my breakfast. wrote:
That is a nickname to do with his facial structure.
Oh. In that case he should be called The Creep.
my breakfast. wrote:If nothing else he was the one that utilised effects first.
C'mon, dude. And Bono was the first rock star to wear stupid looking shades.
The Edge is the Keanu Reeves of guitar playing. One trick pony. If you like the trick, that's fine. I don't usually like to see the same trick over and over again. Particularly if the trickster is making millions for it. It annoys me. When compared to all of the hard work Frank Zappa put into his music, The Edge is basically a spoiled brat. He just doesn't have to work very hard. He doesn't do anything! To say I am jealous misses the point. I'm mortified at how easily a hack can be marketed/packaged/hyped into appearing to be an innovative artist. But it's only gonna get worse.
my breakfast. wrote:I don't think The Edge deserves such a hard time. If nothing else he was the one that utilised effects first. Before then guitar effects were either an awkward squawk (wah) or some other fuzz or echo stuff. Gilmour made inroads. Check out some of the guitar parts in Echoes for example.
I gotta say The Edge is by far my "favourite" member of the U2 band, if only because his baldness keeps his ego at check. He seems like a nice guy, unlike Bono-christ.
As for his guitar abilities, he doesn't strike me as a musician aspiring for guitar hero status, so there's no reason for judging him on that ground, I don't think he has such pretentions. I like his sound, although I always thought he was basically just rippiing off Gilmour's "Run Like Hell" guitar sound.
Idisaffect wrote:He just doesn't have to work very hard. He doesn't do anything! To say I am jealous misses the point. I'm mortified at how easily a hack can be marketed/packaged/hyped into appearing to be an innovative artist. But it's only gonna get worse.
Its working for him. In interviews he's a humble guy. At the end of the day, I don't listen to U2 at all. However they exist, and I cannot go into denial about them or waste calories bitching about them. They set an example and they got away with it. They probably put on a bloody good show as well. The Edge cherrypicks his gear from 50 years of available gear. He uses old Vox amps and Gibson Explorers, mid-90s Digitech effects units and brand new stuff as well. Electro Harmonix had the audacity to build an analogue delay pedal the Edge could use, he did not demand his gear be built for him. If that stuff was kicking around you cannot penalise him for picking it up and using it. So what if its easy for him to do it? Would it be more honourable if he bust a gut picking out polyrhythms to create U2 riffs? Who cares. They do not draw in the same crowd that would sit down the front with notebooks copying down effects pedal and amp settings like some sort of wierd musical lab.
my understanding is this Edge fellows styles was influenced by what Keith Levene was doing in PiL
I have no idea what that means, Ive just read the same factoid several times, but I can hear that The Edges method is typical of the role of guitar in early 80s postpunk, eg Siouxsie or Joy Division or Bauhaus or Echo & the Bunnymen ... no big heroic solos or even any responsibility for stating the melody, but more of a rhythmic element with lots of effects to add an interesting texture
being a teenager at the time those bands were new I understand the appeal ... big swaggering guitar solos were the epitomy of all that was icky about mainstream stadium rock, and having exhausted shock value these new english bands were exploring ways to get truly new sounds out of this new more minimalist aesthetic
and despite all the mainstream pop hits and stadium tours (which started as early as their 3rd album ... U2 never had much credibility for me) U2 did come out of that same early 80s postpunk scene
The Gunner's Dream wrote:I didn't realize that the title of this thread was "The Edge".
It went there. Again, for the record, I don't like U2 or The Edge and I don't have too much time for his technique. However if I can get blasted on the Radiohead thread for overly criticising their image then I can bite back when people try and discredit The Edge over here.
I understand Keith Levene played through some sort of flanger/phaser pedal but never did delay-pedal polyrhythms. Levene, now there is a guitarist that sucked ass.
I now have The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life. I think it was recorded in 1988 (live of course).
Interestingly it has a number of pop cover songs on it such as; Ring of Fire, Purple Haze, Sunshine of your Love, and STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN. So, I think Zappa was just goofing around in the interview about not knowing pop guitarists. In fact, he has had his pop hits. The first time I really heard of him was when Valley Girl was a bit of a hit in the 80s...I am almost certain You Are What You Is came out around then...lots of pop radio play.
I also have Philly '76 now...another live album.
I have been on a live Zappa kick lately. Currently, I only have live albums. In the past I had a number of his earlier studio albums (I don't have them anymore).
I still have the same issue I have always had, the music is quite good (some of the material on the albums I have almost venture into easy listening jazz at times, which is a bit weird), but I am not always in the mood for the silly lyrics. Sometimes the jokey lyrics are quite good, but other times it just distracts from what could be a really good song...IMHO of course...suppose it depends on the mood I am in.
I think the "Make a Jazz Noise Here" album is the best representation of what the 1988 band was capable of. I don't especially care for all of that brass though. Too many saxophones as well.
As good as the '88 band was, I think his best band was the 1981-1982 lineup with Steve Vai and Tommy Mars. There is some great stuff from that tour on the YCDTOSA series, particularly the second disc of Volume 5. In fact if live Zappa is your thing, all six volumes of the series are absolutely essential. More or less every Zappa band from 1965-1988 are featured throughout the series, and it is interesting to hear how Zappa's sound changed and how the musicianship changed over the years.
nosaj wrote:Would love to get Läther, but it is pricy.
I am kind of revisiting some of the early albums right now, so having fun.
I bought mine on eBay. Only cost me a couple of quid - around £6, I think. All new, and with shipping included. One of the best albums I've ever bought, I reckon!
I finally took the plunge at got Sheik Yerbouti, Joe's Garage Acts I-III and You Are What You Is. I had really only been familiar with his work from 66-74 until recently. About a year ago I got the Hammersmith Odeon (1978) live album and really liked it. So, that inspired this look into this period of his albums.
As I have said before, his funny lyrics can turn me off sometimes, but I guess my mood this winter needs some cheering up, so the lyrics are agreeable right now.
I had read a lot of reviews that were negative about the "smutty" lyrics on Joe's Garage, but they don't really bother me so far.
Is it wrong that I like Titties 'n Beer and Dancin' Fool so much?
nosaj wrote:I finally took the plunge at got Sheik Yerbouti, Joe's Garage Acts I-III and You Are What You Is.
Lather is a hell of a lot better than those 3 albums. Particularly acts 2 and 3 of Joe's Garage (with the exception of Watermelon In Easter Hay) and You Are What You Is, which pretty much sucks.
