Radical Transparency

Turn It On

Just heard Elevation on the radio, and it reminded me of the totally ridiculous U2 vs Pink Floyd arguments* I used to have with my friend Will in college.

He wanted melody. I wanted poetry.

But I loved U2 anyway. A lot. Until Elevation. Then I really got into it with Will. Total bullshit song. They didn't need to do that. It's one thing for a struggling, barely relevant band to stoop to glossy pop. But not U2. U2 is way too big and important to turn heartless, to shoot for top 40. Play for the love, goddamnit.

But, while listening again just now, I remembered that it really isn't a bad song. Just overplayed. And not as awesome as other U2.

Like In a Little While, for example, which is track 6 on All That You Can't Leave Behind, an album that may or may not be better off without Elevation.

*Not to be confused with U2 vs Radiohead arguments that I never got to have because I was in Beijing when they were raging.

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Filed under // bridge songs melody pink floyd playing for the love poetry radiohead u2

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Two Dimensions Are Better Than One

Safely distant in Beijing, I heard whispers from the States in the summer of 2006 that the cool kids had come to a consensus. They'd decided that all rock and roll lies somewhere along the U2-Radiohead continuum.

U2 is a pole. Radiohead is a pole. Every other band or musician, emotionally, walks somewhere on the tightrope in between.

Summer 2006 happens to have been the time the Crash Test Dummies finally clicked for me. And, cool kids or no cool kids, Crash Test Dummies do not live on that line.

And nor do Ween. Or Tenacious D. Or Phish. Or the Talking Heads.

I'm pretty sure the cool kids now consider summer 2006 the distant and unenlightened past, but, just in case, Just Shoot Me, Baby.

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Filed under // china crash test dummies music phish radiohead talking heads tenacious d u2 ween what the cool kids are doing

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Turn It On

Two Dimensions Are Better Than One