“Genuine genius”: Bono on the most influential guitarist since Jimmy Page
When U2 entered play in 1980 with their debut album, Boy, stand-out tracks like ‘I Will Follow’ and ‘A Day Without Me’ set the pace for the alt-rock scene that burgeoned through the 1980s alongside the synth-pop explosion. Early on, the band’s songwriting duo, singer Bono and guitarist The Edge, captured the energetic essence of punk rock and moulded it into a more polished and radio-friendly product.
When U2 first formed as classmates at Mount Temple, their repertoire mainly consisted of punk covers, including renditions of classic songs by The Stranglers, The Jam, The Clash, Buzzcocks, and Sex Pistols. Like their contemporaries, The Police, U2 would be more commonly associated with the new wave scene, thanks to Bono’s artsy lyrical outlook and the band’s deft musicianship.
On top of their punk inclinations, U2 was also crucially inspired by classic rock artists like The Beatles, The Who and Led Zeppelin, and when it came to lyrics, Bono saw Bob Dylan as the messiah. Speaking to Mojo, the U2 singer once noted how Dylan’s music stuck with him over the years, guiding the maturity of his output with U2. “In your 20s, you’re not so much interested in ideas like [Dylan’s 1980s material]. You’re more interested in The Times They Are A-Changin’,” he mused. “But Bob Dylan is there for you at every stage of your life.”
Though Bono and The Edge continued to draw inspiration from artists old and new through the decades, it was always vital to bring a personal nuance to the fore. As Bono tried his best to weave Dylanesque lyrics into a modern rock setting, The Edge sought a unique approach to the guitar based on a confluence of those exhibited by his early guitar heroes.
In 2023, Bono and The Edge discussed their crucial songwriting chemistry in a conversation with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. “It’s not like Lennon and McCartney where there’s two guys [and] the rivalry probably made them better,” The Edge said, comparing U2 with The Beatles. “They’re also basically doing the same thing – singers and songwriters. I do a lot of music composition, but I need Bono to finish the song so we complement each other; we don’t ever cancel each other out. It’s additive.”
The Beatles had three songwriters stepping on one another’s toes towards the end of the 1960s, causing friction and, ultimately, disbandment. The Edge feels that U2’s longevity is partly attributable to the fact that he and Bono keep their areas of expertise mostly separate. “We shine brighter working together than we ever could on our own, and I think that’s why the band is still together,” he added.
For over four decades, Bono has handled most of U2’s singing and lyrical duties, often working with The Edge to create a resonant musical accompaniment. While the guitarist will never be considered a virtuoso on the level of Jimi Hendrix or Eddie Van Halen, Bono feels that his partner in crime is an underappreciated force in guitar-based songwriting.
Writing to Rolling Stone in 2008, Bono waxed lyrical about The Edge, praising him as one of the most influential guitar-based craftsmen since Jimmy Page. “Edge’s genuine genius developing on the blank and bleached photographic paper avoiding all the obvious blues scales that blind every other guitar player that ever heard Led Zeppelin,” he wrote. “The Edge finds some new colours for the spectrum of rock.”
Continuing with his metaphor, Bono claimed that The Edge is an esteemed artist like Van Gogh who has found a colour of his own that distinguishes him from his peers. “Edge owns, well, I’m not exactly sure what colours they are – indigo or violet or crimson?” he pursued. “But you sense an emotional colour temperature that is unique to him it’s his palette we’re painting from.”
Concluding his lofty statement, Bono announced, “Surely this is the most influential guitarist since the great composers Jimmy Page, Pete Townshend, Neil Young. But he doesn’t have the history of the blues to plumb, these are unchartered waters as to the English psychedelic revival we were also inspired by and plundering.” In Bono’s field of vision, this is undoubtedly true: U2’s music has been hugely influential in the indie rock enclave over the past few decades. However, strong cases could also be made for Peter Buck, Johnny Marr, Kevin Shields and Kurt Cobain. It’s an immeasurable criterion.
