Thursday, April 12, 2007

Can't Stand Bono...or U2, For that Matter

I was talking with a buddy from high school about music, since we used to have some similar tastes, but he was more into the hard rock and I was more into the speed and thrash metal. Anyway, in a recent discussion, he was telling me how much he disliked Paul McCartney, since he's really riding the coat tails of John Lennon (would have to agree) and is really milking his Beatles notoriety to death. Sings the same old songs, nothing new. Pretentious, etc. No wonder Heather Mills dumped him.

Anyway, the conversation steered to what music I like and dislike. Since I like a lot of different kinds of music, I thought I'd go through the short list of what I didn't like. On the top of that list by a country mile is U2 and that pretentious "look at me" twit, Bono. I am sorry - I know a lot of people like U2, but I find that they keep trying to reinvent themselves in ways that try to capture current trends. They don't stay true to their roots. I find that their music is not really melodic and is really just background restaurant music. I've tried listening to anything after Rattle and Hum, and everything else blows chunks out of a monkey's caboose.

My staunchest criticism is for Bono. I don't think he's all that - trying to be some world ambassador, as if what he says actually amounts to much. I don't think he has much substance at all and if you look at musicians getting politically active, I'd find more credibility in a Bob Geldof than this guy. You know who Bono reminds me of? These freaking celebrities who think they are somehow humanitarians (the Brad Pitts/Angelina Jolies/Madonnas). They are growing old and realize that they should probably leave some sort of legacy, so they now turn their attention to world hunger or whatever else. Problem is, people do see through them for what they truly are - spoiled celebrities who want to start schmoozing with Nelson Mandela or Presidents and Prime Minsters - they are probably looking for a career in politics once their 15 minutes of fame runs out.

I have heard Bono on different interviews. He neither strikes me as very articulate nor very intelligent. He pauses a lot when he speaks, as if that effect will make him look more academic. Nothing he says is very substantive, in my opinion. Of course, I have a pretty fierce view of celebrities in general and think that their opinions matter as much as the gum I just stepped on in the washroom stall. I like seeing actually intelligent people like Craig Kielberger, who as a young child of 10 or 12, fought for children's issues and now runs his own humanitarian organization as a 20-something year old. That's integrity and that's someone who actually has been there. Bono is a musician and entertainer (and not a very good one). It's too bad he usurps so much attention away from the other members of U2, who actually have some talent.

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