Is it wrong to like The Edge?

[ahuimanu]

Duck folks, the cock waving is getting heavy in here. These threads and arguments are pointless. There will never be a gold standard for what constitues a good player. If we don't know what a good player is, then we have no basis for over- or under-rated. full stop.

If technique junkie is your thing, rock on. Not for me thanks.

I'll go ahead and leave few lines of wisdom on the subject from Robert Fripp (a man who I think has a healthy attitude about discipline and technique):

"Cynicism is death to the artist."

"The artist is a bridge between the possible, the impossible, and the actual."

"The simplest is the most difficult to discharge superbly."

"Even genius requires a competent technique."

"When we recognise a fault in others, we recognise a fault in ourselves."

" Like and dislike are cheap. "

" Mastery acts on what is below.
Artistry submits to what is above. "

" Comparison with others is a mark of the fool."

 

[Bobdabody]

Is it wrong to like corn dogs....I mean c'mon the edge is great and even if you dont like his music so what hes a pro and he could pay everyones salary for the year on this thread and not flinch. No one reading this( Im guessing) has accomplished what he has and yall need to have some respect for your fellow players out there. Anyway this is a stupid discussion. Pointless, but Im bored and wanted to put in my two cents.

 

[turnitdown]

It;s okay to like the Edge... iT's wrong to like Bono....

 

[robin watson]

Yeah it would be quite interesting to take all those crutches away and see what he comes up with.

Edge bases his playing around his sound, so fucking what? Fucking purists. I bet you like Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Just ribbing ya!

 

[robin watson]

Duck folks, the cock waving is getting heavy in here. These threads and arguments are pointless. There will never be a gold standard for what constitues a good player. If we don't know what a good player is, then we have no basis for over- or under-rated. full stop.

If technique junkie is your thing, rock on. Not for me thanks.

I'll go ahead and leave few lines of wisdom on the subject from Robert Fripp (a man who I think has a healthy attitude about discipline and technique):
"Cynicism is death to the artist."

"The artist is a bridge between the possible, the impossible, and the actual."

"The simplest is the most difficult to discharge superbly."

"Even genius requires a competent technique."

"When we recognise a fault in others, we recognise a fault in ourselves."

" Like and dislike are cheap. "

" Mastery acts on what is below.
Artistry submits to what is above. "

" Comparison with others is a mark of the fool."

Oh shut up, Frippy, and play yer guitar.

 

[joethebaddog]

I actually sat down the other night with the intention of creating some of Edges' types of sounds with my '75 strat and gfx8 unit. I started with "Bad", that took me about 5 minutes, and from there a bunch of other U2 songs just got right in line, with a little tweaking. I think way back when Edge stumbled upon a cool guitar riff while he had (whatever) delay on and just decided to stick with it. And 50 gazillion dollars later...
joe

 

[astoebe]

Yeah it would be quite interesting to take all those crutches away and see what he comes up with.

yeah, good idea, lets take away your guitar and see what you can come up with.....last time i checked effects are part of playing the guitar. I'm not really a U2 fan, but come on, this guy has accomplished alot and obviously has an ear for what sounds good....

 

[astoebe]

It;s okay to like the Edge... iT's wrong to like Bono....

again, he obviously has written some great lyrics in his day.....i can definitely think of a few slightly popular u2 songs...

 

[corban]

hmm, I think we should take away the crutch so many guitar players use, the distortion pedal.

 

[sile2001]

I actually sat down the other night with the intention of creating some of Edges' types of sounds with my '75 strat and gfx8 unit. I started with "Bad", that took me about 5 minutes, and from there a bunch of other U2 songs just got right in line, with a little tweaking. I think way back when Edge stumbled upon a cool guitar riff while he had (whatever) delay on and just decided to stick with it. And 50 gazillion dollars later...
joe

Congratulations....you discovered the dotted-triplet delay timing! Lah-dee-frickin'-dah..... Edge was the man who took that timing and really made something out of it. To say that Edge doesn't have skills because you got that timing with a cheap delay is comparable to saying that Leonardo da Vinci (painter of the Mona Lisa) didn't have skills because you can paint a stick man with a paintbrush. That's just stupid! All these people hung up on the freaking delay....damn people! Wake up! There is so much more to his sound than just that.

 

[joethebaddog]

This is the last thing I got to say about the edge. If he's such a multi-faceted guitar genius ( and edge fans, where's your proof ? ) he sure isn't willing to risk those million dollar pay checks by dropping his U2 formula and playing something different ! So edge fans, your hero is either A) really just an average guitar player with a little imagination and a delay unit or B) a souless, money grubbing shit who will never rock the boat even though he can. Fans, he's YOUR boy. Take your pick.
joe

 

[turnitdown]

B...........

 

[famous beagle]

This is the last thing I got to say about the edge. If he's such a multi-faceted guitar genius ( and edge fans, where's your proof ? ) he sure isn't willing to risk those million dollar pay checks by dropping his U2 formula and playing something different ! So edge fans, your hero is either A) really just an average guitar player with a little imagination and a delay unit or B) a souless, money grubbing shit who will never rock the boat even though he can. Fans, he's YOUR boy. Take your pick.
joe

Ok this is just one of the most asinine things written in this thread so far. Who said he was a "multi-faceted guitar genius" ? We're just saying he's a great player that's developed a sound of his own.

And why should he have to change his sound? Besides the fact that he has used some different sounds (without delay even!) throughout the years, what's your point? Is there some unwritten law that says you're only allowed to use similar guitar tones for so long or something? If that's the case, then you're going to find plenty of artists that fall victim to your ridiculous criteria. Here are some that I can name right off the top of my head:

Stevie Ray
(actually most blues players now that I think about it)

Albert Lee
(actually most country players as well)

Michael Hedges
(most solo acoustic players as well)

Metallica
(most hard metal bands as well)

Actually most players from most genres use similar sounds throughout their careers. The difference is that most of their careers don't last as long as U2's.

 

[ozraves]

I put him in the same class as Pete Townsend and Curt Cobain. Neither of them are/were very technical players, yet they had the ability to write riffs that were extremely moving; well at least to me. That's really what it's all about isn't it?

There is no good or bad - music either moves you or it doesn't.

Bingo. All the guys complaining can't write these kinds of changes or riffs. Simple. Powerful. Imaginative.

 

[gibson_eb2d]

I put him in the same class as Pete Townsend and Curt Cobain. Neither of them are/were very technical players, yet they had the ability to write riffs that were extremely moving; well at least to me. That's really what it's all about isn't it?

There is no good or bad - music either moves you or it doesn't.

OOOOPS! I damn near puked all over my keyboard when I read that. NEVER mention that u2 guy's name OR Cobain's name in the same sentence as the great Pete Townshend! Oh my god, I read it again. "Same class"?? oh... I feel ill.

 

[astoebe]

OOOOPS! I damn near puked all over my keyboard when I read that. NEVER mention that u2 guy's name OR Cobain's name in the same sentence as the great Pete Townshend! Oh my god, I read it again. "Same class"?? oh... I feel ill.

when it comes to style i'd put him above.....so shoot me

 

[gibson_eb2d]

when it comes to style i'd put him above.....so shoot me

No reason for shotguns here!

I can understand how you feel as you state you are 20 years of age. U2 was big when you were growing up, and nobody is going to tell you Elvis Presley was a better singer than Bozo and get away with it.

 

[famous beagle]

No reason for shotguns here!

I can understand how you feel as you state you are 20 years of age. U2 was big when you were growing up, and nobody is going to tell you Elvis Presley was a better singer than Bozo and get away with it.

You have a point regarding age. But then again, isn't each generation allowed to have great talents? This is the problem with most people's interpretation of the 60s. They see it as the be-all end-all untouchable era of musical genius. I am a huge fan of many of those bands as well.

But time does move on, and people have to as well. No one is going to argue the impact of the Beatles, The Who, The Stones, Hendrix, etc. (or no one with any sense at least), but when does it become alright to say that others since then are "in the same class?"

 

[gibson_eb2d]

No one is going to argue the impact of the Beatles, The Who, The Stones, Hendrix, etc. (or no one with any sense at least), but when does it become alright to say that others since then are "in the same class?"

You can say anyone is in the same class as anyone else, anytime. Others will either agree with you, or laugh at you.

I think early Elvis and J Morrison are in the same class as early Sinatra, but Dean Martin isn't. I think that SRV is in the same class as Hendrix, but Robin Trower isn't, even though Trower sounds more like Hendrix.

I guess I would define "being in the same class" as having equal or near equal talent and similar style. That being said, I might put somebody like Joe Walsh in the same class as Pete Townshend, but definitely not the edge or cobain.

 

[little guy]

stevie stevens is a far too underated guiatarist. as far as i'm concerned blows The Cliff... oops i mean The Edge out of the water. i've seen stevie play a few times live. extremely diverse, able to blow your mind with a simple classical guitar. this man needs no "tools" besides his guitar to make The Edge look like a preschooler.

nuff said.