I got U2’s latest album with a name so silly I can’t bring myself to write it. My first impressions is that the album is “bloody excellent!” But then being in my early 30’s it’s something of a given that the chances are I would be in to U2. But it seems I am not alone in my enthusiasm for this album, plenty of other people are singing its praises too.
However, earlier today i was made to feel old by a 17 year old girl who I was giving a ride to. She’s the apprentice from the hairdressers downstairs, a sweet girl who is always up on the latest fashions and fads. Pretty typical of a 17 year old I would have thought.
I began telling her how much I am enjoying the latest U2 album and she asked “U who?”
“U2.” I said.
“U what?”
“U2!”
“Is that a band or something?” She replied.
I shot a look across at her to check and see if she was just winding me up, but no, her face said she was dead serious. She honestly had no idea who U2 were.
“Hello, U2, only like the biggest rock band in the world. You know Bono, Edge etc etc.”
“Boney?” She said with a puzzled tone.
“No, Bono. You know… Bono!” I said with the hint of disbelief of her ignorance in my voice.
“Is Bono a band?” She asked.
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. How could anyone in the western world not know who Bono is.
“No, Bono is the lead singer of U2.” I explained
“Bono is his name? Err. Hello… Stupid name alert.” Came the sarcastic response of a person who was making me feel very old.
“Yeah, kuz Eminem is such a great name isn’t it.” It wasn’t the best retort, but you have to understand I was somewhat bowled over.
She snatched back with a sharp voiced response.
“It’s better than Boney 2!” And with that where could I go. I was sitting in the car with a girl who thought that one of the worlds most successful rock bands was called ‘Boney 2’.
It reminded me of a similar situation when I was a similar age to her. I was being given a ride home by my boss who was tapping his fingers to some music that I brashly labelled as “utter rubbish.” it turns out that the music was that of Led Zepplin. “I though a Led Zepplin was a motorbike” I said in all seriousness.
The next day I was given three Led Zepplin tapes made the previous night by my boss. He instructed me to go into the back room and listen to all three of them back to back in order to “redress the imbalance and give me some perspective.”
I never became a fan of Led Zepplin and never really appreciated my then bosses enthusiasm for their, as I thought, “dreary” music. In the same way I doubt that 17 year old Lucy will rush out and buy the latest U2 CD. Instead she is more likely to download some hip hop that has all the content and merit of a musical McChicken nasty produced by the same factory that has just released the comically titled ‘very best of Britney Spears’ as if that were at all possible.
I guess if ever I needed a reminder of the fact that I was 17 a long time ago, that was it.
—
U2’s website
U2 log
The complete U2 on iTunes
Wrote the following comment on Nov 24, 2004 at 9:50 am
Okay okay, I’m sorry, not all hip hop is bad. I used to hate it, then (mainly because I work in a club that plays just that stuff, I got into it. But for me hip hop reached has reached its saturation point. While I will agree that a lot of it is musically worthwhile, the genre now has that pre-packed and processed feel to it. A lot of hip hop feels to me like the ‘band’ has been grown from the compost of yesterdays one hit wonders. They grab a few ‘gangsta’ types, give them some bling, put a camera on the floor for them to gesticulate at, thow in some big ass bass and have them say “fuck” and “mother fucker” a lot. Then they stick it on MTV and whoopidido, we have ourselves another hip hop hit.
It’s one of my long time annoyances with coporately sponsored music. Big labels now feed the market what the market wants rather than allowing the creative people in the world of music to lead the market putting their music and lyrics first, and their looks second. I wrote about this in a recent post which featured some pictures of Christina Agwilerihairyer wearing an awful lot of not a lot.
Wrote the following comment on Nov 24, 2004 at 2:35 pm
Well Takeout_girl, can I recommed that you give the latest U2 album a listen. You may hate it, but track 3 is amazing. It’s about his Dad and his struggle against cancer. It’s said Bono wasn’t particularly close with his father and only got to really know him when they spent the last few months of his life together. On the DVD he talks a little about that, and with that in mind the tracl ‘Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own’ is quite moving and musically emotional.
Wrote the following comment on Nov 24, 2004 at 8:33 am
While reading that entry, I laughed so hard to the point where I thought my neighbors would call the cops on me for loud disturbances or something!! I am also a 17 year old girl, but not nearly as naive as this Lucy chick seems to be. I know the band U2, and I love their music. My whole family thinks I’m weird because of it, but I just have an eclectic style I suppose. What amazes me is that she didn’t even know who Bono was. I mean, even if you don’t instantly recognize the band name, you should really be able to recognize him! He’s only one of the biggest rock icons in history! I mean, sheesh, that’s like having an older person not know who Sunny and Cher is! Come on people! I did want to address the fact that I also, am not a Led Zepplin fan, but I at least know who he is! The only issue I had with your entry was the fact that you criticized hip-hop music!! I love dancing, and a lot of hip-hop music, while it can be vulgar, obscence and many other things, not ALL of it is. There have been hip-hop songs that teach good moral values, it just depends on if you really listen to the lyrics. For example, a popular song back when I was younger was “Let’s talk about sex”. I forget who its by now, but back then a lot of people had a problem with that song because parents didn’t want their kids listening to so-called “garbage”. However, while that song does mention sex, it discusses how sex should be brought up between a couple, and how having sex isn’t just a positive thing. It talks about the consequences, and that’s a great lesson to be learned from young-adults. Anyhow, just thought I’d leave a little comment on here. Your entry was, to say the least, interesting if not down right hilarious. And on a lighter note, don’t feel old just because some 17 year old naive girl doesn’t know who U2 is. Your only as old as you let yourself be. :)
Wrote the following comment on Nov 24, 2004 at 10:39 am
I liked U2 back when I was in the sixth grade because my best friend was crazy over them. So I guess I was only a fan by association. Anyway, as time wore on and I began to cultivate my own musical tastes, that weaned a bit although I have always tried to like them but I just can’t (well, with the exception of a handful of songs). Bono is still a sexy sexy man though, I’ll give him that.I agree with your hip hop comment wholeheartedly.
Wrote the following comment on Nov 24, 2004 at 10:47 am
btw, “Let’s Talk About Sex” by Salt-N-Pepa doesn’t talk about sex to bring positive awareness or any kind of sexual enlightenment so I disagree with Bring_Me. It deals more with freedom of speech and their take on how sex is/should/can/will be.
Wrote the following comment on Nov 27, 2004 at 10:06 am
hey Simon!! Your posts are too long, and im too lazy to read them. Ha, ill talk to you online. l8
Wrote the following comment on Nov 27, 2004 at 7:50 pm
Yeah, sometimes I think they are too long too. But you know, this is a place that I kinda test out different writing ideas for my ‘Meanwhile‘ website. some of the stuff you read here ends up there. In fact this Xanga thing has been a great way of getting inspired to write more ‘meanwhiles’, which is something I really enjoy doing.
Wrote the following comment on Nov 28, 2004 at 5:35 pm
I can’t believe she didn’t know who U2 is!! I have been a fan of theirs since I was about 14. I can’t believe her stupidity.
Wrote the following comment on Nov 28, 2004 at 6:12 pm
Well takeout, everyone has their own defintion of what that song represents. So I disagree with your opinon about how that song doesn’t have any positive awareness. People intrepret things their own way. But everyone is entitled to their own opinon! :)
Wrote the following comment on Nov 29, 2004 at 5:17 am
HA! This post was too funny!(I grew up with Led Zepplin!) \
I had a great holiday..thanks Simon for you holiday blessing to us Americans who celebrate Thanks giving!
Wrote the following comment on Dec 1, 2004 at 8:49 pm
two things… first, how amazingly funny is it that you basically got called morally uptight about your hip-hop criticism! second, yesterday at work this pretty smart nineteen year old kid made an economic/political comment that i agreed with and i said something about how he would get along well with my group of friends and he sarcastically and seriously shot back, “why would i want to hang out with a bunch of old geezers?!”
Wrote the following comment on Dec 2, 2004 at 8:33 am
Reminds me of a dream I once had involving me and a record shop buying a Phil Collins record. remember that one, where Amy was working the counter? If you don’t there is a Meanwhile of it called Me and Mr Collins.