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U2, the edge...

S t e v e

By S t e v e
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Thundergod

Thundergod

Posted
Posted

I always considered him underrated. :rolleyes:

 

He's not really known as a "good guitarist" is he?

 

Anyway, how do you measure someone's overal guitar level?

 

Michaelangelo Battio has to play 1000000 notes per second in order to get kids attention, and even when he gets it, they probably fall asleep after the 3rd "song". The Edge? He strums some chords with lots of delay and has half the world buying CDs and attending shows.

 

Now that's what should be called a good guitarist.

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Silenced Fred

Silenced Fred

Posted
Posted

I always considered him underrated. :rolleyes:

 

He's not really known as a "good guitarist" is he?

 

Anyway, how do you measure someone's overal guitar level?

 

Michaelangelo Battio has to play 1000000 notes per second in order to get kids attention, and even when he gets it, they probably fall asleep after the 3rd "song". The Edge? He strums some chords with lots of delay and has half the world buying CDs and attending shows.

 

Now that's what should be called a good guitarist.

 

True... but underrated?

 

Ask around. find kids and ask if they know who joe bonamassa is? then say the edge, and everyone knows him

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Californiaman

Californiaman

Posted
Posted

I've always liked the Edge's playing. He approaches a lot of his playing from a tonal perspective. That's why he takes with him every guitar, amp, effect and speaker cabinet he used to record the songs with. He has an incredible amount of equipment he uses. Fender Deluxes and Harvards, VOX, Marshall, Gibson, Fender, you name it it's there.

I love his work. All of it. He's a musician and an artist when it come to playing.

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46 and 2

46 and 2

Posted
Posted

I respect him as a player but man; anyone who plays through that many effects seems to be hiding from something. Am I right? Not saying it applies in this case but there is a difference between “good playing” and “good marketing”. Look at the pop crowd. In the music biz a whole lotta marketing goes into propping up some so-so talented artists while some truly talented artists get over looked due to a lack of marketing. Just saying…

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Rocky4

Rocky4

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Posted

I respect him as a player but man; anyone who plays through that many effects seems to be hiding from something. Am I right? Not saying it applies in this case but there is a difference between "good playing" and "good marketing". Look at the pop crowd. In the music biz a whole lotta marketing goes into propping up some so-so talented artists while some truly talented artists get over looked due to a lack of marketing. Just saying…

 

But they write fantastic songs and are able to convey emotion with their instruments. War was the first album I bought that was considered new wave or whatever. A fantastic album. There was a mood to their music that you didn't see anywhere else. They lost me with the newer stuff, but in the early days, they rate highly with me.

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Shnate McDuanus

Shnate McDuanus

Posted
Posted

Because Rory Gallagher has the same blue licks as everyone else.

Oh did i just...im sorry for spilling the truth. [flapper]

 

Yeah, and every Slayer riff is pulled straight from Sabbath's "Into The Void."

And every Sleep riff is pulled from Sabbath.

And every NWOBHM band built their careers after songs that sound just like Iron Maiden's "2 Minutes To Midnight."

And...well, I can't really knock Death because they're an amazing band, but...

 

Now I'm pissed.

 

As to The Edge? You know, I like him, I think he's interesting to listen to and everything, but I don't like how his stage name is "The Edge." I want to call him by his actual name...I guess David Howell Evans isn't cool enough?

 

And as for Bono, I guess Paul Hewson isn't cool enough? I mean, I like U2. I think they're a good band and they write good songs. I don't love them, but they really are entertaining to listen to. I love everything from The Joshua Tree.

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dem00n

dem00n

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Posted

Yeah, and every Slayer riff is pulled straight from Sabbath's "Into The Void."

And every Sleep riff is pulled from Sabbath.

And every NWOBHM band built their careers after songs that sound just like Iron Maiden's "2 Minutes To Midnight."

And...well, I can't really knock Death because they're an amazing band, but...

 

Now I'm pissed.

 

As to The Edge? You know, I like him, I think he's interesting to listen to and everything, but I don't like how his stage name is "The Edge." I want to call him by his actual name...I guess David Howell Evans isn't cool enough?

 

And as for Bono, I guess Paul Hewson isn't cool enough? I mean, I like U2. I think they're a good band and they write good songs. I don't love them, but they really are entertaining to listen to. I love everything from The Joshua Tree.

Im sorry [lol]

I tired getting into rory.

I got Blueprint...didnt sound that special.

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Shnate McDuanus

Shnate McDuanus

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Posted

Im sorry [lol]

I tired getting into rory.

I got Blueprint...didnt sound that special.

 

It's cool, really. We all have our own tastes and it's cool if you ain't into Rory. I was joking--I dig Slayer, love the NWOBHM bands, love Sleep, love Death, love Sabbath, etc. etc.

 

Frankly, I think Rory's a very good songwriter, I love his tone and his feel and his vocals and, yes, his licks. He does do some thinks that are definitely "Rory Gallagher licks." Check out Irish Tour and Photo-Finish. I think those represent some of his best work.

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mrktwn

mrktwn

Posted
Posted

Man nothing gets my goat up faster than people bagging on The Edge. Seemingly, detractors on this thread know "technique"

but cant for the life of them recognize KILLER ELECTRIC GUITAR TONES!! For **cks sake the man made his name playing an Explorer through a VoxAC30! You cannot get more elementally rock guitar than that!! The Edge is a cool as **ck guitar player. ALL and I mean ALL U2 records

are absolutely brimming with cool and smart guitar parts and KILLER guitar sounds. Adding insult to irony, if you've ever read any interviews with The Edge,in a few of them, hes name dropped Taste as an early influence.

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cookieman15061

cookieman15061

Posted
Posted

I admire Dave and the fact that he has developed his own signature style and sound. He truly is the sound that is U2.

I'm a fan and my younger brother got me listening to them way before they broke here in the states.

 

 

That being said, once you realize what he's doing technique wise, without the effects layered on top, there's not much there.

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Kiwi

Kiwi

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Posted

I used to feel the same about The Edge, but then I came to the conclusion that what finally comes out through the speakers is the important part, not how you actually play it. I would agree that The Edge isn't the most technically profound player, but he is undeniably a good composer and has a great imagination when it comes to attaining a certain sound through his guitar.

 

Basically, racking on The Edge is like being condescending towards Pete Townshend. He isn't a fantastic guitarist, truth be told; he was probably the weakest link in The Who when considering playing ability only (something he has said himself numerous times), BUT he was one hell of a composer and brilliant enough to almost single-handedly turn The Who into a world class band. Just FYI, Pete Townshend is one of my top 5 guitarists and I'm a huge fan of his playing, but what he does isn't extremely difficult.

 

The point I'm trying to make, is how people have this certain stigma towards fretboard wanking shredders, while simultaneously putting down guitarists who play simpler things and look at songs either from a composing point of view (which I tend to do in my band, I want the bass and drums to be more prominent than the guitar and have the guitar and vocals be a neat stylistic bow on the whole package), or play parts that said accuser thinks they could've done better themselves.

 

If you don't like The Edge, fine. I'm not that big a fan either. But regardless of that, the man can play. Maybe not in the common sense, but he has a sense of melody that surpasses many guitarists and he is indeed a great composer. Saying that he uses too many effects, well, isn't that like telling Mozart he can't use a piano to compose on just on the sole premise that there are Diddley Bows that'll work just as good? Sure, he might've made great music on a Diddley Bow, but it would probably restrict him a good deal.

 

Sorry for the huge wall of text, I had to get it out of my system [blush]

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