The 1970s British bands The Edge was disappointed in
Say what you will about U2, but there’s no denying that one of the biggest factors behind their success was that they struck the perfect balance between cultural relevance and artistic freedom.
Specifically, they were able to do what so few bands could, existing in mainstream culture while also feeling at liberty to explore whatever sonic experimentation they wanted. To this day, they still exercise this balance, observing the scene around them, though not to the point where it overly influences or informs their own musical direction.
As The Edge once explained to Mojo, “To not have any ear for what’s relevant within the culture is just being out of touch. You can do stuff that’s completely against the grain, but you still want to know where the grain is. I think about it in terms of the flow of a river: if you’re not in the flow, you’re part of an oxbow lake. And I want to be part of the flow.”
He also said that they never wanted being in a band to be a “trivial thing”, which is especially interesting when you consider all that they achieved, despite being up against weary-eyed critics who constantly accused them of being precisely that. But said accusations of being nothing but a gimmick band mostly came from people who either misunderstood their choices or didn’t have the patience to spend enough time getting to know their art.
Because really, the only thing you need to know to appreciate U2 better is how they navigated transformation through distinctive rock eras and went with their gut, utilising each musician’s ability to layer whatever sound, style or concept they were exploring into something timeless and emotionally meaningful. The Edge, in particular, is the ultimate master of said layering, often opting for a less-is-more approach that brings it all together seamlessly and coherently, rather than going for extensive finger-picking or explosive solos.
He’s also a master at shifting his tone to fit whichever idea or concept a song or album calls for, often able to elevate an entire story on just the sound of the guitar alone, which is also why he once said The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree contained some of the band’s best work, because that specific time period was their most “creatively satisfying” in terms of “songwriting, in terms of production and sonic experimentation, and [we] took quite a few risks”.
That said, the reason the band were able to be in the right mindset and position to take those risks was that they always remained open-minded, not just musically, but about what was going on around them. They didn’t box themselves into any sort of corner; they saw the scene for what it was and didn’t shut themselves off from any part of it that didn’t serve them. The Edge once explained why doing the opposite was a bad choice, singling out bands like Echo and the Bunnymen and The Teardrop Explodes for doing exactly that.
Recalling talking to members of both bands, The Edge discussed how “negative” their attitude about America was, feeling that they had missed the fact that the entire country “operates on different levels”. He explained, “You might get the ultra commercial level, but that you also have, albeit on an underground level, some of the most progressive, most interesting radio in the world in the form of college stations and the public stations.”
The issue with them, therefore, was that because they only saw it one specific way, they were never really in the right position to excel in other spaces, unlike U2. Because, ultimately, to limit your worldview is to limit yourself, which is quite possibly one of the worst approaches a musician can take.
