Just read an interview with Bono

janegosfordjanegosford Posts: 179
edited December 2005 in Other Music
where he says that his songs occupy "an emotional terrain that didn't exist before our group did." Is my dislike for Bono causing me to nitpick or does this comment sound a little more than arrogant to anyone else? I really am curious. I'm trying to think how I'd feel if Eddie said it & I honestly think I'd cringe then too.
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  • where he says that his songs occupy "an emotional terrain that didn't exist before our group did." Is my dislike for Bono causing me to nitpick or does this comment sound a little more than arrogant to anyone else? I really am curious. I'm trying to think how I'd feel if Eddie said it & I honestly think I'd cringe then too.

    so what groups/artists, after Vietnam, covered the emotional terrain that Bono is referring to, that teenagers and young adults listened to?
    "Music, for me, was fucking heroin." eV (nothing Ed has said is more true for me personally than this quote)

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  • where he says that his songs occupy "an emotional terrain that didn't exist before our group did." Is my dislike for Bono causing me to nitpick or does this comment sound a little more than arrogant to anyone else? I really am curious. I'm trying to think how I'd feel if Eddie said it & I honestly think I'd cringe then too.

    i don't even understand what that means...but didn't the beatles and john lennon take care of all the emotional terrains in the sixties and seventies.

    come on buddy, you guys are a good band lets let the critics put you where they want to put you in history.
    Those undecided,........ Needn't have faith to be free
    And those misguided, There was a plan for them to be
    Now you got both sides Claiming killing in Gods name
    But God is nowhere,..... To be found, conveniently

    What goes on?
  • JaneNYJaneNY Posts: 4,438
    got a link for it?
    R.i.p. Rigoberto Alpizar.
    R.i.p. My Dad - May 28, 2007
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  • where he says that his songs occupy "an emotional terrain that didn't exist before our group did." Is my dislike for Bono causing me to nitpick or does this comment sound a little more than arrogant to anyone else? I really am curious. I'm trying to think how I'd feel if Eddie said it & I honestly think I'd cringe then too.

    in rock n roll - his mixture of compassion, love, religion, pain, awareness, and honesty...yeah, i think it was missing before them!
    I'll dig a tunnel
    from my window to yours
  • tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    Psst....you're nit-picking.....:)
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
  • JaneNY wrote:
    got a link for it?

    Sure do...

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051121/ap_en_mu/bono_2
  • maybe an emotional terrain for him personally, not his listeners?
    "This guy back here is giving me the ole one more....one more back to you buddy."

    - Mr. Edward Vedder 7/11/03


  • so what groups/artists, after Vietnam, covered the emotional terrain that Bono is referring to, that teenagers and young adults listened to?

    Why does it have to be after Vietnam? Bono doesn't put a time stamp on his comment. In that case yeah I'd think a lot of people would say Dylan covered that terrain before U2.
  • maybe an emotional terrain for him personally, not his listeners?

    True - this could be what he means. I just don't know for sure.
  • Bono's gone crackers. That's the sort of thing Lou Reed says in interviews.
  • tybirdtybird Posts: 17,388
    Bono's gone crackers. That's the sort of thing Lou Reed says in interviews.
    My vote for "Post of The Day"

    Well put......
    All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
  • where he says that his songs occupy "an emotional terrain that didn't exist before our group did." Is my dislike for Bono causing me to nitpick or does this comment sound a little more than arrogant to anyone else? I really am curious. I'm trying to think how I'd feel if Eddie said it & I honestly think I'd cringe then too.


    No, you are not nitpicking. Even if I agreed with Bono, its not his place to give himself such a compliment. He is basically stating that he took human existance to a level never before reached. What a crock.
  • who cares? Bono rocks..

    -- U2's music, is probably some of the best "Christian" music. they are so much better than the easy listening Christian stuff on the radio. they dont say Jesus this and Jesus that, but i feel like they are pretty spiritual, but they are also good musicians..they are some of the best.
  • goto_lgoto_l Posts: 1,189
    Are all of you bashers morons??????

    He's saying he's a different person than he was at 16. He understands his emotions he has gracefully accepted growing up. Listen to Boy those are songs of youth, Now & for many years the man writes more personable songs. That's what he's saying.EX: He could not have written a song for his dead father years ago, he now can.
    You men eat your dinner
    Eat your pork and beans
    I eat more chicken
    Than any man ever seen




  • goto_l wrote:
    Are all of you bashers morons??????

    He's saying he's a different person than he was at 16. He understands his emotions he has gracefully accepted growing up. Listen to Boy those are songs of youth, Now & for many years the man writes more personable songs. That's what he's saying.EX: He could not have written a song for his dead father years ago, he now can.

    Do you know I *almost* asked if U2 fans could refrain from name calling cuz I knew someone would resort to that?

    For the record, I'm not certain how you came to your conclusion. It's one thing to try & interpret what he's saying, it's another thing to put words in his mouth. Oh well. I guess if it makes you feel better...
  • U-RU-R Posts: 223
    it does sound slightly pretentious but that's just bono and i can't quite say i blame him after what he and his band have done, they're a pretty amazing story and for my 2 cents worth some of their earlier music is gold
    if you love somebody, set them free. if somebody loves you, don't fuck up
  • soulsingingsoulsinging Posts: 13,202
    seriously, has there been a single band in the last 20-30 years that has had the kind of appeal and influence u2 has on a long-term basis? not one. they consistently turn out great albums and i think the reason so many people hate them and bono is that they're bitter tha u2's albums still kick ass while their favorite band's (pearl jam) get progressively wierder and less inspired.

    in my opinion, u2 is the only band since the 70s to have the kind of impact the beatles did. bob dylan had a huge impact, but was never as universally appealing as the beatles. the rolling stones were up there too... but they were more restricted to the rock'n'roll set.

    the beatles transcended that. they make top notch rock and roll, but also made it fun and appealing for the masses. u2 does this as well. people that don't care for rock'n'roll don't give a damn about the stones or pearl jam. but EVERYONE loves "hey jude" or "one." these are songs with universal appeal and they hit a cord that most other groups will never get, certainly not on a regular basis.

    u2 rolls it all up. they like to fool around and take chances, even if it doesn't work (think pop). they sing about unversal issues of love and loss as well as political issues and world peace. they're deeply personal while also being aware of the world around them. they combine this all with their spirituality in a way that is inspiring more than preaching or converting. even the beatles were afraid to talk about christianity for fear of getting pegged into a niceh u2 has somehow managed to escape.

    there is no one like u2. no one sounds like them (though many imitate them, coldplay comes to mind), no one writes like them, no one lives the rock star life with the self-deprecation of them, and no one is as successful as them. in 100 years, people WILL remember u2. i doubt pearl jam will be more than a footnote in history.
  • PoncierPoncier Posts: 16,925
    The problem is this little blurb from yahoo doesn't put the quote in context of the full interview, so it can be interpreted any way you want, so if you want to assume its nitpicking, its very easy to do.

    Here's the full text:

    http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/11/17/60minutes/main1053542.shtml
    This weekend we rock Portland
  • TimberTimber Posts: 38
    I find it hilarious that so many U2 fans cannot seem to comprehend the fact that a lot of people simply hate U2 because their music is shit.

    In other news, Bono is an arrogant asshole, but I'm sure we didn't need that particular quote to realise that.
    i am disco
  • Poncier wrote:
    The problem is this little blurb from yahoo doesn't put the quote in context of the full interview, so it can be interpreted any way you want, so if you want to assume its nitpicking, its very easy to do.

    Here's the full text:

    http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/11/17/60minutes/main1053542.shtml

    Thanks for the full text. Unfortunately I don't agree that it was taken out of context. This didn't give me any "added insight". The quote is in tact & means exactly how it's meant to sound I believe. If anything I'm more convinced of his arrogance now more than ever! LOL But thanks for posting it.
  • seriously, has there been a single band in the last 20-30 years that has had the kind of appeal and influence u2 has on a long-term basis? not one. they consistently turn out great albums and i think the reason so many people hate them and bono is that they're bitter tha u2's albums still kick ass while their favorite band's (pearl jam) get progressively wierder and less inspired.

    in my opinion, u2 is the only band since the 70s to have the kind of impact the beatles did. bob dylan had a huge impact, but was never as universally appealing as the beatles. the rolling stones were up there too... but they were more restricted to the rock'n'roll set.

    the beatles transcended that. they make top notch rock and roll, but also made it fun and appealing for the masses. u2 does this as well. people that don't care for rock'n'roll don't give a damn about the stones or pearl jam. but EVERYONE loves "hey jude" or "one." these are songs with universal appeal and they hit a cord that most other groups will never get, certainly not on a regular basis.

    u2 rolls it all up. they like to fool around and take chances, even if it doesn't work (think pop). they sing about unversal issues of love and loss as well as political issues and world peace. they're deeply personal while also being aware of the world around them. they combine this all with their spirituality in a way that is inspiring more than preaching or converting. even the beatles were afraid to talk about christianity for fear of getting pegged into a niceh u2 has somehow managed to escape.

    there is no one like u2. no one sounds like them (though many imitate them, coldplay comes to mind), no one writes like them, no one lives the rock star life with the self-deprecation of them, and no one is as successful as them. in 100 years, people WILL remember u2. i doubt pearl jam will be more than a footnote in history.

    It's a nice sentiment but I don't agree at all. I'm sure I could find thousands upon thousands of peple who don't agree either - who find no connection to U2's music and who don't find them to be particularly creative, original or inspiring. No band/artist, no matter how big or influential they may be, are ever going to be universal.

    And let's not confuse longevity with the idea of "covering emotional terrain" that supposedly didn't exist before U2 (that's a whole other argument in itself - while I don't even personally agree that U2 is the first band to do that since the 70s that's not even what we're debating here - it's the idea that U2 was the first band to do it...EVER!)
  • PoncierPoncier Posts: 16,925
    Thanks for the full text. Unfortunately I don't agree that it was taken out of context. This didn't give me any "added insight". The quote is in tact & means exactly how it's meant to sound I believe. If anything I'm more convinced of his arrogance now more than ever! LOL But thanks for posting it.
    See to me he's just saying that their music will live on, that they carved out a little niche in music history by coming together as a band, doesn't really seem arrogant to me.
    I guess its all in your interpretation.
    This weekend we rock Portland
  • soulsingingsoulsinging Posts: 13,202
    It's a nice sentiment but I don't agree at all. I'm sure I could find thousands upon thousands of peple who don't agree either - who find no connection to U2's music and who don't find them to be particularly creative, original or inspiring. No band/artist, no matter how big or influential they may be, are ever going to be universal.

    And let's not confuse longevity with the idea of "covering emotional terrain" that supposedly didn't exist before U2 (that's a whole other argument in itself - while I don't even personally agree that U2 is the first band to do that since the 70s that's not even what we're debating here - it's the idea that U2 was the first band to do it...EVER!)

    sure no band or artist is going to be universal. but name one that has stayed as relevant and popular as u2 for as long as they have? that has gone to the extent of putting themselves out there and enduring much criticism and ridicule from people like you for wearing their hearts on their sleeve?

    would you call john lennon a pompous asshole? cos u2's activism hasn't done anything he didnt do first.

    musically, i think u2 is very unique. maybe not in terms of scales or chord progressions (i know nothing of music) but they have a unique sound. i can hear a song on the radio and know it's u2. i can tell this before bono gets singing and whether or not i've heard it before.

    and their best songs rank with the best out there. maybe YOU dont like them personally, but that doesn't change the fact that a whole shitload of people do... more people than like any other single rock band today.
  • sure no band or artist is going to be universal. but name one that has stayed as relevant and popular as u2 for as long as they have? that has gone to the extent of putting themselves out there and enduring much criticism and ridicule from people like you for wearing their hearts on their sleeve?

    would you call john lennon a pompous asshole? cos u2's activism hasn't done anything he didnt do first.

    musically, i think u2 is very unique. maybe not in terms of scales or chord progressions (i know nothing of music) but they have a unique sound. i can hear a song on the radio and know it's u2. i can tell this before bono gets singing and whether or not i've heard it before.

    and their best songs rank with the best out there. maybe YOU dont like them personally, but that doesn't change the fact that a whole shitload of people do... more people than like any other single rock band today.


    I didn't ridicule U2 for wearing their heart on their sleeves. For God's sake, I'm one of the biggest Eddie Vedder fans in the world - I have to defend the guy against this claim all the time! I also have to defend him, not surprisingly, for his activism which I'll gladly do. In turn, never ONCE did I attack Bono for his activism so please don't imply that I did.

    Finally you keep pointing to their popularity & longevity but what does that have to do with anything? Bono didn't claim to be in the most popular band in the world. If he did I probably couldn't argue it. If he said they share a connection with their audience, I wouldn't argue that either. They do, as do a lot of bands. I'm talking about his statement that U2 has covered emotional terrain like no one else before. It's simply not true &, the more that I think about it, it's also incredibly arrogant AND dismissive.
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