הבלוג של אילון

אחי היחידי שלח לי מאמר מעניין שהוא קרא ובו השוואה בין שתי להקות העל הללו. האמת היא שאני לא לגמרי מסכים עם כל מה שנאמר במאמר הזה. אני, כמובן, מסכים עם העובדות, אבל לדעתי לא ניתן לקיים השוואה בין שתי הלהקות בעיקר בגלל שהן פעלו בתקופות שונות. לכאורה, זה לא אמור להיות קריטי כל כך לצורך ההשוואה אבל במקרה הזה, התקופה שבה הביטלס פעלו והתרומה שלהם לתרבות ההמונים ולמוזיקה בפרט היא משמעותית מאוד בבואנו להבין את החשיבות של הביטלס. זה לא רק שהם כתבו שירים יפים. השירים היו חלק (מהותי ללא ספק) מהעניין אבל הם לא "העניין" כולו. לטובת מאזינינו אני מוסיף את המאמר. תהנו.

They invaded America. Took on political causes. Got pulled off of rooftops
in the middle of performances.

They even played an amazing gig at Red Rocks.

They're the Beatles...and U2.

If you're a music fan like me, you probably grow tired of the endless
Beatles comparisons made whenever a band achieves marginal success. For
years journalists have described countless bands as "the next Beatles" or
"bigger than the Beatles." Only U2 truly comes close.

In fact, the more I learn about each group, the more I realize how identical
their paths have been. To be fair, anyone looking hard enough could find
similarities between any two bands. But in exploring the patterns of the
Beatles and U2, the circumstances are more unique.

THE EARLY YEARS

The Beatles began as four teenage boys from Liverpool, England. John Lennon,
a sarcastic-but-smart troublemaker, frequently liked to skip school because
it bored him. Paul McCartney, an exemplary student, did well in classes and
planned on eventually attending university, possibly to become a teacher.
George Harrison, the youngest of the group, whose musical pursuits were
supported by his family, was the most direct of the bunch -- and not a fan
of conformity. He told biographer Hunter Davies about school "I hated being
dictated to...I was just trying to be myself." And Richard Starkey, the
eldest of the group, had played in more bands than the other three by the
time he joined them. They liked to call each other by nicknames such as
Macca (Paul), Lennie (John), Hazza (George), and Ringo (Richard).

John, Paul, George and Ringo had three band names. First, they were Johnny
and the Moondogs, then the Silver Beetles and finally the Beatles. The
manager that put them on the map, Brian Epstein, had never before managed a
music group.

Paul McCartney and John Lennon lost their mothers unexpectedly when the band
was just getting started. John's mother was killed in a car accident.

U2 started with four teenage boys living in Dublin, Ireland. Paul Hewson, a
gregarious-but-intelligent kid, often skipped school because it didn't
interest him. Dave Evans was a strong student who had plans for higher
education if his music aspirations didn't materialize. Larry Mullen Jr., the
baby of the group, took piano and drum lessons as a young man. His family
nurtured his talent and he did well in the Artane Boys Band -- until they
told him to cut his hair. He didn't care much for conformity. And Adam
Clayton, the oldest member of the band, had a more mature knowledge of music
-- impressing his mates with words like "gig." It was part of the culture in
Dublin to call each other by nicknames like Bono (Paul) and the Edge (Dave).

Bono, the Edge, Larry and Adam had three band names. First, they were
Feedback, then the Hype, and of course, U2. Their manager, Paul McGuinness,
had never before managed a band.

Bono and Larry Mullen Jr. tragically lost their mothers in their teenage
years. Larry's mother was killed in a car accident.

RELIGION

The Beatles began collectively searching for "the answer" in the late
sixties when they followed the teachings of His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh
Yogi. All four band members, along with their wives and girlfriends,
traveled to India and Wales for a three-week retreat to learn the technique
of Transcendental Meditation. Although first praising the philosophy, the
band soon lost interest and faith in the Maharishi. Ringo was the first to
leave the retreat, claiming to dislike the food, then Paul, John and George
followed. Upon returning to England, the band publicly acknowledged their
"mistake" in belief. In 1989 Paul went as far as to say "I don"t like
religion as such because there's always bloody wars with every bloody
religion."

U2's baptism, of sorts, came much earlier. Bono, the Edge and Larry joined
the Shalom Christian prayer group while the band was still growing its
roots. Though Adam never became a member, the beliefs of the other three
threatened to disband U2. Luckily, the young men chose the music over
Shalom. At present all four men have mentioned having faith, but not in the
extreme manner of their youth. In 2002, Edge said "I still have a spiritual
life, but I'm not really a fan of religion per se."

THE FAMILY BUSINESS

In 1967, the Beatles launched a company called Apple Corps, Ltd., in an
effort to give creative artists a chance to realize their dreams without
having to endure corporate red tape. Though this altruistic venture found
worthy musicians such as Billy Preston and James Taylor, the other branches
of Apple (a clothing boutique, a division of electronics, etc.) failed
miserably. Ultimately, the only portion of Apple that remains today is the
publishing company.

In 1984, U2 started Mother Records, a record label meant to act as a
stepping stone for up-and-coming musicians. Their aim was to establish a
deal for a few singles from the artist that would in turn elevate them to a
higher status where they could negotiate deals with larger labels. Although
bands like the Hothouse Flowers and Cactus World News achieved great success
from this venture, three managers and several years later, the label folded.
All that remains today is the Mother Publishing Company.

LYRICS

Both bands have songs based on love, war, peace and faith. A fair argument
could be made that scores of musicians also sing about these topics. It's
the specific parallels that make the paths of U2 and the Beatles so
fascinating.

For instance, it's not surprising that John Lennon and Bono both chose to
write about the loss of their mothers. Their lyrics represent the necessity
of not letting go.

In "Julia," John writes "Half of what I say is meaningless/But I say it just
to reach you, Julia."

"I Will Follow" has Bono singing "If you walk away, walk away/I walkaway,
walkaway..I will follow."

Civil rights were also a common thread. In "Blackbird," Paul McCartney sang
about black women overcoming their obstacles to soar above their oppressors:
"Blackbird singing in the dead of night/Take these sunken eyes and learn to
see/All your Life/You were only waiting for this moment to be free."

In "Pride (In the Name of Love)," Bono remembers American civil rights
activist Martin Luther King Jr. "One man come in the name of love/One man
come and go/One man come, he to justify/One man to overthrow."

Neither band shied away from letting politics enter their catalog either,
always singing for the preservation of peace. In "Revolution," John Lennon
claimed "But when you want money for people with minds that hate/All I can
tell you is brother you have to wait."

In "Please," U2 condemns an unspecific political figure or social group: "So
you never knew/That the heaven you keep, you
stole/Please...please...please/Get up off your
knees/Please-yeah...please...please.../Leave me out of this please."

And on the lighter side, both bands created anthems to celebrate a nice day.
The Beatles with Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun": "Here comes the sun/Here
comes the sun/And I say it's all right/Sun, sun, sun here it comes"; U2 with
"Beautiful Day": "It's a beautiful day/Sky falls, you feel like it's a
beautiful day/ Don't let it get away."

Coincidentally, even some titles are similar. The Beatles had "Within You
and Without You," and U2 had a number one hit with "With or Without You."
John Lennon's heartfelt ballad to his wife Yoko, "Dig a Pony," was first
called "All I Want is You." One of Bono's most treasured songs to his
beloved Ali is called "All I Want is You."

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS

Paul McCartney has been married twice, producing four daughters and one son.
John Lennon shared a birthday with his son Sean.

The Edge has been married twice, producing four daughters and one son. Bono
shares a birthday with his daughter Jordan.

IMITATION IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF FLATTERY

At the end of the Let it Be documentary, The Beatles venture to the roof of
the building for an impromptu performance, only to be dragged off by the
police. When U2 filmed the video for "Where the Streets Have No Name" on a
Los Angeles rooftop, it ended with the police unplugging their equipment.

Over the years, U2 have covered several Beatles songs including "Help!,"
"Helter Skelter," "Happiness is a Warm Gun" and "In My Life." On their
recent Elevation tour, the introduction to U2 taking the stage included the
Beatles' version of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band." They even
hired Chris Thomas, a former Beatles collaborator, to co-produce their
upcoming album.

QUOTABLE FRONT MEN

Part of the appeal in both bands is undoubtedly the charisma of their
members. All eight men displayed intelligence, quick wit and a knack for
well-placed sarcasm every time they were put to the test. Their front men,
who both have messiah comparisons under their belt, have been nothing short
of a quote-collector's dream:

"Part of me suspects I'm a loser and part of me thinks I'm God Almighty." -
John Lennon, 9/1980 in The Playboy Interviews

"It's a strange thing to need 20,000 people screaming your name to feel
normal." - Bono, 9/2002 on The Oprah Winfrey Show

MEETING OF THE MINDS

So -- have the two superpowers ever met? Sadly, John Lennon never had the
chance to know any members of U2 (although they were reportedly only a few
miles away from the Dakota when he was killed in December of 1980).

George Harrison had unkind words for U2 in the late '90s, saying "Look at a
group like U2. Bono and his band are so egocentric -- the more you jump
around, the bigger your hat is, the more people listen to your music. The
only important thing is to sell and make money. It's nothing to do with
talent. Today there are groups who sell lots of records and then disappear.
Will we remember U2 in 30 years? Or the Spice Girls? I doubt it."

Bono responded: "We were great fans of his but he didn't like U2 very much.
I heard he was very bad-tempered -- I think it might have been more true to
say he was the grumpy Beatle rather than the quiet one."

However, Paul McCartney said great things about U2 at the Super Bowl in
2002. Rumors go so far as to suggest that Bono attended the wedding of Paul
McCartney and Heather Mills in the summer of 2002, so one could assume
they're probably friends.

Not to be outdone, Edge recently collaborated with Lennon's widow Yoko Ono
for an art show. Dangerously, he allegedly invited her back to the studio
(wink).

AND IN THE END

What does all of this mean? Maybe it's just a clear documentation of amazing
coincidences involving two phenomenal mainstream bands. Or maybe it's divine
intervention.