The artist Bono called “the most cinematic of the musical geniuses”
As they continue their storming run of shows at the much-hyped Las Vegas sphere, U2 are oddly proving themselves to be a theatrical, showy band able to more than command such a dominating backdrop. That makes a lot of sense when considering one of the musicians Bono looks up to most.
U2 are a divisive bunch. In the 1980s, they were one of the foremost acts in the world of new rock, undoubtedly leading the way for the modern wave of Irish bands like Fontaines D.C, NewDad and The Murder Capital. However, as the 2000s hit and they decided to non-consensually infiltrate everyone’s iPhones, opinion began to shift. As of today, half the world would groan at the sound of their name, while others would pay thousands of dollars to see their show.
Despite being musically worlds apart, one of Bono’s idols was also a love-or-hate character. He might be an icon, but not everyone loves Prince. A lot of that comes down to the dramatic streak that Bono especially loves him for. Even if you enjoy his biggest hits, Prince’s artistic style and showmanship, lyrical voice and commanding presence can be a miss for some. Not for the U2 star, though.
“Dear Prince, You are the most cinematic of musical geniuses,” Bono wrote in a letter to the musician for Rolling Stone. When asked to pick his favourite songs of all time, ‘When Doves Cry’ made the cut thanks to Prince’s vast and dramatic sound.
As a song, ‘When Doves Cry’ is actually more of a musical theatre number, written specifically for his film Purple Rain. When the crew told him there needed to be one more number to soundtrack a moment, Prince went away and came back 24 hours later with one of his biggest hits, fully finished.
That’s exactly why Bono not only compares him to other musical icons like Little Richard, Miles Davis and Marc Bolan, but he takes it even further to say that Prince runs ahead of Hollywood stars too. “You had it the most of all the movie stars, rock stars, instinct avatars, and improviser auteurs,” he said.
Throughout his career, Prince was a perfectionist who struggled to hand over control to anyone else or slow down as he generally played every instrument on his recordings, produced the songs and built the world they would live in. It’s this broad scope that inspires Bono as he wrote, “You were writing, producing, directing and starring as all the characters busting out from your magical, vivid soul. All you. All the time.”
Bono and Prince’s paths crossed a few times throughout their careers. In 1995, Prince invited the U2 singer on stage at a Dublin show to sing ‘The Cross’ with him. It must have been a huge moment for Bono, who essentially described the singer as Jesus when he wrote, “I wish I’d been close enough to take the nails and the hammer out of your hands.”
Sadly, the admiration might have been one-sided. After Sign Of The Times lost out to Joshua Tree at the 1987 Grammys, Prince went on to make a few little digs at the band, saying, “I love you too, but not the band” during one live show.
But despite the lack of reciprocation, it is clear that Bono holds Prince up as the absolute epitome of an artist on the grandest, most theatrical and cinematic scale. Placing him at the top of the creative food chain across all realms of music and cinema, Prince is number one in his eyes. “I don’t believe anybody’s a genius,” he concluded, “but you came close”.
