Re: reflections on social consciousness, plus some other stuff.
Jo Spurrier ([email protected])
Sun, 26 Jul 1998 20:43:50 +0930
G'day WirePeople!
I think it would be interesting to see at what ages people have been
introduced to U2, and what effect this has had on them. I'm taking the
rather gushy and idealistic view that people who listen to U2 always get
something from the music, rather than just listening to it and thinking
"that's nice". For instance, a person growing up listening to U2 from an
early age will be effected in a different manner compared to someone who
was introduced to the band later in life, once they are already set in
their ways. There's no point to this rant�I was just wonderin'. Anyways, I
got into U2 when I was thirteen, and I honestly believe that if I hadn't, I
would have become one of those teenage clones listening to top forty bloody
commercial radio and video hits who doesn't know, understand or give a shit
about what's going on in the world. Well, that's my hysterical rant over
for this post.
Yesterday, Cyn said "I think they really bared their souls publicly in the
80's and with the 90's came a change. They still put very personal,
intimate feelings into the music but now a little more subtly." I couldn't
agree more. In the 80's, Bono did everything but hit the listener over the
head with the idea he was trying to get across, and because Bono tends to
be honest and idealistic, the press gave him heaps of shit for being
SINCERE. Bastards. Poor Bono. So in the 90's, the B-man got wise and�well,
you know the story. The Fly, the sunglasses, the hood, all that stuff
are/were a defence against the kind of shit he got in the 80's, but he's
still saying the same sort of thing. Similarly, the ideas in the music are
still there, but they're not so BLEEDIN' OBVIOUS. Those of us who want our
pearls of wisdom now have to work for them, rather than getting them neatly
dropped in our laps wrapped up in a nice red ribbon. Returning to my own
pet rant, ie, religion, instead of the idea behind Gloria (I am nothing
without god), it's now Wake Up Dead Man (Hey, god, where the fuck are you?
Why aren't you doing something about this?). U2 have grown up. I, for one,
am glad. As Bono said, the three things you're not allowed to talk about
are sex, religion and politics�there's U2 right there.
On another note entirely, I can say I have corrupted two member of my
family who are now (marginally) U2 fans! Well, my mum thinks they are 'real
gentlemen', based on their actions in general and after the Melbourne
PopMart in particular. My Nana, thinks that Bono is 'just lovely, he's a
real Irishman'. Mind you, these are people who will say, upon me rushing
in saying I've just spent three days boiling possum bones in a chlorine
solution so I can re-articulate and mount the skeleton for a science
competition "That's nice dear. Would you like a cup of tea?"
Yes, I'll shut up now.
Jo S.
>^..^< <*((()))><
Finding peace in the neon. � I love this quote�where did it come from?
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on Sun Jul 26 1998 - 04:08:23 PDT