Neil McCormick, friend of the band and writer of a couple of U2 books, has written in Telegraph, January 21, 2009 an article about the relevance of rock stars like Bono and Bruce Springsteen.Here are some snippets...
"Love them or hate them, Bono and Bruce Springsteen are two rock stars who have remained relevant to successive generations.
This week, U2 return to the airwaves with a new single, "Get On Your Boots."
Driven by a wiry, heavy metal guitar riff and bouncing along on relentless, staccato rhythm, a familiar voice fires off aphorisms like "Satan loves a bomb scare" and "The future needs a big kiss." If ever Bono should tire of music or politics, he could surely get a job as a copywriter in an ad agency. But many will remain suspicious, wondering what he is pedalling now.
For some Bono is the greatest rock star of our times, for others he is an insufferable bore. Perhaps more than any other rock star, he has become a divisive, love him or hate him figure. It is something of which he is well aware. "I'm sick of Bono," he said recently. "And I am him." It is no secret where I stand on this. I have known Bono a long time and followed his band since my schooldays. I can be accused (and regularly am) of bias yet I consider myself lucky to have had a front row seat at the gestation of one of the defining rock bands of our times. In terms of cultural impact (let alone ticket and album sales), their influence is all over modern rock, from the scale and imagination of their live presentation to the sonic tapestry of Edge's guitars and producer Brian Eno's synths.Many of the most popular rock bands of the moment (Coldplay, Kings of Leon and The Killers, amongst others) are unabashed in their devotion to U2, yet arguably their real influence is not so much musical as ideological.t is about commitment and passion, the notion that a band can stay together for thirty years or more with a work ethic that pushes them to forge music that is relevant, engaging with the pop charts and the wider world too.
It is for the latter that Bono, in particular, is held in contempt. Perhaps he should be more like Bruce Springsteen, another idealistic rock star who returns to the fray this week with a new album, Working on a Dream. While politically engaged, Springsteen takes a more subtle, community based approach, built on bonds forged with his audience over a lifetime's work.
Yet to ask Bono to reign himself in would be to go against his nature and dilute his impact. Back in the early days of U2 he created two characters to act out onstage, the Fool and the Boy. Only the latter made it onto record (in songs on U2's debut album, Boy) but the fool has often been called into service nonetheless. Bono is an optimistic, over enthusiastic, energetic character not afraid (as many in his profession are) of making an idiot of himself. As the lead singer in a band, he considers it his job to jump around and make a big noise, draw attention, fly a flag (sometimes literally) and rally for the cause. He wants to make a difference and so he uses the tools at his disposal: his fame, passion and talent. It is what makes him such a powerful irritant: he is The Fly in your ear (and the ears of world leaders) buzzing away, getting his message across.
Ultimately, politics is secondary because Bono (and, for that matter, the Boss) will be history when they no longer make music that inspires a reaction. While many of their contemporaries have either (forcibly) retired or retreated to a comfort zone of nostalgic hits, here are artists constantly striving to create new work to rival their best. "Get On Your Boots" is a zinger of a modern pop song, fresh, funky and bursting with ideas. Love them or hate them, it is hard to ignore big guns when they are blazing.
source:www.telegraph.co.uk
For some Bono is the greatest rock star of our times, for others he is an insufferable bore. Perhaps more than any other rock star, he has become a divisive, love him or hate him figure. It is something of which he is well aware. "I'm sick of Bono," he said recently. "And I am him." It is no secret where I stand on this. I have known Bono a long time and followed his band since my schooldays. I can be accused (and regularly am) of bias yet I consider myself lucky to have had a front row seat at the gestation of one of the defining rock bands of our times. In terms of cultural impact (let alone ticket and album sales), their influence is all over modern rock, from the scale and imagination of their live presentation to the sonic tapestry of Edge's guitars and producer Brian Eno's synths.Many of the most popular rock bands of the moment (Coldplay, Kings of Leon and The Killers, amongst others) are unabashed in their devotion to U2, yet arguably their real influence is not so much musical as ideological.t is about commitment and passion, the notion that a band can stay together for thirty years or more with a work ethic that pushes them to forge music that is relevant, engaging with the pop charts and the wider world too.
It is for the latter that Bono, in particular, is held in contempt. Perhaps he should be more like Bruce Springsteen, another idealistic rock star who returns to the fray this week with a new album, Working on a Dream. While politically engaged, Springsteen takes a more subtle, community based approach, built on bonds forged with his audience over a lifetime's work.
Yet to ask Bono to reign himself in would be to go against his nature and dilute his impact. Back in the early days of U2 he created two characters to act out onstage, the Fool and the Boy. Only the latter made it onto record (in songs on U2's debut album, Boy) but the fool has often been called into service nonetheless. Bono is an optimistic, over enthusiastic, energetic character not afraid (as many in his profession are) of making an idiot of himself. As the lead singer in a band, he considers it his job to jump around and make a big noise, draw attention, fly a flag (sometimes literally) and rally for the cause. He wants to make a difference and so he uses the tools at his disposal: his fame, passion and talent. It is what makes him such a powerful irritant: he is The Fly in your ear (and the ears of world leaders) buzzing away, getting his message across.
Ultimately, politics is secondary because Bono (and, for that matter, the Boss) will be history when they no longer make music that inspires a reaction. While many of their contemporaries have either (forcibly) retired or retreated to a comfort zone of nostalgic hits, here are artists constantly striving to create new work to rival their best. "Get On Your Boots" is a zinger of a modern pop song, fresh, funky and bursting with ideas. Love them or hate them, it is hard to ignore big guns when they are blazing.
source:www.telegraph.co.uk
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