MovieChat Forums > It Might Get Loud (2009) Discussion > The Edge... out of place.

The Edge... out of place.

posted 14 years ago by Asmussen2005
31 replies | jump to latest

I enjoyed this documentary, however, only when the light was on Jack White or Page. It seemed like the Edge was out of place. The Edge is a great guitarist don't get me wrong, however, without Bono there would be no U2 and without U2 there probably would be no Edge. Jack White and Page made it solely on their own terms. When I think of U2, I automatically think Bono, however, when I think Zeppelin or the Yardbirds I think Page and the same goes for Jack White. Page and White both play with alot of emotion and you can hear it come out when they are on the guitar, moreso with Jack White...Page is just a freak of nature. It almost feels as if The Edge is hiding something behind his effects.

If it were my list would have been Page, Johnny Greenwood, and Jack White. I believe Johnny Greenwood has a better understanding of music in general, and when it comes to groundbreaking effects you cant deny he has set himself apart from everybody else.

Ramble on.

Keep your ugly *beep* goldbrickin' ass out of my beach community.

[–] HelveticaFont 14 years ago

The truth is really that without The Edge there'd be no U2. Certainly Bono is extremely important too as a frontman and so in that sense I can see where you're coming from, it's like Queen with Paul Rodgers instead of Freddie Mercury.

The fact is that when U2 began it was The Edge playing that really enabled them to stand out.

The real truth could also be that without Larry Mullen there'd be no U2 because he formed the band and is the brakes of band, he's stops Bono getting carried away. Perhaps even Adam Clayton who never shared his bandmates enthuisiasm for Christianity, opting instead for the traditional rock and roll vices.

Well it's actually the four of them for different reasons but I can understand why you'd pick the frontman, The Edge has said repeatedly that he never wanted to be a gunslinger for fear of taking away from the songs. Instead he wanted to be a side man like Keith Richards, Brian May or Pete Townsend.

[–] seh-7 14 years ago

When I watched it last night, I guess I was conscious of all the rumblings on the net of the various camps - the "I hate Jack White, pretentious little *beep* how is he the guitarist of the 2000 generation?!" camp, the "the Edge is totally out of place with these two blues based guys" camp...

Perhaps it coloured my judgement a little. The Edge is a little out of place... and yet totally fits. He brings something different to the discussion - Page and White have similar blues tastes/backgrounds, but come at it from different angles (Page is more clinical and professional, White is more aggressive and raw). But Edge comes from the punk scene and spans 3 decades or more of creating "sonic artistry" (as Jimmy Page describes it in IMGL) to be in the world's biggest band (like 'em or not, U2 were easily the biggest band in the world through the late 80s and early-mid 90s)

The only time I felt that the Edge was woefully out of place was when they were jamming to In My Time of Dying - it's very clear that he's not used to *playing* the blues, even if he likes listening to it. But overall... he doesn't seem out of place, he just comes at it from a different perspective.

[–] HelveticaFont 14 years ago

The Edge can play the blues though and certainly a massive inspiration of his was Rory Gallagher. If you've seen very early U2 you'll know what I mean or the bluesy guitar solo sometimes used in Bullet in the Blue Sky.

[–] seh-7 14 years ago

You can hear the blues influence on U2 in Rattle & Hum in particular, but it's through Joshua Tree as well. But compared to the other two in In My Time of Dying, he just looked like he was ... awkward? Not quite up to speed? Maybe it's just because IMTOD is one of my fave Zepp tunes that I notice that he looks less comfortable with that that he does with the other jams.

Rory Gallagher... *beep* awesome musician :) Love his stuff! Photo Finish is a ripper of an album!

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] seh-7 14 years ago

@the_spectre - I love early U2 as well, but was still surprised that Edge was the third guitarist chosen (as you say, it prompts a "meh?!" response when you first hear it)

But it works. And I love just how much he takes the piss out of himself... it's really endearing LOL.

[–] HelveticaFont 14 years ago

It was important that they didn't pick the three biggest names that come into your head or three shredders or blues players. They needed to stir it up a bit by picking those three.

No one would disagree with Jimmy since he represents a certain generation and started playing skiffle and created the template for heavy metal. The Edge was in for his minimalistic style and for the way he uses his guitar sounds like a painter uses a palette. Jack was someone who used the blues and some effect but who'd been influenced by everything inbetween.

[–] Kitnerboy_Redoubt 14 years ago

Jack White is out of place, he has no business in this doc.

[–] HyperU2 14 years ago

I don't think The Edge will ever be recognized for his true capabilities because he goes to great lengths to avoid playing guitar like anyone else. I happen to prefer that.

[–] bink-8 14 years ago

I agree that the Edge was out of place in this movie. Both Jack White and Jimmy Page play the guitar as an expression of the soul. It seems the Edge approches guitar more as a canvas to explore sonic themes. It is also hard to hang with those two when you rely so heavily on effects pedals and not on feel. Never was much of a U2 fan, but that's pretty much because of Bono. I respect the Edge, but he shouldn't have been in this film. How about Angus Young?

[–] sparky2212 14 years ago

First off what a great doc. I could not get enough of this. I am a drummer and play very limited basic guitar, but any story of a band evolving and the chemistry band members have and use for the creation of music is something I get a h@rd on for.

As far as the Edge, i don’t think he was out of place at all. If anything, Edge did not know how to play 'In My Time Of Dying', but he seemed to pick it up by the end. He did pretty well with 'The Weight'. The Edge will never be known as a shredder, but his style is completely unique. I couldn’t believe the beginning of 'Elevation' was only those two notes.

I hate 99 percent of the people who comment on IMDB.

[–] HelveticaFont 14 years ago

People say U2 aren't a real punk band, but Elevation is just E, A, B.

Main Riff all on the 5th string.

E---->A
E---->A
E---->A
A---->B

Sunday Bloody Sunday is just B, D, G.

Beautiful Day is A, Bm, D, G, D, A.

One is Am, D, F, G.

The list of simple chords is endless because you don't need to complicate things, I mean With Or Without You is based around a bassline that goes D, A, B, G.

[–] seh-7 14 years ago

^^ which is why U2's songs are so timeless and catchy - it's beautiful simplicity. Nirvana did this too.... Kurt Cobain wrote very catchy songs based on very simple structures and chord progressions. It's a technique taken straight from Lennon/McCartney.

[–] Kitzypoo 14 years ago

Oh, it goes much further than that. Pachelbel's following you too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM

[–] Jimi_Hendriix 14 years ago

i also felt the edge was out of place.. his guitar work isnt as unique as whites or pages. to the naked eye (well, my ones at least..) he just plays unorthodox chords accompanied by a battalion of effects, most notably the memory man delay. i dont know where to begin explaining the innovations and uniqieness of page's playing. white is extremely soulful and has this talent of being able to craft all these dirty guitar sounds and grungy overtones into something infectiously melodic.

[–] HelveticaFont 14 years ago

The Edge has inspired plenty of guitarists with his style; Tom Morrello, Matt Bellamy, Jonny Buckland and Dave Keuning to name a few.

It's the way he plays up and down the fret rather than across the string and the way he favours the top three strings that mark out his style. That added to delay unit creates the basic U2 soud. The really heavy effects use started in the 90s.

This is what I mean about the choice of strings...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br65BWZkJKE

U2 aren't without their contradictions, this is how he uses his delay to create a strip down gospel song...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X7QGCmIZl0&feature=related

then in the early 90s he really experimented with his guitar sound...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlPGIDm-Bvc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgb6WtWKH4s&feature=related

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] HelveticaFont 14 years ago

Just click on the links above or listen to Zooropa. It's their most experimental album with some of their weirdest guitar sounds and yet he still never overdoes it. Even on the tracks that are deliberately overdone.

He also has a producer credit on that album.

[–] [email protected] 14 years ago

...without Bono there would be no U2 and without U2 there probably would be no Edge....If it were my list would have been Page, Johnny Greenwood, and Jack White.

But where would Johnny Greenwood be without Thom Yorke?

[–] MrJingles521 14 years ago

The Edge might not be among the most technically skilled guitarists, but he does have a sound that he can call his own.

Personally I think the one who seems out of place is Jack White.

[–] silver_snail14 9 years ago

But where would Johnny Greenwood be without Thom Yorke?

Probably making classical music like he does on his off time. Jonny has always been WAY more musically talented than the other members of Radiohead. He was lucky to work with a singer/songwriter as gifted as Thom Yorke, but he could have walked into any band and brought them to the top or succeeded purely as a session player.

[–] edwardoyle 14 years ago

That's ridiculous. Without The Edge there would be no U2. His playing and tone easily have as much to do with the U2 sound as Bono.

[–] dougbrigg 14 years ago

You say that as if it's a bad thing.

[–] HelveticaFont 14 years ago

It is.

[–] dougbrigg 14 years ago

Bono would have to find some other way of being a pompous twat I suppose.

[–] rmontro 14 years ago

It's hard to not think of Bono these days when you think of U2. Through the years he seems to have gone out of his way to make himself into a household name through his politcal views and charity work, and some pompousity to go along with that.

When U2 first came out though, I think they were thought of as more of a band, rather than "Bono and the others". And The Edge got some attention for his unique style of playing. He's not my favorite guitarist by any stretch, but he does have his own unique style.

[–] elderlandwurm 14 years ago

The Edge was far from out of place. His style just came from a different part of rock and roll than Jimmy Page or Jack White. Honestly, they could have picked any of a million guitarists. The ones they went with, they had enough character to make this both interesting and honest. I don't think we would have gotten the same thing from other musicians.

I just wish I could have sat in on this as part of the crew, would have made my life.

[–] HelveticaFont 14 years ago

Hendrix is dead, therefore...

Page- in a legendary band, the man with the riffs

The Edge- in a legendary band, well known for dividing opinion by using so many effects to create songs

Jack White- in loads of bands, young body; old soul.

[–] silver_snail14 9 years ago

well known for dividing opinion by using so many effects to create songs

I don't get why this a bad thing. Do you hate on Kevin Shields for the same reason?

[–] silver_snail14 9 years ago

Jonny Greenwood would never agree to be in something like this. I think The Edge was a perfect choice. His style isn't rooted in blues but his playing is fine and he fits right in between Page and White generation wise.