see this particular performance but perhaps they just had a bad day or maybe the acoustic on set wasn´t great ...

    I am not the biggest U2 fan but I believe that they will prove all their critics wrong over and over again during their next tour.

    U2 after all is an institution and I have seen great musicians on stage where they had wonderful moments and then didnt really hit the notes on some of their songs. It is called "live" - but it doesnt justify to slaughter them for one crappy moment in their history.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 47 Conspiracy


    What have I started :) !

    To the guys that claim his poor crackly vocals isn't exactly trademark of pre-recorded vocals I refer you to my initial post.
    I said - parts of the track - not the whole track. Parts of the track were of great quality, parts were not. The parts that were not were live, the parts that were good were recorded. It's 100% pre-meditated by them as they are actively plugging their album at the moment and would play the local spar if they thought it would sell albums.

    They brand themselves as a band of artists with integrity, when infact they are not - that was my point. Isn't it a shame they got to this when they obviously are past it. Slane was another example. He screached and screached throughout the gig - it was a great gig - because Larry is rock solid, Edge's delay is suited to a big venue, and well..clayton....yeah. Bono is an actor, not a singer anymore. He has spent years creating an image of the hard working humble rock star, and it appears he is finally on the way down. Many of you will be delighted with that. I think they should have quit a few years ago, but this is what happens when you don't.

    Artistic Integrity - Zilch !!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 11,848 ✭✭✭✭Doctor J


    Conspiracy wrote:
    Artistic Integrity - Zilch !!

    My friend, there is no popular musician with artistic credibility, it's merely a matter of how good their PR is and how well they sell it. U2 sell it well and they've done a ****load more good on the back of it than so many others. **** it, let them mime all they want. Credibility is a myth created by record companies to help usher out the old acts so they can introduce you to new young commericial opportunities who are credible until the next fad rolls in. Doesn't anybody burn NME any more? ;)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,921 ✭✭✭✭Pigman II


    I hate U2 so much.

    As a band they're so big and critic-proof at this stage that the could take any artistic liberty they felt like and still sell millions of records yet they seem more interested in just regurgitating the same sorry nonsence year after year and getting as many product tie-in's as possible before Boner drops dead of ego-failure.

    U2, please split up .... or surprise me .... or just die horribly. The choice is yours .... but please do one of the 3 asap! :mad:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 750 ✭✭✭Bungalow Bill


    Pigman II wrote:
    I hate U2 so much.

    As a band they're so big and critic-proof at this stage that the could take any artistic liberty they felt like and still sell millions of records yet they seem more interested in just regurgitating the same sorry nonsence year after year and getting as many product tie-in's as possible before Boner drops dead of ego-failure.

    U2, please split up .... or surprise me .... or just die horribly. The choice is yours .... but please do one of the 3 asap! :mad:

    Apparantly Oasis were critic proof, what happened there? If their new album was sh1t then the critics would have said so, whats there to be afraid of?
    U2 are one band that have actually developed over the years, otherwise there is no way they would maintain the extraordinary level of popularity that they currently have. Their market isn't clueless 13 year old's, its adults, of all ages. If they release something that isn't good then it will be said.
    They're new album is actually very good, not that you would have heard it too well with your head so far up your as$....


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 47 Conspiracy


    My friend, there is no popular musician with artistic credibility, it's merely a matter of how good their PR is and how well they sell it.

    To say that is incorrect. In recent years this may well be correct. It was not correct up to the 80's, and certainly a large part of the 90's with a large number of artists.

    Many groups/artists are genuinly passionate about wanting to sound good, and wanting to give back something to the people who support them. U2 on the other hand do not do this.

    Thanks to some clever accounting by Ossie Kilkenny over the years, good Management by Principle Management (Paul McGuinness & co) , and the ability to have a tax free earning based out of the country.

    They pay no tax, and they know that the market here is too easy for them. An island of 4,000,000 people. Yes they sell some albums here, but nothing compared to what they sell elsewhere.

    A good few posters above claim that U2 have done a lot for Ireland.
    Can anyone give any big examples of what these things are??


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 11,848 ✭✭✭✭Doctor J


    The music business is a filthy piece of **** controlled by soulless money hungry bastards who had any love of art sucked out of them, all that remains is a manky darkness consumed with units, territories and, of course, dollars. Many artists do indeed care about sounding good, but once they sign a recording contract, they waive the right to control their music and any credibility associated with it. That there is any decent music at all is a miracle, seriously. Don't take my word for it though, if you ever bump into any Irish band member of any of the bands who got signed and their record company never released an album, soon to discover they were only signed so as they wouldn't interfere with one of the company's favoured acts. There are a lot more of them than you think, believe me. As I said, I'm no fan of U2, but I know enough of what really goes on to appreciate their durability in the filthiest of industries, and I greatly respect their work at highlighting the causes of those less fortunate, even though Bono may be an arrogant git, I've never met the fella so I can't really say.

    Seriously, do a bit of scratching below the surface of the music industry, you'll be amazed and sickened.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,117 ✭✭✭✭MrJoeSoap


    So their guitarist can't play guitar and their singers can't sing... Nothing new there.

    Arent you forgetting the other two?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,921 ✭✭✭✭Pigman II


    They're new album is actually very good, not that you would have heard it too well with your head so far up your as$....

    Thank you for those flatulent wordings.

    Just so you know I have actually listened to HTDAAB and it's a piece of crap. Same goes for that the previous effort AllThatYouCan't ... etc ... etc ... yawn.

    You're a bloody moron if you think U2 are developing, The fact that you're even defending them shows you haven't got a clue ... which I guess makes you the perfect consumer for their latest 'lifestyle product' .... oh sorry I meant 'album'.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 47 Conspiracy


    The release of the last album - 2000.
    Bono's Apple Lifebook is "stolen" from his car with the lyrics and track notes.
    Nothing ever happened about it - never turned up - it was all fine.
    The same album - they robbed track ideas from other bands.
    Beautiful Day - or "Sun doesn't shine on TV" by A-Ha should I say.

    The new Album - 2004.
    Edge's gets copies of tracks robbed 4 months before album launch date - U2 go on record saying they might release the album early with who? Apple iTunes of course, and by sheer coincidence, U2 have been on the cover page of www.apple.com for the past fortnight. There is even an article about Bono, Edge and Steve Jobs (Apple Chief) in there !!!!! The album didn't get launched early, and like the other album, it appeared to be Karl Rove type spin.

    Also, the new album is so average it's not funny. Only with 750 Million would you be accepted to release such average material.

    Doctor J : You are right about smaller acts when they sign - they play ball, cause the record company owns them at that point. However, U2 are at the stage that they could produce what they want and get the results for it. U2 do not owe anything to any company - and can make their own decisions. They have chosen to be average.

    Pop-idol et. al is a great example.
    I take a formula. TV Show & Hopefuls & Advertising & Merchandise & Record & PR = Profit. Pump enough money into anything, and you can make it successful - it's really very simple. Look at GW Bush !!! It's exactly what was done with him.


    Doctor J Said:
    Don't take my word for it though, if you ever bump into any Irish band member of any of the bands who got signed and their record company never released an album, soon to discover they were only signed so as they wouldn't interfere with one of the company's favoured acts.

    You are correct there !! I've heard that the manager of one successful well known heroin using Band from Dublin has made a practice of doing that to Dublin bands. "Shelving".

    U2 could be doing better, but they are not better.
    They are corporate whores. Big players in a big money business.

    Again, can anyone give examples of Good Things U2 hve done for Ireland ?!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 11,848 ✭✭✭✭Doctor J


    They've showed that it's possible for an Irish band to be globally successful and by doing so, have helped countless other bands and musicians get a look in they would never have gotten otherwise. That do? Self Aid, remember that? Didn't think so.

    Man, I don't know about you, but I give up on bands being 'groundbreaking' after the third or fourth album. Am I the only one who heard Zooropa? Was that not enough of a departure from the norm? How long have U2 been at it, over 25 years? You expect a revolution every album? Have a look at what their peers are doing, REM for example. You expect 40 and 50 year olds to be contemporary? Wake up man, get a grip. What sort of music does your dad make? Have you heard St Anger? The bickering that accompanies their every move from this island is just plain sad. You may not like their music, but they've been on the top globally for a long time, Irish musicians, Irish management, Irish setup, yet all they seem to get is this constant whining from so many Irish people begrudging them their success. I don't get it. Do people bitch about the football team when they qualify for a tournament but play unattractive or orthodox and uninspiring football? You don't have to like their music but FFS don't bitch just because they are successful. Same goes for the Corrs. Can't stand their music but fair ****ing play to them, they've gone from nothing to be internationally successful, why the **** would I begrude them success just because they're Irish? That makes no sense. If U2 are a bland and mediocre as is being made out here, how come they're still a big name after 25 years? Can someone explain that please? Let's look at the facts, a purely marketing driven musical act has a shelf life of, what, seven years tops? Let me assure you, U2 were certainly not subject to large sums of money a la pop idol and that other ****e back in the late 70's. So Island markets the new album, duh. Island is there to make money. Would it be more artistically credible if they only released the album in Road Records and only on vinyl too, cos cd's are corporate bull****, yeah!

    The crux of it is this, some Irish lads made it big. OK, maybe I think Cynic are much more artistically valid but they didn't even sell 10,000 albums so what? Insert whatever band you want to harp the merits of there. U2 made it. Fair ****ing play to them, they've stayed at the top when so many others have disappeared into the dirt. Some Irish people have worked the ****ty system to their favour. Personally, I'm impressed. Why are so many against that?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 47 Conspiracy


    Doctor J !

    BTW, I'm a recording professional - and not just a music fan. I have a good knowledge of the industry, and contacts that have been involved with acts including U2.

    Doctor J wrote:
    Man, I don't know about you, but I give up on bands being 'groundbreaking' after the third or fourth album. Am I the only one who heard Zooropa? Was that not enough of a departure from the norm?

    You give up on bands? You mustn't hold these bands in high esteem then.
    U2 have always tried to be trendy. Zooropa was exactly that. They got a dance album recorded as dance music got popular. They even got David Holmes to do remixes for the tracks. It was strategic - not artistic.
    Doctor J wrote:
    How long have U2 been at it, over 25 years? You expect a revolution every album?
    U2 have made a career out of revolutions every album. The fact that music has reached a stalemate in terms of "dance is has landed, what's next", U2's new album sounds like they weren't sure what to do at all. The trends set the pace for them before - this time they had no market trends other than Britney etc, and they couldn't enter that market.
    Doctor J wrote:
    You may not like their music, but they've been on the top globally for a long time, Irish musicians, Irish management, Irish setup, yet all they seem to get is this constant whining from so many Irish people begrudging them their success. I don't get it.
    What makes you think I don't like their music? I love their earlier albums like my left leg !! You reading someone elses post?

    I'm not begrudging their success, I'm questioning the way they are now milking it.
    Doctor J wrote:
    You don't have to like their music but FFS don't bitch just because they are successful. Same goes for the Corrs. Can't stand their music but fair ****ing play to them, they've gone from nothing to be internationally successful, why the **** would I begrude them success just because they're Irish? That makes no sense. If U2 are a bland and mediocre as is being made out here, how come they're still a big name after 25 years? Can someone explain that please? Let's look at the facts, a purely marketing driven musical act has a shelf life of, what, seven years tops? Let me assure you, U2 were certainly not subject to large sums of money a la pop idol and that other ****e back in the late 70's. So Island markets the new album, duh. Island is there to make money. Would it be more artistically credible if they only released the album in Road Records and only on vinyl too, cos cd's are corporate bull****, yeah!

    OK. You don't seem to know much about the industry afterall. In the late 70's early 80's, not every person could record. If a band were picked out by a record company, money was pumped in - of that be sure. In the late 90's, that all changed with computer aideded audio production. Suddenly, the cost of demos were gone, and it was made even harder to make it. The cost of launching an artist soared, and thus the amounts that would be spent on pop-idols etc. You think Steve Lillywhite was cheap for the recording of War? No. Do you think that U2's Joshua Tree was done on the cheap? I assure you, it cost a fortune to record. The gigs that followed cost a fortune to put together, but they paid divis once tickets were sold.
    U2 are still such a big name, because they have a personal wealth of 750 Million Euros. When you have that money, and the people involved with you have that much money, anything you do - along with the correct advertising - will work. It's very very simple. They have the money from when they were great, and they can use that money as collateral to keep themselves up there.
    Doctor J wrote:
    The crux of it is this, some Irish lads made it big. OK, maybe I think Cynic are much more artistically valid but they didn't even sell 10,000 albums so what? Insert whatever band you want to harp the merits of there. U2 made it. Fair ****ing play to them, they've stayed at the top when so many others have disappeared into the dirt. Some Irish people have worked the ****ty system to their favour. Personally, I'm impressed. Why are so many against that?
    I think they were great. They were the best thing. I love the Coors - again they have a big advertising budget. There is nothing wrong with my music taste, and a good song is a good song. The passion is gone from U2. However, they can't let go. So now, they market themselves as something they are not. They use the money from the people who supported them all the years, and they present an image of themselves that is not accurate. They present the image, because they can't live up to it, and they are afraid they will loose money if people heard Bono sing out of tune. To be a great band, these things are not acceptable. No singer who walks into my studio singing out of tune will ever be taken on for anything. That goes for other studios too. If however that singer had 750 Million Euros and a reputation, my mind could be altered!!!

    U2 will eventually need to hang up the boots, and I suspected it would happen after the last album. I missed the gig (I've never seen them), and thought I'd never see them live. I was shocked to see the new album on it's way out - and hearing their guitar techs saying "the album is totally hot - pumping etc" I expected more than what they recorded. However, my new contact with their tour financiers will ensure I get to see them this time and I will probably cry when I hear With or Without You and countless other classics (I'm serious - I get a lump in my throat thinking about it). However, I won't be emotionaly moved by most of their new tracks, and the same for the last album. I enjoy singing A-Ha's "Sun doesn't shine" over Beautiful day when I get the chance. I'm not begrudging them anything - fair balls. I say the same for Bill Gates, and for Dick Cheney (who both came from nothing). I really dislike what they have done, and I don't like the way any ot them are going about it.

    Bono, I have on good information, would have you believe that he is the humble White Dove - while the truth is he is one of the most ignorant ruthless people in the industry. There are not many Humble White Doves with as much money as him.

    No More, bed for me :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 11,848 ✭✭✭✭Doctor J


    Heh heh heh, you make your initial post like you're stunned that they've mimed on TV, like this is their greatest sin, now you've been disppointed with them for years, so why are you making such a meal of them miming on TV, surely with Bono being no white dove this is the sort of thing they'd have been doing for years? You say you're gutted? Surely you've seen this fateful day coming through the years of mediocrity? Now they finally went and mimed and oh woe is me! How could they do this to us. Bastards. They mimed, a knife through the heart of all that was left of honest Irish music. It seems to me you're just looking for a reason to gripe about them. If you're a recording professional then I'd hazard a guess that it hasn't been for long. Not taking a swing here, but you've changed your arguement since this you started this thread from "I'm gutted" to "They've been **** for years" and Bono can't sing. Studio etiquette is a big part of recording, my friend, don't find that out the hard way. You're an engineer, right? Do you know what kind of facilities were available in the Jonathan Ross studio? Do you reckon they would've been able to push the amps up without the floor manager ****ting himself? Do you know if it's that show's policy to have live music? Most TV shows are very definitely against it, in my experience. Do you reckon, if Bono had instisted on singing live with the band playing live and the studio manager was arguing against it, that you'd be calling Bono a whore and an arsehole because he said "do you know who we are?" in that big headed way and put his foot down like an arsehole and we've got to play live or we're walking way blah blah blah If you're really an engineer you should be very well aware of this stuff already. Why should they stop? Just because you think they've sold out? Come on, are you 15? If you work in the music industry you should know better, a lot better. I guarantee your studio has no issue sucking corporate cock to get paychecks to record the next pop boy band bull****. And I guarantee your lips will be puckering up too. "Would you like milk with that tea, Mr McFadden, sir?". Gotta get paid, right? :)

    You question the way they milk it? Why would they not milk it? What do they owe you? Why would any band not want to make the most of their opportunity for as long as they can? As for artisitic credibilty, as you're a pro you'll be aware he records with a 58? No expencive tube mics here, just a 58 with the monitors blaring. Not exactly prissy prima donna type of stuff. The guy records vocals in a way he's happy with despite the leared opinion that he should be wearing cans and isolated. Is that not even a teeeny bit artisitic? I've heard plenty of stories about Bono, I have contacts too, and as I said before, I hear he's a **** but I've never met him myself, so I'm going to refrain form making any judgements about the guy until I can say it for myself. If you want to make a career for yourself you'd do well to not get into the habit of slagging people who may one day be paying for your bread and milk, especially when you're only passing on second hand info.

    As I said, do you seriously expect a band in their 40's who've knocked out that many albums to re-invent music with each release? I'm long enough in the tooth to remeber people who said they had sold out long before The Joshua Tree was released. Meh, it doesn't sound like their old stuff whaaaa whaaa whaaa! For some reason, Irish people seem to reserve a special kind of pettiness for Irish bands, which I just don't understand and they dig up all these petty reasons to try to make out such and such a band are arseholes. It's tiring. Bono, regardless of what sort of personality he is, has expoited his postition to try to alleviate thrid world debt. That's alot more than you or I have done. If they only put out one **** album after another just so he can keep in the news and bringing this shameful issue to the medias attention then that'll do for me. U2 are never going to keep everyone happy. They manipulate the filthiest business there is to their advantage. Get over it. If only more Irish bands would do the same. Artistic integrity? That doesn't exist in the music business. It's a business. Music is the commodity. That's the real world. Shift units. Your job, as an engineer, is to record the ****e that will shift units and lap it up and to come back for more. So who's the bad guy now?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,708 ✭✭✭✭Mr. CooL ICE


    Ok, last few posts were too long for me to read and im short on time, but bottom line is, I hate U2 and the Corrs' music (im a pure metalhead) but if it wasn't for those two bands (arguably two of the most successful irish bands), along with Thin Lizzy and Rory Gallagher, do you think and major labels would think of looking in this country for any new talent???

    Aswell as that, I can't think of any Belgian bands. Belgium is very like Ireland, in terms of population, geographical size and is in the EU. But I can't think of any major bands that have come out of Belgium at all, despite there being possibly hundreds of talented acts there. Even a Belgian metal scene? You might wonder what I'm ranting about, but I would imagine Ireland to be like Belgium these days if it wasn't for the likes of U2, The Corrs and Thin Lizzy


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 612 ✭✭✭Phil_321


    Hmmm, off the top of my head, the ones everybody knows....
    One
    With Or Without You
    Even Better Than The Real Thing
    Where The Streets Have No Name
    The Fly
    Mysterious Ways
    Pride(In The Name Of Love)
    Desire
    Angel Of Harlem
    Sunday Bloody Sunday
    I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
    When Love Comes To Town
    All I Want Is You



    Yeah, crap band alright, how did they ever conquer the world......

    If you can't recognise the inherent quality in the above songs you are a musical retard.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,424 ✭✭✭joejoem


    Phil_321 wrote:
    Hmmm, off the top of my head, the ones everybody knows....
    One
    With Or Without You
    Even Better Than The Real Thing
    Where The Streets Have No Name
    The Fly
    Mysterious Ways
    Pride(In The Name Of Love)
    Desire
    Angel Of Harlem
    Sunday Bloody Sunday
    I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
    When Love Comes To Town
    All I Want Is You



    Yeah, crap band alright, how did they ever conquer the world......

    If you can't recognise the inherent quality in the above songs you are a musical retard.


    Too true, its such a pity to see such begrudging bastards like the people writing on this form. Why is it that people cant handle an Irish band being this succesful. I will just quote something from Bono which has been prooved here -

    "An American man sees another man standing outside of his mansion with his beautiful wife and three kids with all his nice cars and says to himself someday I'm gonna be as rich and succesful as that guy. An Irish man then see's the same guy and says - some day Im gonna catch that guy and beat the **** out of him and run a key down the side of his car."


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,643 ✭✭✭magpie


    "An American man sees another man standing outside of his mansion with his beautiful wife and three kids with all his nice cars and says to himself someday I'm gonna be as rich and succesful as that guy. An Irish man then see's the same guy and says - some day Im gonna catch that guy and beat the **** out of him and run a key down the side of his car."

    Yes, because aspiration to wealth is a key element of american society, and look where it's got them.

    Irish society used to have something more than a crass obsession with accumulating material objects and status, which has sadly been eroded by the american values so eloquently advocated by Bono and his ilk.

    This concept of 'begrudgery' is the Irish equivalent of 'Anti-Semitism'. If you have a problem with a person who happens to be rich or successful your opinion is automatically derided as 'begrudgery'. Much in the same way you can't criticise the politics of the state of Israel without them screaming 'Anti-Semitism!'.

    Trust me, I have no interest in leading the sad vacuous existence that Bono has created for himself, nor do I have any interest in his money or fame. I just happen to think he's a puffed-up, nylon-hair-plugged little middle-aged man who is sorely lacking in dignity. I also think he's reasonably talented, and that early U2 stuff was good (I love New Year's Day etc). I just don't think anything they've done recently is very relevant, or good. The fact that he carries out good works for charity does not mean that he is exempt from criticism in his musical career.

    And they were doing U2 Karaoke on Jonathan Woss. And that bit were Bono ripped his t-shirt open made me gag/laugh in equal measure.

    In short, give it a rest grandad.

    I can't think of any Belgian bands

    Soulwax / 2 Many DJs


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 612 ✭✭✭Phil_321


    magpie wrote:
    Soulwax / 2 Many DJs

    Never heard of 'em.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 750 ✭✭✭Bungalow Bill


    magpie wrote:
    Yes, because aspiration to wealth is a key element of american society, and look where it's got them.

    Irish society used to have something more than a crass obsession with accumulating material objects and status, which has sadly been eroded by the american values so eloquently advocated by Bono and his ilk.

    This concept of 'begrudgery' is the Irish equivalent of 'Anti-Semitism'. If you have a problem with a person who happens to be rich or successful your opinion is automatically derided as 'begrudgery'. Much in the same way you can't criticise the politics of the state of Israel without them screaming 'Anti-Semitism!'.

    Trust me, I have no interest in leading the sad vacuous existence that Bono has created for himself, nor do I have any interest in his money or fame. I just happen to think he's a puffed-up, nylon-hair-plugged little middle-aged man who is sorely lacking in dignity. I also think he's reasonably talented, and that early U2 stuff was good (I love New Year's Day etc). I just don't think anything they've done recently is very relevant, or good. The fact that he carries out good works for charity does not mean that he is exempt from criticism in his musical career.

    And they were doing U2 Karaoke on Jonathan Woss. And that bit were Bono ripped his t-shirt open made me gag/laugh in equal measure.

    In short, give it a rest grandad.




    Soulwax / 2 Many DJs

    Ah the stupid argument of music being relevant, that means NOTHING. The fact is that after 25 years millions of discerning adults who normally mightn't spend their money on music still are buying U2 albums. Why? Not because they're marketed so well, but because the albums are still very good, and that is what a fan wants from an album. Music critics have as much freedom to write whatever they want as they like so who is saying that they are criticism proof. And this album got 4 out of 5 stars in almost everything I read.
    You accuse Bono of lacking dignity?? Just after you launch an attack on the man's appearance("puffed-up, nylon-hair-plugged little middle-aged man"), where is the dignity in that comment?
    Bono is using the position he has to do as much good in the world as he can and plans on dedicating the rest of his life to it, that HAS to be respected.
    I hope U2 continue to release good music because they are still better than most bands. They still put on an awesome live show that is streets ahead of most bands. And we should be proud of them because they are Irish and be thankful that scouts have been looking around Ireland for the next U2 for the last 15 years, adn hopefully for me, the next 15.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,147 ✭✭✭mise


    hmmm..... just reading some of the commetns bout how U2 shouldve quit a feww years back makes me wonder how many of you have given the new album a good listen. Sounds to me like most havent and just wanna whinge bout Bono and U2 a bit more. Didnt see the Jonathan Ross performance and wouldve been surprised if they did mime. Bono voice is a lot weaker than it used to be but but has been like that nice at least "pop". He sings a lot differently now than he did back in the day, still think he can sing tho. Would just like to see better contributions than " U2 are sh*te wish they'd split up"


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,889 ✭✭✭Third_Echelon


    I can't stand this apparent Irish attirude towards U2 and Bono in particular.

    They are living legends in their own right. One of the previous posters listed some of their best tracks... There are some bands out there that would give their left-testicle to have just one of those tracks in their entire career on one of their albums!!!

    The new album is really good. All reviews that i've read of it have given it top marks. Reviews dont lie. If something is cr@p, you are told its cr@p by reading many reviews etc....

    With regards to the miming thing on JRoss show, I didn't actually notice it. It sounded pretty live to me, but as other more musically technified people have pointed out, they were miming for some parts... SO WHAT!!!

    Its well known that the BBC do not allow live acts to perform fully live!!! look at TOTP for the past god-knows-how-many years.... The famous Nirvana incident on the JRoss show in the early 90's? Anyone remember that???

    Bono being a typical front-man of such a successfull band has to be full of himself. This is where front-men get their confidence and buzz... its what they do....

    People seem to have this affliction of slagging Bono for doing all the charity work and drop the debt stuff, saying that he's only doing it for the publicity etc...
    To those people i say, 'stop being a bunch of winging geebags...'

    The man is doing something good with the influence he has... We have put him in this 'powerful' position by buying his records and making him famous. He is putting his fame to good use and in turn helping those less fortunate than ourselves.

    For those of you that give him stick for this, take a look at yourself and feel ashamed. If he stopped doing the work he is doing a lot of people would be less well off... He is actually doing something about issues that he feels are important. Grow up Ireland and look at the bigger picture....

    I for one salute you Bono...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,578 ✭✭✭Slutmonkey57b


    It's amazing the amount of spite that gets directed at Bono. Mostly from people who will tell you what he's like having never met the man. Ever. Firstly, I have met the man, and where I work most people have. He is, by 100% consensus, one of the nicest blokes to deal with. As are the rest of the U2 "sellouts" you're decrying. And if your music industry "contacts" have bad experiences, try remembering something: they meet him at work. Are you the same person at home as you are at work? Bullsh*t you are. If I'm Bono, and I walk into a recording studio, I'd be inclined to run things however I wanted. If somebody disagreed with me, I'd be inclined to say "Don't like it? get another job."

    As to Bono leading a "sad, vaucous existance", are living on the same planet here? Let's see, he's been married to the same woman for over 20years, has kids, lives near where he grew up, manages to be successful, brings pleasure to millions all over the world and devotes large amounts of time to charity. Sounds like a pretty simple, holistic existance to me. Care to put your own life cv online so we can compare? Got any kids? Married, are you? Managed to avoid selling your soul to a corporate devil to pay the bills, have you? Bullsh*t you have.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 265 ✭✭Smiler


    magpie wrote:

    Soulwax / 2 Many DJs

    Are they not the same band?

    I thought "2 many DJ's" were the brothers from Soulwax doing dance stuff.

    Could be wrong though.

    Anyway If you don't like what U2 are doing then don't buy the album.
    I got it as a pressie, and it's ok. I like Vertigo & Peace & Love or else..........the rest is growing on me. Slowly

    No1 in 32 countries though................that's a lot of sales.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 47 Conspiracy


    Here Here Magpie !!!

    Doc J - You give me a 58 through a voxbox and I'll make you sound good too.
    Whether I use a 58 or a M149 on a vocalist, it will always depend on whether it suits the vocalist or not. The freq range of the 58 suits bono - that's why they use it. Using a sm58 over a u87 does not amount to artistic integtity !!!!! As Joe Meek said: if it sounds right, it is right.

    Am I an engineer? Yes. I also produce, and am a multi-instrumentalist. And no, our studio does not suck the client off. Infact, we had a a client who wanted 3000ms of reverb on a drumkit this weekend just gone - which didn't happen in the end as we knew better than them on that decision. No selling out - and that is the way we want to keep it.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,578 ✭✭✭Slutmonkey57b


    What he means is, and this is the important "sellout" point here, is:

    Would you turn down a client with large amounts of cash just because you didn't like their music? Or their "integrity"? What about drug use? Or the label they were signed to? Or if they didn't like Nirvana? Would you book Cat Stevens in? Boasting about how you refused to do a reverb means nothing other than you didn't like the sound the client wanted to make, and that you're arrogant enough to try and force your opinion on them. Tell me, did you still take the client's money? Too ****ing right you did.
    Irish society used to have something more than a crass obsession with accumulating material objects and status, which has sadly been eroded by the american values so eloquently advocated by Bono and his ilk.

    This is a joke, right? Apparantly you haven't read the lyrics to the average U2 song,glorifying crass consumption is not a major theme. Spirituality is. Society is. Injustice is. I don't hear any rapperesque Bono lyrics about the size of his house or the number of cars he has, or how many b!tches he's had. Irish society used to have a lot of things, mind-numbing stupidity being one of them. Nice to see not all the old traditions have died off, eh?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,578 ✭✭✭Slutmonkey57b


    Conspiracy wrote:
    Am I an engineer? Yes. I also produce, and am a multi-instrumentalist. No selling out - and that is the way we want to keep it.

    Here's a piece of guesswork for you:
    Do you think that when U2 walk into their studio, to record their album, of their own music, and their own lyrics, on their own equipment, they worry about what anyone else thinks they should be doing? I'd guess the answer is no. Maybe it's because they're arrogant. Or maybe they figure they've been doing this so long they might have a vague clue what they're up to by now.

    As to selling out, you must be aware that U2 are one of the only bands in the world who own the rights to their own catalogue - since before Joshua Tree came out. Not only have they not "sold out" in the way that every other band has - by giving up the rights to their music, image and production to a record company - they don't have to pimp their soul to whoever comes along to earn a crust. Tell me, are you in a position to do that? Getting bitter over the fact that they have €750m to "cushion" themselves with indicates to me that you're not. They're rich. They earned it by working their arses off in this industry when you were a tiddler, or not even born. Get over it.

    As to the miming bit, I didn't see it so I can't comment one way or the other. You know what you could do rather than vent your bile on a message board? email the fan club, or the band, and ask what went on. Never know, you might get an answer.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 47 Conspiracy


    Would you turn down a client with large amounts of cash just because you didn't like their music? Or their "integrity"? What about drug use? Or the label they were signed to? Or if they didn't like Nirvana? Would you book Cat Stevens in? Boasting about how you refused to do a reverb means nothing other than you didn't like the sound the client wanted to make, and that you're arrogant enough to try and force your opinion on them. Tell me, did you still take the client's money? Too ****ing right you did.

    You miss the point. This job was an engineering AND producing job. If you are to produce for an act who don't know the greater implications of making random changes to a mix with no regard for consequence - then you have to direct them. They pay for your opinion.

    You send in steve lillywhite or another big producer to the studio, and I'll expect they know better than me. I wouldn't expect suggestions like put loads of reverb on the drums while everything else is dry. The client was only slagging off our reference library containing Bon Jovi's slippery when wet. The client then wanted that treatment on their drums - but they didn't. It was an attempt to make a suggestion about how to make the whole thing sound better. The suggestion was discussed, and was very openly explained to them. Time was money - and they could play with reverbs on the drums if they wanted. They chose not to - and the whole thing will sound more like what they wanted than what you appear to suspect.

    The difference is between engineering and producing. When you do both, you have to help the client get the result they want - and it's a diplomatic process. No bullying works - it's about discussion and understanding. We own our studio - and it's not small either. We owe nothing, and we can do what we like. We produce. We don't take production instructions from people who have no idea what they are talking about (scientifically engineering wise). It's not about liking music. I've heard the same 3 tracks around 200 times over the past fortnight, and I know them better than the band themselves do. We had an initial meeting concerning the sound they wanted and we all agreed on what it was to sound like. We are not stupid, and we are not arrogant. We are simply confident in our engineering and production skills as a production team are up to scratch. We also know the effects of making what might seem to an artist like a "small" change. This will end in one of two situations - 1) it doesn't get finished because they can't pay for it to be finished, 2) Stick to the plan, and get the product completed to the agreed timescale and cost base.

    Time is money - and we are there to ensure they get value for money. Not to let some guy sit there playing with the lexicon for and hour at his own cost to find we were right.


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Here's a piece of guesswork for you:
    Do you think that when U2 walk into their studio, to record their album, of their own music, and their own lyrics, on their own equipment, they worry about what anyone else thinks they should be doing? I'd guess the answer is no. Maybe it's because they're arrogant. Or maybe they figure they've been doing this so long they might have a vague clue what they're up to by now.

    As to selling out, you must be aware that U2 are one of the only bands in the world who own the rights to their own catalogue - since before Joshua Tree came out. Not only have they not "sold out" in the way that every other band has - by giving up the rights to their music, image and production to a record company - they don't have to pimp their soul to whoever comes along to earn a crust. Tell me, are you in a position to do that? Getting bitter over the fact that they have €750m to "cushion" themselves with indicates to me that you're not. They're rich. They earned it by working their arses off in this industry when you were a tiddler, or not even born. Get over it.

    As to the miming bit, I didn't see it so I can't comment one way or the other. You know what you could do rather than vent your bile on a message board? email the fan club, or the band, and ask what went on. Never know, you might get an answer.

    :mad: Ok I was going to stay quiet for this one but
    "one of the only bands in the world who own the rights to their own catalogue - since before Joshua Tree came out. Not only have they not "sold out" in the way that every other band has - by giving up the rights to their music, image and production to a record company - they don't have to pimp their soul to whoever comes along to earn a crust. "

    If you check out the fact they "sold" their next tour to Clear Channel Entertainment who make ticketmaster look like a charity. For a princely fee. They now have no control over prices and limited control on where they play.

    And what about the U2 apple ipod? I would consider that whoring my "musical integrity".

    Ireland is a nation of begrudgers, thats true, but it's only when people are fake and liars. We have got a (general) good eye for that. When was the last time someone dissed Liam Neeson, Neil Jordan even Mary Robinson ffs!!


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 47 Conspiracy


    Papa Smut wrote:
    And what about the U2 apple ipod? I would consider that whoring my "musical integrity".

    Ireland is a nation of begrudgers, thats true, but it's only when people are fake and liars. We have got a (general) good eye for that. When was the last time someone dissed Liam Neeson, Neil Jordan even Mary Robinson ffs!!

    HERE HERE !!!

    U2 wouldn't mime on tv if they had integrity. Bill Hicks wouldn't go onto "The Word" in 1992 because he was told that Oliver Reed had been brought to the pub by the producers earlier in the day so he would be completely pissed by the time of the show. That is artistic integrity. You hold a show over a barrell if they don't give you what you want - especially if you are U2.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 11,848 ✭✭✭✭Doctor J


    Conspiracy wrote:
    You hold a show over a barrell if they don't give you what you want - especially if you are U2.

    Then the petty whiners would be up in arms bitching about how U2 were **** to the TV show blah blah blah

    Change the record :)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 47 Conspiracy


    Then the petty whiners would be up in arms bitching about how U2 were **** to the TV show blah blah blah

    Which petty whiners? The TV company?

    If they tried to whine, they would be sued by U2 Ltd.

    Did you not see what happened with Justin Hawkings of the Darkness with the Band Aid 20 recording?

    Both he and Bono recorded the same line - aka "the bono line".
    The production team were going to choose Justins's line because they felt it sounded better. Bono wasn't happy, and his lawyers got involved. Bono was in the final version singing the line !!

    750 Million Doc J.......750 Million. Mess with it, and you will be sued. They chose to mime - straight and simple. Don't try to blame the show. Also you think the band mimed? I don't. Just the singer. And that is the least hassell in a tv studio - a microphone. Done on purpose, done to decieve, end of story.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 11,848 ✭✭✭✭Doctor J


    Didn't see it and honestly don't care enough to bother hunting it down. It's not a big deal. What I find hard to understand is how one second you're gutted and next they've been on the corporate bloodwagon for 15 years?

    The music business is all about selling out. That's how it works. Really, I thought everybody knew :confused:


  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Doctor J wrote:

    The music "business" is all about selling out. That's how it works. Really, I thought everybody knew :confused:


    Not all the time... You don't "Have" to sell your soul and start sucking Satan's ding-dong to make a career in music. See Ani DiFranco, Hamill on Trial, Belle and Sebastian, Beck, Sonic Youth etc., etc. All these people (while having NONE of the marketing money behind them) are able to make a fortune, and they make their fortunes from NOT sucking Satans ding-a-ling but from gigging, making music that people want to find because it's generally beautiful. They have control over their studio output and gigging commitments, and NEVER mime. (Hamill does a really good sketch on it)

    So. To recap. You can make it in music without having to go into the "Business" :cool:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 11,848 ✭✭✭✭Doctor J


    Conspiracy wrote:
    WAlso you think the band mimed? I don't. Just the singer. And that is the least hassell in a tv studio - a microphone. Done on purpose, done to decieve, end of story.

    You sure you're an engineer? You think mic'ing drums, guiatr and bass and make damn sure the band sync to a pre-recorded backing track of vocal less hassle than just playing a DAT and have everybody mime, then mix foldback, foh and a live mix to the TV feeds? ;)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 11,848 ✭✭✭✭Doctor J


    Papa Smut wrote:
    Not all the time... You don't "Have" to sell your soul and start sucking Satan's ding-dong to make a career in music. See Ani DiFranco, Hamill on Trial, Belle and Sebastian, Beck, Sonic Youth etc., etc. All these people (while having NONE of the marketing money behind them) are able to make a fortune, and they make their fortunes from NOT sucking Satans ding-a-ling but from gigging, making music that people want to find because it's generally beautiful. They have control over their studio output and gigging commitments, and NEVER mime. (Hamill does a really good sketch on it)

    So. To recap. You can make it in music without having to go into the "Business" :cool:

    "while having NONE of the marketing money behind them" Are Sonic Youth still on Geffen? Beck's on Geffen too? You're suggesting those MTV videos paid for themselves? Those huge posters in the record stores, they were lovingly printed out by the staff? Those ads in all the music mags, they weren't paid for in some form of MARKETING strategy? Let me assure you, Geffen are there to make money. Any band that signs to Geffen is signed with the view of making money for Geffen (or whichever conglomarate wons them now). Remember it was Geffen who insisted Andy Wallace remix Nevermind, they didn't like Butch Vig's mix, so they rejected it and got their man in to clean it up. Nirvana didn't have a say. Geffen are just as into $$$ as the next label. you think that Dirty 'Deluxe Re-issue' was put out at full price despite the agonised protesting of Kim Gordon? Me arse

    :)


    Look, there are bands out there who might sound a little non-mainstream, until the mainstream swallows them up but be under no illusions. Everybody is playing ball.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 633 ✭✭✭dublinario


    Wow, I'm stunned by the copious amounts of vitriol being spewed from this thread towards Bono. Some people have resorted to the most base of comments, wishing the man would die. Others, like Conspiracy, have relied on more cogent reasoning. And yet, irregardless of the substance of the postings, they all seem to have one thing in abundance, one driving force: Begrudgery. Pure and simple.

    How else can anybody justify the level of anger and disdain people feel for Bono? Is it the music? How could it be? Their music is unquestionably good. I'm not a big fan of U2, but I recognise quality when I hear it, and their work has been virtually perpetually critically aclaimed throughout their career. Are people suggesting that all critics, worldwide, are somehow afraid to opine negatively about U2? That they are perhaps part of some global Oliver Stone style ‘Critic Conspiracy’. Bullsh*t. The albums are critically acclaimed because they are good. An earlier poster listed some of their greatest hits, and it was a mouth watering list.

    So it isn't the music in general. Is it specifically Bono's contribution to the music? How could it be; he is an amazingly flamboyant, energetic front man. He is also an excellent, tuneful singer with an impressive range that allows him to glide effortlessly between falsetto and his more gutsy offerings.

    So I don't think people hate Bono because of U2's music, or because they think that, specifically, he is personally talentless. So it must be him as a person, right? Well, again, I don't think so. The man does tireless, immeasurable work for charity. He is a family man who has never been involved in any sordid or sleazy scandal. So what do people hate about him, to the point that they feel motivated to vent a tirade of bile toward him on a public forum? A couple of people have cited 'contacts', people who'se brothers uncles aunty once sold Bono's mothers sister a Gold Fish, and apparently says Bono is a w*nker. What a load of b*lllox!!! None of you know the man.

    But as a counter-balance (and admittedly being a total hypocrite!!), I'm going to add my own 'uncles brothers aunties' type story. My sister worked in Windmill Lane Recording Studio for donkeys years, met Bono countless times, and has nothing but good things to say about him. He even borrowed money from her once for the Toll Bridge, and repaid her with a bunch of flowers. A perfect gent. Also, my sisters fiance is an Engineer (he and my sister met in Windmill Lane) and is credited on the sleeve notes of 'All that you cant leave Behind', having worked on one of the tracks. Again, he hasn't a bad word to say about any of the members of U2.

    So, in my opinion, it isn't the music, or the man himself that make people hate Bono. So what does that leave? The success. That's all. Pure, unadulterated, thinnly veiled begrudgery. Get over it lads. Sure, he's arrogant, so what? Why can't Irish people be proud of our success stories. It's totally analogous to Collin Farrell. I remember when it first became apparent that he was going to be Stellar, and everybody in Ireland was really proud, I said to a mate 'Watch, the Irish will turn on him, guaranteed'. And they have, right on cue. Ok, he has said one or two dopey things in the press, most notably about his short lived heroin indulgence, but why can't Irish people be proud of the fact that a man from our tiny little Island is commanding multi-million pounds for his (superb in my opinion) acting ability, and is methodically working his way through some of the worlds most beautiful women like a dog on heat? Begrudgery, that's why.

    p.s. A couple of morons earlier in the thread made some disparaging remarks about ‘The Edge’s guitar playing, inferring that he is ****. Again, I’m not hugely into U2, but I play the Guitar, and can tell you here and now that it is bollox to suggest The Edge is **** on the Guitar. Just because he doesn’t play 5 minute long Solo’s at break neck speed does not mean he is a bad Guitarist. He is innovative, and a perfectionist who is renowned for his diligence in ensuring that he can recreate as much as possible of the exact sounds heard on U2 albums when playing live.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,135 ✭✭✭✭John


    Personally I think U2 are a great band. I don't listen to them due to marketing reasons, I listen to them because, call me crazy, the music and the lyrics are good. The new album is a good album, better than the last one. I do think U2 have done some dubious things in their career (link the first, link the second) but a good song is a good song no matter what the attitude. And whoever said that Zoo TV was just U2 jumping on the dance bandwagon is talking out of their ass. I know for a fact that U2 had been listening to a lot of underground electronica and noise based music (the Edge in particular) in the years before Achtung Baby, they genuinely like that kind of music so of course they'll be influenced by it. Begrudgery and music snobs are all I see. :mad:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 47 Conspiracy


    Dublinario, where should I start.
    I find myself defending my point again and again with different people. Has anyone read the full thread or are they simply reading 3 posts and then replying angrily????????
    dublinario wrote:
    And yet, irregardless of the substance of the postings, they all seem to have one thing in abundance, one driving force: Begrudgery. Pure and simple.

    Eh,...No. I have said repeatedly that I don't begrudge them anything. I have a problem when they present themselves as something they are not.
    dublinario wrote:
    He is also an excellent, tuneful singer with an impressive range that allows him to glide effortlessly between falsetto and his more gutsy offerings.

    Noooooooo !!!!! He WAS. Now, he is not - and that's the issue. HE WAS - Now he is not !!!
    dublinario wrote:
    p.s. A couple of morons earlier in the thread made some disparaging remarks about ‘The Edge’s guitar playing, inferring that he is ****. Again, I’m not hugely into U2, but I play the Guitar, and can tell you here and now that it is bollox to suggest The Edge is **** on the Guitar. Just because he doesn’t play 5 minute long Solo’s at break neck speed does not mean he is a bad Guitarist. He is innovative, and a perfectionist who is renowned for his diligence in ensuring that he can recreate as much as possible of the exact sounds heard on U2 albums when playing live.
    I'll say nothing !!!







    NOTE TO READERS:
    **************

    Please look at my original post at the very very top.
    My question was very specific - and originally it was going to say "Is Bono the biggest whore in Ireland". I changed it because I don't have a problem with Bono. U2 Ltd is the culprit. The question infact read - "Are U2 the biggest whores in Ireland?".

    It's U2 Ltd I have been referring to all along - not any particular individual. All decisions on mehalf of U2 were not made by one person - there is a huge executive team behind the money.





    NOTE TO DOCTOR J
    ***************
    Doctor J.
    1) Apart from Edible, what have you been doing in the music industry??
    2) Did you produce the mp3's of edible that I heard?
    (I must ask since you question my logic).

    Also - have you ever heard the word MOTO?
    Nobody uses DAT for tv show backing tracks anymore Doc. It's all hardisk recorders now.


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