Shary T ([email protected])
Sat, 21 Nov 1998 00:32:36 -0800
You may have read about my U2 (Bono) encounter in one of a couple of
posts I put out on the WIRE or on a few websites throughout the webring.
If not, here's a two part site to satisfy your curiosity:
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Mezzanine/3732/shary1.html
Have your read my story? No? Here's the gist.
I handed Bono a CD of one of my favorite Hawaiian groups named HAPA.
Here's their site where I'm ambiguously mentioned and where
(unfortunately) someone embellished on Bono's reaction when I gave him
the CD. Hmmm... http://www.hapa.com/biography.html
And here's a site to see their album covers - there's one that has a
remake of "Pride"
http://home.earthlink.net/~homeyrf/hapa.html
Anyway, here's my thinking:
Bono saw the cover and the band heard the CD and the rest will be
history...
I'll make it brief and unpoetic, and will just outline my arguement.
Here are the clues I gleened from tidbits of posts on WIRE/ONE/etc...
This is pure frivolous fiction NOT FACT ...OFcourse...
-Clue: Bono quits smoking- For health and lungs (ie better vocals0)?
Guess: Because the quality of Hapa's lead singer's voice reminded him
he was not doing justice to his own.
-Clue: Bono tries to get fit - Better body, better health, better looks,
bette lungs...?
Guess: Because he saw how studly the Irish American lead guitarist
is..(well, trying to be... heh heh)
-Clue: Band decides to go back to roots, scale down, simplify, just be 4
guys again
Guess: Because the acoustic simplicity, yet elaborate blend of
Hawaiian slack key guitar and harmonizing vocals presented a challenge
and a new horizon and, ironically, a REMINDER of "roots music" from a
NEW perspective.
-Clue: Band decides to try to WRITE songs before heading into the
studio.
Guess: Because melody may be an accident, but harmony isn't?
-Clue: Band decides to vear away from ultra-large venues/shows.
Guess: Roots music, especially acoustic music is intrinsically
intimate and calls for close, not far away.
-Clue: Bono said, among others ofcourse, that he likes the kind of music
that can conjure up the feeling of a "place" like feeling Georgia in REM
and... the Band, so far, is going for the idea to "create joy" in their
music.
Guess: Hawaiian music is almost all about joy and light and, you bet,
the land and the rainbows.... and I dare say...is very infectious- not
just in sound, but in mood.
It's 11:30pm in Idaho and time to go to bed.....
Anyway, see the site to see their album cover
Anyway,
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b2 on Fri Nov 20 1998 - 23:31:39 PST